Lamar Jackson’s second prime-time quarterback showdown went much better than the first.
The two-time MVP’s Baltimore Ravens drubbed Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, 35-10, on Sunday night. Jackson amassed three touchdowns but didn’t need to do it all himself, as the running back tandem of Derrick Henry and Justice Hill combined for 305 yards from scrimmage, and the defense delivered its most suffocating showing of the season.
Unlike the Week 1 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs when Jackson had to do everything before running out of gas at the end, this victory showed the star quarterback’s true potential when he’s able to delegate. Jackson has proven to be an unstoppable force when he’s at his best, and he overtook C.J. Stroud in this week’s QB rankings as a result.
Allen stayed at the top for a second week, not because of anything that he did Sunday but because of the entire body of work this season. He’s already pocketed three brilliant performances and was afforded a substandard showing in Baltimore.
Plus, Patrick Mahomes is still fighting it with some of the Chiefs’ offensive struggles, while Jackson and Stroud have had some of their own forgettable moments in the opening month.
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There’s a bit of a gap between the top four quarterbacks and Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers and Brock Purdy, but that trio could enter the mix with more consistent upper-tier performances in the coming weeks.
The Athletic’s Week 5 QB rankings
Bolt down
Justin Herbert has opened the season with four consecutive games with fewer than 200 passing yards. Before the season, he’d never even gone back-to-back games with that little production, and he only had seven total games with fewer than 200 yards through the air.
Herbert has played efficiently with a 96.3 passer rating and a single interception while adjusting to an overhaul at the skill positions and playing through a high ankle sprain. League evaluators believed before the season that he’d operate a more conservative offense under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, so it’s not a major cause for concern, but it would be nice to see the Los Angeles Chargers open it up a bit more when he’s healthier.
Ladd McConkey & Justin Herbert may be the throw and catch of the year so far.
pic.twitter.com/QjPeJ5pOvZ— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) September 29, 2024
Another hurdle: Herbert has been sacked six times — the 6.19 percent sack rate would be the highest of his career if it doesn’t improve. With Herbert’s injuries seeming to mount each season, the protection issues are certainly a concern.
It’s still too early to know who the Chargers really are as they enter their bye week, partly because they’re deploying Herbert in a different manner. They’ve beaten the Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers but lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chiefs. There’s not a lot of middle ground with those opponents.
They’ve played very good defense in all four outings and ran the ball extremely well in their two victories. Harbaugh is likely still trying to figure out what he’s got for a team before unleashing Herbert — to an extent, anyway — but their ceiling hinges on their star quarterback’s ability to go throw for throw with his top-tier counterparts.
Love up
Jordan Love delivered an electric comeback attempt that ultimately fell short against the Minnesota Vikings, and he improved his standing from his last appearance in the rankings.
Sure, there was a lot of attention on his three interceptions in his return from an MCL sprain, but it seemed even more impressive to put up 29 points against a Brian Flores defense that has given everyone else nightmares this season.
Love’s first interception was a late read on his second possession after the two-week absence, so that can be explained away. His second went through two receivers’ hands. His third was a result of pressing with a 31-22 deficit late in the fourth quarter. That was the biggest mistake, with Love likely thinking he’d only get one more possession. He ultimately got two more series, so the lost points from the pick were significant.
Again, look at it from another way. The Vikings had surrendered 30 points in their first three games, and Love put that defense to work while operating in obvious passing situations. The Packers also missed two field goals and twice turned it over on downs in field-goal range while attempting to erase a 28-point deficit.
Love to Wicks again! #MINvsGB pic.twitter.com/NOYEmbUCOO
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 29, 2024
The Packers had numerous chances to deliver the Vikings’ first loss, and Love’s play was a reason why.
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Muddied in the middle
The quarterbacks ranked Nos. 13-18 could have been submitted in any order, which is tough because each end of that spectrum is important. Ranked 13th, and you’re on the cusp of cracking into the top third. Ranked 18th, and you’re viewed as below average.
This tier could widen, too, with the quarterbacks in the range of Nos. 19-23 just needing a little more consistency to push up the rankings.
For example, Sam Darnold dropped a spot because there’s so much parity in that area of the rankings. Vikings fans won’t love that, but it came down to ball security. Darnold had an interception and a lost fumble against the Packers. He’s now got three picks and four fumbles (one lost) in four starts.
X gon’ take it from ya.#MINvsGB pic.twitter.com/iuUdeNQkS8
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 29, 2024
Matthew Stafford and Jalen Hurts have also had problems protecting the ball. Stafford has thrown two end-zone interceptions, both coming in 6-point losses. Hurts has four interceptions and a league-worst five fumbles. That’s why they’ve fallen so far from their initial rankings.
In ‘Command’
And then there’s Jayden Daniels, who is lighting the league on fire with an obscene 82.1 completion percentage, 897 passing yards and three touchdowns to one interception. He’s also got 218 rushing yards and four scores, with 18 of his 46 runs going for first downs.
The Commanders offense has punted once in three games.
They have averaged over 33 points per game in those contests.
Washington sits alone atop the NFC East after four weeks. pic.twitter.com/iVFtAWyol3
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 29, 2024
Daniels is having a better season than a few quarterbacks ahead of him, and he’ll continue moving up the rankings with a larger sample size. There’s an expected adjustment coming for the rookie. If he handles it as well as he has with every other obstacle so far, it’s not unreasonable to think Daniels could push for a top-10 spot later this season.
Daniels deserves all the credit in the world for his ability to stay in control. He’s making great decisions and smart reads, and he’s delivering a terrific ball. A Stroud-like rookie year may be in the making.
Tip your cap to those around him, too. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is keeping the offense on schedule and getting help from the running game, and Daniels has delivered the big plays whenever necessary.
The Commanders are legitimate players in the playoff race, and they might even have staying power atop the NFC East with their division rivals dealing with much more adversity.
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Second-year setback
Anthony Richardson’s alarming season got worse Sunday with a hip injury. Even if he doesn’t miss time, it’s hard not to notice it happened in his fourth game, which is how many he played as a rookie before going down for the season.
Richardson’s inaccuracy woes are the root of the problem. He’s completed 50.6 percent of his passes this season and has a league-high six interceptions. He doesn’t appear to be seeing the field well enough and is struggling to maintain proper mechanics, which often comes from being too sped up or being short on confidence.
What’s more, the ageless Joe Flacco stepped in Sunday and was 16-of-26 for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers. To be fair, the offense was off to a good start with Richardson on the field, so it’s possible that would have continued if he stayed healthy.
But seeing how the offense operated during an extended look with Flacco, relative to the previous three games, it’s worth wondering if it’d make sense to give Richardson a breather to heal the hip and watch Flacco. The Colts are good enough to make a charge for a playoff spot, so they’re in a tricky spot when it comes to developing Richardson while trying to stack wins.
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As for Flacco, could this be the second year in a row when he’s spelled a franchise quarterback and provided an upgrade? Flacco had the best statistical stretch of his career last season with the Cleveland Browns, so he’s still got something in the tank. But if Richardson is indeed good to go and head coach Shane Steichen believes he is ready to turn the corner, the point about Flacco would be irrelevant.
(Photo of Justin Herbert: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)