QB Report Cards for 2025 NFL Week 8

Just when the NFL season started to make some sense, the unexpected happened.

The New York Jets actually won. The Miami Dolphins fielded a functional offense. C.J. Stroud pieced together a vintage performance for the Houston Texans. The Baltimore Ravens may have resuscitated their season with Tyler Huntley behind center.

Conversely, the Atlanta Falcons looked lost with Kirk Cousins leading the way. The Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott finally struggled. The San Francisco 49ers felt the pain of multiple key injuries.

Anything can happen in a week-by-week league. It's important to have a steady presence at quarterback and stay as level as possible. As such, Bleacher Report tracks each performance to see how much every starting signal-caller is helping or hurting their respective franchises.

Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Mike Stewart

Score: 34-10 loss vs. Miami Dolphins

Stat Line: 21 of 31 for 173 yards

If anyone had a lingering questions about why Kirk Cousins is no longer a starting NFL quarterback, Sunday's performance against the Dolphins should have answered them.

The Falcons went three-and-out on four different occasions. Only three drives went longer than 40 yards.

For those curious, wide receiver Drake London wasn't in the lineup. Running back Bijan Robinson and tight end Kyle Pitts played, though. It's not like the Falcons lacked weapons around the veteran quarterback. The offense simply didn't do much, with a total of 213 yards and a two-for-11 third-down conversion rate.

"It was not one thing," Cousins told reporters. "You just feel like there were a lot of different phases that just weren't consistently good enough. You have to stack plays together. And I felt like we we didn't stack plays together to be able to put a drive together to go down the field and get points."

Grade: F

Tyler Huntley, Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Score: 30-16 win vs. Chicago Bears

Stat Line: 17 of 22 for 186 yards and a touchdown; eight carries for 53 yards

Tyler Huntley helped keep the Baltimore Ravens' season alive. The possibility of dropping to 1-6 would have basically slammed the door shut on any hopes of making the postseason. However, Huntley operated Baltimore's offense at a relatively high level, which allowed the Ravens to score on six of eight offensive drives (not including kneeling at the end of the game).

"I don't think you can play any better than that," head coach John Harbaugh said to Huntley after the game. "That was one of those all-time great performances, man. I'm so proud of you."

Some hyperbole exists in Harbaugh's comments. Considering the circumstances, the backup-turned-starter did what was needed as the Ravens reached the point of desperation. The organization can feel comfortable with Huntley as QB2 once Lamar Jackson is healthy—he's expected in the lineup for Baltimore's upcoming Thursday night affair with the Miami Dolphins.

Grade: B

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman

Score: 40-9 win vs. Carolina Panthers

Stat Line: 12 of 19 for 163 yards and a touchdown; three carries for seven yards and two scores

The best thing Josh Allen did Sunday against the Panthers was turn around and hand the ball to running back James Cook.

"When you have James Cook, you let him cook," Allen said.

Cook's 216 rushing yards were the most by a Bills running back in the last 49 seasons. He's currently the NFL's second-leading rusher.

Buffalo's offense was almost perfectly balanced Sunday, with Allen throwing 19 passes and Cook carrying the ball 19 times. Ultimately, the Bills ran the ball 12 more times in total.

Allen played his part in the ground attack, as per usual. Though both of his scoring runs were only one yard each. He didn't need to take off and create chunk plays with his legs. Cook did. Allen has reached the point where he doesn't need to do everything. Others around him can pick up the slack and carry the offense.

Grade: B

Andy Dalton, Carolina Panthers

AP Photo/Rusty Jones

Score: 40-9 loss vs. Buffalo Bills

Stat Line: 16 of 24 for 175 yards, an interception and two fumbles lost

Andy Dalton didn't look anything like a quarterback with 168 games of starting experience entering Sunday's action.

If someone had said he was playing in his very first game against the Bills, the explanation would have made sense. Dalton struggled to run the Panthers offense in every phase. To make matters worse, the 37-year-old veteran committed three turnovers, including two fumbles. The first occurred just outside of the Bills' red zone.

"It's tough," Dalton said after the game. "Obviously I've got to do a better job of protecting the ball, especially at that point early in the game when we had some momentum. We were close to scoring and I've got to hold on to it."

Bryce Young may be back as early as next weekend. The Panthers better hope so after seeing Dalton perform so poorly.

Grade: F

Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Score: 30-16 loss vs. Baltimore Ravens

Stat Line: 25 of 38 for 285 yards and an interception

The Chicago Bears are quickly reaching the point where the inconsistent play of Caleb Williams is becoming a problem. Last year's No. 1 overall pick may not be the right fit for Ben Johnson's offensive system.

Williams' talent and where he flourishes are obvious. He's a creative play-maker who's at his best when ad-libbing and creating outside of structure. His strengths run counter to what Johnson wants in a timing passer who gets the ball out in rhythm. The best case scenario is finding a quarterback who can do both. In Williams' case, his development hasn't come close, with some starting to question his effectiveness after Sunday's performance.

"I have not seen a ton of improvement from Caleb Williams," an evaluator from another team told The Athletic's Mike Sando. "I see a guy reluctant to fall into the confines of a system, who has a big arm and enough athletic ability to exploit coverage with his legs. You get the flash plays, but you get the frustration with the inconsistency. It's hard to win games when you play like that."

Grade: D

Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals

AP Photo/Jeff Dean

Score: 39-38 loss vs. New York Giants

Stat Line: 21 of 34 for 224 yards and two touchdowns; two carries for 14 yards and a score

A team losing a contest despite scoring 38 points, producing no turnovers, committing only two penalties for 15 yards and owning a 14-point fourth-quarter lead is inexplicable. Somehow, the Bengals did it.

Wait, the Bengals blew it. Yeah, that's a better description.

Joe Flacco did more than enough to see his team win. He didn't, because Cincinnati's defense is legitimately atrocious. As Jake Liscow of Locked on Bengals noted, the unit ranked 29th or worse in eight different categories coming out of their latest contest.

Flacco may have given Cincinnati's offense some credibility back, but he's not enough to overcome a poorly constructed roster. The same will apply to Joe Burrow if/when he returns to the lineup during the current campaign. The Bengals defense is a liability, and it's worse this season than last.

Grade: B

Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Score: 32-13 loss vs. New England Patriots

Stat Line: 21 of 35 for 156 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions

The fact the Cleveland Browns are in an evaluation year has been obvious for quite some time. Once the front office traded Joe Flacco to a division rival, everything from that point forward revolved around the franchise's rookie quarterbacks.

Dillon Gabriel has now started four games. It won't be long before the clamoring to see Shedeur Sanders in the lineup becomes a real movement, because Gabriel hasn't done anything to assert himself as an NFL starter. His tools certainly don't look like they're enough to be a long-term solution.

The third-round draft pick threw for fewer than 200 yards in three of his four starts. He tossed his first two interceptions Sunday against the Patriots, and both showed his limitations—whether it's not being able to fully see over the line of scrimmage or trying to drive the ball down the field.

The Browns need to know if they have something at quarterback. Gabriel hasn't given anyone a reason to believe.

Grade: D

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Bart Young

Score: 44-24 loss vs. Denver Broncos

Stat Line: 19 of 31 for 188 yards and two interceptions

Dak Prescott's latest performance ended on the bench watching a Dallas Cowboys offense led by Joe Milton III, because the Broncos defense stymied the group so badly. Prescott's second interception proved to be the point of no return.

The Broncos' defense is counted among the league's best. Then again, no quarterback had played at a more consistently high level than Prescott through the first seven weeks. The latter wasn't up to the task during this particular meeting.

"Talking about identity, trying to find it, we were far from anything we've been, especially on the offensive side of the ball," Prescott told reporters. "That's what's as frustrating as anything. We didn't even play to our identity. We didn't play to our standard. We've got to find a way to do that on the road."

The Cowboys defense isn't good enough to win games without the offense performing at a high level. Prescott can't have off-weeks, like he did against Denver.

Grade: F

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

AP Photo/Jack Dempsey

Score: 44-24 win vs. Dallas Cowboys

Stat Line: 19 of 29 for 247 yards, four touchdowns and an interception

Entering the professional ranks, Bo Nix was viewed as a quarterback prospect who thrived in a quick, timing offense. He does. Though he's capable of more, with flashes of doing so over the last year-plus.

Case in point, Nix pushed the ball down the field with effectiveness against the Cowboys. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the sophomore signal-caller completed seven of 13 attempts over 10 air yards, including three touchdowns, during Sunday's contest.

The Cowboys defense is terrible and ranks 31st overall. Denver took advantage by trying different things within the offense and expanding upon its base play-calling packages.

"We ran on all cylinders," Nix told reporters.

He added, "But it was a hell of a day. And it's a day we need more of."

Grade: A-

Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

AP Photo/Matt Durisko

Score: 35-25 win vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Stat Line: 29 of 37 for 360 yards and three touchdowns

Jordan Love flirted with perfection Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He did so in the Steel City, which made the performance even more impressive.

Love completed 20 straight passes during the contest. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he had a one percent chance of doing so considering the difficulty of the intended passes. Furthermore, the soon-to-be 27-year-old quarterback completed 13 of 17 attempts against man coverage, which included all three of his touchdown tosses. The Steelers tried to be aggressive, and Love shredded the secondary.

It's an even sweeter performance upon doing so with his former Packers mentor, Aaron Rodgers, as the other team's staring quarterback.

"I thought J-Love played great," Rodgers told reporters. "He was super efficient. He didn't get sacked. Moved around really well, made some plays outside the pocket. I thought he played outstanding."

Grade: A+

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith

Score: 26-15 win vs. San Francisco 49ers

Stat Line: 30 of 39 for 318 yards, two touchdowns and an interception

One stat explains why Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud played his best game of the season and looked like the version that won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023. The Texans didn't allow a single sack for the first time this season.

Houston's offensive line has been a problem area for nearly a season-and-a-half. However, the injuries to San Francisco's defense have limited the group's effectiveness. The Texans didn't just prevent any sacks; the Niners only touched Stroud on two different occasions.

As a result, Stroud threw for a season-high 318 yards, while completing 77 percent of his passes. With Nico Collins out of the lineup due to injury, the Texans quarterback spread the ball around by completing passes to nine different targets.

"Spreading the ball around is great for everybody," Stroud told reporters. "I love seeing my guys make plays."

Grade: A-

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

Score: 38-14 win vs. Tennessee Titans

Stat Line: 21 of 29 for 272 yards and three touchdowns

The Indianapolis Colts offense may be viewed as a juggernaut, but Sunday's performance against the Titans wasn't as tight or efficient. The Colts still scoring 38 points and racking up 420 total yards says something.

Daniel Jones may not have been as sharp as everyone has seen throughout the campaign. Even so, he still operated the offense at a high level.

Another standout performance from running back Jonathan Taylor helps, of course. At the same time, Jones' growing confidence in his weapons is obvious as well. He made throws to Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce simply because he trusted them to make a play.

To understand how well the group is performing as a whole, the Colts own a top-10 passing offense. No receiver has posted a 100-yard game.

"Because we have so many weapons that it's spread out so well, we don't need somebody to do that," Pittman said. "If it does happen, then it happened naturally—I mean, last game, Alec [Pierce] had 98 yards and he was good with just letting it go because we were winning and in the flow of the game, we didn't need it."

Grade: A-

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/Ed Zurga

Score: 28-7 win vs. Washington Commanders

Stat Line: 25 of 34 for 299 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions

Patrick Mahomes got off to an inauspicious start when facing the Washington Commanders defense, with a pair of interceptions. However, Mahomes eventually got into the groove and showed he was ready for primetime with another vintage performance.

The two-time NFL MVP did force a pass into tight coverage on a 3rd-and-10 play during the Chiefs' initial drive. Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore was in perfect position and snagged the ball. Mahomes really shouldn't have been charged with the second interception since the pass ricocheted off of Travis Kelce's hands.

From that point forward, Mahomes was purely magic. His navigation of the pocket is unlike anything the NFL has ever seen. He regularly moved up, around and outside the pocket to avoid any pressure and/or extend plays. His movement skills directly led to all three of Kansas City's passing touchdowns.

Mahomes made an offensive line with two backups in the lineup look far more manageable and kept the Chiefs rolling with their third straight victory (and the Buffalo Bills looming).

Grade: B+

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Score: 37-10 win vs. Minnesota Vikings

Stat Line: 18 of 25 for 227 yards, three touchdowns and an interception; seven carries for 62 yards

Justin Herbert is getting back where he needs to be, as a top-tier performer. It's not a coincidence that he looked that way upon Joe Alt's return as a stabilizing force for what was a struggling offensive line.

Although, the biggest differentiator was how Herbert performed when the Vikings defense still applied pressure, as one of the league's most aggressive units.

When blitzed, Herbert torched Brian Flores' defense. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the Chargers' signal-caller completed 13 of 15 passes for 162 yards, two touchdowns and a plus-16.9 completion percentage over expected when staring down extra defenders.

Herbert also took advantage of emerging contributors in Los Angeles' offense, particularly rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden Jr., who caught five passes for 77 yards and a score.

Grade: B+

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

AP Photo/Mike Stewart

Score: 34-10 win vs. Atlanta Falcons

Stat Line: 20 of 26 for 205 yards and four touchdowns

Not all hope is lost in Miami for the Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Just when everything about the franchise was about to implode, the Dolphins pulled off the unexpected: an dominant victory over the Falcons.

Tagovailoa got the ball out quickly, decisively and accurately. He "completed 14 of 17 passes under 2.5 seconds for 160 yards and two touchdowns," according to NFL Next Gen Stats. His average time to throw proved to be the fastest of the season.

Keep in mind, Atlanta fields a top defense. However, the Falcons didn't do enough to pressure and reroute Dolphins wide receivers. Tagovailoa took advantage. The same approach won't work every week. Even so, the Dolphins got the performance they desperately needed.

Tagovailoa was determined to improve and did so even with a swollen eye.

Grade: A+

Carson Wentz, Minnesota Vikings

AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh

Score: 37-10 loss vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Stat Line: 15 of 27 for 144 yards, a touchdown and an interception

When the lasting image from a contest is the starting quarterback sitting on the bench obviously frustrated, hurting and simply overwhelmed, it's long-past time for a change.

The Minnesota Vikings didn't have the luxury to move past Carson Wentz due to J.J. McCarthy's ankle injury. But the team is now 2-3 with Wentz behind center and he's clearly not been a stabilizing force. Instead, the veteran signal-caller provided his fair share of mistakes and missed throws.

To be fair, Wentz is playing through a shoulder injury. His toughness isn't in question. His effectiveness is, hence why the McCarthy comeback could be soon.

"We worked out J.J. [before the game], and he was close, and J.J. and the medical staff didn't feel like he was there yet," head Kevin O'Connell told reporters. "There was a lot of encouragement, especially with the time we have and where he's at and the confidence level he thinks he can get to—if J.J.'s healthy, J.J. will play."

Grade: D

Drake Maye, New England Patriots

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Score: 32-12 win vs. Cleveland Browns

Stat Line: 18 of 24 for 282 yards, three touchdowns and an interception; seven carries for 50 yards

Drake Maye may be seeing Browns defense end Myles Garrett in his nightmares, but Garrett dreams of having a quarterback as good as Maye.

"I think he is a great human being," Garrett said of Maye after sacking him five times. "I think he is good quarterback who is soon to be a great quarterback. I like how he's grown. It's nice to be a part of his journey. Hate to be on this end of it, but it's nice to see how he's leading his team. He's helped them rebuild into what they are now. In a way, I'm proud of him, and I'm happy to see his success."

Maye was stellar throughout most of the contest. He does need to do a better job feeling pressure in the pocket. Plus, he made a poor decision that turned into an interception. Even if the ball got past the underneath linebacker, Maye's intended target had two defenders around him. Those are nitpicks, though. The Patriots know they have someone special behind center.

Grade: B+

Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

Score: 23-3 loss vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Stat Line: (Rattler) 15 of 21 for 136 yards, an interception and fumble lost; (Shough) 17 of 30 for 128 yards and an interception

The New Orleans Saints coaching staff is looking for answers. It's unlikely it's going to find one regarding the team's quarterback situation.

Spencer Rattler hadn't played poorly for most of this season. He also didn't do enough to place his team in a position to win games. Head coach Kellen Moore chose to make a change Sunday after Rattler struggled through the first three quarters.

Rookie Tyler Shough took over the Saints offense after not getting the necessary practice reps to be truly ready for his first extended NFL action. Unsurprisingly, he didn't look comfortable.

To be fair, Shough's turnover occurred after a defensive back ripped the ball out of Chris Olave's hands. Still, the quarterback didn't provide New Orleans with the jolt the team needed.

"I'm not into flip-flopping quarterbacks," Moore told reporters. "We do have to make some decisions on offense in the next 48 hours. We'll do this collectively."

Grade: D (for both)

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

AP Photo/Matt Slocum

Score: 38-20 loss vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Stat Line: 14 of 24 for 193 yards and a touchdown; six carries for 17 yards and a score

Two-and-a-half weeks ago, the New York Giants were riding high with a victory over the rival Eagles. Philadelphia came out of that game with significant questions about its offense. Fast forward 17 days. The script flipped.

The Eagles bodied the Giants and easily ran away with the victory.

"I thought they did just a lot more things better than we did in a lot of areas," Dart told reporters. "I don't like the feeling of — I felt they really kind of dominated most of the game. It's an embarrassing feeling."

For the rookie, his effectiveness has been waning. He completed 51 percent of his passes over the last two games. His running has been stunted. The Giants must find ways to set him up for success despite the multiple injuries endured around him, including running back Cam Skattebo.

Grade: C

Justin Fields, New York Jets

AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel

Score: 39-38 win vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Stat Line: 21 of 32 for 244 yards and one touchdown; 11 carries for 31 yards

Justin Fields showed he can complete a pass. In fact, he completed 21 passes in the New York Jets' first win of the season, as the quarterback helped erase a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit.

"I don't think me talking to him is going to do anything," Fields told reporters when asked about owner Woody Johnson's comments from earlier in the week. "Like I said, it's not going to make me play better. It's not going to give me more confidence on the field. I don't think there's necessarily a point in talking about that."

Fields' answer was professional and expected. Make no mistake, he should feel good about proving doubters wrong, especially when it's an owner speaking out of turn, even if the quarterback didn't express those thoughts.

Grade: B

Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Matt Slocum

Score: 38-20 win vs. New York Giants

Stat Line: 15 of 20 for 179 yards and four touchdowns

When the Philadelphia Eagles' offensive leaders met after Week 5 to discuss how to get their unit back on track, the answer didn't seem obvious at the time. It became clear during the last two weeks.

First, Saquon Barkley must be continually involved. Second, DeVonta Smith should be featured in the passing game. Finally, Dallas Goedert is too important not to be regularly targeted, particularly in the red zone.

These basic approaches dramatically make life easier on quarterback Jalen Hurts, who has been highly efficient during the last two games. The problems were never all that bad in the first place. Want proof? Hurts became the first quarterback in NFL history to produce 15 passing touchdowns, five rushing scores and only one interception through eight weeks of play.

"I think the best is yet to come," Hurts said after Sunday's four-touchdown performance.

Grade: A

Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/Matt Durisko

Score: 35-25 loss vs. Green Bay Packers

Stat Line: 24 of 36 for 219 yards and two touchdowns

The Pittsburgh Steelers are happy enough with Aaron Rodgers performance this season that they want the 41-year-old quarterback back for another season, according to The Athletic's Dianna Russini. It's not hard to understand why when watching him during a primetime contest against the Packers.

Rogers can still rip throws into tight windows. Plus, he often outthinks his opponents to place the offense in the best possible position.

Unfortunately, the Steelers defense let the team down when facing Jordan Love and Co. Green Bay scored during five consecutive second-half drives to claim the victory after Pittsburgh held a 19-15 halftime advantage.

Pittsburgh understands that the defense let one get away.

"Big plays were the death of us today," Cameron Heyward said. "You're not going to be perfect out there. But you've got to keep fighting. I just think there's a lot of ball and not enough fight on our side. I don't think we handled adversity. 

Grade: B

Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Eric Gay

Score: 26-15 loss vs. Houston Texans

Stat Line: 19 of 32 for 193 yards, two touchdowns and an interception

Mac Jones isn't the problem for the San Francisco 49ers. He's also not the solution.

Jones has done an admirable job stepping in for the injured Brock Purdy, playing relatively well and keeping the Niners afloat. Those things are exactly what a team asks from its backup quarterback.

With losses in two of San Francisco's last three games and a slew of injuries throughout the lineup, Jones' play just hasn't been enough to elevate the team. Against an upper level defense in Houston, Jones and Co. managed 223 yards of offense, converted only three first downs and held the ball for under 19 total minutes.

"When [the 49ers defense is] out there for that many plays, they get tired, and it's harder to just play," Jones said. "Even if we just get a couple first downs, it takes some pressure off them."

Brock Purdy may be back in the lineup for Week 9 action to see the difference he potentially makes.

Grade: D+

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

Score: 23-3 win vs. New Orleans Saints

Stat Line: 15 of 24 for 152 yards

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers bounced back with a victory against the rival Saints after a disappointing performance in Week 7. However, Baker Mayfield still isn't playing well, at least compared to the first six weeks of the season.

During that stretch, the former MVP candidate completed under 60 percent of his passes. Granted, the Bucs offense is dealing with multiple injuries at wide receiver and starting running back Bucky Irving still isn't in the lineup while nursing a shoulder injury. The unit also has had issues along the offensive line, which leads to an inability to successfully run the ball (129 combined yards over the last two games with an average of less than 3.5 yards per carry).

Thus, Mayfield has been asked to shoulder more of a one-dimensional offense. The difficulty of doing so lessens his effectiveness.

"Wins are great. They are very hard to come by in this league," Mayfield said. "But we have to be better on offense."

Grade: C

Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/Zach Bolinger

Score: 38-14 loss vs. Indianapolis Colts

Stat Line: 22 of 38 for 259 yards, a touchdown and an interception

The Tennessee Titans might have experienced a second blowout loss to their AFC South rival, but rookie quarterback Cam Ward played relatively well.

As good as Indianapolis is offensively, their defense struggles in multiple areas and opposing quarterbacks can take advantage.

Granted, Ward threw an interception because of a miscommunication with fellow rookie Elic Ayomanor. Otherwise, Ward was tough in the pocket despite being hit and sacked multiple times.

Ward continues to show promise. Like any No. 1 overall pick, he wasn't placed in a great situation, which includes this season's coaching change. The decision-making remains suspect, while the quarterback wants to be more aggressive

"If it was up to me, I'd want to go for it every chance I get," Ward said of his team's decision not to go for it on fourth down. "Just because I'm a competitor, that's just my breed. That's just what I want to do out of my football journey. I just think it's a missed opportunity for us as a team to get a first down and keep the drive moving."

Grade: B-

Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Ed Zurga

Score: 28-7 loss vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Stat Line: 21 of 30 for 213 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions

Marcus Mariota pounding the field after a protection miscue to end the third quarter encapsulated the Washington Commanders' performance on Monday Night Football against the Chiefs.

Washington needed to be perfect to upset the Chiefs at home and fell well short of that standard.

Mariota is a quality backup. He simply can't make the type of plays necessary to go punch for punch with Monday's counterpart, Patrick Mahomes. Jayden Daniels might have had a chance of doing so, but he wasn't cleared to play while nursing a sore hamstring.

After losing three straight contests, Washington needs Daniels in the lineup serving as an elite playmaker, particularly with the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions next on the docket.

Mariota hasn't been terrible when starting. He's simply not good enough to offset any issues found within Washington's roster. Whereas, Daniels is.

Grade: C