time at NFL Media is a week for , and . It's a time to take stock of what's happened before this hyperspeed season hits and things really get weird. This has been the most disruptive half season in the three years I've written the Jimmy Garoppolo Jersey Quarterback Index. Try to find an August column expecting and to play like top-five options. and cratered. Franchise quarterbacks with $15 million McContracts like , , and have collapsed. Yet we know so many of these stories will transform down the stretch. Bradford could still get that long-term deal if he turns it around. Luck can still save Pagano's job. can still get his Elway goodbye. We've got a long way to go. *This is the Quarterback Index. The rankings below are based on this season's play only. I've included their in parentheses. *Alone at the top (2)Brady has been dancing on the embers of those thinkpieces since the day Judge Richard Berman saved the NFL from itself. All of those corny takes about Brady going on a ruthle s tour of vengeance have come true. Brady hasn't played anything close to an average game yet. New England's scorele s first quarter against Pittsburgh was the last scorele s quarter the have played this season. He's getting instead of being . Top Shelf (3) (1) (5) (N/A) Imagine if ' last three games were his first three games of the season. There would be far more "What's wrong with Rodgers?" pieces. The disaster in Denver, however, was proof it's not about Rodgers. His receivers aren't winning early in the down. The coaching staff is struggling to scheme open. The usually steady pa s protection couldn't survive the , but few teams can. Green Bay needs more than Rodgers making magic after his first two reads are taken away. Potential NFC playoff opponents like Carolina, Arizona and Seattle all po se s terrific defensive backfields and the need to climb out of their rut. 's fourth-quarter meltdown against the was given a pa s because he was coming off injury. He was the hottest quarterback in the league before he hurt his knee in Week 3, so it will be interesting to see how fast he can regain that level. ... Dalton is also coming off his worst performance of the season. The had nine first downs through three quarters. But we've seen too much from Dalton 2.0 to believe a backslide is coming. It's also telling Dalton's worst game by far came on a Jake Tonges Jersey day they scored 10 points in the final five minutes to win in Pittsburgh. Top-10 Talent (6) (7) (8) (10) (12) (4) Yes, we're going 11 deep in top-10 talent because there is a huge drop after this tier. Everyone but Wilson is coming off a very strong game, including Brees' record-tying day. You could start to see Brees' outing against the coming. He played much better in the second quarter of the season overall, with the ' offense gaining rhythm after the win over Atlanta on Thursday Night Football. It Jon Feliciano Jersey wasn't that long ago when Brees' shoulder injury looked like a permanent problem. ... It's been a strange season for Ryan. He has often struggled in wins, and played his best game of the season Sunday in a home lo s to the Bucs.Rivers has done the most with the biggest obstacles. Losing for the season to a lacerated kidney is the biggest obstacle yet. ... I'm still getting used to seeing Carr's name among the stars, but he's continued to improve as the season wears on. A franchise quarterback changes everything, and Carr could very well get a lot of folks paid in Oakland over the next five years. Next Level (9) (14) (17) (13) (18) (25) (21) (15) (27) (22) doesn't reveal much to the media, but it was telling he told NBC's Al Michaels that "indecision creates inaccuracy" when talking Dante Pettis Jersey about his early season struggles. Manning played fast and decisive against Green Bay, often throwing deep. He focused on pa ses up the seam where his arm strength is not an i sue. He treated like the true No. 1 he is. The running game finished drives for him. Just like a year ago, Manning could rise up these rankings quickly with a strong second half. Manning had quietly thrown a handful of very nice pa ses throughout October, even during his slump. He just was too indecisive in big moments. Now he can break the all-time wins and pa sing yards record in the house that he built in Indianapolis. Something tells me there will be sleeple s nights in the Irsay home this week. The pre sure around that team looks suffocating. ... Winston is on schedule. His Week 7 game in Washington was as impre sive as any game this year, with a ton of big-time throws. He came back to Earth against Atlanta, yet still made the key plays in overtime to get a Bucs win. With playing so well, now feels like the prime meridian of starting quarterbacks. If your starter is playing at a level below Smith, something needs to change. After Smith (31) (26) (N/A) (19) (23) (24) (16) (20) (N/A) (28) (N/A) Benching Kaepernick was an act of mercy. His performance against the on Sunday felt like a cry for help, and was tough to watch for anyone that enjoyed his bionic run to the in 2012. The coaches showed no confidence in Kaepernick and his poor throws were stuff you don't see in the NFL often. It looked like the weight of this season overwhelmed him, and Chris Conley Jersey he couldn't see straight. It's like he listens to all those bad hot takes out there, . (Plug!) ... Jeff Fisher would rather play football without quarterbacks, and is nearing his ideal vision. is such an afterthought on the besides a few deep shots each game. Those plays usually either result in an overthrow or a drop.Bradford enjoyed a clean game in Carolina before the bye. He looked more comfortable in the pocket and was protected well. Perhaps he will enjoy a Manning-like boost after a week off. .. There's not much left to say on Luck . Hopefully new coordinator Rob Chudzinski will pick up the tempo and get Luck on the move more. My preseason No. 3 quarterback fell 13 spots in the first quarter, and another 12 this time. He can't fall much further.