QB Rank, Week 2: Johnny Manziel proves he belongs in NFL

Steven Ruiz | USATODAY

Well that was fun while it lasted.

After two consecutive games of solid play, Johnny Manziel is headed back to the bench, as the Cleveland Browns announced Josh McCown will be the Week 3 starter.

Sitting a young passer who has shown some signs of development in favor of journeyman who has proven to be nothing more than a backup makes little sense, but we’ll leave that discussion for another time.

Instead, let’s focus on what we’ve seen from Johnny football over the last two weeks.

Manziel didn't win the Browns’ starting quarterback job with his play, but he proved is capable of playing in the NFL.

That’s a huge step after a disastrous rookie season and humbling offseason spent in rehab.

Manziel is a far better quarterback than he was a season ago. That much is clear. Forget about the stats – he ranks in the top 10 in both passer rating and yards per attempt – Manziel’s improved play in the pocket has been the most encouraging sign of his development thus far.

The 2014 first-round pick is more confident in the pocket. He’s been more patient, willing to go through his progressions and give the receivers time to come open.

And when Manziel does escape the pocket, he’s done a better job of keeping his eyes downfield.

His game-clinching touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin last week against the Tennessee Titans is a perfect illustration of this maturation.

Manziel eludes a free rusher by spinning out to his left. He resets and finds Benjamin on the other side of the field running into open grass.

This wasn’t a case of a receiver running into Manziel’s field of vision. He knew where his receiver would be, and hit him with an accurate pass downfield. That takes veteran-like awareness to pull off under pressure.

Manziel still has plenty to work on, including ball security after fumbling four times in two weeks, and his height will always be an impediment. But the Browns' quarterback outlook is suddenly not so bleak.

Now, on to the rankings…

Last week vs. SEA: 25/33, 249 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

Rodgers' mobility was on full display Sunday night against the Seahawks. The 2014 MVP was constantly on the move, staying out of the grasp of a ferocious pass rush and finding receivers late in the play. His ability to extend plays and throw from awkward platforms is what separates from his peers.

Last week vs. BUF: 38/59, 466 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

So much for the Bills defense giving the Patriots’ offensive machine any trouble. Brady’s quick release – he’s averaging just 1.97 seconds from snap to throw, per Pro Football Focus – renders even the most formidable pass rushes ineffective.

Last week vs. SF: 21/27, 369 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions

Big Ben is playing the best football of his life with the best supporting cast he’s ever had. And he’s getting back Le’Veon Bell this week. The Pro Bowl back is not just a brilliant runner, but also another dangerous target for Roethlisberger to look for.

Last week vs. CIN: 21/27, 241 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception

Rivers made one mistake all day against the Bengals, and it cost his team a chance at a game-winning drive. With Peyton Manning and Drew Brees looking worse and worse by the week, Rivers has a firm grasp on the fourth spot.

Last week vs. NYG: 30/46, 363 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions

Ryan’s plan, as far as I can tell, has been to force feed Julio Jones the ball, and you can’t fault him for the strategy. The two have the best QB-WR rapport in the league outside of Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown. And when teams try to take Jones out of the game, Ryan has no problem moving onto Plans B and C.

Last week vs. NYJ: 21/37, 250 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 interceptions

Andrew Luck is getting unnecessarily bashed. Take a look at the tape, and find a play he left on the field. It didn’t happen. When the offensive line wasn’t letting free rushers tee off on him (you can count on one hand how many times that happened), his receivers were not getting open. Luck was forced to take chances downfield under pressure. Little surprise he threw a couple of picks.

Last week vs. CHI: 17/24, 185 yards, 4 touchdowns, 1 interception

The combination of Palmer and Bruce Arians’ offense means trouble for the league. This system was built for a guy of Palmer’s ability. He’s still got a decent arm and isn’t afraid to use it. He gave his receivers plenty of chances to make plays against the Bears, and more often than not they came through for him.

Peyton Manning, last week vs. KC: 26/45, 256 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception

Drew Brees, last week vs. TB: 24/38, 255 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception

We’re lumping the two old guys in together because both Manning and Brees find themselves in a similar situation. Both still have the mental side of the game down, but their arms are mush - though Brees attributed his struggles downfield to a hit to his shoulder. Both will have to adjust their games in order to survive.

Last week vs. GB: 19/30, 206 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception

Let Russell run, Seattle. The Seahawks spent the first half in Green Bay deploying Wilson like a standard quarterback, and had three measly points to show for it. It’s understandable they don’t want to put their $87.6 million investment in harm’s way by having him run around, but that’s why he is so good. When they opened up the offense and let Wilson run some read-option runs, the Seahawks started to move the ball. Imagine that.

11. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers 12. Eli Manning, New York Giants 13. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens

It’s almost depressing watching Newton as he attempts to carry a group of NFL nomads to offensive success. Carolina’s offensive line has been better than expected, but the receivers have been as advertised. This just might be the worst supporting cast in the history of the league. Speaking of poor receiver play, it doesn’t get any worse than the Giants’ final drive against the Falcons. Manning consistently put the ball in his receivers’ hands, only for them to let it slip through. Meanwhile in Oakland, Flacco did his best to prevent the Ravens from going 0-2, and he’ll be asked to do a lot more with the defense looking a little vulnerable without Terrell Suggs.

Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers

We’ll get into this more in a future edition of QB Rank (stay tuned!), but much like Manziel, Kaepernick looks like a different person in the pocket. It’s time to retire the one-read quarterback jokes. The 27-year-old still has his issues with mechanics, but he’s been more patient in the pocket while still possessing game-breaking movement skills. The fall of San Francisco may have been a tad exaggerated.

Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

If you thought Smith’s three-touchdown performance in Week 1 was a sign of change, think again. This is still the same old conservative Smith, who’d rather eat a sack or throw a hopeless ball to the flat instead of taking a chance for a big play. Sigh.

Jameis looked a lot better, and his stat line did too. Mariota was just as good as he was in Week 1, even if the numbers say otherwise.

Let’s start with Winston, who looked like he learned from his mistakes. It’s what you should expect from someone who has a work ethic and football IQ comparable to Peyton Manning, if you bought the pre-draft hype. This beautiful TD pass featured everything that we love about Winston as a passer: Touch, anticipation and accuracy.

Mariota got a tougher test on defense in Cleveland, and for the most part, he passed it. The Titans just aren’t good enough on the offensive end to expect anything more from a rookie with a lot to learn.

Best throw of the week

There’s a lot to love about this touchdown strike from Aaron Rodgers. First, there’s the awareness to draw Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett offside and to take a chance on the free play. Then he manipulates the best safety in the league, Earl Thomas, with his pocket movement, opening up a throwing lane. Finally, there’s the rocket of a throw, right on the money to James Jones, beating Richard Sherman for a score. Take a bow, Mr. Rodgers.

Worst throw of the week

Derek Carr redeemed himself for this duck with an impressive game-winning drive, but Ravens safety Will Hill could have called a fair catch on this throw earlier in the quarter. That’s an awful pick to throw in the final quarter of a tight game