NFL Quarterback Power Rankings Week 3: Allen Holds Firm, Purdy Soars

Goff gets into the rankings despite Detroit’s loss, because quarterback evaluation needs to go beyond the final score. He threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in Buffalo. The slow start matters, and the comeback never became a genuine threat to steal the game. Still, producing that much against a strong opponent earns more credit than collecting a win while your defense does all the work.

The Week 1 version of Lawrence looked ready to kick down the door to the elite tier. Denver made him take a step back. He finished with 189 passing yards, no touchdowns and an interception, with the turnover helping the Broncos erase Jacksonville’s lead. One rough road game doesn’t cancel his opener, but fifth was an aggressive promotion. He stays in the top 10 with something to prove again.

Prescott answered Dallas’ opening loss with 279 passing yards and four touchdowns against Washington, becoming the Cowboys’ career leader in touchdown passes along the way. The milestone deserves its celebration, but the performance earns this ranking. Dallas needed its quarterback to drive the response, and he delivered. The offense’s ceiling remains high when Prescott is turning possessions into touchdowns instead of leaving points on the field.

Stafford apparently had some notes about last week’s omission. He delivered 327 yards and four touchdown passes against the Giants, with Davante Adams doing much of the damage while Puka Nacua was sidelined. The interception keeps this from being a spotless performance, but his response to the opener was emphatic. Seventh still leaves room to climb; another outing like Monday’s would make keeping him there difficult.

Hurts deserves credit for the finish and scrutiny for what made it necessary. Two interceptions helped put Philadelphia in trouble before he led the winning drive and found Darius Cooper with nine seconds remaining. That composure matters. So do the mistakes earlier in the game. He remains firmly in the upper tier, but Mahomes and Purdy supplied stronger cases for promotion. Winning the game preserves confidence; it doesn’t erase the entire afternoon.

Burrow’s one-place drop says more about the quarterbacks moving past him than anything alarming in Houston. He threw for 207 yards and two touchdowns, both to Ja’Marr Chase, as Cincinnati won 20–6. The defense deserves a major share of the credit, and Burrow hasn’t needed to deliver a weekly fireworks show. He remains a top-five quarterback here, with the encouraging possibility that Cincinnati can win without asking him to rescue everything.

Jackson threw for 235 yards and a touchdown, but his final interception ended Baltimore’s comeback chance. Playing without Zay Flowers provides context, and the loss certainly wasn’t his alone. Still, the Ravens managed only three second-half points against New Orleans. His established excellence keeps this from becoming a dramatic tumble, but he loses ground to two quarterbacks who delivered more convincing Week 2 performances.

Purdy threw two incompletions against Miami. Two. He finished 20-of-22 for 287 yards and two passing touchdowns, adding 30 rushing yards and another score. Miami’s defense belongs in the evaluation, but so does how thoroughly he handled it. Paired with his strong opener, that earns the biggest climb among returning quarterbacks. The supporting cast is excellent; Purdy is still the one making the decisions and delivering the ball.

Mahomes threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns in Kansas City’s overtime win over Indianapolis, repeatedly answering when the Chiefs needed another scoring drive. This was considerably more demanding than managing a comfortable lead. Sixth was always going to be a temporary address if he started producing like this. Allen keeps the lead, but Mahomes is back on his shoulder.

New stadium, familiar problem for everyone trying to stop him. Allen accounted for five touchdowns in Buffalo’s 41–31 win over Detroit: three through the air and two on the ground. He added 248 passing yards and 69 rushing yards, giving Buffalo answers in both phases. After two weeks, nobody has made a stronger case for this spot. The race behind him is crowded. First place remains a straightforward decision.