hughes...who's ahead of him and what does Jaws write about them? Looks like it's an insider thing and I'm on the outside looking in like an old Little Anthony and the Imperials song.
Peyton rises, Eli falls in QB ranksManning brothers going in opposite directions on Jaws' updated Big BoardUpdated: October 4, 2013, 12:43 PM ETBy Ron Jaworski | ESPN Insider Recommend39Tweet3Comments19EmailPrint
USA Today Sports
Eli Manning has struggled this season while Peyton may be playing the best football of his career.
The first update for my QB Big Board is never easy. It's largely a matter of sample size since we've only seen a handful of games from first-year starters, and in some cases we've already seen changes under center. Heck, I had to order a magnet for Mike Glennon's Big Board plaque.
As a reminder, my quarterback rankings are based on repeated film study throughout the NFL season. I incorporate the recent performances from this season with the QB's track record from previous years. The result is a 1-32 listing of the starters in order of which quarterback I'd pick to go win me a game right now.
The board has undergone some dramatic shifts since my summer rankings ? and not just from volatile young quarterbacks. We've seen several veterans struggle and plummet down the rankings. And we've seen some continued ascent from Year 2 starters like Andrew Luck and Ryan Tannehill. But the name at the top of the rankings is no surprise.
At some point, you just run out of superlatives to properly describe Peyton Manning, but I'll try my best to illustrate what has made Manning the NFL's best QB right now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jaws' QB Rankings
Peyton Manning
#18 QB
Denver Broncos
2013 STATS
Att
156Comp
117Yds
1470TD
16Int
0QBR
91.4
1. Peyton Manning
Previous: 2
Manning's excellence has been so obvious this season that there's really nothing more to say. I was watching "CSI" the other night and it made me think of Peyton. The characters on that show see things no one else sees. They break out these special tools and lights and lenses to study a crime scene, and they always find the right answer to the puzzle, just like Peyton. I went over each play in the Denver-Philadelphia game 10 times trying to see through his eyes. I think I have a pretty well-trained eye at this point and I don't see this stuff. On the first set against the Eagles, Philadelphia blitzes from its nickel package and he audibles to a run right at the blitz, gaining 16 yards. He has always been good at this element of the game, and now he's at another level.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aaron Rodgers
#12 QB
Green Bay Packers
2013 STATS
Att
122Comp
81Yds
1057TD
8Int
3QBR
59.9
2. Aaron Rodgers
Previous: 1
Rodgers drops from No. 1, but he hasn't really fallen off in his play; Peyton's just better right now. I'd like to see Rodgers protect the football a little better, but the Packers' franchise QB has everything you want from a signal-caller in the National Football League.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drew Brees
#9 QB
New Orleans Saints
2013 STATS
Att
166Comp
111Yds
1434TD
10Int
4QBR
74.9
3. Drew Brees
Previous: 6
Brees has been a big climber this year. What they're doing in New Orleans has been sensational, and Brees benefits from some amazing offensive weapons. We don't talk a lot about Darren Sproles, but he is the toughest matchup for an opposing defense and whenever Brees gets him in single coverage, he's getting the ball. Brees has been razor-sharp. The line play has not been that sharp, but Brees is getting the ball out quickly and accurately, and we can see the results.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Brady
#12 QB
New England Patriots
2013 STATS
Att
158Comp
93Yds
1014TD
7Int
2QBR
60.8
4. Tom Brady
Previous: 3
If I'm being honest and just look at production, Brady hasn't been Brady this year, though he played better last week. The Patriots have used more play-action passing this year than any other team, including when under center. His receivers need work in direct route running. Pass patterns have a lot of option routes, and play-action defines the options for the pass-catchers. Makes it tougher on Tom, but simplifies things for the WRs. They had a strong game in Week 4.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt Ryan
#2 QB
Atlanta Falcons
2013 STATS
Att
173Comp
115Yds
1330TD
8Int
3QBR
68.1
5. Matt Ryan
Previous: 5
Some might look at the Falcons' record and be concerned about Ryan, but those problems are from other areas. The defense and offensive line have been inconsistent. Ryan's doing just fine.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philip Rivers
#17 QB
San Diego Chargers
2013 STATS
Att
142Comp
105Yds
1199TD
11Int
2QBR
81.4
6. Philip Rivers
Previous: 17
I wrote about Rivers last week, and we saw more of the same strong play last week. He's been adding some "Manning" to his game -- diagnosing the defense and orchestrating plays from the line of scrimmage -- and that's never a bad thing. I couldn't be happier to see him improving because I love his personality as well as how he plays the game.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andrew Luck
#12 QB
Indianapolis Colts
2013 STATS
Att
127Comp
81Yds
915TD
5Int
2QBR
76.2
7. Andrew Luck
Previous: 10
Luck just gets better every week, and he's definitely exhibited improvement since last year. I've seen more offensive expansion in Indy and he's handled it well. He has great movement in the pocket, which is important since he's not working behind a terrific line. Luck throws with accuracy and velocity, and we don't talk enough about his ability to extend the play. He's underrated at making plays with his legs, too.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joe Flacco
#5 QB
Baltimore Ravens
2013 STATS
Att
169Comp
97Yds
1091TD
5Int
7QBR
35.7
8. Joe Flacco
Previous: 4
Flacco looks like he's plateaued this season, and he may have even gone backward. I don't think anything is wrong physically, but he's pressing a little bit and doesn't have an outstanding receiving corps. Last season, this team was really strong off play-action, but that's been all but eliminated to date in 2013. The Ravens had just two runs in the second half last week. Their biggest need is a productive TE. Dennis Pitta was Flacco's guy, and without him as a security blanket, it can be a lot tougher psychologically for the quarterback.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ben Roethlisberger
#7 QB
Pittsburgh Steelers
2013 STATS
Att
162Comp
103Yds
1231TD
5Int
5QBR
38.4
9. Ben Roethlisberger
Previous: 7
With Roethlisberger, I see a guy who is trying to do the same things he's done in the past, trying to be that big oak tree in the pocket, hang in there and make those throws. But his line is letting him down. The sack he took to end the game against the Vikings is inexcusable and that's on him, but if the Steelers don't get better protection around him he's facing a long season. And with the amount of punishment he's taking, he might not even finish it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Russell Wilson
#3 QB
Seattle Seahawks
2013 STATS
Att
96Comp
59Yds
787TD
6Int
3QBR
50.4
10. Russell Wilson
Previous: 12
We had a lot of debate about Wilson here in the NFL Films offices. The consensus was that he wasn't playing great through four games. At opportune times he's made some good plays, but overall he's not playing as well as he should be. That said, he's been great in crunch time when plays need to be made. I'd really like to see him get the ball out of his hand faster. He's just been holding it too long. His snap-to-pass mark of 4.07 seconds is virtually identical to last season's (4.08) and can definitely improve.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tony Romo
#9 QB
Dallas Cowboys
2013 STATS
Att
152Comp
110Yds
1017TD
8Int
1QBR
60.1
11. Tony Romo
Previous: 15
Say what you want about him, but Romo's playing well. Yes, we know he's got a little gunslinger and risk-taker in him. But he gets results. At one time I had him as a top-10 guy, and he has the talent to belong there, but we're not going to be able to define Romo's true standing until he gets into the big game and plays well in it. He just has a tendency to make too many mistakes with the football. You just can't do that if you want to be one of the elite QBs in the NFL.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matthew Stafford
#9 QB
Detroit Lions
2013 STATS
Att
156Comp
100Yds
1262TD
7Int
3QBR
61.1
12. Matthew Stafford
Previous: 16
Stafford is playing at an incredible level right now, and Reggie Bush has been a great asset who has added a new element to this offense. Calvin Johnson is still making plays as usual, but now this offense is a quick-twitch-style passing game. Last year, this was more of a deep-dropback passing attack, with Stafford waiting as the receivers worked to uncover. Now I'm seeing more quick drops and fast throws. In terms of snap-to-release time, Stafford is the best in the NFL at 2.75 seconds, more than a half-second faster than 2012. That figure not only shows the change in play-calling, but Stafford's great understanding of his system and what the defense (and his offensive line) is giving him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jay Cutler
#6 QB
Chicago Bears
2013 STATS
Att
148Comp
95Yds
1010TD
8Int
6QBR
70.4
13. Jay Cutler
Previous: 14
Cutler played three weeks of fantastic football, then he slipped in Week 4. Consistency has always been an issue with him, and it's cropped up again. I have no problem with his decision-making, but I saw some wildly inaccurate throws in Week 4. He displayed some poor mechanics on the deep interception, which shows me he needs to keep refining his physical game. I know he'll be drilled by Marc Trestman until he shows off perfect mechanics.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eli Manning
#10 QB
New York Giants
2013 STATS
Att
151Comp
85Yds
1148TD
6Int
9QBR
30.0
14. Eli Manning
Previous: 8
Eli's been a really big dropper to this point. I'd like to say it's everyone else, and he has not been getting great protection from an offensive line that looks like a sieve, but Eli's decision-making has been suspect. In the past, he's usually been careful to throw the ball away, play smart and not take sacks. Now I'm seeing him throw balls right into double coverage. In years past, I could go games and games without seeing him make that mistake on the tape. He's forcing throws and trying to make every play. You can't do that and succeed at the NFL level.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt Schaub
#8 QB
Houston Texans
2013 STATS
Att
177Comp
116Yds
1193TD
8Int
6QBR
43.0
15. Matt Schaub
Previous: 9
Matt Schaub should be a top-10 QB, but he's made some poor decisions with the football, and last week it cost the Texans the game. As bad as that pick-six was, I lay some of the overall blame for Schaub's 2013 struggles on the Texans' play-calling. I heard Richard Sherman last week describing the interception. He'd seen that play before, and the Seahawks knew they could possibly force a bad decision if they reached Schaub with pressure. Safety Kam Chancellor comes in clean, Schaub doesn't get his eyes out to his target area and throws the live grenade. A little more variety in the Texans' offense could really help Schaub out to make him less predictable, but at the end of the day, he's gotta make the throws and that pick is on him. However, don't let one play override the rest of his performance through Week 4. For the most part, he's played really well. Despite the critical interception, he put up 355 passing yards against Seattle. That's no easy feat against that defense.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colin Kaepernick
#7 QB
San Francisco 49ers
2013 STATS
Att
117Comp
68Yds
856TD
5Int
4QBR
56.2
16. Colin Kaepernick
Previous: 11
Kaepernick has dropped, but I think a lot of it has to do with the loss of the Niners' offensive weapons. With Kaepernick's arm, they like to get the ball going vertically, but with Vernon Davis hurt and Kyle Williams not getting deep effectively, they don't have the receiver who can take advantage and get separation down the field. Anquan Boldin's a possession guy, and almost every catch after Week 1 has been contested. What I don't like seeing from Kaepernick is him holding the ball and waiting for things to happen. I don't think his performance really dropped off, but until they get Michael Crabtree back, the Niners may not be the offensive threat they were last year.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ryan Tannehill
#17 QB
Miami Dolphins
2013 STATS
Att
142Comp
93Yds
1076TD
5Int
5QBR
46.5
17. Ryan Tannehill
Previous: 24
As I mentioned in the preseason rankings, I saw some really good things from Tannehill last year. And with a better supporting cast around him, he's flourishing. Tannehill is a rock-solid pocket QB with some mobility. However, he needs to take better care of the football because he's turning it over too often (five interceptions). He's ascending, though, and I expect that will continue.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy Dalton
#14 QB
Cincinnati Bengals
2013 STATS
Att
148Comp
94Yds
1003TD
5Int
4QBR
52.9
18. Andy Dalton
Previous: 19
I'm really disappointed I haven't seen a quantum leap from Dalton with all of the offensive weapons he has around him in Cincinnati. I know he has limitations with deep-ball accuracy, but with A.J. Green on your roster, you've got to get the ball down the field. When they drafted Giovani Bernard, I thought they'd use him like a Reggie Bush or a Darren Sproles, but that hasn't really happened yet. Still, they're deep at tight end, deep at wide receiver and deep at running back. That's a lot of assets at Dalton's disposal, but he hasn't produced to match that talent level around him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cam Newton
#1 QB
Carolina Panthers
2013 STATS
Att
88Comp
52Yds
577TD
6Int
2QBR
57.0
19. Cam Newton
Previous: 18
Only three games so far for Cam, and there are lots of mixed feelings out there about his performance. When I see him on tape, I don't think he's seeing the field clearly. There have been too many instances where he just shouldn't be throwing the football. It doesn't appear that he sees the throw, and instead ends up firing blindly. He has a tendency to be wildly inaccurate despite good mechanics. He just may never become a precision passer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex Smith
#11 QB
Kansas City Chiefs
2013 STATS
Att
146Comp
88Yds
957TD
7Int
2QBR
53.5
20. Alex Smith
Previous: 20
Smith is having a very solid season. He is a game manager to the core and he doesn't make mistakes, despite some bad INTs last week. Smith just plays to his defense, which is playing at a phenomenal level right now. To get to their peak, though, I think the Chiefs need to be a little more explosive with their downfield offense. And I'm not sure if Smith can really bring that element. It's because of that reason that I don't think he'll ever have a chance to crack the top 15 in this ranking. He's a good solid quarterback, but I think he'll stay in this range.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Vick
#7 QB
Philadelphia Eagles
2013 STATS
Att
118Comp
65Yds
1080TD
5Int
2QBR
55.3
21. Michael Vick
Previous: 25
Vick has performed well by and large, but needs to do a better job of processing and getting the ball out of his hand in this offense. Among current starters, he has the highest time in terms of snap-to-release (4.27 seconds). Vick needs to do better, if only for self-preservation. Already this season he's been knocked to the ground 50 times by my count and contacted 31 more times. You can't last in this league taking that volume of hits.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Griffin III
#10 QB
Washington Redskins
2013 STATS
Att
170Comp
106Yds
1202TD
6Int
4QBR
29.1
22. Robert Griffin III
Previous: 13
I'd like to give him a pass due to his injury, but I can't. He's clearly not the same guy he was as a rookie. Not yet anyway. Realistically, we can't expect him to be. But those limitations due to his recovery have an impact on the Redskins' offense. He no longer strikes fear into opposing defenses, and you can see it by the fact that he's been blitzed more than any QB in the league this year. Last season, he thrived against the blitz. I also expected to see the Washington offense grow a little more, but that hasn't happened because of a lack of practice time with a healthy Griffin.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Carson Palmer
#3 QB
Arizona Cardinals
2013 STATS
Att
152Comp
87Yds
1010TD
4Int
6QBR
41.6
23. Carson Palmer
Previous: 23
Mistakes have hurt Palmer, and it's the same sort of problems that plagued him in Oakland. Maybe he hasn't quite gotten comfortable in Arizona yet, but the fact of the matter is he hasn't been the big boost many thought he would be for the Cardinals. He's with a better team in Arizona; for him to get better, a little more game management and a little less risk would be advisable.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jake Locker
#10 QB
Tennessee Titans
2013 STATS
Att
111Comp
69Yds
721TD
6Int
0QBR
72.3
24. Jake Locker
Previous: 31
I was very sorry to see Locker get hurt, because he might have been the most improved QB this season. On tape, I was really seeing him becoming a pocket passer and a runner at the same time. The Titans have been using his speed with some designed runs to exploit his athleticism. Those plays have been effective, but he's also been good playing from the pocket with a simplified game plan. I think he could have ranked higher than this if not for the injury.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sam Bradford
#8 QB
St. Louis Rams
2013 STATS
Att
182Comp
107Yds
1093TD
7Int
3QBR
37.4
25. Sam Bradford
Previous: 22
I'm worried about Sam. A few years ago, he took a beating behind a bad line and I don't think he's really recovered. I look at him in the pocket and the awareness isn't there. When he came into the league, he had top-10 potential, but if you don't have pocket awareness, it's hard to be consistently successful. You can't be a statue in the pocket, and Bradford's looked a little too "statue-esque" thus far.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian Hoyer
#6 QB
Cleveland Browns
2013 STATS
Att
92Comp
55Yds
590TD
5Int
3QBR
47.5
26. Brian Hoyer
Previous: NR
I love Hoyer, and I was miffed he hadn't gotten better opportunities before now. Hopefully his MRI comes back with favorable results following his exit from Thursday night's game with a knee injury. There's potential here. At worst, I thought he could be a 10-year backup in the league. He's got the arm strength, he's got a little gunslinger in him and he's got a higher ceiling than No. 26. I just hope the knee injury doesn't derail his opportunity to showcase his talents this season.
Editor's update: Hoyer will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EJ Manuel
#3 QB
Buffalo Bills
2013 STATS
Att
130Comp
74Yds
856TD
5Int
3QBR
42.2
27. EJ Manuel
Previous: NR
I like the way Manuel is playing so far, but he's still got a long way to go. We've seen glimpses of the good stuff (game-winning drive against Carolina), but a lot of mistakes too (two INTs and a QBR of 9.8 versus Baltimore). Manuel is still trying to get a feel for when to stay in the pocket and when to run. I also see a lot of errant throws, which is typical of an upstart quarterback. More time is needed to properly evaluate his ceiling, so let's hope the knee injury he sustained Thursday night won't sideline him for long.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Christian Ponder
#7 QB
Minnesota Vikings
2013 STATS
Att
100Comp
59Yds
691TD
2Int
5QBR
43.1
28. Christian Ponder
Previous: 27
It's going to be interesting to see how this plays out with Matt Cassel. Ponder may have plateaued already, and it's just too early for him to do that. He's had opportunities to make clutch throws -- when he needs to stick a throw in there -- and too often he's not been able to do that. The best QBs make those plays, but with Ponder, I just haven't seen it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Geno Smith
#7 QB
New York Jets
2013 STATS
Att
136Comp
78Yds
1090TD
4Int
8QBR
38.0
29. Geno Smith
Previous: NR
Smith has been very similar to Manuel. I see good things and I see bad things, but not enough of a sample size to make solid projections. We've seen the upside with some big throws deep downfield and we've seen some rookie mistakes (like the around-the-back fumble). There's not enough there yet to make a proper call.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blaine Gabbert
#11 QB
Jacksonville Jaguars
2013 STATS
Att
67Comp
33Yds
300TD
0Int
5QBR
1.4
30. Blaine Gabbert
Previous: NR
"Puzzling" is the word here. Watch Gabbert throw one-on-one and he'll wow you. He has the physical talent, but for whatever reason the synapses don't seem to connect on game day. He just can't cut it loose on Sunday afternoon. I'm not around him enough to know what's going on in his head, but his physical tools haven't translated to the field.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terrelle Pryor
#2 QB
Oakland Raiders
2013 STATS
Att
81Comp
53Yds
624TD
2Int
2QBR
48.8
31. Terrelle Pryor
Previous: NR
It's still too early to really evaluate Pryor, but I do believe he's improved his accuracy from his time at Ohio State when he was a little erratic as a passer. He's one I'll be watching closely moving forward.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Glennon
#8 QB
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2013 STATS
Att
43Comp
24Yds
193TD
1Int
2QBR
18.3
32. Mike Glennon
Previous: NR
I was impressed with him in his Week 4 debut. He showed off his rocket arm, but the experience isn't there. You can see the upside, but now he needs to accept the coaching and display a solid work ethic to succeed. He's got the tools.
