The AAF regular season is nearly over as teams are beginning to make their playoff push. At this point in the season, quarterback play has never been more important. Quarterback is easily the most important position in football and the difference between the haves- and the have-nots is remarkable. Without further ado, here are the AAF Week Eight quarterback rankings.

AAF Quarterback Rankings: Week Eight

1. Garrett Gilbert (Last Week: 1)

Orlando Apollos quarterback Garrett Gilbert should have been a lot better in Week Eight. The best quarterback in the league made quite a few uncharacteristic mistakes, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble. The fumble came at a terrible time, as Gilbert misdiagnoses a blitz and took a massive hit. Memphis returned said fumble for a touchdown, taking a fourth-quarter lead over Orlando.

Still, the best quarterbacks play their best when the game matters most. Gilbert put his sluggish start in the rear-view and played his best football in the final quarter. Gilbert orchestrated two last-second touchdown drives to give Orlando a 34-31 victory. So far on the season, Gilbert is completing 60.6% of his passes for 2,152 yards, 13 touchdowns, and three interceptions. Despite his subpar start, he’s still the best passer in the developmental league.

2. John Wolford (Last Week: 2)

It’s safe to say John Wolford and the Arizona Hotshots are over their midseason skid. Facing off against a strong San Antonio Commanders squad on the road, Arizona needed a win to keep their hopes of winning the division alive. They got exactly that, with Wolford completing 73.9% of his passes for 216 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions.

So far on the season, Wolford is completing 63.4% of his passes for 1,616 yards, 14 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He’s had one or two ugly games, but overall he’s been a reliable, dependable passer in a league where consistent quarterback play is hard to find.

3. Brandon Silvers (Last Week: 5)

Memphis Express quarterback Brandon Silvers might actually be good at this whole football thing. The Troy product took over early for an injured Johnny Manziel and played well in his absence. While Memphis couldn’t earn the win, Silvers finished his night completing a respectable 62% of his passes for 269 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Orlando’s defense is no joke, and the Express have no weapons on offense, so Silvers was solely responsible for all the offensive production.

This decent performance comes one week after he led the Express on a fantastic back-and-forth battle against the Birmingham Iron. Ever since Zach Mettenberger suffered his season-ending injury, Silvers has completed 63.6% of his passes for 777 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. Johnny Manziel is the bigger name, but Brandon Silvers is the better quarterback.

4. Marquise Williams (Last Week: Unranked)

For better or worse, Marquise Williams appears to be the guy for the San Antonio Commanders. The North Carolina product saw the majority of Week Eight’s action, completing 73.9% of his passes for 130 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. While his completion percentage was impressive, his 5.7 yards-per-attempt left a lot to be desired and the Commanders put up just six points with Williams running the offense.

This was the first game in which Williams saw any kind of extended action. The athletic quarterback appeared in three games prior to Week Eight but only threw a combined 12 passes. He does bring an added element on the ground, as Williams has recorded 120 rushing yards on 21 carries throughout the season.

5. Luis Perez (Last Week: 5)

The Birmingham Iron won in Week Eight, but Luis Perez didn’t have much to do with the victory. Earning the start over Keith Price, Perez finished his night completing just 41.7% of his passes for 65 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. It was a rough performance where Birmingham needed to rely on their defense and running game to defeat the hapless Atlanta Legends.

Keith Price came in late during the game, completing both of his pass attempts for 31 yards. Price played well in relief of Perez back in Week Five, completing 18 of 28 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown. Birmingham just earned a playoff spot and might try to install some life in the offense with Price under center.

6. Josh Woodrum (Last Week: 6)

There may not be a more Jekyll and Hyde quarterback in the league than Josh Woodrum. The Liberty product can pull off dramatic last-second comebacks on one drive and throw backbreaking interceptions on the next. Week Eight was all Hyde as Woodrum was awful against the San Diego Fleet. The Stallions quarterback completed 65.6% of his passes for 155 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions.

So far on the season, Woodrum is completing 64.2% of his passes for 1,450 yards, six touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Woodrum isn’t usually the reason his team loses, but he’s not good enough to put the team on his back and carry the roster to wins.

7. Atlanta Legends Quarterback of the Week (Last Week: 7)

Matt Simms or Aaron Murray? It doesn’t really matter, as both quarterbacks aren’t good enough to carry a talentless offense. Murray started Week Eight’s matchup, completing six of 13 passes for 100 yards, no interceptions, and one interception. Simms came on in relief but didn’t do much better. The former New York Jet completed 13 of 22 passes for 135 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception.

In many ways, it’s hard to blame Murray or Simms for their poor performance. The Atlanta Legends have been an absolute trainwreck since the start of the season, and it would’ve been impossible for just about anyone to succeed in this situation. Given no talent and no consistent coaching staff, both quarterbacks were set up to fail.

8. Mike Bercovici (Last Week: 8)

Watching Mike Bercovici play quarterback is just depressing. The San Diego Fleet have a decent roster, but Bercovici constantly sabotages the team by throwing into triple coverage on a regular basis. San Diego held Salt Lake to just eight points, but they still lost because Bercovici cannot run an offense. Bercovici completed just 46.8% of his passes for 210 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions in Week Eight’s action.

This subpar performance wasn’t a one-week fluke. So far this year, Bercovici is completing 51% of his passes for 1,311 yards, five touchdowns, and nine interceptions. The Fleet were one of the best teams in the league with Philip Nelson under center, but all that potential is wasted with Bercovici starting.

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