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NFL Nation, ESPN
Welcome to Week 9 of the 2023 NFL season. The trade deadline has arrived, it’s almost midseason, and it’s time to check on how the league stacks up.
The Philadelphia Eagles (7-1) have the best record in the NFL, there are five playoff-hopeful teams with a 6-2 record, and there are quite a few teams that have been forced to change (or have voluntarily changed) their quarterback.
Below, we’ve updated the rankings, and our NFL Nation reporters shared a progress report for how every team is doing at quarterback so far this season. Some teams are struggling to produce points, and others have lost their starting quarterbacks to injury, so where does every team’s situation at QB stand as of today?
Here are the updated rankings, starting with a new No. 1 team for the second week in a row!
Our power panel of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities evaluates how NFL teams stack up against one another, ranking them from 1 to 32.
Previous rankings: Preseason | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8
Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
Week 8 ranking: 2
Team QBR: 65.6 (7th in NFL)
Jalen Hurts is coming off arguably his best performance of the season in which he completed 76.3% of his throws and tossed four touchdown passes to push the Eagles past the Washington Commanders. It hasn’t been the smoothest of rides to this point — he is playing through left knee pain and has thrown eight interceptions already on the year after being picked off just six times last season. But he has made a number of dazzling plays and tends to come up big in crucial moments, guiding the Eagles to the best record in football. — Tim McManus
Week 8 ranking: 4
Team QBR: 66.7 (6th)
Tua Tagovailoa leads the NFL in passing yards (2,416) and passing touchdowns (18) through eight games, which has him firmly in the NFL MVP running. His offseason jiu-jitsu training has paid off so far — he hasn’t been hit often, but when he is contacted he has been able to protect himself from injury. It’s the type of year that should lead to a sizable contract this offseason — as long as he remains healthy and the Dolphins keep winning. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Week 8 ranking: 1
Team QBR: 73.8 (3rd)
This could end up being the worst statistical season of Patrick Mahomes‘ career. He’s tied for the league lead with eight interceptions — which is on pace for 17 interceptions, and that would easily surpass the worst of his career (13). With 15 touchdown passes, Mahomes is on pace for a touchdown-to-interception ratio of less than 2-to-1, which would also be a career worst. Mahomes has always been above that mark, in some seasons well beyond it. — Adam Teicher
1:40
Foxworth wants everyone to ‘relax’ after Chiefs’ loss
Domonique Foxworth and Dan Orlovsky explain why the Chiefs will be fine despite a 24-9 loss to the Broncos.
Week 8 ranking: 5
Team QBR: 59.4 (12th)
Lamar Jackson is living up to the five-year, $260 million contract he signed this offseason. In his first year in Todd Monken’s offense, Jackson is more accurate than ever, completing 70.5% of his passes (third best in the NFL). He’s still dangerous with his legs, whether it’s extending plays or delivering big gains on the ground. His 380 yards rushing tops all quarterbacks. Jackson’s playmaking ability is why Baltimore is tied for the best record in the AFC and holds a 1½-game lead in the AFC North. — Jamison Hensley
Week 8 ranking: 7
Team QBR: 65.0 (8th)
Dak Prescott has stepped up his play the past two games, and he has done more with his legs, not just with his running but buying time outside the pocket to make off-script plays. As he has gotten more comfortable with Mike McCarthy as the playcaller, he has been able to find his way in certain situations. Prescott has three games this year in which he has completed at least 80% of his passes, but some of that was due to quick, shorter throws. Against the Rams on Sunday, he was 7-of-9 for 133 yards and three touchdowns on passes of 10 or more air yards in the first half. When Prescott completes more than half of his throws of 10 yards or more, the Cowboys are 4-0 this year, per ESPN Stats & Information. — Todd Archer
Week 8 ranking: 6
Team QBR: 62.4 (10th)
Trevor Lawrence‘s stats might not be leading-the-league impressive — 1,935 yards, 9 TDs, 4 INTs — but he’s playing consistently good football. He has had a passer rating of at least 90 or better in his past five games (a career-high streak) and has posted a passer rating of 90 or above in six of the team’s eight games. He’s still making some of those young quarterback mistakes, like his end zone interception on a ball he should have thrown away, and he tries to keep plays alive too long (a major reason for his six fumbles), but Doug Pederson has praised Lawrence’s leadership, his toughness (he’s playing on a sprained left knee) and the clutch throws and plays he has made during the Jaguars’ 5-0 stretch in October. — Michael DiRocco
Week 8 ranking: 3
Team QBR: 74.0 (2nd)
On the whole, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has done more good than bad this season. He has passed for 2,033 yards, 12 touchdowns and a 68.3% completion percentage with two rushing touchdowns. Purdy was the ideal point guard the first five weeks, distributing the ball to his playmakers, making the occasional off-schedule play and, most importantly, taking care of the ball. While those first two attributes have continued, Purdy’s ball security has taken a turn for the worse with all five of his interceptions this season, including four in opponents’ territory, coming over the past three weeks. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Niners have lost all three games. — Nick Wagoner
1:28
What is wrong with the 49ers?
Rex Ryan, Dan Orlovsky and Domonique Foxworth discuss their concerns with the 49ers during their current losing streak.
Week 8 ranking: 9
Team QBR: 67.6 (5th)
Jared Goff is in the midst of one of the best stretches of his career with the Lions atop the NFC North standings. Lions general manager Brad Holmes has surrounded the former No. 1 overall pick with many new players, including rookie tight end Sam LaPorta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs. Goff has 2,174 passing yards and 12 touchdowns to five interceptions through the first eight games. He said his game has evolved with more reps and by maturing as a player since arriving in Detroit in 2021. — Eric Woodyard
Week 8 ranking: 10
Team QBR: 77.1 (1st)
It has been up and down for Josh Allen, and correspondingly, the Bills’ offense, but Allen is leading the league in completion percentage (71.7%), is fourth in passing yards (2,165) and third in touchdowns (17), and remains one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Allen has looked like an MVP candidate at times — specifically, in a three-game stretch from Weeks 2 to 4, when he completed 76.6% of his passes and had eight touchdowns to one interception. At other times, Allen has looked out of sync, notably from Weeks 5 to 7 (65.8% completion percentage, six passing touchdowns to three interceptions). Allen and the Bills are making an effort to reduce hits, and against the Buccaneers last Thursday, Allen rushed seven times for 41 yards and a touchdown in an improved offensive performance. — Alaina Getzenberg
Week 8 ranking: 11
Team QBR: 59.7 (11th)
Geno Smith began the season exhibiting the accuracy and efficiency that typified the first half of his Pro Bowl season in 2022, but he has since hit a rough patch. After turning the ball over only once in the first four games, he has thrown five interceptions over the past three weeks, which is one more than the number of touchdowns he has thrown in that span. He might not have been the guilty party on one of the interceptions, as DK Metcalf stopped on his route. Another was a tough-luck pick that got tipped high into the air. But two of them came in the red zone on forced throws. Smith still has his trademark accuracy and makes a few “wow” throws each game, but he can play cleaner. — Brady Henderson
Week 8 ranking: 13
Team QBR: 50.3 (18th)
Joe Burrow has battled back from a preseason right calf injury and appeared to turn the corner in a Week 8 win over the 49ers. Burrow had his highest single-game completion percentage (87.5%), and the offense had its most explosive day of the season against one of the NFL’s better defenses. Burrow averaged 7.82 yards per dropback, which is an increase from his 4.56 average for the first six weeks. The work Burrow spent in the offseason improving his agility and acceleration was on display against San Francisco. Burrow’s 89.4 Total QBR was the second highest of his career. — Ben Baby
Week 8 ranking: 8
Team QBR: 31.8 (32nd)
This is not what the Browns envisioned when they gave Deshaun Watson a $230 million fully guaranteed contract. This season, Watson has played in only three full games. When he has been on the field, he hasn’t played well (41.4 QBR). Watson continues to nurse the rotator cuff strain to his throwing shoulder, and his return date remains unclear. Backup PJ Walker has played valiantly in his place, leading the Browns on winning drives in back-to-back wins over the 49ers and Colts. But Sunday, his three turnovers proved costly in a loss at Seattle. — Jake Trotter
0:35
Should Browns’ QB situation scare fantasy managers away from David Njoku?
Daniel Dopp explains how confident fantasy managers should be putting David Njoku in their lineup.
Week 8 ranking: 16
Team QBR: 36.1 (29th)
The Jets were dealt a cruel hand, losing Aaron Rodgers to a torn Achilles on the fourth play of the season. Not only was it an emotional blow to the team, but the Jets had to reinvent their offense for backup Zach Wilson. It hasn’t been pretty — the Jets are 27th in scoring (126) and 31st in total yards (1,913) — but they’ve managed to win four games with Wilson — who has thrown for 1,337 yards and five touchdowns. Statistically, the former No. 2 overall pick has made only small improvements from last season, but he’s more mature and more confident than a year ago. The Jets will ride Wilson the rest of the way … unless Rodgers makes a miraculous recovery. He says he’s ahead of schedule in his rehab and that his goal is to play again this season. — Rich Cimini
Week 8 ranking: 12
Team QBR: 34.6 (31st)
Kenny Pickett hasn’t taken the vaunted second-year leap, but it’s difficult to discern how much of that is on Pickett and how much is on the offense and scheme. Before he exited at halftime of Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars because of a rib injury, Pickett and the offense had four straight three-and-outs with just 9 total yards before the quarterback orchestrated a field goal drive completing 5 of 6 attempts. While his QBR plummeted from 53.6 in 2022 to 35.5 this season, and his completion percentage dropped from 63% in 2022 to 61%, Pickett does have two fourth-quarter winning drives. — Brooke Pryor
Week 8 ranking: 18
Team QBR: 69.6 (4th)
The Chargers made Justin Herbert the highest-paid player in franchise history in the offseason after three seasons that established Herbert as one of the best in the NFL at the position. But his play this season has fluctuated between spectacular and dreadful. After a fractured left middle finger in Week 4, Herbert had one of the worst three-game stretches of his career, with missed throws and career lows in yards and completions. Herbert returned to form in Week 8, a blowout win over the Bears in which he completed his first 15 passes and finished with no interceptions for the first time since Week 3. — Kris Rhim
Week 8 ranking: 20
Team QBR: 56.0 (16th)
Derek Carr has put together what is perhaps his best six quarters of the season, going back to the Thursday night game against the Jaguars last week. Carr and the offense struggled to find their footing in the first part of the season, and he had one of his worst performances against the Buccaneers in Week 4 (127 passing yards, no touchdowns) following a Week 3 shoulder injury. He was much more efficient against the Colts on Sunday, passing for 310 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, possibly showing positive momentum going forward. — Katherine Terrell
Week 8 ranking: 21
Team QBR: 63.0 (9th)
Kirk Cousins tore his right Achilles tendon Sunday — which has thrown the QB position into shambles, especially considering that veteran backup Nick Mullens is on injured reserve because of a back ailment. Mullens is eligible to return as early as Week 10, but it’s not clear if he will be ready. The Vikings’ best bet at the moment might be rookie Jaren Hall, a fifth-round pick who had his share of struggles during extensive preseason action. The only other quarterback on the roster is veteran Sean Mannion, who was signed to the practice squad when Mullens was hurt. — Kevin Seifert
1:28
Is Mac Jones an option for the Vikings? Schefter talks trades with McAfee
Adam Schefter joins Pat McAfee to talk about the trade deadline, including whether the Vikings will make a move after Kirk Cousins tore an Achilles.
Week 8 ranking: 14
Team QBR: 42.0 (23rd)
It’s a work in progress at this point. Desmond Ridder started the first eight games and was a mixed bag. He showed improvement in Weeks 5-7 with three straight 250-yard passing days, but he also had seven turnovers. The Falcons sat Ridder at halftime against Tennessee this past Sunday — Ridder cleared concussion protocol, but Atlanta held him out because coaches thought something was “off” with Ridder — and backup Taylor Heinicke replaced him. Smith said Monday the starter for Minnesota will be determined by Wednesday, at least in part due to Ridder’s health. — Michael Rothstein
Week 8 ranking: 19
Team QBR: 55.0 (17th)
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has a completion percentage of 59.7%, which ranks 30th in the NFL ahead of Zach Wilson (58.3%) and Jordan Love (57.7%). It is his worst completion percentage through Week 8 since his rookie season in 2009. Stafford has kept the 3-5 Rams in games, but he injured his thumb in Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys. Stafford has an ulnar collateral ligament sprain in his right thumb and is day-to-day, coach Sean McVay said Monday. — Sarah Barshop
Week 8 ranking: 15
Team QBR: 56.7 (15th)
Baker Mayfield has been at his best when he has served in more of a complementary role and can rely on the defense, which propelled the Bucs to a 3-1 start. But they’ve struggled to put points on the board, scoring 16.3 offensive points per game (ranked 26th in the league), and now they’ve dropped three straight games. Mayfield’s eight tipped passes at the line of scrimmage are also tied for sixth most in the NFL. Where Mayfield has shined through is in keeping plays alive and on third down. Mayfield’s 41.3% third-down conversion rate on passes is the sixth best in the league. — Jenna Laine
Week 8 ranking: 22
Team QBR: 58.6 (14th)
Judging the Colts’ quarterback situation is complicated given the season-ending shoulder injury sustained by fourth overall draft pick Anthony Richardson. But the rookie showed enough promise in his limited playing time to leave the organization convinced he can be their long-term solution at the position. But the confirmation of that will have to wait until he returns in 2024. In the meantime, backup Gardner Minshew‘s surprising production has been marred by nine turnovers in four starts — a fact that will complicate his goal of proving he’s worthy of being a team’s starter after his current one-year contract expires. — Stephen Holder
Week 8 ranking: 28
Team QBR: 35.7 (30th)
Ryan Tannehill had an up-and-down season before suffering a right high ankle sprain in Week 6. He played well at home in two of the Titans’ wins, but he struggled on the road. Tannehill has two passing touchdowns and 1,128 yards on the season. Will Levis doubled that touchdown total in his first start with four passing touchdowns. Now Mike Vrabel is tasked with deciding who the starting quarterback will be. Fortunately that decision doesn’t have to be made yet as Tannehill continues to heal. Levis will get the start after a short week. If the rookie turns in another stellar performance it will be hard for Vrabel not to name him the starter going forward. — Turron Davenport
2:15
Is Will Levis the key to unlocking DeAndre Hopkins’ fantasy ceiling?
Field Yates and Mike Clay explain why Will Levis could provide a huge boost to DeAndre Hopkins’ fantasy performances.
Week 8 ranking: 17
Team QBR: 59.3 (13th)
Possible Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate C.J. Stroud has blown away expectations while leading the Texans to last season’s win total (three) through seven games. He hasn’t been only good for a rookie, he has been one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. Stroud has thrown for nine touchdowns (tied for 16th in the NFL) and 1,800 yards (13th) while setting the NFL record for most pass attempts without an interception to start a career (186). — DJ Bien-Aime
Week 8 ranking: 23
Team QBR: 46.0 (20th)
Washington coach Ron Rivera said one reason the Commanders remain optimistic at 3-5 stems from Sam Howell‘s growth. Howell, who has now started nine career games, has thrown 13 touchdown passes this season, which puts him sixth in the league and on pace for 27. That would be the most for the franchise since Kirk Cousins threw the same amount in 2017. Howell is coming off his best game, throwing for 397 yards and four touchdowns in Sunday’s 38-31 loss to the NFL best team, the Eagles. He has been sacked 41 times but only once on Sunday as he did a better job of getting rid of the ball and making quick decisions. — John Keim
Week 8 ranking: 25
Team QBR: 36.9 (28th)
Jimmy Garoppolo, who signed a three-year, $72 million contract in March, missed 2½ of the Raiders’ first seven games because of a concussion and a back injury. As such, continuity was hard to come by; Las Vegas has also started rookie Aidan O’Connell, a fourth-round draft pick from Purdue, and Brian Hoyer, a 15-year veteran, and both lost their starts. Garoppolo returned Monday night against the Lions with a 47.6% completion percentage, 126 passing yards, no touchdowns and an interception. — Paul Gutierrez
Week 8 ranking: 29
Team QBR: 45.1 (21st)
There are moments when Russell Wilson appears to be comfortable in Sean Payton’s offense and to have fixed some of what ailed his game last season when he threw for a career-low 16 touchdown passes. But then there is the matter of Wilson having just five career games in which he has thrown for fewer than 120 yards and two of those coming in the past three weeks — both against the Chiefs. Wilson threw for 114 yards Sunday in the Broncos’ first win over the Chiefs since Sept. 17, 2015, but he finished with three touchdown passes among his 12 completions — giving him a total of 1,613 passing yards with 16 touchdowns on the season. If the Broncos could pair the Wilson from earlier in the season, who was more efficient getting the ball out of his hands, with the way they have played defense in recent weeks, the team would win more than it would lose the rest of the way. — Jeff Legwold
Week 8 ranking: 24
Team QBR: 43.3 (22nd)
There was a warning sign early in training camp when Jordan Love couldn’t connect on many deep balls, and that’s perhaps the biggest thing holding him back through seven games. He ranks 31st among all qualified quarterbacks in deep-ball (10 or more yards downfield) accuracy (36%) and has thrown eight interceptions on such throws — the most in the league. It hasn’t helped that Love doesn’t have a receiver who’s beyond his second NFL season and that most of his tight ends are rookies. Losing All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari hasn’t helped either. What looked like a promising start (seven touchdowns, one interception through his first three games) has turned into more questions about whether he’s a franchise quarterback (four touchdowns, seven interceptions in his past four games). — Rob Demovsky
Week 8 ranking: 27
Team QBR: 41.9 (24th)
When Mac Jones doesn’t throw an INT, the Patriots are 2-0. When Jones throws an INT, they are 0-6. This highlights the one area that continues to hold him back — the inability to avoid costly turnovers leading to points for the opposition. That showed up again late in the second quarter in a loss to the Dolphins on Sunday when Jones was picked by Jalen Ramsey and it turned into a field goal. On the season, Jones is 173-of-260 for 1,641 yards with 9 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. — Mike Reiss
Week 8 ranking: 26
Team QBR: 36.9 (27th)
Daniel Jones was just cleared to return after missing three games because of a neck injury. Tyrod Taylor was hospitalized Sunday because of a rib cage injury. The Giants’ quarterbacks are getting beaten and battered, and the results haven’t been positive. New York is last in the NFL at 11.2 points per game, while Taylor and Jones have been sacked 38 times in eight games. It’s Jones, who signed a new contract this offseason, that the Giants need to get back on track. He has two touchdown passes and six interceptions in five starts this season. — Jordan Raanan
Week 8 ranking: 30
Team QBR: 37.8 (26th)
One week after earning his first career win, rookie Tyson Bagent completed 25 of 37 passes for 232 yards and two interceptions in a 30-13 loss to the Chargers. The backup quarterback with the inspiring Division II to NFL story has been playing in place of Justin Fields since the third quarter of Week 6. He’ll continue to do so until Fields’ dislocated thumb has healed to the point he can grip and throw a football, and the Bears maintain that their starting quarterback continues to show progress without needing surgery. Prior to the injury, Fields produced a mixed bag of results in his first six starts of 2023. He’s still taking too many sacks (24, fifth most in the NFL) and has the fifth-highest interception percentage (3.7%), but he showed improvement against Denver and Washington before his injury. The Bears will want the rest of the season to evaluate Fields before deciding how to proceed with two potential top-five picks in the 2024 draft, but the quarterback needs to be healthy and able to function in games in order for that to happen. — Courtney Cronin
Week 8 ranking: 32
Team QBR: 38.9 (25th)
Rookie Bryce Young hasn’t had many reasons to celebrate this season. But on Sunday he notched his first career win, and Carolina’s first win of the season. But it was what he did on the winning drive that showed his growth. He was 5-for-6 for 50 yards, including a fourth-down completion to Adam Thielen. He also had a 7-yard scramble. He helped Carolina overcome a fourth-quarter deficit for a win for the first time since 2018 against the Eagles when Cam Newton helped erase a 17-0 deficit. Young’s decision-making and processing on the drive were as elite as advertised when Carolina picked him No. 1 overall. — David Newton
Week 8 ranking: 31
Team QBR: 48.3 (19th)
Joshua Dobbs‘ time as the Cardinals’ quarterback is over. The Cardinals are planning to start rookie quarterback Clayton Tune on Sunday against the Browns in Cleveland, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday. However, earlier Monday, coach Jonathan Gannon said there’s a chance Kyler Murray could start as he continues to ramp up his return from ACL surgery. Dobbs had been a suitable placeholder, keeping Arizona in games despite its 1-7 record and leading the Cardinals to an upset win over the Cowboys in Week 3. He has done fairly well, throwing for 1,569 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions while running for 258 yards and three touchdowns. — Josh Weinfuss
Source: www.espn.com