QB Report Cards for 2026 NFL Week 5

The NFL is reaching the point where quarterback changes may become necessary.

Some are inevitable due to injury. Others are internal, with an individual responding to adversity, as the New England Patriots' Drake Maye did in Week 5 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Some are more literal, as seen by the Raiders allowing this year's No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, to get his first playing time during a blowout loss. Eventual changes will happen within multiple squads as they are forced look at their options this season and into the offseason.

Each week, Bleacher Report will grade every quarterback performance no matter how their play shakes out throughout the action.

ARI | ATL | BAL | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAX | LAC | LV | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SEA | SF | TB | TEN | WAS

Arizona Cardinals: Jacoby Brissett

AP Photo

Score: 45-21 loss vs. Detroit Lions

Stat Line: 29 of 47 for 292 yards, three touchdowns and an interception

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett faced the NFL's worst pass defense Sunday and posted a season-high of 292 passing yards. Much like everything else Brissett and the Cardinals have done over the past season-plus, those numbers meant absolutely nothing because Arizona lost once again.

Brissett has thrown for 280 yards six times since the start of the 2025 campaign. The Cardinals came up short in each of those contests.

Arizona did establish a 7-0 first-quarter lead against the Detroit Lions. From that point, Detroit scored 31 unanswered points. Brissett was forced to drop back and faced significant pressure. The Lions accumulated five sacks and 12 quarterback hits.

Brissett may not be the problem, but he's clearly not the answer after seeing him start 17 straight games.

"He probably hears the noise," head coach Mike LaFleur told reporters, "but he ignores the noise. He's above the noise."

Grade: C

Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix Jr. & Tua Tagovailoa

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Score: 30-23 loss vs. Baltimore Ravens

Stat Line: Penix, 19 of 32 for 240 yards and a touchdown; Tagovailoa, two of three for 34 yards and an interception

A loss snapping the Atlanta Falcons' two-game winning streak took a backseat to quarterback Michael Penix Jr. getting injured again. Penix was not able to lead the team into overtime after being hit and suffering a possible rib injury.

"I got hit pretty good and was just trying to get back out there," Penix told reporters. "I did take some throws on the sideline just to see how I felt, and I did not feel like I was going to be able to give our team what we needed to help us win that football game because of the pain that I was feeling. I feel like if we had the ball first in overtime, I probably would have been out there. But as we were sitting, what I was going through just started getting worse and worse. I was getting cold."

Any injury that Penix suffers is significant considering his expansive history. Plus, any potential time missed will once again create upheaval within the Falcons' offense.

While it may be unfair, Tua Tagovailoa was thrust into the lineup and failed to deliver. His interception ended overtime and handed the Ravens a victory.

Grade: Penix, B; Tagovailoa, F

Baltimore Ravens: Tyler Huntley

AP Photo/Danny Karnik

Score: 30-23 win vs. Atlanta Falcons

Stat Line: 24 of 32 for 201 yards and two touchdowns; six carries for 20 yards and score

A backup quarterback exists to keep a team afloat whenever the starter goes down for whatever reason. The goal is even more difficult to accomplish when a squad's QB1 is a two-time league MVP. Tyler Huntley has been up for the task, though.

Huntley was particularly cold-blooded down the stretch and overtime against the Atlanta Falcons. In fact, he became the only quarterback in NFL history to complete 10 straight passes, throw a passing touchdown and run for another in the final two minutes of a game plus overtime, according to OptaSTATS.

"'Snoop' is just like one of the coolest dudes," head coach Jesse Minter told reporters. "He doesn't really get rattled. He's just always the same, and he keeps such a good demeanor about him, keeps his composure. He said, 'Hey man, all we're going to do is try and go 1-0 this week.' That's what he told me right before the game. And he just did his job, and he did it at a high level. He played really well, played with more and more confidence as the game went on and as the moments got bigger."

Grade: A

Chicago Bears: Tyson Bagent & Case Keenum

AP Photo/Nam Huh

Score: 31-7 loss vs. Green Bay Packers

Stat Line: Bagent, 12 of 21 for 87 yards and two interceptions; Keenum, 11 of 19 for 108 yards, and interception and a fumble

The Chicago Bears' performance against the Green Bay Packers Sunday can be summed up rather easily: Head coach pulled Tyson Bagent in favor of Case Keenum, and the two quarterbacks combined for four turnovers.

"We felt like we just wanted a little spark there," Johnson told reporters. "Tyson just could never feel like he got in a rhythm here today, and so we'll look at why that was the case. The second interception happened, and we just felt like let's give Case a chance out there and see if we get different results."

Keenum then Bagent performed well during the previous two games. But they're backup options for a reason. After Caleb Williams became a limited participant in practice last week, he may be ready to start in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons.

Grade: F

Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow

AP Photo/Doug Murray

Score: 31-24 win vs. Miami Dolphins

Stat Line: 23 of 32 for 190 yards and four touchdowns

Joe Burrow played a relatively clean game against the Miami Dolphins, but the quarterback wasn't thrilled with the Cincinnati Bengals' overall effort.

"We got to be smarter," Burrow told reporters. "Two fumbles in the red zone. A couple personal fouls that hurt us, hurt our field position, gave them points on the board. Yeah, we got to be smarter…. We had some dumb mistakes, and we got to get those fixed if we want to be a great team."

To Burrow's point, the Dolphins remained closer than they should have been. Cincinnati mostly controlled the contest, but Miami kept making pushes. Still, The Bengals took care of business. Burrow is simply being a good leader by not allowing his squad to be content.

Grade: B+

Cleveland Browns: Deshaun Watson

AP Photo

Score: 17-12 loss vs. New York Jets

Stat Line: 15 of 33 for 155 yards, a touchdown and a fumble lost; six carries for 40 yards

Deshaun Watson didn't keep his streak of playing well going against the New York Jets. At the same time, the Cleveland Browns offense didn't play well around its quarterback.

The Jets' defensive front feasted with eight sacks and 13 quarterback hits.

"Let's just say this, eight sacks is a season-high," head coach Todd Monken told reporters. "I hope like hell the rest of the time I'm here, we don't have a game we have eight sacks."

Cleveland's wide receivers also had key drops. Without Watson added to the equation, the Browns' ball-carriers averaged 3.3 yards per carry. The wet and wild weather certainly didn't help matters.

Monken's offense failed at every level. Watson must play better, but blame can be spread to every position group.

Grade: D

Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott

AP Photo/Ashley Landis

Score: 24-16 loss vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Stat Line: 24 of 42 for 316 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions

The Dallas Cowboys offense had been sailing along until Thursday Night Football, where Dak Prescott and Co. turned the football over and proved to be ineffective on key downs.

Prescott threw a couple of interceptions. Granted, both hit his receivers where they could have been caught. Though the ball placement could have been a tad better. Furthermore, Dallas' offense finished a combined four for 11 on third and fourth downs.

Of course, the Cowboys' defense continues to underperform, which makes the offense's margin for error much smaller. Mistakes or missed opportunities turn into glaring problems, because the other side of the ball isn't picking up the offense. Prescott and his unit need to operate at a high level at all times, or Dallas almost certainly won't win, hence the team's 2-3 record.

"We believe in what we're doing," head coach Brain Schottenheimer told reporters. "We believe we have good players and good coaches. We believe the solution is in this room, and we're going to get back to work."

Grade: C-

Denver Broncos: Bo Nix

AP Photo/Scott Strazzante

Score: 23-17 win vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Stat Line: 16 of 27 for 123 yards, a touchdown and fumble lost

Sean Payton took over offensive play-calling duties this week. The Denver Broncos didn't look dramatically different.

Payton placed a greater emphasis on the run game, thought, which helped to a degree. JK Dobbins' 18 for 68 yards were both season-highs. The next step is to ensure Bo Nix is comfortable within the scheme and delivering through all four quarters. He's yet to play at the same level he did a season ago.

"I think obviously there's a lot been said about his feet," Payton told reporters. "I think he's settling that down. I think it's important from a protection standpoint that early in games, we provide that clean pocket so that clock doesn't get juiced up a little bit. But I think when we needed it down the stretch, there were some plays he had."

Grade: C

Detroit Lions: Jared Goff

AP Photo/Jeff Lewis

Score: 45-21 win vs. Arizona Cardinals

Stat Line: 19 of 30 for 271 yards and three touchdowns

If the 3-2 Detroit Lions stay above .500 as a team, Jared Goff should get serious MVP consideration. Goff is being asked to orchestrate a top-notch offense, while offsetting a subpar defense.

Coming out of Sunday's slate, Goff led the NFL in passing yardage. He's yet to throw an interception through five games. Furthermore, he ranks among the top-three quarterbacks in completions (36), yards (780) and touchdowns (7) on passes over 10 air yards, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

"Goff is just Goff," head coach Dan Campbell told reporters. "He's as good as they come. I've been so impressed by the way he's played these five games. I thought he's gotten better every year. Now here we are five games in and he's even better than last year. He's the real deal."

Goff's game may not be as flashy as a Josh Allen or even Matthew Stafford, but his importance to the Lions can't be overstated.

Grade: A

Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love

AP Photo

Score: 31-7 win vs. Chicago Bears

Stat Line: 25 of 31 for 367 yards and two touchdowns

The Green Bay Packers and Jordan Love rediscovered their mojo Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

The team just didn't look the same during its 2-2 start. Matt LaFleur has always been able to get the most out of his squad, but the same couldn't be said through the first quarter of the 2026 campaign.

Green Bay's Week 5 effort was completely different.

The Packers dominated their hated rival and Love shredded Chicago defense. In total, Love threw for 367 yards. More importantly, he didn't commit a turnover. Instead, his five completions of 30 or more air yards tied for the most by a player in a single game since ESPN began tracking the statistic 20 years ago, per ESPN Insights.

"We have weapons all throughout, as you can see," running back MarShawn Lloyd told reporters. "Our receivers are insane, our quarterback is insane and our running backs are insane."

Grade: A

Houston Texans: CJ Stroud

AP Photo/Stew Milne

Score: 26-3 win vs. Tennessee Titans

Stat Line: 26 of 34 for 261 yards, passing touchdown, rushing score and an interception

The Houston Texans finally won for the first time this season. Granted, they did so against the floundering Tennessee Titans. But a win is a win in the NFL. Despite the team's current situation, CJ Stroud continues to provide quality quarterback play.

"C.J. did an outstanding job making play after play when we needed it," head coach Demeco Ryans told reporters. "He was dealing. He was throwing the ball to everyone who was open. Making really great decisions with the football…he's been leading our offense very well."

Stroud completed 76.5 percent of his passes Sunday. He spread the ball between seven different receivers. More help is coming after the Texans traded for Stroud's collegiate teammate, Marvin Harrison Jr.

"Dynamic playmaker, somebody who runs great routes," Stroud said of Harrison. "Can catch really any ball. … I loved him in college. He's probably the hardest worker I've ever been around in my life."

Grade: B+

Indianapolis Colts: Daniel Jones

AP Photo/David Dermer

Score: 34-22 loss vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Stat Line: 24 of 44 for 267 yards

Daniel Jones didn't turn the ball over for the first time this season. However, the Indianapolis Colts struggled in the red zone and the quarterback failed to threaten the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense vertically, missing multiple throws down the field.

With the Steelers slowing down Jonathan Taylor, Jones had to take on more responsibility in the passing game. He did well against pressure and identified soft spots in zone coverage. But the Colts' signal-caller also failed to make Pittsburgh's defense pay when opportunities arose.

Indianapolis converted only one of three red-zone trips into touchdowns. Jones completed one of eight pass attempts at or inside the Pittsburgh's 25-yard line.

"Obviously, that was a big factor in the game, not scoring touchdowns when we got down there and settling for field goals," Jones told reporters. "We can't afford to do that. We have been good in the red zone. That was a strength of ours. We have to go back and see where we fell short, where the opportunities were and how to improve."

Grade: C-

Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence

AP Photo/Adam Bettcher

Score: 19-17 win vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Stat Line: 24 of 39 for 331 yards, two touchdowns and an interception; three carries for 25 yards

The Jacksonville Jaguars went from being one of the cleanest operations through three weeks of play to one of the league's worst. Officials penalized Jacksonville 13 times for the second straight game, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence grew visibly frustrated.

"I think he was frustrated," head coach Liam Coen admitted, "but I never felt he wavered. I never felt he got nerfed up."

Despite the sloppy play, Lawrence and Co. found a way to win once again. Jacksonville has now won three straight games. The quarterback threw for a season-high 331 yards in London. Though Lawrence can do a better job understanding situations and how to react when pressured.

Grade: B-

Las Vegas Raiders: Kirk Cousins & Fernando Mendoza

AP Photo

Score: 45-17 loss vs. New England Patriots

Stat Line: Cousins, 19 of 28 for 243 yards and a touchdown; Mendoza, six of eight for 48 yards

This year's No. 1 overall draft pick, Fernando Mendoza, finally saw the field for the first time in his NFL career, albeit in a blowout loss.

After a 3-0 start, the Raiders have lost their last two games, which opens the door for Mendoza to eventually take over the offense. Kirk Cousins has performed well enough to warrant continued playing time and Sunday's outcome was due more to a lack of a running game and consistent pressure from the New England Patriots. Besides, the next stretch of games against the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns isn't ideal for an rookie to enter the lineup considering the caliber of those defenses.

The rookie signal-caller's first start should be saved for the team's first game back from a Week 13 bye. But his initial performance was promising during his lone drive at the helm.

"It wasn't a great experience because of the overall outcome," Mendoza told reporters. "I was called upon, and I really appreciate all my teammates, especially some of the starters, going out there and still having a fight to win and a fighting effort."

Grade: C

Los Angeles Chargers: Justin Herbert

AP Photo/Kyusung Gong

Score: 23-17 loss vs. Denver Broncos

Stat Line: 14 for 24, 121 yards, one touchdown, an interception and a fumble lost

Justin Herbert's downturn between last season and this year needs to be studied, because he went from one of the game's best to counted among its worst.

Herbert has been particularly awful when his team needs him the most. As RotoWire's Ian Hartitz noted, Herbert has four interceptions and no touchdowns, with a 38.2 quarterback rating, during fourth-quarter play this season.

Sunday's performance was no different. During the final frame, Herbert completed three for eight pass attempts, threw an interception and fumbled twice (one lost). He's now committed at least one turnover in five straight games.

"Yep, I just can't turn the ball over," Herbert told reporters. "We can't expect to win games when you turn the ball over. Gotta do a better job there."

Grade: F

Miami Dolphins: Malik Willis

AP Photo

Score: 31-24 loss vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Stat Line: 15 of 27 for 137 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions; eight carries for 74 yards and a score

The Miami Dolphins are off to an 0-5 start and there's not much quarterback Malik Willis can do about it.

Maybe the organization is already drooling at the possibility of selecting Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith—a legitimate generational talent—with next year's No. 1 overall pick. As of now, the team's passing game is the league's worst and the offense, as a whole, ranks dead last in offensive success rate for any squad over the last five seasons, according to The Ringer's Sheil Kapadia.

The situation almost feels hopeless.

"We've just got to go back to the drawing board," Willis told reporters, "watch these last few games, compare it to practice, understand what we're good at, what we're not good at, understand what guys are comfortable with and what they're not comfortable with, and then just try to go and execute the next opportunity we can get."

Grade: D

Minnesota Vikings: Kyler Murray

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

Score: 23-13 win vs. New Orleans Saints

Stat Line: 24 of 30 for 229 yards and touchdown; 10 carries for 51 yards

The Minnesota Vikings defense is the driving force behind the team's 5-0 start. However, the team can become really dangerous if Kyler Murray continues to play efficient football, adds a dynamic element thanks to his mobility and finds Justin Jefferson on a regular basis.

Murray understands the assignment when it comes to serving as the Vikings' starting quarterback: Get the ball to Jefferson. This growing rapport was punctuated by a touchdown connection in the back of the end zone with three New Orleans Saints defenders in the vicinity.

"I didn't necessarily see that two-by-two box in the back corner of the end zone that Kyler put that ball into," coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters. "But I will say this. His trust is something. And it is Justin Jefferson."

Murray completed his first 12 passes during Sunday's contest and finished the contest with an 80 completion percentage.

Grade: A

New England Patriots: Drake Maye

AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper

Score: 45-17 win vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Stat Line: 26 of 34 for 374 yards and four touchdowns; seven carries for 25 yards and a score

A five-touchdown effort with not turnovers is an impressive outing by Drake Maye unto itself. However, the resiliency the New England Patriots' quarterback showed after a painstakingly slow start to the season is astounding.

Initially, Maye didn't look anything like the player who finished second in MVP voting last season. He was particularly reckless with the football making poor decisions and throws through the first three weeks of play. Maye improved in Week 4 in a win over the Buffalo Bills, though his effort wasn't entirely clean. Sunday's outing was simply spectacular, especially considering New England had two injured starters along the offensive line and wide receivers AJ Brown and Mack Hollins are on injured reserve.

"That's our leader. I feel like for offense and defense," wide receiver DeMario Douglas told reporters. "How he carries himself, it means a lot. I feel like how he carries himself is by example. I feel like for us, we need to carry ourselves like that too. Ups and downs, you still gotta stay straight, man. I love how Drake carries himself. It's a blessing. From those past games, anybody could've been down on themselves. Not him. He came to work."

Grade: A+

New Orleans Saints: Tyler Shough

AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

Score: 23-13 loss vs. Minnesota Vikings

Stat Line: 16 of 25 for 96 yards and two interceptions

Tyler Shough and the New Orleans Saints had no answers for the game's best defense. The Minnesota Vikings defense confused, pressured and shut down an opponent that previously featured a top-10 offense.

Shough shouldn't take the brunt of the blame, because the Saints lack a balanced approach. Since Travis Etienne Jr. was placed on injured reserve, New Orleans has been incapable of producing anything through its ground game. Still, Shough hand Co. continued to move the ball in previous weeks. Minnesota simply overwhelmed them.

The second-year quarterback is also dealing with an issue on his non-throwing hand. Despite everything, including three-straight home losses, the Saints aren't looking to make a change.

"He's the guy that's gonna help us get through this adversity that we've faced the last few weeks," head coach Kellen Moore said of Shough.

Grade: F

New York Giants: Jameis Winston

AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.

Score: 27-27 tie vs. Washington Commanders

Stat Line: 33 of 54 for 326 yards and three touchdowns

Everyone understands that Jameis Winston can sling the ball all over the yard. Everyone also understands he could implode at any moment and make a gut-wrenching mistake.

Instead of eating a second-quarter sack, Winston tried to make something happen against the Washington Commanders and fumbled the ball. From that point forward, he led the New York Giants on seven drives that should have ended in points (not including a kneel-down at end of regulation). However, two missed field goals and a Cam Skattebo fumble prevented that from happening.

"It's just a whole bunch of stuff that people want to talk about as bad, but like, bro, the good outweighs the bad," running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. told The Trentonian's Greg Johnson about Winston. "It overwhelms the bad. So, you have to continue just to keep talking Jameis up, man. Keep talking Jameis up because like, people want to bench him, people want to talk bad about him. But like, at the end of the day, man, that boy is a hooper. He goes out there and plays ball."

Grade: B

New York Jets: Geno Smith

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Score: 17-12 win vs. Cleveland Browns

Stat Line: 17 of 30 for 182 yard, a touchdown and a fumble lost

A year ago, Geno Smith was a turnover machine. This year, he's the veteran presence the New York Jets desperately needed at the quarterback position.

Even in a rain-soaked game, he only coughed the ball up once, while his counterpart, Deshaun Watson, fumbled three times. Sometimes, the position is simply about making fewer mistakes than the guy on the other sideline.

To be fair, the Jets are 2-3 and still have to contend with the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots in the AFC East. However, Smith and Co. are only one victory away from equaling last year's effort. The team's remains a work-in-progress, but the Jets are competitive. Smith is a big reason why.

"There's no one I'd rather have than this guy," Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich told reporters last week. "I'm absolutely loving working with him. His focus and his drive to be better and to be perfect on every play is second to none."

Grade: C+

Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts

AP Photo/Adam Bettcher

Score: 19-17 loss vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Stat Line: 21 of 40 for 220 yards and a touchdown

Results speak louder than anything the Philadelphia Eagles have said over the last year. Those on the team continually say how things are going to get fixed, but nothing manifests. Instead, the offense continues to stagnate.

During Sunday's meeting with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia produced five more three-and-outs. The Eagles have done so at a higher rate than any other offense since the start of the 2025 campaign.

To be fair, Jalen Hurts played a contest with a first-time starter at center and left guard. Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith and Hollywood Brown weren't in the lineup due to injuries. Despite everything, Philadelphia was in a position to win if not for poor special teams decision late in the contest.

Even so, this type of performance isn't unusual at this point.

"It's not the standard and it's inexcusable," Hurts told reporters. "We've got a lot of opportunity to grow. ... I can't give any promises or anything. Honestly, my words don't mean anything. It's about what we go out there and do."

Grade: C+

Pittsburgh Steelers: Aaron Rodgers

AP Photo/Matt Durisko

Score: 34-22 win vs. Indianapolis Colts

Stat Line: 22 of 31 for 235 yards and three touchdowns

The Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff is allowing Aaron Rodgers to do exactly what he should at this point of his career.

The team can lean on the league's oldest player to place the offense in the right position and use his experience to manipulate defenses. Meanwhile, the system is built around getting the ball out quickly and ensuring Rodgers isn't hung out to dry against pressure packages. Opposing defenses are trying to lock up in man-coverage, create pressure and force Rodgers into mistakes. It's not happening.

Instead, Rodgers has thrown three touchdowns in three straight games, which is the first time he's done so since his 2021 MVP campaign, according to NFL Researcher.

But let's also keep in mind Rodgers' three latest touchdowns were A) a dump-off to Jaylen Warren to avoid pressure and the running back took it 80 yards to the end zone, B) a quick one-yard option route to an open Pat Freiermuth and C) a four-yard in-breaker over the middle of the field where Colts defenders blew an assignment.

Even so, the quarterback needed to execute and Rodgers did.

Grade: B+

San Francisco 49ers: Brock Purdy

AP Photo/Stephen Brashear

Score: 32-29 win vs. Seattle Seahawks

Stat Line: 19 of 29 for 189 yards, two touchdowns and an interception

Brock Purdy wasn't nearly as efficient as he had been through the first four weeks of play. At the same time, the Seattle Seahawks defense can be difficult to handle and the San Francisco 49ers still emerged victorious. Plus, Purdy delivered during the fourth quarter by leading two scoring drives.

Purdy completed all nine of his passes during San Francisco's final two offensive possessions (not including kneel-downs to end the game).

"That's one of the best defenses in the league," head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters. "There were some ups and downs, by no means was everything perfect. But I thought he was really good in the fourth quarter."

The potential MVP frontrunner currently leads the NFL with 13 touchdown passes and an 84.7 QBR.

Grade: B+

Seattle Seahawks: Sam Darnold

AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson

Score: 32-29 loss vs. San Francisco 49ers

Stat Line: 18 of 29 for 195 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions

The bad ultimately outweighed the good from San Darnold's latest performance. He led three scoring drives in the second half, which allowed the Seattle Seahawks to tie the San Francisco 49ers with under seven minutes to play.

Previously, Darnold threw two interceptions. The first led to the Niners' first touchdown drive.

"There are a couple decisions I'd like back," Darnold told reporters. "Just putting the ball in a better place on the second one I threw. ... The other one was just a poor decision. I gotta continues to trust myself, trust my feet and trust what I'm seeing."

During Seattle's final possession, Darnold completed two of five pass attempts, and the Seahawks turned the ball over on downs.

San Francisco is arguably the league's best team right now. The type of mistakes Darnold made is the difference between first- and second-place team in the NFC West.

Grade: C-

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Jalon Daniels

AP Photo/Matt Patterson

Score: 24-16 win vs. Dallas Cowboys

Stat Line: 19 of 25 for 189 yards and a touchdown; seven carries for 23 yards

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were staring at an 0-5 start with an undrafted rookie quarterback making his first NFL road start. Instead of being overwhelmed, Jalon Daniels came to play and did so at a high level.

"He learned so much from his first start," head coach Todd Bowles told reporters. "Coming into this game, he was determined to play better. He played within himself. He played smart. He was decisive with his throws. He knew when to run. He did a good job getting in and out of the huddle so I can't say enough about him. He did a great job."

Baker Mayfield's status remains questionable as he recovers from a fractured thumb on his throwing hand. Daniels' athleticism, playmaking ability and rapid improvement showed why he earned his spot as the Bucs' QB2 and shouldn't be a hindrance if required to start another game or two.

Grade: A

Tennessee Titans: Cam Ward

AP Photo/George Walker IV

Score: 26-3 loss vs. Houston Texans

Stat Line: 23 of 36 for 179 yards and an interception

The Tennessee Titans have already reached the point where last year's No. 1 overall pick, Cam Ward, required a vote of confidence from his head coach and declaration that he'll be QB1 for the rest of this season.

"Cam's our starting quarterback," Robert Saleh told reporters. "We're gonna give him every opportunity to be successful this year."

Ward has thrown for 200 or more yards once once this season. With Sunday's effort, he has now completed less than 65 percent of his passes and thrown an interception in three straight contests. But his confidence hasn't wavered despite questions about whether he should continue to start.

"I love the criticism," Ward said. "I love everything that comes with the quarterback territory. At the end of the day, it's the best position in the world. Stuff goes the right way, you take all the credit. Stuff goes the wrong way, you take all the blame. I know I'm capable at this position. I have the right guys around me to uplift me and myself uplift them. We'll eventually put it together."

Grade: F

Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels

AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough

Score: 27-27 tie vs. New York Giants

Stat Line: 17 of 25 for 199 yards; nine carries for 103 yards and two touchdowns

Situational awareness is a critical component to playing the quarterback position.

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn wouldn't place any blame on Jayden Daniels after the team mishandled the final 55 seconds of overtime, which resulted in a tie instead of his team kicking a potential game-winning field goal. At the same time, the quarterback is the leader on the field. The position must have more awareness than Daniels showed after avoiding pressure and sliding instead of taking a knee or throwing the ball away to stop the clock.

"We've gotta relay that as an offense," Daniels said when asked about the mishandled final drive. "It starts with everyone—top down. Ultimately it's on me."

Despite the mishap, the Commanders wouldn't have been competitive without Daniels. The quarterback produced a game-high 103 rushing yards and added two scores. His legs were a weapon...until they weren't.

Grade: C

Cumulative Season Grades

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Click on each team name to see all this season's game grades and the current cumulative grade.