Greg Cote’s Passer Rankings: Ben Roethlisberger vaults to second overall
This is our 17th season for the Miami Herald’s Passer Success System (PASS) quarterback rankings, and nobody had ever had a week like this. Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger scored 80.10 points — 40 for 49, 522 yards, six TDs and zero picks in a win — to obliterate the all-time mark of 71.35 set by Matt Schaub in 2012. That vaults Big Ben to second place behind Andrew Luck for the season. Though overshadowed, Tom Brady’s 62.70 points last week ranks 10th best of all time. Dolphin Ryan Tannehill falls three spots to 20th. Because the rankings are cumulative, players on a bye week take a temporary hit that evens out over the course of the season. The Herald rankings use a simple formula unchanged since its inception in 1998, factoring accuracy, yardage, TD/interception ratio and team result. Most rating systems including the NFL’s and ESPN’s are complicated and percentile based, allowing players who miss half a season to still win a title. Our rankings are cumulative, placing a premium on passers who are consistently productive and avoid injury or benching. Find our updated season Top 20 in this space every Sunday:
MIAMI HERALD PASS RANKINGS
Player | LW | Week 8 | Season |
1. Andrew Luck, IND | 1 | 30.00 | 303.55 |
2. Ben Roethlisberger, PIT | 7 | 80.10 | 293.50 |
3. Peyton Manning, DEN | 2 | 43.30 | 289.70 |
4. Philip Rivers, SD | 3 | 34.60 | 279.65 |
5. Aaron Rodgers, GB | 4 | 34.90 | 265.60 |
6. Tom Brady, NE | 11 | 62.70 | 262.95 |
7. Drew Brees, NO | 9 | 51.55 | 262.35 |
8. Jay Cutler, CHI | 6 | 27.35 | 247.65 |
9. Tony Romo, DAL | 5 | 19.45 | 244.90 |
10. Matt Ryan, ATL | 10 | 27.40 | 237.30 |
11. Matthew Stafford, DET | 12 | 25.25 | 219.30 |
12. Joe Flacco, BAL | 8 | 3.75 | 215.45 |
13. Nick Foles, PHI | 16 | 31.55 | 191.95 |
14. Eli Manning, NYG | 13 | BYE | 187.65 |
15. Alex Smith, KC | 20 | 36.30 | 186.65 |
16. Colin Kaepernick, SF | 14 | BYE | 184.95 |
17. Russell Wilson, SEA | 18 | 22.95 | 181.50 |
18. Austin Davis, STL | 15 | 13.00 | 179.85 |
19. Andy Dalton, CIN | 21 | 29.31 | 177.55 |
20. Ryan Tannehill, MIA | 17 | 17.80 | 176.95 |
(*) Week’s best: Roethlisberger, PIT, 80.10; record (40-49, 522, 6-0 in win).
(*) Week’s worst: Geno Smith, NYJ, minus-12.75 (2-8, 5, 0-3 in loss).
Note: Thursday night results included in following week’s chart.
This story was originally published November 1, 2014 at 2:45 PM.