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    Week 8 QB Rankings: Grading the Performances of Jameis Winston, Tua Tagovailoa, Kirk Cousins, and Others

    What are our Week 8 QB rankings as we use our PFN Insights QB+ metric to analyze every performance? Who impressed and who struggled?

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    One of the hottest debated topics coming out of NFL games each week is the quarterbacks’ performances. The most highly scrutinized positions are among the hardest to judge with traditional statistics. Therefore, we here at PFN Insights have created a metric to produce QB ranks based on the areas we believe are the most important in analyzing their performance and their contribution to the team.

    Our QB+ metric looks at several statistics, including net yards per attempt (nYPA), third-down conversion rate, passing under pressure, and passing from a clean pocket. Additionally, we have quantified performances in clutch situations using statistics from different key scenarios within a game.

    By no means is QB+ the perfect metric, and we will continue to develop it throughout the season and beyond. However, when we analyzed it against the past five years, the results were extremely indicative of what we saw on the field while providing enough nuance away from traditional statistics for measuring quarterback play.

    All stats are from TruMedia unless otherwise stated.

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    Week 8 QB Grades

    First, you will find a full list of all quarterbacks from Week 8, listed in order of their QB+ grade and score. Below, you will find an analysis of all qualified quarterbacks and the context for their grades.

    They will be listed alphabetically by first name rather than by grade or score. This will allow readers to quickly find the QB they are looking for in the writeups.

    1. Jalen Hurts | A (80.5)
    2. Kirk Cousins | A- (76.6)
    3. Matthew Stafford | B+ (73.5)
    4. Kyler Murray | B+ (73.0)
    5. Patrick Mahomes | B+ (72.2)
    6. Brock Purdy | B+ (70.6)
    7. Joe Burrow | B (69.9)
    8. Josh Allen | B (69.4)
    9. Jameis Winston | B (68.6)
    10. Bo Nix | B (68.4)
    11. Baker Mayfield | B (67.5)
    12. Sam Darnold | B (67.0)
    13. Tua Tagovailoa | B (66.7)
    14. Russell Wilson | B- (64.8)
    15. Jayden Daniels | B- (60.1)
    16. Justin Herbert | C+ (59.9)
    17. Aaron Rodgers| C+ (59.2)
    18. Trevor Lawrence | C+ (58.8)
    19. Lamar Jackson | C+ (58.6)
    20. C.J. Stroud | C+ (58.4)
    21. Gardner Minshew II | C+ (57.8)
    22. Jordan Love | C+ (55.4)
    23. Jacoby Brissett | C (54.8)
    24. Jared Goff | C (53.9)
    25. Dak Prescott | C (53.7)
    26. Daniel Jones | C (52.8)
    27. Bryce Young | C (52.7)
    28. Geno Smith | C (52.7)
    29. Mason Rudolph | C- (49.1)
    30. Jake Haener | C- (47.6)
    31. Spencer Rattler | C- (46.1)
    32. Caleb Williams | D+ (42.5)
    33. Anthony Richardson | D- (33.9)

    Week 8 QB Analysis

    Aaron Rodgers, NYJ (at NE)

    • Grade: C-
    • Score: 59.2

    Rodgers was nearly flawless when given time to throw (15-21 for 199 yards and two scores when not under duress), but the veteran completed just two of his seven pressured passes, and that led to struggles on third downs (Jets: 4-of-10). A few big plays to Garrett Wilson were nice, but Davante Adams was supposed to elevate this offense, and he turned six targets into just 54 yards.

    Anthony Richardson, IND (at HOU)

    • Grade: D-
    • Score: 33.9

    Richardson completed just five of his 12 passes on Houston’s side of the field, continuing a disturbing trend of the second-year QB struggling to sustain drives. The big plays have been fun (69-yard touchdown to Josh Downs, his third of 50+ yards this season), but the NFL is a game of stability, and Richardson’s drive-to-drive consistency is lacking across the board.

    Baker Mayfield, TB (vs. ATL)

    • Grade: B
    • Score: 67.5

    Say what you will about Mayfield, but his 117.5 passer rating when pressured, without either of his two top receivers, was impressive. He turned five red-zone pass attempts into three scores, a level of efficiency that helped keep this game competitive until the very end despite entering with an underwhelming supporting cast compared to the Falcons.

    Bo Nix, DEN (vs. CAR)

    • Grade: B
    • Score: 68.4

    Nix isn’t on the same level as the top rookie signal callers in this class, but he continues to show himself well and make strides. Yes, it was a game against the Panthers, but he helped Denver pick up 11-of-17 third downs and averaged over 10 yards per completion without turning the ball over. He needs to develop consistency to grade as an above-average QB for the season, but he’s checking the boxes we are looking for from a first-year player in a tough spot.

    Brock Purdy, SF (vs. DAL)

    • Grade: B+
    • Score: 70.6

    It was good to see Purdy get back to somewhere close to his best in Week 8 after his struggles last week. After a tough first half, the San Francisco 49ers exploded into life in the second half, and Purdy was a big part of that. He averaged 9.5 yards per attempt, which finished Sunday as the second-highest number for the week.

    Purdy was also impressive when pressured, finishing Sunday in seventh. That was particularly important to see after he really struggled under pressure in Week 7. This was Purdy’s second-best performance of the season after the Week 3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

    Bryce Young, CAR (at DEN)

    • Grade: C
    • Score: 52.7

    A pressured touchdown pass was good to see, and this grading, average as it is, reflects a nice bump from what we’ve seen up to this point from Young. He still averaged just 6.1 yards per attempt, though his 64.9% complete with Diontae Johnson in a tough matchup should be commended. We are cautiously optimistic that the version of Young we see for the rest of 2024 is better than what we’ve seen through 1.5 years of his NFL career.

    C.J. Stroud, HOU (vs. IND)

    • Grade: C+
    • Score: 58.4

    Stroud had a chance to put points on the board at the end of the first half, but only one of his passes gained more than six yards, and a nine-yard sack on third down knocked the Texans out of field goal range. Houston struggled to put the Colts away (4-of-13 on third downs), and while they ultimately won, their franchise QB is going to have to grade out better than this for this team to have lasting success.

    Caleb Williams, CHI (at WAS)

    • Grade: D+
    • Score: 42.5

    After showing continuous improvement through the first six weeks, the bye week has sent Caleb Williams spiraling back close to where he started the season. This was a slight improvement on that performance, but it was still between his Week 1 and Week 2 performances.

    This was Williams’ worst performance when throwing from a clean pocket this season, and he finished Sunday ranked last among qualified quarterbacks in that category. He also finished second from last in terms of nYPA, averaging just 4.6 yards. He showed some flashes of what he can do late in the game and nearly helped his team steal a win, thanks in large part to their defense.

    Dak Prescott, DAL (at SF)

    • Grade: C
    • Score: 53.7

    There is not a lot to be positive about here for the Dallas Cowboys. They lost again and they just seemed to capitulate on both sides of the ball after the half. Prescott’s numbers were not particularly impressive, posting his third-lowest QB+ of the season. The bright side of things is that it was at least an upgrade on Week 6, but it was still well below the level we expect from him.

    Prescott was just poor across the board. He ranked 22nd after Sunday when throwing from a clean pocket and 20th when throwing under pressure. As a result, he was 23rd in nYPA (6.2) and only converted on 30% of third downs. His best spells came at the end of the first half, and then he got the offense rolling in the fourth quarter, but it was a little bit too late for the win.

    Daniel Jones, NYG (at PIT)

    • Grade: C
    • Score: 52.8

    For the fourth time this season, Daniel Jones completed 20-plus passes while failing to record a touchdown toss, landing him on a unique statistical list.

    Among starters who didn’t leave Week 8 with an injury, Jones’ non-pressured passer rating on Monday (69.2) ranked ahead of only Caleb Williams an Anthony Richardson.

    Jones is 0-for-100 in terms of passes resulting in a touchdown during New York’s current three-game skid.

    Gardner Minshew, LV (vs. KC)

    • Grade: C+
    • Score: 57.8

    Minshew didn’t play poorly, but it’s going to take more than that to top the Chiefs. He was efficient but not spectacular – 80% complete, but just 8.7 yards per completion. Given the limited number of resources and the opponent, Week 8 should be considered a net win for Raider Nation from the quarterback position.

    Geno Smith, SEA (vs. BUF)

    • Grade: C
    • Score: 52.7

    With the game slipping away from them, Smith threw an interception in the middle of the third quarter after Seattle crossed midfield and was looking to make this a one-score game. Combine the poorly timed turnover with only a single third-down conversion, and you’ve got the formula for a one-sided loss. The Seahawks showed well earlier this season against subpar competition, but as the level of opponent has increased, their success stats have fallen off, and it’s all started with their quarterback.

    Jacoby Brissett, NE (vs. NYJ)

    • Grade: C
    • Score: 54.8

    Brissett had the second-lowest clean-pocket completion percentage on the early slate. He misfired on eight of his 19 passes when the offensive line dominated, a rate that isn’t going to get it done given this offense’s limitations long-term.

    Jake Haener, NO (at LAC)

    • Grade: C-
    • Score: 47.6

    It is hard to make too much of Jake Haener’s performance in a relief role for Spencer Rattler. He struggled when passing from a clean pocket and on third downs, but we have no idea how much time he has been getting with this offense. Nothing about this performance screamed long-term starter, but it was never likely to when playing a gameplan designed for a different quarterback.

    Jalen Hurts, PHI (at CIN)

    • Grade: A
    • Score: 80.5

    Hurts gets credit for the three rushing scores, but don’t let those fantasy points distract you from him averaging 11.8 yards per pass, his third straight week north of 8.0. The offensive line has come together around him, and that is certainly helping (pressured on just two of 20 attempts).

    However, he’s held up his end of the bargain (14-of-18 inside of the pocket) and, for four quarters, this offense looked like the juggernaut that we saw in the first half of last season from this team.

    Jameis Winston, CLE (vs. BAL)

    • Grade: B
    • Score: 68.6

    Winston has as many multi-TD pass games this season as Deshaun Watson, and he showed the difference confidence makes under center. Winston posted a 117.0 passer rating (10-of-14 for 106 yards and a touchdown) when this game was within a single score in the final quarter, leading the Cleveland Browns to the upset victory.

    The offense is limited due to personnel, but there is no question that they have a better chance at reaching their ceiling with Winston under center, something that was evident against the Ravens.

    Jared Goff, DET (vs. TEN)

    • Grade: C
    • Score: 53.9

    Goff was a victim of his team’s own success in Week 8. His 12 completions netted just 85 yards, in part because the end zone kept getting in the way (three touchdowns). Detroit’s six pressured dropbacks led this offense to just four yards, but everything is a small sample in this game because of the score (Goff spent the fourth quarter on the bench).

    Jayden Daniels, WAS (vs. CHI)

    • Grade: B-
    • Score: 60.1

    Despite the last-second mayhem, this was actually one of Jayden Daniels’ worst performances of the year, with only Week 1 against Tampa Bay grading worse (C+). For a rookie quarterback to only have one grade this season below a B- is impressive, and he continues to do what the team needs of him.

    His stats this week were not particularly impressive, and they were somewhat boosted by his 52-yard touchdown to win the game. The Bears have been one of the better defenses this year, meaning there would always be a chance he might struggle a little in this matchup. Add in the injury situation, and this is actually a fairly positive performance from the rookie.

    Joe Burrow, CIN (vs. PHI)

    • Grade: B
    • Score: 69.9

    The Cincinnati Bengals were on the wrong side of a 37-17 result, but their quarterback largely performed well. Burrow guided this offense to an impressive 10-of-13 showing on third downs as he completed over 70% of his passes for the fifth time this season. Half of his completions against the Eagles from a clean pocket resulted in a first down — Burrow is the rare example where QB play isn’t as tied to a team’s success.

    Jordan Love, GB (at JAX)

    • Grade: C+
    • Score: 55.4

    Love left with a groin injury, but that doesn’t excuse his struggles in enemy territory, something that has become a troubling trend. Green Bay’s signal caller picked up just 1.8 yards per pass when on Jacksonville’s half of the field, and that included a bad red-zone interception.

    He can do a lot of things on the football field, but he has thrown an interception in every game this season, something that could derail the Green Bay Packers’ hopes this winter.

    Josh Allen, BUF (at SEA)

    • Grade: B
    • Score: 69.4

    Allen fired a touchdown pass under duress against the Seahawks and guided the Bills to an ultra-efficient afternoon against the 12th man. Buffalo picked up eight-of-15 third downs (eight-of-13 before a pair of punts late as they were running the clock out) while Allen averaged over 8.0 yards per pass for a third straight game.

    Justin Herbert, LAC (vs. NO)

    • Grade: C+
    • Score: 59.9

    Herbert is slowly rounding into form, and this team is built so that slightly above-average play under center can get it in the playoff mix. On Sunday against the Saints, he completed all three of his passes in crunch-time situations, averaging 8.7 yards per pass as he continues to develop chemistry with his receiving core.

    Kirk Cousins, ATL (at TB)

    • Grade: A-
    • Score: 76.6

    Cousins graded as a plus producer nearly across the board, highlighted by turning 16 pass attempts on the positive side of midfield into 179 yards and four scores. Simply taking what the defense gives you sounds simple, but it’s something of a lost art these days — Cousins fed four different players 5-7 targets in the road win, keeping the defense guessing and allowing him to thrive across this metric.

    Kyler Murray, ARI (at MIA)

    • Grade: B+
    • Score: 73.0

    Murray was nearly perfect when on Miami’s side, completing 12 of his 15 passes for 123 yards and a pair of scores (140.4 passer rating). Both of his passing touchdowns came from inside the pocket, and if his efficiency in standard passing spots is here to stay, the rest of the league better take notice.

    Lamar Jackson, BAL (at CLE)

    • Grade: C+
    • Score: 58.6

    Jackson’s lofty expectations weren’t met during Week 8, and this team isn’t built to survive any struggles from the reigning MVP. He was worse than the NFL average in terms of passer rating, completion percentage, and yards per attempt when on Cleveland’s half of the field, issues that allowed the Browns to hang around. His 7.6 yards per pass isn’t a bad showing, but it qualifies as his second-worst of the season.

    Mason Rudolph, TEN (at DET)

    • Grade: C-
    • Score: 49.1

    Rudolph led the Tennessee Titans to a 3-of-11 showing on third down and completed just three of his seven passes inside the 20. He averaged 7.0 yards per pass (Will Levis this season: 5.6), but that number was inflated by an outlier first quarter from Calvin Ridley. With DeAndre Hopkins now in Kansas City, there is almost no room for error under center in Tennessee — something that this QB room is going to struggle to do.

    Matthew Stafford, LAR (vs.MIN)

    • Grade: B+
    • Score: 73.5

    Stafford posted a perfect passer rating when the game was within a single score over the final 15 minutes, completing all six of his passes for 80 yards and a touchdown. Two of his best three grades this season have come in Week 1 and Week 8, the two instances in which he’s had both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua at his disposal.

    With four scores against the Vikings on Thursday night, Stafford had more touchdowns in four quarters this week than in his first six games this season.

    Patrick Mahomes, KC (at LV)

    • Grade: B+
    • Score: 72.2

    Mahomes completed nine-of-11 third-down passes for 102 yards and a score, helping the team convert 75% of their third downs in the win over the Raiders. It wasn’t the most convincing of wins, but he completed seven-of-10 passes in the final stanza, with a nine-yard score to Xavier Worthy ultimately proving to be the difference as the two-time champions remained unbeaten.

    Russell Wilson, PIT (vs. NYG)

    • Grade: B-
    • Score: 64.8

    Wilson wasn’t perfect, but he again averaged over 9.0 yards per pass and didn’t turn the ball over. He struggled when New York was able to speed him up (17 yards passing on seven pressured dropbacks, but made up for it with the eighth highest clean pocket passer rating of Week 8 (128.4).

    Sam Darnold, MIN (at LAR)

    • Grade: B
    • Score: 67.0

    Darnold continued to excel from a clean pocket (11-of-15 for 145 yards and a pair of scores) on Thursday night against the Rams. He looked ordinary after a strong first quarter, though the team didn’t give him much in the way of balance (22 carries for 64 yards).

    Darnold is likely to live in this grade range moving forward — he’s not the MVP candidate he looked like in early September but clearly more comfortable in this Kevin O’Connell offense than he ever was during his time in New York.

    Spencer Rattler, NO (at LAC)

    • Grade: C-
    • Score: 46.1

    Rattler was yanked after averaging just 6.5 yards per pass. He lost Chris Olave during this game and that certainly didn’t help, but this team needs to be near flawless when they move into scoring position and that wasn’t the case (five of seven passes on the plus-side of the field fell incomplete from Rattler). This offense isn’t built to survive below average quarterback play and that’s what they gotten since Derek Carr (oblique) went down.

    Trevor Lawrence, JAX (vs. GB)

    • Grade: C+
    • Score: 58.8

    Lawrence showed some flashes, and the game-tying touchdown to Evan Engram showed confidence in his playmakers, but Lawrence struggled again when the chips were in the middle of the table. The Jacksonville Jaguars converted just one of their nine third downs, and Lawrence completed just 68.4% of his short passes. A spike play here and there is nice, but our grades reward consistency, a box Lawrence has regularly failed to check.

    Tua Tagovailoa, MIA (vs. ARI)

    • Grade: B
    • Score: 66.7

    Tagovailoa’s style requires elite timing on all ends, and while we saw glimpses of why he makes this offense work, we didn’t see it for all four quarters. His 28 completions resulted in just 234 yards (8.4 yards per completion). Without the chunk plays, Tagovailoa is going to struggle to grade out much higher than this.

    The Week 8 performance should be viewed as a nice welcome back, but this team will need to improve quickly if it is going to win games.

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