Tag: QB Rankings

Jayden Daniels lands inside the top 10 quarterback rankings

Jayden Daniels is ranked as a top-10 NFL quarterback right now.

Jayden Daniels didn’t take long to introduce himself to the NFL. The Washington Commanders rookie quarterback is off to a sizzling start in his NFL career, completing 82% of his passes with seven touchdowns through four games. In addition, Daniels has the Commanders — who held the No. 2 pick in April’s NFL draft — at 3-1 and in first place in the NFC East.

Of course, Daniels has had help. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has done a phenomenal job of bringing Daniels along. While the skill positions have been excellent, the offensive line is much improved from a season ago.

But this is a quarterback league. When things go well, the quarterback gets all the credit. When things don’t go well, they get all the blame. However, there is no mistaking Daniels’ impact on the Commanders. Some are already calling him the best quarterback in an NFC East division with three high-paid veterans.

NFL.com revealed its QB Index for Week 5, and Daniels cracked the top 10 at No. 8.

A rookie doesn’t just luck into the best completion percentage (82.1) by any NFL player in a four-game span since at least 1950. Daniels is the real deal, operating an offense that gives him easy, quick reads, affords him the freedom to improvise when necessary and supports him with a better-than-expected offensive line and a running game that seems to be getting stronger with each week. Daniels was once again in complete command of the offense in Arizona, rifling passes through the defense, picking up positive gains with his legs and dominating with his exciting blend of arm talent, composure and athletic ability. He’s made the Commanders a fun watch, and he’s only just getting started.

Daniels deserves any and all recognition he’s currently receiving. The No. 2 overall pick is on pace to have an even better season than last year’s second overall pick, C.J. Stroud, which seemed improbable ahead of the season.

Can you imagine if Daniels leads the Commanders to an NFC East title as a rookie?

Seahawks WR DK Metcalf wants you to stop calling Geno Smith underrated

Seahawks WR DK Metcalf wants you to stop calling Geno Smith underrated

Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Geno Smith has been extremely productive since taking over the starting job from Russell Wilson in 2022. In his debut season as the unquestioned starter, Smith finished first in the league in completion percentage (69.8%), fourth in passing touchdowns (30), seventh in ESPN’s QBR (62.8), and eighth in passing yards (4,282). The Seahawks went 9-8 and qualified for the postseason.

Smith struggled with playing through injury in 2023. His numbers slightly regressed as a result, but he still owned a 20:9 TD:INT ratio and went 8-7 as a starter. The Seahawks parted ways with head coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, replacing them with Mike Macdonald and Ryan Grubb.

And two contests through the 2024 campaign, Smith has recaptured his 2022 form. The former West Virginia standout has been near-flawless while leading the Seahawks to their seventh 2-0 record in the previous 25 seasons. And with that, superstar wide receiver DK Metcalf is tired of Smith being called “underrated,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

“You’ve all been calling him underrated for three years,” Metcalf said. “When’s it gonna stop?”

https://twitter.com/gbellseattle/status/1836488576667914625

Smith also ranks inside the top 10 of quarterback Expected Points Added (EPA) rankings and the Seahawks recently climbed nine spots into the top 10 of ESPN’s latest power rankings. Smith has been outstanding in Grubb’s new offense, one that allowed him to attempt 44 passes in a Week 2 victory over the New England Patriots. The Seahawks will bring that offense back home for a date with the Tua Tagovailoa-less Miami Dolphins at Lumen Field on Sunday.

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Seahawks’ Geno Smith is elite in QB Expected Points Added (EPA) rankings

Seahawks’ Geno Smith is elite in QB Expected Points Added (EPA) rankings

Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Geno Smith put forth one of the better performances of his career in Sunday’s 23-20 Week 2 overtime victory over the New England Patriots. Smith completed 33-of-44 passing attempts for 327 yards and one touchdown. He currently ranks fourth in completions and completion percentage, sixth in passing yards, and seventh in QB rating among all quarterbacks.

Those aren’t the only statistical categories that Smith has accumulated elite numbers in. The analytics-based categories also reflect well on Smith through two completed contests. Seattle’s signal caller currently ranks seventh in Expected Points Added (EPA), according to data collected by Football Insights.

https://twitter.com/fball_insights/status/1835897044600283397

It’s also worth noting one of the quarterbacks ahead of Smith is Malik Willis, who’s started just one contest. If you’re unfamiliar, EPA is a play-by-play evaluation that calculates how a team’s expected points scored were adjusted via particular sequences. Down and distance, field position, and other factors are taken into consideration. Positive plays help further the team’s EPA, and negative plays lessen total number. Using EPA can help us evaluate team and player performance.

Those are some elite quarterbacks Smith is rubbing shoulders with in EPA, including Buffalo’s Josh Allen. He’s also currently ranked ahead of Patrick Mahomes, CJ Stroud, Brock Purdy, and Lamar Jackson, to name a few, in EPA. Smith is playing high-level football for the 2-0 Seahawks right now and all of the data proves that.

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Stats show how badly Jared Goff struggled under pressure vs. Bucs

The advanced stat breakdown from Next Gen Stats shows how badly Jared Goff struggled under pressure vs. Bucs

Jared Goff has always been something of a tale of two quarterbacks, as Lions legend Herman Moore recently described. The Goff playing without pressure from the defense is consistently one of the NFL’s better quarterbacks. The Goff under pressure, well, not so much…

That was certainly the case in Detroit’s Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Goff posted some solid production with 307 passing yards, completing 34 of his 55 pass attempts. However, he did not throw a touchdown pass and did get picked twice, though one of those absolutely should have been defensive pass interference (the box score doesn’t care).

Part of the problem in the Lions loss, and a big reason why they only scored 16 points despite posting over 450 total yards, was that Goff had a very rough day when pressured by the Tampa Bay defense. The analytics folks behind Next Gen Stats revealed just how much Goff sputtered when pressured in Week 2.

Sandwiched between nuggets on Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels in the Zebra Technologies weekly newsletter is this unsavory tidbit on Goff,

Jared Goff went 9/17 for 117 yards, 2 INTs, and had a 35.3 passer rating when under pressure in the Lions’ home loss vs. Tampa Bay.

That’s a rough split from the overall statistics, and that’s also something that has been fairly characteristic of Goff’s NFL career.

 

Seahawks’ Geno Smith lands elite placement in latest QB rankings

Seahawks’ Geno Smith lands elite placement in latest QB rankings

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith believes he’s an elite signal caller. Smith proved capable of hanging with the best passers in the league during his breakout 2022 campaign. He ranked first in the league in completion percentage (69.8%, minimum 100 passing attempts), fourth in passing touchdowns (30), and eighth in yards (4,282) in his first season as the franchise’s starting QB.

Injuries and a disjointed offense limited Smith’s potential in 2023. It’s true that his passing yards and touchdown totals suffered from missing two regular-season contests, but it’s worth acknowledging his completion percentage also plummeted to 64.7%. The Seahawks made offseason changes to the offense, hiring Ryan Grubb as the new offensive coordinator.

At least one major outlet sees Smith recapturing his 2022 magic this season. The Ringers’ Steven Ruiz recently released his annual QB rankings. Smith clocks in at No. 10 overall, ranking ahead of quarterbacks like CJ Stroud, Jordan Love, Tua Tagovailoa, and Brock Purdy.

https://twitter.com/ringernfl/status/1831413416801841613

“Geno Smith has developed into one of the most well-rounded quarterbacks in the NFL,” Steven Ruiz writes. “He doesn’t have the biggest arm in the league, but he might throw the prettiest ball. He can’t run away from defenders like Lamar Jackson or Kyler Murray, but he can make plays on the move. He steps up in the face of pressure rather than backing down. He makes quick, smart decisions but will also hold on to the ball for a beat longer when the situation calls for it.”

The Seahawks are expecting big things from Smith this season. He still possesses a fearsome trio of receivers in DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Hopefully the offensive line is improved through the acquisitions of George Fant and Connor Williams. Smith could thrive in Grubb’s new-look offense.

You can view the entire Smith excerpt and The Ringer’s complete QB rankings here.

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Is Brock Purdy a top 10 NFL QB yet or nah?

Did a Super Bowl run in his first full year as a starter and a top-four MVP finish get Brock Purdy into the top 10 of these QB rankings?

Trying to rank Brock Purdy in the NFL quarterback hierarchy has become an exercise in semantics. Statistically he’s one of the best signal callers in the league. From a pure talent standpoint he falls short of some of the bigger, faster, stronger QBs in the league. His ranking will typically depend on what the ranker values.

In ESPN’s survey of NFL coaches, scouts and executives, Purdy falls just outside the top 10, and was listed first among the honorable mentions. The comments from executives interviewed for the piece reflect why it’s difficult to place Purdy exactly.

Via ESPN:

“It’s hard to call him top 10 based on the guys ahead of him, but it’s hard to keep him out of the top 10, too,” an NFC executive said. “He willed that team to the Super Bowl. Only right to give him serious consideration.”

As far as game-planning, Purdy has more limitations than some of the quarterbacks ahead of him, according to multiple evaluators.

“He’s very good at navigating the pocket, buying time, using his legs — you’re not going to win because of him in most cases,” a separate NFC exec said. “He’s a really good system quarterback.”

And this is why the Purdy ranking conversation has become largely two groups shouting into different voids. The group that believes Purdy isn’t top 10 is going to rely on hypothetical worlds where his coach or teammates are different. The group that thinks he lands where his stats say he lands (comfortably top 10) isn’t concerned with anything beyond what’s immediately in front of them.

Those two arguments don’t mix. And for that reason the Purdy discourse is likely interminable.

The good news for the 49ers is that online rankings matter less than on-field production. As long as Purdy continues producing at the level he did last season the 49ers will be in the Super Bowl conversation. And the longer they’re in the Super Bowl conversation the harder it will be to justify keeping Purdy out of the top of whatever QB rankings are out.

Jared Goff cracks the top 10 QBs in latest rankings from NFL coaches and execs

Lions QB Jared Goff cracks the top 10 QBs in latest rankings from NFL coaches and execs conducted by ESPN

Ja-Red Goff! Ja-Red Goff!

The chant continues to pop up all over Michigan, even in the summer months outside of football. It’s almost become a unifying war cry for Lions fans. Goff has become a hero in Detroit, and his play with the Lions is catching eyes and respect from beyond the Mitten State.

In the latest quarterback rankings from ESPN’s polling of league coaches nad executives, Goff cracks the top 10. There’s Goff at No. 9, sandwiched between Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott.

The ESPN criteria for rankings comes from this,

Voters give us their best 10 players at a position, then we compile the results and rank candidates based on number of top-10 votes, composite average and dozens of interviews, with research and film study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen. In total, nearly 80 voters submitted a ballot on at least one position, and in many cases all positions.

Goff was an honorable mention last season. He was ranked as high as fifth on one voter’s ballot. As Jeremy Fowler, who compiled the voting, noted, all the ballots were cast before Goff and the Lions agreed to a massive new contract extension earlier this offseason.

Falcons’ Kirk Cousins cracks top 15 in CBS Sports’ QB rankings

Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins cracked the top 15 in CBS Sports’ post-draft QB rankings

The Atlanta Falcons transformed their quarterback room from one of the least talented groups in the NFL to one of the deepest by signing Kirk Cousins and drafting Michael Penix. While Penix may be the future, the Falcons expect Cousins to be the guy this season.

The only potential holdup appears to be Cousins’ health. The 35-year-old quarterback is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury on the heels of his second-best season ever in 2022. Cousins is “pretty much full go,” according to Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, but he won’t be pushed physically until training camp begins.

Barring any setbacks, there is still a belief that Cousins can perform at a high level. The veteran signal-caller landed at No. 14 on CBS Sports post-draft quarterback rankings:

Under pressure to make good on his big free-agent deal after the Falcons’ surprise first-round pick of Michael Penix Jr. , Cousins adds much-needed reliability to an ascending Atlanta squad. Going on 36 and coming off an Achilles tear, he still projects as a steady play-action rifle –– Cody Benjamin, CBS Sports

The Falcons desperately needed a veteran presence at the quarterback position. However, SI reported that Cousins’ decision to leave the Vikings was at least partly due to their desire to pursue a quarterback early in the draft.

After Atlanta surprised everyone, including Cousins, by drafting Penix, you have to wonder how long of a leash the team will give Cousins before looking to their top-10 pick.

If the Falcons contend in the NFC this season, Cousins has a chance to quiet all of this QB talk.

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