24. Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders
Games like this are why the Washington Commanders miss Jayden Daniels. Marcus Mariota is a fine backup QB and can absolutely win some games here, and there, but if Daniels was healthy enough to play in this one, the Commanders likely win.
Washington went 12-5 last year and have split their first four games. Roster-wise, this squad is good, but the high-end talent isn’t there, and this group is old as well. I will be interested to see if Daniels comes back and is able to help Washington make up some ground in the NFC East.
The Philadelphia Eagles are 4-0 and already have a two-game lead against Washington.
23. Michael Penix Jr, Atlanta Falcons
What do we make of Michael Penix Jr? This team got blown out by the Carolina Panthers in Week 3, and Penix looked awful. But in Week 4, the Falcons held the fort down at home against the formidable Washington Commanders, and Penix tossed 313 yards and two touchdowns.
This is an interesting development. The Falcons are now 2-2 on the season and are keeping themselves in the mix in the NFC South and the NFC as a whole. Penix does have a great supporting cast around him, so that is going to help in his development.
An accurate left-handed QB, the second-year passer might end up figuring this thing out.
22. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa is usually a sharp quarterback, but he’s already thrown four interceptions this season and is trending in the wrong direction. He’s thrown a pick in every single game this year, and the stingy Jets’ secondary might be able to get one on Monday Night Football.
I would not be shocked to see wholesale changes hitting the Dolphins’ franchise this year at some point. You get the sense that if Miami loses to the Jets at home and drop to 0-4, major change could be on the horizon.
If nothing else, Tua Tagovailoa is still an efficient QB when consistently on the field, and he has actually never finished a season with a losing record, so that has to be worth something.
21. Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints
Is Spencer Rattler a decent quarterback? Yes, the New Orleans Saints are 0-4 on the season, but they hung around with the Buffalo Bills, and Rattler has looked more ‘good’ than ‘bad’ this year for what that is worth.
We’ll see how much better he can be. There isn’t much talent around Rattler, and the Saints are 0-4 for a reason, but they might actually have something here with the second-year QB. Spencer Rattler is not a quarterback to just throw away. He might be something.