NFL
2022 NFL QB Grades Week 15: There’s a New No. 1, and It Isn’t Jalen Hurts or Patrick Mahomes
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.
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We’ve certainly seen some wild weeks in the NFL this season, but Week 15 might just take the cake. I mean, not only did we witness the biggest comeback in league history from the Minnesota Vikings, but the New England Patriots showed us perhaps the worst possible way to lose a football game.
As far as our season-long NFL quarterback competition goes, Week 15 brought plenty of movement in the overall standings, including a new No. 1 as Jalen Hurts’ one-week reign at the top came to an end. And we’ll certainly get into everything else that’s going on with him in Philly when we get down there. And we’ll certainly also get into the new No. 1 and the issues I’m sure many of you will have with him.
But before we do any of that, let’s first take a look at what’s happening in the reserve room, which got a few names added to it with everything that went down this past week.
- Bailey Zappe: 86.4
- Jimmy Garoppolo: 85.7
- Kyler Murray: 82.5
- Jacoby Brissett: 81.2
- Teddy Bridgewater: 81
- Carson Wentz: 77.7
- Matthew Stafford: 77.4
- Cooper Rush: 77
- Joe Flacco: 76.2
- Trevor Siemian: 75
- Jameis Winston: 75.5
- PJ Walker: 75.1
- Mitch Trubisky: 75.01
- Brett Rypien: 75
- Tyler Huntley: 74.4
- Zach Wilson: 73.9
- Skylar Thompson: 72.2
- John Wolford: 67.3
- Sam Ehlinger: 66.4
- Kyle Allen: 65
- Malik Willis: 60.8
- Bryce Perkins: 60.4
- Trace McSorley: 58
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, here’s a look at the featured 32.
32. Baker Mayfield, Los Angeles Rams (1-6)
Week 15 Stats: 12-21, 111 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 1 rush, 1 yard
Week 15 Grade: D-
Give Baker Mayfield 36 hours to prepare for a game, and he looks brilliant. Give him a week and a half, and he looks dreadful. The beauty of football, am I right?
Coming off a brilliant comeback victory in his LA Rams debut, Mayfield could never get anything going against the Green Bay Packers on Monday night, completing just 12 of 21 passes for a season-low 111 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
The 24-12 loss officially eliminated the Rams from playoff contention, and LA is in grave danger of being the worst defending Super Bowl champion in history.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 153-262, 1,654 yards, 8 TD, 7 INT; 21 rushes, 63 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 73.41
31. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers (4-5)
Week 15 Stats: N/A
Week 15 Grade: N/A
While Kenny Pickett missed the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 15 win over the Carolina Panthers due to being in concussion protocol, we’re going to leave him down here for now as he’s expected to return next week.
But if he doesn’t, we’ll go back to Mitch Trubisky, who earned himself a B grade in the 24-16 victory.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 191-294, 1,797 yards, 4 TD, 8 INT; 44 rushes, 225 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 73.44
30. Davis Mills, Houston Texans (1-10-1)
Week 15 Stats: 12-24, 121 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 5 rushes, 21 yards, 1 TD
Week 15 Grade: C
For the second straight week, Davis Mills and the Houston Texans put up a good fight against a really good team. But also for the second straight week, they fell just short of a victory as they took a 30-24 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
While Mills only threw for 121 yards, he tossed a pair of touchdowns and scored another on the ground. However, it was his lost fumble on Houston’s first offensive play of the extra period that gave the Chiefs the ball back after they’d just punted it away. One play later, the game was over.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 231-373, 2,440 yards, 13 TD, 12 INT; 23 rushes, 61 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 74
29. Zach Wilson, New York Jets (5-3)
Week 15 Stats: 18-35, 317 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 3 rushes, 7 yards
Week 15 Grade: B-
Back in the lineup with Mike White out due to a broken rib, Zach Wilson had an up-and-down day for the New York Jets in their loss to the Detroit Lions.
Playing his first game in almost a month, the second-year signal-caller threw for 317 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But he also completed just 51.4% of his passes, took four sacks, and threw his sixth interception of the year in the 20-17 loss.
The Jets are still in the playoff hunt at 7-7, currently good for ninth in the AFC, but they face a red-hot Jaguars team on Thursday night and still have tough games left with the Seahawks and Dolphins. Wilson is expected to start against Jacksonville with the quick turnaround.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 123-224, 1,596 yards, 6 TD, 6 INT; 27 rushes, 101 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 75
28. Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns (2-1)
Week 15 Stats: 18-28, 161 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 6 rushes, 22 yards
Week 15 Grade: B
While Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns won’t be going to the NFL Playoffs themselves, they got the chance to slide into the spoiler role on Saturday as they knocked the Baltimore Ravens out of first place with a 13-3 victory.
Playing in front of the Cleveland faithful for the first time, Watson was interception-free for the first time since his return and completed 64.3% of his passes, his highest mark in a Browns uniform, and threw for 161 yards and a touchdown in the 10-point win.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 56-92, 568 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; 19 rushes, 79 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 75.1
27. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos (3-9)
Week 15 Stats: N/A
Week 15 Grade: N/A
Despite clearing concussion protocol, Russell Wilson sat out the Denver Broncos’ Week 15 win over the Arizona Cardinals, a decision made by head coach Nathaniel Hackett. But Hackett says Wilson will start Denver’s Christmas Day matchup with the LA Rams.
Brett Rypien stepped in on Sunday and played well in the Broncos’ 24-15 victory, earning a B grade by completing 21 of 26 passes for 197 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 238-394, 2,805 yards, 11 TD, 6 INT; 41 rushes, 215 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 75.6
26. Colt McCoy, Arizona Cardinals (1-2)
Week 15 Stats: 13-21, 78 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT; 2 rushes, 2 yards
Week 15 Grade: D
Colt McCoy started the Arizona Cardinals’ Week 15 matchup with the Denver Broncos but didn’t finish it.
While diving for a first down in the third quarter, the Texas product hit his head and left the game to enter concussion protocol. And that just added to his rough day, as he’d only thrown for 78 yards with an interception before exiting.
Trace McSorley entered the game and didn’t fare much better, throwing for just 95 yards with two picks in a 24-15 loss.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 90-132, 780 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT; 14 rushes, 36 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 75.7
25. Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts (4-7-1)
Week 15 Stats: 19-33, 182 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 0 yards
Week 15 Grade: C
You almost have to feel sorry for Matt Ryan at this point.
After helping the Indianapolis Colts to a 33-point lead over the Minnesota Vikings, the man who was on the wrong side of the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history can sadly now say he was also on the wrong side of the biggest comeback in NFL history.
Ryan didn’t play a horrible game, completing 19 of 33 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions and no fumbles lost. Still, he and the Indy offense couldn’t get anything going in the second half, which allowed the Vikings to crawl all the way back for an improbable 39-36 overtime victory.
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
24. Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons (5-8)
Week 15 Stats: N/A
Week 15 Grade: N/A
As has been the case in most scenarios, we’ll wait until Desmond Ridder makes a second start before moving him to the featured section. So Marcus Mariota gets to stay here for one more week. At least he stayed somewhere, right?
What, too soon?
2022 NFL Season Stats: 184-300, 2,219 yards, 15 TD, 9 INT; 85 rushes, 438 yards, 4 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 77.1
23. Mac Jones, New England Patriots (5-6)
Week 15 Stats: 13-31, 112 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 10 yards
Week 15 Grade: F
With the New England Patriots in a must-win situation against the Las Vegas Raiders, Mac Jones played a horrendous game of football in Week 15. Honestly, even without committing a turnover, this was one of the worst performances of his young career.
Outside of the night against the Chicago Bears when he got yanked for Bailey Zappe, a game in which he threw just six passes, Jones had completed at least 61% of his throws in each of his outings this season. But on Sunday, he completed a woeful 41.9% of his passes, connecting on just 13 of 31 targets for 112 yards.
And to make matters worse, Mac was flattened by Raiders defensive end Chandler Jones on that wild play to end the game that gave the Raiders a 30-24 victory. The loss knocked New England down to the No. 8 slot in the AFC standings, and things don’t get any easier for Bill Belichick & Co. as they square off with the red-hot Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 221-336, 2,310 yards, 7 TD, 8 INT; 39 rushes, 97 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 79.5
22. Taylor Heinicke, Washington Commanders (5-2-1)
Week 15 Stats: 17-29, 249 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 33 yards
Week 15 Grade: C-
If you simply look at the stat line above, it looks like Taylor Heinicke had a decent night in the Commanders’ Sunday night matchup with the Giants.
But what you don’t see above are the two fumbles he lost, both of which were quite costly. The first came early in the second quarter when Heinicke was strip-sacked by Kayvon Thibodeaux, who scooped up the loose ball and ran it in for a touchdown to give New York a 7-3 lead.
And the second came with just under six minutes to go as the Commanders were nearing the goal line for a go-ahead score. Heinicke was initially ruled down by contact, but following a challenge, the call was reversed. Anundoubtedlycertainly the right call. As for the non-call in the end zone at the end of the game, that might be a different story.
Nevertheless, the loss dropped Washington to 7-6-1 and into the No. 7 spot in the NFC. The Lions and Seahawks are right behind the Commanders at 7-7 with just three weeks to go.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 148-241, 1,693 yards, 10 TD, 5 INT; 26 rushes, 100 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 80.70
21. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears (3-10)
Week 15 Stats: 14-21, 152 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 15 rushes, 95 yards
Week 15 Grade: A
Given essentially no chance to beat the NFL’s best team (at least the team with the best record), Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears gave the Philadelphia Eagles all they could handle on Sunday.
On a frigid day in the Windy City, Fields managed to complete two-thirds of his passes for 152 yards and tossed a pair of touchdowns. He was also interception-free for the first time since November 6.
It looked as if he scored a touchdown on the ground on a miraculous run in the second quarter, but he stepped out of bounds before reaching the end zone. Nevertheless, it was absolutely phenomenal.
Fields finished the day with 95 rushing yards and now has exactly 1,000 for the year, joining Michael Vick and Lamar Jackson as the only QBs in NFL history to reach the mark.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 170-274, 2,048 yards, 15 TD, 10 INT; 143 rushes, 1,000 yards, 8 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 80.73
20. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (6-6)
Week 15 Stats: 15-22, 165 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT; 3 rushes, 1 yard, 1 TD
Week 15 Grade: C
Ryan Tannehill and the Tennessee Titans are moving in the wrong direction.
Once 7-3, the Titans are now 7-7 after taking a 17-14 loss to the LA Chargers on Sunday and hold just a one-game lead in the AFC South over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Tannehill had a rough day against the Chargers and actually left the game for a series after injuring his ankle on Tennessee’s opening drive. While he never found the end zone through the air, he did rush for a one-yard score to tie the game at 14-all with 48 seconds remaining.
But the Titans’ defense couldn’t stop Justin Herbert from marching down the field to set up a game-winning field goal from Cameron Dicker with just four ticks left on the clock.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 212-325, 2,536 yards, 13 TD, 6 INT; 34 rushes, 98 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.4
19. Daniel Jones, New York Giants (8-5-1)
Week 15 Stats: 21-32, 160 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 10 rushes, 35 yards
Week 15 Grade: C
Once 6-1, Daniel Jones and the New York Giants came into Sunday night’s rivalry matchup with the Washington Commanders with just one win in their last six games and zero in their last four.
But that skid came to an end as the Giants took a much-needed 20-12 victory, meaning New York could clinch a playoff spot this Saturday with a win and some help.
Jones didn’t do anything special in the victory, completing 65.6% of his passes for 160 yards with no touchdowns, but also didn’t turn the ball over. For the most part, he made the conversions he needed to make and managed the game well.
He also got plenty of help from his defense, which made big plays all game long and especially down the stretch to secure the victory.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 268-406, 2,694 yards, 12 TD, 4 INT; 105 rushes, 583 yards, 5 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.5
18. Andy Dalton, New Orleans Saints (4-7)
Week 15 Stats: 11-17, 151 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 2 rushes, 1 yard
Week 15 Grade: A
Needing a win to stay alive in the NFC South, the New Orleans Saints didn’t get a spectacular performance from Andy Dalton in a 21-18 win over the Atlanta Falcons. But they got an efficient one as the veteran completed 64.7% of his passes for 151 yards and a pair of touchdowns, both of which went to underrated tight end Juwan Johnson, who leads the Saints with seven receiving TDs.
Dalton hasn’t thrown an interception in over a month and got some passing help from Taysom Hill, who threw a 68-yard TD pass to rookie wideout Rashid Shaheed. The Saints are just one game back of the division-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers but are still in third place behind the Carolina Panthers, who are also 5-9.
New Orleans will need more wins and some help to get into the playoffs, but at this point, just about anything seems possible.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 211-316, 2,403 yards, 17 TD, 7 INT; 26 rushes, 55 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.7
17. Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers (2-1)
Week 15 Stats: 14-23, 225 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 2 rushes, 2 yards
Week 15 Grade: B-
All in all, Sam Darnold didn’t play a horrible game against the Pittsburgh SteelersBut he just didn’t do quite enough, especially in the red zone, to get the Carolina Panthers a victory, a win that would have vaulted them into first place in the NFC South.
Despite the loss, however, the 5-9 Panthers have winnable games down the stretch and still have a showdown left with the division-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whom they trail by just a game.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 39-66, 509 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 9 rushes, 35 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.4
16. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders (6-8)
Week 15 Stats: 20-38, 231 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Week 15 Grade: B+
The Week 15 matchup between the Las Vegas Raiders and New England Patriots will forever be remembered for the final play. There’s no getting around that.
But what shouldn’t get lost is how Derek Carr put his team in position to get that wild win — well, after Vegas had blown a 14-point lead anyway.
With the Raiders trailing 24-17, the three-time Pro Bowler led a nine-play, 81-yard drive in just 1:39 and hit Keelan Cole with a 30-yard touchdown pass with only 32 seconds remaining. Throw in an extra point and a bonehead play by the Patriots, and Carr & Co. walked away with an improbable 30-24 win to get to 6-8.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 289-472, 3,348 yards, 23 TD, 11 INT; 21 rushes, 88 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.5
15. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (6-8)
Week 15 Stats: 22-30, 229 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 3 rushes, -3 yards
Week 15 Grade: B
Aaron Rodgers certainly didn’t have his best stuff on a frigid Monday night at Lambeau Field, but he didn’t need to as the Packers easily took care of the lifeless LA Rams, 24-12.
And it’s not as if the two-time reigning NFL MVP looked terrible by any means, as he completed 73.3% of his passes, which isn’t easy to do in cold temps like that, for 229 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The game was a must-win for the Packers, who have to win out and get plenty of help to make the postseason.
Rodgers & Co. begin that three-game journey on Christmas Day with a matchup against the Miami Dolphins.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 294-453, 3,093 yards, 23 TD, 10 INT; 23 rushes, 64 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.6
14. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (6-3)
Week 15 Stats: 23-30, 256 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 5 rushes, 20 yards
Week 15 Grade: B-
It was quite the up-and-down day for Dak Prescott in the Dallas Cowboys’ Week 15 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
On the one hand, he completed 76.7% of his passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns. But on the other, he threw a pair of interceptions that changed the outcome of the game. The first came in the third quarter, with Dallas holding a 27-17 lead. The Jags converted that one into a touchdown to get within three.
And the second was obviously even more significant, as that was a pick-six in overtime that ended the game. Of course, Dak can’t take all the heat on that one as the pass was tipped and went right into the low-reaching hands of Rayshawn Jenkins, who ran it 52 yards the other way to give Jacksonville a 40-34 victory.
While nobody ever wants to lose, the defeat really doesn’t hurt Dallas at all. They’re not going to win the NFC East, no matter what happens against the Eagles on Sunday. And they’re not getting caught for that first wild-card spot in the NFC. The Cowboys are locked in at No. 5 and aren’t moving.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 191-281, 2,103 yards, 17 TD, 11 INT; 30 rushes, 114 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.8
13. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (8-4)
Week 15 Stats: N/A
Week 15 Grade: N/A
Lamar Jackson missed his second straight game this past weekend and the Ravens certainly missed him in a 13-3 loss to the Browns on Saturday afternoon. But as the 2019 NFL MVP is expected to return for Baltimore’s Christmas Eve matchup with the Falcons, we’re keeping him down here and leaving Tyler Huntley up in the reserve room for the time being.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 203-326, 2,242 yards, 17 TD, 7 INT; 112 rushes, 764 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 83.5
12. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (7-7)
Week 15 Stats: 23-38, 252 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 15 Grade: B
With three weeks to go, Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions have a legitimate shot at the postseason. Yeah, you read that right.
After a 1-6 start, the Lions have now won six of seven following a 20-17 comeback victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. And Goff continues to play well. While he got off to a slow start, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick turned it on when it mattered most and connected with Brock Wright for a 51-yard go-ahead touchdown, his lone scoring pass of the day, with just 1:49 remaining.
Goff finished the day with 252 yards and will now prepare for a critical Christmas Eve matchup with the Carolina Panthers. Detroit currently sits in the No. 9 spot in the NFC standings.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 313-482, 3,604 yards, 23 TD, 7 INT; 23 rushes, 51 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 85.4
11. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8)
Week 15 Stats: 30-44, 312 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 2 rushes, 1 yard
Week 15 Grade: B-
There was a lot to like about Tom Brady‘s performance on Sunday afternoon against the Bengals.
He completed 68.2% of his passes, his best clip in over a month. He threw for 312 yards, his first 300-yard performance since October. And he threw three touchdown passes, two of them in the first half to give the Buccaneers a 17-3 lead going into the locker room.
But the second half was a different story as the seven-time Super Bowl champ threw a pair of interceptions and watched Joe Burrow torch the Tampa Bay defense and lead Cincy to a 34-23 victory. The Bucs dropped to 6-8 with the loss but still sit atop the NFC South.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 411-623, 3,897 yards, 20 TD, 7 INT; 24 rushes, -6 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 85.9
10. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)
Week 15 Stats: 28-42, 313 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT; 1 rush, 2 yards
Week 15 Grade: C
Justin Herbert didn’t have his best day in the Chargers’ Week 15 matchup with the Titans. Sure, he completed two-thirds of his 42 passes for 313 yards. But he failed to toss a touchdown pass for the first time since October 17 and threw a season-high two interceptions.
However, when his team needed him the most, Herbert stepped up and delivered. With the game tied at 14-14, he led the Chargers on a six-play, 52-yard drive in 44 seconds, highlighted by his 35-yard dart to Mike Williams, to set up Cameron Dicker’s game-winning field goal.
The 17-14 victory moved LA into the No. 6 spot in the AFC standings with three games to go. Up next for the Chargers is a Monday night date with the Indianapolis Colts.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 407-603, 4,019 yards, 21 TD, 9 INT; 46 rushes, 145 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 86.1
9. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (6-8)
Week 15 Stats: 27-42, 318 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT; 3 rushes, 21 yards
Week 15 Grade: A+
Heads up, folks. Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars are in the playoff hunt.
In a must-win situation to keep the Jags’ postseason hopes alive and facing a tough Dallas defense, the second-year superstar delivered yet another brilliant performance in a wild 40-34 overtime win. Lawrence completed 64.3% of his passes for 318 yards and set a new career-high with four touchdown passes, three of which went to Zay Jones.
In addition to the new career mark, Lawrence made some huge throws on Jacksonville’s final drive in regulation to set up Riley Patterson’s game-tying field goal as time expired. The Jags are just one game behind Tennessee in the AFC South and have a quick turnaround this week as they square off with the New York Jets on Thursday night.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 330-500, 3,520 yards, 24 TD, 7 INT; 49 rushes, 239 yards, 4 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 86.5
8. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (11-3)
Week 15 Stats: 34-54, 460 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT; 2 rushes, 0 yards
Week 15 Grade: A+
Normally, I wouldn’t give a guy with two interceptions a perfect grade. But Kirk Cousins threw for a career-high 460 yards and four touchdowns and engineered the greatest comeback in NFL history, erasing a 33-point deficit to give the Vikings an improbable 39-36 overtime win over the Colts.
Do I really need to say anything else?
2022 NFL Season Stats: 355-544, 3,818 yards, 24 TD, 11 INT; 27 rushes, 58 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 87
7. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (8-4)
Week 15 Stats: 17-30, 234 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, 7 yards
Week 15 Grade: B
Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins are heading in the wrong direction as the regular season winds down.
Despite a decent effort in the cold, snowy weather in Buffalo from Tagovailoa, who only completed 56.7% of his passes but threw for 234 yards with a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions, the ‘Fins couldn’t keep a fourth-quarter lead and dropped a heartbreaker to the Bills, 32-29.
Miami has now lost three straight and fell three games behind Buffalo in the AFC East with just three games to play. Tua & Co. are still in the No. 7 spot in the AFC standings but really need to get back on track this Sunday against the Packers.
During this three-game skid, Tagovailoa, who’s played his way out of the NFL MVP conversation, has completed just 49.5% of his passes.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 243-375, 3,238 yards, 24 TD, 5 INT; 23 rushes, 70 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 88.6
6. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (11-3)
Week 15 Stats: 25-40, 304 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT; 10 rushes, 77 yards
Week 15 Grade: A+
With the Buffalo Bills needing a win over the Miami Dolphins to punch their ticket to the postseason, Josh Allen stepped up and delivered one of his best performances of the year on a snowy night at Highmark Stadium, completing 62.5% of his passes for 304 yards and tying a season-high with four touchdown passes.
He also ran for 77 yards on 10 carries and brought the Bills back from an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit, leading scoring drives on Buffalo’s final two possessions for a 32-29 win.
With their fifth straight victory, Allen & Co. maintained the No. 1 spot in the AFC standings and now hold a three-game lead over Miami in the AFC East with three games left.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 325-510, 3,857 yards, 30 TD, 11 INT; 109 rushes, 705 yards, 6 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 88.8
5. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (10-4)
Week 15 Stats: 27-39, 200 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT; 3 rushes, 8 yards
Week 15 Grade: A+
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals certainly didn’t get off to the greatest start against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Making his first-ever start against Tom Brady, Burrow led his team to just three points in the first 30 minutes and found himself down 17 at one point. But that’s why you play all 60 minutes.
Joe Shiesty was dynamite in the second half, throwing four touchdown passes to four different receivers in leading the Bengals to a 34-23 victory. Burrow & Co. have now won six straight and took over first place in the AFC North at 10-4.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 349-512, 3,885 yards, 31 TD, 10 INT; 68 rushes, 242 yards, 5 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 89
4. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (7-7)
Week 15 Stats: 31-44, 238 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, 18 yards
Week 15 Grade: B+
Given how dominant the San Francisco 49ers’ defense has been over the last couple of months, Geno Smith played about as well as anyone could have expected on Thursday night.
As he’s been all season long, Smith was highly efficient, connecting on 31 of 44 passes, and continues to lead the league in completion percentage at 71.4%. He threw for 238 yards and a touchdown and was interception-free for the first time since the Seahawks got back from Germany.
But despite his solid effort, the Seattle Seahawks still lost, 21-13, and dropped to 7-7 on the season, which currently has them one spot out of the NFC playoff field. And things don’t get any easier in Week 16 as Smith & Co. get to spend their Christmas Eve in Kansas City playing the 11-3 Chiefs.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 337-472, 26 TD, 8 INT; 56 rushes, 281 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 89.6
3. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (13-1)
Week 15 Stats: 22-37, 315 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT; 17 rushes, 61 yards, 3 TD
Week 15 Grade: B-
I’m not gonna lie to you. Grading Jalen Hurts was a bit difficult this week.
While the NFL MVP candidate threw for 315 yards in the Eagles’ 25-20 win over the Bears, he completed just 59.5% of his passes, his worst clip since Week 1. And while he failed to find the end zone with his arm, he found it with his legs three times. But he also threw a pair of interceptions. So I think B- is good here.
But his grade and slipping from No. 1 to No. 3 in our season-long rankings obviously isn’t the big news about Mr. Hurts this week, as he sprained his right shoulder in the third quarter of Sunday’s win. His status is in doubt for Philly’s Christmas Eve clash with the Cowboys, and there’s a chance he could miss several weeks.
Thankfully for Eagles fans, Hurts & Co. only need one win in their final three games to lock up the No. 1 seed in the NFC. So he could certainly rest up and let Gardner Minshew take the snaps for the next two to three weeks while he heals.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 286-425, 22 TD, 5 INT; 156 rushes, 747 yards, 13 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 91.8
2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (11-3)
Week 15 Stats: 36-41, 336 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 5 rushes, 33 yards, 1 TD
Week 15 Grade: A+
Patrick Mahomes played a near-perfect game on Sunday, and the Kansas City Chiefs certainly needed it as they got a much bigger fight from the Houston Texans than anyone could expect.
The 2018 NFL MVP, who could certainly add another to his list of accolades this year, had just five incompletions on 41 pass attempts and threw for 336 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also added his third rushing touchdown of the season as the Chiefs escaped with a 30-24 overtime win to clinch the AFC West for a seventh straight season.
But while he may have flip-flopped with Jalen Hurts for the week, Mahomes didn’t get back to No. 1. But there’s obviously a little catch with the top spot at the moment.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 372-552, 4,496 yards, 35 TD, 11 INT; 52 rushes, 313 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 92.4
1. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (2-0)
Week 15 Stats: 17-26, 217 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, -2 yards
Week 15 Grade: A+
So I’m guessing that Brock Purdy sitting here in the No. 1 spot isn’t sitting well with some. And I can certainly understand that.
After all, he’s had just three qualifying performances, while the majority of those behind him have far more. But what do you want me to do here? The algorithm we created at the beginning of the season dictates the numbers, and there’s nothing I can do about that.
Sure, I could’ve given him an A and not an A+, as I do control the grading. And had I done that, Purdy would be sitting in the No. 3 slot. But the kid deserved a perfect score this week, and I wasn’t going to not give him one just to keep him out of the top spot.
There are few places in the NFL, if any, that are tougher to play in as a visiting quarterback than Seattle. And those Seahawks fans were loud on Thursday night. But they didn’t phase Purdy in the slightest as the 22-year-old completed 65.4% of his passes for a career-high 217 yards and two touchdowns to give the San Francisco 49ers a 21-13 victory and the NFC West title.
Do I honestly think Brock Purdy is the best quarterback in the NFL? Of course not. But he’s earned every grade he’s gotten, and if that means he moves into the No. 1 slot for the week, so be it.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 62-93, 678 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT; 15 rushes, 3 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 93.3
