CHARLOTTE, NC – DECEMBER 24: Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons runs the ball against the Carolina Panthers in the 3rd quarter during their game at Bank of America Stadium on December 24, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

NFL quarterback power rankings: Week 17 edition

Throughout the 2016 NFL regular season, we’re ranking the league’s top 10 quarterbacks. Here’s how we view things after Week 16…

1. Matt Ryan, Falcons: The veteran is on pace to finish with the fifth-highest passer rating in NFL history. He also has a 9.3 yards-per-attempt average, which leads the league by a ridiculous margin.

2. Aaron Rodgers, Packers: After struggling for about a month to start the year, he’s been lights-out with a 26-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio despite a lack of support and a slew of injuries in Green Bay.

3. Tom Brady, Patriots: The NFL’s QBR leader ranks second to Ryan in terms of passer rating and YPA and has a 10-1 record since returning from a four-game suspension to start the season.

4. Dak Prescott, Cowboys: The league’s third-highest-rated passer hasn’t been asked to take a lot of chances, but he still makes a ton of big throws when needed. Throw in what he does with his legs and he’s having one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history.

5. Drew Brees, Saints: The 37-year-old has thrown 14 interceptions, but that comes with the territory when you aren’t well-supported and your team isn’t very good. He leads the league in passing yardage and has a completion percentage of 70.9.

6. Derek Carr, Raiders: Sadly, his breakout 2016 campaign ends with Carr having led a record-tying seven fourth-quarter comebacks.

7. Marcus Mariota, Titans: Sadly, his breakout 2016 campaign ends with Mariota posting a phenomenal 26-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio.

8. Matthew Stafford, Lions: His broad numbers aren’t off the charts, but Stafford has set a new single-season record by leading eight fourth-quarter comebacks.

9. Kirk Cousins, Redskins: The NFL’s sixth-highest-rated passer has been the king of deep balls for the playoff-contending Redskins.

10. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: Been a weird, up-and-down season for Big Ben, but he’s still been dominant at times while leading the Steelers to the AFC North title.

About Brad Gagnon

Brad Gagnon has been passionate about both sports and mass media since he was in diapers -- a passion that won't die until he's in them again. Based in Toronto, he's worked as a national NFL blog editor at theScore.com, a producer and writer at theScore Television Network and a host, reporter and play-by-play voice at Rogers TV. His work has also appeared at CBSSports.com, Deadspin, FoxSports.com, The Guardian, The Hockey News and elsewhere at Comeback Media, but his day gig has him covering the NFL nationally for Bleacher Report.

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