Tim Tebow, Michael Vick, Peyton Manning: Grading All the Week 15 Quarterbacks
Week 15 was a great week for quarterbacks.
The vast majority played well, even those that lost.
Rookies dominated the headlines as Sam Bradford was outshone by John Skelton (who wasn't very good), Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow.
Yes, that's right. The rookie from Florida made his first start in the NFL and didn't disappoint. McCoy also returned from an ankle injury and played very well.
In other unsurprising news, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Michael Vick all were great against there respective opponents.
Read on to see how each and every one did.
Matt Hasselbeck
1 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
18-34 loss to the Atlanta Falcons
10/17, 71 yards, 0 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 28.9 rating
2 carries, 4 yards
The Analysis:
Matt Hasselbeck was unbelievably terrible in this game, as evidenced by his 28.9 rating.
He let the game get out of hand early despite leading a touchdown drive on the first possession of the game. In fact, Hasselbeck was so bad that he was benched for Charlie Whitehurst. Seahawks fans are probably hoping that this is a permanent switch.
In fact, after the game he said, "Looking back, I seem to do stupid things when we're losing."
The Grade:
F
Sam Bradford
2 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
13-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs
21/43, 181 yards, 0 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 40.9 rating
2 carries, 2 yards
The Analysis:
This may have been the worst performance of the rookie quarterback's career.
He just couldn't really get anything going all day and made two critical mistakes with his interceptions.
If the Rams are going to make the playoffs, which they someone still have a chance to do despite their 6-8 record, Bradford will need to step it up.
The Grade:
F
John Skelton
3 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
12-19 loss to the Carolina Panthers
17/33, 196 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception, 57.1 rating
2 carries, 10 yards
The Analysis:
The rookie didn't play too well against the Panthers, falling to the league's worst team. Unless the Cardinals are the worst team and they lost to the second-worst team.
Skelton barely completed half of his passes and never got the offense going at all. They only gained 218 yards all game.
The Grade:
C-
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Alex Smith
4 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
7-34 loss to the San Diego Chargers
19/29, 165 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception, 66.0 rating
1 carry, 6 yards
The Analysis:
As Alex Smith said after the game, "When you play a defense of that caliber, they're the No. 1 defense for a reason. They played well."
To add to that quote, not only did the Chargers defense play well, but Smith didn't impress anyone with his performance. He failed to get the ball to talented tight end Vernon Davis until the very end of the game and couldn't move the ball throughout the game.
The 49ers finished with just 192 total yards and their only points were scored on a Brian Westbrook touchdown run with just 4:26 left in the game.
The Grade:
C-
Chad Henne
5 of 32
Week 15 Stat:
14-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills
33/45, 276 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 86.9 rating
The Analysis:
Chad Henne didn't do much for a quarterback that threw 45 times during the game. In fact, his play inspired boos from his own home crowd.
If he's going to keep the starting job, he'll need to play much better than this in the next two weeks.
At least Brandon Marshall finally had a big game, catching 11 passes for 106 yards and a score.
The Grade:
C
Matt Schaub
6 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
17-31 loss to the Tennessee Titans
35/54, 325 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 85.8 rating
The Analysis:
He may have put up some huge yardage, but that was more because of the amount of throws he made due to the big deficit than anything else.
Schaub just wasn't that great in this game at all. The ex-Falcon only led his team to one field goal in the first half as both touchdowns came after the game was out of hand.
The Grade:
C+
Ben Roethlisberger
7 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
17-22 loss to the New York Jets
23/44, 264 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, 78.2 rating
2 carries, 25 yards
The Analysis:
For a bruised, battered and broken quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger played very well against a stout Jets defense.
Unfortunately for Steelers fans though, Big Ben had difficulties getting his team into the end zone and because of that, they lost the game.
It's still not time to worry in Pittsburgh though as Troy Polamalu and Roethlisberger should be fully healthy when the playoffs roll around.
The Grade:
B-
Jason Campbell
8 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
39-23 win over the Denver Broncos
15/26, 238 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions, 69.1 rating
5 carries, 41 yards
The Analysis:
No quarterback has to do too much when they have the benefit of their running game taking over.
This was definitely the case here as Darren McFadden and Jacoby Ford led the Raiders to amass 264 yards on the ground. Even Campbell contributed with 41 of his own.
When he was asked to throw the ball though, it didn't go too well.
The Grade:
B
Josh Freeman
9 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
20-23 loss to the Detroit Lions
21/32, 251 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, 99.9 rating
5 carries, 29 yards
The Analysis:
Josh Freeman was efficient moving down the field, knowing when to pass and when to hand off to LeGarrette Blount,
The problem was, he had difficulty getting the ball into the end zone, which is kind of the quarterback's job.
The Buccaneers were definitely not supposed to lose to the Lions, but they did after not having a single offensive possession in overtime.
The Grade:
B
David Garrard
10 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
24-34 loss to the Indianapolis Colts
24/38, 294 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 93.5 rating
4 carries, 8 yards
The Analysis:
David Garrard did a fabulous job bringing the Jaguars back into striking range into this game, which was much closer than the final score indicated.
The interception couldn't have come at a worse time though as the Jags were driving with a chance to tie up the game.
Credit Garrard though for keeping his team in the game when the running game struggled immensely.
The Grade:
B
Drew Brees
11 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
24-30 loss to the Baltimore Ravens
29/46, 267 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 91.5 rating
The Analysis:
Drew Brees was alright throughout the game until his interception sealed the game for the Ravens.
On a 4th-and-8 from the New Orleans 17-yard line, Brees threw a pass that was tipped by Haloti Ngata and picked off by Cory Redding.
The Ravens have a great defense, but Brees isn't going to be using that as an excuse. He'll need to pick it up in the next two weeks to seal the wild card sport for the Saints.
The Grade:
B
Carson Palmer
12 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
19-17 win over the Cleveland Browns
14/23, 209 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 90.7 rating
5 carries, -1 yard
The Analysis:
Clint Stitser made four field goals and Cedric Benson ran for 151 yards in a touchdown in this contest. Carson Palmer really didn't do much other than gain a few yards through the air.
Truthfully though, he didn't really need to do much, so you can't discount him for that.
The Grade:
B+
Rex Grossman
13 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
30-33 loss to the Dallas Cowboys
25/43, 322 yards, 4 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 93.4 rating
1 carry, -1 yard
The Analysis:
Rex Grossman looked awful in the first half as Dallas jumped out to a 13-0 lead while the Redskins stalled on their own half of the field each and every time they got the ball.
Then in the third quarter, he fumbled the football away, helping the Cowboys get to 27-7. Then, on three straight drives he threw touchdown passes, even picking up the two-point conversions on the last two.
Suddenly, the game was tied and Mike Shanahan's decision actually looked good. The Cowboys went on to kick a field goal and win the game, but Grossman really wasn't that bad.
The Grade:
B+
Ryan Fitzpatrick
14 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
17-14 win over the Miami Dolphins
16/26, 223 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 98.7 rating
3 carries, 19 yards
The Analysis:
Fitzpatrick got the scoring started with an 18-yard touchdown pass to David Nelson and then continued to play well throughout the game.
His best drive came in the third quarter when he led the Bills 86 yards down the field, made two key third-down pickups and threw the 15-yard touchdown pass to Steve Johnson.
This was Fitzpatrick's 15th straight game with a touchdown pass, the first such streak by a Buffalo player since 1987.
The Grade:
B+
Mark Sanchez
15 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
22-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers
19/29, 170 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 81.1 rating
3 carries, 15 yards, 1 touchdown
The Analysis:
Mark Sanchez has taken a lot of grief in the past few weeks for his poor performance and inability to get the offense on the scoreboard.
While he only led one touchdown drive all game, one which saw him get the score on a seven-yard run, Sanchez was still quite effective in this game.
New York fans can take its hands off that big red panic button. Sanchez is back to being who you thought he was.
The Grade:
B+
Drew Stanton
16 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
23/37, 252 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, 91.3 rating
2 carries, 24 yards
The Analysis:
Anytime the Lions get a win, it's big news. When they do it with their third-string quarterback, it's even bigger news.
Stanton threw a touchdown pass to open the scoring, kept his team in the game throughout and then led the game-winning drive in overtime.
Not bad at all.
The Grade:
B+
Tim Tebow
17 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
23-39 loss to the Oakland Raiders
8/16, 138 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, 100.5 rating
8 carries, 78 yards, 1 touchdown
The Analysis:
Limited by the play-calling, Tebow played very well in his first start.
The Grade:
B+
Matt Ryan
18 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
34-18 win over the Seattle Seahawks
20/35, 174 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 87.1 rating
6 carries, 6 yards
The Analysis:
Matt Ryan went through some uncharacteristically rough stretches during the game, but still threw for three touchdowns and made a bunch of perfect throws.
The Falcons moved to a league-leading 12-2 record with the blowout win as Ryan continues his ascent into the NFL's elite at the quarterback position.
Even though he struggled at times, Ryan was still very good overall.
The Grade:
B+
Matt Cassel
19 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
27-13 win over the St. Louis Rams
15/29, 184 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 68.8 rating
6 carries, 17 yards
The Analysis:
He may not have had the greatest statistical game, but you have to give Cassel some credit for his quick recovery from an appendectomy. The quarterback gritted this one out and got a key win to remain in control of the AFC West.
As he said after the game, "Everything felt good. I feel good now. And a win makes it feel better."
The Grade:
A-
Matt Flynn
20 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
27-31 loss to the New England Patriots
21/33, 229 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 101.7 rating
3 carries, 13 yards
The Analysis:
Matt Flynn should be quite pleased with how he handled himself for 59:37 of the ballgame against the New England Patriots. Honestly, no one expected the Packers to be within 30 points of the Patriots.
At the very end of the game though, the Packers had a great chance to win. In the red zone though, Flynn had difficulty getting the call in from the sidelines and ran 0:19 of the last 0:23 before snapping the ball on 4th-and-1.
His youth and inexperience ended up killing him in those final seconds as he was sacked when he finally did get the play off.
The Grade:
A-
Peyton Manning
21 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
34-24 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars
29/39, 229 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 105.6 rating
The Analysis:
The quick slants worked to perfection for Peyton Manning and the Colts, who briefly enjoy Austin Collie's return from a concussion until he received another one.
Manning couldn't be stopped as the Colts built up a big lead, but he was slowed in the second half once Collie was injured again.
In this de facto playoff game for Indianapolis, Manning did play up to his own lofty expectations.
The Grade:
A-
Jon Kitna
22 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
33-30 win over the Washington Redskins
25/37, 305 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 110.8 rating
4 carries, 11 yards
The Analysis:
Jon Kitna did just enough to make his last start count as Tony Romo is expected back from a collarbone injury next week.
He led his offense up and down the field in the first half, helping to build up a huge lead. Kitna also showed a great rapport with Jason Witten, who caught 10 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown.
Kitna couldn't really do much in the second half as the Redskins stormed back, but he led the game-winning drive at the end of the fourth quarter.
The Grade:
A-
Colt McCoy
23 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
17-19 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals
19/25, 243 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 132.6 rating
The Analysis:
The Broncos shut down Peyton Hillis and ran all over the Browns' defense, but Colt McCoy did his best to keep his team in the game.
He made the throws when he needed and rarely let the ball hit the ground. It just wasn't enough to get the win though against their fellow team from Ohio.
The rookie from Texas definitely showed that his superiors made the right decision in letting him start the last three games of the season.
The Grade:
A-
Joe Flacco
24 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
30-24 win over the New Orleans Saints
10/20, 172 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 112.9 rating
1 carry, 2 yards
The Analysis:
Even though he completed just half of his 20 passes, Flacco had a great game. His high quarterback rating was due to the fact that he still had 172 yards and two touchdown passes despite the relatively few number of attempts.
All Flacco needed to do in this game was hand the ball off to Ray Rice and watch him do work. Rice dominated the Saints defense and Flacco enjoyed the show.
With the Steelers falling to the Jets, Flacco still has a shot to lead the Ravens to an AFC North title.
The Grade:
A
Eli Manning
25 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
31-38 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles
23/39, 289 yards, 4 touchdowns, 1 interception, 105.6 rating
The Analysis:
That look of disgust on Manning's face isn't because of his own play, but that of his defense.
It wasn't really his fault that they allowed 28 points in less than eight minutes, but it is his fault that the offense couldn't hold onto the ball for any significant length of time during the fourth quarter.
Other than that, Manning played quite well.
The Grade:
A
Kerry Collins
26 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
31-17 win over the Houston Texans
14/24, 237 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, 102.3 rating
2 carries, -2 yards
The Analysis:
Between Chris Johnson's wheels and Kerry Collins' arm, this game was a blowout after the first quarter.
The Titans scored 21 points in the first quarter thanks to a Johnson rushing touchdown and two passing touchdowns by Collins.
If only they'd played like this the entire season.
The Grade:
A
Tom Brady
27 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
31-27 win over the Green Bay Packers
15/24, 163 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 110.2 rating
The Analysis:
Another week, another great performance from Tom Brady. Surprised?
This one wasn't as dominant as previous weeks, but Brady still tore apart the Packers when he needed to. His ability to make precise passes is unmatched.
The Grade:
A
Jimmy Clausen
28 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
19-12 win over the Arizona Cardinals
13/19, 141 yards, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions, 107.6 rating
5 carries, 14 yards
The Analysis:
Anytime the Panthers get a win and Clausen plays better than I could, I have to give him an A+.
So when his quarterback rating is 107.6 and Carolina took out their frustrations on Arizona, he gets the grade.
The Grade:
A+
Michael Vick
29 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
38-31 win over the New York Giants
21/35, 242 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 97.6 rating
10 carries, 130 yards, 1 touchdown
The Analysis:
This game was all but over going into the fourth quarter, as were Vick's chances at winning the NFL MVP award, but then he took over.
A 65-yard touchdown pass to Brent Celek, a four-yard touchdown run and a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin tied up the score and set the stage for DeSean Jackson. When Jackson ran back a punt for a touchdown as time expired, Vick had led an improbable comeback win.
The Eagles scored 28 points in under eight minutes.
The Grade:
A+
Philip Rivers
30 of 32
Week 15 Stats:
34-7 win over the San Francisco 49ers
19/25, 273 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 150.5 rating
The Analysis:
It helped that the Chargers were taking on the 49ers, but you can be sure that Philip Rivers was glad to have Vincent Jackson back in midseason form. The talented receiver ended up catching five passes for 112 yards and three touchdowns.
Rivers and the Chargers got off to a very quick start and never looked back. With the win, Rivers kept his team in the playoff hunt in a competitive AFC West division.
The Grade:
A+
Joe Webb
31 of 32
Will play Monday night.
Jay Cutler
32 of 32
Will play Monday night.
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