NFL QB Index, Week 16: Brock Purdy at No. 1 for first time; Baker Mayfield enters top 10

Week 16 NFL QB Index: Baker Mayfield is not on the top 10 again Brock Purdy debuts at No. 3 because.. READ HERE

Stats for 2023: 14 games, 69.8 percentage, 3,795 passing yards, 9.9 yards per attempt, 29 throw touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 138 rush yards, 2 rush touchdowns, and 6 fumbles.

Purdy keeps doing things that are Purdy. He is an unwavering quarterback who plays with the conviction of a guy who has been playing for ten years, not a rookie. Throughout Sunday’s game, he displayed composure, particularly on a first-half completion to George Kittle. He stayed calm in the face of a free rusher who was coming at him, found the gap in the center of the field, and hit his tight end. With a calm accuracy, he managed Kyle Shanahan’s system, destroying Arizona’s defense with a steady diet of pressured throws and short passes to receivers who found openings in zone coverage. Purdy had another fantastic day, making good use of every tool in San Francisco’s toolbox. He’s so steady that it’s a very harmless summary.

Rank
2.
2.
Tagovailoa Tua
Tagovailoa Tua
Year 4 Miami Dolphins
14 games; 71.0 pct; 3,921 throw yards; 8.6 ypa; 25 pass touchdowns; 10 interceptions; 55 rush yards; 0 rush touchdowns; 12 fumbles; 2023 stats

 

In Week 15, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins were a model of efficiency. With less than three minutes remaining in the first half, Tua made his first incomplete pass after completing his first fourteen. He hit Jaylen Waddle with a great long pass; Waddle ran an incredible route to defeat D.J. Reed took advantage of several short fields to score a 60-yard touchdown to make it 17-0. In all likelihood, he could have sat out the entire second half without having an impact on the result of the game. The Dolphins easily won their most straightforward game since thrashing Denver 70-20 in Week 3 thanks to his productive first half and the team’s dominating defense.

Rank
3.
Mahomes, Patrick
Mahomes, Patrick
Year 7 of the Kansas City Chiefs
Stats for 2023: 14 games, 67.4 percentage, 3,703 passing yards, 7.1 yards per attempt, 25 throw touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 334 rush yards, 0 rush touchdowns, and 3 fumbles

 

For now in the season, Mahomes’ preferred wide receiver should be rookie Rashee Rice. With the exception of Rice and Travis Kelce, Mahomes’ teammates occasionally failed to uphold their half of the agreement on Sunday, as has been the case for the majority of the season. That being said, the Chiefs coaching staff should be commended for their cunning in beating the Patriots by 27 points. Mahomes did increase his season total by two picks, but the first came off a brilliant play by Marte Mapu and the second wasn’t even his fault; he delivered a brilliantly placed pass to Kadarius Toney, who bobbled the ball into the hands of Ahlani Tavai. Don’t blame Mahomes if the 2023 Chiefs aren’t as exciting as earlier iterations. He is still excellent as ever.

Rank
4
3.
Dak Prescott
Dak Prescott
Year 8 Dallas Cowboys
Stats for 2023: 14 games, 68.8 percentage, 3,639 passing yards, 7.5 yards per attempt, 28 throw touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 212 rush yards, 2 rush touchdowns, and 2 fumbles

 

This was the one performance that had the potential to ruin a player’s chances of winning MVP. Everything was hard for Prescott against Buffalo, a quarterback who had overseen almost everything for the Cowboys the previous two months on the offensive side of the ball. Prescott buckled under the pressure and looked nothing like the player who had lit up every defense he’d faced in the previous five weeks, instead of boosting Dallas’ offense in another big game. Prescott attempted to get the Cowboys into a rhythm, but the Bills were determined to remove dependable (and frequently crucial) target CeeDee Lamb from the game. Buffalo also cleaned up quickly after Prescott completed passes, limiting any more yards from being gained after the catch. The Cowboys’ limited offensive options in the first half due to their 21-3 disadvantage and dominance in time of possession did not help. But let’s face it: for a quarterback and a team that many thought was the hottest in the NFL going into Week 15, this was an unexpectedly bad game, highlighted by a dreadful interception in the fourth quarter.

Rank
5.
Jackson Lamar
Jackson Lamar
Year 6 Baltimore Ravens
2023 stats: 11 fumbles; 14 games; 66.3 pct; 3,105 throw yards; 7.7 yards per attempt; 17 pass touchdowns; 7 interceptions; 741 rush yards; 5 rush touchdowns;

 

In Week 15, Jackson displayed how to use his lightning-fast delivery and improvisational skills to lead the Ravens to victory. Jackson did make a few missteps along the road, like his stupid throw early in the second quarter that resulted in an interception by Rayshawn Jenkins, but all in all, he demonstrated why he’s such a frustratingly hard player to control. The completion of good drives is one area where Baltimore’s offense could need to get better. It was discouraging to watch Jackson force the Ravens to punt on their first play, only to have the drive collapse inside the Jaguars’ 20. However, that is a very small criticism.

Rank
Six
1.
Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford
Year 15 Los Angeles Rams
2023 stats: 9 INTs, 73 ypa, 3,320 pass yards, 61.4 percentage, 21 pass touchdowns, 70 run yards, 0 rush touchdowns, and 0 fumbles in 13 games.

 

For the duration of the season, I don’t think Stafford’s weekly routine will be disturbed. He’s gotten into this zone by using both his arm skill and superb strategy, both of which he demonstrated against Washington. Despite the fact that Stafford could have easily completed his touchdown ball to Cooper Kupp in his sleep, Sunday’s result shouldn’t be interpreted as the product of a better team defeating a lesser one. This past weekend, Stafford showed us what he is still capable of when healthy, going 25-of-33 throwing for 258 yards and two touchdowns against the Commanders. For the 35-year-old, light job.

The top passes made by Matthew Stafford in the 2-TD game in Week 15
Rank
7.
1.
Allen Josh
Allen Josh
Year 6 Buffalo Bills
14 games, 66.3 pct, 3,541 throw yards, 7.2 ypa, 26 pass touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 398 rush yards, 11 rush touchdowns, and 4 fumbles are the 2023 numbers.

 

Since Allen only attempted 15 passes during the entire game versus Dallas, I don’t have a lot to say about his performance. He only finished seven of them, but when the Bills needed him to make a play, he performed admirably. The Bills didn’t need their franchise quarterback to be the headliner because of two patient scoring drives in the first half and a game plan that mainly relied on James Cook mauling Dallas’ defense. And that’s all very well; the outcomes are clear.

Rank
8
3.
Goff, Jared
Goff, Jared
Year 8 Detroit Lions
14 games, 67.1 pct, 3,727 pass yards, 7.5 ypa, 26 pass touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 21 rush yards, 2 rush touchdowns, and 6 fumbles are the numbers for 2023.

 

Jared, let it fly! In a decisive victory over Denver, Goff enjoyed a fantastic Saturday night in the Motor City, capitalizing on Detroit’s recently adopted play-action-heavy passing scheme to the tune of 278 yards and five touchdown passes. Goff completely destroyed the Broncos defense, which for the previous two months had been regarded as one of the best in the NFL. He connected with Sam LaPorta for three touchdowns and guided the offense to 448 yards overall. The Lions’ strong run game, which balanced the offense and gave Goff plenty of time to practice run fakes, and Denver’s inability to consistently pressure him, as we’d seen other units do in recent weeks, were the clear factors contributing to his success. With his play-calling, offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was heating up the game, and quarterback Goff carried out the strategy almost perfectly, giving the Lions, who want to win the division on Sunday, a big victory.

Rank
9.
4
Mayfield Baker
Mayfield Baker
Year 6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2023 stats: 8 INTs, 63.5 percentage, 3,315 pass yards, 7.1 ypa, 24 pass touchdowns, 152 rush yards, 1 rush touchdown, and 8 fumbles in 14 games.

 

I’ve never seen a better Mayfield play than this one. Although Dave Canales, the offensive coordinator, deserves credit for his masterful game plan that set up opportunities for Baker Mayfield, the quarterback should get just as much, if not more, recognition for his near-perfect execution. Based on statistics, Mayfield’s performance against the Packers was flawless, as seen by his passer rating of 158.3. And he accomplished it by putting all of his faith in his arm to do miracles. Throughout the afternoon, Mayfield was a lethal thrower down the seam, putting up 381 yards and four touchdowns while launching rockets through traffic and the narrowest of windows. He may never play as well as he did on Sunday, but if he can maintain that level of play on a regular basis, he will be Tampa Bay’s quarterback far until 2023.

Rank
10
1.
Trevor Lawrence
Trevor Lawrence
Year 3 of the Jacksonville Jaguars
14 games, 65.9 percentage, 3,525 passing yards, 7.2 yards per attempt, 10 interceptions, 18 passing touchdowns, 300 rush yards, 4 rush touchdowns, and 10 fumbles are the numbers for 2023.

 

I still don’t understand how, in the first half of a game that seemed about to go Jacksonville’s way, Lawrence fumbled away possession on a scramble that looked headed toward a positive outcome. Regarding the way their team has played over the past three weeks, Jaguars supporters are presumably just as perplexed. Although Lawrence did not blot his stat line with interceptions as he had a week prior in the loss to Baltimore, there was still a problem with the Jaguars, who had plenty of chances to seize the game and almost all of them were squandered. How much is Lawrence’s performance being impacted by his recent ankle injury? He’s still making some really good, accurate throws, but his consistency is lacking. That’s actually the main narrative of his season. We now have to wait and see if he passes the concussion protocol in time for Sunday’s game against the Bucs.

Rank
11
1.
Jalen Suffers
Jalen Suffers
Year 4 Philadelphia Eagles
2023 stats: 14 games, 65.7 percent, 3,335 passing yards, 7.2 yards per attempt, 19 throw touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 542 rush yards, 14 rush touchdowns, and 8 fumbles.

 

Hurts’s recent performances have shown flashes of brilliance, like the time he orchestrated an amazing touchdown drive to give the Eagles a 17-10 lead over Seattle in the third quarter. However, that grandeur is merely sporadic, and some of his choices are illogical. Both of the passes that ended in interceptions appeared to run out of gas before they reached their intended targets, and neither of the two deep shots that led to interceptions was totally necessary. Additionally, neither receiver was particularly open. I’m not here to focus only on the turnovers, though; Hurts completed a number of throws, some of which were in crucial circumstances. The fact that he’s simply not playing complete games of brilliance was a major factor in Philly’s loss on Monday night.

Rank
12
2.
Jordan Charm
Jordan Charm
Year 4 of the Green Bay Packers
14 games; 62.6 percent; 3,368 throw yards; 6.9 yards per attempt; 25 pass touchdowns; 11 interceptions; 234 rush yards; 2 rush touchdowns; 8 fumbles; 2023 stats

 

Love would have won the game about eight times out of ten, so it’s unfortunate that his Packers played the Buccaneers on a great day for Baker Mayfield. With 29 of 39 passes completed for 284 passing yards and two touchdowns, Love had a strong performance. He spent the entire afternoon displaying his arm skill, exuding confidence and accuracy. Even the sort of questionably needless risk that in other games might have led to an interception was rewarded with a spectacular touchdown reception by Jayden Reed. It was an excellent game. Love wasn’t flawless, and he pretty much had to be if he wanted to stay up with Tampa Bay.

Rank
Thirteen
1.
Wilson Russell
Wilson Russell
Colorado Broncos · Season 12
2023 stats: 8 INTs, 321 rush yards, 3 rush touchdowns, 2,832 throw yards, 6.9 yards per pass attempt, 14 games, 66.3 percent completion rate, and 8 fumbles.

 

It’s official—this Broncos offense struggles to get off to a good start. Denver managed one touchdown or fewer in the opening two quarters of a game for the third week in a row. They were scoreless until the third quarter of their Saturday night loss to the Lions. By then, Detroit was ahead 21-0 and Wilson had already lost possession once. Though much of Wilson’s impressive stat line was in vain, the Broncos’ night was well epitomized by Denver’s inability to cross the goal line and reach the end zone. Although Wilson hasn’t had a particularly impressive statistical performance in any of the games during Denver’s recent upswing, the Broncos would have likely needed that in order to stay up in Week 15. We’ll see if he can rediscover that spark in time to secure a playoff berth to cap off this wild season.

Rank
14
4
Browning, Jake
Browning, Jake
Year 5 of the Cincinnati Bengals
Six games, 73.6 pct, 1,248 pass yards, 8.7 ypa, 7 pass touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 77 rush yards, 2 rush touchdowns, and 1 fumble with 2023 stats

 

Though he may not have been the most naturally gifted quarterback in history, Browning’s time as a player at the University of Washington must have given him a unique combination of intangibles, such as blind confidence and moxie. What other explanation is there for his recent success, which included a furious Saturday comeback against the Vikings that necessitated him throwing for 243 yards and two touchdowns in both the second and extra halves? Not much to add to what I have written about Browning in the last few weeks. While he did make a couple of incredible passes (and had some major assistance from Tee Higgins on the game-winning touchdown), what really struck me was how unexpected it is that he can still do it in Week 15, particularly after a quiet first half. He’s correct: The Vikings ought never to have benched him.

Week 15: Jake Browning’s top passes from his 324-yard game
Rank
15
2.
Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Year 16 Cleveland Browns
2023 stats: 3 games, 57.9%, 939 pass yards, 7.1 ypa, 7 pass touchdowns, 5 interceptions, -2 rush yards, 0 rush touchdowns, and 2 fumbles.

 

While Flacco’s Sunday may not have been quite Jekyll and Hyde, it was undoubtedly a story of two very different eras. Take a look at the numbers: Flacco had a passer rating of 40.7 after three quarters against the Bears, mostly because of three interceptions. Flacco wasn’t the main culprit, but that isn’t what matters at this point because Flacco lit up the fourth quarter, throwing for 212 yards and a touchdown to Amari Cooper that was fifty yards away. He may have had an even better drive after that touchdown, as he connected twice with David Njoku on completions of thirty yards or more, which set up the game-winning field goal. Even if Flacco is prone to making mistakes, watching him play is still a lot of fun.

Rank
16
Fields Justin
Fields Justin
Year 3 Chicago Bears
10 games | 61.4 pct | 1,976 throw yards | 6.7 ypa | 14 pass touchdowns | 8 interceptions | 488 rush yards | 2 rush touchdowns | 9 fumbles are the 2023 stats.

 

Fields would constantly have to fight his way up against this Browns defense in Cleveland. Although he averaged 4.3 yards per carry on both designed and scrambles, he played to his strengths admirably, and his touchdown pass to Cole Kmet, which required him to break a Myles Garrett sack, change direction, and fire a laser to Kmet while rolling left, was a prime example of what makes him unique. However, Cleveland’s defense is formidable, particularly when it gets desperate and increases the frequency of its blitzes. In the end, Fields succumbed to this, managing to complete less than half of his attempts while enduring 24 pressures and three sacks. He offered the Bears a chance to prevail, but they were unable to do so.

Rank
17
4
Derek Carr
Derek Carr
Year 10: New Orleans Saints
14 games, 67.4 percentage, 3,098 passing yards, 6.9 yards per attempt, 16 pass touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 35 rush yards, 0 rush touchdowns, and 6 fumbles are the numbers for 2023.

 

Carr’s decision to play with confidence rather of merely relying on checkdowns against the Giants on Sunday was refreshing. With ample time to throw, he could rely on an experienced internal clock and true arm talent to yield favorable results. He was able to whip a few passes into narrow windows and maintain the Saints’ momentum. He had time to use his eyes to scan the entire field and let Johnson run himself open with a sharp route before Carr turned to deliver an on-target touchdown pass to Johnson. For the first time in a while, I was happy with Carr’s performance throughout the day, but his best effort from start to finish came on New Orleans’ opening touchdown drive.

Rank
18
2.
Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray
Year 5 of the Arizona Cardinals
2023 stats: 5 games, 62.1 pct, 1,075 pass yards, 6.4 ypa, 4 pass touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 155 rush yards, 3 rush touchdowns, and 5 fumbles.

 

There was one week, Week 15, when the tape and the stats matched exactly. Murray found ways to lengthen plays, make some great throws, and sustain drives, but he also erred early on a late decision that gave Charvarius Ward a pick-six. Murray’s lack of ability to maintain drives to match San Francisco’s unrelenting scoring pace is a problem with the whole team, not just the quarterback. I’ve come to the same conclusion once more: Arizona doesn’t need to address the quarterback position in the summer. With a stronger squad surrounding him, Murray will be fine. As for the mistakes he made on Sunday, one of which was an overthrown pass over the middle, they are just to be expected in a game like one.

Rank
19
4
Minshew Gardner
Minshew Gardner
Year 5 Indianapolis Colts
Data for 2023: 13 games, 63.3 pct, 2,739 pass yards, 6.7 yards per pass attempt, 8 interceptions, 57 run yards, 3 rush touchdowns, and 8 fumbles.

 

Grit is one quality that we can all agree Minshew has. He demonstrated a great deal of it on Saturday against the Steelers, fighting back from an early 13-0 deficit by having faith in his coordinator, his teammates, and his own skills. Minshew had an excellent afternoon in Indianapolis, hitting three of his eight targets for throwing scores with his dots. If his intended receivers had not dropped his accurate passes, he could have finished with two more touchdowns, but Minshew’s performance was still enough to cause his Colts to win easily. By the end of the game, Minshew had put together a performance of which he was properly proud. His completion to Michael Pittman along the sideline was a pass made out of structure and on the fly.

Rank
20
5.
Sam Howell
Sam Howell
Year 2 of Washington Commanders
14 games | 64.7 pct | 3,568 throw yards | 6.7 ypa | 19 pass touchdowns | 15 interceptions | 265 rush yards | 5 rush touchdowns | 5 fumbles are the 2023 stats.

 

The improvement in Washington’s offensive with Jacoby Brissett starting in Los Angeles instead of Howell was striking. Coach Ron Rivera stated that Howell was taken out for his own safety rather than being benched. While Howell has had a lot of success in his first season as the Commanders’ starter, it appears as though he is nearing exhaustion in the last laps of the 2023 campaign. He seems to have trusted his out-of-structure playmaking too much, which led to his interception. Yes, his performance might have been better overall if a few of his near-misses had broken better, but Howell will likely be playing for his future over the next three weeks, so this was a day to forget.

Rank
21
5.