Week 2 QB Power Rankings: San Diego Chargers’ Philip Rivers shines
Sep 14, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) and offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo react during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Giants 25-14. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
25. Eli Manning, New York Giants (+1)
What’s the over/under for the number of interceptions Eli Manning will throw this season? Based on the first two games, it should be 32, and I’ll take the over. Manning looked better on Sunday than he did on Monday night in Week 1, but I think football fans in general expect Manning to throw at least a pick a game nowadays.
26. Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles (-2)
There were several throws that Foles should’ve made; instead, they were incomplete passes. A few swing screens that Foles threw were either behind or in front of the receiver, which resulted in incomplete passes rather than a gain of a few (or more) yards. I remember one pass where Foles threw the ball to Jeremy Maclin on a crossing route – he was open, and if the throw was there, it would’ve been a touchdown – but the throw wasn’t there. Nick Foles actually holds the Eagles’ offense back at times, something a lot of people (including me) glossed over last season, possibly because of the Eagles’ record and a good stat line on Foles’s part.
27. Drew Stanton, Arizona Cardinals (± –)
Having a completion percent under 50 is not a good sign, but Stanton did keep the ball out of trouble. He had a lot of help from the offense – Andre Ellington had a nice game, and the Cardinals’ defense intercepted Eli Manning twice. Before the season, I would’ve said that Stanton is as viable an option as Carson Palmer – but based on the way Palmer played Week 1 and how Stanton played Week 2, I’m taking Palmer every time.
28. Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs (+2)
Smith played a much better game in comparison to his Week 1 game against Tennessee, but he still missed on some passes. I don’t think he’s worth $17 million a year.
29. Geno Smith, New York Jets (-6)
The first half looked promising for the Jets, and especially for Smith, but the walls came tumbling down in the second. An above-average Week 1 had me somewhat optimistic about Smith, but he disappointed me this week. A bad Green Bay defense was able to get the best of him.
30. Josh McCown, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1)
Aside from that one daring touchdown run, McCown was mediocre at best. He didn’t do much against a Rams defense that struggled to contain Matt Cassel. As I’ve been saying, Mike Glennon didn’t get a fair shot at the starting job, and he deserves his chance.
31. Matt Cassel, Minnesota Vikings (-13)
Cassel’s best days were in 2008 when Tom Brady went down and Cassel led New England to the best record for a team which didn’t qualify for the playoffs. I guess Cassel was a bit nostalgic, so he threw the ball to several Patriots players. It’s time for Mike Zimmer to make the bold move and start Teddy Bridgewater.
32. Chad Henne, Jacksonville Jaguars (-1)
Last week I ranked Shaun Hill as the worst starting quarterback, and my description about his performance was one comment: “Is Kirk Cousins on the trading block?” For Washington fans, thank goodness he’s not. Anyway, Cousins’ counterpart, Chad Henne, got sacked 10 times and was beat up by Washington’s defense. He was generally inaccurate for the whole game and couldn’t avoid the rush – his offensive line was subpar, but some sacks resulted from Henne simply holding the ball for too long. I don’t think it will be long before Blake Bortles is promoted from his clipboard-holding duties.