NFL
2022 NFL QB Grades: Tom Brady Was 1 of Several A-Plus Performers in Week 17, Which Also Includes Our Overall No. 1
Luke Norris began his sportswriting career in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2020. The former Section Editor of the NFL and Motorsports sections, he now spends his time here in the role of Senior Writer-Programmer. His well-rounded sports knowledge allows him to cover the NFL, NBA, PGA Tour, MLB, boxing, WWE, and NASCAR for Sportscasting. Luke is an avid golfer who finds inspiration in the way sports can bring people together and provide a distraction from the real world. He hopes to provide a little entertainment or an escape from the real world with every article he writes, even if only for a few minutes. In addition to his work here at Sportscasting, Luke's work has appeared on The Sportster, Inquisitr, GiveMeSport, FanSided, Yahoo! Fox Sports, and Sports Illustrated.
Get to know Luke Norris betterPublished03 Jan 2023
There’s no other way to start this Week 17 edition of our season-long NFL quarterback competition than by saying that this is all trivial, given what transpired on Monday night with Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin. And we here at Sportscasting wish this young man and his family all the best moving forward in this trying time.
With that being said, allow me to say this. I’ve long viewed sports as an escape from reality. Because at the end of the day, it’s grown men and women entertaining us by playing games.
But while divisive in nature, as sports pit teams or athletes and their fans against one another, it’s also one big community. And we saw that community come together and rally around Hamlin when real life entered the sports world on Monday night, which was incredible. Look no further than the millions of dollars donated to his toy drive for proof of that. And if you’d like to contribute yourself, CLICK HERE.
Look, I’m fortunate enough to make a decent living discussing these athletes and games that I find so entertaining. And my thought process as a sportswriter has always been that if I can entertain you or help you escape your own reality or whatever the case may be, even if only for a few minutes, I’ve done my job. And that brings me joy.
So if seeing how I graded every quarterback who played in Week 17 before this horrific incident went down entertains you in any way, I’m thankful for that. And if you’re not ready to get back to football just yet and click out of this right now, I’d understand that as well.
Whatever your process, you do you, folks. And know that we here at Sportscasting will be here to entertain you when you’re ready.
As the 2022 campaign nears its conclusion, our season-long NFL quarterback competition is obviously coming to a close as well.
With just one week remaining, we’ve still got a tight race at the top, but Patrick Mahomes created a bit more separation with yet another A+ performance, one of several we saw this week, which caused plenty of movement.
As it’s been the last few weeks, we added several new names to the board, all of which are included up here in the reserve room, which you won’t see next week as we’ll have a bit of a different format to close out the season. But for now, here are those 30 names.
- Bailey Zappe: 86.4
- Jimmy Garoppolo: 85.7
- Jarrett Stidham: 85
- David Blough: 85
- Lamar Jackson: 83.5
- Ryan Tannehill: 81.4
- Jacoby Brissett: 81.2
- Taylor Heinicke: 80.5
- Teddy Bridgewater: 80.3
- Chris Streveler: 78
- Matthew Stafford: 77.4
- Marcus Mariota: 77.1
- Cooper Rush: 77
- Gardner Minshew: 76.3
- Joe Flacco: 76.2
- Colt McCoy: 75.7
- Jameis Winston: 75.5
- Mitch Trubisky: 75.01
- PJ Walker: 75.009
- Joshua Dobbs: 75
- Trevor Siemian: 75
- Brett Rypien: 75
- Zach Wilson: 73.7
- Skylar Thompson: 73.1
- Sam Ehlinger: 69.7
- John Wolford: 67.3
- Kyle Allen: 65
- Trace McSorley: 63.3
- Bryce Perkins: 60.4
- Nick Foles: 60
As a reminder, if you’d like to see our rankings have played out during this 2022 NFL season, I invite you to check out our full grade book.
And without further ado, let’s get to the 32 in our featured section.
**Joe Burrow and Josh Allen obviously didn’t receive grades this week. If the Bills and Bengals do end up finishing that game, we’ll adjust the numbers accordingly.
32. Malik Willis, Tennessee Titans (1-2)
Week 17 Stats: N/A
Week 17 Grade: N/A
Malik Willis was benched for Joshua Dobbs in the Titans’ Week 17 loss to the Cowboys and will also watch from the sidelines in Week 18 when Tennessee squares off with the Jaguars for the AFC South title.
Making his first-ever NFL start, Dobbs earned a C for his performance, completing 20 of 39 passes for 232 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 31-61, 276 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT; 27 rushes, 123 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 59.6
31. Desmond Ridder, Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
Week 17 Stats: 19-26, 169 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 9 yards
Week 17 Grade: C+
While he’s still yet to throw a touchdown or an interception in his three starts, Desmond Ridder set a new career-high for completion percentage as he connected on 19 of 26 targets for 169 yards in the Atlanta Falcons’ 20-19 victory over the Arizona Cardinals to notch his first career win.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 54-85, 484 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 14 rushes, 55 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 72.5
30. Mike White, New York Jets (1-3)
Week 17 Stats: 23-46, 240 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT
Week 17 Grade: F
Back in the lineup after missing the last two weeks with a rib injury, Mike White couldn’t help the New York Jets keep their playoff hopes alive as Gang Green fell to the Seattle Seahawks, 23-6.
White never looked truly comfortable and completed just 50% of his passes for 240 yards with two interceptions and a lost fumble in the loss. After starting the season 6-3, the Jets have won just once since and will miss out on the postseason for the 12th straight year, the longest active stretch in the NFL.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 103-175, 1,192 yards, 3 TD, 4 INT; 6 rushes, 9 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 72.5
29. Davis Mills, Houston Texans (2-11-1)
Week 17 Stats: 22-40, 202 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 33 yards
Week 17 Grade: D
After near-upsets of the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs and a win over the Tennessee Titans the last three weeks, Davis Mills and the Houston Texans were steamrolled by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, 31-3.
Despite hitting the 200-yard mark for the first time since November 13, Mills completed just 55% of his passes in the loss.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 270-441, 2,820 yards, 14 TD, 13 INT; 31 rushes, 102 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 73.5
28. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns (3-2)
Week 17 Stats: 9-18, 169 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 8 rushes, 31 yards
Week 17 Grade: A-
Out of postseason contention themselves, Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns played the spoiler role on Sunday with a 24-10 win over the Washington Commanders.
While Watson completed just nine passes, three of them went for touchdowns in the 14-point victory, which contributed to Washington being knocked out of the playoff hunt when the Packers beat the Vikings. The Browns get another shot to play spoiler in Week 18 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 80-141, 872 yards, 5 TD, 3 INT; 30 rushes, 131 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 74.4
27. Tyler Huntley, Baltimore Ravens (2-2)
Week 17 Stats: 14-21, 130 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 7 rushes, 24 yards
Week 17 Grade: C
With Lamar Jackson sidelined yet again with knee troubles, Tyler Huntley, despite playing an average game, had the Ravens in position for a third win in four weeks for most of Sunday night’s rivalry matchup with the Steelers.
But after Pittsburgh scored a late touchdown to go ahead 16-13, Huntley threw his lone interception of the night with 20 seconds remaining to secure the Steelers’ victory. The loss dropped the Ravens from fifth to sixth in the AFC playoff picture.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 75-112, 658 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT; 43 rushes, 137 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 74.6
26. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)
Week 17 Stats: 15-27, 168 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 5 rushes, 2 yards
Week 17 Grade: B-
Kenny Pickett didn’t play a spectacular game on Sunday night against the Ravens. But when the Steelers needed him most, the rookie stepped up and kept their playoff hopes alive.
With Pittsburgh trailing by four late in the fourth quarter, Pickett and Najee Harris connected for a 10-yard touchdown with 56 seconds, giving the Steelers a 16-13 win and a shot at the postseason heading into their Week 18 matchup with the Browns.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 232-360, 2,209 yards, 6 TD, 9 INT; 52 rushes, 236 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 74.8
25. Baker Mayfield, Los Angeles Rams (2-7)
Week 17 Stats: 11-19, 132 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 8 yards
Week 17 Grade: C-
lt’s been quite the up-and-down ride for Baker Mayfield since he joined the Los Angeles Rams. Following his whirlwind debut against the Raiders, he followed it up with a dud against the Packers.
And after a phenomenal performance on Christmas Day in a blowout of the Broncos, Mayfield couldn’t get much going this past Sunday, completing just 57.9% of his passes for 132 yards in a 31-10 loss to the Chargers.
The defeat was the 11th of the year for the Rams, the most of any defending Super Bowl champion in history.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 188-309, 2,016 yards, 10 TD, 7 INT; 26 rushes, 73 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 75.4
24. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos (3-11)
Week 17 Stats: 26-38, 222 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 4 rushes, 27 yards, 2 TD
Week 17 Grade: B+
Playing for nothing but pride on Sunday, Russell Wilson put the Denver Broncos in position to upset the Kansas City Chiefs, throwing for 222 yards and a touchdown while adding a pair of scores on the ground.
But the effort fell just short as the Broncos took a 27-24 loss to drop to 4-12 on the season. Prior to this year, the most losses Wilson had taken as a starter in a single season was eight, which came last year in his final campaign with the Seahawks.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 279-459, 3,241 yards, 13 TD, 10 INT; 47 rushes, 259 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 75.5
23. Carson Wentz, Washington Commanders (2-5)
Week 17 Stats: 16-28, 143 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT; 3 rushes, 7 yards, 1 TD
Week 17 Grade: F
With the Washington Commanders still in playoff contention heading into their Week 17 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, Ron Rivera chose to start Carson Wentz for the first time since October 13. And it didn’t go well.
While Wentz rushed for Washington’s only touchdown, he completed just 57.1% of his passes for 143 yards and threw three interceptions as the Commanders took a 24-10 defeat. The loss, combined with the Packers’ win over the Vikings, eliminated Washington from postseason contention.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 172-276, 1,755 yards, 11 TD, 9 INT; 22 rushes, 86 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 76.5
22. Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts (4-7-1)
Week 17 Stats: N/A
Week 17 Grade: N/A
Given the injury to Nick Foles during the Colts’ Week 17 loss to the New York Giants, which brought Sam Ehlinger back into the mix, it’s just easier to keep Matt Ryan down here for the rest of the season. Foles and Ehlinger both qualified for a grade this week, and their numbers were adjusted accordingly in the reserve room.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 309-461, 3,057 yards, 14 TD, 13 INT; 27 rushes, 70 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 76.9
21. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears (3-12)
Week 17 Stats: 7-21, 75 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 10 rushes, 132 yards
Week 17 Grade: D-
Justin Fields is easily one of the most challenging guys to grade and has been for quite some time now.
Yes, he ran for 132 yards on 10 carries on Sunday against the Lions. But he also completed just seven passes for 75 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also took seven sacks and lost a fumble in a 41-10 loss, which was the Bears’ ninth straight to set a new franchise record.
Fields certainly can’t take the blame for everything that’s gone wrong this season. But let’s not pretend he’s anywhere close to being an elite NFL quarterback just yet. I can’t wait to see what he can do when he has more help.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 192-318, 2,242 yards, 17 TD, 11 INT; 160 rushes, 1,143 yards, 8 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 79
20. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders (6-9)
Week 17 Stats: N/A
Week 17 Grade: N/A
While Derek Carr is done for the season after being benched for Jarrett Stidham, we’re going to keep him down here in the featured section, as we typically want guys to have at least two starts under their belt before taking them out of the reserve room.
Stidham earned a B for his solid performance in the Raiders’ 37-34 overtime loss to the 49ers.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 305-502, 3,522 yards, 24 TD, 14 INT; 24 rushes, 102 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 80.9
19. Andy Dalton, New Orleans Saints (6-7)
Week 17 Stats: 18-22, 204 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT; 2 rushes, -2 yards
Week 17 Grade: B
With the New Orleans Saints needing a win to keep their postseason hopes alive, Andy Dalton played well in a 20-10 win over the Eagles, completing 81.8% of his passes for 204 yards.
Ultimately, however, the victory didn’t matter as the Saints were eliminated when the Buccaneers defeated the Panthers to win the NFC South.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 237-353, 2,699 yards, 17 TD, 9 INT; 29 rushes, 52 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 81
18. Mac Jones, New England Patriots (6-7)
Week 17 Stats: 20-33, 203 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 1 yard
Week 17 Grade: A-
The New England Patriots needed a win over the Miami Dolphins to keep their playoff hopes alive, and Mac Jones certainly played his part in helping Bill Belichick get it, completing 20 of 33 passes for 203 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
The 23-21 win moved the Pats into the No. 7 slot in the AFC, and if they can beat the Bills in Week 18, no matter what happens elsewhere, they’re into the postseason for the second straight year.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 282-435, 2,956 yards, 13 TD, 8 INT; 46 rushes, 98 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.7
17. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (3-8)
Week 17 Stats: N/A
Week 17 Grade: N/A
As the Arizona Cardinals started their fourth different quarterback of the season in Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, we’ve brought Kyler Murray back down here to the featured section and will keep him here for the remainder of the year.
With 222 yards and a touchdown in the 20-19 loss, David Blough earned a B in his sixth-ever NFL start. He previously went 0-5 with the Lions in 2019.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 259-390, 2,368 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT; 67 rushes, 418 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.5
16. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (8-8)
Week 17 Stats: 15-24, 159 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, 2 yards, 1 TD
Week 17 Grade: B
Needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Green Bay Packers scored a hmassive41-17 win over the Minnesota Vikings. And they did so without needing a big game from Aaron Rodgers, who completed 62.5% of his passes for 159 yards and a touchdown.
If Rodgers & Co. can defeat the Detroit Lions in Week 18, they’ll punch their ticket to the postseason for the fourth straight season, which seemed impossible just a few weeks back when they were 4-8.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 333-515, 3,490 yards, 25 TD, 11 INT; 31 rushes, 84 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.6
15. Daniel Jones, New York Giants (9-6-1)
Week 17 Stats: 19-24, 177 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 11 rushes, 91 yards, 2 TD
Week 17 Grade: A+
With the New York Giants needing a win to secure their first playoff berth in six years, Daniel Jones completed 79.2% of his passes for 177 yards with two touchdowns and ran for 91 yards and two scores in an easy 38-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
No matter what happens in the final week of the regular season, the Giants are locked into the No. 6 slot in the NFC and will visit either the Minnesota Vikings or the San Francisco 49ers on Wild Card Weekend.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 317-472, 3,205 yards, 15 TD, 5 INT; 120 rushes, 708 yards, 7 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.8
14. Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers (3-2)
Week 17 Stats: 23-37, 341 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 5 rushes, 20 yards
Week 17 Grade: B-
With the Carolina Panthers needing a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to save their season, Sam Darnold did plenty of good things to keep his team’s playoff hopes alive, completing 62.2% of his passes for 341 yards and three touchdowns.
But he also threw his first interception of the season and lost two fumbles, the second of which the Bucs converted into the touchdown that gave them a two-score lead. The 30-24 loss eliminated Carolina from postseason contention.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 77-125, 1,100 yards, 7 TD, 1 INT; 20 rushes, 74 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 84.307
13. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (8-3)
Week 17 Stats: 29-41, 282 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; 3 rushes, 11 yards
Week 17 Grade: B-
Despite throwing a pair of interceptions, one of which wasn’t even his fault, Dak Prescott completed 70.7% of his passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns in the Dallas Cowboys’ 27-13 win on Thursday night over the Tennessee Titans.
With the Eagles losing on Sunday to the Saints, Dak & Co. are still alive for the NFC East title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC heading into a Week 18 matchup with the Commanders.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 247-357, 2,732 yards, 22 TD, 14 INT; 39 rushes, 166 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 84.333
12. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)
Week 17 Stats: 34-45, 432 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 4 yards, 1 TD
Week 17 Grade: A+
No player in NFL history has been on the big stage more than Tom Brady. And with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needing a win over the Carolina Panthers to clinch the NFC South, TB12 delivered his best performance of the season.
In a 30-24 come-from-behind victory, Brady completed 75.6% of his passes for a season-high 432 yards and three touchdowns, also adding his first rushing score of the year. The Bucs are now locked into the No. 4 spot in the NFC and will likely host the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the playoffs.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 477-716, 4,610 yards, 24 TD, 9 INT; 29 rushes, -1 yard, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 86.1
11. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8)
Week 17 Stats: 17-21, 152 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT; 2 rushes, 4 yards
Week 17 Grade: B
With the Jacksonville Jaguars up 21-0 on the Houston Texans at halftime, Trevor Lawrence, who completed a ridiculous 81% of his passes for 152 yards, played just one possession in the second half before taking a seat as his team rolled to a 31-3 win.
Lawrence & Co. have won four straight and are now set for a Saturday night showdown with the Tennessee Titans to decide the AFC South, which seemed improbable not too long ago when the Jags were just 3-7.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 367-552, 3,901 yards, 24 TD, 8 INT; 58 rushes, 294 yards, 5 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 86.4
10. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (12-4)
Week 17 Stats: 18-31, 205 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT; 3 rushes, 37 yards
Week 17 Grade: F
Kirk Cousins has put on some phenomenal performances for the Minnesota Vikings this year. Sunday was not one of them.
With a chance to move his team into a tie with the Philadelphia Eagles for the best record in the NFC, Cousins threw three interceptions, tying a season-worst, in a 41-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers, the first of which was returned for a touchdown.
The loss dropped Minnesota from second to third in the NFC standings, and Cousins & Co. now have no shot of winning the No. 1 seed.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 407-623, 4,322 yards, 28 TD, 14 INT; 31 rushes, 97 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 86.5
9. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
Week 17 Stats: 21-28, 212 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, 2 yards
Week 17 Grade: A+
Just 6-6 a month ago and in danger of yet again missing out on the postseason, the Chargers won their fourth straight on Sunday with a dominant 31-10 win in the battle of Los Angeles over the defending champion Rams.
Justin Herbert looked as sharp as he has all season, completing 75% of his passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns, and has his team in great shape as the playoffs near. The victory moved the Chargers into the No. 5 spot in the AFC heading into their Week 18 matchup with the Denver Broncos.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 452-662, 4,466 yards, 23 TD, 10 INT; 52 rushes, 148 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 86.6
8. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (8-8)
Week 17 Stats: 21-29, 255 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, 2 yards
Week 17 Grade: A+
As the Detroit Lions continue to fight for their playoff lives, Jared Goff continues to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL as the season winds down.
Goff was brilliant yet again in the Lions’ 41-10 victory over the Bears on Sunday, completing 72.4% of his passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns. He was also interception-free for the eighth straight time.
Detroit has now won seven of nine to get to 8-8 for the year and can clinch a spot in the playoffs for the first time in a long time with a win over the Packers and some help.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 359-553, 4,214 yards, 29 TD, 7 INT
2022 NFL Season Score: 86.9
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (8-5)
Week 17 Stats: N/A
Week 17 Grade: N/A
Much like we’re doing with several others, we’re just going to keep Tua Tagovailoa down here for the remainder of the season. The Dolphins were forced to use both Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson in their Week 17 loss to the Patriots, both of whose scores were adjusted in the reserve room as each qualified for a grade.
Tagovailoa won’t play in Week 18 against the Jets but could return for the playoffs — if the Dolphins get in, that is.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 259-400, 25 TD, 8 INT; 24 rushes, 70 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 87.1
6. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (12-3)
Week 17 Stats: N/A
Week 17 Grade: N/A
2022 NFL Season Stats: 340-536, 32 TD, 13 INT; 115 rushes, 746 yards, 7 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 88.4
5. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (11-4)
Week 17 Stats: N/A
Week 17 Grade: N/A
2022 NFL Season Stats: 389-564, 4,260 yards, 34 TD, 12 INT; 72 rushes, 247 yards, 5 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 88.7
4. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (8-8)
Week 17 Stats: 18-29, 183 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 5 rushes, 18 yards
Week 17 Grade: A
Sunday was a big day for Geno Smith.
Facing the New York Jets, the team which drafted and ultimately gave up on him, Smith completed 62.1% of his passes for 183 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in a 23-6 victory.
The win not only snapped the Seattle Seahawks’ three-game losing streak but kept their playoff hopes alive heading into a Week 18 matchup with the LA Rams. Adding to Smith’s jubilation was the fact that he knocked the Jets out of postseason contention.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 380-541, 4,069 yards, 29 TD, 9 INT; 64 rushes, 315 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 88.9
3. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (4-0)
Week 17 Stats: 22-35, 284 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 2 rushes, -3 yards
Week 17 Grade: B+
With the San Francisco 49ers’ defense struggling to keep Jarrett Stidham and the Las Vegas Raiders’ offense in check, Brock Purdy turned in yet another solid performance to help his team to a wild 37-34 overtime victory.
While the rookie threw an interception for the second straight week, he also threw for a career-high 284 yards and two touchdowns to extend the Niners’ winning streak to nine. The win, combined with Minnesota’s loss to Green Bay, bumped San Francisco into the No. 2 spot in the NFC standings.
And Purdy & Co. still have a shot at the No. 1 seed in Week 18 with a win over the Cardinals and an Eagles loss to the Giants.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 99-150, 1,196 yards, 10 TD, 4 INT; 18 rushes, 6 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 91.2
2. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (13-1)
Week 17 Stats: N/A
Week 17 Grade: N/A
As I mentioned last week, we’re keeping Jalen Hurts down here in the featured section for the remainder of the season, as he doesn’t deserve to be relegated to the reserve room despite missing the last two weeks with a sprained shoulder.
If anything, his NFL MVP stock should go up as the Eagles have lost both games and are now in danger of losing the top spot in the NFC, which they’ve held all season. They actually could get help from the team they’re facing in Week 18, however, as the Giants may not play their starters as they’re locked into the No. 6 spot no matter what happens.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 286-425, 22 TD, 5 INT; 156 rushes, 747 yards, 13 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 91.8
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (13-3)
Week 17 Stats: 29-42, 328 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 4 rushes, 8 yards
Week 17 Grade: A+
Another week and another beautiful performance from Patrick Mahomes, who maintained the top spot in our rankings by completing 69.1% of his passes for 328 yards with three touchdowns against one interception in a 27-24 win over the Denver Broncos.
If the Kansas City Chiefs win the AFC, which could be the case when Week 18 comes to a close, NFL MVP voters may give Mahomes the nod over Hurts. In any event, Mahomes is now just the third quarterback in NFL history to reach 5,000 passing yards in multiple seasons, joining Drew Brees (five times) and Tom Brady (twice).
2022 NFL Season Stats: 417-622, 5,048 yards, 40 TD, 12 INT; 58 rushes, 329 yards, 4 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 92.8
