QB Index, Week 13: Quarterback Power Rankings
RANK
1
Lamar Jackson
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 1 | Blair: 1 | Filice: 1 | Parr: 1
2019 stats: 11 games | 66.9 pct | 2,427 pass yds | 8.1 ypa | 24 pass TD | 5 INT | 876 rush yds | 6 rush TD | 0 fumbles lost
Bhanpuri: Lamar Jackson is the best player in the NFL. Not just because we ranked him No. 1 on this list (though, we are the top authority on the subject), but because every shred of evidence --
the tape,
the stats,
his teammates,
his opponents -- has proven it to be true. At a time when football fans are celebrating the league's
100th season, debating the roster of the
NFL 100 All-Time Team, lauding
Patrick Mahomes' incredible arm talent, fawning over
Russell Wilson's breathtaking downfield passing, and cherishing the GOAT coach and GOAT QB as they continue to rewrite the history books, it's
Lamar Jackson who's become the NFL's best story. He is that mesmerizing, that
electrifying, that inexplicably unique. Moreover, he's that
fun. I missed most of Monday night's thrashing in real time, as I was boarding a plane just as the game kicked off. I streamed the
Ravens' first two possessions on my phone from my seat, glued to the 4.7-inch screen and indifferent to potential data charges. And then, for the first time in the history of air travel, an on-time departure was an annoyance rather than an advantage. The
Ravens had just received a kickoff, which meant
Lamar Jackson and Baltimore's power-based offense were about to try and make it three TDs in three tries (they'd end up going six for their first six). Sorry, United, but the
Ravens QB1 is infinitely more compelling than whatever options were available in your in-flight entertainment system.
Men in Black: International can't compete with five touchdown passes, a third straight 139-plus passer rating and another magnificent rushing effort.
For all the people who worried the NFL lacked the requisite star power to survive without Peyton Manning and
Tom Brady and
Drew Brees, similar to how the post-MJ, pre-Lebron NBA struggled to remain relevant at the turn of the millennium, all I can say is, rest easy. Lamar, Russell, Patrick, Deshaun and Dak got the league on lock. Pro football couldn't be in better hands.
RANK
11
Jimmy Garoppolo
Individual Rank: Bhanpuri: 13 | Blair: 9 | Filice: 10 | Parr: 11
2019 stats: 11 games | 68.8 pct | 2,731 pass yds | 8.1 ypa | 20 pass TD | 10 INT | 41 rush yds | 1 rush TD | 4 fumbles lost
Blair: Other than a handful of sacks, Jimmy G was
crisp when called upon in a blowout win over the
Packers, setting new highs in yards per attempt (12.7) and passer rating in a start (145.8). Appearing to have attained symbiosis with Kyle Shanahan's offensive scheme, Garoppolo was decisive in getting the ball in the hands of his playmakers, including, of course,
George Kittle, located on a wide-open 61-yard scoring bomb, and
Deebo Samuel, who scored a 42-yard touchdown that included 29 yards blazed after the catch. With Kittle back in the fold after a two-game absence, I expect Garoppolo to put the up-and-down early portion of his season behind him and ascend these rankings down the stretch. Oh, and there's this: While fully acknowledging the absolute lack of real-world import of the QB Index, I have to point out that Jimmy G HAS PASSED TOM BRADY FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON. Adjust your understanding of the universe accordingly.