One of the best and most exciting parts of the AAF is watching the play of the quarterback position. Finding good NFL quarterback play is difficult enough, so finding good AAF quarterbacks should be all but impossible. With three weeks in the books, some passers are clearly establishing themselves as the class of the league. Still, others are leaving us wondering why they’re still starting. Without further ado, here are the AAF quarterback rankings after three weeks of action.
AAF Quarterback Rankings: Week Three
1. Garrett Gilbert (Last Week: 1)
Garrett Gilbert wasn’t at his best in Week Three, but he remains the best quarterback in the league. While his final passing stat line wasn’t anything special (14/28, 207 yards, one touchdown), he still managed to play mistake-free football and made a fantastic play with his legs.
So far on the season, Gilbert has completed 59% of his passes for a league-leading 827 yards and five touchdowns. On top of that, Gilbert has completed two separate two-point conversions through the air while adding a score as a runner and a receiver. One subpar week isn’t enough to knock the best quarterback in the league from the top, especially when his closest competitors had tough weeks of their own.
2. John Wolford (Last Week: 2)
John Wolford has taken a step back since his masterful four-touchdown performance back in Week One. Over the past two weeks, Wolford has completed 67% of his passes for 321 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions. This is still good production, and he gets points for erasing a two-score deficit in Week Two.
Wolford and the Arizona Hotshots entered halftime tied in Week Three, but Wolford suffered an injury and missed the second half. Arizona faltered without him, further showing his worth to the team. His presence in Week Four will go a long way in determining that game’s ultimate outcome.
3. Luis Perez (Last Week: 3)
Birmingham Iron quarterback Luis Perez performed a lot better than his final stat line would indicate. The quarterback finished his night completing 55% of his passes for 160 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. That said, the Iron receivers dropped half a dozen passes and Perez managed to convert two separate two-point conversions through the air.
Perez is still waiting for his first AAF touchdown pass, but that’s partially due to how effective Trent Richardson has been in the red zone. So far on the season, Perez has completed 59% of his passes for no touchdowns and one interception. He shows flashes of greatness every week but hasn’t quite put it together for a full game. That said, Perez is still one of the best in the league and is one of the most exciting players to watch.
4. Zach Mettenberger (Last Week: Unranked)
Zach Mettenberger has a chance to soar up this list if he can repeat his Week Three performance. Stepping in for an ineffective Christian Hackenberg, Mettenberger completed nine of his 12 passing attempts for 120 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. The former Tennessee Titans quarterback made a series of beautiful throws and almost completed a nine-point comeback against arguably the best team in the AAF.
The biggest thing holding Mettenberger back on these rankings is the small sample size. Hackenberg was the worst Week One starting quarterback in the league, yet it took Mettenberger this long to usurp him. Mettenberger needs to prove this wasn’t a one-week fluke before he starts to make it to the top of these rankings.
5. Philip Nelson (Last Week: 6)
After struggling in the first two weeks of the season, Philip Nelson easily had his best performance in Week Three. Nelson earned the start for San Diego, compiling 193 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while completing 68% of his passes. The Salt Lake starter made some great throws and bounced back from an early interception.
Nelson has the chance to soar up these rankings if he can continue to build on this performance. Still, his season-long numbers leave a lot to be desired. Playing in three games and making two starts, Nelson has completed 55.4% of his passes for 403 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. He’s also fumbled twice.
6. Josh Woodrum (Last Week: Unranked)
Josh Woodrum missed Week Two with an injury and I foolishly assumed that he wouldn’t be able to start in Week Three. Turns out, the Liberty College alumnus earned the start and put together a fine showing while leading Salt Lake to their first win of the season. Woodrum finished his night completing 22 of 31 passes for 178 yards, one touchdown, and a two-point conversion. He didn’t light the world on fire, but he took care of the football and ultimately did enough to take down the Arizona Hotshots.
This performance was an improvement over Woodrum’s Week One performance. Playing in half of the game, Woodrum completed 10 of his 22 passes for 103 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He’s still a lower-level starter in the league, but he’s worthy of holding on to the starting job moving forward.
7. Logan Woodside (Last Week: 4)
Logan Woodside didn’t have the best performance in Week Two, but I thought I saw some promise in those rainy conditions. I was wrong, as Woodside looked genuinely terrible throughout the majority of San Antonio’s 31-11 loss. Woodside completed 52% of his passes for 151 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. His final stat line gets even worse when considering that 47 of those yards and the touchdown came on the second play of the game.
So far on the season, Woodside has completed 51% of his passes for 629 yards, two touchdowns, and five interceptions. Granted, he’s converted two separate two-point conversions, but this is not good production. Backup quarterback Marquise Williams got in the game, completing all four of his passes while adding some excitement as a runner. San Antonio could have a new starter once Week Four’s action rolls around.
8. Matt Simms (Last Week: 5)
Atlanta Legends quarterback Matt Simms is just the worst. The Legends as a whole are the worst team in the league and are just a nuisance to watch, and it’s all embodied by Simms. Atlanta’s problems go beyond the quarterback position, but Simms simply looks lost under center. The former New York Jets backup finished Week Three completing 58.3% of his passes for 328 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions. While the yardage looks respectable, the majority of Simms’ yardage (and his touchdown) came long after the game was decided.
Simms enters Week Four completing 59.4% of his passes for 614 yards, two touchdowns, and six interceptions. At this point, it’s only a matter of time before hometown hero Aaron Murray takes the reigns. He can’t possibly be worse than this.
9. Trevor Knight (Last Week: Unranked)
The Arizona Hotshots are in trouble if John Wolford has to miss time with his injury. First-round pick Trevor Knight took over under center following Wolford’s injury, but he didn’t inspire a lot of confidence. Knight completed just 47% of his passes for 95 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. Knight could only put up six second-half points, both via the leg of Nick Folk. Arizona hasn’t announced the severity of Wolford’s injury, so hopefully, Hotshot fans won’t have to see Knight in Week Four’s starting lineup.
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