The 2022 NFL regular season has concluded, and now it is time for the 2023 NFL Wild Card round of the playoffs. There are a wide variety of quarterbacks representing each conference in these games. TWSN NFL analysts Marissa Myers and Nader Assaf rank each of those quarterbacks.
AFC (Marissa):
1- Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Coming in at one is the quarterback with the most playoff experience and Super Bowl title, Patrick Mahomes. From making thrilling plays out of thin air to always giving his team a chance, he is sure to always put on a show in the postseason. Mahomes finished as the passing yards’ leader with 5,250 yards in the regular season and 41 touchdowns. Mahomes’ playoff experience he has helped give him the edge in securing this first spot.
2- Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
The quarterback that, with another successful postseason run this year, could rival Mahomes for that top spot, is Joe Burrow. After leading the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl in his first full season, Burrow has begun to add immensely to his postseason résumé. After a successful 2022 season where Burrow threw for 4,475 yards and 35 touchdowns, he has led the Bengals back to a spot to make another postseason run. His experience in these big playoff games and being able to succeed in them, making calculated plays to give his team the win is why Burrow lands at two.
3- Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
If this was in terms of tiers, Josh Allen would round out the tier one category with Burrow and Mahomes, as there is some drop off after here. Allen is right up there for the debate of being the best quarterback in the playoffs for the AFC. What lands Allen at three though is unlike Burrow and Mahomes he has yet to win the AFC Championship Game and experience making the Super Bowl. Now, Allen will absolutely get there at some point, and the dual-threat ability he has between throwing for 4,283 yards and running for 762 yards makes him a nightmare for opposing defenses. Allen knows how to bring it in the postseason, and will surely show that again this year.
4- Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert is entering the playoff scene for his first time. Over three seasons so far we have continued to see Herbert take over the game and elevate the talent around him, that is something to continue to look for in the playoffs. Even without Keenan Allen and Mike Williams for a portion of the season, he still threw for 4,739 yards and 25 touchdowns. Herbert will continue to pick apart defenses and make amazing throws in the process.
5- Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
From a losing streak to a winning streak and winning the AFC South, the Jaguars turned things around due to the leadership from Lawrence. He put together a solid second season, completing 66.3% of his passes for 4,113 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions. Lawrence comes in at five due to this being his first playoff appearance. He needs to get some more experience under him in big NFL moments like these because last week against the Tennessee Titans for the AFC South title, he was missing some wide open throws. The growth of Lawrence will continue, though, and he will only continue to add playoff experience throughout his career.
6- Skylar Thompson, Miami Dolphins
With Tua Tagovailoa out, and Teddy Bridgewater still dealing with an injury, it will be the rookie Skylar Thompson. He has either started or seen limited playing time in seven games this season, throwing for 534 yards on 60-of-105 completions. He only has one touchdown compared to three interceptions, and hasn’t exactly been able to get on the same page with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Thompson is ranked sixth though due to his extra playing time compared to who is in seventh.
7- Anthony Brown, Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson is out, so it will most likely be Anthony Brown under center, as Tyler Hunley is dealing with tendinitis. Brown got his first start last week, while he threw for 286 yards he only completed 43.2% of his passes for zero touchdowns and two interceptions. This is a huge game for Brown, and ultimately, his lack of experience and showing last week lands him at seven.
NFC (Nader):
1- Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
MVP contender and captain of the Philadelphia Eagles, Jalen Hurts, has shown the world this season that he’s staying put as the franchise guy for the green and black. Many people doubted his ability as a passer and efficient quarterback, looking at him as a filler until the Eagles could find a young stud through the draft. This year he silenced all of his critics, throwing for 22 touchdowns, rushing for 13, and finishing with a QBR of just over 101. The Eagles are sitting on top of the NFL alongside the Chiefs with the best record at 14-3, with two of their losses being with backup Gardner Minshew. Hurts struggled last year facing Tom Brady in the Wild Card Round, but he’s a new player with a new team around him. I guarantee he’ll put on a show.
2- Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Out of the millions of people who have ever suited up for a game of football at the youth, high school, college, or professional level, Tom Brady sits atop the throne as the greatest to ever do it. While it hasn’t been a great year down in Tampa Bay for the Buccaneers, the seven-time Super Bowl champion still put up positive numbers at 45 years old. Brady posted some of the best completion percentage numbers of his career at 66.8%, while throwing for 25 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. Starting in 2015, Tom Brady has won a ring every other year…2023 marks the next year on the pattern. Could Brady call it a career with one more ring?
3- Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Is Dak Prescott one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL? I wouldn’t say so. Is he still a really good quarterback? Definitely. At the beginning of the year, Prescott had surgery for a fractured right thumb, leading many to believe that the Cowboys season was already jeopardized only one week into the season. Cooper Rush held down the fort until Prescott returned in Week Seven, where he continued to bring Dallas wins and run the offense to its strengths. It wasn’t the best year for Prescott, but a solid one, nevertheless, throwing for 23 touchdowns, 2,800 yards, with a completion percentage of 66.2% in 12 games of work. He did throw 15 interceptions, but a solid handful were unlucky bounces. The potential for Dak Prescott to perform at a high level is there any given week, and this is one of the best shots the Cowboys have to win it all.
4- Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
“They wrote me off, I ain’t write back though.” The legendary quote that Geno Smith delivered on national television after beating the man that he sat behind for two years on Monday Night Football. While Seattle certainly slowed down after their hot 6-3 start to the year, it’s been an inspiring campaign for Smith, who’s been known as a backup for his entire career. In 17 games, Smith led the NFL in completion percentage, and topped all NFC quarterbacks with 30 touchdowns, basically guaranteeing a good amount of votes for Comeback Player of the Year. Smith will play the San Francisco 49ers today, and if he can get the Seahawks to the second round, it will only add more to this Cinderella story.
5- Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings won a lot this season. But in my honest opinion, they’re frauds. They were in too many close games against teams they should have blown out. Cousins threw the most interceptions of his career this season with 14, while also having the lowest passer rating of his starting career. If it wasn’t for Justin Jefferson, who knows where this team would be. I’m not comfortable with picking the Vikings against anyone, and it’s because of Cousins’ ability to disappear in big spots, and his overall inconsistent play. Don’t be surprised if the New York Giants come in and shut down Kirk and the Vikings.
6- Daniel Jones, New York Giants
Daniel Jones has shown some promising flashes this year, especially in the last couple of weeks. Brian Daboll has really helped Jones refine his game to play to his strengths, while also making him more comfortable. His performances in Week 16 and 17 answered questions on whether the Giants should stick with him going into next year, with the answer being yes. If Jones can go in and defeat the Vikings like I think he will, he’ll stand on an entirely different level. It wasn’t the cleanest year, but the potential is there.
7- Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Putting Purdy at the bottom of this list hurts my heart, and it’s in no way meant to be disrespectful. He’s played awesomely with 1,347 passing yards, 14 total touchdowns, and four interceptions in nine games (six starts), but his sample size was too small to rank him higher than any of the guys above him. Do I think he can perform better than Cousins and Jones? 100%. But being a third string, rookie quarterback with Super Bowl expectations is a lot of pressure for someone who came in at the end of the season. Let’s see if he can lead the 49ers to the promised land.
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