NFL QB Index, Week 2: Baker Mayfield enters top 10; Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers slide

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NOTE: Up/down arrows illustrate movement from the Week 1 QB Index.

Rank

Patrick Mahomes

Kansas City Chiefs · Year 8

This was another typical Mahomes performance. He navigated the pocket, extended plays, found open receivers and executed Andy Reid’s offense as it was intended. Mahomes’ efficiency — save for his shockingly bad interception — defined the night, but what was most impressive was how Mahomes and the Chiefs produced a preview of what this offense can be in 2024. Mahomes fed Rashee Rice, hooking up for tight-window completions against mismatched linebackers, and started to build a rapport with burner Xavier Worthy, who sped through the Baltimore defense on a reverse for a score and caught a pass from Mahomes for his second score of the night. It wasn’t perfect, of course, but it was better than the Chiefs’ offense looked for much of the 2023 regular season. With Mahomes at the controls, it feels as if they only just scratched the surface of their potential last Thursday night.

Rank

Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens · Year 7

We saw the Ravens reap the rewards of signing Derrick Henry on the game-opening touchdown drive against the Chiefs, but Jackson carried them for the rest of the night. If his shoulders or back were tired by the end of the night, it would’ve been understandable, because the numbers definitely do not lie. Jackson led the Ravens in rushing, threw for 273 yards and a touchdown, and nearly led an incredible 87-yard touchdown drive in the game’s final two minutes. He came one Isaiah Likely big toe away from possibly leading Baltimore to a comeback win, which would’ve been additionally impressive, considering the struggles the Ravens encountered along the offensive line. Despite the loss, we learned Jackson is still the same electrifying, game-wrecking quarterback who has earned two NFL MVP awards.

Rank

Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills · Year 7

It’s really nice to see the Bills run the ball effectively, because it empowers Allen to maximize his talents. It just took him a quarter and a half to remember he had them Sunday. After some early struggles, Allen settled in, using his passing and running abilities to power a significant comeback in quick fashion, leading an efficient end-of-half drive that ended with a rushing touchdown for the massive quarterback. He carried the positive momentum into the second half, building a rapport with rookie Keon Coleman while also connecting with Mack Hollins for a touchdown. It was fitting that Buffalo’s final touchdown came via another Allen run, because that’s what make him one of the toughest quarterbacks to defend: He can hurt you with his rocket arm and his legs.

THURSDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Allen’s mastery of the position shined when he rolled right on a third-and-12 and fired a rocket to running back Ty Johnson just shy of the goal line, setting up Bills running back James Cook for an easy touchdown. Statistically, Allen didn’t do much, completing 13 of 19 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown, but he didn’t need to be a hero, thanks to Buffalo’s opportunistic defense in a 31-10 win.

Rank

C.J. Stroud

Houston Texans · Year 2

We really should prevent ourselves from taking Stroud for granted. Sure, his accuracy is razor sharp, but his poise is remarkable for a player who is just beginning his second season. Case in point: Stroud fell down on the new turf at Lucas Oil Stadium on a key third down early, but he looked up and fired a dart from his knees to tight end Brevin Jordan for a first down. Stroud made another heroic play while rolling away from a blitz on a third down in the second half, throwing across his body to Nico Collins for a key pickup. With the game on the line, Stroud stood in the pocket and ripped a bullet through a tiny window to Collins along the right sideline for a first down to all but ice the game. In between, he executed Bobby Slowik’s offense efficiently, was happy to rely on an excellent debut from running back Joe Mixon, and built a rapport with new weapon Stefon Diggs, connecting with him twice for touchdowns. He’s picked up right where he left off.

Rank

Dak Prescott

Dallas Cowboys · Year 9

The numbers won’t suggest Prescott had a great day, but don’t let them lie to you, because when he was asked to execute, he did so consistently — and impressively. The highlight package might better represent Prescott’s day. Mike McCarthy did a great job of rolling Prescott away from pressure in order to neutralize Myles Garrett, and when asked to throw on the run, Prescott did so effortlessly. His two most impressive drives came in the first half, in which Prescott capped Dallas’ first scoring march with a third-down lob to Brandin Cooks in the face of an all-out blitz for an easy score. He then followed that up by orchestrating an 11-play, 74-yard touchdown drive that gave the Cowboys a 14-3 lead and set them on a course toward a blowout win. Dallas took such a firm grip on this game, it didn’t have to ask Prescott to do much in the second half, other than guide the ship back to port. He has a new contract, too, ending all of that concerned chatter that filled the offseason airwaves. It’s all about producing now, and he did so in Week 1.

Rank

Baker Mayfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Year 7

Week 1 was a classic performance for the rejuvenated Mayfield, who played all the hits in his outing. He had the majestic strikes downfield to Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan, the fades to Evans (producing two touchdowns, including a spectacular catch for the first score), the scrambling to extend plays and pick up positive yards, the pocket navigation and occasional risk that produced gains, all of it. He even ran a bit, got popped and stood up, dripping in swagger, to let the fans in attendance know he picked up a first down. I was a little nervous about how this offense might operate with new offensive coordinator Liam Coen now calling the shots, and I acknowledge it’s only one game against one of the NFL’s worst defenses in 2023, but this was one heck of a start for a quarterback coming off a career year.

Rank

Tua Tagovailoa

Miami Dolphins · Year 5

Talk about a tale of two halves. Tagovailoa showed a little bit of rust in the first half, missing a few open targets in what was a clunky start for Miami’s offense. But when winning time arrived in the second half, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins delivered, with his 80-yard touchdown connection with Tyreek Hill serving as the crucial turning point in this contest. After completing 11 of 21 passes for 131 yards in the first half, Tagovailoa exploded in the final two quarters, going 12-for-16 for 207 yards and a touchdown, moving the Dolphins into Jason Sanders’ range to propel their comeback. It’s typical for a team to start slowly in Week 1, but these high-powered Dolphins can’t be kept down for long.

THURSDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Tagovailoa had a rough outing, throwing three interceptions (one of which was on a tipped ball), including a crushing pick-six to help the Bills pull away. Unfortunately, the night ended in the worst fashion possible: Tagovailoa suffered a concussion when colliding with Bills safety Damar Hamlin at the end of a third-down scramble in the red zone.

Rank

Brock Purdy

San Francisco 49ers · Year 3

Purdy’s season debut was a bit of a mixed bag. It took a bit for him to settle in, and he was fortunate to be bailed out of two consecutive bad throws by a Jets penalty late in the third quarter. Then again, the 49ers didn’t need Purdy to throw for 350 to win, not with Jordan Mason carrying them to victory with 147 rushing yards and a touchdown on 28 attempts. There was some visible rust on Brandon Aiyuk, who dropped Purdy’s best throw of the night (which should have produced a touchdown), which is obviously no fault of Purdy, but illustrates where the 49ers stood on Monday night. Still, the third-year passer was protected well and put together a largely accurate night, throwing for 231 yards by lofting passes over Jets defenders to open targets. It was a solid start for Purdy — which is perfectly fine for a 49ers team that cruised to victory.

Rank

Matthew Stafford

Los Angeles Rams · Year 16

I’ll just get this out of the way now: That interception Stafford threw in the end zone was U-G-L-Y. That was the worst of it, though, and we can all confidently agree the Rams don’t have a chance to win this game if not for Stafford’s heroics. He showed all 16 years of experience he’s bringing into 2024 in the second half, peppering Detroit’s defense with a variety of completions, and just about every single one mattered the same toward Los Angeles’ comeback efforts. Most NFL quarterbacks don’t pull off such an effort in a quarter and a half’s time, yet there was Stafford, frantically propelling the Rams to overtime. Sure, he took some risks, and probably should’ve paid for them more than he did, but the stats match the tape. I’ll always wonder what a Stafford overtime drive in Detroit would’ve looked like. The Lions wisely ensured he never received such a chance.

Rank

Jared Goff

Detroit Lions · Year 9

Goff didn’t miss a beat between the NFC Championship Game and Week 1, staying right in the comfortable slot in which he operates Ben Johnson’s offense by taking what the defense gave him and delivering without hesitation. His long connections with Jameson Williams were fun, too, and carried much of Detroit’s passing offense. That was enough, because David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs handled the rest, combining for 131 rushing yards and two scores on 28 attempts and taking a significant chunk of responsibility off Goff’s shoulders. I will admit, it’s interesting to see Goff attempt to execute when a defense dedicates significant resources toward eliminating the middle of the field from his available target area. The Rams did so in the second half, forcing Goff into an awful interception that bought them new life. But Goff didn’t crumble, leading an efficient two-minute drill to buy Lions kicker Jake Bates a chance to send them to overtime. And once they got there, they barely needed Goff at all, which certainly isn’t a knock on him.

Rank

Joe Burrow

Cincinnati Bengals · Year 5

It felt like Burrow was running for his life for most of the season opener, resorting to checkdowns while leading an offense that lacked explosive potential. It was a bit alarming to see a defense minimize Burrow’s effectiveness, but the Bengals lost the time of possession battle by more than eight minutes and fumbled away possession on their best drive of the day, which explains how Burrow averaged just 7.8 yards per completion. New England essentially disarmed Burrow, taking the power away from one of the NFL’s most talented quarterbacks. I don’t expect this to become a frequent result.

Rank

Jalen Hurts

Philadelphia Eagles · Year 5

Hurts’ first game of 2024 had the potential to get really ugly, very quickly. He threw an interception on the Eagles’ first possession, was surprised by a premature snap (resulting in a fumble and a second giveaway) and seemed frazzled by the moment. Eventually, though, Hurts settled in, leading five scoring drives of 62 or more yards and connecting with Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown for passing touchdowns. His completion percentage wasn’t great, and he threw an indefensible interception in the fourth quarter with the chance to put away the game. He wasn’t incredibly consistent, either, but for Week 1, it was good enough.

Rank

Jordan Love

Green Bay Packers · Year 5

This was quite a boom-or-bust game for Love, who connected with Jayden Reed on a long touchdown pass, led an impressive touchdown drive that ended with a dart of a touchdown pass to Christian Watson, and thrived on the big plays. The in-between plays weren’t great, and Love threw an interception over the middle that gave the Eagles a chance to regain the lead (they did). He also struggled to push the Packers into the end zone in a five-point game, and his night ended with a knee injury that could keep him out for more than a month. The highlights were rich, but the showing wasn’t as consistent as I expected. Here’s hoping he’s back before long.

Rank

Kyler Murray

Arizona Cardinals · Year 6

The Cardinals might not win a ton of games in 2024, but they’re going to be a fun team to watch thanks to Murray. He operated the offense incredibly effectively in the first half against the Bills, extending plays with his feet and keeping the offense moving with his arm. His touchdown pass to Michael Wilson wasn’t pretty because of design, but sure was a treat to witness because of Murray’s improvisation. Yes, it all fell apart in the second half, but if we’re just judging Murray, above all, he looked healthy. He looked equipped to lead this team. And his performances are going to be entertaining (please look toward Marvin Harrison Jr. more in the weeks ahead, though).

Rank

Trevor Lawrence

Jacksonville Jaguars · Year 4

It was a solid opener for Lawrence, who led two touchdown drives in the first half by commanding the offense and letting it rip, completing 3 of 5 intermediate (10-19 air yards) passes for 58 yards and all three deep (20-plus air yards) attempts for 66 yards and a touchdown, per Next Gen Stats. Generally speaking, he did just about everything the Jaguars needed to win on Sunday. It wasn’t his fault Travis Etienne fumbled just before entering the end zone, and he doesn’t play defense, so he can’t be held responsible for Miami’s furious second-half comeback. In fact, Miami’s best defense was its offense, which managed to keep the Jaguars off the field for the majority of the fourth quarter in a tight game. This felt a lot like Aaron Rodgers‘ Monday night outing, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering Lawrence finished with the same number of attempts: 21. The Jaguars will wish they had this one back but should feel encouraged by what they saw from Lawrence (and rookie Brian Thomas Jr., who had a nice debut).

Rank

Aaron Rodgers

New York Jets · Year 20

In one scoring drive, we saw what Rodgers can do for the Jets. He was sharp on their 12-play, 70-yard march, making quick reads and delivering passes to Garrett Wilson to keep the drive going. He looked much like the Rodgers of old, albeit in a small sample size because the Jets struggled to regain and maintain possession. In Rodgers’ career, he’s never had the ball for less time than in this game (21:20), and that total time includes a final drive led by Tyrod Taylor when the game was out of reach. I felt as if we only saw a glimpse of Rodgers on Monday night. He needs better protection, and frankly, more opportunities to cook (he threw just 21 passes). I walked away from this taste test wanting a full meal. I’m sure we’ll be fed before long.

Rank

Derek Carr

New Orleans Saints · Year 11

I caution everyone to avoid overreacting to Week 1, but it sure was refreshing to see Carr have some fun playing football. After trudging through most of the 2023 season, Carr had new life in the Saints’ season opener, letting it fly with no fear and cashing in each time via a 59-yard touchdown strike to Rashid Shaheed, a risky floater to Foster Moreau while scrambling, and a rollout toss to Juwan Johnson for a third score. Carr’s stat line matched the ease with which he operated against the lowly Panthers, but I can guarantee the going will be tougher in the weeks ahead. We’ll see if Carr can carry this momentum into more difficult matchups.

Rank

Justin Herbert

Los Angeles Chargers · Year 5

I don’t think the Chargers offense will look like this — or maybe I’m just hoping this isn’t what their style will be under Jim Harbaugh, because it sure felt like a waste of Herbert’s talents. I’m not against winning a game on the ground, but this offense didn’t give Herbert many chances to use his arm’s full potential, and when he did deliver passes, they felt uncomfortable, if not forced. It made for a tough game to judge, which is typical when watching a quarterback face a good defense (and I think the Raiders’ defense will prove to be among the league’s best). It just felt strange to watch the Chargers win a game without Herbert leading the way.

Rank

Geno Smith

Seattle Seahawks · Year 12

A weird Week 1 that began with an ugly interception ended up settling right into Smith’s comfort zone as the game reached the second quarter, specifically when he threw a beautiful back-shoulder pass to Tyler Lockett for a gain of 19, then immediately followed it with a 34-yard scramble into the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown. Smith proved to be sharp, primarily connecting with Lockett to move the ball through the air while Kenneth Walker III handled the ground duties (and ripped off a nice catch-and-run score). The most beautiful moment of the game came late, when Seattle needed a third-down conversion to ice the game. Smith dropped back, stepped up in the pocket amid a Denver pass rush that was closing in on him and ripped a bullet just beyond the reach of the nearest Broncos defender to Lockett, who made a one-handed snag to pick up the first down. It capped a less-than-perfect day that ended up being a steady build to success for Smith.

Rank

Anthony Richardson

Indianapolis Colts · Year 2

Richardson’s raw talent and rare blend of athleticism were on full display Sunday, leaving those who watched the highlights rather impressed. It wasn’t perfect, though — and frankly, for the time being, we shouldn’t expect Richardson to be flawless. He still has semi-regular accuracy issues, missed a few open targets and threw an interception on a pass wide of its intended target. He also should have been picked off in the end zone in the fourth quarter. But the Colts didn’t draft Richardson for completion percentage; they picked him because of his natural abilities. Richardson powered the Colts with those abilities, barreling through a defender on fourth-and-goal for a touchdown to make it a two-point game late in the fourth quarter. He showed off the cannon that is his right arm, falling down amid a pass rush that was closing in on him before standing up in time to launch a majestic rocket (which covered 65 air yards, per NGS) to Alec Pierce for an early touchdown. He hit Pierce for a long completion again later, and nearly did the same with Adonai Mitchell. If afforded time (and good health), he should eventually dial it in. Plus, no one can deny how fun it is to watch him play.

Rank

Sam Darnold

Minnesota Vikings · Year 7

For a brief moment in Sunday’s game, I watched Sam Darnold freeze in the pocket and take a sack. I groaned. Please tell me he’s overcome the infamous ghosts. Well, folks, he’s left them in the past, at least for one week. Darnold settled into the action shortly after a rough first possession and got to work, leading consecutive touchdown drives dotted with confident, on-target passes all over the field. He had just two incompletions in his first 17 attempts, threw two touchdowns (including a dart into the belly of Justin Jefferson on fourth-and-goal), and left a resoundingly positive impression. I sure was impressed; now I just need to see him do it consistently.

Rank

Jayden Daniels

Washington Commanders · Rookie

We have our winner for best rookie quarterback performance of Week 1, and frankly, it wasn’t even close. Daniels looked just as comfortable as he did during the preseason when operating Washington’s offense, delivering on-target passes with ease and keeping Tampa Bay’s defense on its heels with his scrambling ability. Daniels put together a Lamar Jackson-esque stat line, and played much like Jackson or Kyler Murray, which was surprising to see from a rookie making his first start. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass but ran for two scores, and while Washington fell short on the scoreboard, it certainly wasn’t Daniels’ fault. I can’t wait to watch him play in Week 2 and beyond.

Rank

Jacoby Brissett

New England Patriots · Year 9

Is Brissett the new face of the Dalton Scale? I’m not ready to make that declaration, but Brissett is indisputably consistent. On Sunday, he looked much like he did the last time he handled starting duties in Cleveland in 2022, managing the offense, occasionally getting loose to move the chains and doing just enough to help the Patriots steadily tack on points in a low-scoring affair. Like other notable backups, Brissett also accomplished his most important goal: Don’t hurt the team. Brissett protected the football and did a great job of handing off to Rhamondre Stevenson, who carried the day (25 rushes for 120 yards and one touchdown). That’s all you can ask of him.

Rank

Kirk Cousins

Atlanta Falcons · Year 13

Well, that wasn’t great. You can blame rust for Cousins’ struggles in Week 1, but I’ll point to the disruption produced by Pittsburgh’s defense, which tallied 11 pressures (39.3 percent) and harassed Cousins all day. It’s not an excuse, it’s just a fact, and if you need more proof, spotlight T.J. Watt when you watch this one. He caused plenty of issues, which threw Cousins off track, and by the time some of those pressures closed in on Cousins, he was letting it rip almost out of self-preservation. That’s how he threw two interceptions on pressured attempts, which stopped Atlanta’s offense in its tracks. The Falcons only put together one quality drive, which ended in a Cousins touchdown toss to Kyle Pitts. The rest was largely a consistently frustrating experience, which surely isn’t how Atlanta saw its first game with Cousins playing out. Hopefully it proves to be an aberration.

Rank

Gardner Minshew

Las Vegas Raiders · Year 6

Week 1 went much better than I expected for Minshew, who looked very out of sorts in preseason action and essentially won the starting job by default. Minshew handled the chaos of the Chargers pass rush relatively well, escaping pockets, extending plays and finding open targets while throwing on the run. But he also lost his grip of the football on an attempt to throw a smoke screen, which led to three points for the Chargers. In total, Minshew performed much like he did in Indianapolis in 2023: He didn’t hurt the Raiders much, made a few nice plays and kept them afloat. They just didn’t come through in the clutch, which wasn’t entirely Minshew’s fault.

Rank

Will Levis

Tennessee Titans · Year 2

It doesn’t take an in-depth study of Levis’ tape to see he’s an alpha who is as tough as nails. Levis appears to relish contact and isn’t shy when it comes to celebrating a hard-nosed run. He loves to use his strong arm to rip missiles through tight windows, but that mentality gets him into trouble at times, like when he attempted a backhanded flip that resulted in a game-changing pick-six in the fourth quarter against the Bears. He has a little Tampa Bay-era Jameis Winston in him, which he’ll need to shake off if he’s going to become a reliable starter. It seemed as if the game’s momentum swing led Levis to press, as if it was his responsibility alone to save the Titans from collapse. When the time came, he ended up directly contributing to their downfall. That doesn’t erase what he did well early on. He just needs to play a complete game.

Rank

Justin Fields

Pittsburgh Steelers · Year 4

Fields’ passing stat line — 17 of 23 for 156 yards, no TDs — doesn’t tell the whole story of Pittsburgh’s Week 1 game. His first start as a Steeler was a bit bumpy at the beginning, as he fumbled the first snap, missed an open receiver on his first attempt and didn’t establish much of a rhythm in the passing game for most of the day, appearing predictably hesitant. But Fields is an asset because of his playmaking ability, and he did plenty of it with his legs, picking up key first downs in a close game and keeping Pittsburgh from giving the Falcons additional chances to fight their way back into the game. The defense won the game for the Steelers, but Fields didn’t hurt them, which was a good sign.

Rank

Deshaun Watson

Cleveland Browns · Year 8

My colleague Steve Smith Sr. said it best on NFL GameDay Final on Sunday night: Browns fans are still waiting to see Watson. He was a no-show in Week 1, falling to a ferocious Cowboys defense that registered 25 pressures (44.6% of dropbacks) and detonated Kevin Stefanski’s offensive game plan. Watson was playing behind a line that relied on second- and third-string tackles, making the going more difficult, but even when he had time to throw, he was not right. He took some deeper shots that were way off the mark, was inconsistent on shorter attempts and only strung together enough accurate passes to complete one quality scoring drive. Those positive plays were so few, though, that Browns fans are already wondering what their future will look like under center after Week 1.

Rank

Caleb Williams

Chicago Bears · Rookie

Well, what is there to say about a quarterback who finished with 93 passing yards? Williams handled the speed of the game better than an average quarterback and attempted to use his athleticism to make some magic, but it didn’t quite come together for him against the Titans in Week 1. He didn’t receive many favors from his teammates, either: Keenan Allen dropped a would-be touchdown pass, and it wasn’t the only drop of the day. Williams wasn’t without fault, missing a wide-open target down the sideline by five yards and lucking out on a pass thrown into traffic that was deflected upward, rescued by fellow rookie Rome Odunze, fumbled and then recovered by left guard Teven Jenkins. In the end, I didn’t learn all that much about Williams, because there wasn’t a ton to work with (Chicago finished with 148 total yards). We’ll check back in the weeks ahead for better samples.

Rank

Bo Nix

Denver Broncos · Rookie

Nix’s debut did not match his preseason performance, which shouldn’t come as a surprise given the difference in competition. That said, it wasn’t quite as bad as the numbers suggest. Denver’s offensive game plan was very safe, and Nix didn’t attempt many passes beyond underneath and intermediate targets. He got into trouble when he dropped back to pass, stared down his intended target and lofted a pass off his back foot toward the end zone, resulting in an interception early in the second quarter. Improvisation was a mixed bag, too, with Nix showing strong pocket navigation abilities but also taking unnecessary risks, such as when he fired a pass into traffic that was so doomed to be picked off, CBS Sports analyst Adam Archuleta let out an audible “oh no” as soon as Nix released the ball. Nix has a tendency to scramble and run out of bounds for negative plays instead of throwing the ball away, which is a habit he’ll need to break. Overall, though, he showed moxie and natural playmaking instincts, and the moment wasn’t too big for him. He’ll just need time to iron things out.

Rank

Bryce Young

Carolina Panthers · Year 2

The reclamation project couldn’t have started much worse. Young never appeared comfortable against the Saints. He missed open receivers (throwing two interceptions), struggled to make the most of scrambles and only occasionally navigated the pocket well enough to find targets amid the madness of an NFL play. The Panthers lack talent and were buried before they even had time to blink, forcing them into a pass-heavy approach that only made the situation worse for Young. He did throw a few nice passes in garbage time, but getting him right is going to be a long process.

Rank

Daniel Jones

New York Giants · Year 6

Jones got off on the wrong foot in what looks to be a pivotal season. He was the worst version of himself for much of the loss to the Vikings. He threw two interceptions (one of which went for a pick-six), failed to score any points on two red-zone trips in the fourth quarter and simply seemed overwhelmed by Minnesota’s defense. When given time, Jones played fairly well, firing accurate passes, but those moments were just too infrequent. I was surprised to see how the Giants drew up some designed runs for Jones, given his injury history, but those plays were ultimately a footnote in a very ugly day for the QB. The good news: Malik Nabers is a dude.

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