Now that the season is three weeks in and we have a little bit of a base to work with, I wanted to turn our weekly “Quarterbacking By The Numbers” column into an overall ranking at the position.
People have still been critical of the USFL quarterbacks. There is still quite a bit of inconsistency, but some of these guys are really starting to improve. Although the numbers don’t always show it, most of them are starting to look sharper, work faster, and make better reads.
1. Bryan Scott – 60 for 85(70.6%) 558 Yards 5 TD 2 INT 140.4 QBR
Bryan Scott has been the best looking quarterback so far, and I don’t think it’s that close. He leads the league in completion percentage, is also tied for the lead in passing touchdowns and third in total passing yards. Scott spreads the ball out better than anyone too, with Bug Howard and Jordan Suell getting the most targets but not by much. All with a less than great offensive line at times too, which has allowed him to be sacked a league most 11 times.
2. Kyle Sloter – 68 for 113(60.2%) 656 Yards 4 TD 2 INT 117.1 QBR
It is easy to see why this guy has been brought in and looked at by so many NFL teams. Sloter easily passes the eye test with his size, arm strength, and how good the football looks coming out of his hand. He leads the league in passing yards and pass attempts per game. New Orleans looks to be a legit title contender and Sloter is a big reason why.
3. J’Mar Smith – 46 for 89(51.7%) 582 Yards 5 TD 2 INT 120.7 QBR
After not even being the week one starter, J’Mar Smith has come in and done an excellent job for the 3-0 Birmingham Stallions. The completion percentage is extremely low, but luckily he has only thrown two interceptions and it hasn’t really cost them yet. He is also tied for the league lead with five touchdowns. Smith and the Stallions offense have been coming up big when it counts, and have one of the leagues best receivers in Victor Bolden Jr.
4. Jordan Ta’amu – 49 for 86(57.0%) 502 Yards 2 TD 4 INT 104.4 QBR
Jordan Ta’amu was the talk of the town heading into the season. Many people thought he would be the leagues best all around quarterback. Things haven’t gone like we thought, but Ta’amu may not be entirely to blame for this as the running game has been awful. It doesn’t look like the Bandits gave him great weapons outside of tight end Cheyenne O’Grady. I think he could be number one on this list before seasons end if the Bandits can adjust and get better around him.
5. Luis Perez – 34 for 52(65.4%) 315 Yards 2 TD 1 INT 125.1 QBR
De’Andre Johnson – 14 for 22(63.6%) 237 Yards 0 TD 0 INT 154.1 QBR
The New Jersey Generals are the only team running a true two quarterback system. Combined they have the fourth most passing yards on this list and the second highest completion percentage. It is clear they are a run first team, but these two for the most part have done everything asked of them. Perez appears to lack the strong arm to throw downfield, and I think Johnson could eventually be the every down guy.
6-8. Clayton Thorson – 37 of 68(54.4%) 454 Yards 5 TD 5 INT 120.1 QBR
Josh Love – 40 for 73(54.8%) 440 Yards 2 TD 2 INT 109.0 QBR
Shea Patterson – 39 for 71(54.9%) 365 Yards 1 TD 0 INT 102.8 QBR
Each of these guys have shown flashes of good things, but have also been the most inconsistent and benched at times.
Houston has a really good roster with an excellent run game, and might be a quarterback away from being a championship contender. Love has a spark about him and may not be entirely to blame either, but still just hasn’t got it done for the 0-3 Maulers. Shea Patterson wasn’t even the starter this week but came in after an injury to the unimpressive Paxton Lynch. Michigan has a similar situation to Houston where the roster looks good but the quarterback play has been awful.
Which quarterback do you think performed the best this week? Let us know down in the comments below or join the conversation on Discord.
