NFL QB rankings, Week 8: Drake Maye enters top five; Jaxson Dart climbs past Jayden Daniels

NOTE: Up/down arrows illustrate movement from the Week 7 QB Index.

TIER 1

• After a tremendous start to the season, Baker Mayfield experienced a rough Monday night in Detroit. The Lions did a fantastic job of making Mayfield uncomfortable, speeding up the quarterback while limiting his chances to create outside of structure. His accuracy was off, and once he lost Mike Evans to injury, it became clear he wasn't going to lead Tampa Bay to a stunning comeback this time. It didn't help that Emeka Egbuka wasn't playing at 100 percent, either.
• I've seen it coming for a while, but Week 7 made it undeniable: The Chiefs are back, and Patrick Mahomes is driving this Ferrari. He was stellar in Kansas City's dominant showing against Las Vegas and has already reestablished his connection with Rashee Rice, who returned from suspension last week. The Chiefs are once again an offensive machine and are your new (and familiar) AFC darlings.
• More of the same from Dak Prescott in Week 7: Fantastic accuracy, improvisation and an undying desire to propel the Cowboys forward. Most importantly to me, he's established one of the best quarterback-wide receiver connections in the NFL with George Pickens. Dallas games are appointment viewing because of their highlight-producing potential.

TIER 2

• Drake Maye is on a white-hot streak that made me consider moving him into Tier 1. He's unlocked a fantastic connection with Kayshon Boutte and has built a rapport with Stefon Diggs. Oh, and Maye is one of the NFL's best running quarterbacks, too. He’s cooking and could earn a new legion of believers if he continues his success against the NFL's top-ranked defense (Cleveland) in Week 8.
• Sam Darnold's stat line -- and Seattle's tendency to play with its food -- is misleading. In a Monday night game that felt as if it might never end, Darnold gave the ball away twice and allowed the Texans to remain in the fight even when they didn't deserve to be. Otherwise, Darnold was largely very good, and his connection with Jaxon Smith-Njigba is worth watching every week. The QB is a perfect fit for Klint Kubiak's offense.
• Matthew Stafford casually tossed five touchdown passes and shredded the Jaguars in London. Did I mention that he did so without the injured Puka Nacua? Stafford is still pretty darn special when he's asked to go out and sling it.
• Daniel Jones and the Colts are an offensive machine firing on all cylinders. They stormed into SoFi Stadium in Week 7 as if they owned the place, scoring three touchdowns in the first half with a level of ease unseen on most NFL fields. The pairing of Jones and Shane Steichen has me convinced the Colts are here to stay -- and it isn't just because of the coach.

TIER 3

• Justin Herbert played behind an offensive line that was not only without its two starting tackles but also the backup at right tackle, Trey Pipkins, against the Colts. Herbert ended up facing a pressure rate of 57.4 percent, and while he largely eluded the worst outcomes, these losses -- plus, the absence of their top two running backs -- have significantly increased the level of difficulty. Herbert is doing his best to overcome the adversity and was asked to throw the Chargers back into a game that was 23-3 in favor of Indianapolis at halftime. He finished with 420 yards and three touchdowns. Still, I wish it didn't have to be this difficult for him.
• Like the Packers, Jordan Love hasn't quite put together a complete game this season, but he came close to it against the Cardinals. It was largely a tale of two halves for Love, who embraced the chaos by choosing to scramble when necessary and dotted the field with sharp passes to help Green Bay to a comeback win in the final two quarters. It won't show in the box score, but Love's production was essential to the victory.
• The Buccaneers mixed up their pressure looks enough to force Jared Goff out of his comfort zone, a reality obscured by Jahmyr Gibbs' fantastic Monday night. Goff was nowhere near his best against Tampa Bay, accounting for two turnovers, but he still did enough to help the Lions grab an early lead and hold on to it.
• Jalen Hurts picked a perfect time to fire majestic touchdown passes and post a perfect passer rating in a much-needed road win over the Vikings. He was efficient, much more decisive than he's typically been this season and was the reason the Eagles ended their losing skid. That fourth-down touchdown pass to A.J. Brown was both a thrill and seemed to be a huge relief to Eagles fans concerned about the locker room dynamic between quarterback and receiver.
• The Unc Bowl delivered in Week 7. We saw Aaron Rodgers can still fire it with the best of them. The seed he threw to Pat Freiermuth gave the Steelers a late lead over the Bengals and reminded us of the arm talent Rodgers has always possessed. He made a terrible mistake when he threw a 50/50 ball to DK Metcalf that was never there (and was intercepted by Jordan Battle), but otherwise, Rodgers pushed the offense forward, albeit in a loss.

TIER 4

• The discourse that followed the Giants' heartbreaking loss to the Broncos largely overlooked Jaxson Dart's performance over the first three quarters (and discounted Dart's late-game efforts to regain the lead). Dart was excellent early in the game, making a memorable play by evading the rush, stepping up through the traffic and finding Daniel Bellinger for a 44-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. He embraced the challenge of the road game at Mile High, putting his body on the line all the way through the end (SEE: the QB keeper up the middle that required a full-extension dive to break the plane for a TD). Had the Giants not collapsed in the fourth quarter, more people would be singing his praises this week.
• Jayden Daniels found the going more difficult than anticipated against Dallas, but he was largely overcoming the challenges in a wild, back-and-forth affair before a hamstring injury sidelined him. With Washington already ruling him out for Week 8, my evaluations of Daniels have once again encountered a pause.
• Jacoby Brissett has proven his standing as a plus backup over the last two weeks by keeping the Cardinals in battles against superior opponents (Indianapolis, Green Bay). He hasn't shied from showing off his arm, doing everything a club would want from a veteran backup and more. It's a shame both games ended up painful, narrow defeats for Arizona.
• Joe Flacco notched an upset victory in only his second start with the Bengals by feeding Ja'Marr Chase unapologetically and reaping the rewards. Yes, it was a remarkable outcome, but those who watched Flacco pilot the Browns to the playoffs in 2023 shouldn't be surprised. Now, the question is: Can he keep doing it?

TIER 5

• After a stellar, gutsy showing in a Thursday night win over the Rams, Mac Jones has fallen back to plus backup status in the past couple weeks. Unlike Jacoby Brissett, Jones doesn't need to elevate his offense for San Francisco to win; he just needs to avoid crushing mistakes. He wisely leaned on Christian McCaffrey against the Falcons and owned his role as a game manager.
• Caleb Williams and the Bears have won four straight by playing complementary football, a brand that allows Chicago to compensate for Williams' uneven showings. He's moving the ball well but also has a blossoming run game to lean on, a luxury other passers wish they were afforded. Most importantly, Williams has largely reined himself in, save for the few chaotic plays that come with each of his starts. This is the right set of circumstances for him to properly develop.
• Bryce Young is consistently showing off his passing ability while working through a tendency to briefly panic when his first read isn't instantly open. Fortunately, Young is being afforded time to navigate the pocket and is no longer being suffocated by opposing pass rushes. He's allowed to work out these kinks, and he's also permitted to keep feeding Tetairoa McMillan. The latter is slowly starting to open up the rest of this offense, but Young’s status for Week 8 is in question as he deals with an ankle injury.

TIER 6

• Broncos fans know Bo Nix’s play is not yet at a consistently quality level. In fact, if there's reason to be concerned with Denver’s outlook, even at 5-2, Nix ranks right up there with Sean Payton's play-calling decisions. But Nix still has the clutch gene that allows him to step up when it matters most, as we witnessed during his team’s stunning comeback against the Giants. I know Broncos fans are with me on this: It would be nice if Nix and Co. shifted to playing their best before the fourth quarter. He's electric when his back is against the wall, though.
• The Texans simply cannot protect C.J. Stroud consistently enough to enable him to use his talent for their benefit.
• Spencer Rattler was slowly building a case to enter the parlor reserved only for my favorite quarterbacks most people don't appreciate, but then Week 7 happened. I filled the air surrounding me with groans when watching his performance against the Bears. Late ball to Mason Tipton, resulting in an interception? Groan. Overly ambitious heave to Rashid Shaheed while rolling left? Groan. An attempt to squeeze the football through a window the size of a needle's eye? Groan. I liked the way Rattler had been trending, but he needs to take a lesson from Week 7: Sometimes, you don't need to try to be a superhero.
• Cam Ward had a very nice first half against the Patriots, tossing a 38-yard touchdown pass to Chimere Dike and pushing the Titans into the lead with less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter. Things unraveled in the second half, a stretch that included another Ward fumble, with the ball slipping out of his hands before being scooped up and returned for a TD by New England. The potential is there, but things are not going to improve overnight, obviously.

TIER 7

• Carson Wentz's performances are guaranteed to include three elements: a dazzling bucket-drop throw or two, a courageous scramble attempted out of desperation and a regrettable throw that will sail over a receiver's head and/or land in the arms of a defender. Wentz did it all against the Eagles, keeping the Vikings in a close game but eventually sinking them with mistakes.
• The Raiders were constantly behind the sticks against the Chiefs, and Geno Smith never had a chance to lift them out of the deep, dark hole in which they are mired.
• Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins own the worst vibes in the NFL. Days after calling out his teammates, citing a lack of commitment (and perhaps his coach for a lack of leadership), Tagovailoa didn’t do anything to help his credibility, delivering an absolute clunker of a game in Cleveland. He threw two ugly interceptions (and an errant pass that was tipped for a pick-six) and sunk his team's chances of victory. That, my friends and valued readers, is how you drop 12 spots here in one week.

TIER 8

• The Jets probably would have already announced Tyrod Taylor as their Week 8 starter if he had been fully healthy. This offensive operation has been a disaster under Justin Fields and it’s hard to see things improving without a change at quarterback.