Bruce’s QB STEW: Top NFL passers after Week 14

After 14 weeks in 2022, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen slipped slightly from fourth place to sixth, which should be expected as the Bills’ offense on the whole hasn’t been quite as explosive over the last month compared to earlier in the season. Let’s take a look at the STEW.

For the uninitiated, QB STEW is a metric amalgamation I concocted in an attempt to have the flaws of one metric accommodated in the formula by the presence of another metric.

• You can find the original article with reasoning here.
• The post-Week 8 QB STEW rankings can be read here.

First, the results (among quarterbacks with 200 dropbacks in 2022):

Josh Allen turnover onslaught drags down his STEW

Passer rating and DVOA are influenced notably by turnovers. Passer rating obviously accounts for interceptions, but not fumbles, and DVOA accounts for both. But Allen’s run of turnovers (he’s thrown seven interceptions to go along with two lost fumbles) have pulled down his passer rating to 10th (it was fourth at the Week 8 check-in), and his DVOA to eighth (it was also fourth after Week 8). This, combined with the improved play from Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts, pushes Allen to sixth in QB STEW this time around.

Marcus Mariota falls back to earth, gets rightfully benched

The Atlanta Falcons’ post-Matt Ryan free-agent quarterback sat at ninth in the post-Week 8 STEW rankings largely based on the effectiveness of his rushing, with his QBR, EPA per play, and DVOA all showing up in the Top 10 of NFL QBs. But since then, he’s fallen to 21st, and the metrics that were buoying him have all regressed to the mid-to-low teens. With his more passing-focused metrics already below average, the Falcons rightfully made the move to see what they have in rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder.

Jalen Hurts surges as Eagles do, claims top spot

If the Eagles finish with the best record in football and Hurts remains on top of this list, he’s a solid bet for the NFL MVP award. He is top-five in every single metric that makes up STEW, and while no quarterback is currently approaching the STEW of Aaron Rodgers last year or Matt Ryan’s 2016 season (a staggering 1.57 and 1.43 score respectively), Hurts is showing well-rounded results for a top team — and in a year without one solitary quarterback standing out amongst the rest, I’d put my faith in him if these results persist.

Jared Goff rises

Jared Goff had a hot start to the year and was 12th in QB STEW after four weeks, before slipping slightly to 14th in the Week 8 measurement. Now after Week 14, he’s risen to ninth in the NFL. The loss of star second-year receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown for intermittant portions of the middle of the season plays a meaningful role in that slight slump for sure. Now, with rookie Alabama star Jameson Williams entering the fold, the Lions may be faced with a very different offseason question at the QB position than they may have thought coming into this season.

...and that’s the way the cookre crumbles. I’m Bruce Nolan with Buffalo Rumblings. You can find me on Twitter and Instagram @BruceExclusive and look for new episodes of “The Bruce Exclusive” every Thursday on the Buffalo Rumblings podcast network!