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2022 NFL QB Grades Week 6: Josh Allen Takes Down Patrick Mahomes in More Ways Than One, Rookie Surprise Enters the Top 5 in Our Season-Long QB 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 betterPublished18 Oct 2022
Week 6 of the 2022 NFL campaign is in the books, and with another wild slate of games comes plenty of movement in our season-long NFL quarterback competition.
The highlight of the week saw the top two quarterbacks at the end of our Week 5 rankings, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, square off in a highly-anticipated rematch of last year’s Divisional Round classic between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. And given the result, we’ve got a new No. 1.
We also saw plenty of surprise performances this week and handed out some A grades that we never saw coming, including one that moved a rookie who may not even keep his job next week into our top five.
Week 6 also may have signaled the end of a short era in Dallas for Cooper Rush, who tumbled in the standings with a dismal performance in what could turn out to be his final start.
But before we get to all that, here’s a look at the QBs we’re keeping in the reserve room we introduced a few weeks back.
- Teddy Bridgewater: 81
- Joe Flacco: 76.2
- Mac Jones: 75.6
- Kenny Pickett: 75.52
- Jameis Winston: 75.47
- Skylar Thompson: 72.2
- Dak Prescott: 65
- PJ Walker: 65
And without further ado, here’s a look at the featured 32.
32. Baker Mayfield, Carolina Panthers (1-4)
Week 6 Stats: N/A
Week 6 Grade: N/A
The Carolina Panthers’ quarterback situation is an absolute mess. Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold are both nursing high ankle sprains. PJ Walker got the start on Sunday against the Rams but left the game with a head injury in the fourth quarter of the 24-10 loss, making way for practice-squad regular Jacob Eason, who didn’t do enough to qualify for a grade.
As I’m sure you noticed, we put Walker in the reserve room, and we’re just going to keep Baker down here for now until this madness gets sorted out. Carolina interim head coach Steve Wilks says everyone will compete for the starting job moving forward. But it’s anyone’s guess at this point who comes out of that “competition.”
2022 NFL Season Stats: 84-153, 962 yards, 4 TD, 4 INT; 14 rushes, 40 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 69.2
31. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears (2-4)
Week 6 Stats: 14-27, 190 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 12 rushes, 88 yards
Week 6 Grade: C
While Justin Fields has shown improvement the past couple of weeks, he didn’t do quite enough to get the Bears a win in an ugly 12-7 loss to the Commanders on Thursday night.
Fields accounted for 278 yards of offense in the loss, 190 in the air and 88 on the ground, and hit Dante Pettis for a 40-yard touchdown pass. But his struggles with accuracy returned. One week after completing a career-high 71.4% of his passes, he connected on just 14 of 27 attempts against Washington.
Fields also threw his first interception since Week 3 and was sacked five times.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 63-115, 869 yards, 4 TD, 5 INT; 54 rushes, 282 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 71.9
30. Zach Wilson, New York Jets (3-0)
Week 6 Stats: 10-18, 110 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 5 rushes, 1 yard
Week 6 Grade: D
For the first time in a long time, the New York Jets are relevant, and they made a statement on Sunday by going into Lambeau Field and pummeling the Green Bay Packers, 27-10.
But let’s not pretend Zach Wilson had much to do with it. While he remains undefeated on the season, last year’s No. 2 overall pick completed just 55.6% of his passes for 110 yards, easily the lowest output of his young campaign.
Wilson can thank his defense and running backs, specifically Breece Hall, who rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown, for keeping his loss column at zero. If the Jets are going to truly be a factor this season, he’ll need to pick it up.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 42-75, 572 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 11 rushes, 18 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 73.2
29. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos (2-4)
Week 6 Stats: 15-28, 188 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 23 yards
Week 6 Grade: D
For 15 minutes of Monday night’s AFC West matchup, we saw the Russell Wilson that’s been to nine Pro Bowls and two Super Bowls. But over the final 45, we saw the Russell Wilson we’ve sadly gotten used to seeing with the Broncos.
Through the first quarter against the Chargers, Wilson was 10-for-10 with 116 yards and a touchdown. His first nine passes went to nine different receivers, making him the first NFL quarterback to achieve such a feat since play-by-play data started being recorded in 1991.
But over the final three frames, he completed just five of 18 passes for 72 yards as Denver fell to 2-4 with a 19-16 overtime loss. And things won’t get easier for Wilson in Week 7 as the Broncos welcome the Jets to town. Ask Aaron Rodgers how much fun it is facing that defense.
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. Mitch Trubisky, Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3)
Week 6 Stats: 9-12, 144 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 6 rushes, 5 yards
Week 6 Grade: B+
Given that he didn’t start the game, Mitch Trubisky doesn’t officially get credit for Pittsburgh’s 20-18 upset victory over Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. But make no mistake about it. He won the Steelers that football game.
Benched for Kenny Pickett at halftime two weeks ago, Trubisky entered Sunday’s game in the third quarter after the rookie suffered a concussion and played the best football of his short Steelers career. The one-time Pro Bowler completed nine of 12 passes for 144 yards and threw a clutch fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Chase Claypool, the first TD for a Pittsburgh wideout this season.
Trubisky hit Claypool again with a 26-yard strike on the Steelers’ final drive of the game and rushed for a nine-yard gain to seal the game.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 78-128, 797 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 13 rushes, 29 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 74.5
27. Jacoby Brissett, Cleveland Browns (2-4)
Week 6 Stats: 21-45, 266 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 1 rush, 0 yards
Week 6 Grade: D-
Jacoby Brissett could never get his offense going in the Browns’ Week 6 loss to the Patriots. And by the time he finally threw his first touchdown pass of the afternoon in the fourth quarter, the game was already out of reach as New England rolled to a 38-15 win.
Despite throwing for a season-high 266 yards, Brissett completed an abysmal 46.7% of his passes, his worst outing of the year in that regard, threw a pair of interceptions, also his worst output of the ’22 campaign, and took a season-worst four sacks.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 124-206, 1,326 yards, 6 TD, 5 INT; 22 rushes, 112 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 74.7
26. Davis Mills, Houston Texans (1-3-1)
Week 6 Stats: N/A
Week 6 Grade: N/A
Davis Mills and the Houston Texans had a bye in Week 6 and return for a Week 7 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 104-166, 1,048 yards, 5 TD, 4 INT
2022 NFL Season Score: 76.3
25. Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons (3-3)
Week 6 Stats: 13-14, 129 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 6 rushes, 50 yards, 1 TD
Week 6 Grade: A
Three years ago this week, Marcus Mariota was benched by the Tennessee Titans and had to be wondering if he’d ever start another NFL game again.
The Falcons gave him that shot this year, and in Atlanta’s surprising 28-14 win over the 49ers, the 2015 No. 2 overall pick played the most efficient game of his pro career.
While Mariota only threw for a season-low 129 yards, the Heisman Trophy winner only threw one incomplete pass, going 13-for-14 against the top-ranked defense in the NFL with two touchdowns in the air, including his first to Kyle Pitts, and added another score on the ground.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 84-137, 1,055 yards, 6 TD, 4 INT; 43 rushes, 206 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 76.6
24. Cooper Rush, Dallas Cowboys (4-1)
Week 6 Stats: 18-38, 181 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT
Week 6 Grade: F
You hate to see a good story with a bad ending. But with Dak Prescott seemingly ready to return to the Cowboys’ lineup in Week 7, it’s back to the bench for Cooper Rush, who saw his undefeated NFL record take its first blemish with a 26-17 loss to the Eagles on Sunday night.
He also threw his first interception of the year in the loss. And then his second. And then his third. While the Philly defense never sacked the former Central Michigan star, it never let him get comfortable. Rush completed a season-low 47.4% of his passes as Dallas was unable to hand the Eagles their first loss.
If this is it for Rush, the Cowboys really couldn’t have asked for anything more from an undrafted, unproven backup quarterback.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 90-156, 1,020 yards, 5 TD, 3 INT; 9 rushes, 6 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 77
23. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (3-3)
Week 6 Stats: 26-33, 253 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 2 rushes, -3 yards
Week 6 Grade: B-
For the first 30 minutes of the Rams’ Week 6 matchup with the Panthers, it seemed as if Matthew Stafford was headed for yet another dreadful performance, of which he’s had a few this 2022 season.
The defending champs couldn’t get much going offensively in the first half, and it didn’t end on a great note as Stafford threw a pick-six just after the two-minute warning, his league-leading eighth interception of the year, giving Carolina a surprising 10-7 lead.
But Stafford gathered himself at the break and came out and led three scoring drives to help his team get back to .500 with a 24-10 victory. While he still has plenty to work out, the 14-year veteran completed a season-best 78.7% of his passes and trails only Geno Smith in completion percentage for the year.
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 6 Stats: 12-22, 99 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 2 rushes, 2 yards
Week 6 Grade: F
For the second consecutive week, Thursday Night Football was unwatchable. But someone had to win that ugly game, and it was the Washington Commanders coming away with a 12-7 win over the Chicago Bears.
But despite the victory, which takes the Commanders to 2-4, let’s not pretend Carson Wentz played a good game. After averaging 278 passing yards in his first five games, the 2016 No. 2 overall pick threw for just 99 on Thursday and completed a season-low 54.6% of his passes.
But that could be attributed to the finger fracture he suffered, an injury that requires surgery and will keep him out of action for a short time. So prepare for some Taylor Heinicke grades coming your way.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 144-232, 1,489 yards, 10 TD, 6 INT; 19 rushes, 79 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 77.7
21. Daniel Jones, New York Giants (5-1)
Week 6 Stats: 19-27, 173 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 6 rushes, 6 yards
Week 6 Grade: B
Is Daniel Jones putting up massive numbers this year? Nope. But does it keep the New York Giants from winning football games? Nope.
Despite being down 10 points to the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth quarter on Sunday, Jones led his team back for an unlikely 24-20 victory, leading two late scoring drives to get New York to 5-1.
The fourth-year first-rounder had just 173 yards through the air but completed 70.4% of his passes and threw a pair of touchdowns, both to rookies. Jones connected with Wan’Dale Robinson for a five-yard score in the second quarter and later hit Daniel Bellinger for an eight-yard score to cut the Ravens’ late lead to three.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 107-159, 1,021 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT; 47 rushes, 236 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 78.5
20. Andy Dalton, New Orleans Saints (1-2)
Week 6 Stats: 17-32, 162 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 6 Grade: C
Andy Dalton didn’t play a terrible game in the Saints’ 30-26 loss to the Bengals on Sunday, but he also didn’t play a particularly good one either.
Filling in for the injured Jameis Winston for the third consecutive week, Dalton, who’d completed 69.2% of his passes the past two games, completed just 17 of 32 attempts for a season-low 162 yards with a touchdown.
Winston was active on Sunday as Dalton’s backup, so we’ll certainly keep an eye on that situation as New Orleans prepares for a Week 7 Thursday night matchup with the Cardinals.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 53-84, 585 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 8 rushes, 7 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 79.2
19. Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts (3-2-1)
Week 6 Stats: 42-58, 389 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, -4 yards
Week 6 Grade: A+
What a difference 10 days made for Matt Ryan.
Coming off a dreadful showing in the Colts’ ugly Week 5 Thursday night win over the Broncos, the 2016 NFL MVP came back with the type of performance that helped him win that award as Indianapolis earned a hard-fought Week 6 win over the Jaguars.
Plagued by turnovers throughout this 2022 campaign, Ryan played his cleanest game of the year on Sunday, taking no sacks, throwing no interceptions, and not fumbling the ball once. What he did do was complete 72.4% of his passes and record season highs in passing yards (389) and touchdowns (three) in the 34-27 victory.
This is the Matt Ryan the Colts signed up for.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 170-253, 1,765 yards, 8 TD, 7 INT; 11 rushes, 9 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 79.7
18. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (3-2)
Week 6 Stats: N/A
Week 6 Grade: N/A
Ryan Tannehill and the Tennessee Titans had a bye in Week 6 and return for a Week 7 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 82-126, 965 yards, 6 TD, 3 INT; 15 rushes, 23 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 79.8
17. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers (2-2)
Week 6 Stats: 29-41, 296 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; 3 rushes, 11 yards
Week 6 Grade: C+
There was plenty to like about Jimmy Garoppolo’s Week 6 performance against the Falcons. He completed a season-best 70.7% of his passes, threw for a season-high 296 yards, and tossed a pair of touchdowns.
But his interception total is triple what it was before the game started as Jimmy G threw a pair of picks in the Niners’ 28-14 loss, both in the first half, as the Atlanta defense gave him fits at times and pitched a shutout over the final 30 minutes.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 94-148, 1,153 yards, 7 TD, 3 INT; 10 rushes, 18 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 80.4
16. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders (1-4)
Week 6 Stats: N/A
Week 6 Grade: N/A
Derek Carr and the Las Vegas Raiders had a bye in Week 6 and return for a Week 7 matchup with the Houston Texans.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 113-184, 1,279 yards, 8 TD, 4 INT; 11 rushes, 69 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.4
15. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (2-4)
Week 6 Stats: 23-37, 222 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT; 10 rushes, 100 yards
Week 6 Grade: C
Kyler Murray tied a season-best on Sunday by accounting for 322 yards of offense, 222 in the air and a season-high 100 on the ground.
But he’s not finishing drives, and that’s been a problem for the Cardinals, who took a 19-9 loss to the Seahawks, their second straight defeat. Murray led Arizona on several effective drives, but none reached the end zone. The Cards’ lone TD for the day came when the defense forced Seattle punter Michael Dickson to fumble in his own end zone, which Chris Banjo recovered for six.
And speaking of fumbles, Murray had two of them, one of which he lost. He also threw an interception for the third consecutive week.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 164-252, 1,463 yards, 6 TD, 4 INT; 38 rushes, 233 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.7
14. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (1-4)
Week 6 Stats: N/A
Week 6 Grade: N/A
Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions had a bye in Week 6 and return for a Week 7 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 111-186, 1,355 yards, 11 TD, 4 INT; 10 rushes, 23 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 82
13. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (3-3)
Week 6 Stats: 26-41, 246 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, 0 yards
Week 6 Grade: C+
Looking at that stat line above, it might not seem that Aaron Rodgers had that bad of a game in the Packers’ Week 6 home loss to the surprising Jets, who are off to their best start in seven years.
But if you sat and watched that game in its entirety, you know how uncomfortable the two-time reigning NFL MVP was throughout, although some of that can be attributed to his injured right thumb. Sacked four times by the New York defense, tying a season-worst, Rodgers also fumbled twice, losing one of them in the upset.
He’ll look to bounce back and get Green Bay back above .500 in Week 7 against the Washington Commanders.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 140-209, 1,403 yards, 9 TD, 3 INT; 9 rushes, 9 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 83.2
12. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (5-1)
Week 6 Stats: 20-30, 175 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 2 rushes, -5 yards
Week 6 Grade: B
Kirk Cousins fell short of the 200-yard mark for the first time this season, but he didn’t need to be spectacular to lead the Vikings to a 24-16 win over the Dolphins.
The three-time Pro Bowler attempted a season-low 30 passes and completed 20 of them for 175 yards with a pair of touchdowns, one to Irv Smith Jr. and the other to Adam Thielen. Cousins was also interception-free for the first time since Week 3.
With the Packers losing to the Jets, the Vikings now own a two-game lead in the NFC North going into their bye week.
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
11. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4)
Week 6 Stats: 20-22, 165 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 6 rushes, 23 yards, 2 TD
Week 6 Grade: A
Outside of throwing for a season-low 165 yards, Trevor Lawrence did just about everything he could do to get his team a win in the Jaguars’ Week 6 matchup with the Colts.
The sophomore star completed a career-high 90.9% of his passes, which crazily wasn’t even the best total of the week in the NFL, and accounted for three touchdowns, one in the air and two on the ground. Lawrence also didn’t throw an interception, his first pick-free game since a Week 3 win over the Chargers.
Yet, it wasn’t enough as the Jacksonville defense couldn’t stop Matt Ryan on the other side of the ball as the Jags fell to the Colts, 34-27, their third consecutive loss following a 2-1 start.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 133-203, 1,397 yards, 9 TD, 4 INT; 20 rushes, 81 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 83.9
10. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (3-3)
Week 6 Stats: 17-32, 210 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 7 rushes, 77 yards
Week 6 Grade: C
The slide down our list continues for Lamar Jackson, who made two critical mistakes late as the Ravens made some bad NFL history in their 24-20 loss to the Giants.
For the third time this year, Baltimore blew a double-digit lead, and Jackson was a big reason why, throwing an interception and losing a fumble in the fourth quarter to hand New York a victory on a silver platter.
At times, the soon-to-be free agent has looked like he could win a second NFL MVP trophy. But he takes himself out of the running with performances like he had Sunday. Jackson threw a pick for the third straight week, bringing his season total to six, tied for the third-most in the league, and completed a season-low 53.1% of his passes.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 112-181, 1,277 yards, 13 TD, 6 INT; 56 rushes, 451 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 84.4
9. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (3-3)
Week 6 Stats: 28-37, 300 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 25 yards, 1 TD
Week 6 Grade: A+
Back in the Caesars Superdome for the first time since winning a national title with LSU, Joe Burrow played his best game of the year for the Bengals thus far, getting Cincinnati back to .500 with a 30-26 win over the Saints.
Burrow completed a season-high 75.7% of his passes for exactly 300 yards and threw three touchdowns, two to Ja’Marr Chase, who recorded a season-best 132 yards. If you recall, the two hooked up for a pair of scores in that national title win over Clemson as well.
Burrow also scampered for a 19-yard touchdown run in the win over the Saints, his second consecutive week with a rushing touchdown.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 152-228, 1,616 yards, 12 TD, 5 INT; 27 rushes, 110 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 84.6
8. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (4-2)
Week 6 Stats: 37-57, 238 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT; 2 rushes, 9 yards
Week 6 Grade: C+
When Justin Herbert throws 57 passes, you’d expect at least one to go for a touchdown, right?
But in the Chargers’ ugly overtime win over the Broncos on Monday night, the Pro Bowler threw 57 passes, completing a season-high 37 of them, and failed to find the end zone for the first time in 27 games.
Thankfully, his special teams bailed him out as LA rallied back from a double-digit deficit after the first quarter for a 19-16 victory, the first such win in franchise history.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 170-257, 1,716 yards, 10 TD, 3 INT; 18 rushes, 26 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 86.3
7. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (6-0)
Week 6 Stats: 15-25, 155 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 9 rushes, 27 yards
Week 6 Grade: B+
Jalen Hurts certainly didn’t play his best game of the season in Sunday night’s primetime matchup against the rival Cowboys. But he didn’t need to, as the Philly defense held the Cowboys’ offense in check in the 26-17 victory, giving the Eagles their third 6-0 start in franchise history and the first since 2004.
But it’s not as if Hurts had a bad game by any stretch. Sure, he threw for a season-low 155 yards against a tough Dallas defense but completed 60% of his passes, threw a pair of touchdowns, and didn’t toss an interception for the second straight week.
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
6. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (3-1)
Week 6 Stats: N/A
Week 6 Grade: N/A
With Tua Tagovailoa set to return for this Sunday night’s primetime matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the fact that both Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson qualified for a grade this week, we’re going to keep Tua down here in the main section.
If things change, you’ll see Bridgewater leave the reserve room and come down here following Week 7.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 80-115, 1,035 yards, 8 TD, 3 INT; 4 rushes, 1 yard
2022 NFL Season Score: 88
5. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3)
Week 6 Stats: 25-40, 243 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, 0 yards
Week 6 Grade: B
Given how much trouble the Buccaneers’ offensive line had protecting Tom Brady from the Steelers’ defense on Sunday — and he certainly didn’t hold back his frustration about it — it’s a bit surprising that TB12 was able to produce the stat line he did.
Brady completed 62.5% of his passes for 243 yards and a touchdown and didn’t throw a pick for the fifth straight week. And yet, it wasn’t enough as Pittsburgh pulled off a 20-18 upset, dropping the Bucs to 3-3 on the year.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 166-247, 1,652 yards, 8 TD, 1 INT; 10 rushes, -7 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 88.1
4. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (3-3)
Week 6 Stats: 20-31, 197 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 6 rushes, 48 yards
Week 6 Grade: B
Geno Smith certainly wasn’t as spectacular as he was the last three weeks, but didn’t need to be, as he did enough to get the Seahawks back to .500 with a 19-9 win over the Cardinals.
Smith failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time since Week 2 but also didn’t throw an interception for the third straight week, keeping his season total at just two. While not as accurate as he’s been, he still completed 64.5% of his passes and remains the league leader in that department at 73.4%.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 138-188, 1,502 yards, 9 TD, 2 INT; 26 rushes, 125 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 88.4
3. Bailey Zappe, New England Patriots (2-0)
Week 6 Stats: 24-34, 309 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, -4 yards
Week 6 Grade: A
Young Bailey Zappe isn’t making Bill Belichick’s life any easier, is he? Well, at least as it pertains to the decision the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach will have to make when Mac Jones is ready to return.
As it pertains to football, Belichick has to be delighted with what he saw from the fourth-round rookie in the Patriots’ Week 6 win over the Browns.
Zappe completed 70.6% of his passes for a career-high 309 yards with a pair of touchdowns and zero interceptions as New England rolled over Cleveland, 38-15. His only mistake was losing a fumble, but it obviously didn’t affect the outcome of the game.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 51-70, 596 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT; 8 rushes, 1 yard
2022 NFL Season Score: 89.8
2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (4-2)
Week 6 Stats: 25-40, 338 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; 4 rushes, 21 yards
Week 6 Grade: B
Most weeks, even with that pair of interceptions, Patrick Mahomes‘ stat line would get the Chiefs a win.
But when you’re playing against the best defense in the NFL, and Josh Allen is the opposing quarterback, it’s not gonna get it done.
Overall, Mahomes played a good game against a really good team, probably the best and most balanced unit in the league. Sorry, Eagles fans, but it’s true. The pair of picks certainly affected his grade, and it cost him the No. 1 overall spot here.
And you know who’s taken that over.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 151-229, 1,736 yards, 17 TD, 4 INT; 21 rushes, 113 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 92.2
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (5-1)
Week 6 Stats: 27-40, 329 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 12 rushes, 32 yards
Week 6 Grade: A+
Not only did Josh Allen take down Patrick Mahomes in Sunday’s showdown between the Bills and Chiefs at Arrowhead, but the NFL MVP frontrunner also reclaimed the top spot from his rival in our season-long QB competition.
Despite an early fumble, really his only mistake of the game, Allen played close to perfect football in Buffalo’s 24-20 victory, which isn’t easy to do in that hostile environment. He completed 67.5% of his passes for 329 yards with three touchdowns and was interception-free for the first time since Week 3.
The victory clearly makes the Bills the favorites in the AFC and could decide home-field advantage in the postseason if Buffalo and Kansas City end up with the same record. But after watching that performance, not just from Allen but from the defense as well, one has to wonder if the Bills will even lose again.
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
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