NFL QB rankings, Week 13: Josh Allen slips to Tier 2; where does Shedeur Sanders land?

NOTE: Up/down arrows illustrate movement from the Week 12 QB Index.

TIER 1

• The Mona Lisa. The Starry Night. A Matthew Stafford touchdown pass to Davante Adams. All three are great works of art, and Stafford's brushstrokes continue to prove masterful each week. He torched the Buccaneers for three first-half touchdowns and saved his best for last, a 24-yard drop in the bucket to Adams. He's simply playing the position better than anyone else right now and is the clubhouse leader for MVP.
• A bumpy Sunday in Cincinnati won't diminish my view of Drake Maye, a contender for the top spot in these rankings for a good chunk of this season. New England's struggles weren't his fault, and while his completion percentage hasn't hung in the clouds over the last few weeks, he's still doing a very good job.
• Dak Prescott is back in the top tier and for good reason. After two rough weeks, Prescott has returned to form, posting a 6:1 TD-to-INT ratio in his last two games. He led his team back from a 21-0 deficit like a seasoned warrior against the Eagles, keeping Dallas' postseason hopes alive and invigorating a fan base that has been rightfully frustrated for much of the fall. Don't doubt your fearless leader, Cowboys fans.

TIER 2

• Josh Allen learned how ferocious the NFL's top defense can be, especially when invigorated by a raucous home crowd on a prime-time stage. He gave it his best effort but was constantly under fire against the Texans. Also, he was clearly limited by Buffalo's pass-catching corps, which was without Dalton Kincaid and Keon Coleman (a healthy scratch for the second week in a row). Allen hasn't been consistent enough to stay in the top tier, but if recent history is a guide, he'll probably explode for a four-touchdown game against the Steelers on Sunday.
• Patrick Mahomes had an uneven day against the Colts, but he put together enough good throws to help the Chiefs overcome a 20-9 deficit and stave off the doomsayers for another week.
• Sam Darnold produced a boom-or-bust day versus the Titans, finding Jaxon Smith-Njigba for two fantastic touchdown passes and enjoying a largely pedestrian afternoon otherwise.
• Jalen Hurts might be the most volatile week-to-week mover in my rankings this season, and I know this because of how angry Eagles fans get with me depending on the week. They have other reasons to be angry this week, perhaps with offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who made some peculiar calls in the second half against the Cowboys. Prior to Philadelphia's meltdown, Hurts threw some excellent passes to A.J. Brown (mercifully) and DeVonta Smith. However, he eventually fell back into more of a managerial role, taking what the defense gave him. Then again, it's not as if the Eagles' running game is helping him. Hurts was Philadelphia's leading rusher with 33 yards.

TIER 3

• Jared Goff made some key throws when it mattered most, helping the Lions escape what would have been a massive upset by the Giants, but he played a secondary role in an offense that rode on the back of Jahmyr Gibbs. It's only been a little over two weeks since Goff lit up Washington's defense, but it sure feels like that happened long ago.
• Baker Mayfield's 2025 season is quickly devolving into something resembling his 2021 campaign -- you know, the one that preceded the Browns trading for Deshaun Watson and sending Mayfield to Carolina. The similarities increased when Mayfield suffered an injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder, the same shoulder that sustained a torn labrum in 2021. The injury isn't as serious this time around, but Mayfield's white-hot start to 2025 is fading in my memory, even if he gives maximum effort every week. The results aren't matching the intent right now.
• Caleb Williams' stat line is lying this week. He continues to follow an upward trajectory and is doing most everything asked of him by Ben Johnson. While Williams still makes a mistake or two per week, the picture looks exponentially better than it did at this time last year.

TIER 4

• Jameis Winston put together a memorable showing in Detroit. There were some absurd, gotta-have-it completions and two touchdowns via trick plays, including a catch-and-run score for Winston. Yes, you read that correctly; Winston made a contested catch, broke a tackle and high-stepped into the end zone. It was that kind of wild day for Winston, who is incredibly entertaining. In Week 12, he was incredibly productive, too.
• Cam Ward had his best game as a pro in Week 12, firing sharp passes through tight windows, embracing his ability to pick up yards on the ground and producing his latest cross-body throwing highlight, this time to former Miami running mate Xavier Restrepo. He continues to improve and has me convinced the Titans have their man. They just need to surround him with better players.
• Lamar Jackson does not look fully healthy and appears to be lacking the signature mobility that helped him become a two-time MVP. His passes have been a little off, too, though he dialed in his accuracy in the fourth quarter of the Ravens' win over the Jets. Jackson just doesn't seem like himself right now, a concerning sign as we approach December.
• Brock Purdy's passes have lacked zip in his first two games back from injury, which helps explain the interceptions he threw on three consecutive possessions against the Panthers. He made a few nice throws, but he should buy his defensive teammates gold watches for not allowing his mistakes to sink the 49ers. Right now, Purdy is struggling in the areas that are typically his best (namely, downfield accuracy). He needs to improve to maximize San Francisco's potential.
• I've accepted that Trevor Lawrence's games are going to include some ugly risks (leading to an interception or two ... or three). They'll be coupled with some stellar throws and great playmaking with his legs. What was once the Jameis Winston Experience is now the Trevor Lawrence Experience.

TIER 5

• Jacoby Brissett is a volume passer in 2025, a product of a Cardinals offense that is lacking much of a rushing threat. He's putting up good numbers and doing his best to keep Arizona competitive. He has his limitations, though, which showed in stretches of regulation against the Jaguars and in the disappointing end to overtime.
• Mason Rudolph did a decent job as Pittsburgh's starter against the Bears. The absence of a downfield threat during the Steelers' final drive was emblematic of their offense right now. It lacks an identity, an issue that Aaron Rodgers likely won't fix, either.
• Another week and another pick-six for Joe Flacco, who will return to the bench after a valiant effort as the fill-in for Joe Burrow. It didn't end as fantastically as it began, but Bengals fans will always hold a special place in their hearts for Flacco after this stretch.
• Not bad from Kirk Cousins, who launched a sharp touchdown pass to Darnell Mooney to seal Atlanta's win over New Orleans. Unsurprisingly, the pass was of the play-action variety, which is in Cousins' wheelhouse.
• One week after throwing for 448 yards, Bryce Young struggled to do anything right against the 49ers. It didn't help that his favorite target, Tetairoa McMillan, dropped an on-target pass on an early third down. The interceptions Young threw certainly didn't aid the Panthers, either -- especially the inexplicable pass he lofted into traffic in the end zone early in the game. Young is unreliable from week to week, but when he arrives at a good week, it's usually quite enjoyable.

TIER 6

• You have to feel for Geno Smith, who almost never has time to throw and was sacked 10 times while playing behind perhaps the worst offensive line we've seen in this decade. Somehow, Smith still managed to compile 285 passing yards and a touchdown in an otherwise non-competitive 24-10 loss to Cleveland. He's probably just glad he doesn't have to face Myles Garrett again this week.
• Tyrod Taylor demonstrated the qualities coaches want to see in a veteran backup: composure, timely decision-making and accurate passing. He completed some quality tosses and kept the Jets in a stalemate of a game but also can only do so much.
• Shedeur Sanders made a handful of impressive throws, including a 52-yard missile fired while on the run to Isaiah Bond to set up a Cleveland touchdown. His interception was typical of the kind of mistake committed by a rookie making their first start, but he didn't let it bury him and otherwise managed the offense fairly well, doing what Kevin Stefanski asked of him. Sanders rightfully earned a second start in Week 13. Don't let the talking heads fool you into believing he drove the Browns toward this victory and is suddenly their savior, though.

TIER 7

• After playing some quality football in his first win as a starter in Week 10, Tyler Shough reverted back toward the kind of rough territory that is familiar to many rookie quarterbacks. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes but was sacked five times by the Falcons, hindering his chances of finding a rhythm in a frustrating loss.
• J.J. McCarthy bottomed out in Green Bay, appearing as if the speed of the game was too much for him. He looked slow to process and even slower to react. He also seems to lack pocket awareness and is inconsistent with his footwork. On his first interception, he waited an extra beat before attempting the pass, and a late-arriving rusher (Rashan Gary) hit McCarthy's arm as he threw the ball forward. McCarthy's footwork problems caused his second pick, a rocket sailed well over Jalen Nailor into the arms of Packers safety Evan Williams. And now McCarthy is in the concussion protocol, leaving his status for Week 13 in doubt. At this point, it's safe to say McCarthy's first season as the QB1 has been a failure; he and Kevin O'Connell have a ton of work ahead of them to get him back on track.