If defense wins championships, NFL quarterbacks win headlines—and a whole lot of blame when things go south. Week 12 gave us another full slate of action to consider as we look around the NFL and rank every team’s starting quarterback from 32 to number 1.
Who are the top-ranking quarterbacks in the NFL after week 12?
32. New York Giants: Tommy DeVito (Last Week: Not Ranked)
Tommy DeVito’s bravado didn’t translate into results. The young quarterback managed just 189 yards, much of it in garbage time, as Tampa Bay came after him early and often—and it showed!
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (bye): Mac Jones (Last Week: #32)
Mac Jones getting slotted into the starting lineup has gone just about as expected. The former first-round pick has been overmatched to the umpteenth degree against NFL-caliber defenses.
30. Las Vegas Raiders: Gardner Minshew (Last Week: #28)
Gardner Minshew was actually playing decent football before he was forced to exit the game with what many believe to be a season-ending broken collarbone. He had 25 completions for 230 yards and a score, plus an interception in the loss.
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29. New York Jets (bye): Aaron Rodgers (Last Week: #27)
Somehow, this season has been worse than last year for Aaron Rodgers—and the veteran NFL quarterback tore his Achilles last year! While nobody expected an MVP performance from the aging star, this has been hard to watch.
28. San Francisco 49ers: Brandon Allen (Last Week: Not Ranked)
Brock Purdy was a late scratch for the action on Sunday, and in his stead, Brandon Allen left much to be desired, completing just 17 passes for 199 yards with one touchdown and an interception.
27. Dallas Cowboys: Cooper Rush (Last Week: #30)
Cooper Rush had one of his best games as a pro, completing 24 of 32 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, securing the upset of the Commanders.
26. New England Patriots: Drake Maye (Last Week: #19)
Week 12 was a bit of a grind for Drake Maye, who finished the game completing 22 of 37 passes for 222 yards and a score with an interception and a fumble lost.
25. Carolina Panthers: Bryce Young (Last Week: #29)
Don’t look now, but Bryce Young might finally be turning it around. He looks like a completely different NFL quarterback, and his 263 yards and one touchdown were almost enough to outduel Patrick Mahomes this week.
24. New Orleans Saints (bye): Derek Carr (Last Week: #24)
While there have been a couple of good games sprinkled in, the Derek Carr experiment in New Orleans has largely been a disappointment. Hopefully, the bye week gives him a chance to get healthy and find his way back.
23. Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Richardson (Last Week: #12)
Week 12 was a major regression for Anthony Richardson, who completed just 11 of 28 passes for 172 yards. The Colts need more consistency if they’re to stay competitive.
22. Atlanta Falcons (bye): Kirk Cousins (Last Week: #22)
Kirk Cousins has been steady but unspectacular since joining Atlanta, outside of a couple of explosive quarters. Atlanta needs Kirk to elevate his game if they want to make a playoff run.
21. Tennessee Titans: Will Levis (Last Week: #26)
Will Levis delivered one of his best performances as a pro, throwing for 278 yards and two touchdowns, including a game-changing 70-yard strike to Chig Okonkwo. While his ball security remains an issue—losing a fumble in the first half—Levis’s poise under pressure was big-time.
20. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams (Last Week: #25)
Caleb Williams came to play this week. The rookie NFL quarterback completed 32 of 47 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions while also managing to lead Chicago in rushing with an admittedly meager 33 yards.
19. Seattle Seahawks: Geno Smith (Last Week: #21)
Though the interception was a little concerning, Geno had a nice game. He threw for 254 yards, including a perfectly placed touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
18. Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud (Last Week: #16)
C.J. Stroud showed flashes of the player we saw last year with 247 yards and two touchdowns, but his two interceptions were momentum killers and a painful reminder of his 2024 regression.
17. Arizona Cardinals: Kyler Murray (Last Week: #10)
Kyler Murray’s stat line—285 yards passing—tells only part of the story. While he connected well with Trey McBride, who had 133 yards, critical mistakes cost Arizona dearly. Murray’s fourth-quarter interception to Coby Bryant was a backbreaker, and his offense never really seemed to find its footing.
16. Minnesota Vikings: Sam Darnold (Last Week: #23)
Sam Darnold might just be the comeback story of the year after all. Following a couple of tough weeks, he went toe-to-toe with Caleb Williams and came out on top, throwing for 330 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers: Russell Wilson (Last Week: #13)
Russell Wilson didn’t have his best game in the snow, and that’s putting it lightly. While he got the Steelers back in it with a pair of second-half touchdowns, his inability to sustain drives early put Pittsburgh in a hole that was too deep to overcome.
14. Cleveland Browns: Jameis Winston (Last Week: #20)
The veteran NFL quarterback didn’t light up the stat sheet, but in the game’s biggest moment, he delivered a perfect third-down pass to Jerry Jeudy to set up Nick Chubb’s game-winning score. For all of Winston’s faults, this was the kind of composure and professionalism Cleveland has been lacking under center.
13. Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love (Last Week: #18)
Jordan Love didn’t light up the stat sheet, but he didn’t need to. He was efficient and effective, completing 13 of 23 passes for 163 yards and two touchdowns.
12. Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford (Last Week: #7)
Matthew Stafford did what he could under heavy pressure, throwing for 243 yards and a late touchdown to Cooper Kupp, but he struggled to manage playing under constant duress.
11. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels (Last Week: #14)
Jayden Daniels threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns, including a stunning and clutch 86-yarder to Terry McLaurin in the final minute. However, the two turnovers were disappointing.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield (Last Week: #17)
Baker Mayfield put on a show in East Rutherford, both with his arm and his antics. Completing 24 of 30 passes for 294 yards, he added a 10-yard rushing touchdown and even mocked Tommy DeVito in hilarious fashion.
9. Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa (Last Week: #15)
Sunday’s performance was a masterclass in efficiency and control, with Tagovailoa throwing for 317 yards and four touchdowns. He’s now thrown 11 TDs to just one interception since returning from IR, and Miami is slowly creeping back into the playoff picture.
8. Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts (Last Week: #8)
Jalen Hurts might not have had to do much with Saquon Barkley running wild, but when his number was called, he delivered. Hurts threw for 179 yards and a touchdown, playing extremely confident football of late.
7. Denver Broncos: Bo Nix (Last Week: #9)
Bo Nix continues to improve at a rapid pace. The rookie NFL quarterback completed 25 of 42 for 273 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
6. Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes (Last Week: #5)
Who would’ve thought? Patrick Mahomes executes on a game-winning drive… Wild! His 269 yards and three touchdowns through the air were impressive, but his 33-yard scramble on the final drive was vintage Mahomes. It’s his poise in those moments that separates him from everyone else.
5. Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert (Last Week: #3)
Justin Herbert had a quiet start to the season, with Jim Harbaugh really trying to emphasize the run game, but he’s started to come into his own in the second half of the year.
4. Detroit Lions: Jared Goff (Last Week: #1)
Star NFL quarterback Jared Goff didn’t light up the scoreboard in Week 12 but played sound football all afternoon, completing 26 of 36 passes for 269 yards.
3. Buffalo Bills (bye): Josh Allen (Last Week: #4)
Josh Allen has been electric, putting up MVP-caliber performances week after week. His ability to create plays with his arms and legs makes him one of the most dangerous players in the league.
2. Cincinnati Bengals (bye): Joe Burrow (Last Week: #2)
Joe Burrow continues to be the heart and soul of this team, but the lack of protection from his offensive line has made life difficult. That, however, hasn’t stopped him from putting up an MVP-caliber year—if only his team could actually finish off a win or two!
1. Baltimore Ravens: Lamar Jackson (Last Week: #6)
Lamar Jackson continues to have an MVP-caliber season. The dual-threat NFL quarterback possesses a rare skillset and knows how to use it.
Also Read: Grading All 32 NFL Teams Starting Quarterbacks After Week 11 Games Of The 2024 Season
