Week 13 NFL QB Power Rankings: Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers remains in top spot
Nov 27, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez (3) throws in the pocket against Dallas Cowboys defensive end Jeremy Mincey (92) in the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
17. Mark Sanchez, Philadelphia Eagles (+12)
Sanchez proved a lot of people wrong. I doubted Sanchez’s ability against quality teams, as he didn’t play well against Green Bay, but he turned it around against Dallas. Sanchez has a relatively small sample size with the Eagles (hence the huge jump after one game), but there’s no reason Philadelphia can’t win the NFC East with him.
18. Colt McCoy, Washington Redskins (± –)
McCoy looked miles ahead of Robert Griffin III. He did take a number of sacks, but was able to make the big plays that Jay Gruden wanted. While Washington fans have nothing to celebrate (as the team is 3-9 and just got obliterated 49-27 by Indianapolis), McCoy should be a viable quarterback for the remainder of the season.
19. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers (-1)
Newton is nowhere close to where he was last season. Based on last season alone, most quarterback pundits had him in their top ten. Maybe injuries have played a part in Newton’s regression, as he physically doesn’t look like himself from last season either.
20. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Houston Texans (± –)
Six touchdowns lands Fitzpatrick in the top 20, as he was in the bottom of the pack before Ryan Mallett replaced him as the starting quarterback. Granted, it was against Tennessee, but six touchdowns are still impressive. Three quarterbacks have thrown for six touchdowns this year (Rodgers and Big Ben are the other two).
21. Kyle Orton, Buffalo Bills (± 0)
Bills. 7-5. Since benching E.J. Manuel, the Bills have won five games and are in the thick of the AFC playoff race. Kudos to Orton for being a big reason why.
22. Shaun Hill, St. Louis Rams (+1)
In Varsity vs. JV, Hill played well against a porous defense. He’s been playing better (as of late) than Austin Davis.
23. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals (-6)
I praised Dalton for two weeks for being extremely efficient and taking care of the Saints and Texans. While Cincinnati did win against Tampa Bay, it easily could’ve gone the other way, and Dalton had another dismal performance – not as poor as the Cleveland game, but it was in the same area. There were reports before the game that he was sick all Saturday night, so I’m willing to cut him a small amount of slack. But I wouldn’t be surprised if he puts up a performance like that when he’s perfectly healthy.
24. Teddy Bridgewater, Minnesota Vikings (± 0)
Bridgewater was efficient against Carolina’s defense. He didn’t have to do much because of how well the defense and special teams played, but he was accurate on most passes and didn’t turn the ball over.