2022 NFL QB Grades: 6 Perfect Performances, Including 1 Nobody Saw Coming, Highlight a Wacky Week 12
Week 12 of the 2022 campaign is in the books, and we added several new names to our season-long NFL quarterback competition, one of which would be sitting in the No. 1 spot in the overall rankings if he hadn’t just made his first appearance on Sunday.
And since I know you’re all just chomping at the bit to find out who that is, we’ll go ahead and post the reserve room a little earlier than usual.
- Mike White: 100
- Bailey Zappe: 86.4
- Sam Darnold: 85
- Colt McCoy: 81.7
- Teddy Bridgewater: 81
- Carson Wentz: 77.7
- Cooper Rush: 77
- Joe Flacco: 76.2
- Trevor Siemian: 75
- John Wolford: 75
- Jameis Winston: 75.5
- PJ Walker: 75.1
- Mitch Trubisky: 74.5
- Skylar Thompson: 72.2
- Kyle Allen: 71
- Brett Rypien: 68
- Sam Ehlinger: 66.4
- Malik Willis: 60.8
- Bryce Perkins: 60.4
Now that we’ve got the Mike White hoopla out of the way, let’s get to our featured section.
The top five remained the same from a week ago, but we saw plenty of movement elsewhere with some A+ performances from several signal-callers here in Week 12. And as a reminder, if you’d like to see how our rankings have played out throughout this 2022 NFL season, I encourage you to check out our full grade book.
So without further ado, let’s get to it.
32. Baker Mayfield, Carolina Panthers (1-5)
Week 12 Stats: N/A
Week 12 Grade: N/A
Given how well Sam Darnold played in his season debut in the Panthers’ 23-10 win over the Broncos, Baker Mayfield has virtually no shot of getting his job back. Well, that’s assuming Darnold doesn’t get injured anyway, which could actually happen, given how things have played out overall in Carolina this season.
So we’ll wait until Darnold gets a second start under his belt before we move him down here to the featured section, leaving Mayfield in the cellar for another week.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 119-206, 1,313 yards, 6 TD, 6 INT; 16 rushes, 52 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 70.1
31. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers (3-4)
Week 12 Stats: 20-28, 174 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 6 rushes, 32 yards
Week 12 Grade: C+
Kenny Pickett was turnover-free for the third straight game as the Pittsburgh Steelers notched their fourth victory of the year on Monday night, defeating the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 24-17.
The rookie first-rounder had one of his most efficient games of the year to date and his best in over a month, completing 71.4% of his passes. However, he’s still having trouble getting into the end zone, as this was Pickett’s fifth appearance without a touchdown pass.
But he looked much more comfortable out there, and continuing to improve on the turnover problem that’s plagued him is a big step forward.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 175-265, 1,600 yards, 3 TD, 8 INT; 35 rushes, 195 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 72.6
30. Davis Mills, Houston Texans (1-8-1)
Week 12 Stats: N/A
Week 12 Grade: N/A
Davis Mills was benched ahead of the Texans’ Week 12 matchup with the Dolphins for Kyle Allen, who didn’t play particularly well in a 30-15 loss. We’ll see what happens in the coming weeks before moving Allen down here.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 203-328, 2,144 yards, 11 TD, 11 INT; 17 rushes, 38 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 73.68
29. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos (3-7)
Week 12 Stats: 19-35, 142 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 2 rushes, 8 yards
Week 12 Grade: D
A week after playing one of his best games in a Broncos uniform, Russell Wilson reverted to the average QB he’s been for most of his first season in Denver in a humiliating loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Wilson, whose lone touchdown of the day was meaningless as it came with just over three minutes remaining in the 23-10 loss, completed just 54.3% of his passes for a season-low 142 yards and was sacked three times.
And things look worse than ever for Denver as Wilson and defensive lineman Mike Purcell got into a heated argument on the sidelines, proving the general public isn’t the only group disappointed in Wilson’s overall performance this year.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 198-336, 8 TD, 5 INT; 35 rushes, 137 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 73.74
28. Zach Wilson, New York Jets (5-2)
Week 12 Stats: N/A
Week 12 Grade: N/A
Much like Baker Mayfield, it’s highly unlikely Zach Wilson gets his starting job back anytime soon, given how well Mike White performed in the New York Jets’ 31-10 victory over the Chicago Bears.
But like Sam Darnold, we’ll wait until White makes his second start to move Wilson up to the reserve room, where he’ll likely remain for the rest of the year. Because even if White goes down, Joe Flacco would probably move into the QB1 role for Gang Green.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 105-189, 1,279 yards, 4 TD, 5 INT; 24 rushes, 94 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 73.9
27. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (3-6)
Week 12 Stats: N/A
Week 12 Grade: N/A
Coming off two recent trips to the NFL’s concussion protocol, Matthew Stafford sat out the Rams’ Week 12 loss to the Chiefs with a strained neck, and it’s unclear when he’ll return. There’s certainly a chance Sean McVay shuts him down for the year, which wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world, as the playoffs are essentially unreachable for the defending champs at this point.
If Stafford sits out again next week, we’ll move Bryce Perkins down here to the featured section.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 206-303, 2,087 yards, 10 TD, 8 INT; 13 rushes, 9 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 77.4
26. Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons (5-7)
Week 12 Stats: 15-25, 174 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 6 rushes, 49 yards
Week 12 Grade: C-
With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing to the Cleveland Browns, the Atlanta Falcons had a chance to take over first place in the woeful NFC South on Sunday but couldn’t get past the Washington Commanders, losing 19-13 to drop to 5-7.
As he’s done most of the season, Marcus Mariota played average football, completing 60% of his passes for 174 yards with a touchdown, also rushing for 49 yards on six carries. He had the opportunity to get his team a win but was intercepted in the end zone by Kendall Fuller with 58 seconds remaining, ending the Falcons’ chances of getting to .500.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 171-276, 2,052 yards, 14 TD, 8 INT; 82 rushes, 421 yards, 4 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 77.5
25. Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts (4-5-1)
Week 12 Stats: 22-34, 199 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 4 rushes, 22 yards
Week 12 Grade: C-
In his first two starts after returning to the starting lineup, Matt Ryan was interception-free, which had to make Colts fans feel good about Jeff Saturday’s decision to put the 2016 NFL MVP back in the mix. He also seemed to have kicked the fumble issue that plagued him early in the season.
But then Monday night happened.
While Ryan completed 64.7% of his passes for 199 yards and a touchdown, he also threw his 10th interception of the year and fumbled twice, losing the second as Indianapolis took a 24-17 loss to the Steelers. But you have to at least put half of that second one on Jonathan Taylor, don’t you think?
2022 NFL Season Stats: 269-391, 2,642 yards, 11 TD, 10 INT; 21 rushes, 72 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 78.9
24. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears (3-8)
Week 12 Stats: N/A
Week 12 Grade: N/A
Justin Fields sat out the Bears’ loss to the Jets with the shoulder injury he sustained in Week 11 against the Falcons. His status is still up in the air for Chicago’s Week 13 matchup with the rival Packers.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 136-228, 1,642 yards, 13 TD, 8 INT; 122 rushes, 834 yards, 7 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 79.4
23. Taylor Heinicke, Washington Commanders (5-1)
Week 12 Stats: 14-23, 138 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 1 rush, -1 yard
Week 12 Grade: B
After weeks of relying on his defense to improve his win-loss record, Taylor Heinicke actually participated in the Commanders’ 19-13 win over the Falcons on Sunday.
While the Washington defense was again solid, Heinicke threw two touchdown passes in the 19-13 victory, finding the end zone for the first time in three weeks as the Commanders won for the sixth time in seven games to improve to 7-5.
While still in last place in the NFC East, Washington would be the No. 7 seed in the NFC if the postseason started today.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 104-171, 1,169 yards, 7 TD, 5 INT; 21 rushes, 61 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 79.9
22. Andy Dalton, New Orleans Saints (3-6)
Week 12 Stats: 18-29, 204 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 21 yards
Week 12 Grade: C
Coming off a near-perfect performance against the LA Rams a week ago, Andy Dalton couldn’t get anything going for the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon. But that’s what the San Francisco 49ers’ defense has been doing to everybody recently.
Dalton completed 62.1% of his passes but failed to throw a touchdown as New Orleans was held scoreless for the first time since January 6, 2002, a loss that also came at the hands of the Niners.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 180-271, 2,023 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT; 23 rushes, 53 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 80.5
21. Daniel Jones, New York Giants (7-4)
Week 12 Stats: 21-35, 228 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 14 yards
Week 12 Grade: B
With the New York Giants missing three starters on the offensive line for their Turkey Day matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, Saquon Barkley had another rough week, rushing for just 39 yards on 11 carries.
So with the run game stifled, Daniel Jones had to take to the air a bit more than usual and threw the ball 35 times, his third-highest clip of the year. And facing a tough Dallas defense, Jones performed admirably, completing 60% of his throws for 228 yards with a touchdown and no picks while taking only three sacks.
The 28-20 defeat dropped the Giants to 7-4, with two of those losses coming at the hands of the Cowboys, which won’t help New York in a tiebreaker situation down the road.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 204-316, 10 TD, 4 INT; 79 rushes, 451 yards, 4 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 80.8
20. Jacoby Brissett, Cleveland Browns (4-7)
Week 12 Stats: 23-37, 210 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 2 rushes, 27 yards
Week 12 Grade: B-
With Deshaun Watson set to return from his 11-game suspension in Week 13, one has to assume Sunday was the final start of the season for Jacoby Brissett.
And while he may not have played as well as former Patriots teammate Tom Brady did, Brissett got the victory as the Browns bested the Buccaneers in overtime, 23-17, as Nick Chubb scored from three yards out with 19 seconds remaining in the extra frame.
But the reason Chubb had such a short run was due to a 45-yard connection between Brissett and Amari Cooper two plays earlier. And the reason the Browns got to overtime in the first place was a 12-yard TD pass from Brissett to David Njoku with 32 seconds remaining in regulation.
No matter your feelings on Watson, you must commend Brissett for his play this year, given the circumstances. And a win over TB12 certainly isn’t a bad way to go out.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 236-368, 2,608 yards, 12 TD, 6 INT; 47 rushes, 238 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.2
19. Mac Jones, New England Patriots (4-4)
Week 12 Stats: 28-39, 382 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 12 Grade: A+
Still not long removed from nearly losing his job on a full-time basis to Bailey Zappe, Mac Jones has played some of the best football of his young pro career in recent weeks.
Unfortunately for the Patriots, his stellar performance on Thanksgiving night was wasted in a 33-26 loss to the Vikings. Last year’s 15th overall pick completed 71.8% of his passes against Minnesota, his second-best clip of the year, and threw for a career-high 382 yards with a season-best two touchdown passes.
Jones was also interception-free for the third straight game and will be back in primetime Thursday night with a crucial divisional showdown with the Buffalo Bills.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 190-273, 2,150 yards, 8 TD, 7 INT; 27 rushes, 81 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.6
18. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (6-3)
Week 12 Stats: 22-34, 291 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 2 rushes, 9 yards
Week 12 Grade: C+
Ryan Tannehill didn’t play a particularly bad game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, but he didn’t play a great one either.
The 11-year veteran certainly wasn’t as efficient as he was in Week 11 against the Packers but completed 64.7% of his passes against the defending AFC champs for 291 yards and was interception-free for the fifth time in his last six outings.
But Tannehill also failed to find the end zone as the Titans took a 20-16 loss. But despite the defeat, Tennessee is still well in control of the AFC South at 7-4.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 158-243, 1,976 yards, 10 TD, 4 INT; 26 rushes, 47 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.2
17. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (4-7)
Week 12 Stats: 11-16, 140 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; 1 rush, -1 yard
Week 12 Grade: C+
Aaron Rodgers has been dealing with a lot of pain for weeks and was finally forced to take a seat in the third quarter of the Green Bay Packers’ 40-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night.
The two-time reigning NFL MVP threw a pair of touchdowns before being replaced by Jordan Love but also threw a pair of interceptions, bringing his season total to nine, his highest count since tossing 11 in 2010.
Love played well but fell just short of our qualifications for receiving a grade. If Rodgers ends up sitting for a couple of weeks — or perhaps the rest of the season — we’ll get Jordan down here.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 254-392, 2,682 yards, 21 TD, 9 INT; 17 rushes, 63 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.2
16. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (4-7)
Week 12 Stats: 23-37, 240 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 12 Grade: A-
You certainly can’t blame Jared Goff for Detroit’s three-game losing streak ending on Thanksgiving Day.
In a heartbreaking 28-25 loss to the Bills, Goff played a solid football game, completing 62.2% of his passes for 240 yards and a pair of touchdowns. It was the Lions’ sixth consecutive loss on Turkey Day, which ended their hopes of winning four straight for the first time in six years.
The defeat also likely knocked Detroit out of playoff contention for good, but Goff & Co. should feel great about the strides they’ve taken this year.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 232-364, 2,682 yards, 17 TD, 7 INT; 21 rushes, 42 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.4
15. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (3-7)
Week 12 Stats: 18-29, 191 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 7 rushes, 56 yards, 1 TD
Week 12 Grade: B
After missing the Cardinals’ previous two games with a hamstring injury, Kyler Murray returned to the lineup against the Chargers and nearly led his team to victory.
The 2019 No. 1 overall pick accounted for 247 yards of offense and three touchdowns, the last of which was a TD pass to James Conner early in the fourth quarter to give Arizona a 24-17 lead.
But he failed to lead another scoring drive and sat and watched his counterpart, Justin Herbert, throw a touchdown and a two-point conversion to lead the Chargers to a 25-24 comeback win.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 258-389, 2,359 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT; 66 rushes, 415 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.5
14. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (4-2)
Week 12 Stats: 21-30, 261 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; 2 rushes, 4 yards
Week 12 Grade: B
Dak Prescott certainly didn’t get off to the most remarkable start during the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day date with the New York Giants, throwing a pair of first-half interceptions as America’s Team went into the locker room at halftime down 10-7.
But the two-time Pro Bowler was a completely different player in the second half, throwing a pair of touchdown passes to Dalton Schultz in the third quarter as Dallas took control en route to a 28-20 victory.
Prescott completed 70% of his 30 passes for 261 yards, with six completions going to CeeDee Lamb, who hit the century mark for the second time in three games with 106 yards.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 124-182, 1,393 yards, 10 TD, 6 INT; 19 rushes, 71 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 83
13. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders (4-7)
Week 12 Stats: 25-36, 295 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 2 rushes, 10 yards
Week 12 Grade: B+
Raiders running back Josh Jacobs received most of the press following Las Vegas’ 40-34 overtime win over Seattle, which he certainly deserved as he ran for a franchise-record 229 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning 86-yard score in the extra frame.
But Derek Carr certainly played a big part in the win as well. Sure, he threw a pair of interceptions, but he completed 69.4% of his passes for 295 yards and a season-high three touchdowns, including the game-tying score to Foster Moreau with 1:54 remaining.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 242-384, 2,730 yards, 18 TD, 7 INT; 17 rushes, 77 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 83.2
12. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (7-4)
Week 12 Stats: 16-32, 254 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 14 rushes, 89 yards
Week 12 Grade: B-
For about 58 minutes on Sunday, it seemed as if Lamar Jackson had done just enough to get the Baltimore Ravens their fifth straight victory. But that turned out not to be the case.
Jackson certainly didn’t have his most efficient day of the year, as he connected on just 16 of his 32 pass attempts against the Jaguars. Nevertheless, he still threw for 254 yards and threw his lone touchdown of the day when the Ravens needed it most, capping off a six-play, 75-yard drive with a 12-yard TD pass to Josh Oliver with 2:02 remaining. He then connected with Mark Andrews on the two-point conversion to give Baltimore a 27-20 lead.
But after Trevor Lawrence threw a touchdown pass and a two-point conversion of his own to give Jacksonville a 28-27 lead, Jackson watched as Justin Tucker missed a 67-yard field goal as time expired.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 200-322, 2,231 yards, 17 TD, 7 INT; 111 rushes, 755 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 83.5
11. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (9-2)
Week 12 Stats: 30-37, 299 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 1 rush, -1 yard
Week 12 Grade: A+
Coming off a dreadful performance against the Dallas Cowboys, Kirk Cousins bounced back like a pro on Thanksgiving night with a fantastic outing in leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 33-26 win over the New England Patriots.
Outside of a first-quarter interception that ultimately proved inconsequential, Cousins was near-perfect in the Vikings’ victory, completing a season-high 81.1% of his passes for 299 yards with three touchdowns to get Minnesota to 9-2.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 269-414, 2,760 yards, 17 TD, 9 INT; 22 rushes, 49 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 84.1
10. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (4-7)
Week 12 Stats: 29-37, 321 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 2 rushes, 1 yard
Week 12 Grade: A+
At this point, it’s safe to say the Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t going to the NFL Playoffs. But they’re not going down without fighting for wins.
Trevor Lawrence played one of his best games of the year on Sunday against the Ravens, completing 78.4% of his passes for a season-high 321 yards and three touchdowns, the last of which helped finish off the greatest comeback in franchise history.
With Jacksonville trailing by seven with just over two minutes remaining, the second-year star capped off a 10-play, 75-yard drive by throwing a 10-yard TD pass to Marvin Jones Jr., who dragged his feet beautifully to get the Jags within one. Lawrence then connected with Zay Jones to give Jacksonville a 28-27 win, the franchise’s first-ever victory when trailing by at least seven points in the final minute of regulation.
The Jaguars had been 0-183 under those circumstances before the heroics from Lawrence, whose 129.8 passer rating was the highest in franchise history for any QB with at least 37 passing attempts.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 256-385, 2,655 yards, 16 TD, 6 INT; 39 rushes, 179 yards, 3 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 84.7
9. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers (6-3)
Week 12 Stats: 26-37, 222 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 4 yards
Week 12 Grade: A
With the defense pitching a shutout, it was a good week for the San Francisco 49ers’ offense to be a little flat.
The running game was bottled a bit by the Saints’ defense and accounted for just 96 yards. Thankfully for the Niners, Jimmy Garoppolo was his typical efficient self, completing 70.3% of his passes for 222 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in a 13-0 victory.
San Francisco has won four straight and has taken control of the NFC West at 7-4. And while others may get the credit, make no mistake about it — Jimmy G is a big reason why this team is succeeding.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 205-304, 2,381 yards, 16 TD, 4 INT; 23 rushes, 33 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 85.7
8. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (6-5)
Week 12 Stats: 35-47, 274 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 38 yards
Week 12 Grade: A+
The Los Angeles Chargers have lost three games this season by a single possession, including their last two, but Justin Herbert made sure that didn’t happen again on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
With his team trailing by seven with less than two minutes to play, Herbert capped off a seven-play drive with a one-yard touchdown pass to Austin Ekeler with 15 seconds remaining. Brandon Staley made the bold decision to go for the win, and Herbert, despite heavy traffic near the goal line, found Gerald Everett for the two-point conversion to give the Chargers a 25-24 victory, moving LA to 6-5 on the year.
Herbert now has 10 fourth-quarter comebacks in his young career and is set for a divisional showdown with the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 13.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 312-463, 3,004 yards, 19 TD, 7 INT; 36 rushes, 128 yards, 0 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 86
7. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (7-4)
Week 12 Stats: 22-37, 270 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 9 rushes, 32 yards
Week 12 Grade: B+
Still without the services of Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Burrow got the Bengals a big win over the Titans in Week 12, Cincinnati’s third straight victory and fifth in six games.
Burrow went the first three quarters without a touchdown pass but hit Tee Higgins with a 27-yard score early in the fourth quarter to put the defending AFC champions up by seven. And the Cincy defense held firm the rest of the way as the Bengals took a 20-16 win to move to 7-4 for the year.
Chase is expected to return for Cincinnati’s high-profile Week 13 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 279-409, 3,160 yards, 23 TD, 8 INT; 48 rushes, 178 yards, 4 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 87.427
6. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (8-3)
Week 12 Stats: 24-42, 253 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 10 rushes, 78 yards, 1 TD
Week 12 Grade: B+
For the second time in five days, Josh Allen led the Bills to victory at Ford Field, this time over the team which actually plays there on a regular basis.
In Buffalo’s third Thanksgiving Day appearance in four years, Allen helped end the Detroit Lions’ three-game winning streak, completing 24 of 42 passes for 253 yards with a touchdown and making some big throws down the stretch to set up the game-winning field goal.
He is, however, still struggling a bit with turnovers as he threw his 11th interception of the season, which ties him for the league lead with Davis Mills.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 262-410, 3,183 yards, 23 TD, 11 INT; 81 rushes, 561 yards, 5 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 87.436
5. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6)
Week 12 Stats: 29-43, 246 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, 2 yards
Week 12 Grade: A
While the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continued their up-and-down season with a 23-17 overtime loss to the Cleveland Browns, Tom Brady continued his consistent play in defeat and kept himself in our top five.
The seven-time Super Bowl champ connected on 67.4% of his 43 pass attempts on Sunday and threw for 246 yards with two touchdowns, upping his career regular-season total to 638. He was also interception-free for the ninth time in 11 games this season.
Despite the loss, Brady and the Bucs remain atop the NFC South with a 5-6 record.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 311-470, 3,051 yards, 14 TD, 2 INT; 19 rushes, -6 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 88.1
4. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (6-5)
Week 12 Stats: 27-37, 328 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 5 rushes, 22 yards
Week 12 Grade: A-
You certainly can’t fault Geno Smith for the Seattle Seahawks’ 40-34 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday as the veteran continued his stellar comeback season with another terrific outing.
The 2013 second-rounder continues to be efficient as he completed 73% of his passes and threw for a season-high 328 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The Seahawks dropped to 6-5 with the loss, their second straight, putting them a game back of the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West. Seattle and San Francisco will meet in Week 15.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 257-353, 2,802 yards, 19 TD, 5 INT; 50 rushes, 240 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 90.1
3. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (10-1)
Week 12 Stats: 16-28, 153 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 17 rushes, 157 yards
Week 12 Grade: A+
Jalen Hurts didn’t have his greatest passing night of the year as he completed just 57.1% of his passes, his lowest clip since Week 1, but he still tossed a couple of touchdown passes in the Eagles’ 40-33 win over the Packers.
And we certainly couldn’t ignore what he did with his legs. Hurts set the Eagles’ single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 157 on 17 carries, breaking Michael Vick’s 2010 mark of 130. He’s only the second QB since 1950 with at least 150 yards passing, 150 yards rushing, and at least two touchdown passes in a single game and the first to do it in the regular season.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 214-318, 2,560 yards, 17 TD, 3 INT; 127 rushes, 597 yards, 8 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 91.5
2. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (8-1)
Week 12 Stats: 22-36, 299 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
Week 12 Grade: B+
Tua Tagovailoa certainly wasn’t as dynamic as he’s been in recent weeks, but he was solid enough to get the Miami Dolphins an easy 30-15 victory over the hapless Houston Texans.
Tagovailoa has completed 69.8% of his passes for 1,529 yards (305.8 per game) with 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions since returning from a concussion last month but has also done so against some of the weaker teams in the NFL.
He’ll get a much tougher test than he has recently as he and the Dolphins face the San Francisco 49ers and their top-ranked pass defense in Week 13.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 198-284, 2,564 yards, 19 TD, 3 INT; 19 rushes, 35 yards, 0 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 92.7
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (9-2)
Week 12 Stats: 27-42, 320 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 4 rushes, 36 yards
Week 12 Grade: B
Patrick Mahomes didn’t look his best on Sunday against the struggling defending champion LA Rams, but he played well enough to get the Kansas City Chiefs a 26-10 win. And his B grade for the week was enough for him to keep the No. 1 overall spot on our rankings by half a point.
Mahomes completed 64.3% of his passes for 320 yards with a touchdown and an interception, his TD pass going to Travis Kelce, who leads the NFL with 12.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 292-442, 3,585 yards, 29 TD, 8 INT; 42 rushes, 274 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 93.2
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