Week 9 NFL QB Power Rankings
Nov 2, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles (9) during the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
17. Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles (± 0)
I’m not sure when we’ll see Foles on this list again this season, if at all. Hopefully he has a speedy recovery from a broken collarbone. Foles looked good on some passes to Jeremy Maclin, but the pick six was a forced pass that could’ve been avoided by going to his checkdown. Unfortunately we may not see Foles even get a chance to improve on his play, as he may be out for the rest of the season with that broken collarbone.
18. Eli Manning, New York Giants (+2)
Over the past few years, Eli Manning has become tough to vouch for, but I’ve maintained faith in the Giants’ signal-caller. Manning has been significantly better this year than he was last year – his touchdown to interception ratio is slightly over 3 to 1. Believe it or not, Manning has not thrown an interception since September, and even that was on a tip drill. With Victor Cruz hurt and the offensive line mediocre, I think Manning is making the best of a bad situation.
19. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (+1)
Dalton has moments in every game where everybody shakes their heads. Same thing on Sunday – Dalton doesn’t have to play well for Cincinnati to win. He only moves up by one because of Brandon Weeden – he’s last in the league as a starting QB, so Dalton moves up by default.
20. Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs (+3)
Smith and the Chiefs have started to win games. Other than the New England game, KC’s wins have been against mediocre opponents. That aside, Smith has been playing better since a bad first couple weeks. Smith didn’t need to do much against New York to win, but he played a clean, mistake-free game. I know people hate this term, but Smith managed the game. “Game-managing” may be enough for Kansas City to win games.
21. Kyle Orton, Buffalo Bills (± 0)
Statistically speaking, Orton is a top 10 quarterback. His passer rating on the season is 104.0, he’s 3-1 since taking over for E.J. Manuel, and the Bills are two games over .500. You read all of that right. The Bills haven’t exactly played any tough opponents other than maybe Detroit, but Orton will show whether he and the Bills are legitimate in upcoming games against the 5-3 Chiefs, the resurgent Dolphins, and the Broncos, Packers, and Patriots.
22. Brian Hoyer, Cleveland Browns (+2)
Don’t look now, but the Browns are 5-3 and may remain in the “In the Hunt” section of the playoff race for a while. In fact, Cleveland is a Shaun Suisham made field goal and a Justin Tucker made field goal away from being 7-1 (two losses to Pittsburgh and Baltimore were decided by game-winning field goals). Hoyer is a big reason for Cleveland’s success, even if it might end up being transient. He didn’t play his best game against Tampa Bay – it was far from mistake free – but he did enough to get the Browns another win and keep them “In the Hunt”.
23. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (± 0)
Carr played poorly in the first half – he threw two picks, one of which went back the other way for six. However, he managed to keep things interesting in the second half. I know Carr is winless, but I will not rank him based on the Raiders’ record. He’s been the best rookie quarterback so far with little to work with.
24. Austin Davis, St. Louis Rams (-2)
I still have no idea how St. Louis beat San Francisco on the road. Frankly, Davis did not play well. The 49ers’ defense, however shorthanded it might be, managed to stop Davis and his offense. I know the Rams’ offense isn’t exactly the greatest show on turf anymore, but Davis was inaccurate for much of the day. Call it luck, fortune, or whatever else – Davis was bailed out big time by his team’s defense.
Next: Next Group of Quarterbacks