2022 NFL QB Grades Week 5: Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen Continue to Battle for the Top Spot, While a New Name Takes Over Last Place in Our Season-Long QB Competition
Week 5 of the 2022 season is in the books, and we saw quite a bit of movement in our season-long NFL quarterback competition, although the top two spots remained the same. And those two MVP frontrunners were the only two to receive perfect scores this week.
We’ve got a new No. 3 that nobody could have predicted when this campaign got underway. Tom Brady made his way into the top five for the first time this year. And although he dropped a couple of spots this week, Justin Herbert rounds out that top five.
We’ve also got a new name in last place in the top 32 of our main section as Justin Fields climbed out of the cellar. The Miami Dolphins’ quarterback situation got even more interesting as Teddy Bridgewater, filling in for the injured Tua Tagovailoa, was forced to exit after just one play, making way for third-stringer Skylar Thompson.
For the time being, we’re keeping both Bridgewater and Thompson in the reserve room here at the top that we introduced last week while keeping Tua in the main section. And with Andy Dalton, Bailey Zappe, and Kenny Pickett now down below, Jameis Winston, Mac Jones, and Mitch Trubisky are now up here as well.
- Teddy Bridgewater: 81
- Joe Flacco: 76.2
- Mac Jones: 75.6
- Jameis Winston: 75.5
- Mitch Trubisky: 72.6
- Skylar Thompson: 71
- Dak Prescott: 65
Let’s now jump into the featured portion of the rankings with our new No. 32, who will seemingly make his way into the reserve room next week.
32. Baker Mayfield, Carolina Panthers (1-4)
Week 5 Stats: 20-36, 215 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Week 5 Grade: D
Baker Mayfield will sit for at least a couple of weeks after suffering an injury in the Panthers’ loss to the 49ers. But even had that not happened, he may have found himself on the bench anyway.
Mayfield injured his left ankle late in the first half Sunday afternoon and limped to the locker room with just over 10 seconds remaining. He returned for the second half, but with the Panthers getting rolled, the 2018 No. 1 overall pick was replaced by PJ Walker, the former XFL star who came in and completed five of six passes for 60 yards.
Before exiting the game, Mayfield put on another lackluster show, completing just 55.6% of his passes. He failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time this season but threw his fourth interception of the season. The contract he’s seeking following the season is just getting smaller and smaller by the week, as is his season score.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 84-153, 962 yards, 4 TD, 4 INT; 14 rushes, 40 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 69.2
31. Justin Fields, Chicago Bears (2-3)
Week 5 Stats: 15-21, 208 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 8 rushes, 47 yards
Week 5 Grade: B-
The Chicago Bears may not have gotten a win in Week 5 against the Minnesota Vikings, but the coaching staff (and the fans) had to like what they saw from Justin Fields in the 29-22 loss.
While he wasn’t anywhere close to perfect — he fumbled twice but at least didn’t lose either — Fields played his best game of the year thus far. He completed a season-high 71.4% of his passes, threw for a season-best 208 yards, threw a touchdown pass, and was interception-free for the second consecutive week.
The Ohio State product also averaged a season-high 9.9 yards per attempt, and it was nice to see the Bears give him a chance to throw the ball downfield a bit more. Darnell Mooney bailed him out a bit with an incredible one-handed grab early on, but you get the point.
And on another positive note, Fields got himself out of the cellar in our rankings.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 49-88, 679 yards, 3 TD, 4 INT; 42 rushes, 194 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 71
30. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)
Week 5 Stats: 34-52, 327 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT; 1 rush, 10 yards
Week 5 Grade: C
Facing a Buffalo Bills defense that doesn’t like to make life easy for quarterbacks, Kenny Pickett was essentially in a no-win situation in his first NFL start.
Following a rough debut last week in which he threw three interceptions after replacing Mitch Trubisky in the second half of the Steelers’ loss to the Jets, the rookie threw a fourth pick against the Bills and still hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass.
Pickett showed flashes of why Pittsburgh took him in the first round, completing 34 of 52 passes for 327 yards, and he’ll only get better with more reps. But the Steelers had no shot in this game.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 44-65, 447 yards, 0 TD, 4 INT; 7 rushes, 25 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 74
29. Marcus Mariota, Atlanta Falcons (2-3)
Week 5 Stats: 14-25, 147 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 7 rushes, 61 yards
Week 5 Grade: C
Had Marcus Mariota played Sunday’s entire Falcons-Buccaneers matchup like he played the fourth quarter, he wouldn’t have earned yet another average grade in Week 5. But he didn’t, so he did.
With the Falcons trailing 21-0 after three quarters, Mariota attempted to lead a furious Falcons comeback in the fourth, leading a pair of scoring drives in the fourth frame to cut the Bucs’ lead to 21-15. And he may have become the first Atlanta QB ever to beat Tom Brady had it not been for some questionable calls on Tampa’s final offensive drive. But he never got that chance.
Mariota continues to struggle with his accuracy, as he completed just 56% of his passes in the loss. What’s sad is that it was a big jump up from 36.8% a week ago. But at least he was interception-free for the first time since Week 1.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 71-123, 926 yards, 4 TD, 4 INT; 37 rushes, 156 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 74.2
28. Matt Ryan, Indianapolis Colts (2-2-1)
Week 5 Stats: 26-41, 251 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT; 1 rush, 1 yard
Week 5 Grade: F
Matt Ryan and the Indianapolis Colts may have walked away with a victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 5, but let’s get real here. NOBODY involved in that Thursday night monstrosity should be considered a winner, as that was one of the ugliest games in recent NFL history.
And Ryan was a big part of the problem. While he threw for 251 yards, he failed to throw a touchdown pass for the second time in four games but threw two interceptions, bringing his season total to seven. But that’s not even his biggest problem.
The 2016 NFL MVP continues to have issues with hanging onto the football, fumbling twice to bring his league-leading total to 11 and keeping him on pace to shatter the league record. Colts fans should be thankful he didn’t lose one this time around, but this can’t continue if Indianapolis wants to compete in the AFC South.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 128-195, 1,376 yards, 5 TD, 7 INT; 10 rushes, 13 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 74.4
27. Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos (2-3)
Week 5 Stats: 21-39, 274 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT; 4 rushes, 22 yards
Week 5 Grade: F
Call me unprofessional if you like here. But just like Matt Ryan, I’m choosing not to even really acknowledge anything positive Russell Wilson did in that Broncos-Colts debacle on Thursday night.
And outside of his 274 yards, there wasn’t much anyway. Wilson failed to throw a touchdown for the second time in three games but did triple his interception total for the season, throwing two picks in Denver’s ugly 12-9 loss.
The second couldn’t have come at a worse time as it set up the Colts’ game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter. And to cap off his dreadful performance, Wilson missed a wide-open KJ Hamler on the game’s final play, which would have been an easy game-winning touchdown.
The Broncos can’t be feeling great about that $245 million contract right now.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 101-170, 1,254 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT; 17 rushes, 73 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 75.7
26. Zach Wilson, New York Jets (2-0)
Week 5 Stats: 14-21, 210 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 2 yards, 1 TD
Week 5 Grade: C+
The New York Jets snapped a 12-game skid against AFC East opponents with a surprising 40-17 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, improving their record to 3-2. But let’s not pretend Zach Wilson was the big reason why.
Did the second-year signal-caller play adequately? Yes, he did. Wilson completed two-thirds of his passes for 210 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. The reason for that plus sign by his grade is for his rushing score.
Perhaps he can start an Alex Smith/Jimmy Garoppolo kind of thing where he’s not flashy and doesn’t put up huge numbers but has a good winning percentage. Jets fans will undoubtedly take it. Wilson is 2-0 since his return.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 32-57, 462 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT; 6 rushes, 17 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 76.2
25. Davis Mills, Houston Texans (1-3-1)
Week 5 Stats: 16-24, 140 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 2 rushes, 2 yards
Week 5 Grade: C
What an ugly week for the AFC South, am I right? The Titans played decently enough, but the other three teams in the division were unwatchable in Week 5.
Davis Mills played an average football game on Sunday, hence the simple and straight C grade, but he at least managed the game well enough to get the Texans their first victory of the season. The second-year starter didn’t throw a touchdown but didn’t throw an interception either and completed two-thirds of his two dozen passes in Houston’s 13-6 win over the Jaguars.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 104-166, 1,048 yards, 5 TD, 4 INT
2022 NFL Season Score: 76.3
24. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (2-3)
Week 5 Stats: 28-42, 308 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Week 5 Grade: B-
As I predicted in our Week 5 fantasy football forecast, Matthew Stafford didn’t have an enjoyable time facing the Dallas Cowboys defense. He was pressured 20 times, took five sacks, and threw his seventh interception of the season, tying him with Matt Ryan for the league lead.
So why would I give him a B- grade this week? For one, he made some good throws and completed two-thirds of his 42 passes for a season-high 308 yards. And secondly, so many of his struggles this year are due to the Rams’ offensive line issues. Sean McVay has started nine different guys up front this season, and Stafford is paying the price for it.
Is he playing his best football? Absolutely not. But he’s hanging in there the best he can. After facing the 49ers and Cowboys in consecutive weeks, Stafford gets a much easier opponent in Week 6 in the Carolina Panthers.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 134-192, 1,323 yards, 5 TD, 7 INT; 6 rushes, 10 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 76.7
23. Daniel Jones, New York Giants (4-1)
Week 5 Stats: 21-27, 217 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 10 rushes, 37 yards
Week 5 Grade: B
Did Daniel Jones play spectacularly in the Giants’ 27-22 victory over the Packers in London? Absolutely not. But he played a solid, efficient football game — and on a sprained ankle, no less — and brought New York back from a 20-10 halftime deficit to pull off the upset.
Jones didn’t throw a touchdown pass for the third straight week but was also interception-free for the second straight week. He completed 77.8% of his passes, and the Giants are now 4-1, their best start since winning their first five in 2009.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 88-132, 848 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 41 rushes, 230 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 78
22. Jacoby Brissett, Cleveland Browns (2-3)
Week 5 Stats: 21-34, 230 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 3 rushes, 32 yards
Week 5 Grade: B-
For 57-plus minutes on Sunday, Jacoby Brissett played a clean football game. He didn’t take a single sack against the Chargers’ defense and had thrown a touchdown pass, his fifth of the year, to Amari Cooper.
But with 2:44 remaining, Brissett was intercepted in the end zone by Alohi Gilman, seemingly ending the Browns’ chances of moving above .500 for the year. But following a strange decision by LA head coach Brandon Staley not to punt on fourth down near midfield, Brissett & Co. got one more shot.
But Cade York missed a 54-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining, cementing the 30-28 loss.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 103-161, 1,060 yards, 5 TD, 3 INT; 21 rushes, 112 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 78.4
21. Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans (3-2)
Week 5 Stats: 15-25, 181 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 3 yards
Week 5 Grade: B-
With Derrick Henry hitting the 100-yard mark for the second straight week, Ryan Tannehill didn’t need a spectacular game for the Titans to win their third consecutive game.
All the veteran needed to do was play efficiently enough and control the offense, and that’s what he did. Sure, he took five sacks, but Tannehill was interception-free for the second straight week, threw for 181 yards, and hit Austin Hooper with a seven-yard touchdown pass in Tennessee’s 21-17 win over Washington.
Up next for the Titans is a division showdown with the Colts, with first place in the AFC South on the line.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 82-126, 965 yards, 6 TD, 3 INT; 15 rushes, 23 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 79.8
20. Carson Wentz, Washington Commanders (1-4)
Week 5 Stats: 25-38, 359 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 5 rushes, 15 yards
Week 5 Grade: B+
Following a pair of lackluster performances the last two weeks, Carson Wentz played arguably his best game of the season against the Titans on Sunday.
He completed 65.8% of his passes, his second-highest percentage of the year, for a season-high 359 yards and threw a pair of touchdowns to Dyami Brown. Unfortunately for the Commanders, all that was overshadowed by his interception with six seconds to play on a fantastic play at the goal line by David Long Jr., cementing Washington’s fourth straight loss.
Wentz & Co. will have to rebound quickly as they visit the Chicago Bears on Thursday night.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 132-210, 1,390 yards, 10 TD, 6 INT; 17 rushes, 77 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 79.9
19. Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers (2-1)
Week 5 Stats: 18-30, 253 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, -1 yard
Week 5 Grade: B+
I didn’t figure Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers would have much trouble with the Carolina Panthers. And they didn’t, easily taking the Week 5 matchup with an easy 37-15 victory. And with the Rams, Cardinals, and Seahawks all losing, the Niners sit atop the NFC West with a 3-2 record.
Garoppolo moved his record as a starter on the year to 2-1 with a solid performance, completing 60% of his passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns with no picks. As per usual, he wasn’t flashy and didn’t need to be to up his career winning percentage to .700 in his 50th regular-season start.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 65-107, 857 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.2
18. Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders (1-4)
Week 5 Stats: 19-30, 241 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT; 1 rush, 3 yards
Week 5 Grade: A-
Early on in Monday night’s matchup between the Raiders and Chiefs, Derek Carr was the best quarterback on the field, leading Las Vegas to a 17-0 lead at Arrowhead, which isn’t an easy thing to do.
Of course, we all know Patrick Mahomes turned out to be the better QB for the night, but Carr played a fantastic game, completing 63.3% of his passes for 241 yards with two incredible touchdown passes to Davante Adams, the first for 58 yards and the second for 48.
But it wasn’t quite enough as the Raiders lost a 30-29 heartbreaker, their fourth defeat of the season, all of which have been by six points or less.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 113-184, 1,279 yards, 8 TD, 4 INT; 11 rushes, 69 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.4
17. Andy Dalton, New Orleans Saints (1-1)
Week 5 Stats: 16-24, 187 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 7 rushes, 4 yards
Week 5 Grade: C+
Filling in for the injured Jameis Winston for the second straight week, Andy Dalton certainly wasn’t the star in the Saints’ 39-32 win over the Seahawks. That honor belonged to Taysom Hill, who rushed for 112 yards and three touchdowns and threw a 22-yard touchdown pass.
But while Dalton didn’t play as well as he did a week ago, he still played well enough to help his team win. He completed two-thirds of his passes for 187 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Winston may be healthy enough for the Saints’ Week 6 matchup with the Bengals, so it’ll be interesting to see who Dennis Allen puts under center if that’s the case.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 36-52, 423 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 8 rushes, 7 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.4
16. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)
Week 5 Stats: 24-35, 217 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 3 rushes, 6 yards, 1 TD
Week 5 Grade: B
The Joe Burrow vs. Lamar Jackson showdown didn’t quite live up to the hype, did it? And while Burrow played well enough for Cincinnati to win, the Bengals took their third loss of the year on the game’s final play as Justin Tucker lifted the Ravens to a 19-17 victory.
While he didn’t play as clean of a game as he did last week in Cincy’s Week 4 win over the Dolphins, Burrow was a tad more efficient, completing 68.6% of his passes. He accounted for both Bengals touchdowns, one through the air to Hayden Hurst and a one-yard score on the ground, but the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner also threw his first interception since Week 1.
The Bengals will look to get back to .500 in Week 6 against the New Orleans Saints.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 124-191, 1,316 yards, 9 TD, 5 INT; 23 rushes, 85 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 81.7
15. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (1-4)
Week 5 Stats: 19-35, 229 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT; 3 rushes, 7 yards
Week 5 Grade: D+
Just when it looks like the Detroit Lions are ready to start truly competing again, they do the most Lions thing they can do and get shut out in Week 5 by the New England Patriots.
Jared Goff and the Detroit offense came into this matchup averaging 35 points per game but couldn’t get anything going on Sunday in Foxborough.
And Goff played his worst game of the year thus far, completing a season-low 54.3% of his passes for 229 yards, his second-lowest total of the ’22 campaign. He failed to throw a touchdown for the first time but threw his fourth interception and lost a fumble.
The two-time Pro Bowler will have a week off to think about his poor performance with the Lions on bye and will face a tough Dallas defense in Week 7.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 111-186, 1,355 yards, 11 TD, 4 INT; 10 rushes, 23 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 82
14. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3)
Week 5 Stats: 25-47, 286 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT; 4 rushes, 29 yards
Week 5 Grade: D+
Just two short weeks ago, Trevor Lawrence took the only perfect score and was sitting in the No. 4 spot in the season-long rankings. But last week, he committed five turnovers in a loss to the Eagles and dropped to eighth. I gave him a pass from a failing grade with the weather what it was and the fact that he threw two touchdown passes.
And while he doesn’t deserve a failing grade here, the lack of a touchdown pass against a bad Houston team didn’t help his case. And while the second-year star didn’t have the fumble issues he did a week ago, he still threw a pair of interceptions in the Jaguars’ ugly 13-6 loss to the previously winless Texans. He also completed just 53.2% of his passes. But there was no weather to blame this week as it was a sunny Florida afternoon.
Just when you think Lawrence is ready to break out and be one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL, he goes out and has two horrible outings. And just when you think the Jaguars are ready to compete, they go out and lose at home to a team with zero victories. Such is the 2022 NFL season, I guess.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 113-181, 1,232 yards, 8 TD, 4 INT; 14 rushes, 58 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 82.1
13. Cooper Rush, Dallas Cowboys (4-0)
Week 5 Stats: 10-16, 102 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, -1 yard
Week 5 Grade: C
Despite playing an average game, Cooper Rush remained unbeaten as a starting quarterback, upping his career record to 5-0 as the Dallas Cowboys went into SoFi Stadium and knocked off the defending Super Bowl champion LA Rams, 22-10.
Rush failed to throw a touchdown for the first time as a starter this season but also kept his interception total at zero in the victory. We now wait to see if he’ll get the chance to hand the Philadelphia Eagles their first loss of the year in Week 6, as Dak Prescott may be ready to go.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 72-118, 839 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT; 9 rushes, 6 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 83.06
12. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings (4-1)
Week 5 Stats: 32-41, 296 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 4 rushes, 4 yards, 1 TD
Week 5 Grade: B+
Kirk Cousins got off to a hot start against the Bears in an NFC North battle on Sunday, setting a Vikings record by completing his first 17 passes, and never looked back.
Cousins did eventually throw an incomplete pass but completed a season-high 78.1% of his throws for a season-best 296 yards and a touchdown, also adding a score on the ground. The Vikings scored on their first three possessions to take a 21-3 lead and hung on for a 29-22 win to take control of the NFC North with a 4-1 record.
Cousins & Co. will look to keep the momentum going in South Beach in a Week 6 matchup with the injury-riddled Miami Dolphins.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 131-198, 1,327 yards, 7 TD, 5 INT;
2022 NFL Season Score: 83.1
11. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (2-3)
Week 5 Stats: 28-42, 250 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 4 rushes, 42 yards
Week 5 Grade: B-
As it’s been for most of this ’22 season, Kyler Murray didn’t play a horrible football game in the Cardinals’ Week 5 loss to the undefeated Eagles. But also like the rest of this campaign thus far, he didn’t play a spectacular game either.
He completed two-thirds of his 42 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown but also threw a pick for the second consecutive week. It’s been a weird ride for the Cards thus far, as they’ve lost all three home games while winning each of their two games on the road. Perhaps Murray has his breakout game in Week 6 when Arizona visits the Seattle Seahawks in a critical NFC West matchup.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 141-215, 1,241 yards, 6 TD, 3 INT; 28 rushes, 133 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 83.1
10. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (3-2)
Week 5 Stats: 25-39, 222 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 5 Grade: B+
Overall, Aaron Rodgers put the Packers in position to win the Packers’ first-ever game in London, leading Green Bay to 20 first-half points against the Giants with touchdown passes to Allen Lazard and Marcedes Lewis.
But he failed to lead any scoring drives in the final 30 minutes, and the Packers’ defense couldn’t maintain a 10-point halftime lead as New York stormed back for a 27-22 upset victory. Rodgers played a fairly clean game, completing 64.1% of his passes with no interceptions, and took just two sacks. But the two-time reigning NFL MVP had two passes tipped on Green Bay’s final drive, ending the Packers’ chances of getting to 4-1.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 114-168, 1,157 yards, 8 TD, 3 INT
2022 NFL Season Score: 84.5
9. Bailey Zappe, New England Patriots (1-0)
Week 5 Stats: 17-21, 188 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 5 rushes, 5 yards
Week 5 Grade: B+
After making his NFL debut a week ago as the Patriots nearly upset the Packers, Bailey Zappe earned a win in his first-ever start as New England blew out the Detroit Lions, 29-0, on an old-school day in Foxborough.
Wearing one of the best throwback unis in the NFL, Zappe played a highly efficient football game, completing 81% of his passes for 188 yards with a touchdown and an interception, which wasn’t even his fault as a slant toss to Nelson Agholor was tipped in the air after being mishandled.
The New England crowd showered the rookie with praise, chanting his name late in the game, and Bill Belichick will have an interesting decision to make when Mac Jones returns from his ankle injury.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 27-36, 287 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 5 rushes, 5 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 85.1
8. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
Week 5 Stats: 19-32, 174 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 12 rushes, 58 yards
Week 5 Grade: C+
For the vast majority of Sunday night’s matchup between the Ravens and Bengals, Lamar Jackson didn’t look like one of the NFL MVP frontrunners. But when his team needed him the most, he stepped up and delivered, marching Baltimore down the field to set up Justin Tucker’s game-winning field goal to secure a 19-17 victory.
Jackson struggled passing the football, failing to reach the 60% completion mark for the first time since Week 1, and threw an interception for the third consecutive week. But he also threw his 12th touchdown pass of the year and ranks third in the NFL in that department.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 95-149, 1,067 yards, 12 TD, 5 INT; 49 rushes, 374 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 86.2
7. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (5-0)
Week 5 Stats: 26-36, 239 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT; 15 rushes, 61 yards, 2 TD
Week 5 Grade: B
Jalen Hurts didn’t have his best game of the 2022 season, but he did just enough to keep the Eagles as the only undefeated team in the NFL, leading Philly to a 20-17 win over the Cardinals.
Hurts was highly efficient in the passing game, completing 72.2% of his passes, but failed to throw a touchdown pass for the second consecutive week. But he accounted for the only two Eagles’ TDs with his legs, scoring on one-yard runs in both the first and second quarters.
He led a pair of 50-plus-yard drives in the second half that resulted in field goals, which was enough to get Philly to 5-0 for the first time in 18 years.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 108-159, 1,359 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT; 68 rushes, 266 yards, 6 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 87.7
6. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (3-1)
Week 5 Stats: N/A
Week 5 Grade: N/A
Tua Tagovailoa sat out the Dolphins’ Week 5 matchup with the Jets and will likely miss Week 6 against the Minnesota Vikings as well. He’s yet to resume football activities after being knocked out of Miami’s Week 4 loss to the Bengals. No timetable has been set for his return.
But with Teddy Bridgewater getting knocked out of Sunday’s loss to New York, Tua remains down here in the main section. As you saw in the intro, Bridgewater was joined in the reserve room by Skylar Thompson.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 80-115, 1,035 yards, 8 TD, 3 INT; 4 rushes, 1 yard
2022 NFL Season Score: 88
5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (3-2)
Week 5 Stats: 22-34, 228 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 5 rushes, 13 yards
Week 5 Grade: B
Justin Herbert saw his streak of seven consecutive road games with at least 300 yards passing come to an end on Sunday against the Browns, throwing for a season-low 228 yards.
But those 228 yards were just enough for LA to skirt past Cleveland, 30-28, as the Chargers moved to 3-2 on the year. Herbert certainly didn’t have his best outing of the year, but he played a relatively clean game, completing 64.7% of his passes with a touchdown and no picks, his second consecutive interception-free week.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 133-200, 1,478 yards, 10 TD, 2 INT; 16 rushes, 17 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 88.6
4. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)
Week 5 Stats: 35-52, 351 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, -3 yards
Week 5 Grade: A
Tom Brady had a lot on the line in the Buccaneers’ Week 5 matchup with the Falcons.
For starters, he’d never lost to Atlanta during his 23-year career, a streak that continued as Tampa Bay withstood a late Atlanta attack and hung on for a 21-15 victory. What that also means is that TB12 avoided a three-game losing streak, which he hasn’t endured since 2002.
Brady had his second consecutive 300-plus-yard outing, moving him into the top five in passing yards for the year, and hasn’t thrown a pick since Week 1. He was also the beneficiary of some highly questionable calls late in the game, but we won’t get into all that here.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 141-207, 1,409 yards, 7 TD, 1 INT; 9 rushes, -7 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 88.7
3. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (2-3)
Week 5 Stats: 16-25, 268 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; 3 rushes, 13 yards
Week 5 Grade: A
Another week and another A grade for Geno Smith. It’s unfortunate for Pete Carroll that the Seahawks’ defense couldn’t stop the Saints (specifically Taysom Hill) in a 39-32 loss because his quarterback did more than enough to put Seattle in position to win.
Smith completed 64% of his passes, which actually dropped his league-leading completion percentage to 75.2%, and threw for 268 yards and a season-high three touchdowns, all of which went for 35 yards or longer. He hit DK Metcalf with a 50-yard score and Tyler Lockett for touchdowns of 35 and 40 yards.
Many keep expecting Smith to slow down, but the 32-year-old is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon. He’ll look to get the Seahawks back to .500 in Week 6 with a matchup against Kyler Murray and the Cardinals.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 118-157, 1,305 yards, 9 TD, 2 INT; 20 rushes, 77 yards, 1 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 89.1
2. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (4-1)
Week 5 Stats: 20-31, 424 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT; 5 rushes, 42 yards
Week 5 Grade: A+
I’m typically not inclined to award a perfect grade to anyone who throws an interception, but how am I not supposed to give Josh Allen an A+ following his ridiculous performance in the Bills’ 38-3 thrashing of the Steelers?
It took all of three snaps for the Pro Bowler to establish his dominance on Sunday as he hit Gabe Davis for a 98-yard touchdown with an incredible throw down the middle of the field. And the rout was on from there.
Allen completed 64.5% of his passes for a season-high 424 yards, moving him ahead of Justin Herbert for the league lead in passing yardage, and four touchdowns. And that was with wind gusts of up to 20 miles per hour. And he didn’t even play the whole game, as he was lifted for Case Keenum in the fourth quarter.
But despite the incredible outing, he still sits in second place because the man ahead of him had a perfect performance of his own.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 133-199, 1,651 yards, 14 TD, 4 INT; 35 rushes, 225 yards, 2 TD
2022 NFL Season Score: 93.1
1. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (4-1)
Week 5 Stats: 29-43, 292 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT; 4 rushes, 28 yards
Week 5 Grade: A+
Patrick Mahomes didn’t get off to the most remarkable start in the Chiefs’ Monday night matchup with the rival Raiders. But just as he never gives up on a play, the four-time Pro Bowler refused to give up when his team got down 17-0.
Mahomes led Kansas City back for a wild 30-29 victory, throwing for 292 yards and four touchdowns, all to Travis Kelce, with no interceptions for the first time since Week 2. Yes, a controversial call allowed the Chiefs to continue their go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter, but that doesn’t take away from how well the 2018 NFL MVP played.
2022 NFL Season Stats: 126-189, 1,398 yards, 15 TD, 2 INT; 17 rushes, 92 yards
2022 NFL Season Score: 93.8
Stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference
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