NFL
2022 NFL QB Grades: Tom Brady Drops, Joe Burrow Rises, and Plenty of Other Movement in a Wild Week 7
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 betterPublished25 Oct 2022
Is it just me, or is the 2022 NFL season one of the wildest we’ve seen in quite some time?
Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are both under .500. Geno Smith is a legit NFL MVP candidate and has the Seahawks in first place. Despite neither having an elite NFL quarterback, both New Jersey New York teams are relevant. The only team that actually plays in New York is a Super Bowl favorite.
The NFC East is the best division in football. Bill Belichick looks like he has no idea what he’s doing. We’ve seen more than 40 different quarterbacks play considerable minutes, and that number is guaranteed to get bigger just in the next week. Trust me. I could go on, but we’ve got business to handle.
But before we get to the madness that was Week 7 with our QB grades and season-long rankings, let’s first take a look at those we’re keeping up here in the reserve room, at least one of which will go to the featured section in Week 8.
- Taylor Heinicke: 85
- Teddy Bridgewater: 81
- Cooper Rush: 77
- Joe Flacco: 76.2
- Mac Jones: 75.6
- Jameis Winston: 75.5
- Mitch Trubisky: 74.5
- Skylar Thompson: 72.2
- Baker Mayfield: 69.2
- Brett Rypien: 68
And let’s not look at that featured section, starting with a new No. 32.
32. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)
Week 7 Stats: 32-44, 257 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT; 3 rushes, 20 yards
Week 7 Grade: D
The term “rookie mistakes” is a common phrase for a reason, and Kenny Pickett is making a lot of rookie mistakes. And his biggest one yet couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Pittsburgh Steelers in their Sunday night matchup with the Miami Dolphins.
Somehow still in the game down the stretch, the Steelers were down six but driving with a chance to win late in the fourth quarter, only to see that chance slip away as Pickett threw a bad interception, his third of the game, to seal Pittsburgh’s fate.
At times, Pickett has shown why he was the only QB taken in the first round of this year’s draft. But the growing pains that come with being a rookie quarterback have outweighed those. Despite appearing in just four games thus far, he already has seven interceptions, the third-most in the NFL behind only Matt Ryan (9) and Matthew Stafford (8).
2022 NFL Season Stats: 87-127, 771 yards, 2 TD, 7 INT; 12 rushes, 61 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 72
31. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears (3-4)
Week 7 Stats: 13-21, 179 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 14 rushes, 82 yards, 1 TD
Week 7 Grade: B-
It’s gotta be so nice for the Chicago Bears to play a football game and not be the team with quarterback drama. But on Monday night, that was the case as the drama solely belonged to the New England Patriots, whom the Bears squashed in primetime, 33-14.
While the Chicago defense was the true star in the victory, Justin Fields played a solid game, completing 61.9% of his passes for 179 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also added 82 yards and a score on the ground.
Were there some typical ugly moments from Fields? Yes. At least two of the four sacks he took could have been avoided with a throwaway, but he also has to make very quick decisions as his offensive line continues to struggle to protect him. But his O-line isn’t responsible for his four fumbles, either. Thankfully, Chicago didn’t lose any of them.
Am I completely sold on him succeeding as an NFL quarterback? No, not even close. But not everything this year has been his fault, and he does have his moments.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 76-136, 1,048 yards, 5 TD, 6 INT; 68 rushes, 364 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 73.4
30. Zach Wilson, New York Jets (4-0)
Week 7 Stats: 16-26, 121 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 24 yards
Week 7 Grade: C
For the fourth consecutive week, the New York Jets earned a victory. And for the fourth consecutive week, Zach Wilson didn’t have much to do with it.
It’s not that Wilson played a bad game. It’s just that he didn’t play a good one, either. For the third straight week, he had zero touchdown passes but also had zero interceptions while completing 16 of 26 passes for 121 yards.
But while the Jets got themselves a 16-9 win over the Broncos, they suffered a significant loss in the process as rookie running back Breece Hall, who scored New York’s lone touchdown on an incredible 62-yard run, tore his left ACL and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Mr. Wilson might need to start throwing some TD passes soon.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 58-101, 693 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 15 rushes, 42 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 73.6
29. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos (2-4)
Week 7 Stats: N/A
Week 7 Grade: N/A
Russell Wilson sat out the Denver Broncos’ Week 7 loss to the New York Jets with a partially torn hamstring and could miss more time moving forward. If he does, we’ll get Brett Rypien down here in the featured section.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 116-198, 1,442 yards, 5 TD, 3 INT; 21 rushes, 96 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 74.1
28. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
Week 7 Stats: 19-25, 207 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 0 yards
Week 7 Grade: B
The Dallas Cowboys couldn’t have asked for much more from Dak Prescott in his return to action six weeks after injuring his thumb in the season opener.
In a Cooper Rush-like performance, Prescott stayed within himself, didn’t try to do too much, and let his defense do what it does as Dallas rolled over the Lions, 24-6.
The two-time Pro Bowler was extremely efficient, completing 76% of his passes and throwing his first touchdown pass of the year, hitting Peyton Hendershot with a two-yard strike in the fourth quarter to seal the win. Prescott will get a much tougher test next week against the Chicago Bears, who boast one of the NFL’s best defenses against the pass.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 33-54, 341 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 5 rushes, 11 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 74.5
27. Jacoby Brissett, Cleveland Browns (2-5)
Week 7 Stats: 22-27, 258 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 18 yards
Week 7 Grade: C+
From an efficiency standpoint, Jacoby Brissett had a solid performance during the Browns’ divisional showdown with the Ravens, completing 22 of 27 passes to match his season-high 81.5% completion percentage from Week 2.
And he had his sixth consecutive game with at least 220 passing yards, throwing for 258 in the 23-20 loss. But he failed to throw a touchdown pass for the second time this season, although he also didn’t throw an interception for the first time since Week 3.
It seemed as if Brissett had a TD pass to Amari Cooper for a moment, but that was nixed due to offensive pass interference.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 146-233, 1,584 yards, 6 TD, 5 INT; 25 rushes, 140 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 75.2
26. PJ Walker, Carolina Panthers (1-1)
Week 7 Stats: 16-22, 177 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 7 Grade: B
One would think a team with an interim head coach and a third-string quarterback leading the way wouldn’t stand a chance against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, right? Welcome to 2022 NFL football.
In the overall best performance of his young career, former PJ Walker completed 72.7% of his passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns in leading the Panthers to an improbable 21-3 victory, giving Steve Wilks his first win since taking over for Matt Rhule.
And Walker’s reward for the win? He gets to keep playing. Even if Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, two of the first three picks in the 2018 NFL Draft, are healthy enough to go for Carolina’s Week 8 matchup with Atlanta, Walker, who went undrafted in 2017 and was playing in the XFL in 2020, will start.
Once again, welcome to 2022 NFL football.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 31-44, 297 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, -1 yard
2022 NFL Season Score: 76
25. Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons (3-4)
Week 7 Stats: 8-13, 124 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 6 rushes, 31 yards
Week 7 Grade: C
Just one week after a near-perfect performance in an upset win over the 49ers, Marcus Mariota dropped back down to average as the Falcons dropped their Week 7 matchup with the Bengals, 35-17.
It’s not that Mariota played poorly, as he completed 61.5% of his passes and was interception-free for the third consecutive week. But he also threw for a season-low 124 yards and rushed for just 31, his lowest total since Week 4.
Despite the loss, Atlanta is still tied with the Buccaneers atop the NFC South, although Tampa currently owns the tiebreaker. The Falcons square off with the Carolina Panthers in Week 8.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 92-150, 1,179 yards, 7 TD, 4 INT; 49 rushes, 237 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 76.4
24. Davis Mills, Houston Texans (1-4-1)
Week 7 Stats: 28-41, 302 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Week 7 Grade: B-
Overall, Davis Mills played a solid game against the Raiders on Sunday.
Coming off a bye, the second-year signal-caller completed 68.3% of his passes for a season-high 302 yards. But he also threw a fourth-quarter interception that safety Duron Harmon returned 73 yards for a touchdown to seal the victory for Las Vegas.
Houston was outscored 28-10 in the second half and dropped to 1-4-1 for the year.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 132-207, 1,350 yards, 7 TD, 5 INT; 6 rushes, 2 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 77.1
23. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (3-3)
Week 7 Stats: N/A
Week 7 Grade: N/A
Matthew Stafford and LA Rams had a bye in Week 7 and will return in Week 8 for their second showdown with the San Francisco 49ers.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 160-225, 1,576 yards, 6 TD, 8 INT; 8 rushes, 7 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 77.3
22. Carson Wentz, Washington Commanders (2-4)
Week 7 Stats: N/A
Week 7 Grade: N/A
As Taylor Heinicke just made his season debut this week for the Washington Commanders, we’ll keep Carson Wentz here for now.
But as Wentz will miss at least the next few weeks after being placed on injured reserve, we’ll get Heinicke down here in the main section following Washington’s Week 8 matchup with the Colts.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 144-232, 1,489 yards, 10 TD, 6 INT; 19 rushes, 79 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 77.7
21. Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts (3-3-1)
Week 7 Stats: 33-44, 243 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 1 rush, 2 yards
Week 7 Grade: C-
Only one week ago, it looked as if Matt Ryan had figured things out, earning a perfect grade here by throwing for 389 yards and three touchdowns in the Colts’ win over the Jaguars.
But the turnover issue that he avoided in Week 6 once again reared its ugly head in Week 7 as the 2016 NFL MVP threw a pair of interceptions during Indy’s 19-10 loss to the Titans, bringing his league-leading total to nine.
And Frank Reich has seen enough as Ryan will ride the pine the rest of the season as the Colts turn to 2021 sixth-round selection Sam Ehlinger, who Nick Foles will back up. And it’s apparently got nothing to do with Ryan’s shoulder injury. So you’ll see a new Colts QB down here in the main section soon.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 203-297, 2,008 yards, 9 TD, 9 INT; 12 rushes, 11 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 78.4
20. Andy Dalton, New Orleans Saints (1-3)
Week 7 Stats: 30-47, 361 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT; 4 rushes, 21 yards
Week 7 Grade: C+
There was a lot to like about Andy Dalton’s Week 7 performance against the Arizona Cardinals. The three-time Pro Bowler completed 63.8% of his passes, his second-best mark of the year, threw for a season-high 361 yards, which was more than his previous two games combined, and tossed four touchdowns, his most since December 22, 2019.
But the “Red Rifle” also threw three interceptions in the Saints’ 42-34 loss, two of which were returned for touchdowns within about a minute of one another late in the first half.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 83-131, 946 yards, 7 TD, 4 INT; 12 rushes, 28 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 78.8
19. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (4-2)
Week 7 Stats: 13-20, 132 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 6 yards
Week 7 Grade: C
Ryan Tannehill wasn’t spectacular in the Titans’ Week 7 win over the Colts on Sunday and didn’t need to be.
With Derrick Henry rushing for a season-high 128 yards and the Titans’ defense giving Matt Ryan fits, Tannehill’s 132 yard-effort that included no touchdowns but also no interceptions worked out just fine.
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
18. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (1-5)
Week 7 Stats: 21-26, 228 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT; 1 rush, 4 yards
Week 7 Grade: D-
The only thing keeping Jared Goff from a failing grade is that he completed 80.8% of his passes, easily his highest percentage of the year.
But outside of that, Goff didn’t do much right in the Lions’ 24-6 loss to the Cowboys. Just a few short weeks ago, Detroit had one of the most potent offenses in the NFL. But in their last two outings, the Lions have scored six points combined.
Goff’s four turnovers on Sunday didn’t help. He was picked off twice, lost two fumbles, and took five sacks against the vaunted Dallas defense.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 132-212, 1,583 yards, 11 TD, 6 INT; 11 rushes, 27 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 79.1
17. Daniel Jones, New York Giants (6-1)
Week 7 Stats: 19-30, 202 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 11 rushes, 107 yards, 1 TD
Week 7 Grade: A-
Another week, another close game, and yet another win for Daniel Jones and the New York Giants, who moved to 6-1 with a 23-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jones, an unrestricted free agent after this season, played one of his best games of the year on Sunday, accounting for a season-high 309 yards of offense. He threw for 202 yards and a touchdown in the air and added another 107 and a score on the ground.
A single possession has decided every game the Giants have played in 2022, and their six victories have come by a combined 27 points.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 126-189, 1,223 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT; 58 rushes, 343 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 80.4
16. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers (2-3)
Week 7 Stats: 25-37, 303 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 2 rushes, 2 yards
Week 7 Grade: B
Most weeks, Jimmy Garoppolo’s performance would have been good enough to get the San Francisco 49ers a victory. But it gets a bit more difficult when Patrick Mahomes is the opposing quarterback.
Overall, Jimmy G played a solid football game as he completed 67.6% of his passes, his second-best mark of the year, and threw for a season-high 303 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Sure, he threw an ugly pick in the red zone, but that really didn’t affect the outcome much.
The Niners’ defense simply had no answer for Mahomes in the final three quarters of a 44-23 loss.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 119-185, 1,456 yards, 9 TD, 4 INT; 12 rushes, 20 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 80.5
15. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5)
Week 7 Stats: 22-43, 310 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 3 yards, 1 TD
Week 7 Grade: C-
The good news for Trevor Lawrence in Week 7 was that he threw for 310 yards, his highest total of the season, and was interception-free for the second straight week.
The bad news was that the second-year star completed just 51.2% of his passes, his second-lowest mark of the year, and failed to throw a touchdown for the second time in three games, although he did sneak in for a rushing TD in the third quarter.
Add all that up, and it wasn’t enough to keep the Jaguars from suffering a fourth consecutive loss as they fell to the Giants, 23-17.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 155-246, 1,707 yards, 24 rushes, 84 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.7
14. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders (2-4)
Week 7 Stats: 21-27, 241 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, -1 yard
Week 7 Grade: B
The Raiders apparently just needed a bye week to get themselves on track, as they looked fresh as can be in an easy 38-20 win over the Texans — well, at least after their QB took an early hit.
Josh Jacobs had a great day on the ground, rushing for 143 yards and three touchdowns, which opened up the passing game for Derek Carr a bit. The three-time Pro Bowler completed 77.8% of his passes, easily his best mark of the season, and threw for 241 yards for the second straight game.
Las Vegas had 400 total yards of offense, their highest total of the year.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 134-211, 1,520 yards, 9 TD, 4 INT; 14 rushes, 68 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.8
13. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (3-4)
Week 7 Stats: 20-29, 204 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 7 rushes, 30 yards
Week 7 Grade: B
For much of the first half during the Cardinals’ Week 7 matchup with the Saints, it looked as if Arizona’s eight-game home losing streak, the franchise’s longest since 1958, would continue. Especially when cameras caught Kyler Murray screaming at Kliff Kingsbury, telling his head coach to calm down. There were a few extra words in there, but we’ll keep it clean.
But with a solid outing from the Cardinals’ defense, which had a pair of pick-6s and intercepted Andy Dalton three times, and a clean performance from Murray, who accounted for 234 yards on offense, Arizona broke the futility streak with a 42-34 win.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 184-281, 1,667 yards, 7 TD, 4 INT; 45 rushes, 263 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.1
12. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (3-4)
Week 7 Stats: 23-35, 194 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 7 Grade: B-
It might be time for Packers fans to start worrying about the state of their football team following a 23-21 loss to the Commanders. Green Bay dropped to 3-4 for the year, falling further behind the Vikings in the NFC North.
Aaron Rodgers played a clean game, completing 65.7% of his passes, his highest mark since the Packers’ Week 3 win over the Buccaneers, took zero sacks, and was interception-free for the third straight week. He also tossed a pair of touchdowns but threw for a season-low 194 yards.
Rodgers is by no means playing poorly, but we’ve come to expect so much more from the reigning two-time NFL MVP.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 163-244, 1,597 yards, 11 TD, 3 INT; 9 rushes, 9 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.9
11. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (4-3)
Week 7 Stats: 9-16, 120 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 10 rushes, 59 yards
Week 7 Grade: C-
The positive to come out of Baltimore’s Week 7 win over Cleveland was that the Ravens didn’t cough up yet another fourth-quarter lead, hanging on for a 23-20 win to remain tied with the Bengals atop the AFC North at 4-3.
But despite the win, there was a negative as Lamar Jackson put on another subpar performance. For the third straight week, the 2019 NFL MVP failed to crack the 60% mark in terms of completion percentage, hitting just nine of 16 targets. He also threw for a season-low 120 yards and failed to toss a touchdown pass for the first time this season.
Really the only saving grace from his passing game was the fact that he didn’t throw an interception for the first time since Week 2. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how Jackson & Co. come out on a short week, as they’ve got a Thursday night date with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 121-197, 1,397 yards, 13 TD, 6 INT; 66 rushes, 510 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 83
10. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (5-1)
Week 7 Stats: N/A
Week 7 Grade: N/A
Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings had a bye in Week 7 and will return in Week 8 for a matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 151-228, 1,502 yards, 9 TD, 5 INT; 9 rushes, 18 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 83.4
9. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (4-3)
Week 7 Stats: 33-51, 293 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 3 rushes, 22 yards
Week 7 Grade: B-
Take the first quarter out of play, and Justin Herbert had a pretty solid game for LA in Week 7. But that first 15 minutes was a pretty big deal.
Here’s how the Chargers’ first three drives ended. On the first, they were stopped on fourth down. On the second, Herbert was picked off by Ryan Neal. And on the third, Herbert lost a fumble. The Seahawks converted every one of those into points and took an early 17-0 lead.
And the Chargers simply couldn’t recover. They outscored Seattle the rest of the way, 23-20, but ultimately took a 37-23 loss.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 203-308, 2,009 yards, 12 TD, 4 INT; 21 rushes, 48 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 85.4
8. Bailey Zappe, New England Patriots (2-0)
Week 7 Stats: 14-22, 185 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 2 rushes, -1 yard
Week 7 Grade: C
Bill Belichick has created an absolute mess at quarterback with the New England Patriots.
After two incredible performances, both of which led to a Pats victory, Bailey Zappe was benched to start New England’s Monday night matchup with the Bears for a returning Mac Jones. But after Jones struggled in the first quarter, Zappe came out for quarter two and immediately made an impact, leading two quick scoring drives to give the Patriots a 14-10 lead.
But Zappe Hour ended early as the rookie fizzled out and threw two interceptions as the Bears’ top-ranked passing defense adjusted. Chicago scored the final 23 points of the game for a 33-14 victory.
I’m not even going to pretend to know whether Zappe or Jones will be down in this section next week.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 65-92, 781 yards, 5 TD, 3 INT; 10 rushes, 0 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 86.4
7. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (4-3)
Week 7 Stats: 34-42, 481 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 20 yards, 1 TD
Week 7 Grade: A+
Joe Burrow continues to rise up our rankings as he put on an absolute show in the Bengals’ 35-17 win over the Falcons.
Coming off an A+ performance against the Saints in Week 6, Burrow earned another perfect score in Week 7, setting season-highs in completion percentage (81%) and passing yards (481) while tying a season-best with three touchdown passes, tossing two to Ja’Marr Chase for the second straight week.
Burrow also added 20 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Can he make it three perfect scores in a row this Monday night against the Browns? I’d say the chances are pretty good.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 186-270, 2,097 yards, 15 TD, 5 INT; 30 rushes, 130 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 86.89
6. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4)
Week 7 Stats: 32-49, 290 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, 1 yard
Week 7 Grade: B-
Remember the NFC East a couple of years back when a sub-.500 record would win you the division? Well, that could easily be the NFC South this season.
Tom Brady and the Buccaneers were supposed to waltz into Carolina and easily dismantle the struggling Panthers on Sunday. But that obviously didn’t happen as Tampa Bay was stunned, 21-3, and took its fourth loss in five weeks to drop to 3-4, which is sadly still good enough for first place.
Despite the loss, Brady played a relatively clean game, completing 65.3% of his passes and taking just one sack. And he fell just 10 yards shy of his third 300-yard game in four weeks. But he failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time since December 19 last year, although that shouldn’t have been the case.
On the third play of the game, Brady hit a wide-open Mike Evans down the field for what should have been a 64-yard score. But Evans dropped what would have been the easiest touchdown of his career, and that essentially set the tone for the rest of the afternoon.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 198-296, 1,942 yards, 8 TD, 1 INT; 11 rushes, -6 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 86.92
5. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (4-1)
Week 7 Stats: 21-35, 261 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 15 yards
Week 7 Grade: B
After a few weeks away, there was bound to be some rust to shake off for Tua Tagovailoa in the Dolphins’ Sunday night affair with the Steelers. But he waited a bit to do it as he led Miami to a quick touchdown on the game’s opening drive before slowing down a bit as the game wore on.
Overall, however, the Dolphins couldn’t have asked for much more from their signal-caller, given the injuries he sustained. Playing his first game since Week 4, Tagovailoa completed 60% of his passes for 261 yards and a touchdown.
He took off on a couple of scrambles that likely made Mike McDaniel a bit nervous, but he came out of them unscathed.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 101-150, 1,296 yards, 9 TD, 3 INT; 8 rushes, 16 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 87.3
4. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (6-0)
Week 7 Stats: N/A
Week 7 Grade: N/A
Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles had a bye in Week 7 and will return for an in-state rivalry matchup in Week 8 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 123-184, 1,514 yards, 6 TD, 2 INT; 77 rushes, 293 yards, 6 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 87.7
3. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (4-3)
Week 7 Stats: 20-27, 210 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 4 rushes, 7 yards
Week 7 Grade: B+
Tell me you predicted the Seattle Seahawks would be in first place in the NFC West after seven weeks before the season started, and I’ll tell you straight to your face that you’re a liar.
But that’s where we are after Geno Smith put in yet another solid week of work and led the Seahawks to a 37-23 win over the LA Chargers. As he’s been most of the season, the Comeback Player of the Year candidate (yes, he should be in the running with what he’s doing) was highly efficient, completing 74.1% of his passes for 210 yards with a pair of touchdowns. He continues to lead the NFL in completion percentage at 73.5%.
Sure, Smith threw his first interception since Week 4, but that had no bearing on the outcome.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 158-215, 1,712 yards, 11 TD, 3 INT; 30 rushes, 129 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 88.3
2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)
Week 7 Stats: 25-34, 423 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Week 7 Grade: A+
Early on in the Chiefs’ Week 7 matchup with the 49ers, it looked as if Patrick Mahomes might have a little trouble with San Francisco’s top-ranked defense.
But that didn’t last long, as he shook off an early interception and a 10-point deficit to lead Kansas City to a 44-23 blowout victory. The four-time Pro Bowler completed 73.5% of his passes, his best clip since Week 1, and threw for a season-high 423 yards with three touchdowns.
But even all that wasn’t quite enough to get Mahomes back to No. 1 in our season-long competition. Perhaps he can slide back in next week from his couch as the Chiefs are on a bye. But that would mean the current No. 1 would have to stop playing such great football.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 176-263, 2,159 yards, 20 TD, 5 INT; 21 rushes, 113 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 93.2
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (5-1)
Week 7 Stats: N/A
Week 7 Grade: N/A
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills had a bye in Week 7 and will return in Week 8 for a Sunday night showdown with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers. What do you think, Bills fans? Will Allen play well enough to stay at the top with Mahomes on a bye?
2022 NFL Season Stats: 160-239, 1,980 yards, 17 TD, 4 INT; 47 rushes, 257 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 94.3
Have thoughts on this topic? Keep the conversation rolling in our comments section below.
