CowboysFaninHouston
CowboysFaninDC
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OK, here it comes with all the Dak detractors and another 10 pages of Dak this and Dak that...ready...3......2......1https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-quarterback-rankings-all-32-starters-ahead-of-the-2021-nfl-season
Top 10:
1. PATRICK MAHOMES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
The 25-year-old prodigy is PFF’s highest-graded quarterback over the past three seasons. With an MVP award and a Super Bowl ring already in hand, Mahomes is already rewriting the record books. And head coach Andy Reid and the Chiefs have done a phenomenal job this offseason of trying to shore up an offensive line that held the team back in Super Bowl 55.
Mahomes tends to get sloppy at times while drifting back in the pocket, putting pressure on his tackles, so the offensive line isn't the only culprit. The signal-caller finished second in big-time throws (50) but also ended the year in the top three in turnover-worthy plays (23). Mahomes features playmaking ability not only from the pocket but also when extending plays with his arm and legs. That makes him the biggest threat in the NFL.
2. TOM BRADY, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Brady capped an incredible 2020 season with his seventh Super Bowl win, and his overall performance was the catalyst for elevating the Bucs to their second championship in franchise history. Not only did he accomplish that after changing teams, but he endured a reduced offseason while having to learn a whole new offense, which makes it that much more remarkable.
He ranked second in passing yards on 20-plus-yard throws during the regular season while taking care of the ball better than any Bruce Arians quarterback since 2006. Not to mention, Tampa Bay has re-signed every significant player from last year. Brady will be more familiar and comfortable in the Arians passing attack with even more supporting cast continuity from last year.
3. AARON RODGERS, GREEN BAY PACKERS
The biggest question entering the season will be whether Rodgers is wearing a Packers jersey at all. He led the league in overall passing grade (94.7) and passing grade on 20-plus-yard throws (99.5) in 2020 en route to taking home the MVP award.
Rodgers is a stud, playing with timing and rhythm we haven’t seen from him in years. His average time to throw was his lowest in over a decade. The most impressive thing about Rodgers in 2020 was his patience with the offense and ability to let it work for him. He managed to stay on course and operate the attack while sprinkling in his playmaking ability. There is no doubt Green Bay is primed for a Super Bowl run, but that all depends on if the team can smooth over relations with Rodgers.
4. RUSSELL WILSON, SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Wilson started the season on fire as the front-runner for the MVP title over the first eight games of the year, as he was PFF's top-ranked quarterback in overall grade (93.3). The wheels soon fell off, though, with Wilson taking the most sacks in the NFL through the second half of the season.
He has been one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league for a long time and appears primed to bounce back from last year, particularly after the offseason drama of him wanting to be traded. He wants his value to continue to rise, and that it will. Over the past five years, Wilson has dominated the NFL to the tune of the most big-time throws (214) while tying Rodgers and Brady for the best passing grade on 20-plus-yard throws (99.9).
5. DESHAUN WATSON, HOUSTON TEXANS
Surrounded by the league’s second-least efficient running game and second-least efficient overall defense last season, Watson was arguably the best quarterback in the NFL. Couple that with the Texans trading away his top-five receiver and firing his head coach, and Watson clearly put the team on his back.
The most impressive thing about his 2020 campaign was how rarely he made mistakes in structure and how consistently he created positive plays out of structure. He played well from a clean pocket and under pressure while also taking care of the football. Watson had 42 big-time throws to only 14 turnover-worthy plays after making 27 turnover-worthy plays in 2019.
6. JOSH ALLEN, BUFFALO BILLS
Josh Allen improved more in 2020 than any quarterback in recent years. The Bills have done a phenomenal job building around him on his rookie contract and also scheming the offense to fit his strengths.
Allen led the league in play-action passing attempts last season, throwing 17 touchdowns to only three interceptions. His accuracy stuck out, too. He finished with a 79.1% adjusted completion rate — the sixth-best mark in the league — after ranking in the 30s last year. The only concern with Allen’s game now is his ability to protect the football. He had the second most turnover-worthy plays (23), trailing only Carson Wentz during the regular season.
7. DAK PRESCOTT, DALLAS COWBOYS
Dak is back. Prescott was on pace for the best season of his career before going down to a season-ending ankle injury in Week 5 last year. For the second straight season, the Cowboys' offense was moving the ball effectively through the air. But will the unit pick up where it left off before Prescott got injured?
Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and Prescott are going on seven years together — two as a player and the rest as a coach. They know what each other likes and how to make this offense roll. In Prescott’s four full NFL seasons, he’s had two top-10 finishes in PFF grade but also two finishes closer to the 20s. With Dallas' bevy of playmakers on the outside, I would expect this offense to again find its footing once Prescott dusts off the cobwebs.
8. LAMAR JACKSON, BALTIMORE RAVENS
Regression is likely when coming off an MVP campaign, and we saw that from Jackson. The Ravens' offense was less effective in the run game and the offensive line struggled at times this past season.
Still, Jackson continued to prove he is one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NFL, if not the most. If the Ravens can help him out with a more efficient and effective pass game tied into their run concepts, then I would expect Jackson to get back to MVP form. Baltimore has a tough schedule ahead compared to last year, so Jackson will have to shoulder the load to prove he can take the Ravens back to the promised land.
9. MATT RYAN, ATLANTA FALCONS
Matt Ryan teaming up with new head coach Arthur Smith could be a good look. The play-action pass game could elevate Ryan’s performance back to the days when he was with Kyle Shanahan or at least back to consistent play on a week-to-week basis.
The addition of Kyle Pitts will be a matchup nightmare for defenses, too. Ryan is a top-10 quarterback, and the Falcons' 2021 schedule could allow them to get back to competing sooner than some may think. It will be up to Ryan to be as productive as Ryan Tannehill was in this offense, if not more.
10. BAKER MAYFIELD, CLEVELAND BROWNS
Give Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski a ton of credit for how he helped set up his quarterback for success. The Browns protected Mayfield early in the season, but when Stefanski opened up the playbook, Baker excelled. He was the second-highest-graded quarterback in the league from Week 7 through the playoffs. He also ranked in the top five from a clean pocket, on standard dropbacks and on early downs for the entire season — all of which are important and stable metrics.
Considering the offensive weapons Mayfield has around him and his offensive line's league-leading 84.4 pass-blocking grade last year, expect him to pick up where he left off for the 2021 season.
Complaint #1
- what do these guys know about QB and QB play....They have no idea about cowboys and how everything been around here. Dak is no better than a 15-20 range
- oh, great he makes #2 money but is #7, we should have paid him accordingly and paid him around 30M which is where he should have been
- He doesn't deserve this ranking, perhaps they graded him on his 4th quarter play only, in the first 3 quarters he hardly does anything
- obviously these guys ignored 2019, specially the loss to philly at the end of the seaso
