NFL
2022 NFL QB Grades Week 13: Jalen Hurts Is Closer Than Ever to His Jersey Number in Our Season-Long Quarterback Competition
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 betterPublished06 Dec 2022
Week 13 of the 2022 campaign is in the books, and just as we did a week ago, we added several new names to our season-long NFL quarterback competition.
And the reasoning varied. We saw a couple of big names go down with injuries, most notably Jimmy Garoppolo, who saw his season come to an end with a broken foot. Lamar Jackson went down as well, but he’s at least got a chance to return in a couple of weeks following a knee injury. So that brought Brock Purdy and Tyler Huntley into the mix.
Week 13 also marked the season debut of Deshaun Watson, who returned from his 11-game suspension to replace Jacoby Brissett as QB1 of the Cleveland Browns.
In total, 54 different quarterbacks have played enough to qualify for a grade this season. And as we’ve been doing for a while now, we’ll start with those in our reserve room, which is getting a little crowded with 22 names in it, a few of whom will make their way down to the featured section soon.
- Bailey Zappe: 86.4
- Brock Purdy: 85
- Colt McCoy: 81.7
- Tyler Huntley: 81
- 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: 74.5
- Zach Wilson: 73.9
- Davis Mills: 73.7
- Skylar Thompson: 72.2
- Baker Mayfield: 70.1
- Brett Rypien: 68
- Sam Ehlinger: 66.4
- Malik Willis: 60.8
- Bryce Perkins: 60.4
- Deshaun Watson: 58
As a reminder, if you’d like to see how our rankings have played out throughout this 2022 NFL season, I encourage you to check out our full grade book.
Now let’s get to the 32 in our featured section, starting with a new name at the bottom of the list.
32. Kyle Allen, Houston Texans (0-2)
Week 13 Stats: 20-39, 201 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 2 rushes, 1 yard
Week 13 Grade: F
Making his second start since taking over for Davis Mills, Kyle Allen struggled again as the Houston Texans took their 10th loss of the year, dropping their Week 13 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, 27-14.
While Allen threw for 201 yards and a touchdown, he fumbled twice, one of which he lost and was returned by the Cleveland defense for a score. He was also intercepted twice, the second of which the Browns took to the house as well.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 46-78, 416 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT; 6 rushes, 13 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 65
31. John Wolford, Los Angeles Rams (0-2)
Week 13 Stats: 14-26, 178 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT; 5 rushes, 29 yards
Week 13 Grade: F
With Matthew Stafford seemingly done for the season, it looks as if John Wolford will take the LA Rams the rest of the way. Well, he got the start in Week 13 anyway against the Seahawks.
But things didn’t go particularly well for the former AAF star. While the Rams’ running game kept the defending champs competitive, Wolford completed just 53.9% of his passes for 178 yards and threw a pair of interceptions, the second with just 10 ticks remaining to seal LA’s sixth straight defeat, which ensures Sean McVay’s first losing season.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 38-62, 390 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT; 8 rushes, 32 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 67.3
30. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers (4-4)
Week 13 Stats: 16-28, 197 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 7 rushes, 14 yards
Week 13 Grade: B-
While there’s still plenty to improve upon, Kenny Pickett continues to progress as the weeks go by.
The rookie first-rounder wasn’t overly accurate, completing just 16 of 28 passes, but he made some big throws in key moments in leading the Steelers to a 19-16 win over the Falcons. Pittsburgh has won three of its last four, and Sunday’s win marked the first time that Mike Tomlin & Co. have won two in a row all season.
It was also the fourth straight game in which Pickett didn’t throw an interception, which was a significant issue for him earlier this season.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 191-293, 1,797 yards, 4 TD, 8 INT; 42 rushes, 209 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 73.4
29. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos (3-8)
Week 13 Stats: 17-22, 189 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 2 rushes, 21 yards
Week 13 Grade: C+
Russell Wilson was highly efficient for the Broncos in their Week 13 battle with the Baltimore Ravens, completing 17 of 22 passes, marking the second time in three weeks that he’s connected on at least 77% of his attempts.
But just as it went two weeks ago, when he completed 77.4% of his passes but failed to throw a touchdown in a loss to the Raiders, Russ failed to throw a touchdown against Baltimore on Sunday as Denver took a 10-9 loss to drop to 3-9 on the year.
At least he was interception-free for a third consecutive game, right?
2022 NFL Season Stats: 215-358, 2,558 yards, 8 TD, 5 INT; 37 rushes, 158 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 74
28. Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts (4-6-1)
Week 13 Stats: 21-37, 233 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT; 3 rushes, -2 yards
Week 13 Grade: F
There was a time on Sunday night when it looked like the Indianapolis Colts might just upset the Dallas Cowboys. Matt Ryan had thrown a couple of touchdowns, and Indy trailed by just two going into the fourth quarter.
But then the Dallas defense got angry and pummeled the 2016 NFL MVP into submission as the Cowboys scored 33 in the final frame to take a 54-19 win.
As mentioned, Ryan threw a pair of touchdowns, but he also threw three interceptions and lost a fumble, which was returned for a touchdown. That brings Ryan’s turnover total for the year to 18 (13 interceptions, five fumbles), which leads the NFL.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 290-428, 2,875 yards, 13 TD, 13 INT; 24 rushes, 70 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 77.092
27. Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons (5-8)
Week 13 Stats: 13-24, 167 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 3 rushes, 17 yards
Week 13 Grade: C-
Outside of a couple of games, Marcus Mariota’s stat line seems to be about the same every week, doesn’t it? Below-average to average completion rate with less than 200 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception while getting a few rushing yards in there.
And that’s what we got from him in the Falcons’ 19-16 loss to the Steelers. Just think if he could give his team just a little more. Of Atlanta’s eight losses, six have been by single digits. Even just two extra wins right now would have Mariota & Co. atop the NFC South.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 184-300, 2,219 yards, 15 TD, 9 INT; 85 rushes, 438 yards, 4 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 77.102
26. Mike White, New York Jets (1-1)
Week 13 Stats: 31-57, 369 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT; 3 rushes, 7 yards, 1 TD
Week 13 Grade: D+
A week after a dream debut in which he threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns in a win over the Bears, Mike White came back to reality as the Jets took a 27-22 loss to the Vikings.
While he upped his yardage to 369, White also attempted more than double the number of passes he did a week ago. And while he found the end zone on a quarterback sneak, the 2018 fifth-rounder failed to find it through the air. And while he was interception-free in Week 12, White threw a pair of picks in Week 13.
Wonder which version we’ll get in Week 14 when the Jets visit the Bills.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 53-85, 684 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 6 rushes, 9 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 79
25. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears (3-9)
Week 13 Stats: 20-25, 254 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT; 6 rushes, 71 yards, 1 TD
Week 13 Grade: C+
Justin Fields’ performance against the Green Bay Packers was extremely difficult to grade.
On the positive side of things, he completed a ridiculous 80% of his passes for a season-high 254 yards. He also rushed for another 71 yards and became the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era with at least three rushing touchdowns of at least 50 yards. And let me make this point clear. He’s not the first to do it three times in a season, but the first to do it three times in a career.
But then you’ve got the negative. The Bears took a nine-point lead into the fourth quarter, but a pair of interceptions from Fields late in the game helped the Packers secure a 28-19 win. Late picks have been a problem for the former Ohio State star, and that’s definitely something he’ll have to remedy in the future to reach that next level.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 156-253, 1,896 yards, 13 TD, 10 INT; 128 rushes, 905 yards, 8 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 79.3
24. Andy Dalton, New Orleans Saints (3-7)
Week 13 Stats: 20-28, 229 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, 1 yard
Week 13 Grade: B
Had the last few minutes of Monday night’s matchup between the Saints and Buccaneers not gone down the way it did, we’d actually be sitting here chatting about how New Orleans could still make the playoffs by winning the woeful NFC South.
Because before those last few minutes, Andy Dalton was outplaying Tom Brady. The “Red Rifle” connected on 20 of 28 targets for 229 yards and a touchdown but then had to sit and watch as the Saints’ defense gave up 14 points in the final minutes in a heartbreaking 17-16 loss.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 200-299, 2,252 yards, 15 TD, 7 INT; 24 rushes, 54 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 80.9
23. Jacoby Brissett, Cleveland Browns (4-7)
Week 13 Stats: N/A
Week 13 Grade: N/A
As Deshaun Watson has made just one start, we’ll let Jacoby Brissett sit here in the featured section for one more week. And Watson should thank us for that as he’d otherwise be sitting in dead last down here.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 236-368, 2,608 yards, 12 TD, 6 INT; 47 rushes, 238 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.2
22. Daniel Jones, New York Giants (7-4-1)
Week 13 Stats: 25-31, 200 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 12 rushes, 71 yards
Week 13 Grade: A-
Ties in the NFL are never fun. But after losing two straight, I’m betting Daniel Jones and the New York Giants are okay with their 20-20 draw with the Washington Commanders.
Jones certainly played well enough to get his team a win, completing 80.7% of his passes for 200 yards and a touchdown while adding another 71 yards on the ground.
Even with the tie, the Giants remain the No. 6 seed in the NFC and now look to become just the second team to knock off the Philadelphia Eagles.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 229-347, 2,365 yards, 11 TD, 4 INT; 91 rushes, 522 yards, 4 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.8
21. Mac Jones, New England Patriots (4-5)
Week 13 Stats: 22-36, 195 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 7 yards
Week 13 Grade: B
A week after playing the best game of his young career, albeit in a loss, Mac Jones took a step back this week as the Patriots dropped their second straight to drop to 6-6.
Facing a Buffalo Bills defense that was without the services of Von Miller, Jones played well but just not well enough, completing 61.1% of his passes for 195 yards and a touchdown in the 24-10 defeat.
One would think New England has to win its next two games against the Cardinals and Raiders to have any kind of shot at the postseason as Jones & Co. close out the year with matchups against the Bengals, Dolphins, and these same Bills.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 184-270, 1,963 yards, 7 TD, 7 INT; 30 rushes, 88 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 82
20. Taylor Heinicke, Washington Commanders (5-1-1)
Week 13 Stats: 27-41, 275 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 2 rushes, 6 yards
Week 13 Grade: A-
Taylor Heinicke did just about everything he could do to get his Commanders a win over the rival New York Giants on Sunday. But while that didn’t happen, at least Washington didn’t take a loss.
In a 20-20 tie, Heinicke completed 65.9% of his passes, his second-best clip of the season, for 275 yards with a pair of touchdowns. He also connected on a critical fourth-down pass during Washington’s 90-yard scoring drive in the final frame to send the game into overtime.
Despite not losing, the Commanders still dropped to the No. 8 slot in the NFC playoff standings and will be rooting for the Eagles and Panthers during their bye week.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 131-212, 1,444 yards, 9 TD, 5 INT; 23 rushes, 67 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.1
19. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (6-4)
Week 13 Stats: 14-22, 141 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 34 yards
Week 13 Grade: B
The Tennessee Titans are lucky they’re playing in an extremely weak division this year because they’re trending in the wrong direction and have a tough time beating the elite teams in the NFL.
Ryan Tannehill played a decent-enough game on Sunday, completing 63.6% of his passes for 141 yards and a touchdown with no picks, but that’s not going to get it done against a team like the Philadelphia Eagles.
But it’s also not his fault that the Titans’ defense had no answer for Jalen Hurts and the Philly offense, which was completely dominant in a 35-10 win. Tennessee is still essentially a lock to win the AFC South at 7-5 but think about this.
Of Tennessee’s seven victories, none have come against teams who would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. But all five of their losses have.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 172-265, 2,117 yards, 11 TD, 4 INT; 29 rushes, 81 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.436
18. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (5-8)
Week 13 Stats: 18-31, 182 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 4 yards
Week 13 Grade: B
For the first three quarters of the Week 13 rivalry showdown between Green Bay and Chicago, it looked as if Aaron Rodgers might finally need a second hand to count his career losses to the Bears.
But the two-time reigning NFL MVP took over in the fourth quarter, leading three scoring drives to give the Packers a 28-19 victory. Rodgers certainly didn’t have his greatest performance, but he showed up when it counted the most.
And with the victory, the Packers are now the winningest franchise in NFL history with 787 wins. Green Bay and Chicago were tied at 786 coming into this one.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 272-423, 2,864 yards, 22 TD, 9 INT; 20 rushes, 67 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.439
17. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (3-7)
Week 13 Stats: N/A
Week 13 Grade: N/A
Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals were on a bye in Week 13 and return in Week 14 for a Monday night matchup with the New England Patriots.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 258-389, 2,359 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT; 66 rushes, 415 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.5
16. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders (5-7)
Week 13 Stats: 16-30, 250 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Week 13 Grade: B
Don’t count out the Raiders just yet, folks.
While it’s still going to take quite a bit for Las Vegas to reach the postseason, Derek Carr helped his team to a third straight victory on Sunday as the Raiders took down the Chargers, 27-20.
The three-time Pro Bowler wasn’t overly efficient against LA, completing a season-worst 53.3% of his passes, but he connected when it mattered and threw for 250 yards and a pair of touchdowns, both to Davante Adams.
Since Carr’s emotional outburst following the Raiders’ loss to the Colts in Week 10, Las Vegas is undefeated and will look to continue that streak on Thursday night against the Rams.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 258-414, 2,980 yards, 20 TD, 8 INT; 17 rushes, 77 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 83.3
15. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (8-4)
Week 13 Stats: 3-4, 11 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, 9 yards
Week 13 Grade: N/A
Lamar Jackson didn’t do enough to qualify for a grade before exiting the Ravens’ Week 13 win over the Broncos and will likely miss Baltimore’s Week 14 matchup with the Steelers. As he’s currently listed as week-to-week, we’ll continue to monitor before making a decision on if and when Tyler Huntley makes his way down to the featured section.
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
14. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (4-8)
Week 13 Stats: 17-31, 179 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 32 yards
Week 13 Grade: C
Coming off a perfect grade in Week 12 against the Baltimore Ravens, Trevor Lawrence took a tumble in Week 13 as the Jacksonville Jaguars took a 40-14 beating at the hands of the Detroit Lions.
While the second-year star was interception-free for a fourth straight week, he completed just 54.8% of his passes for 179 yards and a touchdown.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 273-416, 2,834 yards, 17 TD, 6 INT; 43 rushes, 211 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 83.9
13. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (5-7)
Week 13 Stats: 31-41, 340 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 13 Grade: A+
It’s essentially a guarantee at this point that the Detroit Lions will fall short of the postseason for a sixth straight season, but this is a fun team to watch.
In a 40-14 romp of the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Jared Goff looked like a No. 1 overall pick as he completed 75.6% of his passes for 340 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Lions’ offense, which ranks sixth in the league in scoring, scored on all five of its drives in the first half and the first three of the second.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 263-405, 3,022 yards, 19 TD, 7 INT; 21 rushes, 42 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 84.1
12. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (10-2)
Week 13 Stats: 21-35, 173 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 9 yards
Week 13 Grade: B
Kirk Cousins didn’t play his best game of the year on Sunday against the New York Jets, but he did just enough to get his Minnesota Vikings their 10th win of the year, the last nine of which have been by single digits.
In the 27-22 victory, Cousins completed 60% of his passes for 173 yards and threw his lone touchdown of the day with just over eight and a half minutes to play, giving the Vikings a two-score lead. Minnesota can clinch the NFC North with a Week 14 win over the Detroit Lions.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 290-449, 2,933 yards, 18 TD, 9 INT; 25 rushes, 58 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 84.2
11. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (5-2)
Week 13 Stats: 20-30, 170 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Week 13 Grade: A
One would think that when the Dallas Cowboys score 54 points, Dak Prescott would have more than 170 passing yards.
But with the running game clicking and the defense doing what it’s been doing all year, that’s all Dak needed to do as the Cowboys rolled to a 54-19 win over the Indianapolis Colts. But he still filled the stat sheet nicely, completing two-thirds of his 30 passes and tossing three touchdowns as Dallas improved to 9-3.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 144-212, 1,563 yards, 13 TD, 7 INT; 19 rushes, 71 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 84.6
10. Sam Darnold, Carolina Panthers (1-0)
Week 13 Stats: N/A
Week 13 Grade: N/A
Well, I had to break my own rule here. As you know, I typically wait until a quarterback has at least two starts before putting him in the featured section.
So with the Carolina Panthers on a bye in Week 13, that meant putting Baker Mayfield in the featured section one final time. But as Mayfield was released on Monday, I essentially had no choice but to put Sam Darnold down here after just one start.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 11-19, 164 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 3 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 85
9. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (6-6)
Week 13 Stats: 28-47, 335 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 5 rushes, 7 yards
Week 13 Grade: B-
While Justin Herbert recorded his 20th career game with at least 300 passing yards, it wasn’t enough to get his team a win as the Chargers fell to a disappointing 6-6 with a 27-20 loss to the Raiders.
Herbert attempted 47 passes for the second straight week, connecting on 28 of them for a season-high 335 yards with a touchdown and zero interceptions. Six of those passes, including his lone touchdown of the day, went to Keenan Allen, who returned to the LA lineup after missing the last seven games with a hamstring injury.
The loss drops the Chargers to ninth in the AFC standings.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 340-510, 3,339 yards, 20 TD, 7 INT; 41 rushes, 135 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 85.5
8. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers (7-3)
Week 13 Stats: 2-4, 56 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
Week 13 Grade: N/A
Jimmy Garoppolo exited the San Francisco 49ers’ Week 13 win over the Miami Dolphins in the first quarter with a broken left foot and is lost for the season. Assuming Brock Purdy continues in the QB1 role for the Niners, we’ll get 2022’s “Mr. Irrelevant” down here in the featured section next week.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 207-308, 2,437 yards, 16 TD, 4 INT; 23 rushes, 33 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 85.7
7. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (9-3)
Week 13 Stats: 22-33, 223 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 8 rushes, 20 yards
Week 13 Grade: A
Josh Allen isn’t out of the MVP race just yet.
While he’s still got ground to make up, Allen put himself back in the conversation and has the Bills back in the No. 1 spot in the AFC standings heading into Week 14.
In a dominating 24-10 win over the Patriots on Thursday, surprisingly Buffalo’s first win inside the AFC East, the 26-year-old completed 22 of 33 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers, which has been a big issue as of late.
The Bills have another divisional matchup this week as they look for revenge on the New York Jets, to whom they lost in Week 9 by a score of 20-17.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 284-443, 3,406 yards, 25 TD, 11 INT; 89 rushes, 581 yards, 5 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 88
6. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6)
Week 13 Stats: 36-54, 281 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 1 rush, -1 yard
Week 13 Grade: A-
For three and a half quarters on Monday night, Tom Brady‘s weird issue with the Saints was on display. He couldn’t get the Buccaneers’ offense moving, threw his third interception of the year, and was seemingly on his way to having his career record against New Orleans drop back to .500.
But that’s why you play the full 60 minutes. Down 13 points late in the fourth, Brady led the Bucs on scoring drives of 91 and 63 yards, throwing touchdown passes to complete both, to pull out an improbable 17-16 victory to get Tampa Bay to 6-6 for the year.
Up next for TB12 & Co. is a tough test against the San Francisco 49ers’ top-ranked defense.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 347-524, 3,332 yards, 16 TD, 3 INT; 20 rushes, -7 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 88.43
5. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (8-4)
Week 13 Stats: 25-31, 286 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 11 rushes, 46 yards, 1 TD
Week 13 Grade: A+
Just as the Cincinnati Bengals continue to rise in the AFC standings, Joe Burrow continues to rise up our leaderboard.
Not many people can say they own a winning record against Patrick Mahomes, let alone an undefeated one. But Burrow maintained such a mark on Sunday, getting his third win over the 2018 NFL MVP as the Bengals knocked off the Chiefs, 27-24, in an AFC Championship rematch (and possible preview).
Burrow was brilliant in the victory, completing 25 of 31 passes for 286 yards with two touchdowns, also adding a third score on the ground. The Bengals have now won four straight and six of seven and are beginning to look more and more like the team that went to the Super Bowl.
Getting Ja’Marr Chase back in the lineup only makes Cincy that much more dangerous.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 304-440, 3,446 yards, 25 TD, 8 INT; 59 rushes, 224 yards, 5 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 88.44
4. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (8-2)
Week 13 Stats: 18-33, 295 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Week 13 Grade: C
ln our weekly fantasy football forecast, I chose Tua Tagovailoa as my QB Bust of the Week as I figured he might struggle against the San Francisco 49ers’ top-ranked defense. And that’s precisely what happened as the Dolphins saw their five-game winning streak snapped with a 33-17 loss.
Sure, Tua threw for 295 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But he also completed a season-worst 54.6% of his passes. And after throwing just three interceptions in his previous nine games, Tagovailoa threw two against the Niners. The loss dropped Miami out of first place in the AFC East and down into the No. 6 slot in the AFC playoff bracket.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 216-317, 2,859 yards, 21 TD, 5 INT; 19 rushes, 35 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 90.9
3. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (7-5)
Week 13 Stats: 28-39, 367 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 2 rushes, 3 yards
Week 13 Grade: A+
With the Seattle Seahawks desperately needing a win to stay in the postseason hunt following a two-game skid, Geno Smith stepped up and delivered.
The 2013 second-rounder continues to lead the NFL in completion percentage and was efficient yet again in Week 13 against the Rams, connecting on 71.8% of his attempts. Smith also threw for a career-high 367 yards and three touchdowns, the last coming with just 36 seconds remaining to give the Seahawks a 27-23 come-from-behind victory.
The win puts Seattle in the No. 7 slot in the NFC playoff bracket with five games remaining, three of which are against teams that would be in the postseason if it started today.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 285-392, 3,169 yards, 22 TD, 6 INT; 52 rushes, 243 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 91.1
2. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (11-1)
Week 13 Stats: 29-39, 380 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 5 rushes, 12 yards, 1 TD
Week 13 Grade: A+
Had Jalen Hurts sat out the second half of the Eagles’ 35-10 victory over the Titans, he would still have gotten a perfect score as he threw for 268 yards with two touchdowns and added another TD on the ground in the first 30 minutes.
He obviously didn’t sit out the second half and ended his Week 13 with a season-high 380 yards in the air with three touchdowns, two of which went to A.J. Brown, who torched his former team with eight catches for 119 yards.
This is Hurts’ highest ranking of the year, and another performance like this next week against the Giants could vault him into the No. 1 spot. For now, however, that slot belongs to the same signal-caller who’s been there for a while now.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 243-357, 2,940 yards, 20 TD, 3 INT; 132 rushes, 609 yards, 9 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 92.3
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (9-3)
Week 13 Stats: 16-27, 223 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 2 rushes, 9 yards, 1 TD
Week 13 Grade: B
Patrick Mahomes needed an A+ performance to get past Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in Sunday’s AFC Championship rematch, and he just didn’t have it.
While he played well, throwing for 223 yards and a touchdown while adding a second score on the ground, the Chiefs came up short against Cincy yet again, 27-24, the same score by which they lost back in January.
But despite the loss, Mahomes keeps his No. 1 spot in our season-long rankings, although not by a very wide margin.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 308-469, 3,808 yards, 30 TD, 8 INT; 44 rushes, 283 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 92.7
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