NFL Week 13: Grading Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers and the Quarterbacks
This was yet another interesting week for the quarterbacks.
Brett Favre threw one pass, an interception, before he was injured.
Peyton Manning was awful. Again.
The book can officially be closed on Philip Rivers' status as MVP.
Convinced yet?
Read on to find out how each quarterback played in Week 13.
Brett Favre
1 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
0/1, 0 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, 0.0 rating
The Analysis:
Brett Favre got the start and was injured on the first play. He took a shot in the shoulder and threw a pick on the play.
Could this end his march towards 300 straight starts?
The Grade:
Incomplete
Derek Anderson
2 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
7/20, 93 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, 29.8 rating
The Analysis:
I bet he didn't find this game funny. After being absolutely terrible, Anderson was pulled for rookie Max Hall. Hall was then hurt and replaced by fellow rookie John Skelton.
Does Anderson really even deserve to be called a quarterback after this season? I mean, I know he puts his heart and soul into this every week, but come on now.
The Grade:
F
Peyton Manning
3 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
36/48, 365 yards, two touchdowns, four interceptions, 75.4 rating
one carry, -1 yard
The Analysis:
These pictures of Peyton Manning walking to the sideline with his shoulders slumped and chin down are becoming more and more common.
This was the second straight week for Manning with four interceptions, and that makes 11 in the last three games.
Two of the four on Sunday were returned for touchdowns. Another, in overtime, led to the game-winning field goal.
The Grade:
F
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Kerry Collins
4 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
14/32, 169 yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, 34.5 rating
one carry, four yards
The Analysis:
Just to preface this, the Jacksonville defense has not exactly been good at stopping the pass all year.
They stopped Kerry Collins. Over and over and over.
Enough said.
The Grade:
F
Chad Henne
5 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
17/34, 174 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions, 37.8 rating
five carries, 17 yards
The Analysis:
Chad Henne was simply terrible in this game. You can't throw an interception deep in your own territory with barely any time left in a tie game.
Enough said.
The Grade:
F
Kyle Orton
6 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
9/28, 117 yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions, 46.3 rating
The Analysis:
Kyle Orton was absolutely terrible in this game. He only completed nine passes and couldn't even lead his team to a single touchdown. Orton also lost a fumble.
At least Knowshon Moreno was a bright spot for the Broncos. And Tim Tebow didn't record a pass or carry, so that was a bright spot for Orton.
The Grade:
F
Jimmy Clausen
7 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
18/34, 169 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, 54.7 rating
one carry, zero yards
The Analysis:
Clausen, yet again, was not very good in this game. It's becoming more and more obvious every week that he doesn't belong at No. 1 in the depth chart this year.
Fortunately for him, the Carolina running game saved him a bit of embarrassment because it's quite clear that he couldn't have scored on his own.
The Grade:
C-
Troy Smith
8 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
10/25, 194 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 64.4 rating
three carries, 28 yards
The Analysis:
Maybe it was the lack of spotlight after playing so well on Monday Night Football, but Troy Smith didn't look so good against the Packers.
Anytime you only complete 40% of your passes, it's not a good thing.
The Grade:
C
Donovan McNabb
9 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
26/44, 296 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, 68.0 rating
two carries, five yards
The Analysis:
Remind me again why the Redskins decided to extend McNabb's contract?
He just hasn't been very good this season and the game this Sunday was no different.
Putting up seven points in a division game isn't going to cut it.
The Grade:
C+
Matt Hasselbeck
10 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
17/30, 229 yards, zero touchdowns, two interceptions, 53.3 rating
one carry, -1 yard
The Analysis:
Thanks to Marshawn Lynch and his three touchdowns, the Seahawks still got a victory. But Hasselbeck didn't really do anything special at all.
It seems as though this is becoming fairly typical for the Seahawks. Somehow, they remain tied for the NFC West lead.
The Grade:
C+
Ryan Fitzpatrick
11 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
15/25, 158 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 75.1 rating
four carries, five yards
The Analysis:
Ryan Fitzpatrick really just couldn't get it done in this game. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't very good either.
Of the Bills' 14 points, seven came on a first quarter interception return for a touchdown by Drayton Florence. The other seven came on a 12-yard pass to David Nelson from Fitzpatrick in what was very clearly garbage time.
The Grade:
C+
Eli Manning
12 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
15/25, 161 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, 62.2 rating
one carry, -1 yard
The Analysis:
Eli Manning didn't really do anything in this game, but he didn't need to either.
The ground game was working well as Brandon Jacobs ran for 103 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries to compliment Ahmad Bradshaw's 97 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.
When that happens, any production through the air is just a nice bonus.
The Grade:
B-
Philip Rivers
13 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
23/39, 280 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 79.0 rating
one carry, five yards
The Analysis:
This was Rivers' first bad day in quite some time and as a result, his MVP candidacy took a big shot.
This was a game that the Chargers were expected to win, but his mistakes and overall lack of play-making hurt San Diego significantly.
The Grade:
B-
Josh Freeman
14 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
19/38, 181 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 61.4 rating
four carries, 28 yards
The Analysis:
Freeman didn't really play poorly in this game, but he didn't play well enough to beat a superior Falcons team either.
Bucs fans have to be encouraged by the developing connection with Mike Williams.
The Grade:
B-
Tavaris Jackson
15 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
15/22, 187 yards, two touchdowns, three interceptions, 85.0 rating
two carries, 22 yards
The Analysis:
Tavaris Jackson finally got his chance, but he didn't exactly leave a strong impression despite getting the win.
He did throw two touchdown passes to Sidney Rice, but the running game was the dominant aspect of the Vikings' attack. Adrian Peterson ran for three touchdowns by himself.
Jackson also threw three picks and did his best to give the Bills as many chances as possible.
The Grade:
B-
Joe Flacco
16 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
17/33, 266 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions, 88.7 rating
three carries, 15 yards
The Analysis:
Joe Flacco started out well, but it's hard to get anything going for extended periods of time against the Steelers. He did manage to hit Anquan Boldin for the Ravens' sole touchdown of the game.
Completing just barely half of his passes wasn't going to cut it though in an intense, hard-fought game.
The Grade:
B-
Matt Cassel
17 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
17/31, 196 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions, 84.9
two carries, five yards
The Analysis:
Matt Cassel was good enough to get the win, but not great enough to put the Broncos away on a day when the offenses struggled.
But hey, a win is a win.
The Grade:
B
Jon Kitna
18 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
18/26, 167 yards, one touchdown. zero interceptions, 99.4 rating
four carries, 28 yards
The Analysis:
The stat that matters most here is the big one in the win column. Kitna was not spectacular by any means, but he scored enough points to hold off the inevitable Colts comeback and send the game to overtime.
It won't win him the job over Tony Romo when the starter returns from a collarbone injury, but it will endear him to Cowboys fans.
The Grade:
B
Sam Bradford
19 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
18/29, 187 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, 66.3 rating
three carries, seven yards
The Analysis:
Bradford didn't do much in this game besides get the win. Truthfully, he didn't really need to against the absolutely inept Arizona Cardinals.
The one interception wasn't great, but that kind of thing happens to rookies. What doesn't normally happen is a rookie leading his team to a division lead this far into the season.
The Grade:
B
Matt Schaub
20 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
22/36, 337 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, 99.0 rating
The Analysis:
Schaub put up some big numbers here and kept his team in the game, but he failed to produce a single scoring drive in the crucial fourth quarter. It's one thing to have a lead, it's another to hold onto one.
This was a good, but not great game for the quarterback as he couldn't get his team into the end zone often enough.
The Grade:
B+
Matt Ryan
21 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
18/36, 205 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, 62.8 rating
three carries, -3 yards
The Analysis:
The stats weren't pretty, but the game was. Ryan led yet another dramatic comeback, this time scoring 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win a huge game against the rival Buccaneers.
He makes the throws when he needs to, part of the reason that the Falcons still hold the best record in the NFL.
The Grade:
B+
Jake Delhomme
22 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
24/34, 217 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions, 97.3 rating
four carries, -5 yards
The Analysis:
Jake Delhomme got bailed out, getting the win only because Chad Henne threw a costly pick in the waning seconds of the game.
That said, he did play respectably for the duration of the game and gave his team an opportunity to be in the position they ended up in.
It probably won't stop the Browns from letting Colt McCoy start again when he's back from an ankle injury, but it could be.
The Grade:
B+
Drew Stanton
23 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
16/24, 178 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions, 102.4 rating
five carries, 12 yards, one touchdown
The Analysis:
After Matthew Stafford and Shaun Hill both went down with injuries in previous weeks, it was Drew Stanton's turn to step in as the starting quarterback of the Detroit Lions.
He played quite well, even giving the Lions a halftime lead on a 46-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson right before the break.
This game was even more impressive when you consider that it was against the Chicago Bears.
The Grade:
B+
Carson Palmer
24 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
23/33, 249 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions, 101.7 rating
The Analysis:
Carson Palmer was very efficient and mistake-free in this game. Even though his Bengals lost the game in the closing seconds, Palmer still got them into that position.
The connection he showed with Chad Ochocinco in the second half had to be encouraging for Bengals fans.
The Grade:
B+
Ben Roethlisberger
25 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
22/38, 253 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 75.9 rating
one carry, -1 yard
The Analysis:
Playing with a crooked nose and all, Big Ben toughed it out and led his team back from a fourth quarter deficit to get the win.
The quarterback hit Isaac Redman for a nine-yard score with just 2:58 left, enough to get a 13-10 victory over the division rival Ravens.
The Grade:
B+
David Garrard
26 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
14/19, 126 yards, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions, 91.1 rating
10 carries, 19 yards, one touchdown
The Analysis:
Garrard did just enough to get the win against division-rival Tennessee.
Was he spectacular? No. Did he make any mistakes? No.
Any Jacksonville fan will tell you they like that last part.
The Grade:
A-
Jason Campbell
27 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
10/16, 117 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions, 105.5 rating
seven carries, 37 yards, one touchdown
The Analysis:
Campbell wasn't asked to do much in this game, as the burden to produce lay heavily upon Darren McFadden and Michael Bush.
When he was asked to make plays, he did, as the quarterback threw for a score and ran for another.
He didn't make any mistakes either, which was instrumental to the victory.
The Grade:
A-
Jay Cutler
28 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
21/26, 234 yards, one touchdown, zero interceptions, 117.0 rating
five carries, 12 yards
The Analysis:
Jay Cutler brought his team back from a fourth quarter deficit by throwing a seven-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Manumaleuna with 8:39 left.
He was also extremely efficient throughout the game and avoided throwing a single interception. He did lose a fumble though, because no one would've believed that Jay Cutler was playing quarterback if he hadn't.
The Grade:
A-
Michael Vick
29 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
22/33, 302 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, 103.3 rating
10 carries, 48 yards, one touchdown
The Analysis:
Michael Vick was excellent in this game, which saw the exciting quarterback bring his team back from a fourth quarter deficit with 14 unanswered points.
He was hit over and over throughout the game, but toughed it out and made the plays when he needed to.
Vick also became just the fifth quarterback since 1982 to have multiple games of 300 yards passing, two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown in the same season.
The Grade:
A
Drew Brees
30 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
24/29, 313 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, 120.3 rating
The Analysis:
With the exception of an overthrown ball resulting in an interception, Drew Brees was fantastic in this game.
Most impressively, he drew the Bengals defense into the neutral zone with a hard count on 4th-and-2 with just under a minute left. He then threw a perfectly thrown ball to Marques Colston for the game-winner.
Just another day in the life for this Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
The Grade:
A+
Aaron Rodgers
31 of 33
Week 13 Stats:
21/30, 298 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions, 135.1 rating
four carries, 39 yards
The Analysis:
After overcoming a slow start, Aaron Rodgers was absolutely dominant. The Packers though were held scoreless until just 7:02 remained in the first half and Rodgers hit Greg Jennings for a 57-yard score.
From then, the offense just rolled over the 49ers, piling up 410 total yards.
Most importantly, they won on a day where the Bears won as well.
The Grade:
A+
Tom Brady
32 of 33
Will play Monday night.
Mark Sanchez
33 of 33
Will play Monday night.
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