20. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
Hurts and the Eagles play Monday vs. Chargers
Jalen Hurts is the type of guy who will play his way to a low ranking on a list like this, and then we’ll see him flip a switch on a dime. That’s the way he’s always been. That’s not to say Hurts has consistent streaks every year of horrendous play, but he’s very much a rhythm player who thrives when there’s balance to the offense.
Every quarterback loves a good running game, but Hurts needs it. He really struggled on Black Friday against a Chicago Bears defense that can force turnovers in bunches, so we’ll see how he responds against a Chargers defense that’s been one of the best against the pass all year.
19. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
It’s obviously been a smaller sample size for Brock Purdy this year, but the 49ers have done well with and without him. And actually, they might have played better without him. We’re still waiting patiently for him to fully return to form after dealing with injuries, but the completion rate was low against the Browns, and he threw three interceptions the week before that against the Panthers.
Purdy is still capable of playing at an extremely high level in the Kyle Shanahan offense, but right now, he’s got plenty to prove in terms of working his way back up our power rankings list.
18. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
There is undeniably something wrong with Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. It’s become abundantly clear that the cheat code is who Lamar Jackson used to be. You just haven’t seen the same impact from him on a week-to-week basis this year, even with the caveat that he’s been hurt.
Jackson had a chance to go out and lead his team to a victory on their home field to claim first place in the AFC North from the Steelers, and he couldn’t do it. As much as it’s a team game, you expect a game-changing player like Lamar Jackson to play a lot better than we’ve seen this season, especially in big games.
17. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers
There have been a couple of games this season where the Aaron Rodgers of old comes out to play, and it happened at the perfect time for the Steelers this week. They went on the road against the Baltimore Ravens and put a lot of pressure on Baltimore to play outside their normal game, thanks largely to Rodgers being locked in from the start.
It hasn’t been the greatest year overall for Rodgers with the Steelers, but in a high-stakes game, this was why you brought him in. He gave Pittsburgh a putaway drive in the 3rd and they just had to play keepaway in the 4th from Lamar Jackson.