Grading Every Quarterback Performance From Week 13

What a thanksgiving week it was for football, particularly for quarterbacks. Sure, you still had your stinkers and your ugly performances, but there was a lot of good this week in the NFL. It started with thanksgiving day, which gave us some great showings by signal callers, followed by a lot of solid outings and some diamonds in the rough. Why don’t we dive deeper into this past week, and take a look at how every man under center did for their teams.

Jared Goff: A-

Goff was mostly on point against his division rival. Despite the run game struggling at times and with there being consistent pressure in his face, Detroit’s signal caller kept the ship steady. Additionally, he lost his best target Amon-Ra St. Brown early in the game. As such, he fed Jameson Williams and found rookie Isaac Teslaa for a touchdown. Goff did his best to keep the game tight, but unfortunately came up short.

Jordan Love: A+

Jordan “Toyotathon” Love had another heater of a Thanksgiving performance. He made multiple off balance throws and great plays to his receivers. His first touchdown drive capped off with the throw to Wicks was sensational, and he put the ball right where it needed to be. Perhaps the biggest throw of the night on fourth down, encapsulates his entire performance. With a chance to end the game, Love dropped back and had two Lions defenders right in his face. He remained calm, and delivered a ball only Dontayvion Wicks could catch.

Dak Prescott: A

On the third play of the game, Dak Prescott threw an interception to Jaylen Watson. While it would have been easy to let that slow start dictate the game’s outcome, Prescott remained aggressive and delivered. He answered the following Kansas City touchdown drive with one of his own and set the tone for a shootout. During the match, he made multiple big-time throws on critical third downs, including a third and second pass to George Pickens to ice the game.

Patrick Mahomes: A

In his first ever professional game at AT&T stadium, Patrick Mahomes put on a vintage performance. The former Red Raider’s escapability was put to the test, and he made multiple plays that very few others could make. That includes a deep pass to Xavier Worthy after stumbling away from multiple Cowboys defenders. Additionally, two of his four touchdown passes came on critical fourth downs, and sum up his performance as a whole.

Joe Burrow: A

“I’m not ever going to go to somebody and say, ‘Yeah, I’m healthy, but I don’t think I should go out there and play,'” Burrow said prior to this game. Well, he sure did prove that he’s healthy. In spite of the absence of Tee Higgins, Cincinnati’s operation didn’t miss a beat from the last time Burrow was under center. He completed 24 of 46 passes for 261 yards, and showed no signs of lingering injury issues.

Lamar Jackson: D+

In contrast to Burrow, Lamar Jackson has not looked himself for the past three weeks. His disappointing stretch of games continued on Thursday, as he struggled against the 32nd ranked defense in the league. The two-time MVP missed his receivers multiple times, and was responsible for three of his squad’s four turnovers (one interception, two fumbles). Of course, his day could’ve looked better had there not been a few key drops, and a fumble through the endzone by Isaiah Likely. Regardless, Jackson’s play has been among the best the past few years, so it’s easy to assume that his injury is still affecting him in some way.

Jalen Hurts: C-

It would be fair to highlight Kevin Patullo’s shortcomings as offensive coordinator, particularly in how his offense doesn’t feel best suited for Hurts’ skillset. Nevertheless, there were throws that Hurts just plain missed, and these were throws that would often result in a moving of the sticks. Hurts especially floundered against the blitz, as the extra pressure generated by Dennis Allen would often cause an inaccurate throw.

Caleb Williams: C+

There’s still some accuracy issues with Williams, but he had a passable (no pun intended) outing nonetheless. He was the beneficiary of a very effective ground game, and did his best to minimize mistakes. Chicago’s second year signal caller also got lucky. His one interception didn’t amount to much thanks to a fumble by Jalen Hurts on the tush push. Although, he did make what you could consider the game clinching play. His lone touchdown pass was designed to be a short check down, but Williams prompted to make a perfect throw to Cole Kmet for the score, extending the Bears’ lead.

Tua Tagovailoa: C-

Tua’s league leading 13 interception mark was extended after Kool-Aid McKinstry (oh yeah!) snagged his overthrown ball. Granted, it was a great play by McKinstry, but it encapsulates the struggles that Miami’s signal caller has been having this year. Overall, it was an underwhelming performance for Tagovailoa. He was 12 for 23 on the day against a pretty limited New Orleans defense, and put up just 157 yards (80 of which were after the catch). Although, his protection up front didn’t do much to help. Tagovailoa was brought to the ground four times, and was under pressure often.

Tyler Shough: C

Shough and the Kamara-less Saints offense had just 63 net yards by the end of the first half. Kellen Moore’s attack, and by extension Tyler Shough, was flailing. Shough did provide New Orleans some hope by the last two quarters. He made plays in and out of the pocket which show he’s got the tools to be a long-time starter for the Saints. Nevertheless, his accuracy, especially on third down, could have been better. Furthermore, his one interception came during what was one of the better drives of the day for New Orleans. Additionally, the pick he threw on the last two-point conversion that went the other way proved to be costly.

Daniel Jones: B-

Indiana Jones played like a man who’s not at a 100 percent, funny how that works. Jokes aside, Jones faired well against the best defense in the league on a hobbled foot. Sure, things could have gone better, but he made some great throws in the face of pressure. His completion percentage of 52 looks rough, but it’s worsened by Michael Pittman and Josh Downs having multiple drops. All in all, not the best performance, but definitely not the worst either.

CJ Stroud: B+

Following a terrible interception during the first half, Stroud worked well within the pocket. Most importantly, he provided a glimpse of just how dangerous this Texans team could be when he’s healthy. Houston’s man under center was especially efficient against the blitz. Lou Anarumo sent an extra rusher on 31.6 percent of his dropbacks, but Stroud excelled as he went 9-of-11 for 134. If the Texans keep this up and continue to stack wins, they’ll be an opponent no one will want to face in the playoffs.

Tyrod Taylor: B-

The fifteen year vet pulled a gritty win against a solid Falcons defense. Taylor primarily fed newcomer Adonai Mitchell, who had a career game with the veteran slinging the rock. With the run game not being as effective as in past matches, it was key for Taylor to step up when it mattered most. He did just that, and scored on a scramble to cap off a 15-play, 65-yard drive. It was a great gritty win for Aaron Glenn, and he can thank Tyrod Taylor for rising to the occasion.

Kirk Cousins: B

Not much to say regarding Cousins’ performance. The Falcons are currently one of the biggest disappointments of the NFL week in and week out. That is due to individual small mistakes made at key points in the game. Cousins wasn’t the culprit of those small mistakes, and did well enough for the win. He leaned on the run and the dazzling play of Bijan Robinson, and ultimately did his job as a backup. In fact, his day could have gone better, as his receivers had a case of butter fingers.

Shedeur Sanders: C+

Cleveland’s offense as a whole was stagnant in their affair with the 49ers. Shedeur Sanders’ second start was sort of a representation of their struggles as a whole. He did fine the first half, putting up 96 yards, but did little in the second. He made a good throw to Harold Fannin for a 34 yard score, but also missed Jerry Jeudy when he was wide open. His issue of holding onto the ball for too long also persisted, as he was sacked three times.

Brock Purdy: B-

There wasn’t a gaudy statline this time around, but Purdy played the role of a game manager effectively. Despite the heavy wind and Cleveland winter weather, Mr Irrelevant played mistake free football. He found his receivers to move the chains, and did well at controlling the tempo for San Francisco. There’s some plays that he’d want back, but he did enough for the win even with consistent pressure in his face.

Bryce Young: A

The roller coaster that are the 2025 Carolina Panthers live and die by Bryce Young. Luckily for the fans in Charlotte, Young decided to have a heater against LA. He completed 15 of his 20 pass attempts for 206 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns were on third and fourth down in critical moments of the game. Young had ice in his veins throughout the affair, and lead his squad to their biggest win of the season.

Matthew Stafford: C+

In this game, Matthew Stafford threw his 28th consecutive TD without throwing an INT. That’s a new NFL record, surpassing the one held by Tom Brady. After that, he threw back to back picks, one of which went the other way for six. It wasn’t the best day through the air for the MVP candidate, but he did keep the game tight. He led the Rams to scoring on three of their five ensuing drives, and passed for 243 yards. If not for the fumble he lost on LA’s final drive, maybe his day would have ended much better.

Cam Ward: C-

When will the pain for Nashville end? Ward’s vision at times was erratic, and he struggled to move the sticks on crucial downs against Jacksonville. Then again, you can’t blame the first overall pick, as he was consistently under siege because of his turnstile offensive line. All in all, it was a bad day at the office for Tennessee, and there’s nothing new to be said. Yet again, Ward has shown flashes, but can’t compensate for the horrible roster employed by the Titans.

Trevor Lawrence: A

It was a calm day at the office for the Jags, for once. That’s in large part thanks to Trevor Lawrence not throwing a momentum shifting interception while in the lead. Lawrence dissected the Titans defense for 229 yards and two touchdowns. There were some misses, but he was mostly on point.

Baker Mayfield: B

Tampa Bay nearly collapsed in the fourth quarter after their 17-3 lead dissipated, but a late field goal kept them in front. Mayfield did little to put his team in harm’s way, nor did he perform any heroics. He rode the wave of the defense after leading two touchdown drives and managed the game effectively. It was key for him to do enough for the win, as it snapped a three game losing streak for the Buccaneers.

Jacoby Brissett: B-

Every week It’s the same story for Brissett and the Cardinals, they’re good, but not good enough. Arizona nearly mounted a comeback against a solid Bucs defense, but as usual came up just short. Brissett’s lone interception came on the first drive of the game, which was 11 plays long till that point, and was due to a deflection. The journeyman commanded the offense well, but wasn’t able to close it out.

Sam Darnold: C

In his return to Minnesota, Darnold had a hard time putting up the big numbers on the statline like usual. The Vikings completely nullified Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s influence on the game, and sacked Darnold four times. Still, he was able to keep the boat steady for the Hawks. He made good decisions, and as head coach Mike McDonald said, he took “good sacks.”

Max Brosmer: D-

Where to start? While a veteran like Darnold knows when to give up on a play, Brosmer learned he had to the hard way. On the first of his four interceptions, Brosmer threw the ball away straight to Ernest Jones’ bread basket, who took it all the way for a score. The UDFA looked like, well, a UDFA. He struggled under the constant pressure sent his way, turned the ball over four times and was lost in the midst of things.

Aaron Rodgers: D+

Father time remains undefeated. Rodgers has been showing his age all year, but this match felt like a boiling point. Neither team was able to throw the ball downfield to any capacity, and Rodgers just isn’t able to light a spark in an offense like he used to. He was able to complete just 10 of his 21 pass attempts, for 117 yards, and his o-line let him down all day. Now, with Rodgers calling out his receivers in press conferences, a collapse for the Steelers feels imminent.

Josh Allen: C+

On Sunday, Josh Allen broke the record for rushing touchdowns as a QB. Other than that, he didn’t do much. It was a mixed bag against Pittsburgh, and he mostly relied on the run. Buffalo rushed for a total of 249 yards, completely dominating the Steelers at the line of scrimmage. Allen was able to relax and mostly hand off the ball. His one interception could have been costly, but the Bills defense was able to hold their own.

Justin Herbert: B-

Herbert sustained a broken bone in his left hand during the first series of the game. He delivered a gritty performance afterwards, and did ok all things considered. He kept drives alive, leaned on the run game, and threw two touchdowns. Was it perfect? No, but it was good enough to get the win, now LA hopes that their franchise guy will be ok and suited up for next week.

Geno Smith: C

The hope was that the Chip Kelly firing would lead to a better product on the field. It’s hard to say if it’s amounted to much, but it was a mixed bag for the Raiders on Sunday. There was mild improvement, as two touchdowns against the Chargers is pretty good, and his lone interception wasn’t his fault. However, the offensive line remained a liability, and Smith was under constant pressure all day.

Marcus Mariota: B

The cards were stacked against Mariota, given he was facing one of the best defenses in the game as a backup with not the best supporting cast. As such, the resiliency that he displayed is very impressive. In a pass heavy offense, Mariota threw the pigskin 50 times, and scrambled 10 times. He was the leading rusher for Washington, and did a bit of damage on the ground. Mariota nearly willed his squad to a win as well, as he was just a two point away from victory.

Bo Nix: B

You hope that Nix’s inconsistencies won’t come back to bite Denver come playoff time, but he’s continuously proven he can dig his team out of the holes he puts them in. Nix’s one interception to Bobby Wagner helped the Commanders kick a field goal which kept them alive in this match. However, his diving touchdown throw to end the half showed the poise he has. If he keeps winning for Denver, those interceptions won’t matter, but that’s a very big if.

Jaxson Dart: B+

Dart continues to be a bright spot among the mess that are the New York Giants. Of course, the Giants weren’t on the board till they were down 17-0, but the grit that Dart showed is something to appreciate. That grit was also seen when he took a big from Christian Ellis on the sideline, as he popped right back up like nothing happened. The G-men and their fans hope that Dart will learn how to slide and take less hits, but if he fixes that, the only way to go from there is up.

Drake Maye: A+

The Giants defense hasn’t been performing up to their potential and you wouldn’t really consider it an amazing unit. Regardless, they’re not a bunch of pushovers, and their d-line in particular packs quite a punch. As such, it’s very impressive what Drake Maye did. At this point, outings like the one he had against New York feel like a dime a dozen. Nearly every week Maye has some highlight deep throw outside the hashes that falls perfectly into his receivers hand, and the one he had this game was to rookie Kyle Williams. Ultimately, two touchdowns and 282 yards is an excellent statline, especially with how easy Maye made it look.