Three weeks into the NFL season, there remains just five undefeated teams—the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Minnesota Vikings. Despite solid performances by the quarterbacks of these teams, only Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Sam Darnold can qualify as being the top quarterbacks in the NFL at the moment.
However, Dan Orlovsky of ESPN begs to differ. The former NFL quarterback shared his list of the top five floor generals in the league at the moment. This is what the names on his list looked like:
- Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
Aaron Rodgers (New York Jets)
Sam Darnold (Minnesota Vikings)
Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals)
Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)
This list would be fair except that it does not include Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback because of whom the Kansas City Chiefs have an undefeated record.
Josh Allen truly deserves to be atop this list as the Bills’ quarterback has been phenomenal three weeks into the season. With 634 yards and seven touchdowns with zero interceptions, he is undoubtedly a front-runner for the MVP candidate this season. There is no denying that.
In the number 2 position is Aaron Rodgers, who has 624 yards and 5 touchdowns with one interception. The veteran is having a good comeback season and rightfully belongs in that spot.
The same goes for Sam Darnold who has caught everyone off guard with his performance this season. Considering the circumstances he was thrust into and the big shoes he was expected to fill, Darnold is a top QB in the NFL at this moment with 657 yards and eight touchdowns.
Kyler Murray’s presence on the list is justified too as the quarterback has thrown for five touchdowns and one interception but his team has won just one game so far this season.
Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, and Josh Allen ranked atop Dan Orlovsky’s list of Top QBs.(Images via IMAGO)
The final name on this list, Geno Smith is debatable. Sure, he has led the Seahawks to a 3-0 record but so has Patrick Mahomes. In fact, the Chiefs’ quarterback has thrown for 659 yards, five touchdowns, and four interceptions in comparison to Smith’s 787 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Does one more interception on the part of Mahomes mean that Smith is a relatively better quarterback than him?
There is no reason to believe that. It is understandable why Patrick Mahomes’ performance is being overlooked this season. In the past few years, he has played at an elite level consistently and this season, he is putting up average performances. But he is doing just enough to ensure his team secures the W.
That alone should mean something. If a quarterback is criticized when the team loses then he deserves the credit when the team wins. Given that the Chiefs are undefeated despite struggling on offense, Patrick Mahomes deserves to be ranked as one of the top QBs in the NFL.