NFL Midseason Report Cards: Grades for Every Starting QB
NFL midseason report cards are in: quarterback class.
Halfway through the semester, some students are just floating along, daydreaming through class. Others are in line for the honor roll.
Others are headed for summer school.
Inside we'll take a look at each one of the NFL's starting quarterbacks and grade them on their performances.
How'd your team's signal caller handle the first nine weeks?
Eli Manning, New York Giants
1 of 32
Statistics: 65.7 Percent Completion, 1,785 yards, 14 TD, 11 INT
Team Record: 5-2
Had Manning not gotten off to such a rocky start (1-2 for the Giants, six interceptions in the first three games), he might be the front runner for this season's MVP.
Nevertheless, he still is a good choice for the half-season's version of the award.
The Giants offense has seen its ups and downs this year, but as of today, they are always a threat to score 30 points. Since Manning is now the unquestioned leader of the unit, he deserves the lion's share of the credit.
Grade: A
Kevin Kolb, Philadelphia Eagles
2 of 32
Statistics: 63.4 percent completion, 1,035 yards, 6 TD, 4 INT
Team Record: 4-3
Since he has started four of the team's seven games (Michael Vick the other three) let's consider him the starter as of the midseason point...but expect Vick back next week.
Kolb has done a fairly good job given all the uncertainty of his concussion, Vick's rib injury and Andy Reid's waffling on a permanent starter.
But his inconsistency prevents him from really standing out. Against the Falcons two weeks ago he was fantastic—not so much seven days later versus Tennessee. With all the injuries the Eagles have endured this year, the team could use a more even-keel Kolb.
Grade: B
Donovan McNabb, Washington Redskins
3 of 32
Statistics: 57.4 percent completion, 1,971 yards, 7 TD, 8 INT
Team Record: 4-4
Getting put on the bench—hamstring injury or otherwise—is not a good sign that McNabb is poised to show up the Eagles for trading him away to a divisional rival.
McNabb has had some good games this season: Houston, Green Bay and the win against his former team. He is also fifth in the NFL in passing yards this year.
But numbers can be deceiving...not the completion percentage and TD-INT ratio, however.
Grade: C
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
4 of 32
Statistics: 69.5 percent completion, 1,605 yards, 11 TD, 7 INT
Team Record: 1-6
Although the rest of the team was terrible, Romo wasn't during the first half of the season. He accumulated excellent stats and kept the Cowboys in several games.
But like Eli Manning, he was hit with a bit of the interception bug early on, and it cost the Cowboys several opportunities. In three Dallas losses, Romo tossed multiple interceptions.
He could return from the injured shoulder in time to finish out the last month, but by then the Cowboys will be so far out of the playoff race that he's better off shutting it down.
Grade: B
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
5 of 32
Statistics: 61.3 percent completion, 2,011 yards, 12 TD, 9 INT
Team Record: 5-3
Rodgers certainly hasn't been as sharp as he was a season ago. But the Packers remain a Super Bowl contender, and he is a big reason why.
Green Bay has been in neck-and-neck, tough games just about every week this season, and although much was made in the media about Rodgers' inability to win the close ones, he deserves the credit for winning the close ones as well.
The victory over the Jets was a perfect example. He didn't light up the scoreboard or throw for 400 yards, but he didn't turn the ball over and made the plays necessary to win on the road against a great defense.
Grade: A-
Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
6 of 32
Statistics: 61.3 percent completion, 1,483 yards, 7 TD, 7 INT
Team Record: 5-2
Talk about inconsistency! Cutler was amazing in the first two weeks of the season; he and Mike Martz looked like the second coming of the "Greatest Show on Turf." But since then he and the Bears have been a colossal mess.
The concussion suffered against the Giants could be the reason why: Prior to that, he was doing outstanding. Since he returned, the Bears are 0-2, and he's turned the ball over five times.
Maybe there are lingering effects from the head injury, or maybe he just wasn't quite as good as his totals in the first two weeks suggested.
Grade: C
Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings
7 of 32
Statistics: 59.7 percent completion, 1,450 yards, 7 TD, 11 INT
Team Record: 2-5
If we were grading Favre's decision to return, that's easy: F-. But his play this year hasn't been quite as bad.
No doubt Favre has made plenty of mistakes with the football this season—mistakes that cost the Vikings greatly.
But he doesn't deserve all of the blame. His passing has kept the Vikings within a shot of victory in the Packers, Jets and Patriots games. That's worth something.
Grade: C-
Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
8 of 32
Statistics: 61.7 percent completion, 295 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
Team Record: 2-5
Shaun Hill probably should be the one being graded, but Stafford is now healthy and proved it last week in a great win over Washington.
In just a season and a half, Stafford is proving to be one of the tougher quarterbacks in the entire NFL, as he's overcome two significant injuries in his first two seasons.
Returning from the shoulder injury to throw four touchdowns against a very good Redskin defense gives the Lions even more hope for the future. With a healthy Stafford there is a decent chance the once-winless Lions can finish .500.
Grade: Incomplete
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
9 of 32
Statistics: 61.9 percent completion, 1,714 yards, 12 TD, 5 INT
Team Record: 5-2
There are several stars on the Atlanta offense. Tony Gonzalez, Michael Turner and future first-team All-Pro Roddy White make it a whole lot easier for the Falcons quarterback.
Still, there are plenty of quarterbacks out there who haven't cashed in on great talent around them—see Brett Favre.
Ryan may not be among the league's elite passers, but he is certainly doing what he has to to win games for the Falcons. That is really what matters most.
Grade: A
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
10 of 32
Statistics: 70.7 percent completion, 2,334 yards, 16 TD, 11 INT
Team Record: 5-3
Although—prior to last night's win over Pittsburgh—Brees and the Saints have not looked like Super Bowl champions in the last month, he is still an elite passer.
He made plenty of mistakes in terrible losses to Cleveland and Arizona, and that costs both him and his team a spot in this year's upper echelon.
But he still is as sharp a passer as the NFC has. Doing what he has done without a running game and with a defense that hasn't been as turnover-lucky as they were in 2009 proves that.
Grade: B
Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
11 of 32
Statistics: 60.3 percent completion, 1,533 yards, 8 TD, 3 INT
Team Record: 5-3
A 30-year-old, 10-year veteran probably couldn't do much better with this roster than Freeman has. The running game features a new face each week, the offensive line is a work in progress and the receiving corps is a group of virtual unknowns.
Yet this 22-year-old kid has been fantastic in 2010. Coach Raheem Morris' "we're the best team in the NFC" rant was overstating it just a tad, but they are in position to contend for the NFC South. Freeman might be the main reason why.
He's protected the football, marched the team on a series of momentous late-game drives and can scramble to pick up key first downs.
Grade: A
Matt Moore, Carolina Panthers
12 of 32
Statistics: 55.5 percent completion, 844 yards, 5 TD, 10 INT
Team Record: 1-5
With a fairly talented roster, it's hard to understand why Carolina has been this bad in 2010. Matt Moore isn't the chief reason why, however.
Moore's 2-1 interception-to-turnover ratio (he's also lost three fumbles) hasn't helped, but neither has the injury to the Steve Smith or Dwayne Jarrett's DUI.
No one will ever confuse Moore for a Pro Bowler, but given all the turmoil in Carolina and the team's eagerness to play Jimmy Clausen, he gets graded on a slightly different curve.
Grade: C
Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle Seahawks
13 of 32
Statistics: 57.2 percent completion, 1,408 yards, 6 TD, 7 INT
Team Record: 4-3
Another quarterback on another team might have lost his job by now, but the Seahawks are going to stick with Hasselbeck. They are probably better off for it, and not just because unproven Charlie Whitehurst is behind him.
The numbers have been pretty poor for the former Boston College Eagle, but Seattle is still in contention for the NFC West. Hasselbeck has made some clutch plays down the stretch for the team.
But the low completion percentage, especially in the past few weeks (just 52 percent since their Week Five bye), has limited what the Seahawks' already mediocre offense can achieve.
Grade: C+
Derek Anderson, Arizona Cardinals
14 of 32
Statistics: 53.5 percent completion, 980 yards, 4 TD, 7 INT
Team Record: 3-4
It's a shame that the Cardinals have gotten so little production out of the quarterback spot. With the way their defense and special teams have been, had Kurt Warner not retired, they might be two games ahead in the NFC West.
Anderson's play has been both stellar and horrific this season. He was exceptional in relief last week against Tampa only to (literally) throw the game away at the end with a terrible red zone interception in the final minutes. But they probably wouldn't have been in position to win the game had he not completed 16 of 24 passes.
He has all the physical tools, but like all young quarterbacks, the main thing holding Anderson back is poor decision-making. That was proven for the umpteenth time on Sunday.
Grade: C-
Alex Smith, San Francisco 49ers
15 of 32
Statistics: 59.1 percent completion, 1,554 yards, 9 TD, 9 INT
Team Record: 2-6
With Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree and Frank Gore, Smith should probably be doing better than he is. But this season, plenty of NFL quarterbacks aren't cashing in on the major skill position talent that stands with them in the huddle.
While poor decision-making is the problem for many second-rate starters, Smith's main problem is indecision in the pocket. He's had trouble releasing the ball soon enough or simply dumping it off in time to avoid a sack.
Those are things that should be able to be corrected to salvage his disappointing career. In year six (and offensive coordinator No. 6) that hasn't happened yet.
Grade: C-
Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams
16 of 32
Statistics: 58.6 percent completion, 1,674 yards, 11 TD, 8 INT
Team Record: 3-4
Some weeks he's looked like a rookie, and some weeks he's looked like a five-year veteran. After only seven games, that's a pretty remarkable split.
Not surprisingly, he struggled early on with turnovers, throwing eight interceptions in the first five games. Since then, he hasn't thrown one pick, and that's a major reason why the Rams won two of those games, and nearly a third against Tampa Bay.
Mark Clayton's season-ending injury could have greatly set both him and St. Louis back weeks, if not a whole season. It didn't, and the Rams are still in contention for a playoff spot, even with a rookie who had major surgery just a year ago.
Grade: B+
Tom Brady, New England Patriots
17 of 32
Statistics: 65.3 percent completion, 1,602 yards, 12 TD, 4 INT
Team Record: 6-1
For all the alleged problems that the Patriots have had in 2010, they are now sitting atop the NFL with the league's best record. Although he hasn't been the 2007, record-setting edition, Tom Brady is the main reason why.
It was his precise, late-game throwing that earned New England wins over Baltimore and San Diego. Considering the trade of Randy Moss and the fact that the Pats running game has been pretty poor (until last week against Minnesota), Brady has been outstanding.
Grade: A
Mark Sanchez, New York Jets
18 of 32
Statistics: 53 percent completion, 1,356 yards, 9 TD, 4 INT
Team Record: 5-2
Sanchez's numbers aren't any worse than they were a season ago. Then again, they really aren't any better. He's still completing barely half of his pass attempts.
But he has protected the football much better than he did in 2009, and for that he deserves much the praise he's been getting.
Still, on an offense that features two very good wide receivers, two very good running backs, a very good tight end and an outstanding offensive line, you'd expect a bit better than he's done thus far, especially throwing the ball in the red zone.
Grade: B
Chad Henne, Miami Dolphins
19 of 32
Statistics: 63.4 percent completion, 1,669 yards, 8 TD, 7 INT
Team Record: 4-3
Henne's been very stable for the Dolphins this season: not really outstanding, but certainly not destructive...aside from his second half effort against New England.
The only real concern for Miami has to be that he's not getting the ball to Brandon Marshall quite enough. Yes, Marshall has 20 catches in the past three weeks, and 47 overall on the season. But their biggest playmaker has produced exactly one touchdown in seven games.
The major attention Marshall gets is partly to blame, but perhaps Henne hasn't made the right red zone reads and/or throws either.
Grade: B
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills
20 of 32
Statistics: 59.7 percent completion, 1,200 yards, 12 TD, 5 INT
Team Record: 0-7
At 0-7, it's pretty hard to say that any player on the Bills has been good this year. But Fitzpatrick's play has been something special in 2010. He's squeezed more production out of his roster than any other quarterback in the NFL.
Fitzpatrick has been extremely efficient with that mediocre unit as well. In just five games, he's attempted 176 passes yet only thrown five interceptions. That's a very good ratio for a guy who started the season on the bench and has been thrust into a pretty undesirable situation.
The jury is still out on whether or not Fitzpatrick can become a "franchise quarterback." But for now, he has done a great job keeping the Bills in ball games.
Grade: B+
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
21 of 32
Statistics: 63.4 percent completion, 754 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT
Team Record: 5-2
Roethlisberger's body of work in 2010 is obviously truncated because of his four-game suspension. Regardless, his impact on the Steelers offense is noticeable.
Without him, they just couldn't get the ball downfield to their receivers; with him, that is not a problem. Still, he has not been terribly sharp since returning, and there has been some rust to knock off during the past three weeks.
He's missed some open receivers and hung on to the ball too long in the pocket. But he made some great throws downfield that helped the Steelers win on the road in Miami, and last night he was pretty good in the noisy Superdome with 11 guys blitzing him every play.
Grade: B+
Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
22 of 32
Statistics: 59.3 percent completion, 1,651 yards, 10 TD, 6 INT
Team Record: 5-2
If you forget about his awful performance in Week 2 against Cincinnati, Flacco has had an outstanding season...and since the Bengals are all but out of contention in the AFC North, the Ravens dodged a bullet there.
Since then, he's thrown nine touchdowns and just one interception. With Ray Rice back and healthy, the Ravens now feature a great offensive attack. The additions of Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh have only made Flacco better.
Grade: A-
Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals
23 of 32
Statistics: 59.6 percent completion, 1,855 yards, 12 TD, 7 INT
Team Record: 2-5
What exactly is wrong with Carson Palmer? Is it the hip that has bothered him this season? The elbow injury from two seasons ago? The knee injury from six seasons ago?
Whatever it is, this Palmer just doesn't look like the great passer he was from 2005-07.
The hardest part to swallow about Palmer's lack of production is the fact that his receiving corps SEEMS to be one of the best in the league. Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco have been very efficient, and Jordan Shipley is becoming a great third option. Cedric Benson is having a decent year as well.
So why has Palmer been so up and down this season? No answer here.
Grade: C
Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns
24 of 32
Statistics: 65.3 percent completion, 355 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT
Team Record: 2-5
Let's not crown him the next Joe Montana—or maybe Bernie Kosar—just yet. But McCoy has been very impressive in his first two NFL appearances.
He kept the Browns within striking distance on the road against Pittsburgh despite losing two key offensive skill players (Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi) to injury. He then led the team to a shocking road upset of the Saints.
Under those circumstance, you can throw out the individual stats. McCoy has been a tremendous shot in the arm to the Browns offense. Now he needs to keep it going in the second half.
Grade: Incomplete...A for now
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
25 of 32
Statistics: 67.3 percent completion, 1,916 yards, 13 TD, 2 INT
Team Record: 4-2
If you're sick of seeing Peyton Manning win league MVP, you might be irritated in early January: An unprecedented fifth award is his to lose.
Manning has had essentially no running game and a terrible rash of injuries to his receivers. Yet he is still having the best individual season of any NFL quarterback.
There is a good chance that the lack of a running game and the loss of Dallas Clark will catch up with Manning (and the Colts) by the end of the regular season. But for now, he is at the top of his game.
Grade: A+
Matt Schaub, Houston Texans
26 of 32
Statistics: 64.5 percent completion, 1,538 yards, 9 TD, 5 INT
Team Record: 4-2
Schaub probably never could live up to the unbelievably high expectations he set a year ago. Then again, he didn't have to for the Texans to be a playoff contender.
Arian Foster has provided such an enormous improvement to the running game that Schaub hasn't had to throw the ball quite as often or for as many yards and touchdowns.
Aside from a fairly poor game against the Giants, Schaub has been consistent, accurate and careful with the football. That's really all Gary Kubiak needs from him to win the AFC South. So far, he's done that.
Grade: A-
Vince Young, Tennessee Titans
27 of 32
Statistics: 59 percent completion, 998 yards, 9 TD, 2 INT
Team Record: 5-3
It's hard to argue that a quarterback who is averaging 166 yards in his six starts (not counting the Jacksonville game) is doing a great job. But Young is.
Although the completion percentage says otherwise, he has been very efficient with his passes. The Titans have Chris Johnson, so they don't have to heave the ball downfield very often to garner yardage.
But when the Titans do take their chances in the passing game, Young has been on target, getting the ball to Kenny Britt and Nate Washington.
If you look past his bad outing against Pittsburgh, Young has not thrown an interception yet this season. That alone means he's having a great year. When you also factor in his scrambling ability, Young is a major reason why the Titans are in the hunt.
Grade: B+
David Garrard, Jacksonville Jaguars
28 of 32
Statistics: 67.8 percent completion, 1,098 yards, 13 TD, 7 INT
Team Record: 4-4
Completing better than two-thirds of your attempts when throwing to an unspectacular group of receivers like Jacksonville's is nothing short of a remarkable achievement. So while Garrard won't earn a trip to the Pro Bowl this season, he does deserve a major pat on the back.
No quarterback has been more efficient and precise than Garrard. Considering how atrocious the Jaguars offense was while he was sidelined with a concussion, it's not insane to argue that he is the most valuable player on his team—even with Maurice Jones-Drew behind him in the backfield.
Grade: B+
Matt Cassel, Kansas City Chiefs
29 of 32
Statistics: 58.7 percent completion, 1,196 yards, 10 TD, 3 INT
Team Record: 5-2
Cassel has done what the Chiefs have asked him this season. He hasn't turned the ball over often, and he's made plays when asked.
That won't win him any MVPs or All-Pro honors. But it does earn him a decent grade.
How would Cassel do if he was asked to throw the ball more than 30 times? We have to wait and find out because in Charlie Weis' offense, he's never been asked to do that. However, in the loss to Houston he was very effective, completing 20 of 29 passes for 201 yards and three touchdowns.
For now, in terms of his role on the Chiefs, he's doing a great job. That might change if the Kansas City running game cannot churn out the same 190.4 yards per game in the second half.
Grade: B+
Jason Campbell, Oakland Raiders
30 of 32
Statistics: 55.5 percent completion, 1,785 yards, 14 TD, 11 INT
Team Record: 1-5
Al Davis' premonition that Jason Campbell is the second coming of Jim Plunkett might have seemed absurd back in August. But it's not quite as ridiculous today.
Certainly, there's a lot more to be achieved before that can be true—like two Super Bowl wins. But Campbell has been very good since taking over for Bruce Gradkowski.
Somehow—maybe he's been inspired by his fellow Auburn Tiger Cam Newton—Campbell has excellent the past two weeks as the Raiders offense has exploded.
Although Darren McFadden probably deserves most of the credit, Campbell has completed 27 of 47 attempts for 514 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. The second half will determine whether or not Campbell really is the Raiders' future.
Grade: Incomplete
Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
31 of 32
Statistics: 64.7 percent completion, 2,649 yards, 15 TD, 7 INT
Team Record: 3-5
If the Chargers had managed a better first half, then Rivers would be going head-to-head with Peyton Manning right now for the league's MVP award. As it stands, the Chargers' playoff hopes are fairly dim, and it's almost impossible for a player who doesn't reach the postseason to win the award.
Still, Rivers is having an incredible season. The statistics alone are amazing, but the fact that he's accumulated them without LaDainian Tomlinson, without Vincent Jackson and without Marcus McNeill really speaks to how great a passer he is.
If the Chargers put together another patented second-half run to the playoffs, Rivers will be the main reason why—and he'll claim the MVP in the process.
Grade: A+
Kyle Orton, Denver Broncos
32 of 32
Statistics: 61.7 percent completion, 2,509 yards, 12 TD, 5 INT
Team Record: 2-6
Orton deserves plenty of kudos for the numbers this season, and he definitely gives the Broncos the best chance to win—better than Brady Quinn and (contrary to what might be said in the press during the rest of the season) better than Tim Tebow.
Still, when you're throwing the ball as often as Orton is, 300-plus yards passing is not quite the wonderful statistic is usually is. So the fact that he is second in the NFL in yards per game is a bit dubious.
Having said that, it is remarkable that Orton has not yet had a multi-interception game despite leading the AFC in attempts. Consider this: Orton has thrown just 15 passes fewer than Drew Brees, and he has five fewer interceptions. He's also thrown 10 more passes than Philip Rivers and has two fewer interceptions.
In short, Orton is not the reason why Denver is mired in a four-game losing streak.
Grade: B+
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")