21. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It’s not every single day you see a game unfold as it did for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield hardly had to get out of bed today, as it was a total drubbing by the Buccaneers over the Panthers.
While we are still early-ish in the season, the Buccaneers did make things a lot more interesting in the NFC South with this win. Mayfield missed a few weeks with a dislocated thumb, and based on how the rest of the division has mostly looked this year, the Bucs feel very much alive.
Mayfield is an interesting QB, as he played out of his mind in 2024 but has been a lot closer to average since then. He’s definitely more in the tier of QBs that need a lot to go right around him to consistently win, but the Bucs will have a fighting chance in the NFC South this year if Mayfield does stay on the field the rest of the way.
Mayfield finished the afternoon completing just 7 of 11 passes for 64 yards and one touchdown, which is the type of production you sometimes see from QBs in one quarter.
20. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns were able to win in Week 7, beating Tennessee by three points. Watson wasn’t spectacular in Week 7, but he did complete 25 of 36 passes for a cool 308 yards. He oddly did not have a touchdown pass but did have one interception. It was certainly an odd game to look at on paper, but the Browns are 5-2, and Watson has played some really respectable football this year.
And if the Browns keep winning, how do they not continue riding with Watson beyond 2026? I am not sure the Browns are going to be quite good enough to finish the job in the AFC North, but they do lead the division through the first seven weeks, so we are nearing the halfway point.
Watson still gets sacked far too much and is clearly a shell of his former self near the beginning years of his career, but he’s playing well enough for this team to win.
19. Geno Smith, New York Jets
Geno Smith, at least on paper, is not having a bad year at all. He’s now completed 70 percent of his passes. Smith is up to 10 touchdown passes against just two interceptions and has a 105.2 passer rating.
At the same time, there are instances where QBs put up what look like really encouraging numbers on paper, but end up being ‘empty calories,’ if you will. The Jets are now 2-5 on the season and could be approaching some major coaching changes.
Smith has been fine this year and has been a massive upgrade over what they had last year, but at the same time, I am not sure defenses are scared or worried that Smith is going to beat them with his arm consistently.
After a pretty horrific 2025 season with Las Vegas, though, Smith has rebuilt his value a bit and is still clearly a capable player at a key position, and he might be playing himself into another starting role in 2026.
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