Through 12 games in Week 8, Tom Brady once again has the highest Total QBR of the week. ESPN Stats & Information takes a look at the best and worst QB performances from Week 8 in terms of ESPN's Total Quarterback Rating (QBR).
Top 3
Tom Brady: 95.1 Total QBR
Brady leads this list of best QB performances for the third time in four weeks. Overall, Brady has a 91.6 Total QBR this season, which is nearly 10 points better than that of any other QB. Despite playing only four games, Brady also ranks second to Matt Ryan in QB points added, a total-value stat that accounts for efficiency and usage. Seven of the past eight QBs to win MVP ranked in the top two of that statistic in their award-winning season.
On Sunday, Brady completed 22 of 33 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills. Two of his touchdowns came on passes thrown more than 20 yards downfield, including his 53-yard touchdown (43 yards in the air) to Chris Hogan in the first quarter, which was his biggest EPA (expected points added) play of the game.
Brady was also spectacular on third down; he gained a first down on nine of his 12 third-down dropbacks and also drew two third-down penalties resulting in first downs. With the New England Patriots scoring on seven of their nine drives with Brady at QB, it’s not surprising that he again leads this list of best QB performances of the week.
Aaron Rodgers: 88.1 Total QBR
The Green Bay Packers did not leave Atlanta with a victory, but the loss cannot be blamed on Rodgers. Not only did the Packers’ QB throw for 246 yards and four touchdowns, he was also the team’s leading rusher with a career-high 60 yards -- all on scramble plays -- and added 2.5 expected points on runs. Only Dak Prescott was more effective with his legs in Week 8.
Despite the loss, Rodgers had a 95.6 Total QBR in the fourth quarter and led Green Bay on a 13-play, 86-yard go-ahead-touchdown drive before Matt Ryan led a go-ahead drive of his own in the final four minutes. It’s worth noting that Rodgers ranks second in QBR in Week 8, but Ryan is not far behind with the fourth-highest QBR (83.7).
Drew Brees: 87.8 Total QBR
Brees was good all around on Sunday but especially in the second and third quarters, when he led the Saints on four consecutive scoring drives (which became six by the end of the game). Brees was 14-of-18 passing (77.8 percent) in the second and third quarters, posting a 96.8 Total QBR during that span.
One of those four scoring drives culminated in a 1-yard rushing TD by Brees on third down. Brees added 1.4 expected points on his rushes Sunday, his most in a game since Week 3 of 2013 and a big reason that Brees added 9.6 expected points to the Saints’ scoring margin, the fourth-most of any qualified QB this week and his second-most EPA in a game this season.
Bottom 3
Andrew Luck: 26.0 Total QBR
After finishing with the second-highest Total QBR last week, Luck is at the bottom of the list in Week 8. He completed 19 of 35 passes (54.3 percent) on Sunday against the Chiefs, but he struggled with the deep ball. He completed just 1 of 7 passes traveling 15 or more yards downfield, his lowest completion percentage on such passes in a game this season and fourth-lowest in a game in his career.
Luck was pressured on 22 of his 48 dropbacks (46 percent), the third-highest pressure percentage in a game in his career. Although he had some success when he got passes off under pressure, he took six sacks, tied for his most in a game this season, and five of them came when facing four or fewer pass-rushers. Luck cost his team nearly 2.0 expected points on sacks on Sunday, the second-worst figure of any QB this week. Overall, Luck cost his team 0.6 expected points, the only qualified QB with a negative EPA in Week 8.
Russell Wilson: 28.6 Total QBR
Wilson failed to score a touchdown for the third straight game. Wilson had trouble when the Saints sent extra pass-rushers, completing 3 of 8 passes for 21 yards. His Total QBR against the blitz was 4.6, his lowest in a game this season and fourth-lowest in a game in his career.
Wilson struggled in the red zone, completing 2 of 7 passes, including 0 of 2 throws into the end zone. For the game, Wilson’s QBR might seem a little low given that he had only one turnover and took only one sack, but that's due in part to an adjustment for facing the Saints’ defense, as his raw Total QBR for the week was 38.3.
Josh McCown: 34.7 Total QBR
It was a tale of two halves for McCown and the Cleveland Browns. In the first half, McCown completed 16 of 27 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown to help the Browns build a 20-7 halftime lead. At the end of the first quarter, McCown had a 98.8 Total QBR, and through 30 minutes he had a respectable 81.5 QBR.
Then things went south for the Browns. After two completions to start the third quarter, McCown failed to complete a pass until there was 3:53 remaining in the game and the Browns were trailing by 11 points. In that span, McCown was 0-for-9 with two interceptions and an aborted snap. The Browns would go on to score a touchdown with 12 seconds remaining to make the score look respectable, but ultimately, McCown’s 1.0 Total QBR in the second half was a major factor in the Browns’ losing a winnable game.