Week 6 NFL QB Power Rankings: Can Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield break into top five? Raiders’ Geno Smith plummets

1 He may not have gotten the best of the rival Patriots in a surprise Week 5 defeat, putting the ball in harm’s way a bit more than usual as of late. But he’s still the NFL’s most trustworthy playmaker at the position this side of Patrick Mahomes. 2 This guy’s a machine out there. Yes, we’ve seen before Goff can be shaken with steady pressure, but that’s most quarterbacks. Ever since a slow Week 1, he’s been on the money, now leading the NFL with 12 scoring strikes. (+2) 3 Resting up on the Packers’ bye in Week 5, Love may have had a scarily sloppy finish to Green Bay’s last outing, an overtime tie, but when asked to heave it as Matt LaFleur’s signal-caller, he’s been electric, averaging 8.3 yards per toss. (+3) 4 Los Angeles is 2-2, coming off a surprise loss to the Mac Jones-led 49ers. But that’s not for a lack of continued excellence from Stafford, who at 37 still looks plenty energized while dishing it out to Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. (+4) 5 The magic is still within Mahomes; it’s not hard to see it when he’s on the move, single-handedly carrying the Chiefs’ ground game. But even he isn’t meant to press so hard. Kansas City’s unusually sloppy setup isn’t doing him a lot of favors. (-3) 6 Week after week, Mayfield further cements himself as the face of the Buccaneers. Even when missing key vets like Mike Evans, he scraps it out with a near-unmatched vigor. And he’s all but mastered the art of fourth-quarter gunslinging. (+3) 7 After a 4-0 start in which they played not-pretty but efficient football, the Eagles seemed to force the pass to appease their unsettled wideouts in Week 5, and the results were jagged. Hurts is still a proven winner. Can his offense finally align? (-2) 8 Who knew missing CeeDee Lamb wouldn’t put a dent in Prescott’s passing production? Even with Dallas still battling defensive issues, the Cowboys have lit up the scoreboard thanks in part to Dak’s confident dealing from the pocket. (+2) 9 Daniels’ return from a knee sprain began relatively sluggishly. But if he didn’t take off as an ultra-smooth rusher like usual, the former Rookie of the Year finished strong through the air, showcasing pinpoint accuracy in critical spots. (+3) 10 A rushed throw-turned-pick ended his bid for a shootout win in Week 5, but on the whole, Darnold’s been razor-sharp feeding Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Under his snappy direction, the Seahawks are averaging almost 30 points per game. (+3) 11 Say hello to the hottest ascending quarterback in the game? Maye may not have a treasure trove of all-star weapons, but he was remarkably poised, especially while threading the needle on the move, to help lead a Patriots upset of Buffalo. (+3) 12 After a blazing start to the 2025 season that earned him legitimate MVP hype, Herbert has struggled to maintain the pace behind a shaken-up offensive line. He’s now thrown at least one pick in three straight games for Los Angeles. (-4) 13 The early-season bye might’ve been nice for Pittsburgh, but hopefully it doesn’t come back to bite the Steelers as Rodgers, 41, looks to weather another few months as the point guard. Quick releases are his friend as the face of Steel City. (-2) 14 The real Offensive Player of the Year favorite out of Indianapolis is probably Jonathan Taylor. But the rejuvenated Jones is part of the equation, threatening defenses just enough with his steady, consistent hand through the air. (+1) 15 There’s very little that’s pretty about Sean Payton’s Broncos attack, but Nix keeps finding ways to scratch and claw his way into contention. This time, it was a near-flawless fourth quarter against the reigning champion Eagles on the road. (+1) 16 The old Stroud might finally be emerging as Houston finds its offensive footing. It helps he’s faced some porous defenses the last two weeks, but maybe all No. 7 needed was to rebuild some confidence as a pure pocket passer. (+2) 17 Finally, some franchise-caliber moxie from the former No. 1 overall pick, who went blow for blow with Patrick Mahomes in prime time. Lawrence wasn’t flawless in the Jaguars’ upset, but he put both his arm and legs to dynamic work. (+2) 18 A little rest was probably much-needed for Williams on the Bears’ bye, as the former No. 1 pick spends so much time darting around the pocket. So far, his union with Ben Johnson has fared reasonably well, with a 97.8 passer rating on the year. (-1) 19 Penix spent this last weekend enjoying the Falcons’ early-season bye. Prior to that, he quietly reaffirmed his place as Atlanta’s No. 1 with a 313-yard showcase against Dan Quinn’s Commanders. He deserves some patience as “the guy.” 20 Even without Tyreek Hill, the sharp-eyed Tagovailoa kept Miami moving the chains to start Week 5. Then everything grinded to a halt down the stretch. It was a familiar story for a Dolphins group that just can’t get out of its own way. (+2) 21 For one half of his second start in place of J.J. McCarthy, Wentz was borderline reckless, absorbing big shots on the move. His veteran touch prevailed in the end, as he kept feeding his gifted wideouts to complete an overseas comeback. (+3) 22 Brock Purdy may or may not be back after another absence due to injury. But Kyle Shanahan might be OK with Jones staying put anyway. The old-school pocket passer has shown impressive composure operating his quick-strike attack. (+4) 23 Week 5 was a Cardinals masterclass in how to squander a game, and Murray had a hand — er, a head — in the collapse thanks to a fumble off his helmet. While always elusive, he’s still in search of a defining stretch as a quarterback. (-2) 24 Rugged and victorious in his first start for the Giants, Dart was still rugged but a little less reliable in Round 2, this time against the Saints. He doesn’t have a ton at his disposal, but he’s got to take better care of the football as well. (+1) 25 Another week, another mostly empty story for Fields and the Jets. The kid can fly, and he can sling it. He just rarely puts it all together at once. Or saves his highlight-reel plays until it’s too late. It’s still an indictment of New York as a whole. (+2) 26 So far, so good for the Browns’ newest quarterback (that makes 41 since 1999, if you’re counting). Gabriel wasn’t flawless in his starting debut, but he held his own and took care of the ball against a threatening Brian Flores-led Vikings defense. (+3) 27 We want to give Geno the benefit of the doubt; he’s a wily vet trying to create plays behind a makeshift front. Unfortunately, not even he seems to trust where he’s sending the ball right now, hence the NFL-leading nine picks in five games. (-4) 28 Ward is all over the map, for better and worse, as the freestyling gunslinger of a sloppy team. But his strong arm finally translated to heroism against the Cardinals, as he orchestrated a go-ahead scoring drive to seal a comeback. (+2) 29 The Panthers seem to put themselves in a hole almost every week, and that’s partially Young’s doing. But then he shows up with legitimate poise after the inevitable stumbles. If only the entire operation had some sustainable rhythm. (+2) 30 The one thing the Bengals need their emergency quarterback to do while Joe Burrow heals up is take care of the ball. The 40-year-old Flacco, just acquired via trade to replace the ailing Jake Browning, struggled to do that with Cleveland this year.  31 Rattler finally logged his first career win against the Giants, unleashing a nice bomb to Rashid Shaheed along the way. He’s been a true hit-or-miss placeholder for New Orleans, though he’s still thrown just one pick so far. (-2) 32 If you weren’t already convinced the Ravens lean heavily upon Lamar Jackson’s athletic gifts to get by, well, you should be now. Rush was hapless as the Week 5 fill-in, leaving Baltimore in a scramble for answers across the board.

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