NFL
2022 NFL QB Grades: Week 8 Brought a Record Number of Perfect Scores, Including One Nobody Saw Coming, and Josh Allen Loses His No. 1 Spot
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 betterPublished01 Nov 2022
Week 8 of the 2022 NFL season is in the books, and the surprises keep on rolling.
I mean, who had Jacoby Brissett outplaying Joe Burrow on Monday Night Football? Who had the touchdown pass of the year coming from PJ Walker? Who had Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks getting five wins all year, let alone through their first eight games? And on the flip side, who had both Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers at 3-5 in that same time frame?
But such is the beauty of this 2022 NFL campaign. You just never know what’s going to happen.
So with that being said, let’s get to our Week 8 grades and reveal the overall standings in our season-long NFL quarterback competition, starting with our reserve room.
- Bailey Zappe: 86.4
- Teddy Bridgewater: 81
- Sam Ehlinger: 78
- Carson Wentz: 77.7
- Cooper Rush: 77
- Joe Flacco: 76.2
- Jameis Winston: 75.5
- Mitch Trubisky: 74.5
- Skylar Thompson: 72.2
- Baker Mayfield: 69.2
- Brett Rypien: 68
- Malik Willis: 65
And without further ado, here’s the 32 in our main section, which has a new No. 1.
32. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3)
Week 8 Stats: 25-38, 191 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT; 7 rushes, 37 yards
Week 8 Grade: D-
The growing pains continue for Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett, who had another dismal outing against the Eagles on Sunday as Pittsburgh took a 35-13 loss to its in-state rival.
This year’s 20th overall pick completed 65.8% of his passes but also averaged just five yards per attempt, which makes things a touch easier.
Pickett failed to throw a touchdown — oddly enough, the only TD pass of the day for the Steelers came from Chase Claypool — but did toss his eighth interception of the year and took six sacks.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 112-165, 962 yards, 2 TD, 8 INT; 19 rushes, 98 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 69.1
31. Zach Wilson, New York Jets (4-1)
Week 8 Stats: 20-41, 355 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT; 1 rush, 2 yards
Week 8 Grade: C
Despite Zach Wilson playing average football after finally starting his 2022 season in Week 4, the New York Jets hadn’t lost since his return to the lineup. And I really mean average football. In his first four games, the 23-year-old completed 57.4% of his passes, averaged just over 173 passing yards per game, and threw one touchdown and two interceptions. And, again, Robert Saleh’s club went 4-0 in those games.
So with Wilson setting a new personal best with 355 yards (the first 300-yard game of his young career) and a pair of touchdowns against the Patriots in Week 8, one would think that would have been enough for a fifth straight win.
But that wasn’t the case as New York dropped its 13th straight to New England, 22-17. Oh, did I forget to mention that Wilson also threw three interceptions?
2022 NFL Season Stats: 78-142, 1,048 yards, 3 TD, 5 INT; 16 rushes, 44 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 74
30. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos (3-4)
Week 8 Stats: 18-30, 252 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 4 rushes, 17 yards
Week 8 Grade: C+
Many out there are saying Russell Wilson played his best game of the year in the Broncos’ Week 8 matchup with the Jaguars in London, which simply isn’t the case. His Week 4 performance against the Raiders still takes the cake there.
The difference was that Wilson led Denver to a victory with this performance, bringing the Broncos back from a fourth-quarter deficit for a 21-17 win. But let’s not pretend he played a truly great game here. Sure, he threw for 252 yards and a touchdown against an average Jacksonville defense. And there were times that he looked like the Russell Wilson of old.
But there were also plenty of times when he looked like what we’ve seen for most of this season. Third downs were a big problem, and he also completed just 60% of his passes. But after two straight games of failing to hit 54% in that regard, it was at least an improvement. Did he look better? Sure. But performances like this won’t win games against better teams.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 134-228, 1,694 yards, 6 TD, 4 INT; 25 rushes, 113 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 74.6
29. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears (3-5)
Week 8 Stats: 17-23, 151 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 8 rushes, 60 yards, 1 TD
Week 8 Grade: B+
The Chicago Bears may not have gotten a win against the Dallas Cowboys, but I’m still calling Week 8 a victory for Justin Fields.
Facing one of the top defenses in the league, the former Ohio State superstar played a solid football game, arguably his best of the year given the opponent.
Up against a unit that had allowed the fewest touchdowns in the league coming in, Fields accounted for three against Micah Parsons & Co, two in the air and another on the ground, while also completing a season-high 73.9% of his passes.
The biggest mistake he made was actually one of his most athletic feats of the afternoon. Yeah, you know the play. After Parsons picked up a fumble from David Montgomery, Fields leaped right over him without touching him, allowing the Defensive Player of the Year candidate to rumble down the field for a touchdown.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 93-159, 1,199 yards, 7 TD, 6 INT; 76 rushes, 424 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 75.36
28. Mac Jones, New England Patriots (2-3)
Week 8 Stats: 24-35, 194 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 7 rushes, 19 yards
Week 8 Grade: C
Six days ago, Mac Jones was yanked by Bill Belichick after one quarter of the Patriots’ Monday night loss to the Bears. But on Sunday, he helped his head coach surpass George Halas for the second-most wins in NFL history as New England stopped the New York Jets’ four-game winning streak with a 22-17 victory.
Jones certainly didn’t play a great game, but he’s certainly played worse. The sophomore signal-caller didn’t take many shots down the field, averaging just 5.5 yards per attempt, and completed 68.6% of his passes for 194 yards with a touchdown and an interception as Bailey Zappe looked on.
This was the Patriots’ 13th straight victory over their AFC East rival.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 91-138, 993 yards, 3 TD, 7 INT; 24 rushes, 80 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 75.42
27. Davis Mills, Houston Texans (1-5-1)
Week 8 Stats: 17-29, 152 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 3 rushes, 8 yards
Week 8 Grade: D+
The struggle continues for the Houston Texans.
While the defense had a difficult time containing Titans superstar Derrick Henry, Davis Mills and the offense had a difficult time getting anything going, scoring just three points through the first 59 minutes of the game.
Capping off a 12-play, 90-yard drive, Mills connected with rookie running back Dameon Pierce for a three-yard touchdown pass with 17 seconds remaining. But it was too little and way too late as Tennessee recovered the ensuing onside kick to preserve a 17-10 win.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 149-236, 1,502 yards, 8 TD, 6 INT; 9 rushes, 10 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 75.9
26. Jacoby Brissett, Cleveland Browns (3-5)
Week 8 Stats: 17-22, 278 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 6 rushes, 12 yards, 1 TD
Week 8 Grade: A+
In what will likely be his only chance to showcase his skills in front of a massive TV audience, Jacoby Brissett made the most of that opportunity on Monday Night Football with a dominant performance leading the Browns to a 32-13 upset of the defending AFC champion Bengals.
With only a few weeks remaining until Deshaun Watson’s suspension is lifted, Brissett played a near-perfect football game on Monday night, completing 77.3% of his passes for a season-high 278 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, also adding a score on the ground.
If that’s as good as it gets for Brissett this season and beyond, he can always look back on this performance and smile because it was a damn good one and deserved the A+ it got.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 163-255, 1,862 yards, 7 TD, 5 INT; 31 rushes, 142 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 77.63
25. Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons (4-4)
Week 8 Stats: 20-28, 253 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 6 rushes, 43 yards
Week 8 Grade: B
Say it with me, ladies and gentlemen: Marcus Mariota and the Atlanta Falcons are in first place in the NFC South.
Squaring off with the Carolina Panthers with the top spot in the division on the line, Mariota took to the air much more than he has been lately. The 2015 No. 2 overall pick attempted 28 passes, his highest total since Week 1 and one more than his last two games combined.
And he completed 20 of them to his own receivers, including three for touchdowns, while also throwing a couple to the Panthers’ defense. Luckily, the two picks didn’t matter as Atlanta escaped with a 37-34 overtime victory to get to 4-4 (thank D.J. Moore for that), taking a one-game lead on Carolina and Tampa Bay.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 112-178, 1,432 yards, 10 TD, 6 INT; 55 rushes, 280 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 77.66
24. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (3-4)
Week 8 Stats: 22-33, 187 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 2 rushes, – 1 yard, 1 TD
Week 8 Grade: B-
The good news for Matthew Stafford during the Rams’ Week 8 affair with the rival 49ers is that he didn’t take the beating he took back in Week 4 against the San Francisco defense, taking just two sacks instead of seven. He also didn’t throw a pick this time around.
But despite completing two-thirds of his passes with a touchdown, it didn’t matter much as the defending champs got rolled, 31-14, to drop to 3-4 on the year. Stafford & Co. will look to get back to .500 in Week 9 with a high-profile matchup with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 182-258, 1,763 yards, 7 TD, 8 INT; 10 rushes, 6 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 77.76
23. PJ Walker, Carolina Panthers (1-2)
Week 8 Stats: 19-36, 317 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 1 rush, 20 yards
Week 8 Grade: B-
You really gotta feel for PJ Walker and his Carolina Panthers teammates this week.
Despite completing just 52.8% of his passes against the Falcons and throwing his first interception of the season, Walker at least put his team in position to win with 317 passing yards, eclipsing the combined total of his first three appearances on the year.
Down six and needing a big play late in the fourth quarter, Walker delivered, firing arguably the best pass of the year in the form of a 62-yard bomb to D.J. Moore to tie the game at 34-34. And I’m not gonna lie. I bumped him up from a C+ to a B- for that throw alone.
But Moore was flagged for removing his helmet during the celebration, thus making the extra-point attempt 15 yards longer. Carolina kicker Eddy Piniero missed, and the Panthers lost in overtime, 37-34.
To make matters worse, it turns out Moore shouldn’t have been flagged at all as he removed his helmet off the field of play, which doesn’t violate NFL rules.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 50-80, 614 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 2 rushes, 19 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 78.35
22. Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts (3-3-1)
Week 8 Stats: N/A
Week 8 Grade: N/A
We like to have a quarterback make at least two starts before putting him down here in the main section, which is why you saw Sam Ehlinger in the reserve room. Assuming Matt Ryan stays on the bench for the Colts — and there’s no reason to think he won’t — you’ll see him replaced next week.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 203-297, 2,008 yards, 9 TD, 9 INT; 12 rushes, 11 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 78.43
21. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (4-2)
Week 8 Stats: N/A
Week 8 Grade: N/A
Ryan Tannehill was ruled out of the Tennessee Titans’ Week 8 matchup with the Houston Texans with a stomach illness, which is why you saw a grade for Malik Willis above in the reserve room.
All expectations are for Tannehill to return in Week 9 for a Sunday night date with the Kansas City Chiefs.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 95-146, 1,097 yards, 6 TD, 3 INT; 19 rushes, 29 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 79.1
20. Daniel Jones, New York Giants (6-2)
Week 8 Stats: 17-31, 176 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 6 rushes, 20 yards
Week 8 Grade: C-
The Seattle Seahawks’ defense came into its Week 8 matchup with the New York Giants with the goal of stopping Saquon Barkley. And that goal was accomplished as Barkley was held to a season-low 53 yards on 20 carries, meaning Daniel Jones needed to pick up the slack in the air to get New York a fifth straight victory.
And he couldn’t do it.
Jones completed just 54.8% of his passes in the 27-13 loss, his worst percentage since the Giants’ only other defeat of the year in Week 3 against Dallas. He threw for 176 yards, and while he didn’t throw an interception for the fifth straight week, he also failed to throw a touchdown.
With the loss, New York fell to third place in the NFC East as the Cowboys, who hold the same 6-2 record, currently own a tiebreaker. The Giants are on bye in Week 9.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 143-220, 1,399 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT; 64 rushes, 363 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 79.15
19. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders (2-5)
Week 8 Stats: 15-26, 101 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT; 1 rush, -1 yard
Week 8 Grade: F
A week after a fantastic performance in a win over the Texans, Derek Carr regressed something fierce on Sunday with a dreadful showing in the Raiders’ 24-0 loss to the Saints.
The three-time Pro Bowler completed a season-low 57.7% of his passes, threw for a season-low 101 yards, his lowest yardage total since December 2020, and failed to toss a touchdown pass for only the second time this season.
But he did throw his fifth interception of the year before being yanked from the game in the fourth quarter for Jarrett Stidham.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 149-237, 1,621 yards, 9 TD, 5 INT; 15 rushes, 67 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 79.16
18. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6)
Week 8 Stats: 18-31, 133 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 3 rushes, 15 yards
Week 8 Grade: D
Remember when Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars were 2-1 and seemed like a genuine threat in the AFC South? Well, those days are long gone as Jacksonville suffered its fifth straight defeat on Sunday, losing a late lead to fall 21-17 to the Broncos in London.
Lawrence got a chance at a game-winning drive after Denver found the end zone with 1:43 remaining, but he squandered the opportunity on his very first pass, throwing his second interception of the day to seal the Jags’ fate.
His first proved to be critical as well. After leading Jacksonville on a 13-play, 80-yard drive that took 7:22 off the clock in the first half, Lawrence was picked off at the goal line by Justin Simmons. The second-year star (we might need to stop calling him that soon) threw for a season-low 133 yards and completed just 58.1% of his passes.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 173-277, 1,840 yards, 10 TD, 6 INT; 27 rushes, 99 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 79.8
17. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (2-1)
Week 8 Stats: 21-27, 250 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 5 rushes, 34 yards, 1 TD
Week 8 Grade: A-
Making his second start since returning from the thumb injury that forced him to miss five weeks, Dak Prescott had a highly efficient outing for the second straight week as the Cowboys trounced the Bears, 49-29.
A week after completing 76% of his passes against the Lions, Dak faced a much tougher test against a Chicago defense that entered Week 8 as one of the best against the pass. But Prescott picked the unit apart, completing 77.8% of his passes for a season-high 250 yards and two touchdowns.
It certainly helped that Dallas had the rushing attack working as well. With Ezekiel Elliott out, Tony Pollard ran for 131 yards and three scores, which certainly opened up the passing lanes for Prescott. The Cowboys enter their bye week at 6-2 and in second place in the NFC East.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 54-81, 591 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 10 rushes, 45 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 80.2
16. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (1-6)
Week 8 Stats: 27-37, 321 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, 3 yards
Week 8 Grade: A-
After scoring just six points in their previous two games combined, Jared Goff and the Lions came out firing in their Week 8 matchup with the Dolphins, scoring on their first five possessions to take a 27-17 lead into halftime.
But that’s all they’d get as Miami fought back to snatch a 31-27 victory, dropping the Lions to 1-6 on the year.
Despite the second-half stumble in the scoring department, Goff played well overall, completing 73% of his passes for 321 yards, his second-highest total of the year, with a touchdown. He was also interception-free for the first time since Week 2. It’s not his fault the QB on the other sideline was just a little bit better.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 159-249, 1,904 yards, 12 TD, 6 INT; 12 rushes, 30 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 80.8
15. Andy Dalton, New Orleans Saints (2-3)
Week 8 Stats: 22-30, 229 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 8 Grade: A
Despite Jameis Winston being ready to roll, Dennis Allen chose to stick with Andy Dalton for the Saints’ Week 8 matchup with the Raiders. And it was clearly the right decision.
A week after an up-and-down performance in which he threw for four scores but also three picks, the 12-year veteran was interception-free while completing a season-best 73.3% of his passes for 229 yards with a pair of touchdowns in an easy 24-0 win.
Up next for Dalton and the Saints is a Week 9 Monday night matchup with the Baltimore Ravens.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 105-161, 1,175 yards, 9 TD, 4 INT; 12 rushes, 28 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.5
14. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (3-5)
Week 8 Stats: 31-44, 326 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 6 rushes, 36 yards
Week 8 Grade: B-
There was a lot to like about Kyler Murray‘s Week 8 performance against the Minnesota Vikings.
He completed 70.5% of his passes, his second-best mark of the season. He threw for a season-high 326 yards. And he tossed a season-best three touchdown passes.
The problem, however, is that he also tossed a season-worst two interceptions, which proved costly as the Cardinals fell to Minnesota, 34-26, dropping them to 3-5 and last place in the NFC West.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 215-325, 1,993 yards, 10 TD, 6 INT; 51 rushes, 299 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.9
13. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (3-5)
Week 8 Stats: 19-30, 203 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 1 rush, 11 yards
Week 8 Grade: B-
Had Aaron Rodgers played against any other team this week, his grade might not be as high. But seeing how he squared off against the top-ranked Buffalo Bills’ defense, I cut him a tad bit of slack here.
Early on, the Bills shut down the passing game almost completely, essentially forcing Green Bay to run the football. Things opened up a bit in the second half, and Rodgers at least put the Packers in position to come back from an early deficit before Buffalo sealed the deal.
The two-time reigning NFL MVP didn’t have the majority of his top targets available, and it’s clear he’s missing Davante Adams, as Green Bay still doesn’t have a legitimate downfield threat. Combine all that with the Packers’ ongoing issues on the offensive line, and Rodgers’ performance looks even better.
Nevertheless, he’s now lost four straight for just the second time in his career, and the Packers fell further behind the Vikings in the NFC North with a 27-17 loss.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 182-274, 1,800 yards, 13 TD, 4 INT; 10 rushes, 20 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.7
12. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers (3-3)
Week 8 Stats: 21-25, 235 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, 3 yards
Week 8 Grade: A+
With a receiving touchdown, a rushing touchdown, and a passing touchdown, Christian McCaffrey got all the press following the San Francisco 49ers’ 31-14 win over the LA Rams. And that’s certainly understandable, given that rare accomplishment.
But it shouldn’t get lost that Jimmy Garoppolo played a helluva football game on Sunday, completing a season-high 84% of his passes for 235 yards, his fifth straight effort of that least that amount, with a pair of TDs and zero picks.
Jimmy G is now 8-0 in the regular season against the Rams and 8-1 overall, his lone loss being last season’s NFC title game.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 140-210, 1,691 yards, 11 TD, 4 INT; 13 rushes, 23 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.9
11. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (5-3)
Week 8 Stats: 27-38, 238 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 9 rushes, 43 yards
Week 8 Grade: A
Lamar Jackson got off to a bit of a slow start on Thursday night against the Buccaneers but came on strong in the second half to get his Ravens a 27-22 win, giving Baltimore back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
After his offense scored just three points in the first 30 minutes, Jackson led touchdown drives of 77, 80, and 83 yards on Baltimore’s first three possessions coming out of the locker room, throwing TD passes to close two of them.
After subpar performances the past two weeks, Jackson came back strong here, completing 71.1% of his passes, his second-best mark of the year, and threw for 238 yards, also his second-best total of the season.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 148-235, 1,635 yards, 15 TD, 6 INT; 75 rushes, 553 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 84.8
10. Taylor Heinicke, Washington Commanders (2-0)
Week 8 Stats: 23-31, 279 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 6 rushes, 29 yards, 1 TD
Week 8 Grade: B
Making his second consecutive start for the injured Carson Wentz, former Washington QB1 Taylor Heinicke notched his second consecutive win on Sunday, leading the Commanders to a dramatic one-point victory over the Colts.
Trailing by six late in the fourth quarter, Heinicke led a nine-play, 89-yard drive in just 2:17 that he himself capped off with a one-yard TD run with 22 seconds remaining to get Washington to .500 on the season.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 43-64, 480 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 8 rushes, 33 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 85
9. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (4-3)
Week 8 Stats: N/A
Week 8 Grade: N/A
Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers were on a bye in Week 8 and return in Week 9 for a matchup with the Atlanta Falcons.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 203-308, 2,009 yards, 12 TD, 4 INT; 21 rushes, 48 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 85.4
8. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (6-1)
Week 8 Stats: 24-36, 232 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 22 yards, 1 TD
Week 8 Grade: A+
The Cardinals didn’t make it easy for the Vikings to pick up their fifth straight win, but Kirk Cousins willed his team to a 34-26 victory and has Minnesota off to a 6-1 start.
A season ago, the Vikings took eight losses by eight points or fewer. During this winning streak, they’ve won all five within that same margin.
Cousins continued his solid first half of the season, completing 66.7% of his passes for 232 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He also added a 17-yard score on the ground to get the Vikings’ offense going.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 175-264, 1,734 yards, 11 TD, 5 INT; 13 rushes, 40 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 85.8
7. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)
Week 8 Stats: 26-44, 325 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, 1 yard
Week 8 Grade: B-
Overall, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t look good right now. But despite all the heat he’s taking this week, Tom Brady isn’t playing as poorly as some are suggesting.
Did he look his best in the Bucs’ 27-22 loss to the Ravens on Thursday night? Absolutely not. He completed just 59.1% of his passes, his second-lowest clip of the season, and nearly failed to throw a touchdown pass for the second straight week before connecting with Julio Jones late in the fourth quarter.
But he still threw for 325 yards, found nine different receivers, and had several big completions taken away by penalties. And he certainly had no issue showing his frustration on that end, even once slamming the football to the ground in anger.
Now two games under .500 for the first time in his career, Brady will look to get the Bucs back on track in Week 9 against the defending Super Bowl champion LA Rams.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 224-340, 2,267 yards, 9 TD, 1 INT; 12 rushes, -5 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 86.1
6. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (4-4)
Week 8 Stats: 25-35, 232 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 1 rush, 2 yards
Week 8 Grade: B-
When Joe Burrow actually had time to throw on Monday night against the Browns, he didn’t look bad, completing more than 70% of his passes for the third straight week.
Sure, the early interception wasn’t great, but he still threw for 232 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was clearly missing Ja’Marr Chase, who’s expected to miss four to six weeks with a hip injury but won’t be placed on injured reserve.
The Browns’ defense made life quite difficult for Burrow in a 32-13 upset victory, sacking him five times and pressuring him all night long. Chase may not have even made a difference.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 211-305, 2,329 yards, 17 TD, 6 INT; 31 rushes, 132 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 86.2
5. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (7-0)
Week 8 Stats: 19-28, 285 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT; 2 rushes, 10 yards
Week 8 Grade: A+
The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t need a perfect performance from Jalen Hurts to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. But they got one anyway to remain the NFL’s lone unbeaten team at 7-0.
Looking fresh as can be coming off a bye week, Hurts completed 67.9% of his passes for 285 yards, his highest yardage total since Week 3, and threw a season-high four touchdowns with no picks in a 35-13 thumping. A.J. Brown was the recipient of three of those TDs and had 156 yards on the day.
Hurts & Co. have a quick turnaround this week as they play on Thursday night, but their undefeated streak is in no real jeopardy as they square off with the Houston Texans.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 142-212, 1,799 yards, 10 TD, 2 INT; 79 rushes, 303 yards, 6 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 89.1
4. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (5-3)
Week 8 Stats: 23-34, 212 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 5 rushes, 26 yards
Week 8 Grade: A
The good times just keep on rolling for Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks, who took the only Week 8 matchup between winning teams as they dominated the New York Giants, 27-13.
As he’s been all year long, Smith was highly efficient in the 14-point victory, completing 67.7% of his passes, which actually dropped his league-leading total to 72.7%. He threw for 212 yards and two scores and was interception-free for the fourth time in five games.
The victory snapped the Giants’ four-game winning streak and took the surprising Seahawks to 5-3, good for the top spot in the NFC West. Up next is a divisional showdown in Week 9 with the Cardinals, who Seattle bested just a couple of weeks back.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 181-249, 1,924 yards, 13 TD, 3 INT; 35 rushes, 158 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 89.3
3. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (5-1)
Week 8 Stats: 29-36, 382 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 5 rushes, 19 yards
Week 8 Grade: A+
For those who still have any doubts about whether Tua Tagovailoa is back to 100%, you can go ahead and stop worrying.
Despite falling behind early to the lowly Lions, the third-year star kept his composure and put on an A+ performance in a 31-27 come-from-behind victory to get the Dolphins to 5-3 for the year.
Tagovailoa completed a season-best 80.6% of his passes for 382 yards and three touchdowns and remained interception-free since returning from a concussion.
Of Tua’s 29 completions, 20 went to the duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who combined for 294 yards. Their 1,688 combined receiving yards through the first eight games are the most of any combo in the Super Bowl era.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 130-186, 1,678 yards, 12 TD, 3 INT; 13 rushes, 35 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 89.9
2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (6-1)
Week 8 Stats: 13-25, 218 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; 6 rushes, 49 yards
Week 8 Grade: C+
Early on in the Bills’ primetime showdown with the Packers, it seemed as if Josh Allen was on his way to yet another perfect performance, leading four scoring drives in the first half and throwing a pair of touchdown passes to give Buffalo a 24-7 halftime lead.
The second half didn’t go quite as smoothly as the Bills managed just three points in the final 30 minutes. And Allen uncharacteristically threw two picks in the final frame to give Green Bay a glimmer of hope, which the Buffalo defense shut down, of course.
While Allen did enough to get the job done in the 27-17 victory, he completed a season-low 52% of his passes and nearly matched his season-low in passing yards with 218. While the Bills didn’t lose the game, the MVP candidate did lose the No. 1 spot in our rankings.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 173-264, 2,198 yards, 19 TD, 6 INT; 53 rushes, 306 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 92.7
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)
Week 8 Stats: N/A
Week 8 Grade: N/A
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs were on a bye in Week 8 and return in Week 9 for a Sunday night showdown with the Tennessee Titans. What do you think, folks? Will he keep his No. 1 ranking?
2022 NFL Season Stats: 176-263, 2,159 yards, 20 TD, 5 INT; 21 rushes, 113 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 93.2
Have thoughts on this topic? Keep the conversation rolling in our comments section below.
