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Quarterback Power Rankings: Risers, Fallers From NFL Week 1 (2024)

2024 NFL Week 1 Quarterback Power Rankings - Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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The first week of the 2024 NFL season has come and gone. We saw countless storylines develop during the opening week of play, including a bunch at the quarterback position.

From narratives to stat lines to final scores, we’re here to break down everything you need to know about the NFL’s 32 starting quarterbacks after Week 1 wrapped up.

Here are Andersen’s power rankings for all 32 starting quarterbacks in the NFL.

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Simply Terrifying – No. 32 to No. 27

No. 32 – Malik Willis, Green Bay Packers

The Packers had quite a shift in vibes after last week’s loss to the Eagles. With Jordan Love (knee) sidelined, Green Bay fans will have to suffer through a few weeks of poor quarterback play from Willis, who barely even knows the system.

No. 31 – Daniel Jones, New York Giants

I didn’t think Daniel Jones’ leash could get any shorter, but I’m pretty sure it did this past Sunday. It will be very hard for this team to win any games as long as he’s under center.

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No. 30 – Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

Speaking of teams struggling to win games, the Panthers are an early favorite to go 0-17. In all likelihood, their game against the Giants in Germany will be the battle for the No. 1 pick.

No. 29 – Will Levis, Tennessee Titans

It looks like Levis might take home the honor of 2024’s most unintelligent play. He showed horrendous decision-making skills when he just tossed the ball into the air to avoid the sack in a game the Titans were winning at the time. He singlehandedly cost Tennessee the game, and there’s no stopping him from doing it again in the future.

No. 28 – Gardner Minshew II, Las Vegas Raiders

Minshew has always been a huge vibes guy, and I love that. However, it’s going to be hard to keep the vibes up when you have more turnovers than touchdowns. There’s room for him to get better, but for now, he falls into the bottom tier. Don’t forget that Aidan O’Connell is waiting in the wings.

It Could Be Worse – No. 27 to No. 19

No. 27 – Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Nix did show some flashes on Sunday, but there were also signs that he’s still a very raw passer. There will be growing pains in Denver as he develops. However, as someone who thought Nix had no business being a first-round pick, he’s growing on me slightly.

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No. 26 – Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

This isn’t an overreaction but rather the product of having only one NFL game on which I can evaluate Williams. His stats will improve as he gets more comfortable. From a team perspective, a win is a win, right?

No. 25 – Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns

I sympathize with Browns fans who realize Watson is still under contract through 2026. Sure, Dallas has a really strong defense, but I would have expected fewer than two interceptions and six sacks from a former Pro Bowler.

No. 24 – Jacoby Brissett, New England Patriots

Brissett did the little things right on Sunday. He wasn’t electric, but he didn’t need to be. Oh, and can we talk about how he rushed for 32 yards on seven attempts? Those seven rushes tied the most he’s had in a single game since Week 5 of the 2017 season.

No. 23 – Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons

A change of scenery can be tough, especially when it coincides with a major injury rehab and the shocking selection of a first-round quarterback to compete with you. Cousins has been dealt some tough cards, but I still would’ve expected to play better at home.

No. 22 – Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers

Fields played very well for someone who was summoned into the starting job on short notice. His rushing ability is undeniable, and I’m also impressed that he completed 17 of 23 passes. Still, I’m not convinced he’s the answer for Pittsburgh.

No. 21 – Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

Smith’s early interception was ugly, but he bounced back with a 72 percent completion rate and two total touchdowns. I’d describe his performance as merely “fine.”

No. 20 – Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

Daniels’ rushing upside is elite, but he won’t move up a tier until we see him throw the football and complete passes on a more consistent basis. He also needs to improve his ball security; he’s lucky none of his three fumbles were recovered by Tampa Bay.

No. 19 – Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings

It’s hard to complain about Darnold, who threw two touchdowns and only five incompletions. Let’s see how he performs against a more capable team, though.

Feeling Pretty Good – No. 18 to No. 13

No. 18 – Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

Murray was able to sneak into the back end of this tier, but he still fell a couple of rungs. When I think about his Week 1 performance, I just can’t shake the visual of him not seeing Marvin Harrison Jr. downfield. That could have been a game-winning play. You can’t miss that.

No. 17 – Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts

I am so sorry I ever doubted you, Anthony. The Colts’ quarterback was one of my favorite draft prospects in 2023, but I lost some of my faith during his poor preseason outing against the Bengals. I guess he was just shaking the rust off; there are very few quarterbacks who could make the throw that he did to Alec Pierce.

No. 16 – Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints

An 83 percent completion rate and three touchdowns? Yeah, that will play. Let’s see how he fares against a better opponent, though. After all, Carolina might have the NFL’s worst defense.

No. 15 – Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Lawrence’s 53 percent completion rate masks some of the good we saw from him on Sunday. I’m excited to see what he can do with the likes of Evan Engram, Christian Kirk, and Brian Thomas Jr. over a larger sample size.

No. 14 – Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets

The Jets struggled on Monday night, but at the same time, San Francisco’s defense is no joke. Rodgers himself looked really good, and his reignited connection with Allen Lazard was fun to see.

No. 13 – Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Safe to say Mayfield was not a one-hit wonder? Actually, I might go as far as to say that the Buccaneers have found their next franchise quarterback. I’m all aboard the Mayfield hype train.

Pro Bowl Contenders – No. 12 to No. 4

No. 12 – Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Goff’s lack of connections with Amon-Ra St. Brown was odd, but on the other hand, his new rapport with Jameson Williams is very exciting. Plus, you can’t complain about an overtime win in Week 1.

No. 11 – Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Strange things are afoot in Cincinnati. We can cut Burrow a little bit of slack because Tee Higgins (hamstring) was out and Ja’Marr Chase was limited by his contract situation. Still, the Patriots are a very beatable team and the Burrow-led offense looked outmatched.

No. 10 – Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

Tagovailoa only threw for one touchdown, but he led numerous scoring drives, surrendered zero turnovers, and tallied 338 passing yards. Miami’s passing offense seems to have picked up right where it left off.

No. 9 – Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Herbert only threw for 144 yards, but his presence was terrific, I liked his touchdown connection with Ladd McConkey, and I’m much more confident in this Chargers’ offense than I was a week ago. I’m buying into the Herbert hype ahead of a potential Pro Bowl campaign.

No. 8 – Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Turning the football over three times is unacceptable. Still, Hurts showed that he’s still capable of putting up big yardage on the ground and through the air. There’s a real chance Philadelphia starts 8-0.

No. 7 – Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

There’s no buyer’s remorse in Dallas. The Cowboys signed Prescott to a historic extension on Sunday morning, and just a few hours later, he led his team to a 33-17 win. This was an all-around effort from the passing game, running game, defense, and Brandon Aubrey‘s leg, but I can’t discredit Prescott for that.

No. 6 – Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Stafford looked great despite the loss, racking up 317 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. I’m confident he’ll keep the Rams’ passing game firing on all cylinders even with Puka Nacua (knee) on IR.

No. 5 – Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

Jordan Mason‘s big game and the return of Aaron Rodgers took Purdy out of the spotlight on Monday night. Even with a little less fanfare, he was still impressive.

No. 4 – C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

Stroud is the centerpiece of a Texans’ offense with so many weapons. He would be in the top tier if not for some poor instances of ball security on Sunday. He had two interceptions negated due to penalty and one overturned by just a couple of inches upon review.

The Elite Three – No. 3 to No. 1

No. 3 – Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens didn’t win, but Jackson proved that he’s still the best quarterback when it comes to running the ball. I can’t ignore that missed pass to Zay Flowers in the end zone, though. That may have been the difference between starting 1-0 or 0-1.

No. 2 – Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Even with the Bills placing lots of emphasis on the rushing attack, Allen still managed to total four touchdowns. He’s firmly cemented in the top tier despite the departure of Stefon Diggs.

No. 1 – Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Mahomes looked spectacular last Thursday. His rapport with Xavier Worthy looks very real, and he continues to mesh incredibly well with Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce.

Readers’ Choice – Biggest Quarterback Faller From Week 1

Our followers on X weren’t very impressed by Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson in Week 1. To share your thoughts on the biggest quarterback fallers, follow and mention us on X @TalkPrimeTime.

Readers’ Choice – Biggest Quarterback Riser From Week 1

Our followers on X really liked what they saw from Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield last Sunday. To share your thoughts on the biggest quarterback risers, follow and mention us on X @TalkPrimeTime.


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