Any given Sunday ... every quarterback has a shot to sit atop the Total QBR leaderboard. While QBs are most often judged by wins and losses or touchdowns and interceptions, we like to rank them every week by the stat that measures their per-play contribution to their team's cause.
An explainer of QBR can be found here, but the main idea is to capture more elements of a quarterback's play than traditional methods usually consider. QBR includes the value (or lack thereof) of quarterback rushing, sacks, fumbles, relevant penalties and -- crucially -- the down and distance of every play. QBR works on a 0-to-100 scale, where 50 is roughly average and 75 is about Pro Bowl-caliber play.
Each Tuesday in this space, we'll highlight the best and worst QBR performances from the NFL weekend and break down what made each quarterback perform at either extreme.
Which quarterbacks were the best and worst of Week 3?
Top 3
1. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns
Total QBR: 95.5
QBR is already hopping aboard the Baker Bandwagon.
Already in his NFL debut -- a mere partial game, no less -- the No. 1 overall pick put up some impressive efficiency numbers. Mayfield became the first Browns passer to post a 90-plus QBR game since Derek Anderson back in 2007. That is 172 straight games below a 90 QBR, nearly twice as long as any other team's such streak since 2006 (as far back as QBR goes).
Mayfield didn't throw a touchdown, but it was evident to anyone watching the game that he brought quite a lot of value to the Browns in their comeback win over the Jets, unleashing a sea of Bud Light upon the city of Cleveland. The last time a quarterback played well enough to register a Total QBR over 95 without finding the end zone was in 2015, when Peyton Manning posted a 95.1 in Week 8 against Green Bay.
Instead of passing touchdowns, Mayfield's big production came via plays such as his third-and-10 conversion to Antonio Callaway in the fourth quarter and his 29-yard completion to Jarvis Landry in the third. -- Walder
2. Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers
Total QBR: 94.0
Rivers' traditional numbers might not be eye-popping, but he largely avoided damaging plays and added a few big conversions to give him the first 90-plus Total QBR game the Rams have allowed since 2015 and the highest since 2014.
Rivers did his damage on third and fourth downs. Seven of his eight biggest plays in terms of expected points added came in such situations, including a touchdown pass to Mike Williams on a fourth-and-2 and a 25-yard completion to Keenan Allen to convert a third-and-17. Here's a look at how the vet avoided sending out the punt team against the Rams. -- Gargiulo
3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Total QBR: 91.7
And they said Lamar Jackson was supposed to be the ground threat among the 2018 QB class. Turns out, Allen knows how to use his legs a bit too.
The Bills' first-round pick directed a shocking rout of the Vikings on Sunday, and his two biggest plays from a QBR standpoint both involved him running. It's no surprise that his most important contribution was his 10-yard touchdown run, but Allen also ran for a first down on third-and-9. That's expected points gold. He would finish the day with 39 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.
Of course, Allen also did plenty with his arm on Sunday, which is what Sean McDermott prefers out of his quarterback. He completed 15 of 22 pass attempts. The fact that he was able to succeed against a no-joke Vikings defense (the opponent adjustment boosted Allen's Week 3 Total QBR) is a good sign for Buffalo. -- Walder
Just missed: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (88.9); Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints (87.5)
Bottom 3
1. Tyrod Taylor, Cleveland Browns
Total QBR: 6.3
Not only did Taylor have the worst start (in terms of Total QBR) of his career, but he also was forced to leave the game with a concussion and lost his starting job. A pretty rough Thursday night for the former Bills starter.
Before being forced out of the game, Taylor completed only four of 14 attempts, and only one completion went for a first down. He also was sacked thrice. His worst play, in terms of expected points added, came on a five-yard loss on what looked like a QB draw on a third-and-2. If he passes concussion protocol and is deemed healthy to be active, he will be on the sideline next weekend. -- Gargiulo
2. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
Total QBR: 9.1
En route to shocking the world as the first 17-plus-point underdog in the NFL to pull off the upset since 1995, the Bills made the most of their opportunities pressuring Cousins. He was sacked four times -- including two strip sacks, his two most costly QBR plays of the day -- and, per QBR, was the worst quarterback of Week 3 when under duress.
But it also wasn't the only area in which he struggled. As the Vikings futilely tried to claw back, Cousins' attempts to air the ball out failed to connect with his receivers. Throwing at least 15 years downfield yielded just one completion for the Minnesota QB. -- Walder
3. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Total QBR: 19.4
Entering the season, Prescott had just three games in his career with a Total QBR below 45. But the Dallas quarterback now has posted a QBR below 25 in two of the first three weeks of the season. Is it a bump in the road or a sign of how much losing Dez Bryant and Jason Witten in the same offseason has impacted the young QB?
Either way, Prescott was uncharacteristically conservative, not attempting a single pass of 15 or more yards downfield. That's the first time he has failed to do so in a start in his entire career. -- Gargiulo
Just missed: Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars (20.2); Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears (31.5)