Quarterback is king in the NFL, whether we like it or not! You need a legitimate franchise quarterback to make waves in this league; otherwise, your team will be in big trouble.
Let’s look around the league and see how all of the signal callers fared in Week 1.
Who are the top quarterbacks in the NFL after week one of games?
32. New York Giants: Daniel Jones
In his first outing coming off knee surgery, Jones looked off-rhythm. In fairness, he was under constant pressure, but still, it wasn’t pretty. Jones’ two costly interceptions doomed the Giants, and if he keeps making mistakes like those, he won’t be the starter for long!
31. Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young
Bryce Young had a rough day against a fierce Saints defense. The young NFL quarterback completed just 43% of his passes, throwing for 161 yards and two interceptions. He also took four sacks and could never get the Panthers’ offense into a rhythm. If he doesn’t start taking strides in the right direction soon, Young’s career prospectus could be in serious trouble.
30. Cleveland Browns: Deshaun Watson
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When all is said and done, Deshaun Watson’s contract may go down as the worst of all time. The Browns’ embattled quarterback couldn’t do anything all afternoon against Dallas.
29. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams
So… Week 1 of Caleb Williams’ career wasn’t pretty. The Bears quarterback completed just 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards, with no touchdowns. We will, however, give him a hat tip for coming up clutch on the critical 2-point conversion to D’Andre Swift late in the contest to help secure the win.
28. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels
Jayden Daniels’ NFL debut was up and down, to say the least. The dual-threat NFL quarterback was more successful on the ground, rushing for 88 yards and two 1-yard touchdowns, whereas through the air, he completed 17 of 24 passes for only 184 yards.
27. Tennessee Titans: Will Levis
Will Levis, starting his second NFL season, was effective in the first half, completing 19 of 32 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. But the wheels came off in the second half, with Levis throwing two costly interceptions. Talk about a tale of two halves! Levis will need to find a way to protect the football better if he wants to be a trusted NFL starting QB.
Also Read: Ranking All 32 NFL Teams’ Starting Quarterbacks For The 2024 Season From WORST To FIRST
26. Las Vegas Raiders: Gardner Minshew
Gardner Minshew had a solid debut for the Raiders, all things considered. The journeyman completed 25 of 33 passes for 257 yards and a score. However, Minshew struggled with turnovers, throwing an interception and losing a fumble that Khalil Mack returned 22 yards. He’ll have to axe that bad habit if he wants to hang on to the gig in Sin City.
25. New York Jets: Aaron Rodgers
Monday Night Football was a tough showing for the future Hall of Famer. He went up against a 49ers defense that looked like a buzzsaw and really struggled, completing just 13 of 21 passes for 167 yards and one touchdown while also surrendering a pick-six.
24. Denver Broncos: Bo Nix
Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix had a tough NFL debut. Sean Payton’s passion project completed 26 of 42 passes for just 138 yards and threw two critical interceptions, one at the Seattle 1-yard line and another in the fourth quarter that sealed Denver’s fate.
23. Pittsburgh Steelers: Justin Fields
With Russell Wilson sidelined by a calf injury, Justin Fields got the start and kept things steady, going 17 of 23 for 156 yards. Fields didn’t make any major mistakes, but it wasn’t the kind of resounding success that would’ve earned him the right to start once Wilson returns.
22. Atlanta Falcons: Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins’ debut in Atlanta was nothing short of disappointing. He threw for just 155 yards and a touchdown, and his two interceptions were killers. Even more concerning, Cousins, who was returning from an Achilles injury, never looked comfortable in the pocket, and his decision-making was shaky.
21. Seattle Seahawks: Geno Smith
While Geno Smith finished the game at 18 of 25 for 171 yards, it was largely because the first half was a struggle. To his credit, the poise he showed in the second half helped Seattle secure the win. Not to mention the 30-yard touchdown pass to Zach Charbonnet early in the fourth to essentially put the game out of reach for the lowly Broncos.
20. Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson
Anthony Richardson showcased his big-play ability with two long touchdown passes and added a 3-yard rushing score late in the game, but consistency is the name of the game in the NFL. The Colts’ dual-threat quarterback completed just 9 of 19 passes for 212 yards and surrendered a costly interception at their recent NFL game. He’ll need to improve in this aspect if the Colts are going to compete.
19. Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow
For all the preseason optimism around Joe Burrow and his return from injury, this game was a letdown. Burrow couldn’t get the offense going, and his stat line—21 of 29 for 164 yards—was far from what you’d expect from the Bengals’ franchise QB. Injury aside, he and the Bengals have traditionally been slow starters, but this would’ve been a nice one to start getting in rhythm with Kansas City looming.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Trevor Lawrence struggled with pressure in key moments and had a costly turnover. The Jaguars have to be worried about their “franchise quarterback,” who looked rough coming off his big NFL contract extension.
17. New England Patriots: Jacoby Brissett
Brissett might not have lit up the stat sheet, but he played the kind of complementary football that wins games. In his return to New England, he completed 15 of 24 passes for 121 yards and didn’t make the costly mistakes that plagued Cincinnati. Nothing earth-shattering, but a vast improvement over Mac Jones.
16. Detroit Lions: Jared Goff
All in all, Jared Goff had a solid performance Sunday, throwing for 217 yards and a touchdown. His turnover demons, however, did rear their ugly head, as he threw a costly interception in the fourth quarter that allowed the Rams to take the lead. But credit to Goff for bouncing back in the final minutes to lead Detroit to victory.
15. Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert
Justin Herbert was steady on Sunday, throwing for 144 yards and a critical touchdown late in the game while managing the offense effectively. While it wasn’t as flashy as we are used to seeing from Herbert, his leadership and timely throws helped guide the Chargers to a second-half comeback and a well-earned win.
14. Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love
Jordan Love wasn’t super sharp on Friday night in Brazil, completing just 50% of his passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns while also surrendering one interception. Unfortunately, he also went down with an injury late in the contest and is expected to miss time.
13. San Francisco 49ers: Brock Purdy
To be fair, not much was asked of Brock Purdy on Monday night, as the 49ers were dominant in the run game and on defense. So, credit to him for handling what was asked of him and securing a win!
12. Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray had a solid start to his season debut in what will be his first full season after missing 11 months with a torn ACL. He looked better than he did in the eight games he played down the stretch last year, completing 21 of 31 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown while also leading the team in rushing with 57 yards on five carries. However, Murray’s fumble in the third quarter shifted momentum in a big way and probably cost Arizona the game.
11. Minnesota Vikings: Sam Darnold
Back at MetLife, Sam Darnold delivered the kind of performance Jets fans once dreamed of. He was calm and efficient and looked thoughtful in his approach to the game. There is still a lot to prove, but after watching Darnold complete 79% of his passes and throw for two scores, there is reason to believe he can manage the Vikings’ offense competently this year.
10. Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts
There were some highs, like the touchdown strike to Saquon Barkley, and some lows, like the two interceptions, for Jalen Hurts on Friday night against the Packers. All in all, he finished 20 of 34 passes for 278 yards and two scores in addition to the two aforementioned picks. A solid showing for the famed NFL quarterback, but he’ll have to find a way to limit the mistakes if the Eagles want to contend.
9. Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford
Stafford put up big numbers against Detroit, completing 34 of 39 passes for 317 yards and a score, but he threw an uncharacteristically bad interception as well that really hurt his team.
8. Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson
Once again, the accuracy was mildly concerning—especially on some of the intermediate routes, but it is hard to look at Lamar’s performance from the season opener with anything other than awe, as he did everything in his power to try and help Baltimore to a win over the Chiefs. Two hundred seventy-three yards and a score through the air, and another 122 yards on the ground against one of the best defensive groups in the league? The guy is special.
7. Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa
Tua had a big day, throwing for 336 yards and a touchdown, but it was his leadership at halftime that really got the media talking. With the Dolphins trailing 17-7, Tua’s fiery locker room speech got his teammates motivated, and then he backed it up by coming out and going off in the second half!
6. Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott
Sunday was a heck of a celebration for Dak Prescott as the Cowboys got paid—then turned around and led Dallas to an effortless win over the Browns.
5. New Orleans Saints: Derek Carr
Derek Carr threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns, leading New Orleans to a 47-10 blowout win. Carr’s 59-yard bomb to Rashid Shaheed on the opening drive set the tone, and the Saints never looked back. A great start to Year 2 in NOLA for Carr after a tough debut season.
4. Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud
C.J. Stroud started his sophomore season with precision and poise—as many expected. The Texans’ quarterback came out strong, completing 24 of 32 passes for 234 yards. Better yet, Stroud didn’t turn the ball over and managed the game exceptionally well.
3. Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen
It wasn’t pretty to start the game, but Josh Allen delivered in a big way when Buffalo needed him most this week, throwing for 232 yards and rushing the ball nine times for 39 yards while accounting for four total touchdowns. He completed 18 of 23 passes, including two 11-yard touchdown passes.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield
Credit to Baker Mayfield, who came out and showed why the Buccaneers consider him their franchise NFL quarterback. He spread the ball around effectively against Washington to the tune of 289 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.
1. Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes
It wasn’t perfect…at least not to his alien standards, but Patrick Mahomes proved again this week why he is the best quarterback in the world. He completed 20 of 28 passes for 291 yards and a score as he led the Chiefs to a statement-making victory over a Ravens team that looks like it will be a force to be reckoned with this season.
Also Read: Grading All 32 NFL Teams Starting Quarterbacks After Week 1 Games Of The 2024 Season
