Quarterback rankings offer another way to evaluate how teams are performing, particularly when individual production doesn't always align with the results on the field. Pro Football Focus considers more than passing yards and touchdowns, using player grades and advanced metrics to assess how quarterbacks handle their responsibilities. That can, at times, be extremely helpful when, for instance, someone is trying to evaluate Geno Smith following another uninspiring New York Jets performance.
PFF's QB rankingsprovide a snapshot of where the league's starters stand entering Week 8.
Geno Smith remains in the same position he occupied last week followinganother disappointing Jets loss, 28-25, against the Miami Dolphins.
Geno Smith holds firm at No. 20
Smith remains 20th overall after
earning a PFF grade above 70.0 for the fourth time this season in the Jets' loss to the Miami Dolphins. While his ranking hasn't changed, McGuinness points to an interesting split in Smith's performance: He isn't generating many positively graded plays, but he has also limited negatively graded ones.
"Smith earned a PFF grade above 70.0 for the fourth time this season in Sunday’s loss to the previously winless Miami Dolphins. He is playing good, solid football this season. While he owns the fourth-lowest positively graded play rate at 11.9%, he also boasts the second-best negatively graded play rate at 5.8%."
That combination suggests Smith has done a reasonable job avoiding damaging plays, but the Jets need more opportunities that produce positive results. Reducing mistakes is valuable, yet the offense also needs consistent explosive plays and successful scoring drives to turn that steadiness into victories.
Josh Allen remains the AFC East's highest-ranked quarterback
Buffalo Billsstar Josh Allen ranks third overall, moving up one spot from last week's ranking and leapfrogging Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Allen's ability to influence games with his legs remains a major part of his value, particularly when his passing production isn't at its best.
"Allen jumps up one spot on the Bills’ bye week thanks to Patrick Mahomes dropping. While he has not been at his best as a passer this season, Allen has been able to keep the Bills’ offense churning with his legs. He leads all quarterbacks with a 91.5 PFF rushing grade, and his 21.2% positively graded play rate is 0.6 percentage points ahead of the next-best player at the position."
Allen's rushing ability gives Buffalo an additional way to sustain drives and create explosive plays. Even when the passing game isn't operating at its highest level, his mobility can force defenses to account for another dimension of the offense.
Drake Maye cracks the top 10 at No. 8
New England Patriots QB Drake Maye climbed three spots from No. 11 to No. 8 despite his team losing to the Chicago Bearson Thursday night. Maye has maintained a high level of passing production recently, and his performance against Chicago continued that trend.
"The Patriots lost to the Chicago Bears on Thursday night, but Maye played his fourth straight game with a PFF passing grade above 77.0. He was outdueled by Caleb Williams but still went 24-for-31 for 321 yards. Maye’s 6.1% big-time throw rate leads all NFL quarterbacks this season."
Maye's ability to produce high-quality throws has helped him climb the rankings despite New England's latest defeat. His placement also reflects how much his recent passing performances have strengthened his standing among the league's quarterbacks.
Malik Willis ranks 28th after moving down one spot
Malik Willis sits at No. 28, down one place from the previous ranking. Despite Miami earning its first win of the season against the Jets, Willis remains near the bottom of McGuinness' list.
"Willis drops down one spot but moves above Justin Herbert after producing his best performance of the year. He went 14-for-21 for 208 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and finished with no turnover-worthy plays in a game for just the second time this season."
Willis' improved outing against New York was an encouraging development for Miami, but one productive game wasn't enough to move him substantially up the rankings. His placement remains below those of the other three AFC East quarterbacks.
The bottom line
The four AFC East quarterbacks now occupy positions that mirror their teams' order in the division standings: Allen leads the way for Buffalo, Maye represents New England, Smith sits third with the Jets, and Willis ranks fourth with Miami.
For Smith, staying at No. 20 offers a measure of stability, but the underlying numbers point to room for improvement. The Jets need their quarterback to continue protecting the football while generating more positively graded plays, particularly as New York looks to close the gap on its division rivals.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Where does PFF rank Jets' Geno Smith among every starting QB in NFL?
