In ranking NFC East QBs, does Prescott or Hurts lead the division in 2023?
The Dallas Cowboys easily led the NFC East arms race heading into the 2022 season. The Washington Commanders were trying to resurrect Carson Wentz, Daniel Jones was a complete bust for the New York Giants, and Jalen Hurts was seen as the weak point of the Philadelphia Eagles’ incredible roster. Dak Prescott was seen as the lone, bona fide difference maker in the division.
One year later, Jones re-signed to a big contract, Sam Howell is the question mark with potential atop the Commanders’ depth chart and Hurts is now the possible future of the division. Prescott is now battling the stigma of a turnover-prone QB with the label of “can’t win the big one.” With so much flipped in one season, how do the teams rank at QB going into 2023?
Washington Commanders
The Commanders come in last here because the penciled in starter is pretty much an unknown at the NFL level. Howell showed plenty of potential at North Carolina, averaging a completion percentage of 64%, 3,400 passing yards, 30 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions over his three-year career.
He had a 57.9 completion percentage and threw for 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception in his lone start.
Many thought he could have been a Day 2 pick, but Washington was able to snag him all the way in the fifth round. They are hoping he can be the QB of the future.
Jacoby Brissett is the one back up truly worth mentioning in the division. He played well in 11 starts last season and if Howell isn’t up for the task, then Brissett could step in and win games with the solid roster around him. He had a 82.6 overall PFF grade, while completing 64% of his throws with a two-to-one touchdown to interception ratio. Great insurance for a team with a good young QB.
New York Giants
In his first year under Brian Daboll, Jones went from a top-10 bust to a guy that organization believed worthy of signing a contract averaging $40 million per season. Jones was a poor football player through his first three years. He averaged under 3,000 yards passing, never threw for a 65% completion percentage and had 45 touchdowns to 65 turnovers. He was on his way out of the door until Daboll resurrected him.
Jones had his highest completion percentage, threw for the most yards in a season, had his career high in QBR, and his least number of interceptions and fumbles in 2022.
That being said Jones wasn’t that impressive throwing the football overall with only 15 touchdown passes and taking very few aggressive risks, the kinds top quarterbacks know they must make to elevate their teams.
The Giants are hopeful his production will improve with new receiving weapons like Darren Waller and Jalin Hyatt, but if he remains efficient, limits the turnovers, and continues to use his legs to the tune of 700 yards and seven scores then New York can win games with him.
Tyrod Taylor had an excellent three-year stretch from 2015-2017 while in Buffalo, but hasn’t done much since then and likely won’t move the needle at all if he is forced to play due to injury.
Dallas Cowboys
Another close call between the Eagles and Cowboys as in several other of the position group rankings. Prescott has had seasons as good, if not better, than Hurts did last year. The Cowboys QB was limited with the offensive line and weapons at his disposal as well, that being said, he didn’t play as well as Hurts did. Going into the 2023 season he has to be in the second spot.
The two main things holding Prescott back were his interceptions, and his health. He missed five more games last year, making that a total of 17 games out with an injury over the last three seasons. He started his career with 69 straight starts, looking like an ironman, but his durability is now a question mark. Last season he was willing to risk turning the ball over more often than in the past with a career high 3.8% of turnover-worthy plays (PFF).
Before 2022, Prescott was known as one of the best in terms of ball security, but last year he seemed to put too much trust in his pass catchers, and the play calls of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Most of his turnovers came from him attempting to make a play while in long yardage situations, so head coach Mike McCarthy will need to make sure his QB returns to his form, knowing a punt is ok. This is especially true with the talent he has on defense. Even more important for McCarthy is making more efficient play calls on first and second down to keep Dallas out of those long yardage situations.
For all the complaints, Prescott continued to move the ball in this offense. Having a top offensive unit with Brown as the second-leading receiver is an unbelievably impressive feat. Since 2018, in games Prescott has played in, his team has the most yards and scored the most points of any in the league.
Sometimes a QB can only elevate a team so much, Prescott isn’t Patrick Mahomes, so when the Cowboys take the roster they had, and put it up against the roster the San Francisco 49ers had, he is going to need to be the reason the team wins. He was anything but that in their playoff matchup last year though when he only had one viable option against an elite defense. Prescott is a good QB, and with the new tools around him, he could be the top QB in the conference at the end of 2023, but for these rankings, he is second in the division.
Philadelphia Eagles
Headed into last year, Hurts was considered a running back playing QB by some. He shut a lot of people up with an incredible, All-Pro season. He threw for nearly a 67% completion percentage, had 3,700 passing yards, 22 touchdown passes, and had PFF grades above 80. He was the Eagles’ best rusher as well with 760 rush yards,13 more scores, and an incredible 67 first downs rushing.
He showed up in the biggest game of the season as well. He is the only QB to complete 70% of his passes, throw for 300 or more yards, with at least one TD and zero interceptions in the Super Bowl. Add his 70 rush yards and three touchdowns on the ground, and he is the only QB to pull off that stat line in any single game in the history of the league.
Are their flaws to Hurts game? Of course, he had 15 total turnovers last season, plus the crucial self fumble in the Big Game, and now that he is paid the team will want to rely less on his legs to lower the chances of injury. His offense was loaded, allowing him to play a very vanilla offensive style with clearly defined reads. The question that needs answering is how will running the ball less with the QB impact the overall play of the offense. The problem for opposing defenses is, it was almost unstoppable, and that same loaded offense is going to be back next year with plenty of experience and room to grow together.
Until defenses show they can hold down this Hurts led offense, the QB is likely to continue his great play as the top QB in the division.
You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or at Youtube on the Across the Cowboys Podcast.
