QB Report Cards for 2025 NFL Week 2

Week 1 of the NFL season is when everyone in the league gets their feet wet, but that opening performance is not necessarily a proper indicator of how each squad's campaign will go. Week 2 starts to provide some answers.

Essentially, three things can happen during the second week of play. 1) A quarterback and his offense completely redirect course. 2) Some things start to be confirmed. 3) The situation can go from bad to worse.

Each of these instances can be found based on the play of the signal-callers coming out of Week 2 action.

Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

AP Photo/Samantha Chow

Score: 27-22 win vs. Carolina Panthers

Stat Line: 17 of 25 for 220 yards, one touchdown and interception; seven carries for 32 yards

The Arizona Cardinals and quarterback Kyler Murray have yet to put it all together, but they're not going to complain after a 2-0 start, even with the Carolina Panthers nearly coming back during Sunday's meeting.

"(It) could always be worse, right? We could be 0-2, but we're 2-0 with this issue," Murray said. "I don't want to make it a thing, but at the same time, we have to finish games. That's (the) bottom line. So, it didn't bite us in the ass today, it didn't bite us in the ass last week. But, you keep playing around, (and you'll) get bit. We have to be better."

The concerns remain the same. Murray can be spectacular, but he's inconsistent. He threw an interception on a pass that shouldn't have even been attempted as he rolled to left and faced too much pressure. Furthermore, his connection with Marvin Harrison Jr. remains a work in progress, with the wide receiver catching only two passes against Carolina.

Grade: B

Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Mike Stewart

Score: 22-6 win vs. Minnesota Vikings

Stat Line: 13 of 21 for 135 yards

Michael Penix Jr. didn't have to do much during Sunday Night Football against the Minnesota Vikings, and that's OK.

"Mike is absolutely outstanding," head coach Raheem Morris said of Penix following the game. "He's selfless. He'll do whatever it takes to win, which is exactly what he did tonight."

Bijan Robinson was the Falcons' offensive star this past weekend. The 23-year-old running back carried the ball 22 times for 143 yards. Tyler Allgeier added 76 yards, and the Falcons ground out 218 total.

A quarterback doesn't need to play like an All-Pro when the rushing attack is performing so well, particularly now that Atlanta has a pass-rush on the other side of the ball to play complementary football.

Grade: C

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Score: 41-17 win vs. Cleveland Browns

Stat Line: 19 of 29 for 225 yards and four touchdowns

Think back to all of the people who claimed that Lamar Jackson couldn't throw the ball with any consistency and shouldn't even be a quarterback. Well, his performance Sunday against the Cleveland Browns allowed the two-time NFL MVP to become the league's all-time leader in passer rater at 102.7.

Obviously, the number can vary depending on his performance. However, the figure shows Jackson's consistency throughout this career. Case in point, he threw four touchdown passes against the Browns' vaunted defense and it didn't even seem like an outstanding effort, at least by his standards.

Jackson will be helped this season by working five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins into the offense, which he did Sunday against the Browns with two catches for 64 yards and a touchdown.

"People called him 'washed,'" Jackson said, "but he showed 'em otherwise."

Grade: A

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Score: 30-10 win vs. New York Jets

Stat Line: 14 of 25 for 148 yards; six carries for 59 yards

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are just chugging along at the start of the 2025 campaign, with an impressive win over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1 and dominant effort against the rival New York Jets during the following weekend.

Honestly, Allen didn't have to be Superman on Sunday. The team more than held its own without its quarterback shouldering the entire squad. He made a few throws and added a couple quality runs, including a 40-yard scramble early in the contest to help set up the Bills' first touchdown.

Outside of getting his nose busted during the contest, Allen had a pretty uneventful day, at least for him. The Bills will take that every week if the team continues to win relatively easily.

"Pulled it when I probably should have handed it off," Allen said about the injury. "I tried to throw it, and I saw him push, decided to tuck it. I don't know what hit me. It was a knee, it was a hand, it was somebody, helmet. It just kind of came down right on the bridge of my nose and just started leaking."

Grade: B

Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

Score: 27-22 loss vs. Arizona Cardinals

Stat Line: 35 of 55 for 328 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and a fumble lost

The one aspect of Bryce Young's makeup that no one can question is his resilience. He showed the Carolina Panthers last year that he wasn't going to pout or be a problem after being benched. Instead, he played relatively well after being reinserted into the lineup. That instance is a big picture moment. During Sunday's action, Young in-game resilience.

During the Panthers' first two offensive drives against the Arizona Cardinals, Young fumbled and threw an interception. He remained calmed and even rallied the squad late in the contest, even though Carolina's comeback fell short.

"Some of it was unfortunate early," wide receiver Hunter Renfrow said, "but I thought he played really well today. He led well, he was composed, so I was excited to be out there with him, watching him run around and make plays."

Head coach Dave Canales added, "He makes some magical plays. It's the mistakes that we have to continue to clean up."

Grade: C+

Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

AP Photo/Ryan Sun

Score: 52-21 loss vs. Detroit Lions

Stat Line: 19 of 30 for 207 yards, two touchdowns and an interception; five carries for 27 yards

Frankly, Caleb Williams needs to learn how to play the game like an NFL quarterback. His playmaking ability can be dazzling and allow the Chicago Bears offense to look special in flashes. Yet he's not consistent with his reads, timing or accuracy.

Think back to what head coach/offensive play-caller Ben Johnson had in Detroit with Jared Goff as his quarterback. Williams brings a completely different skill set to the scheme and it's not clicking early in the season.

"I always expect to come out and play well as an offense. That's the expectation, but it's not really necessarily surprising or anything like that, [with a] new coach and new offense and all that," the 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick told reporters. "[It's] a bunch of new players and we're all trying to figure it out together."

It's literally Williams' job to get everyone on the same page and make sure the offense figures it out. So far, he's failed at doing so.

Grade: D

Joe Burrow & Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Score: 31-27 win vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Stat Line: (Burrow) seven of 13 for 76 yards and a touchdown; (Browning) 21 of 31 for 241, two touchdowns, three interception and a rushing touchdown

A major lineup change occurred for the Cincinnati Bengals due to yet another Joe Burrow injury. Burrow suffered a Grade 3 turf toe injury that required surgery. He's expected to be out of the lineup for at least three months.

Jake Browning takes the reins, and he's more than capable of doing so. His outing against the Jacksonville Jaguars, while be thrust into the lineup, showed he's a capable quarterback after leading a game-winning 92-yard touchdown drive. Browning was nine for 13 during that series.

Browning is never going to be Burrow, who is counted among the league's elite when he's healthy. But the Bengals know what they have in their backup-turned-starter.

"We've been here before with Jake," wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase said. "We've got to let him be himself at the end of the day. We've all got to push him to [be] better, push us to be better and just execute."

Grade: B (combined between the two)

Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Score: 41-17 loss vs. Baltimore Ravens

Stat Line: 25 of 45 for 199 yards, a touchdown, an interception and fumble lost

The return of Joe Flacco to the Cleveland Browns' lineup doesn't have the same charm as when the aging veteran joined the team midseason during the 2023 campaign and helped lead the team to a postseason berth. Instead, the Browns are 0-2 and it's easy to wonder about the value of having a 40-year-old quarterback behind center if he's not helping the team win games.

Questions about behind benched were already raised after two critical turnovers against the Baltimore Ravens.

"I can't worry about that stuff anyway. It's honestly not on my mind," Flacco told reporters. "I gotta go out there and just play my game, play the way I know how to lead this team the best I can. All that other stuff is out of my control. It is what it is."

With rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders on the roster, the Browns will be tempted to see what they have in both. Flacco has to play well enough to prevent change. So far, he's hasn't.

Grade: D

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Jerome Miron

Score: 40-37 win vs. New York Giants

Stat Line: 38 of 52 for 361 yards, two touchdown and an interception

The Dallas Cowboys, specifically quarterback Dak Prescott, came out firing on all cylinders against the New York Giants in what became the weekend's wildest contest.

But something different emerged within Prescott's game beyond throwing for 361 yards and a two touchdowns. His mobility definitely looks closer to his early years in the NFL and not what happened more recently.

"Last year not running took a toll and honestly why I got hurt," Prescott said. "I wasn't running and then in one game, I decided to start running, and my body wasn't ready for it. That's where that [hamstring] injury came from. From this whole offseason recovery process, it was about getting back to who I am, my game, and understanding how much my legs are a part of my game."

No one expects Prescott to run like Lamar Jackson or Jayden Daniels. But the ability to avoid pressure, reset the pocket and even scramble for key yards, as he did to set up Brandon Aubrey's game-winning field goal in overtime, makes Prescott far more effective.

Grade: A

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

AP Photo/AJ Mast

Score: 29-28 loss vs. Indianapolis Colts

Stat Line: 22 of 30 for 206, three touchdowns and an interception

Bo Nix didn't play particularly well in the Denver Broncos' opener, but the team found a way to win. Conversely, he did perform relatively well in Week 2, but his squad found a way to lose.

After the Indianapolis Colts defense placed Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins in a blender, the Broncos did a much better job holding Lou Anarumo's defense at bay. Nix generally had a clean pocket and made the right reads throughout the contest.

However, his performance does get dinged for a late interception on an overthrow that gifted the Colts an extra possession they needed to keep the game within striking distance.

Still, Nix helped lead the Broncos back into scoring position during the next drive before kicker Wil Lutz missed a field-goal attempt that would have extended Denver's lead. Ultimately, the Colts' final possession led to their own game-winning field goal (with help from a massive gaffe by the Broncos' special teams).

The biggest thing from Nix at this point is to cut down on turnovers.

Grade: B-

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

Score: 52-21 win vs. Chicago Bears

Stat Line: 23 of 28 for 334 yards and five touchdowns

The report of the Detroit Lions' offensive demise were greatly exaggerated.

In retrospect, the Lions' Week 1 performance against the Green Bay Packers defense said more about the latter than the former and how well Detroit's division rival is playing on that side of the ball. Ben Johnson's departure as Detroit's offensive coordinator probably played some part in the outcome. Still, the Lions didn't forget how to play offense, as seen Sunday against the Chicago Bears with Johnson now on the other sideline.

Jared Goff pieced together a near-perfect performance. He completed 82.1 percent of his passes for 334 yards, five touchdowns and no turnovers. As a unit, Detroit posted 511 offensive yards. By scoring 52, Goff is now tied with Peyton Manning with the fourth-most games (five) of leading an offense that eclipsed 50 or more points in a game.

If the Goff and Co. aren't facing an elite defense, they'll be difficult to slow.

Grade: A+

Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

AP Photo

Score: 27-18 win vs. Washington Commanders

Stat Line: 19 of 31 for 292 yards and two touchdowns

Currently, the Green Bay Packers are playing the best complementary football of any team in the NFL. The team's defense has been awesome to start the season. As a result, the offense has been overlooked to a degree, even though that side of the ball is playing well.

As a result, Jordan Love is quietly piecing together an exceptional start that could be parlayed into significant recognition if he continues down this path.

According to Pro Football Focus, Love has a 93.9 passing grade and four-to-zero touchdown-to-interception ratio when targeting receivers past the sticks. The 27-year-old quarterback has become more calculated and effective when pushing the ball down the field.

The Packers may not have a true No. 1 wide receiver. That's OK, because Love is spreading the...well...love. Tight end Tucker Kraft became the latest recipient with a career-high 124-yard outing against the Washington Commanders.

Grade: A

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

AP Photo

Score: 20-19 loss vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Stat Line: 13 of 24 passing for 207 yards and a touchdown

C.J. Stroud is a cautionary tale of anointing a player, particularly a quarterback, too early in his career. After a NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, Stroud hasn't elevated his game to an elite level. Instead, he's gone in the opposite direction.

To be fair, injuries and consistent shuffling along the Houston Texans' offensive line played significant roles in Stroud's downturn. The Texans once again had to shake up their offensive line for the Buccaneers contest. So, the majority of Houston's aerial attack during Monday's contest relied on short, quick passes with the receivers gaining the majority of yardage after the catch.

However, Stroud's fourth-quarter performance was disheartening. With an opportunity to take a three-point lead, the third-year quarterback missed Nico Collins in the corner of the end zone on third down from the 1-yard line. A play later, Stroud airmailed a pass to Collins that didn't even give the offense a chance on fourth down. Also, he should have thrown a interception to Lavonte David on the following offensive series that the linebacker dropped.

The Texans had a chance to win because of A) a blocked punt and B) Nick Chubb's 26-yard touchdown scamper.

Grade: D

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Score: 29-28 win vs. Denver Broncos

Stat Line: 23 of 34 for 316 yards, one passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown

At this point, eyebrows are raised, because Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts offense appear to be legit. Seriously.

Through two weeks of play, the Colts offense leads the NFL in EPA per drive and success rate, according to The Ringer's Sheil Kapadia. Indianapolis has scored on 14 of 17 offensive drives. The conversion rate is highest by any team since at least the start of the 1980 campaign, per ESPN's Stephen Holder.

Meanwhile, Jones is second in the NFL with 588 passing yards and he's yet to make the critical mistake he became known for during his time with the New York Giants.

"I don't know how much time I've spent comparing it to times in the past or different situations I've been in," Jones told reporters, "but I feel confident and there's a great energy about our team, about our offense, about our group."

Grade: A

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

Score: 31-27 loss vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Stat Line: 24 of 42 for 271, three touchdowns and two interceptions

The interpersonal relationship and what new head coach Liam Coen could coax out of quarterback Trevor Lawrence was a sticking point during the Jacksonville Jaguars last hiring cycle. Everyone inside the organization understands that the team must maximize Lawrence's skill set. It hasn't quite reached that point yet.

"Coach is really passionate, which is something that I've noticed ever since he's been here," Lawrence told reporters. "I love that about him, and we'll get fired up. There's times where I'm not always that way, I'm kind of a little more like this [holding his hands on a level line], but he's honestly brought a little bit more of that out of me, which I think has been good for our offense.

"I've kind of fed off of him and there's times we get excited and get fired up."

However, Coen and his staff have yet to stop Lawrence from making poor decisions. The quarterback has stretches where he plays really well. Then, he'll turn the ball over or make a bad decision. Against the Cincinnati Bengals, he threw a pair of interceptions, including one in the red zone.

Furthermore, the Jaguars quarterback is struggling to get on the same page as his top receiver, Brian Thomas Jr. Lawrence completed only five of the 19 passes thrown in Thomas' direction so far, per Steve Palazzolo.

Grade: C-

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Score: 20-17 loss vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Stat Line: 16 of 29 for 187 yards, one touchdown and an interception; seven carries for 66 yards and a touchdown

Patrick Mahomes built an impossible standard for himself. When he's playing at just a mediocre level, it's glaringly obvious because of how great he's been in the past. An 0-2 start for the first time in his professional career places an even bigger spotlight on the team's and quarterback's issues.

"We played two good football teams and made mistakes in big moments—stuff that we're not used to doing," Mahomes said. "But I think we're coming together as a team, man. I mean, when you deal with adversity, it's about how you deal with it, and obviously, this isn't how we wanted to start. But how are we going to respond? So, I'm excited for the next few weeks to see who wants to be challenged and how we can get back and really get after it."

Through two weeks of play, Mahomes ranks outside the top 20 quarterbacks in completion percentage, average yards per attempt and QB rating. He's not making the plays or hitting the throws so many have become accustomed to seeing.

Grade: C-

Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/David Becker

Score: Chargers 20, Raiders 9

Stat Line: 24 of 43 for 180 yards and three interceptions

Geno Smith played with fire throughout Monday's meeting with the Los Angeles Chargers. In turn the Chargers' defense burned the Las Vegas Raiders quarterback for three interceptions.

Smith's ball placement wasn't ideal, and the quarterback wasn't helped by the fact that his wide receivers can't get open. The Chargers' defenders were sitting on routes all night long and defended 15 passes. It's a staggering number considering Smith had 19 incompletions. Los Angeles was all over the Raiders targets, because they're not a threat.

According to the ESPN telecast, Smith finished 0-11 on pass attempts of 10 air yards or deeper. All three of his interceptions came when the veteran quarterback tried to push the ball downfield. His four total interceptions in that category are the NFL's worst through two weeks of play.

Smith gives the Raiders a strong veteran presence behind center, but he doesn't have skill set with his current selection of offensive weapons to be effective on a weekly basis, especially against the league's better defenses.

Grade: F

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

Score: Chargers 20, Raiders 9

Stat Line: 19 of 27 for 242 yards, two touchdowns and a fumble lost; nine carries for 31 yards

The Los Angeles Chargers offense, specifically quarterback Justin Herbert, is playing free and loose.

"We were all really close last year and bonded well, so this is just a continuation," wide receiver Ladd McConkey said prior to Monday's meeting with the Las Vegas Raiders. "We know the offense. We have a year under our belt with it, and now we can play more freely, be ourselves."

Head coach Jim Harbaugh is known for a ground-and-pound approach, but he's adapted to the talent he now has on offense. Herbert has elite traits and ranks among the NFL's best quarterbacks. Between running backs Najee Harris and first-round rookie Omarion Hampton, the Chargers ran the ball only 16 times.

Instead, the pass is setting up what Harbaugh likes to do most, which is milk away the clock to claim victories. Aside from one pass that should have been intercepted by Raiders linebacker Germaine Pratt, Herbert continued to make high-level decisions no matter what he faced—whether it involved ripping a pass to an available target, checking down if nothing else was open or creating with his feet.

Grade: B

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo/Stew Milne

Score: 33-19 win vs. Tennessee Titans

Stat Line: 23 of 33 for 298 yards, a touchdown and an interception

For all of the concern about Matthew Stafford's health, he's still playing at an elite level.

"This is greatness right here," Jordan Whittington said referring to Stafford. "He's just in total command. When you've got somebody who is so in tune with the process and the game looks so slow to him, it's really cool to see."

In Week 2 against the Tennessee Titans, the 37-year-old veteran completed five of six passes of 15 or more yards down the field with a perfect passer rating, per The 33rd Team. He posted a 9.4 percent completion percentage over expected, according to The Athletic's Nate Atkins. He was 12 of 17 when utilizing playaction, per Blaine Grisak of TurfShowTimes. Stafford does everything well, which includes leading the squad and getting his teammates involved.

Davante Adams caught six passes for 106 yards and a touchdown in his second game with the Rams.

"I told him during the game: 'Bro, you are the coolest dude I've been around,'" Adams said about Stafford's demeanor even after throwing an interception. "He's not cussing. He's not blaming anybody. It was like it happened in practice."

Grade: A-

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/Doug Murray

Score: 33-27 loss vs. New England Patriots

Stat Line: 26 of 32 for 315 yards, a touchdown and an interception

The entire Miami Dolphins organization appears to be in a freefall after an 0-2 start, with questions about Mike McDaniel's standing as head coach, wide receiver Tyreek Hill's long-term status with the team and even Tua Tagovailoa's designation as the franchise quarterback.

Tagovailoa rebounded after the Indianapolis Colts defense had his head spinning in Week 1. Against the New England Patriots, the 27-year-old quarterback did throw for 315 yards. However, he admitted that he needs to do a better job communicating to the offense and getting it ready on a down-by-down basis.

"It was frustrating with the communication, with the guys inside the huddle and then what the personnel is, then the play for those guys," Tagovailoa said. "Do we have too many guys in, why do we have another guy running in? Just the whole operation of that was not up to standard, was not up to par and I've got to do a better job with our guys in that sense."

If the Dolphins don't don't experience a turnaround in the coming weeks, someone else could be communicating to those in Miami's offensive huddle.

Grade: C

J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn

Score: 22-6 loss vs. Atlanta Falcons

Stat Line: 11 of 21 for 158 yards and two interceptions and a fumble lost

J.J. McCarthy's fourth-quarter heroics against the Chicago Bears didn't carry into Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons. McCarthy looked completely uncomfortable and unsure of himself in his second career NFL start.

"We've got to find a way to stay on the field longer, because it's an important part of how we need to play as a team, especially against a team like that," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said.

Atlanta sacked McCarthy six times. All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson needs to be more involved with the offense as well after only three catches.

To make matters worse, the second-year signal-caller suffered a high-ankle sprain during the contest, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. He's expected to miss two-to-four weeks, with veteran Carson Wentz stepping into the starting lineup. The Vikings do have their bye in Week 6. A return after that point may be ideal for McCarthy so he's fully healthy and given time to prepare for a return.

Grade: F

Drake Maye, New England Patriots

AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Score: 33-27 win vs. Miami Dolphins

Stat Line: 19 of 23 for 230 yards and two touchdowns; 10 carries for 31 yards and touchdown

Everyone can see what Drake Maye's potential to become a top-end starter. He played exceptionally well against the Miami Dolphins. Granted, the Dolphins aren't good to start this season. Still, Maye showed excellent pocket movement, the ability to layer throws at all three levels and legitimate playmaking ability as a thrower or runner.

However, head coach Mike Vrabel understands the assignment. He knows that someone of Maye's talent needs to be pushed, not coddled.

"I think there's a lot of good things and a lot of things we'll have to fix," Vrabel told reporters. "The command and the operation, and when he feels that lull, that's when we've got to tighten the screws on these guys and get them set faster and get them out of the huddle faster and really push them. He's a jockey, and he's got to know what the flow of the team looks like offensively."

Sometimes a weaker opponent is what an individual and team needs to get on track themselves.

Grade: A

Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Score: 26-21 loss vs. San Francisco 49ers

Stat Line: 25 of 34 passing for 207 yards and three touchdowns

Spencer Rattler is talented. What's unknown is whether he can actually make it through this season and prove he's the long-term starting option for the New Orleans Saints, especially with the franchise seemingly hurtling toward a high draft pick.

Dating all the way back to Rattler's days with the Oklahoma Sooners, he's was always viewed as a natural thrower and a little bit of a gambler. He's going to make some exciting passes. It's always been about staying away from the critical mistakes. Rattler didn't have any turnovers against the Niners, though that doesn't tell the entire story.

"He did some good things," head coach Kellen Moore said. "Obviously, when you look back, you're going to see some missed opportunities, just like for all of us. He will have some missed opportunities in some critical situations, and there are only so many snaps in this game. You have to take advantage of them."

Rattler hasn't been the problem in New Orleans. Then again, hasn't been the solution, either.

Grade: B

Russell Wilson, New York Giants

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Score: 40-37 loss vs. Dallas Cowboys

Stat Line: 30 of 41 for 450 yards, three touchdowns and an interception

Russell Wilson might as well have found himself in a fancy boutique among the some city's revitalized art district, because he was vintage through four quarters of play Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.

After a week of media questioning the Giants' quarterback plan, Wilson played exceptionally well through regulation, to only throw an awful interception in overtime that led to the Cowboys claiming the victory.

"I love watching boxing," Wilson said afterward. "We're in a 17-round fight and we battled the first round and second round and got more to do. So I was really proud, to be able to answer the way that we did. I've been part of a lot of crazy games. I don't know if I've been a part of one that crazy and that much grit."

A career-high 450 passing yards is nothing to scoff at, though his decision to chuck up a routine fly ball with just over two minutes to play in overtime is inexcusable, thus lowering what would have been one of the weekend's best grades.

Grade: B-

Justin Fields, New York Jets

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

Score: 30-10 loss vs. Buffalo Bills

Stat Line: Three of 11 for 27 yards and a fumble lost; five carries for 59 yards

How quickly things change. A week ago, the New York Jets were excited about what they believed was a new offensive identity with quarterback Justin Fields leading the way. Seven days later, Fields played poorly before suffering an injury.

Fields left the Buffalo Bills game in the fourth quarter and didn't return after being placed in the NFL's concussion protocol. He probably won't be cleared in time to play in Week 3.

"It's hard for me as a coach once we get to Friday and you haven't had any reps," Aaron Glenn told reporters when asked about Fields' status going into the meeting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Maybe a step back is necessary anyhow, not just for Fields' health but his standing as the starting quarterback. The idea of completing only three passes through three-plus quarters of play simply isn't good enough. A lack of consistency has plagued Fields throughout his professional career. Once he's back in the lineup, the fifth-year quarterback must show he's capable of far more than what he showed before leaving Sunday's contest.

Grade: F

Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Score: 20-17 win vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Stat Line: 15 of 22 for 101 yards; nine carries for 15 yards and a touchdown

How the Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts plays the quarterback position may not be aesthetically pleasing. He gets the job done, though, and the Eagles continue to win.

"The game isn't necessarily won off of fireworks," Hurts said after Sunday's victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. "It's won off of scoring more points than the other team. …In the end, you play the game for one reason, to win. Nothing more, nothing less."

Interestingly, Hurts has only five more pass attempts than Saquon Barkley has carries through two games. Hurts barely threw for 100 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles are breaking in a first-time offensive coordinator in Kevin Patullo, and Barkley needs to be a featured part of the offense.

Even so, Hurts will need to do more throughout the course of the season if the Eagles want to seriously entertain back-to-back Super Bowl titles.

Grade: C

Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/Matt Freed

Score: 31-17 loss vs. Seattle Seahawks

Stat Line: 18 of 33 for 203, a touchdown and two interceptions

Aaron Rodgers stopped just short of telling everyone to relax after the Seattle Seahawks came to Pittsburgh and dominated the Steelers in the second half of Sunday's contest.

"It's Week 2. It's good for us," Rodgers said after the loss. "Last week, probably there were some people who were feeling pretty good because everyone outside the building is talking about how great we were on offense and 34 points. That's the league. You can't ride the highs and ride the lows."

Rodgers originally uttered his famous saying over 10 years ago. He's not the same quarterback now that he was then. Granted, he's played better than expected at 41 years old. He did throw a pair of interceptions. One was tipped in the end zone, while the other was a late desperation throw that Rodgers airmailed when trying to make a play.

The 21-year veteran still has ample arm talent. Even with positive early returns, Rodgers may struggle getting the most of the talent around him.

Grade: C

Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Score: 26-21 win vs. New Orleans Saints

Stat Line: 26 of 39 passing for 279 yards, three touchdowns and a fumble lost

The story behind Mac Jones starting for the San Francisco 49ers makes it easy to go overboard to praise him now that he's finally playing for head coach Kyle Shanahan. But let's keep Sunday's performance in context. Jones played relatively well against the team may consider the NFL's worst squad in the New Orleans Saints.

To Jones' credit, he did exactly what is asked of a backup filling in for an injured starter: He kept his team's head above water and helped do just enough to escape with a victory.

"I thought Mac played real well," Shanahan said. "We had a number of things we had to change up … Thought he handled the situation well, thought he delivered the ball real well. Obviously, would like to have that fumble back, hopefully we can get rid of it a little earlier … But yeah, I thought he did a hell of a job."

With Brock Purdy's status for the upcoming week or two still up in the air as he recovers from turf toe, Jones is goo enough to keep the Niners afloat, especially against the Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Grade: B

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

AP Photo/Matt Durisko

Score: 31-17 win vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Stat Line: 22 of 33 for 295 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions

Nothing Sam Darnold did in particular swung momentum in the Seattle Seahawks' favor Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. A special teams blunder turned the tide in the Seahawks' favor. But Darnold and the offense put in the work during the second half to capture an impressive victory in the Steel City.

"There were just a couple bad plays (in the first half) on my end that I'm obviously going to clean up, watch the tape and get better from," Darnold said. "But I felt like (at halftime) there was a lot to go into the second half optimistic about."

Darnold threw two interceptions during the first half, with one coming on a tipped pass. After halftime, he completed 10 of 15 passes, including a touchdown toss to tight end A.J. Barner.

Sunday's performance might not have been perfect, but outscoring the Steelers 24-3 in the second half on the road is impressive.

Grade: B-

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith

Score: 20-19 win vs. Houston Texans

Stat Line: 25 of 38 for 215 yards and two touchdowns; three carries for 33 yards

To fully understand how gutsy of a performance that Baker Mayfield orchestrated during Monday Night Football against the Houston Texans, he spent the majority of the game playing behind replacement offensive tackles who faced the combination of defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. on a down-by-down basis.

Once right tackle Luke Goedeke left the contest because of injury, Mayfield had an average of 2.23 seconds to throw before being pressured, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

Understandably, the Bucs' passing game revolved around the quick game, with Mayfield often throwing Bucky Irving out of the backfield.

In the fourth quarter, Mayfield was able to make plays with his feet, particularly the game-winning, 80-year drive continue that included a 15-yard scamper on 4th-and-10 with 1:24 remaining.

Mayfield continues to thrive as Tampa's starting quarterback. He has the right temperament and competitiveness for the team to consistently rally around him.

Grade: B+

Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/George Walker IV

Score: 33-19 loss vs. Los Angeles Rams

Stat Line: 19 of 33 for 175 yards, a touchdown and fumble lost

Tennessee Titans rookie Cam Ward showed improvement from his first NFL game to his second, but he understands that a complete effort is necessary to win consistently.

"I don't think anything changed [in the second half]," Ward said when asked about the Los Angeles Rams taking over during the second half of Sunday's contest. "I just think we've just got to continue to have urgency. I think at times it drops—and I think that's the biggest thing, on offense, you have to have urgency every play. At the end of the day, we've got to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. My turnover, penalties … throughout the game on both sides of the ball. We've just got to lock in."

From an individual perspective, this year's No. 1 overall draft pick threw his first professional touchdown and saw an uptick in attempts, completion percentage and passing yards in his second appearance.

Grade: C

Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Matt Ludtke

Score: 27-18 loss vs. Green Bay Packers

Stat Line: 24 of 42 for 200 yards and two touchdowns

Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders were the latest to get steamrolled by the new-look Green Bay Packers defense. Daniels is a special talent, but the Packers consistently pressured the athletic signal-caller and sacked him four times, with 12 more quarterback hits.

"They played better than us," Daniels said. "Not really much (else) to say."

Even though the Commanders lost by only nine points, the game really wasn't even that close. Washington didn't score its first touchdown until under five minutes remaining in the contest. By that time, Green Bay already had the game well in-hand.

Over the course of the next three weeks, Daniels and Co. have a real opportunity to get back on track, even with running back Austin Ekeler being lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. Daniels should be able to test the secondaries of the Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons—top cornerback AJ Terrell suffered an injury this past weekend—and Los Angeles Chargers.

Grade: C