While Week 12 didn’t feature as much drama as Week 11, it still generated plenty of storylines. Mainly, several high-ranking quarterbacks from previous weeks had terrible games and saw their teams get blown out. This week’s rankings reflect the surprising results.
1. Lamar Jackson 15/20 169 yards, five touchdowns, 95 rushing yards
Last week’s ranking: 2
While Jackson’s play-style is unconventional, he’s sticking it to his doubters this season. The MVP candidate finds ways to make big plays on the ground and through the air. His dynamic offensive production is part of the reason the Baltimore Ravens are the most dangerous team in football.
2. Russell Wilson 13/25 200 yards, one touchdown, one interception, one fumble lost
Last week’s ranking: 1
The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Philadelphia Eagles and advanced to 9-2, but that was thanks to the defense. Seattle’s offense struggled to find its footing all game long, and Wilson threw his third interception this season.
3. Patrick Mahomes BYE WEEK
Last week’s ranking: 3
The Kansas City Chiefs benefited from an Oakland Raiders loss in Week 12. At 7-4, the Chiefs are one game up on the 6-5 Raiders. KC has a mixed strength of schedule down the stretch. The team will lean heavily on Mahomes for support against tougher opponents.
4. Drew Brees 30/39 311 yards, three touchdowns, one interception
Last week’s ranking: 5
After the Carolina Panthers missed a field goal, Brees drove the New Orleans Saints down the field for a game-winning score. The NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards completed 76.92% of his pass attempts and posted a 114.4 passer rating.
5. Deshaun Watson 19/30 298 yards, two touchdowns, one interception
Last week’s ranking: 7
When the Houston Texans first met the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7, Watson threw one touchdown and two interceptions. He reversed those numbers in Week 12 and, this time, the Texans came out on top. Houston controls the AFC South.
6. Tom Brady 17/37 190 yards, one touchdown
Last week’s ranking: 4
The media talk a lot about New England’s offensive struggles this season. The Patriots’ new dynamic was on full display against the Dallas Cowboys as the defense carried Brady and the offense. However, we all know the GOAT will show up in the playoffs.
7. Kirk Cousins BYE WEEK
Last week’s ranking: 8
Even though they didn’t play, the Vikings were winners in Week 12. The 49ers demolished the Packers, putting Green Bay on equal footing with Minnesota. The Packers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker, but the two rivals clash again in Week 16.
8. Dak Prescott 19/33 212, one interception
Last week’s ranking: 9
Going into Dallas’ game against New England, Prescott led the NFL in passing yards per game with 322.1. That version of Prescott wasn’t on the field on Sunday. He had his worst game of the season in a tough test of Dallas’ actual ability.
9. Ryan Tannehill 14/18 259 yards, two touchdowns, 40 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, one fumble lost
Last week’s ranking: 14
Why did the Tennessee Titans even bother starting Marcus Mariota at the start of the year? Since taking over, Tannehill is 4-1 as a starter. The Titans are tied with the Colts at 6-5 in the AFC South and narrowly trail the division-leading 7-4 Texans.
10. Aaron Rodgers 20/33 104 yards, one touchdown, one fumble lost
Last week’s ranking: 6
He may only have two interceptions this season, but Rodgers hasn’t been the most significant factor in many of Green Bay’s wins this season. After losing to the San Francisco 49ers, the Packers are tied with the Minnesota Vikings at 8-3. The two teams meet in Week 16.
11. Derek Carr 15/27 127 yards, one interception
Last week’s ranking: 10
The New York Jets dominated the Raiders in Week 12. Oakland pulled Carr before the final whistle because the game was out of hand. Carr is playing at a Pro Bowl level this season, but his performance was suspect on Sunday.
12. Kyler Murray BYE WEEK
Last week’s ranking: 12
The Arizona Cardinals are mediocre, but Murray has given the team hope. He isn’t having a terrific rookie season, but he looks like a starting quarterback, which is more than I can say about other young quarterbacks right now.
13. Jimmy Garoppolo 14/20 253 yards, two touchdowns
Last week’s ranking: 16
On Sunday night, Garoppolo had his second-best game this season. He completed 70.0% of his pass attempts and posted a 145.8 passer rating. The 49ers advanced to 10-1 at the expense of a competitive Green Bay team.
14. Matt Ryan 23/46 271 yards, one interception, one fumble lost
Last week’s ranking: 11
The Atlanta Falcons were on a roll in Weeks 10 and 11, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended their winning streak on Sunday. Ryan has struggled with consistency this season and it showed as he completed 50.0% of his pass attempts during the loss.
15. Carson Wentz 33/45 256 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, two fumbles lost
Last week’s ranking: 13
Hopes were high for Wentz at the start of the season, and he has not delivered. Wentz has only thrown six interceptions this season, but the Eagles are 5-6 and their quarterback isn’t saving them from mediocrity.
16. Josh Allen 15/25 185 yards, two touchdowns, one interception, 56 rushing yards
Last week’s ranking: 15
The Buffalo Bills topped the Denver Broncos 20-3 in Week 12, earning their eighth win of the season. Allen has made leaps from last season, but he still lacks consistency in the passing game. His risky nature will hurt Buffalo in the playoffs if the Bills get that far.
17. Baker Mayfield 24/34 327 yards, three touchdowns, one interception
Last week’s ranking: 20
The second-year quarterback has turned things around since Week 9. In his last four games, Mayfield has eight touchdowns and one interception. The Cleveland Browns are 3-1 during that stretch. Sitting at 5-6, don’t overlook the Browns just yet.
18. Sam Darnold 20/29 315 yards, two touchdowns, one rushing touchdown
Last week’s ranking: 19
While he struggled early in the year, Darnold is singing a new toon lately. In his last three games, Darnold has thrown seven touchdowns and one interception, and the Jets are 3-0. New York embarrassed Oakland 34-3 on Sunday.
19. Jacoby Brissett 16/25 129 yards, one rushing touchdown
Last week’s ranking: 17
Brissett put together a good run during the first half of the season, but since missing Week 10 with an injury he sustained in Week 9, Andrew Luck’s successor has struggled. He has just 277 passing yards and a 76.7 passer rating in the previous two games.
20. Jameis Winston 18/28 313 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions, 38 rushing yards
Last week’s ranking: 23
The former first overall pick has thrown eight interceptions in the past three weeks, and the Buccaneers are 2-1 during that stretch. Welcome to Winston’s weird career. Somehow, he posted a 108.2 passer rating and won a game in blowout fashion, despite throwing two interceptions.
21. Kyle Allen 23/36 256 yards, three touchdowns
Last week’s ranking: 27
After throwing three touchdowns and nine interceptions over the past four weeks, Allen rebounded against the Saints. While the Panthers came up three points short, Allen had the second-best game of the season in a major divisional matchup.
22. Daniel Jones 21/36 150 yards, two touchdowns, one fumble lost
Last week’s ranking: 21
If not for Khalil Mack stripping Jones, the New York Giants might have defeated the Chicago Bears. Jones had a decent game, completing 58.33% of his pass attempts and posting an 86.6 passer rating. However, the Giants dropped to 2-9.
23. Ryan Fitzpatrick 21/39 214 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, 45 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
Last week’s ranking: 22
Scrappy as always, Fitzpatrick went down fighting against the Browns. He rallied the Miami Dolphins to 21 second-half points, but that wasn’t enough to catch Cleveland. While he still makes mistakes, Fitzpatrick deserves credit for what he’s done with Miami this season.
24. Philip Rivers BYE WEEK
Last week’s ranking: 24
The 2019 season has not been kind to the 2004 quarterback class. Eli Manning is benched, and Ben Roethlisberger is on IR. Meanwhile, Rivers has thrown 14 interceptions in 11 games, eclipsing his total from last season. The Los Angeles Chargers are 4-7.
25. Jared Goff 26/37 212, two interceptions
Last week’s ranking: 26
Can we call curtains on the Los Angeles Rams’ season yet? The Rams are in possibly the most competitive division in football, and their offense is nowhere near what it was last year. This team, which is still very talented, is falling to pieces.
26. Nick Foles 32/48 272 yards
Last week’s ranking: 18
Fans on Twitter called for Gardner Minshew’s reinstatement as Jacksonville’s starter during the Jaguars’ crushing loss to the Titans. The 42-20 blood bath would have been worse if not for Leonard Fournette salvaging Jacksonville’s offense a little.
27. Mitchell Trubisky 25/41 278 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, one rushing touchdown
Last week’s ranking: 30
No matter how much the Bears try to prop up their former first-round pick, the Trubisky era will not last in Chicago. The once-great Bears barely escaped the Giants on Sunday. Trubisky is holding this team back, and everyone knows it.
28. Jeff Driskel 20/33 207 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions, 63 rushing yards
Last week’s ranking: 25
If the Detroit Lions had Matthew Stafford, they would’ve stomped the Washington Redskins. Unfortunately, they had Driskel instead. The backup quarterback kept the game close, but his three interceptions sealed Detroit’s defeat.
29. Devlin Hodges 5/11 118 yards, one touchdown
Last week’s ranking: Unranked (DNP)
While Hodges’ 115.0 passer rating looks impressive, keep in mind 79 of those yards came on one play. Even though he was mercifully substituted in for Rudolph, Hodges isn’t going to make Pittsburgh’s offense much better.
30. Brandon Allen 10/25 82 yards, one interception
Last week’s ranking: 28
While he wasn’t lighting things up, Allen played decently in his first two starts. However, his third start was a disaster. He completed just 40.0% of his pass attempts and posted a 32.4 passer rating. The team scored just three points against Buffalo.
31. Ryan Finley 12/26 192 yards, one touchdown, one fumble lost
Last week’s ranking: 31
Cincinnati’s offensive line held up surprisingly well against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, the Bengals offense struggled to move the ball against Pittsburgh’s superior defense. Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Bengals will start Andy Dalton next week.
32. Dwayne Haskins 13/29 156 yards, one interception, one fumble lost
Last week’s ranking: 29
Another week, another abysmal game for Haskins. The first-round pick completed 44.83% of his pass attempts and posted a 47.5 passer rating. Fortunately, the Redskins faced the Lions and their backup quarterback. Washington won 19-16.
33. Mason Rudolph 8/16 85 yards, one interception
Last week’s ranking: 32
After throwing four interceptions and getting clubbed with his own helmet last week, the second-year quarterback was benched to start the second half. Pittsburgh’s offense is too stagnant when Rudolph is at the helm. He’s not an NFL quarterback right now.
Played sparingly
Tim Boyle 3/4 15 yards
Last week’s ranking: Unranked (DNP)
Congratulations to the Eastern Kentucky product on his first pass in the NFL. Unfortunately, the former undrafted free agent only got into the game because the 49ers buried the Packers in a 37-8 landslide.
Mike Glennon 4/7 20 yards, one fumble lost
Last week’s ranking: Unranked (DNP)
The Raiders waived the white flag early against the Jets, substituting Glennon for Carr. The Raiders fell to 6-5 and dropped out of the playoff seeding. However, they still have the same record as the current sixth seed.
Robert Griffin III 1/3 39 yards
Last week’s ranking: Played sparingly
Griffin saw action for the third consecutive week as the Ravens bludgeoned the Rams 45-6. The veteran quarterback sees a healthy dose of late-game action thanks to Baltimore’s increasing dominance.
Matt Schaub 5/9 55 yards, one touchdown
Last week’s ranking: Unranked (DNP)
With the game out of reach, the Falcons took the precautionary move of removing Ryan from the game. Schaub, who started one game earlier this season while Ryan was hurt, registered Atlanta’s only passing touchdown of the week.
