Football wasn’t kind on its quarterbacks this week. Tony Romo, Drew Brees and Jay Cutler are all expected to miss some game time.
More than ever, it seems the defensive line has dominated the offensive line with dire consequences.
For the quarterbacks on the field, the top looking largely the same with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers again reigning supreme after lackluster quarterback play across Week 2.
1. Tom Brady, Patriots (Last week: 1)
After dispatching the Steelers in Week 1, Brady one-upped himself by becoming the first player in NFL history to throw for 450 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions on at least 55 attempts. He did it against the same Buffalo defense that shut down Andrew Luck the week before. Brady is a bad man and he appears to be on a mission.
2. Aaron Rodgers, Packers (2)
The way its looking these days, no one is beating Rodgers in Green Bay, not even the man above him. He hasn’t thrown an interception at home since December 2012. Since, Rodgers has thrown 545 passes and 38 touchdowns, including two in a win over Seattle Sunday.
3. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers (5)
Big Ben threw for more than 350 yards for the second straight game. And his 155.8 passer rating was the highest amongst all quarterbacks in Week 2. Roethlisberger is the only quarterback with a higher than a 10-yard-pass-per-attempt average.
4. Phillip Rivers, Chargers (4)
Rivers set the Chargers all-time passing touchdown record by adding two in a loss to the Bengals. He fell two completions shy of tying Donovan McNabb’s consecutive completion record (24). Rivers has completed more than 81 percent of his passes through two games.
5. Carson Palmer, Cardinals (6)
Palmer is 15-2 in his last 17 starts. He has the third highest passer rating (123.4) in the league after two games. Palmer also has thrown seven touchdowns and one interception. And more importantly, a 2-0 record.
6. Matt Ryan, Falcons (NR)
Coming off a 6-10 record, the Falcons didn’t have many high expectations. But under new coach Dan Quinn, they look like an entirely new team. Ryan to Julio Jones has been the best connection in football through two games. Ryan threw for 363 yards and a win over the Giants.
7. Andy Dalton, Bengals (NR)
Dalton hasn’t had the best reputation of taking care of the ball, but his five-touchdown, zero-interception start has been one of the more impressive displays among NFL quarterbacks. His 120.3 passing rating puts him in the top five.
8. Colin Kaepernick, 49ers (NR)
Most of his 335 passing yards came in garbage time, but he gets the benefit on a weak week of quarterback play. Kaepernick’s 75-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith was a sight to see and his 51 rushing yards also provided a boost.
9. Peyton Manning, Broncos (10)
Manning probably didn’t deserve to be in the top-10 last week, but he surely improved in Week 2. Offensive inconsistencies are still there, but a 256-passing-yard, three-touchdown performance against the Chiefs’ defense is nothing to sneeze at. And his last touchdown drive was vintage Peyton Manning.
10. Derek Carr, Raiders (NR)
Little brother Carr is bringing a smile to Raiders’ fans for the first time in a while. He threw for 351 yards and three touchdowns in a comeback win over the Ravens Sunday. According to Pro Football Focus, Carr had a 155.8 passer rating when he was blitzed. He was battling a thumb injury that cost him most of Week 1 as well.
Caught my eye: Jonathan Manziel, Browns
Note the first name, Jonathan not Johnny. That’s because Manziel is starting to grow up. Manziel didn’t do too much in his first start of the year, but he did enough for the win throwing for 172 yards and two touchdowns on only eight completions.
Bringing up the rear: Ryan Mallett, Texans
We could put the Texans starting quarterback in this spot every week, but Sam Bradford and even Andrew Luck gave him a run for his money in Week 2. Mallett went 27-of-58, a 46.6 completion percentage, and only had a 4.21 passing yards-per-attempt average.
Fell out of the rankings: Tony Romo (3), Marcus Mariota (7), Alex Smith (8), Andrew Luck (9).
Cameron Wolfe: cwolfe@denverpost.com or
