Ranking the Remaining Playoff QBs in 2023...And the Latest Odds

After a crazy first week of the NFL playoffs, we did learn that offense wins the games. The end of the day, it’s the quarterback. Let us rank all eight remaining starting quarterbacks ahead of the divisional round.  

The Bottom of the Barrel

8. Brock Purdy

It hurts to rank Brock Purdy as the worst remaining quarterback going into this round. It’s no disrespect to him, rather it’s respecting all the others. Purdy may be Mr. Irrelevant, but he deserves a lot of credit as a third-stringer turning in this sort of performance.

Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers were down, 17-16, to the Seattle Seahawks last week. He ended with 332 passing yards (three touchdowns), with a touchdown on the ground, too.

There were many questioning whether the rookie could get the San Francisco 49ers to the title. Now is the time to hop on the bandwagon. Priced at 4-1 (+400), the team is the favored (in the NFC) to win the title, according to Super Bowl odds.

7. Dak Prescott

There are three NFC East teams left in the playoffs, and the team with arguably the lousiest quarterback is the Dallas Cowboys. Dak Prescott is coming off a career-worst season.

Despite missing five games (broken thumb), the erratic quarterback led the league with 15 interceptions. Prescott has many weapons, and although he had a rough regular season, he emasculated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, potentially ending the storied career of Tom Brady.

This past Monday evening, Prescott had 305 passing yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Prescott now has a huge challenge against an elite defense in San Francisco. 

6. Daniel Jones

Time to give credit where credit is due. Daniel Jones played perhaps the best game of his career (301 yards, two touchdowns, team-leading 78 rush yards) in the wild-card round against the Minnesota Vikings. Jones was in a unique position and he has capitalized.

What were the G-Men going to do regarding Danny Dimes? There wasn’t an extension as the team welcomed Brian Daboll as its new coach. Coach and quarterback and staff have clicked, now an NFC East rivalry game against the No. 1 seed Philadelphia Eagles. 

5. Trevor Lawrence

Trevor Lawrence made history in his playoff debut, and not in a good way. The second-year former first overall selection was an interception machine. However, after four picks and a 27-0 deficit against the visiting Los Angeles Chargers, he turned it around, leading his team to a comeback, the final score of 31-30.

There’s nothing to lose here, as nobody expected the Jacksonville Jaguars to even make the playoffs.

During the season, Lawrence had 25 touchdowns, compared to just eight interceptions. Being a quarterback is all about having a short memory, and the 23-year-old now goes against a susceptible defense of the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Middle of the Pack

Before you dive too deep into these rankings, any quarterback that is still playing is quite good. Referring to any of these guys as “middle of the pack” is not an insult whatsoever. There are just better quarterbacks out there. 

4. Joe Burrow

So, last season’s Super Bowl bridesmaid, Joe Burrow, is the fourth-best quarterback left in this season’s playoffs. He narrowly escaped a not-so-good Baltimore Ravens team, and wasn’t even the reason. A poor sneak by Baltimore’s Tyler Huntley flipped the script.

Burrow is elite, and that’s true even with a poor line. He has weapons all the way downfield, but needs to play better this week against the Bills in Orchard Park. Buffalo is a five-point favorite, as per NFL odds.

This will technically be the first time they play one another this season. In Week 17, the Bengals were hosting the Bills when Damar Hamlin went down in a scary scene. A cancellation eventually ensued. This will be as anticipated as any game in the postseason.

3. Jalen Hurts

All season long, the MVP watch featured Jalen Hurts. Philadelphia was perfect through eight weeks, then finished the season at 14-3. Majority of the credit goes to Hurts.

Hurts is a dual threat at quarterback, but needs to show more of his arm to be higher on the list. He is very consistent, sees the field well. His 13 rushing touchdowns were second in the league, regardless of position.

In two games this season, the Eagles scored 70 points in sweeping the New York Giants.

Best of the Best

2. Josh Allen 

The last three on this list might well be the order of MVP voting. Josh Allen is the second- best quarterback in the league, the second-best remaining in the playoffs. Impact he has on the Buffalo Bills is unmatched, a little bit of everything in his arsenal.

Allen is a monster, such a strong arm and the ability to bulldoze opposing defenders a la Derrick Henry. The 26-year-old is the hardest quarterback in the league to tackle. He has thrown 17 touchdowns (three interceptions) in the playoffs.

A problem throwing the picks, but that’s generally been controlled in the postseason. Allen did throw two interceptions in the opening round. By limiting the turnovers, Buffalo is as  logical as anyone to win it all. 

1. Patrick Mahomes

…and finally, we have the magician in Patrick Mahomes. So not only is he going to win the MVP award, he and his team are favored (+325) to win the title. He’s so quick, but his mind slows things. How to explain his craft? Remember, a magician never discloses his secrets.

Mahomes has the best rating in the NFL at the position, entering the divisional round off a bye. With nobody wanting to go against Mahomes, first opponent this postseason is Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars.

Mahomes doesn’t (usually) try to do too much, and will prove once again why he’s atop this list. The end of the day finds Mahomes doing exactly what he does best…the unpredictable.

- Dan Shapiro, Gambling911.com