NFL QB rankings, Week 7: Josh Allen ousted from top 3; Jaxson Dart makes biggest jump

NOTE: Up/down arrows illustrate movement from the Week 6 QB Index.

TIER 1

• The MVP talk around Baker Mayfield started to heat up last week, a discussion that might seem a bit premature, given we were only entering Week 6. In textbook Mayfield fashion, though, the quarterback made a Herculean play against the 49ers on third-and-long to pick up a first down with his legs, then launched a majestic touchdown pass to Tez Johnson two plays later to light Raymond James Stadium on fire. He's a joy to watch.
• Patrick Mahomes remains the crafty (aka annoying, if you're facing him) quarterback powering an offense that should scare opponents as we approach the midpoint of the regular season. For the first time in years, the Chiefs' offense looks like a machine and Mahomes is the driving force. The best part: Folks can't point to underwhelming stat lines when arguing against his standing here anymore. What a time to be alive.
• Dak Prescott is playing at an elite level, has found a trusty target in George Pickens and is the main reason the Cowboys are competitive. It's a shame they aren't a better team overall, because he'd be in the thick of the early MVP talk (even if it ends up proving irrelevant by December). Regardless, game recognizes game.
• Josh Allen looked human against Atlanta on Monday night. He couldn't scramble at will, struggled with unpredictable pressure and failed to carry Buffalo to victory. Also, he's developed a problem with throwing interceptions over the middle in recent weeks. The Bills need this Week 7 bye in the worst way. They can trust Allen to make a handful of unbelievable plays each week, but they're putting way too much on his shoulders and it's sinking their chances of victory.

TIER 2

• Sam Darnold's Week 6 outing wasn't his most prolific or sharpest, but he successfully guided the Seahawks through a challenging day in Jacksonville. His 61-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the latest highlight in their growing connection, and Darnold's TD toss to Cooper Kupp -- their first scoring connection of the season -- was a beauty. I don't need to see Darnold light up the scoreboard and stuff the stat sheet to know he's commanding his role with the ascending Seahawks.
• Drake Maye is playing with incredible confidence and command after leading the Patriots to three straight victories. He continued to show the football world how special he can be in New England's win over the Saints. His third-down completion to Mack Hollins -- a play in which Maye stepped up in the pocket, evaded a rusher, maintained his balance and fired an off-platform throw -- was a great example of Maye's potential. He's playing near an elite level right now and is the reason the Patriots are grabbing the attention of the rest of the NFL.
• Given his current circumstances, Justin Herbert deserves a ton of credit for finding a way to pilot the Chargers to a win over the Dolphins. He's playing without both of his starting tackles and his top two running backs, yet he still threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns. In the final minute against Miami, Herbert shook off a sack attempt, kept his composure and fired a dart to Ladd McConkey, who did the rest of the work to move the Chargers into field goal range. In a perfect world, quarterbacks like Herbert receive plenty of time to survey and deliver. In this imperfect world, Herbert continues to overcome the challenges the game is throwing at him.
• Matthew Stafford did a solid job of making the most of what was generally an ugly game against the Ravens, tossing a touchdown pass on a play-action bootleg to Tyler Higbee. I know the responsibility on Stafford's shoulders will only increase if he's forced to play without the injured Puka Nacua. I'd only trust a handful of quarterbacks to overcome such a challenge. Stafford is one of them.

TIER 3

• Jordan Love isn't loading up the stat sheet every week, but he's producing highlight-worthy plays. He made a few standout throws against the Bengals and continues to cause problems for defenses with his legs, although I feel his best is yet to come.
• Jayden Daniels is back, folks. After missing a couple games due to injury, he's returned to his dynamic, improvisational form. He wasn't afraid to take off for gains on the ground or launch a dime downfield to his intended target on Monday night. He did all of that and more in the loss. It is a shame, though, that his fumble set up the Bears' game-winning field goal.
• Aaron Rodgers compiled one of his best outings since leaving the Packers, displaying a level of mobility most thought he'd left behind in Green Bay. Rodgers still owns his trademark accuracy and used it on his touchdown pass to Connor Heyward, a true wow throw that should motivate defenses to keep the 41-year-old contained to the pocket. Like it or not, Rodgers isn't washed up and certainly isn't interested in taking it easy on an opponent. The Browns learned that lesson the hard way.
• Mac Jones made a mistake early against the Buccaneers, resulting in an interception. For the most part, though, he was as sharp, poised and effective as he's been throughout his run as San Francisco's temporary starter. The 49ers are fortunate to have him. If they'd been forced to play a lesser quarterback in place of Brock Purdy, that 4-2 record might look more like 2-4.

TIER 4

• Trevor Lawrence is the primary source of offense right now for Jacksonville and he just happened to encounter a Seahawks defense with no interest in making life easy for him. He still completed 27-of-42 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns, including a remarkably placed, off-platform toss to Tim Patrick. The throw served as a reminder of the talent he's always possessed.
• Jalen Hurts is part of the problem with the Eagles' offense right now, but I certainly can't put all the blame on him for the state of that unit. He has the third-longest time to throw in the NFL this season (behind only Caleb Williams and Justin Fields), and that number has skyrocketed to 3.24 seconds in the last two weeks. Philadelphia needs to unlock this offense by giving Hurts quicker options, but Hurts also needs to accept that the big play might not always be there for him. A reliable running game might help things, too.
• Tua Tagovailoa's Week 6 stats don't tell the whole story of his performance. He was generally sharp and propelled the Dolphins. Yes, he threw three interceptions, but one was the result of Jaylen Waddle bobbling an on-target pass in traffic, and another was the result of a desperate situation in the final seconds of their loss to the Chargers.
• Spencer Rattler is playing well above where I expected him to land through six weeks. I've been so impressed by his decision-making, accuracy, willingness to run and improvisational skills. I can see him rising even higher, too. I can also see him owning the starting job for the rest of the season, because he is not the reason the Saints are 1-5. He is the reason they've remained competitive, though.
• Jaxson Dart's Thursday night breakout is old news by now, but it sure was fun to watch. It's easy to see why Brian Daboll preferred Dart over Russell Wilson; the rookie is fearless and has the skills necessary to push the offense forward. Dart's pocket presence mirrors a quarterback with three to five years of NFL experience, and it's hard not to like a signal-caller willing to lay everything on the line to gain a first down with his legs. Daboll would probably rather see Dart slide for a first down, though.

TIER 5

• Bryce Young is stringing together some quality performances thanks to his developing connection with Tetairoa McMillan, which is starting to open things up for other pass catchers (Mitchell Evans, Tommy Tremble and Xavier Legette should all benefit). Most importantly, Young looks comfortable and confident again.
• Michael Penix Jr. made a living out of feeding Drake London against the Bills, a Falcons win that can't be chalked up to the quarterback's play but one that should invigorate the entire Atlanta roster going forward. Penix has plenty of work to do and isn't reliably accurate, but he hasn't taken any steps backward in the last few weeks.
• Jacoby Brissett steadied the Cardinals' offense in a riveting back-and-forth affair in Indianapolis. It was both encouraging to see and also concerning when considering how disjointed the unit has looked with Kyler Murray at the controls. This is why Brissett is considered one of the best backups in the NFL.
• Considering that Joe Flacco was traded last week and only had a few days to digest Zac Taylor's offense, he easily passed his first test, even in defeat. He's clearly a better option than Jake Browning. Flacco showed an understanding of the need to throw the ball toward Ja'Marr Chase and let the superstar make an unbelievable play. Chase did so twice against the Packers because Flacco gave him a chance. I believe the 40-year-old can do the same for the Bengals going forward, even if their journey won't be easy.

TIER 6

• Geno Smith avoided crushing mistakes, playing Captain Checkdown against the Titans. He averaged just 2.7 air yards per attempt. That's the product of an offensive coordinator understanding he needs to rein in Smith to increase the Raiders' chances of victory, especially when considering their lack of receiving talent. It worked in Week 6.

TIER 7

• Week 6 was probably Cam Ward's worst outing, even if you can't blame all the issues on the rookie. Almost nothing the Titans attempted worked, and Ward paid the price for it. Now he has to try to reset with Mike McCoy as interim head coach.
• Dillon Gabriel's ceiling seems to be in the Gardner Minshew range. He gets the ball out on time but isn't elevating the offense while playing behind an offensive line that continues to struggle with pass protection.
• Justin Fields is regressing. He clearly does not trust his offensive line and is pulling his eyes down prematurely, missing open targets early in his progressions. It's handcuffing the offense. I'm not sure if the Jets will be able to turn things around with Fields this season for reasons both in and out of his control. That Week 9 bye cannot come soon enough.