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QB Index · week 8, 2026

QB Index, week 8: Lamar Jackson on top

34 quarterbacks ranked on expected points per dropback, adjusted for pressure, and accuracy against expectation. Who climbed, who fell.

6 Nov 2026 · 4 min read
68Lamar Jackson, QB Index No. 1

Our quarterback ranking through week 8. It rewards the two things a quarterback controls most: adding expected points on every dropback, and completing passes more often than the difficulty of the throws predicts. Pressure is taken into account, so a quarterback behind a leaky line isn't punished for it.

Lamar JacksonNo. 1BAL, index 68
+0.37EPA per dropbackleague median +0.05
34Qualifying QBs15+ dropbacks a game

Top 10 by QB Index

Lamar Jackson (BAL)+68.2Caleb Williams (CHI)+67.3Joe Burrow (CIN)+65.5Drake Maye (NE)+64.5Josh Allen (BUF)+61.4Trevor Lawrence (JAX)+60.7Brock Purdy (SF)+59.6Geno Smith (NYJ)+57.9Jayden Daniels (WAS)+56.5Jared Goff (DET)+55.6

The movers

Kirk Cousins (LV) up 5 to 11th. Against the Jets he averaged +0.61 expected points per dropback, completion over expected by 15.1 points. His season average is now +0.18.

Patrick Mahomes (KC) up 5 to 13th. Against Denver he averaged +0.25 expected points per dropback, completion over expected by 7.8 points. His season average is now +0.15.

Michael Penix Jr. (ATL) down 14 to 27th. Against Tampa Bay he averaged -0.83 expected points per dropback, completion under expected by 31.3 points. His season average is now +0.02.

Bryce Young (CAR) down 4 to 12th. Against Green Bay he averaged -0.16 expected points per dropback, completion under expected by 6.0 points. His season average is now +0.07.

Steelers

Aaron Rodgers is 29th of 34: -0.09 expected points per dropback, completion under expected by 1.9 points, pressured on 20% of dropbacks.

The full table

#QuarterbackTeamIndexEPA/dbCPOEPressuredChange
1Lamar JacksonBAL68+0.37+7.422%▲1
2Caleb WilliamsCHI67+0.32+7.624%▼1
3Joe BurrowCIN65+0.25+9.024%▲2
4Drake MayeNE64+0.27+7.324%–
5Josh AllenBUF61+0.34+4.019%▼2
6Trevor LawrenceJAX61+0.28+3.921%▲1
7Brock PurdySF60+0.33+4.317%▼1
8Geno SmithNYJ58+0.14+6.024%▲3
9Jayden DanielsWAS56+0.14+5.622%–
10Jared GoffDET56+0.26+1.119%–
11Kirk CousinsLV55+0.18-0.424%▲5
12Bryce YoungCAR55+0.07-0.229%▼4
13Patrick MahomesKC53+0.15+1.621%▲5
14Dak PrescottDAL52+0.16+0.221%▼2
15C.J. StroudHOU51+0.14+2.319%–
16Jordan LoveGB51+0.14-1.122%▲1
17Deshaun WatsonCLE49+0.02-0.126%▲2
18Sam DarnoldSEA49-0.03-2.530%▼4
19Tyler HuntleyBAL47+0.02+0.921%▲1
20Kyler MurrayMIN46+0.01+2.021%▲2
21Jalen HurtsPHI46-0.03-2.227%▲2
22Malik WillisMIA46+0.02-5.426%▲4
23Tyler ShoughNO46+0.04-0.121%▲1
24Jacoby BrissettARI46-0.05-0.326%▲1
25Matthew StaffordLA45+0.10+0.616%▼4
26Cam WardTEN45-0.05-0.925%▲2
27Michael Penix Jr.ATL44+0.02-4.3–▼14
28Bo NixDEN42-0.00-2.620%▼1
29Aaron RodgersPIT38-0.09-1.920%–
30Baker MayfieldTB36-0.22-0.924%–
31Jameis WinstonNYG36-0.08-7.522%▲1
32Daniel JonesIND36-0.18-3.723%▼1
33Jalon DanielsTB35-0.11-6.622%–
34Justin HerbertLAC34-0.24-4.225%–

Index: 50 is average and every 10 points is one standard deviation. Change is against last week.

How the index works

Expected points added per dropback (sacks and scrambles included), adjusted to the league's average pressure rate, makes up 70%. Completion percentage over expected (CPOE), which accounts for how hard each throw was, makes up 30%. Both are put on the same scale first. Qualifying: 15+ dropbacks a game and at least half the team's games.

Sources: nflverse play-by-play (EPA, CPOE); Pro Football Reference via nflverse (pressures). Every number here comes straight from our pipeline.