Josh Allen only NFL starter with QBR better than Andy Dalton going into Week 5

Either the 2024 NFL season is completely drunk, or Andy Dalton is playing at an elite level right now.

Tim Weaver | Sep 30, 2024

ORCHARD PARK, NY - SEPTEMBER 22: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills shakes hands with Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals after the game at New Era Field on September 22, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. Buffalo defeated Cincinnati 21-17. / (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

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Carolina Panthers

Everything we thought we knew about the NFL heading into the 2024 season has been turned on its head. Almost everything, anyway. While the rest of the top 10 is very interesting to say the least, Buffalo Bills superstar Josh Allen remains one of the league's elite starting quarterbacks and currently leads the NFL in QBR (82.0) despite a poor outing on Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens.

If you guessed that Andy Dalton of the Carolina Panthers would have the second-highest QBR (76.2), then you should probably seek help but also got it exactly right. After Dalton it's former Panthers starter Sam Darnold (73.6), then standout rookie Jayden Daniels (73.4), followed by Brock Purdy (73.4) rounding out the top five. Joe Burrow (71.0), Lamar Jackson (69.0), Kyler Murray (68.3), Derek Carr (64.1) and Geno Smith (63.3) are ranked 6-10 heading into Monday night's games between Tennessee and Miami and Seattle and Detroit.

All together, Dalton has completed 51 of 78 pass attempts (65.4%), totaled 539 passing yards, five touchdowns, one interception and a 101.4 passer rating, which ranks 10th in the league. Dalton's current touchdown rate (6.4%) is the second-highest mark of his career since 2015, when he posted a 6.5% TD rate. His interception rate (1.3%) would be a career-low for Dalton, not counting the one start he made in 2023 against Seattle. Dalton's QBR is the best of his career so far.