NFL QB Rankings Entering Conference Championships: Which QB Is the Best of the Bunch?
We'll soon see which of the remaining four quarterbacks will provide their teams the best chance to win. For now, though, I'm providing my NFL QB rankings entering the Conference Championships.
There is, however, a difference between the QB sitting at the top of the rankings and the one I would prefer to have under center. Let's take a look at why that is with the analysis below one piece of our comprehensive Conference Championship predictions puzzle.
🏈 NFL Conference Championship QB rankings
| Rank | QB |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Darnold (Seahawks) |
| 2 | Matthew Stafford (Rams) |
| 3 | Drake Maye (Patriots) |
| 4 | Jarrett Stidham (Broncos) |
🟢 Would Sam Darnold be your preferred QB?
While accurate and poised, Darnold barely broke a sweat in last week's Divisional Round demolition of the San Francisco 49ers. I'm not taking anything away from his 70.6% completion rate and 110.9 rating, but Darnold only threw 17 passes for 124 yards and 1 TD.
He wasn't up against inclement conditions and clearly had the upper hand on an exhausted 49ers defense. The Seahawks, who have the shortest Super Bowl odds, relied heavily on the run game, with Kenneth Walker III finishing with 116 yards, only eight fewer than Darnold had through the air.
The 28-year-old managed the game expertly and deserves credit for that, but he wasn't put in many uncomfortable spots, and one walk-in-the-park playoff game doesn't provide enough reasons to have him as my preferred QB.
I'd be remiss not to mention his palpable playoff inexperience, as Darnold had one previous playoff start, last year's 27-9 wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Then again, the best sports betting sites have him as the Super Bowl MVP odds betting favorite, believing he has what it takes to be the man come Super Bowl Sunday.
I'm inclined to disagree.
🐏 Matthew Stafford, the best QB of the bunch
Stafford's path to Sunday's NFC Championship Game was far less straightforward than Darnold's, but more impressive. He overcame his Kryptonite, scoffing at the notion he couldn't win in rain or snow.
While Stafford is receiving the second-shortest Super Bowl MVP odds, he's my pick to secure the most venerated of individual playoff honors.
The 37-year-old is the only remaining QB with a Super Bowl title, and that experience advantage should bode well. Stafford will be the first to admit that his statistics through the first two playoff games weren't up to his exceedingly high standards, but who can blame him given the conditions in Chicago?
And does it really matter so long as your team lives to fight another day? It could also be his last kick of the can, and that has to count for something.
He's my guy, and I backed him to win a third successive road playoff game in my Rams vs. Seahawks prediction.
🪖 Can Drake Maye become 2nd youngest QB to win Super Bowl?
Like Stafford, Maye hasn't had everything his own way in his first postseason. Maye fumbled four times, two of which he recovered, and tossed a pick against the Houston Texans.
Those top-line stats should be taken with a grain of salt, though, as the 23-year-old faced the AFC's most frightening defensive unit in woeful conditions, yet prevailed.
That's the only thing that Maye, his teammates, and the coaching staff will care about.
He came up clutch when he needed to, and like he's done all season, played with composure well beyond his 23 years. Sure, he endured a few heart-stopping, panic-inducing moments against the game-wrecking Houston defense, but that can happen to the most experienced signal callers.
Just ask Aaron Rodgers.
I'm backing New England to cover the spread in Denver, which I outlined in my Patriots vs. Broncos prediction. The visitors' marked advantage under center is the primary reason. If it comes to fruition, Maye will become the first QB to defeat three top-5 defenses in the same playoff run.
Despite his projected unprecedented accomplishment, I believe he'll fall one hurdle shy of becoming the NFL's second-youngest Super Bowl-winning QB.
🐎 What is Jarrett Stidham up against in AFC Championship?
Insert preferred metaphor here. I'll use 'baptism of fire' or 'tossed under the bus' to describe career backup QB Stidham's forthcoming predicament. If you want to know more about Stidham, our Dustin Saracini summarizes his six-year journey well.
Stidham hasn't started an NFL game since the end of the 2023 season, which happen to be his only two starts with the Broncos. By the way, those two starts were meaningless games against the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders. He won one and lost one.
With a 29-47 ATS record since 2003, equating to a 38% cover rate, QBs in their first playoff game usually don't fare well. And that stat concerns QBs who are regular starters, not those being thrown into the fire after riding the pine for, excluding four meaningless offensive snaps, the entire season.
I don't care how much of a miracle worker Sean Payton is; there's too much for Stidham to overcome. I've been wrong before, though, so you should dive beyond the surface of Stidham's Super Bowl MVP odds.
🔮 Rams vs. Seahawks predictions
Follow all of our NFL analysis and betting advice for the 2026 NFL playoffs.
- NFC Championship odds
- Bet Puka Nacua for Super Bowl MVP
- How the Rams win the Super Bowl
- How the Seahawks win the Super Bowl
- Rams vs. Seahawks head-to-head history
- Rams vs. Seahawks prediction
- Rams vs. Seahawks player props
- Rams vs. Seahawks key matchups
- Rams vs. Seahawks prediction market
- Rams vs. Seahawks anytime touchdown scorer predictions
- Rams vs. Seahawks first touchdown scorer predictions
- Rams vs. Seahawks same-game parlay
- Matthew Stafford player props
- Sam Darnold player props
- Rams vs. Seahawks weather report
- Rams vs. Seahawks expert picks
🔮 Patriots vs. Broncos predictions
Follow all of our NFL analysis and betting advice for the 2026 NFL playoffs.
- AFC Championship odds
- How the Patriots win the Super Bowl
- How the Broncos win the Super Bowl
- Jarrett Stidham Super Bowl MVP odds
- Jarrett Stidham compared to Nick Foles
- How do backup QBs fare in conference championship?
- Patriots vs. Broncos prediction
- Patriots vs. Broncos player props
- Patriots vs. Broncos key matchups
- Patriots vs. Broncos prediction market
- Patriots vs. Broncos anytime touchdown scorer predictions
- Patriots vs. Broncos first touchdown scorer predictions
- Patriots vs. Broncos same-game parlay
- Drake Maye player props
- Jarrett Stidham player props
- Patriots vs. Broncos weather report
- Patriots vs. Broncos expert picks
💡NFL expert picks for Sunday
- NFL best bets for Conference Championships
- NFL weather report for Conference Championships
- NFL player props for Conference Championships
- NFL AI predictions for Conference Championships
- AFC Championship Game squares
- AFC Championship Game bingo cards
- AFC Championship Game prop bet sheet
- NFL playoff QB power rankings
- Super Bowl odds power rankings
- 5 Super Bowl prop bets to place before Conference Championships
- Super Bowl head Coach history and trends
- Super Bow look-ahead odds
- Ranking Super Bowl matchups
- Super Bowl anytime TD scorer predictions
- Who'll play in the Super Bowl?
- NFL anytime touchdown scorer parlay for Conference Championships
- NFC Championship Game squares
- NFC Championship Game bingo cards
- Super Bowl odds ahead of Conference Championships
- First Touchdown Scorer Predictions for Conference Championships
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