Yes I know, four games is technically not the quarter mark any more. But doing QB rankings at every four weeks just feels right. The position can tell us so much about the league. So here are the first QB rankings of 2022 in the NFL Notebook. These are based of statistics, PFF grades, and just Eric’s eye test. QB rankings are subjective. So enjoy the ride and comment or reach out on Twitter @EricJensenSport if you disagree. LETS GOOOOO!
1. Patrick Mahomes
Hard not to put Mahomes as the number one QB. He’s played the most consistently brilliant football of the group. Where Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen have had semi off weeks, besides a weird Colts game Mahomes has played extremely well. The separation between the top three is really minuscule but I must give respect to Mahomes and his consistent play week to week.
Even in that Colts loss Mahomes made spectacular side line throws and moved the offense. While you might look at what Mahomes has done and assume he’s been a game manager, that hasn’t been the case. He has 16 throws of 20 plus yards this season. Mahomes looks and feels like the best passer in the league, the Chief’s offense is clicking and because they can run the ball will only get better as we walk deeper into October.
2. Jalen Hurts
I wanted to put Josh Allen here, I really did. Do not get me wrong, he has been absolutely spectacular but I would give the edge to the new kid on the block. Not only does Jalen Hurts look like the best running QB in the league, what is more impressive is what he’s been able to do with his arm.
Hurts has 1,120 yards and a 66 percent completion rating. Even on his bad day in week 4 against the Jags, the passer performed admirably, largely because the Eagles were able to go back to a run heavy offense and win with Hurts’ legs.
He’s been one of the passers I’ve been most impressed by this year. The big throws he makes are dimes, he has tremendous chemistry with his wide outs. I know this might be high, but consistency wins out in these rankings. I would hear arguments for any of the next four passers I list to be in the top three. Hurts just resonates the most with me.
3. Josh Allen
This is where I really need to explain this, there are five really elite QB’s in the NFL right now, who have such command of the offense that you could make an argument they are number one. Allen is one of those guys, I’ll note when the fall-off hits.
The Bill’s offense was ruthlessly efficient through two weeks of the season, but the pace and efficiency have slowed down the past two weeks. That is not on Allen at all, but sometimes it feels like the Bills are far too reliant on Allen to make truly special plays and move the offense.
Allen’s completion percentage is absurd at 67 percent. This has been the most accurate Allen season since his break out year just two years ago. He could absolutely contend to be a 70 percent passer by the end of the year.
Here’s where this blog is unique, I do QB rankings based on what my eyes see and every week Allen just makes a few throws that make me audibly ooh and ah. Only perhaps Justin Herbert enthralls me more with the type of passes he throws. Allen has been spectacular this year, the Ravens game is an outlier, he’ll be back to dominance soon enough.
I still believe no one has a better command of the offense he runs than Allen.
4. Lamar Jackson
This has been the best passing year of Lamar Jackson’s career. He’s always had this in him but this is the first time an offense has been catered to him to show off exactly the damage he can do with his arm.
If Jackson doesn’t have a sloppy and conservative fourth quarter against the Dolphins and a rain soaked slug fest with the Bills, he to me is the no doubt best overall passer in the league. Those two results happened though and the Ravens are 2-2 so Lamar falls to four.
I wouldn’t fault anyone for putting him at two or one. If he has a huge game against the Bengals in primetime this week watch out because that’s where the Lamar Jackson MVP hype train takes off.
Jackson is on track to have the best completion percentage of his career on the most throws of his career. He’s currently at 117 four weeks through the season. This year something is different and Lamar Jackson is absolutely dominating.
5. Justin Herbert
Herbert is tied for second with the most throws over forty air yards this season. His deep ball has been extraordinary. The facts are still the facts, the Chargers are a mediocre team with massive injury and coaching questions. However, Herbert has the pure passing ability and wow play arm to make them competitive every week.
He can author the storybook season the Chargers expect, he just needs to stay healthy and avoid taking unnecessary hits.
6. Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers and the Packer’s offense started slow. Week by week though, they have gotten incrementally better as they’ve gone along.
Look no further than last week’s fourth-quarter comeback for proof. Rodgers unfurled a series of beautiful dimes to get the Packers the win. 251 yards and two touchdowns on the day. The chemistry is building in Green Bay, and despite a slow start the Packers are still 3-1. This is how LaFleur gets to 13 wins each and every year it seems, the Pack and Rodgers do just enough to get the job done.
The Packer’s next three games include the Giants, Jets and Commanders. It’s hard not to believe when week eight comes around we will be watching a top-five QB showdown between Rodgers and Josh Allen.
Where I have some level of concern for Tom Brady, I have almost none for Rodgers, he’s proving he will get this new system figured out.
7. Tom Brady
You hear two things about Brady from pundits and fans. A. He looks lost and the offense just doesn’t seem to have the Juice it needs to contend in the NFC and B. The offense has been depleted by injuries and the Bucs have simply survived the past four weeks.
I come down somewhere in the middle, Brady’s consistency has taken a hit as of late. He’s not consistently making plays that demonstrate he’s an elite passer. However he still shows flashes, he’s throwing a 68 percent completion percentage and has over a thousand yards. What we expect of Brady says a lot about his career, for any other passer this is a top five resume, for Brady it has people wondering if he’s finally declining a bit.
8. Joe Burrow
Where are the big plays? Well, the answer is complicated. The Bengals aren’t getting many single high looks because they’ve operated primarily out of shotgun over the span of four weeks. This is because once again, the line has struggled. Things have gotten better the past two weeks because Burrow has been taking what the defense is giving him.
Burrow has looked fantastic over the last eight quarters he’s played and he has adjusted. That is a mark of a top ten QB.
9. Jared Goff
You might laugh, you might scoff, but here it is. 1,126 yards, 11 Touchdowns, 60 percent completion percentage, only three interceptions.
These are the numbers of a top ten QB in the QB Rankings, will Goff be here four weeks from now? Only time will tell. It was Goff or Geno Smith and I cannot argue Geno.
10. Tua Tagovailoa
He’s injured right now, and the concussions are concerning. However, if you look at his play on the field Tua has been a no doubt top ten passer. I wasn’t going to give Kyler Murray this spot, because frankly he does not deserve it.
Tua has thrown for 1,000 yards in less than four full games and has eight touchdowns. Sure, you can ask to see more. These rankings however are based off what you have done for me lately, and lately Tua has been a great passer.
First five out in no order QB rankings
Ryan Tannehill
Trevor Lawrence
Geno Smith
Derek Carr
Kyler Murray