The “prince who was promised” has officially claimed the top spot on Nick Wright’s “Mahomes Mountain” hierarchy, but get this, it is absolutely not Patrick Mahomes! After a wild Week 1 slate, Wright’s quarterback rankings just got blown up. Only one of Josh Allen, Caleb Williams, Trevor Lawrence, or Lamar Jackson can sit on that mountain peak after all the tremendous performances, and someone did, though Wright kept us guessing on the name! Mahomes himself dropped. What a way to kick off Week 2, right?
Who’s Falling Off and Who’s Barely Hanging On
First, let’s talk about the casualties. Some guys just got yanked right off the mountain. Sam Darnold, Kyler, and Tua are off the list due to injuries, which is a brutal start to the season for those squads. Then there are the guys whose play, or lack thereof, sent them packing: Deshaun, Cooper Rush, Cam Ward, and Malik Willis. Malik Willis, man, he’s apparently “dying to get on the mountain,” just trying to snatch somebody’s spot. Good luck, kid, this list is brutal.
Down in the seventh row, we’ve got Drew Lock, who actually played pretty well once he got going against what should be a solid Patriots’ defense. But then there’s Daniel Jones, and honestly, the big worry is his Achilles. He just doesn’t seem to want to run on it, with only one carry for four yards. If Jones isn’t running, he just isn’t effective. That’s a huge problem for his game.
The Mid-Tier Scramble and What’s Emerging
Moving up in the sixth row, Tyler Shough absolutely lit it up with 410 yards, and his connection with Chris Olave was good. The big question is whether that’s a “canary in the coal mine” for the Lions’ secondary. Jacoby Brissett had a serious game, even outplaying Herbert, which is wild. You watch him sometimes and you’re like, “This guy should start somewhere!” Then other times, he’s just slinging “laser beams” to the opponent’s secondary. Baker Mayfield, though? Those fumbles were awful, not just because they cost Wright in Week 1, but because the dude just got paid and he’s playing reckless. Not a fan of that.
The fifth row saw Jared Goff staying put, which is “fine.” Dak Prescott, on the other hand, had a disappointing opener, especially that interception before halftime. Brutal. C.J. Stroud gave us an “encouraging performance” even though he fumbled the ball away on the final possession to lose the game. That’s a tough pill to swallow. In the fourth row, Joe Burrow played fine, then threw a pick-six, let the Bucs back in it, but steadied himself to stay put. Jalen Hurts made the three biggest plays of his game, and they won, so he rightfully moves up!
The King Is Dethroned
Now for the real shocker: Caleb Williams jumped all the way up to the third row after what might have been the best game of his career. But the biggest news? Patrick Mahomes, the former king, moved *down* from the top spot of the mountain! Matt Stafford also slid down. Mahomes himself admitted he didn’t play that well, and he doesn’t want to be graded on an ACL curve, which is fair. But someone else is sitting atop that mountain now, and we’re all watching to see if they can hold onto it as Week 2 officially kicks off across the league. What a start to the NFL season!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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