Quarterback isn't the be all, end all of a teams' success. You just need the best defense in the NFL, in basically every meaningful category, to wipe clean the necessity for good quarterback play.
Just ask the Minnesota Vikings, who are 5-0 and are about to face-off with the Detroit Lions for the first time in Week 8. Prior to then, the Lions are squaring off with the Green Bay Packers and their very talented quarterback, Jordan Love. They don't have to deal with Caleb Williams for another month, when the two teams meet on Thanksgiving for a classic NFC North game.
This all said, there's only one quarterback in the division who has taken care of the ball to the point of posting zero interceptions to 12 touchdown passes, and has kept alive a touchdown-pass streak that has been ongoing since November of 2024: Jared Goff. He sits at the top of our quarterback ranking within the NFC North for these reasons, headed into Week 7.
NFC North QB Rankings ahead of Week 7
4. Kyler Murray
Stats:
662 passing yards (31st)
2 touchdown passes
2 interceptions
41.3 QBR
Murray has been an afterthought for the Vikings this year thanks to their ferocious defense, so his inability to take control of Minnesota's offense hasn't been that big of an issue. The team remains undefeated as they rest on their defense's laurels, but you have to wonder if that's a sustainable model against legitimately elite offenses in the future.
A team averaging just 21.8 points per game in a division with offenses like that of the Chicago Bears and Detroit doesn't seem super sustainable. A lot of that concern lies with Murray's lack of impact so far.
3. Jordan Love
Stats:
1,684 passing yards (4th)
11 touchdown passes
4 interceptions
61.7 QBR
Love has done an impressive job for the Packers this season despite working with a very poor offensive line. He's being forced to get the ball out extremely fast - 2.57 seconds per throw, which is second-fastest in the league - and is still managing one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL.
Love's bread and butter is his arm strength and accuracy, and he uses both to win a ton of 50-50 passes. Whether those result in completions, interceptions, or DPIs drawn, Love is finding more success than failure by relying on this strength. Still, the O-line presents a challenge to Green Bay, and Love, as they look to gain some steam in a hard-fought division.
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2. Caleb Williams
Stats:
1,020 passing yards (23rd)
5 touchdown passes
1 interception
79.3 QBR
Williams is nearly interchangable with Goff atop this quarterback ranking. We're rewarding Goff's durability here, as well as his lack of turnovers, but Williams is gaining steam as the number one quarterback in the division thanks to his absurd passing and elusiveness.
Beyond the counting stats above, one that stands out to me as such a Williams stat is his completion percentage above expectation (5.8). This is fifth-highest in the league and first in the division, and it shows that the passes that Williams is completing are quite difficult. He's aided quite a bit by an improved Bears offensive line, and his legs, which are giving him 3.22 seconds to throw on average.
Williams is a magician on the field, and as long as the Bears keep winning, he'll keep climbing these rankings.
1. Jared Goff
Stats:
1,485 passing yards (10th)
12 touchdowns
Zero interceptions
66.3 QBR
Goff is just one of the most reliable quarterbacks in the NFL, but especially in the NFC North. He is a fairly aggressive passer, averaging a 19.4 aggressiveness percentage. This means that he's attempting a fair number of passes into tight pockets or are well-defended, and still has not recorded an interception on the year.
A few more catches from Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Goff would have an even higher completion percentage and passer rating. Despite those drops, he's a steadying force for a high-octane Lions offense in 2026.
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