Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen top Colin Cowherd’s top 10 crunch-time QBs

National Football League

Published Sep. 27, 2024 12:26 p.m. ET

The NFL has a plethora of premier talent at quarterback between veteran players entering their prime — like Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow — and those on the rise, such as second-year starter C.J. Stroud and rookie Jayden Daniels.

That said, who are the best signal-callers in the game’s biggest moments?

Colin Cowherd provided his top 10 crunch-time quarterbacks on Thursday’s edition of “The Herd.”

Let’s get to it!

10. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Cowherd’s thoughts: “Lamar hasn’t been as successful as you think he has late, but it should be noted [that] in the last two minutes of his career, Lamar has a 120.0 passer rating.”

9. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Cowherd’s thoughts: “I may criticize Dak, but he was 3-0 in one-score games last year. Now, [the Cowboys] get their teeth kicked in about four times a year. In blowouts, he can be ugly, but in close games, Dak’s a grown up. Dak generally throws to the right guy. I don’t think he has the biggest arm. He doesn’t move around like Kyler Murray, but I just trust the IQ [and] the EQ.”

8. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

Cowherd’s thoughts: “This is where Brock Purdy won me over last week. Last week was a proving point. No Christian McCaffrey, no Deebo [Samuel], no [George] Kittle. Again, [Matthew] Stafford and [Sean] McVay. He didn’t win the game, but he won me over.”

7. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

Cowherd’s thoughts: “I don’t have a huge resume, but I love Jordan Love. He had three game-winning drives last year in his first full season as a starter.”

6. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

Cowherd’s thoughts: “Now, I don’t have a big resume to work with, [but he had a] 75-yard game-winning drive [with] 40 seconds [remaining] against the [Buccaneers]. Like, it’s impressive; I’m sorry.”

5. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets

Cowherd’s thoughts: “Aaron is good, but I’ve never thought he’s as great trailing as an [John] Elway, [Patrick] Mahomes, [Tom] Brady or a Matt Stafford. In the last two years, half his wins are game-winning drives, so he’s gotten better at it.”

4. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Cowherd’s thoughts: “Stafford leads all quarterbacks currently playing with 36 fourth-quarter comebacks; he had another one Sunday. His superpower, like Mahomes, [is] arm angles, throw from any platform. I don’t get mobility, and if the pocket collapses, he’s in trouble, but I put him [No.] 4.”

3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Cowherd’s thoughts: “I get just enough mobility, and I also think he got to a Super Bowl with road wins with an atrocious offensive line and was running for his life. That, to me, defined Burrow as less talent than maybe Mahomes, less physical wow than Allen, but his ability to win with bad O-lines — and we don’t know if Zac Taylor can coach.”

2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Cowherd’s thoughts: “I think his superpower is, if you got to pick up yards down the field, [the] best arm in the league [is] Josh Allen, also great scrambling. I think mobility matters a lot in that 1:45.”