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ESPN staff
We're nearing the halfway people of the 2022 NFL season, and the backmost scenery has brought plentifulness of surprises done 8 weeks. Starters who were connected shaky crushed successful the preseason are present successful the MVP hunt. Former backups are making a lawsuit to gain large wealth successful the offseason with coagulated play. Star signal-callers are struggling to get going -- and immoderate veterans person already been benched. Then there's the increasing interest astir the once-heralded radical of 2021 draught people quarterbacks.
We called connected Matt Bowen, Jason Reid and our NFL Nation reporters to reply 15 large questions astir the game's astir important position. Which slumping passers tin inactive crook things around, and which ones should we interest astir successful the 2nd half? Can Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers get backmost connected track? Is Geno Smith's breakout for real? And what should the Colts bash next?
Let's dive in, starting with our ranking of the apical 5 performers nether halfway successful the crippled close now.
Who are the NFL's apical 5 QBs close now?
Matt Bowen, NFL analyst:
1. Josh Allen, Bills
2. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
3. Jalen Hurts, Eagles
4. Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins
5. Lamar Jackson, Ravens
Tagovailoa jumps into my apical 5 astatine the midway constituent of the season. He is present the NFL person successful full QBR (78.7) and plays successful a strategy built astir his traits arsenic a thrower. Tagovailoa tin proceed to nutrient numbers arsenic a bushed passer who delivers the shot with timing and accuracy. In six games, helium has 1,678 passing yards, 12 TD throws and 3 interceptions portion completing conscionable nether 70% of his passes.
Jason Reid, Andscape elder NFL writer:
1. Josh Allen, Bills
2. Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
3. Jalen Hurts, Eagles
4. Lamar Jackson, Ravens
5. Geno Smith, Seahawks
I hold with Matt that Allen inactive holds the apical spot -- but not by overmuch implicit Mahomes. Smith, meanwhile, enters my apical five. He leads the league successful completion percent astatine 72.7% and has been outstanding.
Fill successful the blank: Aaron Rodgers' biggest occupation this play is _______.
Rob Demovsky, Packers reporter: He can't propulsion deep. Rodgers doesn't person the clip oregon the resources to bash it this year. An violative enactment that has been successful flux hasn't fixed him the indispensable protection, and helium lacks a morganatic heavy threat. His yards per walk effort of 6.6 is connected gait for the lowest of his vocation and would beryllium lone the 2nd clip helium has averaged less than 7 yards per attempt. And implicit the erstwhile 2 seasons combined, Rodgers has averaged 8 yards per attempt.
Which struggling QB are you astir acrophobic with astatine the moment, and however tin helium crook it around?
Bowen: Zach Wilson, Jets. He continues to conflict with decision-making precocious successful the down, and his frenetic play benignant has led to excessively galore antagonistic situations. A speedy fix? More defined throws and play-action concepts for Wilson to get the shot retired to a talented radical of perimeter targets successful New York.
Reid: Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars. His 2 interceptions were crushing successful a Week 7 nonaccomplishment to the Broncos, and helium has struggled passim the team's five-game losing streak. In 3 of the losses, Lawrence failed to station a Total QBR of astatine slightest 32.0. That won't chopped it. He has to marque amended decisions with the football.
1:51
Dan Orlovsky has a blunt connection for Zach Wilson aft the Jets' nonaccomplishment to the Patriots.
How disquieted are the Ravens astir the lackluster passing discourtesy astir Lamar Jackson?
Jamison Hensley, Ravens reporter: Not much, contempt injuries to Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman. The Ravens person proved they tin consistently triumph successful the regular play without Jackson throwing the ball. Baltimore is 24-2 (.923) erstwhile Jackson attempts 25 oregon less passes. The interest comes successful the playoffs, erstwhile teams person shown they tin unopen down Baltimore's crushed game. Jackson, who is 1-3 successful the postseason, needs to go much accordant arsenic a passer (three touchdowns, 5 interceptions) if the Ravens privation to marque a title run.
Fill successful the blank: Tom Brady's biggest occupation this play is _______.
Jenna Laine, Buccaneers reporter: Interior protection. The Bucs' interior pass-blockers person produced a walk artifact triumph complaint of 87.9% done 8 games, 2nd worst successful the NFL. The interior enactment is besides liable for 34 Brady incompletions, the astir successful the NFL for immoderate quarterback.
Last week, they had backup Nick Leverett successful astatine near defender portion struggling rookie Luke Goedeke nursed a ft injury, and the results were somewhat better. Tampa Bay's 90.5% interior walk artifact triumph complaint was 20th successful the league past week, their third-best people of the season, but this deficiency could beryllium peculiarly problematic this week against Aaron Donald and the Rams.
Which QB has taken the biggest measurement guardant this season?
Bowen: Geno Smith, Seahawks. The seasoned backmost has completed 72.7% of his passes done Week 8 and ranks 4th successful full QBR (66.6). Decisive with the ball, Smith is seeing it accelerated from the pouch and playing astatine a truly precocious level.
Reid: Jalen Hurts, Eagles. Everything he's doing close present is fabulous. The assurance helium exhibits is inspiring the full Eagles organization, and it's casual for him to beryllium assured erstwhile he's producing similar this. Talk astir a monolithic measurement forward.
Has thing changed implicit the past period for Jalen Hurts, for amended oregon worse?
Tim McManus, Eagles reporter: If Sunday's crippled against the Steelers was immoderate indication, helium has grown adjacent much arsenic a passer. Almost each of his stats this twelvemonth person been among the champion successful the league, but his numbers against the blitz were the objection done six games, arsenic helium ranked 25th successful completion percent (55.6%) portion throwing conscionable 2 touchdowns there. But against Pittsburgh, helium completed 11 of 17 passes against blitz (65%) for 179 yards and 3 scores. It's conscionable 1 much container he's checking disconnected en way to becoming a implicit quarterback.
How tin the Steelers maximize Kenny Pickett wrong their scheme?
Brooke Pryor, Steelers reporter: There are 2 schools of thought here. One, the Steelers could thin much connected their much experienced tally crippled and instrumentality the shot retired of Pickett's hands. Or two, they could thin into Pickett's big-play imaginable and fto him unfastened up the passing crippled connected earlier downs.
Guys similar erstwhile manager Bill Cowher advocator for the former, portion erstwhile Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger voiced enactment for the second successful his play podcast. One happening seems clear, though, for the Steelers to get much retired of Pickett. They request to effort for much splash plays and premix up their 12-14-play drives afloat of quick-hitters.
"Anytime you're having those 10-, 12-, 14-play drives -- careless of the offense, careless of the squad -- there's going to beryllium borderline for error," quarterbacks manager Mike Sullivan said. "... We'd emotion to person immoderate of those four- oregon five-play drives and six points, and truthful proceed to effort to enactment towards that."
Changing the tempo, making the discourtesy little predictable and giving Pickett the accidental to beryllium the violative spark tin maximize his skillset arsenic a mobile backmost with a moderately beardown arm.
What is the biggest quality successful Geno Smith's crippled from what we've seen successful the past?
Brady Henderson, Seahawks reporter: Smith is taking amended attraction of the shot than helium did aboriginal successful his career, erstwhile helium committed the third-most turnovers successful the NFL implicit 2013-2014 (41). He has conscionable 4 turnovers this season, though.
Smith filled successful for Russell Wilson for three-plus games past season, but he's intelligibly much comfy successful Year 2 successful Shane Waldron's discourtesy and has earned much spot from Seattle's coaching staff. Remember, helium played good capable to springiness the Seahawks a accidental to triumph successful each of those 2021 appearances, averaging 26 attempts successful his 3 starts portion executing violative crippled plans that weren't asking arsenic overmuch of him arsenic the Seahawks are asking of him now. Smith is averaging much than 31 attempts per crippled this season.
1:35
Field Yates and Stephania Bell analyse Geno Smith's awesome phantasy season.
We've seen 18 Zach Wilson starts. Is the enactment comfy with him arsenic its franchise quarterback?
Rich Cimini, Jets reporter: It's hard to beryllium comfy with a backmost who is simply a 55% vocation passer, with lone 12 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions, but the Jets stay assured helium volition proceed to make into what they envisioned erstwhile they chose him No. 2 wide successful 2021.
Frankly, it's hard to hold with that considering his afloat assemblage of work. His carnal traits and endowment are unquestioned; the contented is supra the shoulders. Wilson has a maddening inclination to effort to make thing retired of nothing, and it results successful games similar past week against the Patriots (three interceptions). He needs to retrieve he's not astatine BYU anymore. Wilson's 35.8 QBR since entering the NFL is 32nd retired of 33 qualified quarterbacks implicit that time, up of lone Baker Mayfield.
Are the Colts much apt to commencement implicit and draught a backmost successful 2023 oregon again look for a speedy hole via escaped bureau oregon trade?
Stephen Holder, Colts reporter: The Colts look acceptable to yet get disconnected their four-year thrust connected the QB carousel. They person started each of the 4 seasons since Andrew Luck's status with a antithetic starter, and it has wholly undermined immoderate effort astatine continuity for the franchise. The benching of Matt Ryan was the biggest indicator the Colts are acceptable to crook the page. The lone question seems to beryllium whether Sam Ehlinger gives them a crushed to deliberation helium tin beryllium their guy.
The 2023 draught people includes aggregate highly regarded QB prospects, including Ohio State's C.J. Stroud, Alabama's Bryce Young and Kentucky's Will Levis.
How overmuch interest is determination astir Matthew Stafford's interception rate?
Sarah Barshop, Rams reporter: There doesn't look to beryllium immoderate interest among the coaching unit oregon Stafford himself, particularly aft helium did not propulsion an interception successful Sunday's nonaccomplishment to the 49ers. McVay and Stafford person some said this play that each interception has a antithetic story, and they're often not related to each other. Five of Stafford's 8 interceptions this play came successful the Rams' archetypal 2 games, truthful helium has shown an betterment determination arsenic the play has gone on.
There person been plentifulness of issues with consistency successful this Rams offense, but Stafford's interception complaint (2.9% of his walk attempts) isn't astatine the apical of that list.
Are the Patriots wavering connected Mac Jones, and could they research different options successful the offseason?
Mike Reiss, Patriots reporter: No, they aren't wavering. If anything, manager Bill Belichick is going retired of his mode to amusement nationalist enactment for Jones, which included a large on-field clasp aft Sunday's triumph against the Jets, and past different jovial gathering successful the passageway earlier they boarded the buses to depart East Rutherford, N.J.
Belichick often says that helium leaves the big-picture evaluations similar this for the offseason, erstwhile determination is much clip to measure without the regular grind of game-planning, truthful there's ever the anticipation the squad could research different options for the future. But determination has been zero denotation -- publically oregon down the scenes -- that the squad is reasoning on those lines astatine the moment.
"Pass-blocking needs to beryllium better. That would help," Belichick said this week, successful 1 illustration of however he's going to bat for Jones.
What volition Marcus Mariota person to bash amended if the Falcons privation to scope the playoffs?
Michael Rothstein, Falcons reporter: It starts with his accuracy, which tin beryllium questionable astatine times. He's completing 62.9% of his passes, which is really the second-highest complaint of his vocation and tied this play with erstwhile teammate Derek Carr. If Mariota tin summation his accuracy and find ways to make chances for choky extremity Kyle Pitts, wide receiver Drake London and moving backmost Cordarrelle Patterson erstwhile helium returns, it should connection a diversification of Atlanta's run-heavy discourtesy and make occurrence for the Falcons successful a manageable way.
Pick 1 2020 draught people QB to commencement an NFL franchise with close now.
Bowen: Joe Burrow, Bengals. It's inactive Burrow for me. Consider the throwing traits, pouch mobility and toughness successful his game. Burrow has the constitution and intangibles of a franchise backmost successful this league.
Reid: Justin Herbert, Chargers. Nothing against Burrow oregon Tagovailoa, but Herbert remains underrated by galore contempt the information that he's spectacularly talented. Herbert possesses each the carnal tools and each the intangibles needed to pb a squad to success. He would thrive arsenic the cornerstone of immoderate franchise.
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