Ranking all 32 NFL starting quarterbacks by Week 1 QBR: Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield jump out in front; Deshaun Watson plummets
All 32 NFL starting quarterbacks got a chance to show off their stuff for the first time in 2024 during Week 1, but not all performances were created equal.
Several top quarterbacks returned to their dominant ways once again as the season began. A few rookies made their regular season debuts under center as well, showing off how well their talent translates at the next level.
Some starters who have struggled in the past actually surprised fans with how well they played to begin 2024. On the flip side, there were several signal-callers who entered the season with low expectations and didn't do anything to prove doubters wrong.
USA TODAY has ranked all 32 starters from Week 1 by ESPN's QBR metric.
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ESPN's QBR explained
Every week, ESPN gives each quarterback a QBR (quarterback rating) for their latest performance. According to ESPN, the rating is intended to "incorporate all of a quarterback’s contributions to winning, including how he impacts the game on passes, rushes, turnovers and penalties."
QBR measures each play's degree of success and how much credit the quarterback deserves for the play. The statistic also takes into account the strength of opposing defenses faced. The final result is an efficiency rating as a number on a 0-to-100 point scale. The cumulative rating is averaged out on a per-play basis across the course of the season.
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Ranking all NFL quarterbacks by QBR
Here's how all 32 NFL starters stack up using their 2024 QBR after Week 1 of the NFL season:
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (QBR: 89.9)
Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts (87.5)
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (85.9)
Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints (84.9)
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (83.9)
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (83.2)
Jacoby Brissett, New England Patriots (82.2)
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (81.0)
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (73.6)
Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (72.2)
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (69.6)
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (65.1)
Matt Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (62.9)
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (62.8)
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (55.8)
Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets (51.1)
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (48.4)
Justin Fields, Pittsburgh Steelers (42.6)
Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (41.5)
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (38.8)
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (38.1)
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (31.5)
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos (31.3)
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (30.9)
Will Levis, Tennessee Titans (30.8)
Gardner Minshew, Las Vegas Raiders (29.5)
Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons (28.9)
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (22.0)
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (20.4)
Daniel Jones, New York Giants (16.6)
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (10.5)
Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns (9.3)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL Week 1: NFL quarterback rankings by QBR in 2024