QB Report Cards for 2025 NFL Week 15

During the same weekend that John Cena retired from the WWE, the NFL provided premium sports entertainment.

A 44-year-old grandfather started a professional football game for the first time in nearly five years. The league's premier quarterback suffered a season-ending injury on the same offensive drive that fell short of continuing the Kansas City Chiefs' 10-year playoff streak alive. Another quarterback, who expressed his dismay about playing for the joy of the game just days earlier, only fell further down the hole of despair with his team being shut out for the first time during his career. Finally, this year's favorite to win MVP saw his squad fall short against a rival that features the reigning MVP.

The current state of the quarterback position is flux, but it always worth watching. Bleacher Report assessed each performance from Week 15 and provided accompanying grades.

Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals

AP Photo/Ashley Landis

Score: 40-20 loss vs. Houston Texans

Stat Line: 27 of 40 for 249 yards, three touchdowns and interception

The story remains the same for the Arizona Cardinals. The team gets down early in a contest and Jacoby Brissett puts up good numbers as the Cardinals fail in a comeback attempt.

On Sunday, the Texans built a 17-0 first-quarter lead before the Cardinals offense did anything of consequence. By then, the effort was too late. Houston led 23-7 at halftime. Arizona didn't have enough juice to mount a second-half surge against the Texans' top-ranked defense.

During the contest, FOX Sport's Jen Hale reported, "Change is palpable with Jacoby Brissett in the locker room" (h/t Donnie Druin of Sport Illustrated).

Do that change really matter since Arizona hasn't won a game with Brissett as its starting quarterback? The team's failures are not entirely the quarterback's fault, of course. But the same outcome week in and week out just shows that the Cardinals don't have the answer at the game's most important position.

Grade: C

Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons

AP Photo/Jason Behnken

Score: 29-28 win vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Stat Line: 30 of 44 for 373 yards and three touchdowns

Kirk Cousins still has something left to contribute. The 37-year-old quarterback recently looked like he wasn't capable of operating an NFL offense to his previous standard. He changed minds with Thursday's performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Cousins' 373 passing yards were his most since throwing for 509 over a year ago (also against the Bucs).

"Pro football tests you," Cousins told reporters. "It keeps me on my knees (in prayer). It's been a difficult two years since tearing my Achilles. All I know to do is trust and keep going and walk by faith, not by sight, and that can be hard sometimes. Nights like tonight, you get a boost."

In the final five minutes of play, the veteran quarterback completed eight of 12 passes, while leading his team to 10 points and the victory.

Grade: A

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar

Score: 24-0 win vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Stat Line: 8 of 12 for 150 yards, two touchdowns and an interception

Lamar Jackson still isn't back to his previous heights. Even so, he performed better Sunday than he has in recent weeks.

Jackson snapped a career-long, five-game streak of completing less than 60 percent of his passes. Granted, the Baltimore Ravens quarterback didn't need to do too much since he attempted only 12 passes. But Jackson felt much better about his performance than he has in recent weeks.

"I believe all of us on offense had good rhythm," Jackson told reporters. "It felt like us, and we just have to keep pushing the envelope. Just keep getting first downs, stay out of 'Get-back-on-track (situations),' because it's hard to convert in the NFL trying to get back on track. So, we stayed out of those situations, but got positive yards and stayed ahead of the sticks."

Baltimore won because of a strong defensive effort and effective ground game. Jackson did what he needed with a complementary performance.

Grade: C

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Score: 35-31 win vs. New England Patriots

Stat Line: 19 of 28 for 193 yards and three touchdowns; 11 carries for 48 yards

Josh Allen may have snatched this year's MVP award from the deserving hands of the Patriots' Drake Maye based on Sunday's performance.

Once again, Allen led the Bills on a ferocious comeback to capture another critical victory. This past weekend, Buffalo trailed 21-0 before Allen and Co. scored touchdowns during five consecutive offensive possessions.

"We're going to continue to fight one play at a time," Allen told reporters. "No matter what the score is, if it's in the third quarter, if it's in the fourth quarter, whatever it is, if we've got a chance and we've got the ball, we feel like we like our chances. That's that."

A week earlier, the Bills trailed by 10 points against the Cincinnati Bengals with less than eight minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Buffalo continues to find ways to win, and Allen is the driving force behind that success.

Grade: A

Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

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Score: 20-17 loss vs. New Orleans Saints

Stat Line: 15 of 24 for 163 yards and a touchdown; seven carries for 49 yards

The Carolina Panthers are desperate for some consistency.

A month ago, Bryce Young pieced together the best performance of his career with a 448-yard, three-touchdown outing against the Atlanta Falcons. He followed that up with only 169 yards and two interceptions against the San Francisco 49ers. A week later, Young provided another three-touchdown performance in a stunning victory over the Los Angeles Rams. The Panthers were letdown again Sunday, as Young threw for 163 yards in a loss to the Saints.

The 2023 No. 1 overall pick is now in his third season. He shouldn't be experiencing such drastic swings on a weekly basis.

To be fair, Young didn't play poorly against the Saints and the Panthers' gameplan doesn't always allow the quarterback to do more. At the same time, Carolina shouldn't be limiting what they do when Young is behind center. More responsibility should be placed on his shoulders to see how he responds. The organization just hasn't reached that point.

Grade: B

Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

AP PhoAP Photo/Nam Y. Huhto

Score: 31-3 win vs. Cleveland Browns

Stat Line: 17 of 28 for 242 yards and two touchdowns

The Chicago Bears need Caleb Williams to not make mistakes and sometimes unveil his brilliance when a play is necessary. He did both Sunday against the Browns.

Williams didn't turn the ball over, even against Cleveland's talented defense. The 24-year-old signal-caller also made an awesome third-quarter touchdown pass to wide receiver DJ Moore by rolling to his right, snapping an off-balance pass just before getting to the sideline and splitting two defenders to find his target in the back of the end zone.

"I'd say 99 percent of the quarterbacks, you tell them, 'Don't even waste your time looking back there and trying to make that throw,'" head coach Ben Johnson said. "There's usually bad things that happen. And yet, he's got the ability to make that throw. DJ made a heck of a play there right on the back line, as well."

Grade: B

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

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Score: 24-0 loss vs. Baltimore Ravens

Stat Line: 25 of 39 for 225 yards and two interceptions

The Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow appears have to reached the same state of being as the team's fan base: apathy.

"If I want to keep doing this, then what am I trying to do with myself?" Burrow told reporters last week. "And I have to have fun doing it. You know, if it's not fun, then what am I doing it for? So, that's the mindset."

The 29-year-old explained his thought process after Sunday's loss to the Ravens.

Said Burrow, "My comments had nothing to do with Cincinnati. My comments had everything to do with me and my mindset and football.

But the truth may have slipped out to some degree. Burrow has been physically beaten down since he entered the league and suffered multiple significant injuries. He didn't respond well during Sunday's outing, either. Cincinnati got into the red zone only once and Burrow threw an interception.

Burrow and the Bengals have some serious soul-searching to do after being eliminated from the postseason.

Grade: F

Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Erin Hooley

Score: 31-3 loss vs. Chicago Bears

Stat Line: 18 of 35 for 177 and three interceptions

The whiplash one experiences when watching a rookie quarterback perform can be overwhelming.

Case in point, Shedeur Sanders went from an outstanding performance against the Tennessee Titans to taking a step back against the Chicago Bears.

The latest outing is what happens when a rookie gets down, tries to press and doesn't see the field well. Sanders threw three interceptions. The fifth-round rookie has thrown at least one interception in four of his five appearances.

Granted, one of those picks were gifted to the Bears thanks to Cleveland wide receiver Jerry Jeudy misplaying a well-placed pass that could have resulted in a touchdown.

"It is what it is," Sanders told reporters. "I'm not one to kick someone while they're down. He understands it was a big play, and I'm sure he's hard on himself. So there's no need for me to be extra and do that."

The first-year signal-caller is also facing a massive amount of pressure. Some of the problem stems from an an injury-plagued offensive line. At the same time, Sanders can be more consistent getting the ball out quickly and not holding it when nothing is available.

Grade: D

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Matt Patterson

Score: 34-26 loss vs. Minnesota Vikings

Stat Line: 23 of 38 for 294 yards

The story remains the same with the Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott continues to play at a high level only to see the team's defense let the offense down.

Prescott has thrown for at least 290 yards in four straight games. The Cowboys lost the last two, even though Dallas offense averaged 420 yards in those contests.

Currently, the Cowboys field a bottom four defense. Conversely, the offense still ranks first overall. Unsurprisingly, Dallas is perfectly mediocre with a 6-6-1 record.

The organization understands the problem lies on one side of the ball, while Prescott continues to do everything possible to keep the team in games.

"I felt like we gave up too many explosives," head coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters. "I think those are the things you have to eliminate. Again, these guys play hard. These guys played a really physical game. But at the end of the day, we have to play better as a football team and got to get more pressure on the quarterback, got to get them on the ground.

Grade: B+

Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

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Score: 34-26 win vs. Green Bay Packers

Stat Line: 23 of 34 for 302 yards and four touchdowns

Bo Nix is getting better every week. With Sunday's performance against the Packers, the sophomore signal-caller reached the point where he can help turn the Denver Broncos from a very good into a dominant team.

Throughout the season, Denver had a formula of slow offensive starts, while its standout defense did the early legwork. Eventually, Nix and Co. go on a role, particularly late in the contests.

Nix showed he can go all gas, no breaks with his latest effort. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 205 yards and four touchdowns when attempting throws past the sticks, according to Pro Football Focus.

Technically, Denver's offense didn't do much in the first quarter. From that point, the Broncos scored touchdowns on five of their next six offensive possessions against a talented Packers defense.

"He's competitive as hell, and he's fiery," tight end Adam Trautman said of Nix. "He's speaking to you, his eyes are wide, and he's staring into your soul. It's a confidence and a respect thing, and it spreads throughout the entire huddle."

Grade: A+

Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

AP Photo/Jeff Lewis

Score: 41-34 loss vs. Los Angeles Rams

Stat Line: 25 of 41 for 338 yards and three touchdowns

Jared Goff couldn't have played much better only for the Detroit Lions to still lose against the Los Angeles Rams.

Detroit amassed nearly 400 yards of offense, with Goff throwing for a season-high 338 yards. The unit didn't commit any turnovers, finished three-of-four in the red zone and allowed only one sack.

The Lions offense did experience a lull at the start of the third quarter, with three consecutive series ending in punts. Even so, the group did more than enough to win the contest if Detroit's defense held up its end of the bargain.

Instead, the Rams offense exploded with over 500 yards of offense.

"Third quarter was rough on us," Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters. "They got a jump on us that we couldn't overcome. (Puka) Nacua had a huge day. We couldn't slow him down. (Matthew) Stafford played at a really high level, which we knew he would if we couldn't disrupt him, and more importantly, stop the run. We weren't able to do that."

Grade: A-

Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

AP Photo

Score: 34-26 loss vs. Denver Broncos

Stat Line: 24 of 40 for 276 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions

The Broncos placed heavy pressure on the Green Bay Packers' Jordan Love and the quarterback couldn't overcome the adversity.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Denver pressured Love on 52.2 percent of his dropbacks, which was a career-high. Despite the issue, Green Bay led 16-14 at halftime. Still, three quarterback sacks and 15 more hits were too much. Love threw a pair of second-half interceptions and couldn't keep pace as the Broncos offense took off in the third quarter.

"We knew this was one of the best pass rushes in the league," head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters, "and you could feel it at the end of the game. We had plenty of opportunities and didn't get it done."

Love added, "The second half we had the two turnovers, which are drive-killers. Give them credit, they got their pass rush going, tightened up some coverages."

Grade: C

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

AP Photo/Ashley Landis

Score: 40-20 win vs. Arizona Cardinals

Stat Line: 22 of 29 for 260 yards and three touchdowns

CJ Stroud is slowing rounding back into shape, thus giving the Houston Texans the needed boost to become arguably the most dangerous team in the NFL at this specific point in time.

For only the second time this season, Stroud threw for three or more touchdowns. He also completed 75.9 percent of his passes against the Cardinals. He was at his absolute best when pushing the ball down the field.

According to Pro Football Focus, Stroud completed nine of 11 passes for 173 yards, three touchdowns and a perfect passer rating when pushing the ball past the sticks.

"We started off (this season) a little rough, of course," Stroud told reporters, "but you want to be playing your best ball in December going into January. Since we're doing that, it's really good... every week we just keep progressing and I think that's all we can do right now."

Grade: A

Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts

AP Photo/Stephen Brashear

Score: 18-16 loss vs. Seattle Seahawks

Stat Line: 18 of 27 for 120 yards, a touchdown and an interception

A storybook ending didn't materialize for Philip Rivers after unretiring and starting at quarterback for the first time since the 2020 campaign.

With the Indianapolis Colts' playoff hopes rapidly dwindling, the organization turned to the 44-year-old grandfather. Considering the circumstances, Rivers performed well despite the obvious limitation of subpar arm strength.

Still, the Colts hoped that Rivers could provide a Peyton Manning-like late-in-the-career presence based on his experience and ability to place the offense in the right play each time. Rivers did enough for the Colts to be in a position to win with 47 seconds left to play.

"Hopefully, my sons and those ball players that I'm in charge of at the school, they'll say like, 'Crap, coach wasn't scared,'" Rivers told reporters after his first NFL action in nearly five years ... There is doubt and it's real. The guaranteed safe bet is to go home or not go for it. The other one is, 'Shoot, let's see what happens.' I hope in that sense it can be a positive to some young people."

Grade: C

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

AP Photo/Peter Joneleit

Score: 48-20 win vs. New York Jets

Stat Line: 20 of 32 for 330 yards and five touchdowns; five carries for 51 yards and a score

Trevor Lawrence is finally reaching his full potential and it's awesome to see.

With Sunday's effort against the Jets, the 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick became the first quarterback in NFL history to threw five touchdown passes, run for another and add 50 rushing yards in the same game.

The 26-year-old quarterback also set a career-high with 11 completions for 216 yards and three touchdowns on passes of 10 or more air yards, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

Lawrence now has nine touchdown passes with no interceptions over the last three games, with the Jaguars now firmly atop the NFC South.

"I don't think I've ever seen Trev like this, and we won a national championship together," said Travis Etienne Jr., who played alongside Lawrence at Clemson. "He's on fire. You've seen it. ... The growth that I've seen from him is just unbelievable."

Grade: A+

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann

Score: 16-13 loss vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Stat Line: (Mahomes) 16 of 28 for 189 yards, an interception, two carries for 15 yards and a touchdown; (Minshew) three of five for 22 yards and an interception

Patrick Mahomes gave everything he could until he couldn't go any longer.

With the Chiefs set to miss the playoffs for the first time since the 2014 campaign, the streak of nine straight division titles and Mahomes' season came crashing down at the same time.

During the Chiefs final offensive series, Mahomes rolled to his right, his knee buckled, he fell to the ground and grabbed his leg.

"An MRI has confirmed that Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes sustained a torn ACL in his left knee in today's game," the Chiefs official site tweeted. "Patrick and the club are currently exploring surgical options."

Gardner Minshew II entered the game and threw an interception that officially closed any thought of the Chiefs squeaking into the playoffs, even without Mahomes. But Minshew's turnover quickly became an afterthought with this particular outcome.

Grade: D

Kenny Pickett, Las Vegas Raiders

AP Photo/Matt Rourke

Score: 31-0 loss vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Stat Line: 15 of 25 for 64 yards and an interception

The Las Vegas Raiders' quarterback play didn't get any better with Geno Smith out of the lineup. An argument can be made that it got even worse, because the Raiders offense managed a measly 75 yards and didn't score any points.

Keep in mind, the Eagles lost their previous three games before dominating Pickett and Co.

"I don't think it's some big psychic change that took place," head coach Pete Carroll told reporters. "I think we just got whipped by a really loaded football team that on this day had their way."

With Pickett in the lineup, some hope existed that his mobility could expand the offense to some degree and provide a little hope as a younger alternative. Instead, the Raiders got more of the same from the worst quarterback situation in the NFL (and that includes a team that just started a 44-year-old who hadn't played since the 2020 season).

Grade: F

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

AP Photo

Score: 16-13 win vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Stat Line: 19 of 29 for 210 yards, a touchdown and an interception

The Los Angeles Chargers defense allowed an opponent to score more than 20 points only once during the team's last seven games. Unsurprisingly, Jim Harbaugh's squad won all six of those games.

With the defense stepping up, less is required of quarterback Justin Herbert.

"This year, they've taken it to a whole another level," Herbert told reporters.

The Chargers' signal-caller has been far from perfect in recent weeks by throwing an interception in four straight games. At the same time, the defense takes pressure off Herbert, who's had to deal with constant turnover along his offensive line. But the 27-year-old quarterback continues to do just enough and keep the Chargers in the win column.

Los Angeles lost only one game since Halloween, which is why the Chargers currently own the AFC's top Wild Card spot.

Grade: C

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

AP Photo/Jeff Lewis

Score: 41-34 win vs. Detroit Lions

Stat Line: 24 of 38 for 368 yards, two touchdowns and an interception

Aside from an interception on the Los Angeles Rams' first series, the team's offense basically did whatever it wanted Sunday against the Lions.

"You can't stop us. You can't stop us," Rams running back Kyren Williams told reporters. "You know where the ball is going and you still can't stop us. For me, it's so cool being out there on the field with great guys like Puka and Davante and all the tight ends and all the offensive linemen. It's fourth down and they think that they've got us and we get the first down. To me, that feeling is, 'Ha ha ha. You can't stop us.'"

Stafford should receive some flak for a bad pick to start the game. After all, Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson was almost directly in front of him and the screen play was covered. Otherwise, Stafford continued to chug along with another outstanding effort, his third with over 365 passing yards this season.

Grade: A-

Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

AP Photo

Score: 28-15 loss vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Stat Line: 22 of 28 for 254 yards, two touchdowns and an interception

The Miami Dolphins are locked into a contract with Tua Tagovailoa. Otherwise, the organization may be reconsidering its options at quarterback if it had a little more flexibility to do so.

The team's recent success, as winners of four straight games entering Monday's contest, was built on a potent running game and a physical defensive front. Without the former, the Dolphins needed to lean on their quarterback and Tagovailoa failed to deliver.

Miami managed only 63 yards on the ground. The Dolphins needed their $212 million quarterback to take over the offense. He didn't do so, and garbage stats won't change that fact.

The Steelers held a commanding 28-3 lead with less than 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. The Dolphins were finally able to move the ball and score a couple of touchdowns at that point, but the outcome was never in doubt. Miami managed minus-20 yards during the third quarter, which says far more about the state of the team and its starting quarterback.

Grade: F

J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

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Score: 34-26 win vs. Dallas Cowboys

Stat Line: 15 of 24 for 250 yards, two touchdowns and an interception; four carries for 15 yards and a score

The rumors of J.J. McCarthy's demise were greatly exaggerated. The Minnesota Vikings have won two games in a row, and McCarthy is starting to put it all together.

"Playing on time, in rhythm, trusting what I see, being decisive, and seeing the ball come out exactly the way I wanted was pretty cool," McCarthy said after Minnesota's primetime victory over the Cowboys.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell added, "I told them, 'There ain't no exit ramps here, so we're just going to keep on grinding and learning a lot about each other. It works both ways. Players and coaches. We're learning about each other."

While O'Connell wasn't referring specifically to McCarthy, his words resonate with the young quarterback. O'Connell may be known as a quarterback whisperer around the NFL, but the start of McCarthy's career had been rough.

Keep in mind, last year's 10th overall draft pick was only 21 years old during a lost rookie season where he couldn't play because of injury. McCarthy, O'Connell and the Vikings as a whole needed time to establish the young signal-caller. It's starting to come to fruition, even if it's a little late in the process.

Grade: B+

Drake Maye, New England Patriots

AP Photo/Gregory Payan

Score: 35-31 loss vs. Buffalo Bills

Stat Line: 14 of 23 for 155 yards and an interception; four carries for 43 yards and two scores

Drake Maye played well during Sunday's contest against the Bills. He didn't play well enough to outduel Josh Allen.

Maye ran for two scores during the New England Patriots' first three offensive possessions. He helped his team build a 21-0 lead. From there, things went sideways for Maye and Co.

While Buffalo scored five straight touchdowns, New England failed to move on the ball on four of its next five possessions.

"I'm worried about our guys," Maye said about his mentality during the game. "I'm trying to go match it, and trying to go answer. We answered once but failed to do it the next two times. We had a chance when the defense got us the ball back, and that's what you have to strive for. We made it happen last time but didn't make it happen today."

Grade: B

Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints

AP Photo/Ella Hall

Score: 20-17 win vs. Carolina Panthers

Stat Line: 24 of 32 for 272 yards and a touchdown; eight carries for 32 yards

Right now, Tyler Shough is the NFL's best rookie quarterback.

When Shough went through this year's draft cycle, questions persisted about durability and age. They never really centered on ability, because everyone saw what he was capable of doing. He had the size, arm talent and mobility to be viewed as a franchise-caliber prospect. But the two-time transfer only started one full season at the collegiate level mainly due to injuries. Plus, he turned 26 before the end of his first NFL campaign.

Shough didn't help his case with a shaky performance throughout a quarterback competition between himself and Spencer Rattler. Currently, the rookie is getting settled into the Saints offense and it shows.

New Orleans Saints head coach/offensive playcaller Kellen Moore has his first-year signal-caller playing well. The Saints won two games in a row, and Shough eclipsed 300 total yards Sunday for the first time in his professional career.

"He building, man," defensive end Chase Young told reporters. "Every week, I can can just tell he's getting more comfortable. He's starting to look like that guy."

Grade: B

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

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Score: 29-21 loss vs. Washington Commanders

Stat Line: 20 of 36 for 246 yards, two touchdowns and an interception; nine carries for 63 yards

Jaxson Dart is doing a lot with a little around him.

During Sunday's loss to the Washington Commanders, Dart rewrote NFL history by becoming the first rookie quarterback with multiple games of 240 or more passing yards, 60 or more rushing yards and two or more touchdowns. He also became the only quarterback to throw for over 1,800 yards, run for more than 400 and contribute at least 20 total touchdowns in his first nine starts.

Despite the impressive stats, Dart didn't play particularly well Sunday, with an uneven outing where Washington built a 22-7 halftime lead.

"I take accountability for this one," Dart told reporters. "I didn't play well enough today for this team to win, so I've got to be better, especially in that situation."

Even so, the quarterback's potential is obvious, as long as the Giants eventually build around him properly.

Grade: C

Brady Cook, New York Jets

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Score: 48-20 loss vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Stat Line: 22 of 33 for 176 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions

The first start by an undrafted rookie against a division leader featuring a top-10 defense went about as well as expected.

The Jaguars dominated Brady Cook and the New York Jets. Despite the outcome, the Jets made the move that had to be made. New York must know what it has at quarterback before it makes a big move this offseason.

Cook didn't show enough to change the organization's current course. Though the rookie deserves credit for stepping into a tough situation and giving everything he has.

"One thing I love about him is, ain't no quit in that dude," running back Isaiah Williams told reporters. "He's got that fire. Every time he gets in that huddle, everybody in that huddle believes him."

The Jets currently own a top-five draft pick, and they should be major players in the race to select the Heisman Trophy-winning Fernando Mendoza. Maybe Cook becomes the team's long-term backup.

Grade: D

Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

AP Photo/Terrance Williams

Score: 31-0 win vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Stat Line: 12 of 15 for 175 yards and three touchdowns

Is the Philadelphia Eagles offense fixed now? Well, it is for one week. Next week could be an entirely different story if the ups and downs from this season are any indication.

To be fair, the Eagles took care of business against an inferior opponent. Yes, Philadelphia entered the contest on a three-game losing skid. Still, Nick Sirianni's squad was far more talented and it showed.

After throwing four interceptions a week earlier, Jalen Hurts responded with an efficient contest. The Eagles quarterback threw only 15 passes, but he completed 12, including three touchdowns, before leaving the game early because of the lopsided score.

"Just consistency, man," offensive tackle Jordan Mailata said of Hurts and how the quarterback prepared after the previous week's previous disappointment. "Didn't matter what happened last week. Just attacked his work week the same way—win, lose or draw. His consistency is reassuring."

Grade: A

Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers

AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Score: 28-15 win vs. Miami Dolphins

Stat Line: 23 of 27 for 224 yards and two touchdowns

Questions arose during a suspect November, with Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers not performing well. Once the calendar turned to December, a switch flipped for the 42-year-old quarterback.

A week ago, Rodgers threw for a season-high 284 yards. He followed that up with a near flawless performance Monday against the Miami Dolphins.

Truthfully, Rodgers played smart football and took what the Dolphins gave him, hence the season-high 85.2 completion percentage. The Steelers can benefit greatly just by the veteran quarterback placing the offense in the right play and looking for profit every time he drops backs to pass.

The Steelers don't need MVP Rodgers. Instead, Pittsburgh requires a steadying presence behind center that can operate efficiently and effectively. Every once in a while, Rodgers can reach back, rip a throw or two and provide a little bit of the vintage version.

Rodgers has provided the Steelers with exactly those things during the last two games. As a result, Pittsburgh is in excellent position to win its first division title since the 2020 campaign.

Grade: A

Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers

AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn

Score: 37-24 win vs. Tennessee Titans

Stat Line: 23 of 30 for 295 yards, three touchdowns and a fumble lost; seven carries for 44 yards

Kyle Shanahan is often recognized as an elite play-designer and offensive orchestrator. The head coach/play-caller still needs the right triggerman to operate the system. When Brock Purdy is on his game, he's the ideal fit for what the San Francisco 49ers offense wants to do.

Purdy has dealt with injuries this season, so it was encouraging to see him provide his best performance late in the year as the Niners gear up for a postseason run.

"Brock was awesome today," running back Christian McCaffrey told reporters after San Francisco's victory over the Titans. "He did a great job commanding the huddle, made some plays with his feet, which were great. He threw the ball downfield well and guys made plays. Brock was Brock."

Grade: A

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

AP Photo/Stephen Brashear

Score: 18-16 win vs. Indianapolis Colts

Stat Line: 22 of 36 for 271 yards

The Seattle Seahawks made it into the red zone twice Sunday. They didn't score a touchdown. Instead, Jason Myers set a franchise record with six made field goals in order to escape with a victory over the Philip Rivers-led Indianapolis Colts.

"We've got to step it up a little bit on offense," Sam Darnold told reporters.

Darnold's comments come after winning the previous three games by an average of 20 points. However, the quarterback has a point.

Those previous victories came against inferior competition. The Colts may be in the midst of a losing streak and desperate at quarterback due to a series of unfortunate injuries, but Indianapolis has significant remaining talent on both sides of the ball, which allowed the Colts to remain in the game despite current roster limitations.

Darnold and the offense definitely need to do more against better competition to help the Seahawks defense, which is performing so well.

Grade: C+

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

AP Photo/Jason Behnken

Score: 29-28 loss vs. Atlanta Falcons

Stat Line: 19 of 34 for 277 yards, two touchdowns and an interception

As stated in Christopher Nolan's iconic film The Dark Knight, "You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain."

For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield, he began this season with multiple late-game heroics leading his team to victories. His MVP candidacy died along the way with quarterback becoming the villain, who couldn't deliver late in a contest.

The Bucs have now lost five of their last six games and remain tied atop the NFC South standings. Mayfield played poorly down the stretch, with a brutal interception where he didn't see an underneath defender, which led to the Falcons' final touchdown. He then missed a throw to a Emeka Egbuka in an attempt to extend Tampa's final offensive possession.

"We have to be better on offense," Mayfield told reporters. "It comes down to how I play. This one is gonna haunt me. This one falls on my shoulders.

Grade: F

Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn

Score: 37-24 loss vs. San Francisco 49ers

Stat Line: 18 of 29 for 179 yards and two touchdowns

The Tennessee Titans aren't winning much, but Cam Ward is quietly improving over the second half of the season.

During the Titans' last five games, this year's No. 1 overall draft pick completed over 60 percent of his passes in four of those contests—he was under 60 percent in four of the team's previous six games—and posted a six-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio.

It's still not perfect with plenty of room for growth. Ward tried to squeeze a few throws into windows he shouldn't have. Key drops also plague the Titans offense.

The season has been difficult in Tennessee. Ward has been forced to overcome a lot while trying to feel his way through his first NFL campaign. At the same time, there's reason for optimism when it comes to the Titans' quarterback and where the team can go with another high draft pick and ample salary-cap flexibility.

Grade: C+

Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Score: 29-21 win vs. New York Giants

Stat Line: 10 of 19 for 211 yards, a touchdown and fumble lost; 10 carries for 43 yards

The musical chairs at quarterback continued this past weekend for the Washington Commanders. Since Oct. 19, the Commanders have flipped back and forth between Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota five times. Obviously, Daniels' rash of injuries played their part. But the team hasn't had much consistency from the game's most important position.

Daniels could reenter the lineup at some point over the next three games. Until then, Mariota will lead the way.

With a punt return touchdown and strong rushing attack, thanks in part to Mariota's legs, the quarterback wasn't forced to carry the offense. When necessary, the 32-year-old struck at the perfect time by connecting with Terry McLaurin on 51-yard touchdown.

"We ran the ball really well today, very effectively, I'd say," McLaurin told reporters. "That's a credit to the O-line. OG (offensive line coach Bobby Johnson) and coach (Anthony) Lynn (Washington's running backs coach and running game coordinator) have been really just hammering home the importance of really being productive on our running downs. ... I think we all take pride in helping the running backs get to the second level. Bill (Croskey-Merritt) ran really hard today, and J-Mac (McNichols) did his thing."

Grade: C+