Week 9 QB Index: Aaron Rodgers rises, Tom Brady falls badly

By: NFLHeads

1. Aaron Rodgers

I guess all the criticism coming off of the Vikings game was really pissing Rodgers off, which might be why he went absolutely berserk on Thursday night, throwing for 4 touchdowns and no picks, and 305 yards. Rodgers showed again that he can dominate a game, and that he is truly one of the elite quarterbacks.

2. Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes had a quiet day, only bringing the Chiefs out of one measly deficit and throwing for a timid four touchdowns. But hey, there is still room for improvement. But seriously, Mahomes has yet again put this team on his back, and it is impressive to behold.

3. Drew Brees

Drew Brees finally looked like the old Drew Brees against the Bucs. Now that Micheal Thomas is back, Brees can now go back to throwing 3-5 yard slants to Thomas. Besides that, this game shows that the Saints own the Bucs, and Drew Brees is better than Tom Brady.

4. Josh Allen

While I do love how Josh Allen played and while I think it does show hope for the future, I am still extremely hesitant. Allen led a great campaign against a great Seahawks offense, There is absolutely nothing to be excited about with this defense and we have seen that Allen can shrink in front of big opponents like the Titans and Steelers.

5. Deshaun Watson

Watson was looking good against the Jaguars last Sunday. Now all he needs is some receivers and a decent coach, and he would be in the MVP race. This whole season has been Watson vs. the other team and it will continue to be Watson vs. the other team until something happens. 

6. Ryan Tannehill

Tannehill and the Titans have receded to a degree, but Tannehill is still playing good football, and he was able to beat a mediocre Bears team 24-17. My main issue with Tannehill right now is that he lacks the dominant presence that he seemed to have after they came back from 16 days of no practice.

7. Matt Ryan

I am very nervous about the Falcons, considering they nearly threw away this game, but Ryan was able to actually finish this lead out, doing his part to beat the Broncos 34-27. With the Falcons bye week coming up, they have time to regroup and really figure out how good their team can be when firing on all cylinders.

8. Kyler Murray

Murray looked great against the Dolphins, it was the defense that couldn’t stop Tua. Murray was able to burn the Dolphins through the air and with his legs. He is obviously a MVP candidate, now the defense has to step up their game.

9. Teddy Bridgewater

I feel like our QB Index never really puts enough respect on Teddy B’s name, so I think now is the time to do just that. I don’t really mind that Bridgewater and the Panthers lost this game because to be fair, Patrick Mahomes is the best comeback quarterback of all time.

10. Russell Wilson

It’s very hard for the Seahawks to win games when Russ is baking turnovers instead of cooking. Nevertheless, the Seahawks defense was atrocious against the Bills. Russ didn’t play that bad and yes, he could have taken care of the ball more, but he can’t carry this team if the defense is playing this bad.

11. Lamar Jackson

Lamar made up for last week’s game with a big win against the Colts, but this still doesn’t show that Lamar is a franchise QB. I know you Raven’s fan will clown me, but in my opinion, Lamar has still yet to prove that he can win in big games.

12. Kirk Cousins

It has been very odd for me to not call Cousins one of the worst quarterbacks in the league for the past two weeks, but I must admit that his performance has significantly improved. Now if he could only do this in a game that mattered, the Vikings would be set.

13. Ben Roethlisberger

I am very confused as to how the Steelers almost lost to the Cowboys. This just proves that the Steelers record does not show how good they are. Ben Roethlisberger was playing ok in this game, but he needs to play like he did in week 1 every week in order to show the rest of the league that the Steelers are here to win.

14. Justin Herbert

Herbert is definitely winning OROY this year, and he is on pace to be the first QB to average 300 passing yards in their rookie season. The only problem is that the rest of the team that doesn’t play offense is holding back Herbert, including the head coach. 

15. Joe Flacco

A bit of NFLHeads trivia, this is the first time Flacco or Darnold has been in the top 80% of the QB Index, but let’s be fair Flacco deserves it this week. Monday Night had to give Jets fans at least a little bit of hope, especially with the way Flacco was able to connect with Breshad Perriman.

16. Nick Foles

Now this just proves that Nick Foles can’t be great if he doesn’t play for the Eagles. His performance has plummeted, and the team is considering benching him and starting Trubisky again. I hope Foles brings himself back, or he might sit for the rest of the season.

17. Drew Lock

The past couple of games has shown us that Lock is a second half QB, but in order to win in this league, you have to be a first and second half QB. He is starting to improve, and once he starts playing good in the first half, the Broncos will be a force in the AFC.

18. Tua Tagovailoa

The Dolphins are going off with Tua, and it’s no wonder we were all honking about him going first overall in early 2019. Tua threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns against what has been a great Cardinals team. Dolphins fans should start getting excited about the future because this kid looks amazing.

19. Derek Carr

Derek Carr is somehow leading the Las Vegas Raiders to wins, even though his stats are kinda trash. Usually, having 165 passing yards would be considered bad for a game, but Carr has grown as a QB and he is learning how to lead his team to wins.

20. Cam Newton

Cam Newton has shown shades of his MVP season, and saved his starting spot for now, but he needs to stop being careless when it comes to the big plays. Newton says he is against losing, but he is not showing it much on the field.

21. Phillip Rivers

It looks like Rivers isn’t that great of a QB, and he is a terrible tackler. He had a lot of momentum coming into this game against the Ravens, and he blew it. These games show why Rivers hasn’t won a Super Bowl in his career. 

22. Jake Luton

Well you know how it is in the NFL, one week he’s taking your order at Whataburger and the next week he’s throwing passes for the Jaguars. Luton did not actually do that bad in a week to relieve the injured Minshew, but he played against the Texans defense, which is not exactly the ‘85 Bears.

23. Garrett Gilbert

Oh my goodness, I must say I have never rooted for the Cowboys, but I was so excited when it looked like they were going to beat the undefeated Steelers on Sunday, and Garrett Gilbert would have been praised beyond belief. All that being said, Gilbert had a good night against the Steelers defense, throwing for 243 yards, one touchdown, and one pick.

24. Daniel Jones

Danny Dimes may only be able to beat Washington, but it’s a good thing he can do it so consistently. Daniel Jones was able to beat an Alex Smith led team 23-20 on Sunday, and threw for 212 yards, 1 touchdown, and no picks.

25. Matthew Stafford

Well Stafford is injured for the third year in a row, and the mediocre backup they are stuck with is Chase Daniel. Admittedly, Stafford was not playing all that well in the game, throwing two picks and only one touchdown, but going from Stafford to Daniel will still be a huge falloff.

26. Nick Mullens

As the 49ers deal with the enormous amount of injuries they’ve had this season, they also have to deal with their QB problem. Nick Mullens is trying to hold the fort for Jimmy Garappolo, but Mullens is not doing so well. 

27. Chase Daniel

Chase Daniel came in during the Lions game this week to replace the injured Stafford, and he didn’t do so well. I know that Daniel played only a little bit, and the Vikings basically had the game in the bag, but Daniel is not the long term solution for the Lions. He is only here to keep the Lions above the water until Stafford returns.

28. Alex Smith

While I am happy and impressed that Smith was able to come back from a gruesome leg injury, he has not been the same as the Washington Football Team’s starting quarterback, throwing for three picks and only one touchdown.

29. Tom Brady

Well that was interesting. I was having a conversation with a colleague about my Super Bowl picks, and after much thought I picked the Bucs. After Sunday, seeing the dumpster fire that Brady put out severely hurt that claim. Most quarterbacks have a few bad games every year, but this was even worse. Some of the interceptions that Brady threw are among the worst that has ever been seen.