Brock Purdy remains the NFL’s top quarterback through four weeks after guiding San Francisco past Denver’s disruptive defense, while Dak Prescott, Patrick Mahomes, Trevor Lawrence and Josh Allen round out the leading group. Purdy’s touchdown throw to Deebo Samuel illustrated the poise that has defined his start: he recognized when to leave the pocket without abandoning the play too quickly, then delivered a scoring pass rather than simply taking off.
Prescott’s connection with CeeDee Lamb powered Dallas in its high-scoring win over Houston, with Lamb nearing the NFL’s single-game reception record. Prescott finished 32 of 45 for 335 yards and a touchdown, producing 116 yards on five completions against the blitz. He averaged 16.6 yards per attempt when Houston sent extra rushers, his best blitz efficiency since a 2024 game against the Giants. The Texans pressured him only once on blitzes, matching their lowest such total under DeMeco Ryans, although their overall pressure still reached Prescott 13 times. He took three sacks and went 3 of 9 for 14 yards when pressured.
Mahomes completed only half of his attempts against the Raiders, but Kansas City’s offense has benefited from Kenneth Walker III’s weekly production. The next concern is the health of Tyquan Thornton and Rashee Rice after both were injured in Week 4. Lawrence was efficient in Cincinnati despite Jacksonville mistakes that contributed to the club’s problems, while Allen again produced a volatile performance that included an interception, though not one as careless as the turnover he made a week earlier.
Young, Goff and Cousins headline the next group
Jared Goff has been quietly productive for Detroit, with the Lions’ late-game failure to convert opportunities against Carolina standing as the major blemish. Lamar Jackson also has played at a high level, but his ankle injury clouds Baltimore’s immediate outlook after two strong weeks working with Zay Flowers.
Kirk Cousins has carried the Raiders’ offense with play that has resembled a quarterback a decade younger than his 38 years, even as his mobility has declined. His form has also reflected well on offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Bryce Young bounced back from a difficult Week 3 by attacking Detroit repeatedly in the middle of the field despite Jalen Coker’s absence. Young leads the league in passing yards after four games and completed 29 of 41 throws for 329 yards and two touchdowns in Carolina’s Week 4 victory.
Young connected on 14 of 15 throws on in-breaking routes, matching his career high with 14 completions and generating 160 yards and a touchdown on those concepts. He faced pressure on 40 percent of his dropbacks after being pressured on more than half of them in each of the previous two weeks, and he still went 7 of 15 for 103 yards and a score under pressure. C.J. Stroud, meanwhile, is no longer the central issue for Houston. Joe Burrow’s two costly interceptions against Jacksonville showed the risks of an offense tilted too heavily toward the pass, even with an elite quarterback under center.
Michael Penix Jr. has helped Atlanta since returning in Week 3, but the Falcons’ turnaround also owes much to Bijan Robinson’s work. The running game has allowed Penix to operate in more manageable situations. Matthew Stafford made several high-level throws to Davante Adams, Puka Nacua and Tyler Higbee against Philadelphia, yet two interceptions and a handful of narrow misses continued a somewhat uneven stretch.
Tyson Bagent made the most of his first start since 2023, staying within the Bears’ offensive structure against the Jets and completing key passes to Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. Bagent appeared ready for the opportunity even though coach Ben Johnson did not publicly name a starter before the game. Sam Darnold showed some lingering rust in his second game back from injury, but Seattle still handled the Chargers.
Deshaun Watson found his rhythm earlier than usual in Cleveland’s victory over Pittsburgh, continuing a gradual improvement and building a promising connection with rookie Denzel Boston. Watson was 21 of 28 for 241 yards and a touchdown from clean pockets, compared with 3 of 5 for 27 yards and an interception when pressured. Pittsburgh pressured him on only 21.6 percent of dropbacks, the ninth-lowest defensive pressure rate in a game this season, while Watson’s 2.51-second average time to throw ranked as the third-fastest mark of his career.
Drake Maye delivered an encouraging showing at Buffalo, making enough clutch plays to ease concerns around New England for at least another week. Tyler Shough continues to distribute the ball effectively to Chris Olave, Juwan Johnson and Devaughn Vele, but he has not been able to mask New Orleans’ broader roster shortcomings on his own.
Injuries, turnovers and offensive inconsistency shape the middle and bottom tiers
Marcus Mariota’s Week 4 game ended early because of an injury, leaving his standing largely tied to the work he had done before Sunday. Bo Nix threw a touchdown against San Francisco but struggled to establish rhythm against a 49ers defense that limited the improvisational plays that are normally his strength. He completed 25 of 42 attempts for 214 yards, with 24 completions on 29 throws traveling fewer than 10 air yards. Nix went just 1 of 9 for 30 yards on throws of at least 10 air yards and did not try a pass beyond 20 air yards until the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, when he missed on all three deep attempts.
Jalen Hurts posted poor numbers as Philadelphia’s offense again lacked consistency, though he still made timely plays with both his arm and legs. His touchdown pass shortly before halftime against the Rams was one of those moments, but the Eagles’ inability to finish the game hurts the overall assessment. Jordan Love threw two impressive touchdown passes against Tampa Bay and finally received meaningful help from Green Bay’s ground game, yet he remained uneven and ended the game with a late interception after underthrowing his target. Geno Smith had little chance to influence the Jets’ loss to Chicago, with New York running only 32 offensive plays.
Daniel Jones’ turnover issues resurfaced even as Indianapolis won in London against Washington. The Commanders turned to third-string rookie Athan Kaliakmanis after the opening two drives, and Jones’ mistakes remain a concern for the Colts’ offensive ceiling. Jameis Winston again mixed damaging turnovers with several outstanding throws in the Giants’ latest win. Afterward, Winston said he felt he was beginning to heat up, a description supported by stretches of his performance despite the weekly risk that comes with his style.
Jacoby Brissett opened well against the Giants before unraveling into a three-interception day capped by a game-ending pick-six. Arizona’s reliance on tight end Trey McBride became easier for New York to counter once it committed extra attention to taking him away. Jalon Daniels threw two interceptions in his first start as an undrafted rookie, but he also made enough positive plays to show why Tampa Bay wanted him as Baker Mayfield’s backup.
Kyler Murray remains uncomfortable in Minnesota’s offense. He averaged 4.9 air yards per attempt in Week 4, the lowest figure by a Vikings quarterback this season, and all 15 Minnesota points came from kicker Will Reichard. Only 18.9 percent of Murray’s attempts traveled at least 10 yards in the air, one of the lowest rates of the Kevin O’Connell era for a Vikings quarterback with at least 20 attempts. He did not attempt a 20-yard throw for the third time in his career, and for the first time since Week 7 of the 2025 season.
Cam Ward and Tennessee remain bogged down without much of a running game. The second-year passer has made notable plays, including against Baltimore, but the offense has appeared to keep him tightly restricted under coordinator Brian Daboll. More designed opportunities on the ground could help Ward, who has not been given much room to create.
Justin Herbert faced another difficult afternoon amid the Chargers’ mounting injuries and an offensive system that has not consistently suited him. Seattle pressured him on 55 percent of dropbacks, a rate exceeded in only one Chargers game last season. Herbert threw two first-half interceptions, lost a fumble and was strip-sacked with one minute left in the fourth quarter to seal Seattle’s win. Under pressure, he completed 7 of 13 passes for 101 yards and an interception while taking four sacks; from clean pockets, he went 12 of 18 for 88 yards, a touchdown and another interception. Malik Willis remains at the bottom of the group, but flashes in his play suggest there is still room for better results ahead.
