See what we think of your QB!!!

This week we put our team, Tom Green, Conor Perrett and David McDonnell, to work and each had to compile their quarterback rankings from 1-32. We then put our scores together and below are the results with our opinions of each starting QB. 

Enjoy!

1. Josh Allen – No. 17 – Buffalo Bills – Age: 26 – Year 5

Writers ranks: Conor: 1 / David: 2  / Tom: 1

2022 stats: 4 games / 3 wins / 1 loss / 67.3 pct / 1227 pass yds / 7.3 ypa /

10 pass TD / 3 INT / 183 rush yds / 2 rush TD / 4 fumbles

Tom’s take: Josh Allen takes top spot in our inaugural SmashMouthing Football QB rankings™. Allen began this year as the bookies and pundits favourite to win the NFL MVP award, and through the first quarter of the season, he has played up to those expectations. With so much talk and hype surrounding Allen and the Bills during the offseason, there was always the potential of a slow start and leaving us all feeling slightly underwhelmed. But Allen has continued on from the momentum he built during the 2021 NFL Playoffs, scorching balls through the air and trucking defenders on foot. The stats matchup, Allen ranks second in average yards per game (306.8), sixth in completion percentage (67.3) and third in QBR (76.6). The Bills rely on Allen a lot, the RB room of Devin Singletary, Zack Moss and James Cook is failing to live up to expectations again and his 183 yards (second among QBs) on the ground is leading the team in rushing yards after four games. 

Allen is a joy to watch, the prospect of him launching a ball 40+ yards down field to one of his receivers or breaking four tackles as he bashes his way through linebackers in the middle of the field for a first down is what makes the NFL so exciting. Allen has developed from the raw prospect we saw in 2018 to arguably the best player in the NFL now in 2022. The first four games of 2022 haven’t done anything to deter the Bills prospects of a Lombardi trophy and neither has Allen’s prospects of a MVP award. 

Projected stats:

43 pass TD / 13 INT / 5215 yds / 778 rush yds / 9 rush TD

2. Patrick Mahomes – No. 15 – Kansas City Chiefs – Age: 27 – Year 6

Writers ranks: Conor: 2  / David: 1  / Tom: 3

2022 stats: 4 games / 3 wins / 1 loss / 66.4 pct / 1106 pass yds / 7.6 ypa /

11 pass TD / 2 INT / 64 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 1 fumble

Tom’s take: Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs sprinted out the gates to open the season, whopping on the Cardinals whilst Mahomes tossed five TD passes and completed 30 of 39 attempts. This gave a little reminder to the rest of the NFL that even without Tyreek Hill, Mahomes and company still mean business. While they haven’t quite reached that level of play since, and there have been some signs of frustration in Kansas City as the new look offence attempts to build chemistry together, Mahomes has had a brilliant start to the season. He ranks first in QBR (82.4), tied first in TD passes (11) and in the top 10 in passing yards and completion percentage. Without the weird loss to the Colts, where they left four points off the board with kicking issues, Mahomes would have the Chiefs at 4-0. 

No player leaves me in awe and disbelief as much as Mahomes, his sense of pressure and penchant for completing throws other quarterbacks haven’t even thought of is magical to watch. I really think you could choose any one of Allen, Jackson and Mahomes as the number one player on this list and you would be correct. Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and maybe even Jalen Hurts have been the names on everyone’s lips in regards to early season MVP favourites, but count out Mahomes at your peril. 

Projected stats:

47 pass TD / 9 INT / 4701 pass yds / 272 rush yds / 0 rush TD

3. Aaron Rodgers – No. 12 – Green Bay Packers – Age: 37 – Year 18

Writers ranks: Conor: 3 / David: 3 / Tom: 5

2022 stats: 4 games / 3 wins / 1 loss / 69.0 pct / 935 pass yds / 7.2 ypa /

6 pass TD / 3 INT / 9 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 2 fumbles

Conor’s take: Now this year isn’t the usual Aaron Rodgers we’re used to seeing and his play so far has been underwhelming. One of Aaron’s top qualities is his safety when it comes to turning the ball over. It isn’t too unusual to see him only throw two interceptions across a whole season, but through four weeks now, Rodgers already has a tally of three picks. 

With the loss of Davante Adams we always knew there was going to be a transition period of having to get used to the new receivers room, but when it gets down to the big game moments, Rodgers is still going to be Rodgers and put a team on his back to win the game. Because of this we can still expect to see him high on these rankings. 

Projected stats:

26 pass TD / 13 INT / 3974 pass yds / 38 rush yds / 0 rush TD

4. Lamar Jackson – No. 8 – Baltimore Ravens – Age: 25 – Year 5

Writers ranks: Conor: 4 / David: 5 / Tom: 2

2022 stats: 4 games / 2 wins / 2 losses / 65.0 pct / 893 yards /  7.6 ypa / 

11 pass TD / 4 INT / 316 rush yds / 2 rush TD / 1 fumble

Tom’s take: The most dangerous man in the NFL comes in at number four. It’s not hard to see why, Jackson has started this year hot on the ground once more, ranking ninth in the NFL in rushing with 316 yards with an 8.5 average which is good for second in the NFL. But I didn’t bestow the moniker of dangerous man to Lamar for his rushing ability alone, his passing has come on leaps and bounds. Lamar is throwing the ball more than ever – averaging 29 pass attempts on average a game, up from his career average of 23 – and is taking it in stride, based off weeks 1 through 4, Lamar is on course to eclipse his single season best in passing touchdowns, passing yards, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. 

Lamar is playing better than his MVP winning season of 2019. That sentence will be giving the jinkies to the 31 opposing defensive coordinators around the league, but perhaps even more to the front office of the Baltimore Ravens. Jackson has yet to sign a contract following his rookie deal, a deal which is up at the end of the 2022 season. It’s rare for a franchise player at the QB position to become a free agent, even rarer when the player in discussion will be just 26 in the 2023 season.

Projected stats:

47 pass TD / 17 INT / 3795 pass yds / 1343 rush yds / 9 rush TD

5. Justin Herbert – No. 10 – Los Angeles Chargers – Age: 24 – Year 3

Writers ranks: Conor: 5 / David: 6 / Tom: 7

2022 stats: 4 games / 2 win / 2 losses / 66.9 pct / 1250 pass yds / 7.5 ypa / 

9 pass TD / 2 INT / 4 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 1 fumble

Tom’s take: Outside of a miserable day against Jacksonville, where it was clear Herbert was playing with discomfort and looked restricted in his movement, ‘Herb’ has largely looked like the same player who has taken the league by storm since entering in 2020. At the end of 2021, Herbert had broken the record for most passing yards by a single player after their first two seasons, by over 1000 yards! So it comes as no surprise to see he ranks first in average yards per game (312.5), Herbert has a cannon of an arm and he isn’t afraid to use it. He also comfortably sits in the top 10 in pretty much every other statistical record available to quarterbacks. 

Herbert is someone I anticipate rising higher than this position the next time we write this article, expect Herb to put up some big number against the Seattle Seahawks (28th in passing defence) in week 7. Before that, the Cleveland Browns (13th in passing defence) and Denver Broncos (5th in passing defence) await and will be a real test for a weakened Chargers offensive line and receiving corps. Getting on a win streak could be the thing that pushes Herbert back into the MVP race and up this list. 

Projected stats:

38 pass TD / 9 INT / 5312 pass yds / 17 rush yds / 0 rush TD

6. Joe Burrow – No. 9 – Cincinnati Bengals – Age: 25 – Year 3

Writers ranks: Conor: 7 / David: 4 / Tom: 8

2022 stats: 4 games / 2 wins / 2 losses / 64.1 pct / 1099 pass yds / 7.0 ypa / 

8 pass TD / 4 INT / 79 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 3 fumbles

Tom’s take: Take out an opening week disaster that included 4 INT’s, Burrow has been clean and precise in 2022. The stats don’t do justice to the player he is, a leader and tough as they come. But my oh my, this Bengals offensive line, it is on pace to give 68 sacks this season, up 17 from their AFC championship winning 2021 season and seem incapable at run blocking. That rate cannot continue if the Bengals have similar aspirations to last season. Burrow has in my opinion, the best starting three receiving core in the NFL in Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd and when he gets the time, magical things happen. 

I didn’t buy into the talk of Burrow and the Bengals suffering from a post Super Bowl hangover. Instead, I feel like this is who they are. They will win some close games and lose others but when it matters most, Burrow is at his best. He’s a winner and no team should want to face Cincinnati in the playoffs come January. Burrow is on the preface of joining the elite signal callers in this league and I believe by the end of 2022 we will see him break into the top five of this ranking. 

Projected stats:

34 pass TD / 17 INT / 4671 pass yds / 336 rush yds / 0 rush TD

7. Tom Brady – No. 12 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Age: 45 – Year 23

Writers ranks: Conor: 8  / David: 7 / Tom: 6

2022 stats: 4 games / 2 wins / 2 losses / 68.4 pct / 1058 pass yds / 6.8 ypa /

6 pass TD / 1 INT / -4 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 2 fumbles

David’s take: The Bucs offence hasn’t put it together for four quarters yet this season and there are questions about Tom Brady, which so far I’m putting down to his age rather than any lessening arm strength or play that I have noticed. 

The inevitable and continued speculation about what he did during his training camp absence has been not just verging on the ridiculous but has overshot it by so much, ridiculous can’t be seen in the wing mirror. I have heard everything from plastic surgery, to marriage counselling, to european holidays, to medical procedures and family issues, it has gone beyond a mere distraction, which never helps the team. At this stage, I’m surprised he hasn’t been connected to the FBI investigation in Mar-a-lago further down the coast.

Tampa Bay continues to be a good team, and when fully fit are arguably the best balanced team in football with playmakers scattered across both sides of the ball. 

I am putting why the offence hasn’t yet caught fire mainly down to injuries. I think it’s only a matter of time until they beat someone out the gate. Last Sunday, Mike Evans was excellent on his return from suspension and looked as good as ever. It will be interesting who they replace the retired Cole Beasley with and there have been rumours of OBJ meeting with the powers that be in Tampa Bay. When Julio Jones and Chris Godwin get fully healthy, they should be able to mix it with anyone.

Although their defence had their asses handed to them by Patrick Mahomess last Sunday, they remain a top-quality outfit and have been forewarned about the danger of giving a player of that quality time to pick his passes should they meet later in the postseason.   

They have suffered losses along their offensive line and Brady is getting hit more than he is used to. But this is largely a new group, and with only Wirfs starting from the Superbowl 18 months ago, I expect them to get better as the season progresses. When they do, Tom Brady and Co. will be strong contenders for the NFC crown.

Projected stats:

26 pass TD / 4 INT / 4497 pass yds / -17 rush yds / 0 rush TD

8. Jalen Hurts – No. 1 – Philadelphia Eagles – Age: 24 – Year 3

Writers ranks: Conor: 6  / David: 14 / Tom: 4

2022 stats: 4 games / 4 wins / 0 losses / 66.7 pct / 1120 pass yds / 9.1 ypa / 

4 pass TD / 2 INT / 205 rush yds / 4 rush TD / 2 fumbles

David’s take: Jalen Hurts is currently the best quarterback in the NFC East after levelling-up during the off-season. 

As a competitor and how he handles himself as a person, Hurts is easy to root for.

After starting the National Championship game for Alabama in 2017, he was ruthlessly substituted by Nick Saben at half-time. What should have been his crowning moment for the Crimson Tide, having lost the final the previous year to Deshaun Watson’s Clemson, it must have been difficult to process, especially as his friend and replacement, a young quarterback by the name of Tua Tagovailoa, became an instant hero by winning the contest with a walk-off touchdown pass in overtime to DeVonta Smith. Whatever happened to those two guys?

On the night, the national media smelled a story and pushed their cameras in Hurts’ face looking for a reaction. A difficult position to be in for any young man, but I remember him handling the moment with class and grace. The following year, he stayed in Alabama but lost the QB battle to the rising star and for another quarterback that would be all she wrote.

But, Jalen did not go silent into the night and a transfer to the University of Oklahoma in his senior year, saw him team up with Kliff Kingsbury with tremendous success and resulted in him being short-listed for the Heisman, the same year Joe Burrow picked up the award in 2020. He has always been a talented player, who could run fast and excels at throwing on the run. In short, he would hurt you outside the pocket, to pardon the pun. His critics all said that he couldn’t beat you standing under centre, well so far this season he has been ballin out and across the league, everyone is taking notice. It certainly helps when you are playing behind, perhaps, the best offensive line in the NFL. 

But credit also goes to coach Nick Siriani, as the Eagles have built their offence around the talents of their QB. Their strong running game builds the platform to run play-action with plenty of option-reads to get Hurts out of the pocket. He also has looked comfortable under centre and has progressed his passing by finding Smith and AJ Brown with regularity from Week 1 through Week 4. 

The question remains: Will he be able to continue this form when they meet a top-tier defence? In the NFC, he won’t run into the 49ers’, Rams’ or Bucs’ defence until the postseason. I, for one, am not yet fully convinced that is a question he is ready to answer. 

Then again he mightn’t need to if that O-Line continues to dominate. One thing that isn’t in doubt is his leadership and courage and I hope he proves his critics wrong, myself included, come the business end of the season. 

Projected stats:

16 pass TD / 9 INT / 4760 pass yds / 871 rush yds / 17 rush TD

9. Kyler Murray – No. 1 – Arizona Cardinals – Age: 24 – Year 4

Writers ranks: Conor: 10 / David: 8 / Tom: 11

2022 stats: 4 games / 2 wins / 2 losses / 65.3 pct / 991 pass yds / 5.7 ypa / 

5 pass TD / 2 INT / 91 rush yds / 2 rush TD / 2 fumbles

Conor’s take: After a bit of a manic off-season for the Cardinals and Murray, both parties were glad when they could get back to the field. With all the Instagram drama as Murray looked to hold out, he finally got the deal he was after when he signed a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension. When handed a deal the size of that, Murray’s play has to warrant it and the Cardinals’ performances have been underwhelming. 

Murray’s passing stats on the season are not all awful, but it’s on the ground where you expect some of Kyler’s athletic ability to shine. Rushing for no more than 30 yards this season, it’s interesting to see the coaching staff not put Kyler in positions where he can use his legs to the offense’s advantage, similar to how the Eagles are using Hurts. Missing his favourite weapon DeAndre Hopkins is not ideal, but to prove he’s worth his new contract, Murray shouldn’t be relying on one solo receiver.

Projected stats:

21 pass TD / 9 INT / 4212 pass yds / 387 rush yds / 9 rush TD

10. Matthew Stafford – No. 9 – Los Angeles Rams – Age: 34 – Year 14

Writers ranks: Conor: 11  / David: 10  / Tom: 9

2022 stats: 3 games / 2 wins / 1 loss / 70.7 pct / 1015 pass yds / 6.8 ypa / 

4 pass TD / 6 INT / 10 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 2 fumbles

Conor’s take: After 11 years as a Lions where Stafford never got the national attention he deserved, he finally got his time to shine on the stage after moving to LA last season. The combination of Stafford and Sean McVay was an interesting one and they immediately hit the ground running, showing that this experiment really could work. Using Cooper Kupp to his full advantage, Stafford led his explosive offence to a Super Bowl win and finally got personal credit as a top-10 quarterback in this league.

But the start to his 2022 season hasn’t been the continuation of the fairytale. With six interceptions on the season, leading the league, that’s always to be expected with Stafford’s gunslinging mentality. But the touchdowns aren’t following suit and with a record of 2-2 on the season show things are not clicking. The Rams and Stafford insist the injury in his throwing arm’s elbow is not serious, so is the Super Bowl hangover really real?

Projected stats:

17 pass TD / 26 INT / 4314 pass yds / 46 rush yds / 0 rush TD

11. Tua Tagovailoa – No. 1 – Miami Dolphins – Age: 24 – Year 3

Writers ranks: Conor: 9  / David: 13  / Tom: 10

2022 stats: 4 games / 3 wins / 1 loss / 69.6 pct / 1035 pass yds / 9.0 ypa / 

8 pass TD / 3 INT / 1 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 1 fumble

Tom’s take: It’s been a fun start to 2022 for fans of the Miami Dolphins, that’s something that hasn’t been written since 2008, when Chad Pennington, Ronnie Brown and the wildcat led the team to a 11-5 record on route to their current last AFC East division title. It never clicked for Ryan Tannehill during his seven-year run with the Dolphins and he’s been significantly better since his move to Tennessee. Brock Osweiler, Matt Moore and smokin’ Jay Cutler didn’t inspire much belief either. Fitzmagic was always enjoyable to watch but there was always a limit as to what Miami could achieve with him under centre. 

Then in 2020, with hopes the Dolphins would finally have their replacement for Dan Marino, with the number five pick in the NFL Draft, the Dolphins selected Tua Tagovailoa out of Alabama. The first two seasons were a disaster, Tua looked lost, Brian Flores was hesitant to keep him on the field in crucial moments of games and the talk of locker room tension boiled over in 2021. All while the man selected the pick directly after Tua, Justin Herbert was breaking passing records and winning the hearts of every NFL fan in each of his first two seasons. 

The Dolphins lack of faith in Tua was highlighted by Miami’s illegal tampering attempt to sway Tom Brady to join. It cost Miami their first round and third round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

They fired Flores towards the end of 2021 and brought in 49ers offensive guru Mike McDaniel as head-coach. The results so far look promising. McDaniel has breathed new life into Tua, he’s built confidence in the Hawaiian by running a playbook that highlights his skills and negates his defects, added the receiving skills of Tyreek Hill to match up with 2021 first round pick Jaylen Waddle. 

In response, Tua has made a significant statistical jump and looks like the QB of the future in Miami. The one that has stuck out to me the most is that he trails only Patrick Mahomes in QBR (77.8). People have questions still about arm strength, but did anyone watch the game against the Ravens? Looked okay there. I’ve felt for a while that a great player comparison for Tua is Drew Brees. The 2022 season has only fuelled that thought even more. Brees also struggled in his early years in San Diego and lost his job to Philip Rivers, only to move on and have a Hall of Fame career in New Orleans. Both aren’t traditional in the sense of a QB, slightly shorter than average and their strongest attributes are their intelligence and accuracy. 

Now, it’s important to add that Tua has a suspect injury history and with recent events that won’t be going anywhere. Tua is out for the week five matchup with the New York Jets and we still don’t know how long he will be out after suffering a serious concussion against the Bengals on TNF. Let’s hope he is back to full health and playing again soon. I don’t like the Dolphins prospects of keeping up with the Bills in the divisional race with Teddy Bridgewater guiding the offence.

Projected stats:

34 pass TD / 13 INT / 4399 pass yds / 4 rush yds / 0 rush TD

12. Russell Wilson – No. 3 – Denver Broncos – Age: 33 – Year 11

Writers ranks: Conor: 13 / David: 9 / Tom: 13

2022 stats: 4 games / 2 wins / 2 losses / 61.1 pct / 980 pass yds / 7.5 ypa / 

4 pass TD / 1 INT / 51 rush yds / 1 rush TD / 0 fumbles

Tom’s take: 12th overall is not deserving of a man with the skill set and resume of Russell Wilson, but it’s probably about right for how he’s playing in 2022. 

Mr. Unlimited, a nickname coined by Russell himself, has been somewhat limited in his play in the opening month of 2022.

Two first round picks and $245 million is a hefty price to pay for a quarterback who is leading an offence ranked 30th in points per game. This was supposed to be Russell’s chance to prove what he can do when not hamstrung by a Pete Carroll gameplan, but growing pains are evident in Denver. Rookie head coach Nathaniel Hackett is receiving the majority of the flack for the poor start, and rightfully so, but Wilson shouldn’t be given a pass on this critique either in what has been the slowest start to a season in his career. 

Wilson ranks outside the top 20 in QBR for the first time in his career and to be completely honest, this bad spell of play dates back to his return from injury whilst still a Seattle Seahawk in 2021. If this form continues, it will turn from a spell of bad play to questions if Wilson has lost it. I don’t believe that to be the case but it’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility I guess. 

Thankfully the Denver defence is top five in the league and will continue to keep the floundering Broncos offence in games whilst they try and become the highly functioning machine we all expected it to be. 

Projected stats:

17 pass TD / 4 INT / 4165 yds / 217 rush yds / 4 rush TD

13. Jared Goff – No. 16 – Detroit Lions – Age: 27 – Year 7

Writers ranks: Conor: 12 / David: 18 / Tom: 11

2022 stats: 4 games / 1 win / 3 losses / 60.9 pct / 1126 pass yds / 7.5 ypa / 

11 pass TD / 3 INT / 16 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 1 fumble

Conor’s take: Now before we get too ahead of ourselves, Jared Goff is the starting quarterback to the No.1 ranked scoring offence in the league. Yes, you read that right, the Detroit Lions possess the top scoring offence in the NFL with Jared Goff at the helm. 

Now the rushing attack has a part to play with that, but as an avid Lions fan, I can tell you first-hand that Goff has taken a step up this year. I wasn’t his biggest fan last year, and was sceptical with the positive reports from training camp. But to start this season, Goff really hasn’t put too many feet wrong. He still struggles in areas such as hitting out-routes and overthrowing on deep balls but it’s a vast improvement from last year. Under new offensive-coordinator Ben Johnson, he’s actually going through his progressions now and has far better pocket presence. This week he threw for 67%, 378 yards and four TD’s. All while missing his WR1, WR2, WR3, WR5, WR6 and RB1 to injury. 

Projected stats:

47 pass TD / 13 INT / 4786 pass yds / 68 rush yds / 0 rush TD 

14. Derek Carr – No. 4 – Las Vegas Raiders – Age: 31 – Year 9

Writers ranks: Conor: 14 / David: 11 / Tom: 16

2022 stats: 4 games / 1 win / 3 losses / 61.0 pct / 1038 pass yds / 6.7 ypa / 

6 pass TD / 4 INT / 66 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 2 fumbles 

Tom’s take: The Raiders won offseason plaudits for their trade to acquire Davante Adams from the Packers. The relationship and bond between Carr and Adams, former Fresno State teammates, has been mentioned often and it was expected to be the addition to take the Raiders from wildcard contender to AFC West champions.

While the connection between the two friends is evident, it isn’t quite the connection and threat the Packers had between Rodgers and Adams yet. But Carr and the Raiders certainly have to be happy with their investment. Despite the 1-3 start, the Raiders were within six points in each of their losses, Carr is putting up a similar output to what we have seen in recent years, just above league average, despite the change in head coach and scheme. Look for things to improve as the year goes on.  

It has to be said I put him above quarterbacks like Kirk Cousins and Ryan Tannehill because I do believe he can put a team on his shoulders and win. He now has no real excuses either. 

Projected stats:

26 pass TD / 17 INT / 4412 pass yds / 281 rush yds / 0 rush TD

15. Trevor Lawrence – No. 16 – Jacksonville Jaguars – Age: 22 – Year 2

Writers ranks: Conor: 15 / David: 12 / Tom: 14

2022 stats: 4 games / 2 wins / 2 losses / 65.7 pct / 946 pass yds / 7.1 ypa / 

8 pass TD / 2 INT / 29 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 4 fumbles

Tom’s take: I have to admit, as the 2021 season concluded, I had my worries about Trevor Lawrence and if he was going to be able to adapt to the higher speed in the NFL. His rookie struggles were very real, averaging just 6.0 ypa and under 60.0 pct completion percentage. He looked all at sea. This was not the Trevor Lawrence that had been advertised throughout his college career at Clemson and pre-draft media hype, far less in fact. In reality, what rookie quarterback wouldn’t have flownedered in the mess that was the 2021 Jacksonville Jaguars? 

The Jaguars hired former Super Bowl winning head coach, Doug Pedersen in the offseason with the hope he would settle the ship and not waste a rare talent like Lawrence. So far, it’s been a promising start, the Jags are a fiery team and we’ve seen an impressive jump in play from Lawrence, improving in every statistical margin. That being said, I still don’t see enough to rank Lawrence any higher than this, he seems to be at the level where he won’t lose you a game but he won’t win it for you either, based on his progression in year two. That will come in time. 

Projected stats:

34 pass TD / 9 INT / 4021 pass yds / 0 rush TD

16. Kirk Cousins – No. 8 – Minnesota Vikings – Age: 34 – Year 11

Writers ranks: Conor: 16 / David: 17 / Tom: 15

2022 stats: 4 games / 3 wins / 1 loss / 63.1 pct / 1031 pass yds / 6.6 ypa / 

6 pass TD / 4 INT / 19 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 1 fumble

Conor’s take: I’ve always found it hard to rank Kirk Cousins. When watching him you can see he has the natural talent and attitude that you want in a franchise quarterback. The problem is he is just far too inconsistent when it comes down to the moments you need him. He is a middle of the ground quarterback that the Vikings can win with him, but not because of him. 

This season with the appointment of Kevin O’Connell, I was looking for Kirk to maybe change that stigma around him and make that step up into the top 10. So far he has failed to do so. Week 1 was good but in Week 2 he got embarrassed on prime time Monday Night Football by the Eagles defence and against the Lions and Saints, granted they got the wins, it wasn’t because of Kirk that they won those games.

Projected stats:

26 pass TD / 17 INT / 4382 pass yds / 81 rush yds / 0 rush TD

17. Ryan Tannehill – No. 17 – Tennessee Titans – Age: 34 – Year 11

Writers ranks: Conor: 20 / David: 19  / Tom: 17

2022 stats: 4 games / 2 wins / 2 losses / 66.3 pct / 784 pass yds / 7.8 ypa / 

5 pass TD / 3 INT / 20 rush yds / 1 rush TD / 1 fumble

Tom’s take: Tannehill is a much better player now than he was during his spell with the Dolphins, he also isn’t as good as his career year of 2019. He falls somewhere in the middle, a solid NFL quarterback who much like Kirk Cousins, you can win with him but not because of him. He will go as well as the Titans go, or more so how Derrick Henry goes. I say this as a good ground game opens up play action, something Tannehill is hotly adept at, the strongest part to his game. 

Something that has been noticeably absent from his game so far in 2022, is the lack of rushing. Tannehill is an underrated athlete racking up over 500 yards rushing and 14 scores across the previous two seasons. Maybe we will see an increase in this as the seasons marches on into October and beyond. 

Tannehill is doing just enough right now to not have to watch over his shoulder at rookie third-round pick Malik Willis. The Titans will be in contention to win another weak AFC South division title again. But at some point, the Titans are going to want to see what they have in Willis. Tannehill just needs to keep performing at the level he did on Sunday against the Colts and that conversation will be staved off to 2023. 

Projected stats:

21 pass TD / 13 INT / 3332 pass yds / 85 rush yds / 4 rush TD

18. Geno Smith – No. 7 – Seattle Seahawks – Age: 31 – Year 10

Writers ranks: Conor: 18 / David: 20 / Tom: 19

2022 stats: 4 games / 2 wins / 2 losses / 77.3 pct / 1037 pass yds / 7.9 ypa / 

6 pass TD / 2 INT / 64 pass yds / 1 rush TD / 1 fumble 

Conor’s take: Expectations couldn’t have been lower for the Seahawks when they traded away their Super Bowl winning QB Russell Wilson. But a pleasant surprise so far has been the play of Geno Smith. Smith has always been a notable backup in the NFL, spending his last three seasons behind Wilson. With a career touchdown to interceptions ratio of 34:37 things were not looking up for the future. But Geno has turned things around this year and really led the Seahawks offence when they’ve needed him most. Most recently throwing for 77%, 320 yards and two TD’s to get the win in Detroit. The feel good story of the season so far. 

Projected stats:

26 pass TD / 9 INT / 4407 pass yds / 272 rush yds / 4 rush TD

19. Cooper Rush – No. 10 – Dallas Cowboys – Age: 28 – Year 5

Writers ranks: Conor: 17 / David: 28 / Tom: 18

2022 stats: 3 games / 3 wins / 0 losses / 62.0 pct / 737 pass yds / 7.2 ypa / 

4 pass TD / 0 INT / 7 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 0 fumbles 

David’s take: I am not sure what the realistic expectations for Cooper Rush were in Dallas before the start of the season, but they weren’t high outside of Jerryworld. 

That he is sitting with three wins from three as the starter has been very impressive. But it is his composure and the manner of his displays that is winning him plaudits. He is a smart quarterback, who looks after the ball and when he has to make a throw is able to get the ball to his receivers. It sounds simple but only because he is making it look so and he has also managed to bring a practice field connection with receiver Noah Brown tellingly into the starting line-up.  

Dak looks likely to come back into the fray in Week 6, so Cooper has another week where he faces off against Aaron Donlad and the LA Rams. It will be another big test but if he continues to play as he has been recently, the Cowboys have every chance against the Superbowl champions.

I am still waiting for the wheels to come off but so far, Rush has given no indications he is out of his depth and a win on Sunday will put pressure on Dak to deliver when he returns. Maybe that competition will prove to be a good thing for Prescott and ultimately, for the Cowboys.  

Projected stats:

23 pass TD / 0 INT / 3930 pass yds / 37 rush yds / 0 rush TD

20. Zach Wilson – No. 2 – New York Jets – Age: 23 – Year 2

Writers ranks: Conor: 24 / David: 15 / Tom: 27

2022 stats: 1 game / 1 win / 0 losses / 50.0 pct / 252 pass yds / 7.0 ypa / 

1 pass TD / 2 INT / 15 rush yds / 0 rush TD /  fumbles 

Tom’s take: A rank of 20 feels a little heighty for the former BYU Cougar in my opinion. Am I the only one not really that impressed by Zach Wilson’s return from injury on Sunday? Yes he did lead an impressive game winning drive, we saw some wow plays, and I will never not cheer a quarterback catching a touchdown pass, except maybe one currently sitting on the bench in Cleveland. But we also saw displays of the inaccuracy and poor decision making that plagued his rookie season in New York. 

I’m not saying that Jets fans shouldn’t get excited after a great come from behind victory, enjoyable moments have been few and far between for the Jets in the last decade. We can let them have this week, fine. But lest we forget, the Jets were up 10-0 halfway through the second quarter. They followed this with six scoreless drives and two interceptions from Wilson, one sailing a ball over his receivers head and into the welcoming arms of DB Cameron Sutton, ending a good drive just outside the redzone. The other, under slight pressure Wilson rushes and attempts a side-arm throwing motion and it results in a poorly thrown ball, bobbling out of tight-end Tyler Conklin’s hands and into the interception hound that is Minkah Fitzpatrick. In truth an NFL receiver should still catch this ball, but an NFL quarterback should make that pass impossible to drop. 

At the end of the day, one game isn’t enough to determine what this season will bring for Zach Wilson, good or bad. The potential is there, but if Wilson is going to subdue the frenzy of New York media and finally end the Jets quest to replace Joe Namath, we’re going to need to see a lot more than Sunday’s effort. 

I also wanted to add a small note for Joe Flacco here. The NFL has moved on past him in regards to mobility at QB and he has received a lot of criticism for his play over the years since Baltimore. It was fun to see him pull off one last gasp victory in Week 2 over the Cleveland Browns. I doubt we will see him on this list again barring injury or disaster for the Jets. 

Projected stats:

14 pass TD / 28 INT / 3528 pass yds / 210 rush yds / 0 rush TD 

21. Jimmy Garoppolo – No. 10 – San Francisco 49ers – Age: 30 – Year 9

Writers ranks: Conor: 19 / David: 30 / Tom: 20

2022 stats: 3 games / 2 wins / 1 loss / 61.0 pct / 604 pass yds / 7.8 ypa / 

3 pass TD / 1 INT / 8 rush yds / 1 rush TD / 1 fumble

Conor’s take: After the offseason the 49ers and Jimmy G just had, the last place we all thought Garoppolo would be starting games in Week 4 was in San Francisco. But his name has now been called. Jimmy G might not be blowing the roof off the place, but he’s doing what’s expected of him. 

San Fran’s gameplan really is to dominate the run game and suffocate opponents on defence, meaning all the quarterback has to do is make the throws when asked of him and don’t turn the ball over. So far so good for Jimmy in that front, with a 3:1 touchdown to interceptions ratio in his three games this season, that has them at a 2-1 record with him under centre. Their most recent win was a revenge of sorts against the Rams, but with all this success, it does feel when Garoppolo is playing there’s stabilisers on the offence. Through no fault of his own, this team doesn’t run through Garoppolo and when they are finding success, it’s more so they are doing it with him at the helm and not because of him at the helm.

Projected stats:

17 pass TD / 5 INT / 2819 pass yds / 40 rush yds / 5 rush TD

22. Marcus Mariota – No. 1 – Atlanta Falcons – Age: 28 – Year 8

Writers ranks: Conor: 25  / David: 21 / Tom: 22

2022 stats: 4 games / 2 wins / 2 losses / 58.2 pct / 779 pass yds / 8.0 ypa / 

3 pass TD / 4 INT / 95 rush yds / 2 rush TD / 6 fumbles

David’s take: I was shaking my head during the off-season, when the Falcons traded for him but they must have decided to do the dual QB route after years of having Matt Ryan dictate play from the pocket. To offer an analogy when it comes to change; the pendulum often swings the other way. 

I have enjoyed watching Marcus Mariota a lot more than I ever expected to this season. I think there are more coaches in the NFL these days that are better able and prepared to build a game plan around what the quarterback can do, than when he was drafted in 2015. 

So let’s start with the positives and there have been many, as anyone watching Redzone will tell you. When Mariota runs with the ball he is great to watch. He is still athletic, has speed and is courageous as hell. It is great he is bringing this side of his game more to the fore as I always thought he played too conservatively in Tennessee. Maybe he wasn’t allowed to by successive coaching staffs. 

He is well matched by having a player with the skill-set of Corodelle Patterson in the back-field, who has become a player every defence must account for. He is also assisted by having the twin towers receiving talents of tight-end Kyle Pitts and rookie receiver Drake Lonodn, who stand at 6’6 and  6’3 respectively. All these things have combined to make the Falcons exciting to watch so far, even though Pitts has yet to hit the heights of his rookie year yet. 

So what about the negatives? There are a few of those as well. Their defence is ranked 31 out of 32 and both their wins were largely down to the kicking foot of Younghoe Koo. Where Mariota struggles is where has always struggled: throwing the ball accurately. If you were a Falcons fan with a coronary issue, he could give you a heart attack every week. 

Having rangy receivers has bailed him out in a big way a few times this season but it looks only a matter of time until a few interceptions will cost them big that will result in the calls for change. It is also likely that he will take a big hit and end up on the treatment table such has been his all action endeavour to put his body on the line. 

I have decided to enjoy him while I can and hopefully he’s playing in their only primetime game on Thursday Night Football in Week 10. With such a poor performing defence, I don’t expect them to make the play-offs this season. It is inevitable that Atlanta will move on from Mariota. When this happens will be interesting.

They selected the big-armed Desmond Ridder in the third round. Like Mariota he can also move well in the pocket and ran a 4.49 in the 40 at this year’s combine. He will likely see the field this year and be in line to suit up as the Week 1 starter next September, bolstered by the return of wideout Calvin Ridley, who along with the twin-tower threat will be a match-up nightmare for defensive coordinators in the NFC South. I bet they will play more than a single game on primetime in 2023. 

Projected stats:

13 pass TD / 17 INT / 3311 pass yds / 9 rush TD

23. Mac Jones – No. 10 – New England Patriots – Age: 24 – Year 2

Writers ranks: Conor: 30 / David: 16 / Tom: 24

2022 stats: 3 games / 1 win / 2 losses / 66.0 pct / 786 pass yds / 8.1 ypa / 

2 pass TD / 5 INT / 37 rush yds / 1 rush TD / 1 fumble

Tom’s take: Sophomore slump anyone? I never like it when a quarterback transitioning into his second season in the NFL has a change of offensive coordinator, especially when they looked so comfortable as a rookie. Consistency is key for young players. Josh McDaniels is now the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders and the Patriots have installed a two-man team of former Giants and Lions head coaches; Joe Judge and Matt Patricia, to run the offensive show this year. 

The results have been so-so after four weeks, with the numbers 26th in QBR and five INTs in three games, look worse on paper than the eye-test but Jones hasn’t looked entirely comfortable like he did as a rookie. 

No quarterback on this list had as big a disparity in our individual rankings, perhaps that tells us when it comes to Mac, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some people are high, others low, I’m somewhere in the middle I guess. I was impressed by his composure as a rookie but equally surprised by his slow start to 2022. A severe left ankle strain has him on the sidelines for the time being and we are yet to know fully the length he will be out for. I’ve seen reports ranging from him being back for Week 5 and others suggesting an eight-week time scale. If it ends up being the latter, expect Bailey Zappe to be in our next quarterly rankings instead. 

Projected stats:

11 pass TD / 26 INT / 197 rush yds / 5 rush TD

24. Jacoby Brissett – No. 7 – Cleveland Browns – Age: 28 – Year 7

Writers ranks: Conor: 22 / David: 23  / Tom: 25

2022 stats: 4 games / 2 wins / 2 losses / 64.6 pct / 830 pass yds / 6.5 ypa / 

4 pass TD / 2 INT / 80 rush yds / 1 rush TD / 0 fumbles

Tom’s take: Brissett has been exactly as expected in his stint as Cleveland Browns starter, some weeks he will win you a game and others he will cost you it. He leaves everything on the field when he plays and I respect that, he is considerably mobile and when he’s on, he’s on. But when he’s off he’s off. 

Brissett is actually a perfect synonym for the 2022 Browns in that he is designed to win games where he has an early lead. Chasing the game has led to costly mistakes. His two interceptions have both been on late game drives trying to take a lead.

He has around eight weeks left before he makes way for Deshaun Watson and you should expect more of the same. He has carved out a good career as a backup in this league and nothing I’ve seen should change how teams view him positively or negatively. He’s just Jacoby Brissett. 

Projected stats:

17 pass TD / 9 INT / 340 rush yds / 4 rush TD

25. Matt Ryan – No. 2 – Indianapolis Colts – Age: 37 – Year 15

Writers ranks: Conor: 21 / David: 24 / Tom: 26

2022 stats: 4 games / 1 win / 2 losses / 1 tie / 66.2 pct / 1125 pass yds / 7.3 ypa / 

5 pass TD / 5 INT / 12 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 9 fumbles 

Tom’s take: The struggles Matt Ryan is experiencing in his age, 37 the season, only leave me more impressed with the seemingly evergreen careers of Tom Brady (45) and Aaron Rodgers (38). 

Ryan came into the league in a different era, defensive ends were not the athletes they are today and the majority of quarterbacks were pure pocket passers. To survive in the NFL in 2022, you need to be athletic enough to move around the pocket and run your way out of trouble. That wasn’t Ryan’s forte at age 27 or in his MVP winning season in 2016, and we have seen a regression in his ability in this area. It’s now becoming a clear burden to his and his team’s efforts. Ryan has nine fumbles this year, nine in four games, which is an absurd amount. 

The Colts brought in Ryan to provide a solid foundation at quarterback and let it’s young set of flashy skill players shine, but his 41.3 QBR, good for 23rd in the NFL, is telling me he is more a hindrance than help. Especially when you consider the man he replaced was ranked ninth in that particular statistic in 2021. 

The last two weeks have been slightly more promising and with more time, you would hope Ryan can find his way into some form, if not, big changes could be coming to Indianapolis in 2023. 

Projected stats:

21 pass TD / 21 INT / 4781 pass yds / 51 rush yds / 0 rush TD 

26. Daniel Jones – No. 8 – New York Giants – Age: 25 – Year 4

Writers ranks: Conor: 29 / David: 22 / Tom: 21

2022 stats: 4 games / 3 wins / 1 loss / 63.8 pct / 631 pass yds / 6.0 ypa / 

3 pass TD / 2 INT / 193 rush yds / 2 rush TD / 1 fumble

David’s take: Daniel Jones is a hard one to figure out. His first three years in the league was behind an awful offensive line, but he was also inconsistent not only between games but during games. Sometimes he has been just unlucky. Like last Sunday when he ran in two touchdowns and afterwards all the plaudits went to running-back Saquon Barkley, who was the outstanding player on the field and led the team up the field as a wildcat QB for the game sealing field goal.

Jones has talent and is smart, dedicated, seems like a good teammate and can really move when he takes off on a run to offer a dual threat. The thinking behind the appointment of former Bills offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll, was to turn Jones into another Josh Allen. They may have some similar skill-sets but realistically that is just not going to happen. 

For one, and most importantly, he doesn’t have Josh Allen’s incredible arm talent and he never will.

Every team in the NFL that doesn’t have a top 10 quarterback is on the lookout for the next prospect off the college production lines. Jones is a long way off being considered a Top 10 QB in the NFL.  For a franchise with four Super Bowls in their building, they are unlikely to compete for a Lombardi unless they improve on the most pivotal position in the game. A good season may extend his tenure for another year as starter for the G-man but in my opinion, time is slowly running out for Danny Dimes in NYC.

Projected stats:

13 pass TD / 9 INT / 2681 pass yds / 820 rush yds / 9 rush TD

27. Carson Wentz – No. 11 – Washington Commanders – Age: 29 – Year 7

Writers ranks: Conor: 23 / David: 29 / Tom: 23

2022 stats: 4 games / 1 win / 3 losses / 62.2 pct / 1031 pass yds / 6.0 ypa / 

8 pass TD / 5 INT / 62 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 3 fumbles

Projected stats:

34 pass TD / 21 INT / 4382 pass yds / 264 rush yds / 0 rush TD

David’s take: The strength of Washington’s offence are their three wide receivers; Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and Jahan Dotson, all blessed with pace and good hands. For Scott Turner’s offence to work he needed a quarterback with a strong arm to get the ball down the field to this trio of playmakers. 

Enter Carson Wentz. 

Strong arm: check. Willingness to throw the ball down the field: check, and for most of the first two weeks, things were looking rosy as Wentz was producing top 10 numbers in terms of yards and touchdowns. 

So it’s a good fit right? Not for me. 

The Carson Wentz of 2022 is not the Carson Wentz, who was a viable MVP candidate in early 2018. He still has the strong arm but he has not developed into the player he threatened to become. I believe a large reason for this stems from injury, and he no longer moves well in the pocket and routinely fails to keep his eyes downfield whenever he manoeuvres away from trouble. He continues to over-rely on his arm strength by rocketing the ball into tight windows. Often this is a result of poor decision-making and bad mechanics, which results in turnovers.

I’ll give you an example from last Sunday. Under pressure in the pocket and moving backwards, he thrust the ball at Curtis Samuel, who had to jump to catch the ball over his head. When he came down with the ball, he was buried by the Dallas defence. 

By relying on his powerful arm and not planting his feet, his ball tends to drift too high. When he adds more velocity, it often makes him more inaccurate and leads to more turnovers. His passes are also difficult to catch and he just doesn’t possess a natural feel for a pass, as say someone like Payton Manning, who by hook or by crook would manage to fit the right pass into the receiver’s hands.

What I do admire about Wentz is that he keeps swinging. When he has time, he is fun to watch but at best he is going to lose you as many games as he wins. He is hampered by a Commander’s offensive line that hasn’t been the same since Trent Williams stopped playing in Washington and the recent loss of Brandon Sheriff to the Jags is also being felt. 

Wentz is tough but is taking more than his fair share of punishment, including nine sacks against the Eagles in Week 3. It won’t be too long until he is on the bench or the treatment table should this continue and I believe it is only a matter of time before Wentz is no longer a starting QB in the NFL.  

I see something in rookie Sam Howell, who is currently third-string. The fifth-round pick moved well in the pocket during pre-season and has a strong arm with better timing. He could, in my opinion, bypass Taylor Heineke into the starting role by Thanksgiving. A diamond in the rough? The only way to find out is on the field. The sooner the better for most Washington fans. 

28. Justin Fields – No. 1 – Chicago Bears – Age: 23 – Year 2

Writers ranks: Conor: 27 / David: 25 / Tom: 32

2022 stats: 4 games / 2 wins / 2 losses / 50.8 pct / 471 pass yds / 7.0 ypa / 

2 pass TD / 4 INT / 147 rush yds / 1 rush TD / 4 fumbles 

Conor’s take: I’m a fan of Fields and it really does hurt to see him this low. I feel if put in the right situation like the Chargers for example, we could see Herbert level stuff from him. But the NFL doesn’t work like that and he found himself in Chicago. 

In a rebuilding year, the Bears really didn’t do any favours for Fields this past offseason. Coming in with one of the worst offensive lines and wide receivers, we knew it was going to be a struggle from the get go. The Bears run a run-heavy offence, with the ball rarely being put in his hands to the extent we saw from him in college. He’s averaging merely 16 pass attempts per game on the year, with a touchdown to interception ratio of 2:4.  

Projected stats:

9 pass TD / 17 INT / 2002 pass yds / 625 rush yds / 4 rush TD

29. Davis Mills – No. 10 – Houston Texans – Age: 23 – Year 2

Writers ranks: Conor: 28 / David: 27 / Tom: 29

2022 stats: 4 games / 0 wins / 3 losses / 1 tie / 62.0 pct / 908 pass yds / 6.4 ypa / 

5 pass TD / 4 INT / 0 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 4 fumbles 

Tom’s take: It was a fun run Davis Mills had in 2021, he was sneakily good as a rookie last season and he has taken over from Mike Glennon for the long-neck moniker of NFL quarterbacks so I find him memorable for that alone. If you have no clue what I am talking about, google Davis Mills long neck and you will see what I mean. 

But surely he is not the long term answer for Houston? 

He is for 2022, as checking the Texans depth chart I see the names Kyle Allen and Jeff Driskel. Maybe he will change my mind and win enough games for the Texans to not be in position to draft one of Bryce Young or C. J. Stroud come April.

Projected stats:

21 pass TD / 17 INT / 3895 pass yds / 0 rush TD 

30. Jameis Winston – No. 2 – New Orleans Saints – Age: 28 – Year 8

Writers ranks: Conor: 26  / David: 32 / Tom: 28

2022 stats: 3 games / 1 win / 2 losses / 63.5 pct / 858 pass yds / 7.5 ypa / 

4 pass TD / 5 INT / 16 rush yds / 0 rush TD / 3 fumbles 

David’s take: Counting on my fingers, I would soon run out of digits for the amount of times I have heard it said that Jameis Winston has turned the corner.

I might have even pondered it myself, but deep down I never believed it. For the first six quarters of this season, we heard it again and again, then boom… the turnover machine was back in business.  

Sometimes leopards don’t change their spots and Winston is now only four interceptions away from an even 100 in the NFL. To put it in stark perspective, last Sunday Aaron Rodgers threw his second pick-six ever in Lambeau Field, after barely missing a home game in the last decade and a half.  

Turnovers cost you games and Andy Dalton managed the game well in London in the narrow loss to the Vikings. He did enough for me to earn the starting spot and if he doesn’t get the nod from Denis Allen next Sunday, he won’t have to wait too long as the next interception is soon to come around that very same corner.

When fully fit, the Saints have tremendously talented offence but it is their defence that impressed me last Sunday. I thought their defensive line was outstanding at times with Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport both catching the eye. A slow start cost them in a game, and if Will Lutz’s late effort had gone between the posts, I felt they looked better placed to win in overtime.  

Not to be too down on Winston, I think he is well-suited to the back-up role as he has the capabilities to come off the bench and get an offence motoring. He would be one of the few guys in the league with the skill-set to come on and chase down a lead and turn a game on its head should the need arise. It is consistency of decision making that has been his problem but I won’t be surprised to hear the same refrain about him many times again over the next few years. 

Projected stats:

22 pass TD / 26 INT / 4576 pass yds / 85 rush yds / 0 rush TD

31. Baker Mayfield – No. 6 – Carolina Panthers – Age: 27 – Year 5

Writers ranks: Conor: 31 / David: 26 / Tom: 31

2022 stats: 4 games / 1 win / 3 losses / 54.7 pct / 747 pass yds / 6.4 ypa / 

4 pass TD / 3 INT / 40 rush yds / 1 rush TD / 6 fumbles

David’s take: When Baker Mayfield won the job soon after his arrival in Carolina, he was going to show the Cleveland Browns and everyone else in the league, what a big mistake they had made in letting him go. Well so far, the league has been shown, just not in the way he had hoped. 

He has been constantly poor and after four games has only 747 yards, four touchdowns and a quarterback rating of 15.3. Anyone watching last Sunday will also tell you that five of his passes were tipped, which are interceptions waiting to happen. 

So where has it all gone wrong?

For one, Baker moves very poorly in the pocket and at the NFL level is slow to run and he doesn’t see the field or marshall the play, that his swag would lead you to believe. The Panthers shouldn’t be this bad on offence with talents such as Christain McCaffery and DJ Moore as good as most anyone. Right now, Baker is starting on reputation alone and when Sam Darnold returns from injury, it will only be a matter of time before he gets another chance under centre.

A forgotten man since the arrival of Baker is their third round pick in this year’s draft, Matt Corral. Now there is someone with arm talent and a few more losses, and with the season written off, I for one will be excited to see what the rookie can do. As things stand, I would plan to start him in Week 8 and stick with him for the rest of the season. 

Projected stats:

17 pass TD / 13 INT / 3175 pass yds / 170 rush yds / 4 rush TD

32. Mitchell Trubisky – No. 10 – Pittsburgh Steelers – Age: 28 – Year 6

Writers ranks: Conor: 32 / David: 31 / Tom: 30

2022 stats: 4 games / 1 win / 3 losses / 59.5 pct / 653 pass yds / 5.6 ypa / 

2 pass TD / 2 INT / 24 rush yds / 1 rush TD / 0 fumbles 

Tom’s take: These three weeks were not pretty and it effectively ended the phase of his career where Mitchell Trubisky could be seen as a viable option as a long term answer at starting quarterback in the NFL. I feel bad for Mitch, he got a raw deal when the Bears drafted him No. 2 overall ahead of players like Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson in the 2017 NFL Draft. Comparisons naturally followed and they were very unfavourable for Trubisky. Outside of a promising sophomore season in 2018, where he was largely a passenger on a 12-4 Bears team that was carried by its standout defence, his career just never ignited.

Trubisky seems destined for a career as a premier backup, not a bad career, but not what he had dreamed of on draft night in 2017. Perhaps a return to his former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll in New York could be an avenue he pursues in the future. 

The Steelers and Trubisky felt like a good fit on paper, but what we can see on the field is the complete opposite. Trubisky is unwilling or unable to push the ball down the field and accentuate the pros of the Steelers young receiving corps. The Steelers offence feels flatter than it did last year with the aged-like-milk Ben Roethlisberger under centre, so Mike Tomlin made the change at half-time last Sunday. In came Kenny Pickett, and with it, came a buzz and interest in what the Steelers offence could produce again. It will be interesting to see what Pickett can do from here and where he ranks in the next edition of these rankings. Based on his relief performance on Sunday, it’s going to be a fun ride and you couldn’t say that about the Steelers with Mitchell Trubisky starting.

Projected stats:

9 pass TD / 9 INT / 2775 pass yds / 102 rush yds / 4 rush TD

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