NFL QB Rankings: Derek Carr’s bad day places him in bottom-tier of signal-callers

Who is the best quarterback in the NFL? Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are widely viewed as two of the best players in football. While they set an elite standard for quarterback play, our 2022 NFL QB rankings capture how the top 20 quarterbacks perform every week. Updated weekly throughout the season, here are our top-20 NFL QB rankings, with Matthew Stafford, Kyler Murray, and Russell Wilson disappearing from the list as of late.

Related: Weekly Fantasy Football rankings 2022

NFL QB Rankings countdown from 20-1

20. Mike White, New York Jets

We would have never guessed Mike White would have ever made this list when the season began, but he had been performing leaps and bounds better than Zach Wilson. In a typical season, White wouldn’t crack the top 20, but poor QB play plus injuries have changed the outlook. As for White, he got banged up a bit against Buffalo, forcing him out of action the past two weeks. The Jets have to be desperate for his return in Week 17 after Zach Wilson threw himself off the roster.

19. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans

After throwing three interceptions in Tennessee’s playoff loss a season ago, Tannehill’s thrown just six picks in 12 games since. But it’s not like he’s been afraid to sling it downfield, as the Titans QB ranks fifth in the NFL in yards per attempt. Most importantly, Tannehill’s been able to keep the Titans in playoff contention, but just barely.

Yet once again, we saw what happens when Tannehill can’t generate enough scoring plays, losing in a blowout to Philadelphia, where he had a total of 175 yards. He didn’t fare much better against Jacksonville or LA, delivering a fourth consecutive loss. Tannehill’s likely done for the season, but his backup Malik Willis hasn’t shown enough to steal the gig long-term.

18. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders

The first 15 games of Carr operating the Josh McDaniels offense haven’t been great, but the Raiders have also dealt with a number of injuries to their receiving corps. The Davante Adams connection is alive and well, but even the two-time All-Pro receiver is near his career-low catch rate, which was nowhere near the expectation.

Carr has helped turn the Raiders’ season around, but his completion rate ranks 30th among 33 eligible QBs. In other words, he hasn’t exactly been consistent. Week 17 could be his toughest test yet, coming against San Francisco’s elite defense.

Related: If you’re a fan of the Raiders, check out #RaiderNation rumors, rankings, and news here.

17. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

Alright, so maybe Mr. Irrelevant is relevant after all. When Jimmy Garoppolo went down, many counted the 49ers out, but credit to their locker room, who never had a doubt that the seventh-round rookie in Purdy could hold his own. He’s done that and then some through three games, but with Deebo Samuel set to miss time, the 49ers will ask even more out of the 262nd pick, which could end badly.

But Purdy’s held his own so far, scoring 21 or more points in each of his first four starts. He should be just fine against he Raiders in Week 17 as well, who allow the sixth-most passing yards per game in the NFL.

16. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears

Now that the Chicago Bears are empowering their young second-year QB by allowing him to use his mobility to his advantage, Fields has flourished. With the adjustment, Fields quickly broke an NFL record for the most rushing yards by a QB in a single game in Week 9, and he’s now just the third quarterback ever to post a 1,000-yard rushing season.

We’re also seeing him step up as a passer, completing 67.7% of his passes in his last seven starts. Fields has quickly emerged as possibly the best running QB in football, and we can’t wait to see what he has in store once he gets a better cast of receivers and a more consistent line up front. Next up is a must-watch showdown against the Lions, who boast the NFL’s worst defense.

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15. Daniel Jones, New York Giants

Despite facing less-than-ideal MetLife winds, yet playing the worst defense in football, Danny Dimes posted a 390-yard day in Week 12. He kept up that strong effort by putting up 271 yards against Washington, but there weren’t enough touchdowns to get either win. The Giants are 8-6-1, and the former Duke QB is playing smart football.

We’d love to see Jones with a viable No. 1 receiver, but despite the obstacles in his way, he managed to post the highest passer rating of any other NFL QB this season (153.3) in the win over Houston. Jones had another big day in Week 16 against Minnesota, but several drops by his receivers prevented the win. He takes on a top-10 Colts passing defense in Week 17, where Saquon Barkley is likely to receive plenty of touches.

Related: Daniel Jones out to prove he’s not the chink in the New York Giants’ armor

14. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Prescott caught fire against Minnesota, finishing with a near career-best 88% completion rate while posting 40 points on the board. Two weeks later, Prescott’s Cowboys put up an NFL-high 52 points against a top-10 Colts passing defense. He’s led the Cowboys to 24 or more points in eight of his nine starts, but ended up throwing the game away in Jacksonville. Prescott has thrown eight interceptions in his past five appearances but he should be better off in Week 17 against the NFL’s second worse pass defense.

13. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Don’t count out Brady just yet. Even at 45, he’s still doing his thing. Brady is far from posting video game numbers, but that’s never been his style. We’ve seen more errant throws, but it’s not like he’s tossing the game away with turnovers for the most part.

Brady couldn’t handle the pressure of heading back home, taking on the NFL’s best defense, and it led to his fewest yards per attempt (4.6) of the season. With his back against the ropes, Brady couldn’t fare much better against Cincinnati, turning the ball over four times, which he’s done just eight times in his career. Brady faces an absolute must-win next week against Arizona, which shouldn’t be difficult against the worst defense in football.

12. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Defending his MVP award has not gone well for Rodgers. The Green Bay quarterback hasn’t been on the same page with his receivers, but even then, aside from Christian Watson’s sudden emergence, his pass-catchers aren’t as explosive as Davante Adams was. Rodgers is on pace for new career lows in passing yardage yet is flirting with a career-high in interceptions thrown. Not exactly a recipe for success. Next up is a juicy matchup against the NFL’s worst passing defense when the Vikings visit Lambeau Field.

11. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Goff has had his usual ups and downs, but he’s been up as of late. The former No. 1 overall pick hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 9 and has won six of his past eight starts. Playing some of the best football of his career, Goff now takes on a woeful Chicago Bears defense that allows the third-most points per game in the NFL.

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Top 10 NFL QB Rankings

10. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

One of the most dangerous running QB threats in football, Jackson was on track for another fantastic season on the ground prior to his Week 13 injury. He hasn’t been as great as a passer, where his completion percentage has taken a slight hit. But he’s also pretty much all the Ravens have on offense, aside from Mark Andrews, who’s been banged up as well. When healthy, Jackson’s been good but not quite MVP-level great in 2022.

9. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

It’s a new year, but the story stays the same. Kirko Chains, Kirk Thuggins — whatever you want to call him, has been up and down in 2022. When he’s not facing constant pressure, Cousins has mostly been on point in the North Star state, helping form a dynamite duo with Justin Jefferson, who’s accounted for 42% of Cousins’ yardage total this season.

After posting back-to-back 400-yard games, leading the largest comeback in NFL history, Captain Kirk once again relied on T.J. Hockenson and Jefferson to carry the way vs the G-Men. Can he keep it going in the frozen tundra at Lambeau Field?

Related: Overpaid or underrated: 2022 outlook for Vikings QB Kirk Cousins

8. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Just 23 years old, Lawrence started the year strong, appearing to make major strides in his second NFL season. Lawrence came back down to earth in the weeks that followed, but he then began trending back up, completing 76.8% of his passes from Weeks 9-12.

It’s not hard to see the Jaguars QB learning with each start, and his comeback win against Baltimore just might be his best performance yet as a pro. He’s on the brink of becoming great, and if Lawrence can take the Jags from worst to first in their division, he might just earn that elite label.

7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

In the midst of his third season, Herbert leads the NFL in 50+ yard air distance completions since 2020, meaning even if you have the Chargers backed up, defenders can never relax because the next one might sail over your head.

But we’re already impressed with his physical abilities. At this point, we want to see Herbert in the playoffs, yet the Chargers have beaten just two teams that are .500 or better in 2022, which came in the past two weeks. If his receivers can stay healthy, we might finally see the Herbert we’ve all been waiting for this season, as we witnessed against Miami and Tennessee. He should be able to dismantle the Colts, who haven’t been able to put together a complete performance all season.

Check out our latest fantasy football rankings

6. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

One of the biggest surprises of the 2022 NFL season, sure, Smith is a former second-round pick, but he’s never played like one. Until now. Smith’s leading the NFL in completion rate, with the Seahawks performing as a top-ten offense.

Smith has come back down to earth as of late, having thrown just a touchdown a piece in his past two games, losing five of his six past starts. But he has a revenge game coming this week against the Jets, who drafted him back in 2013. Still, the Jets are a playmaking unit, and Smith could very well have a long afternoon.

5. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

Playing in a high-powered offense that features two 1,000-yard receivers and another in Mike Gesicki, who’s not far behind in ability, Tagovailoa will have no trouble staying a top-ranked NFL QB this season.

But his effort against San Francisco won’t help, where Tagovailoa completed a season-low 54.6% of his passes and had multiple turnovers (three) for just the second time this season. He followed that performance up with another dud against Los Angeles, completing a career-low 35.7% of his passes in his worst start of the season. It wasn’t any better against Green Bay, where Tagovailoa threw three picks. He hasn’t been spectacular as of late, and we don’t expect that to change in Week 17 against New England.

Related: Tua Tagovailoa talks about his ‘deep balls’ growing a lot in 2022

4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Not only has Burrow’s offensive line been inconsistent, he had to manage without his top receiver for four weeks with Ja’Marr Chase sidelined. But Joe Cool responded well, putting 35 or more points on the board in two of the three wins. When the Bengals are clicking, there are few quarterbacks better than the former LSU superstar.

Burrow has led seven consecutive wins, but Week 17 won’t be so easy, taking on a top-five Bills D, that ranks as an average pass defense. Burrow can have a big day, but he’ll need to cut down on the turnovers to get the W.

3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Leading the way for several weeks, Allen slipped in our NFL QB rankings, thanks to a string of red zone interceptions. At his best, there may not be a better-combined runner/passer in football. While his decision-making at times could improve, the Buffalo QB still has an elite skill set.

Next up is a must-watch duel with Joe Burrow and a top-ten Cincinnati defense in what may be a playoff preview of two top teams in the AFC. Expect Allen to be at his best, being that their pass defense is vulnerable, as an average, at best unit.

See where Josh Allen ranks in our NFL top 100 player rankings

2. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Hurts went from a quarterback who needed to prove he was capable of holding down the gig to establishing himself as a Pro Bowl talent in his second full season as a starter. A second-round pick in 2020, the Eagles struck gold with the Alabama quarterback, but no one ever expected Hurts to be a top-ranked QB in the NFL.

Before getting injured, Hurts’ season in 2022 was reminiscent of Jackson’s MVP year in 2019. Most importantly, the Eagles are on track for a first-round bye in the playoffs. Hurts may have seen his MVP chances slip, but all that matters now is a chance at the Super Bowl.

1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Even when he’s not doing his best Air Jordan impression, Mahomes is simply magical. The former MVP has the ability to put up 400-yard performances on a weekly basis, and he is just shy of being on pace to break the NFL’s single-season passing yardage record.

Taking on a talent-deprived Texans defense, Mahomes set an NFL record, finishing with the highest completion rate among QBs to attempt 40 or more passes in a single game at 87.8%. He’ll look to continue his MVP campaign against a Denver defense that just allowed 51 points to Baker Mayfield and the Rams.

Check out our latest NFL defense rankings and how they impact fantasy QBs

This article was originally published on Sportsnaut.com and is republished here with permission.