Wild Card Weekend is in the books. Here’s how each quarterback fared.
Getty Image / Kevin Sabitus
A wild NFL Wild Card Weekend is in the books. We saw some great quarterback performances, and some that were truly awful.
Here’s how all 12 starters played, ranked worst to first.
12. Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers)
Last Week: 14/32, 43.8%, 242 yds, 1 TD / 4 INT
I sang Justin Herbert’s praises all year. Nobody in the NFL did a better job of taking care of the football than he did. Yeah, that didn’t carry over into the playoffs. Herbert threw four picks against the Texans on Sunday, three of which were his fault. There are bright days ahead for both Herbert and the Chargers. But, he was truly awful on Saturday, playing probably the worst game of all-time.
11. Sam Darnold (Minnesota Vikings)
Last Week: 25/40, 62.5%, 245 yds, 1 TD / 1 INT
Those stats above aren’t that bad. But, Darnold’s performance was catastrophic. He was sacked nine times, and while the offensive line did him no favors, he held on to the ball far too long. When he did get passes off, he frequently missed easy throws. Darnold undid a lot of good work this season with a poor final two games of the season.
10. Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers)
Last Week: 20/33, 60.6%, 212 yds, 0 TD / 3 INT
At one point, the Packers were without their top three wide receivers due to injury in Sunday’s loss to the Eagles. But, that’s not an excuse for just how poorly Jordan Love played. He was not in command of the offense whatsoever, and his inaccuracy repeatedly killed drives.
9. Russell Wilson (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Last Week: 20/29, 69.0%, 270 yds, 2 TD / 0 INT
We’re now entering the group of quarterbacks weren’t all that bad. All things considered, Wilson played a solid game statistically. But, a lot of the numbers were accumulated in garbage time, and a slow start on offense doomed Pittsburgh to play from behind.
8. Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles)
Last Week: 13/21, 61.9%, 131 yds, 2 TD / 0 INT
Hurts had a really slow start on Sunday. But, as the game went on, he warmed up and led a few clutch scoring drives. And, he hurt the Packers with his legs, something that is going to be crucial down the stretch.
7. Bo Nix (Denver Broncos)
Last Week: 13/22, 59.1%, 144 yds, 1 TD / 0 INT
Don’t let the numbers fool you. Bo Nix acquitted himself well in his first playoff start. The Buffalo Bills absolutely dominated time of position and the gameflow, so the numbers weren’t great. But, Nix looked much more comfortable than a few of the veterans on this list.
6. CJ Stroud (Houston Texans)
Last Week: 22/33, 66.7%, 282 yds, 1 TD / 1 INT
Early on, it looked like CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans were headed for an early playoff exit. But, he and the team turned it around. After his sensational throw downfield on a broken play got the team going late in the first half, Stroud was terrific.
5. Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Last Week: 15/18, 83.3%, 185 yds, 2 TD / 0 INT
Mayfield’s brutal fumble on a broken play played a huge part in the team’s loss to the Commanders. But, Mayfield was excellent otherwise all game. The fact that he finished a playoff game with 18 attempts is an indictment of the game-plan.
4. Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams)
Last Week: 19/27, 70.4%, 209 yds, 2 TD / 0 INT
As bad as Sam Darnold was, Matthew Stafford was that good on Monday night. Stafford looked like a quarterback that can once again take the Rams deep into the playoffs.
3. Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
Last Week: 16/21, 76.2%, 175 yds, 2 TD / 0 INT
The Ravens ran the ball effectively against Pittsburgh, and Lamar Jackson was a big part of that. But, his improvement as a pocket passer has been a big story all season, and that was once again on display on Saturday night.
2. Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders)
Last Week: 24/35, 68.6%, 268 yds, 2 TD / 0 INT
Jayden Daniels was absolutely sensational against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night, especially in the clutch. He’s using his legs again after battling some injury issues in the middle part of the season, and that’s made him even more dangerous. The rookie has had quite the year.
1. Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
Last Week: 20/26, 76.9%, 272 yds, 2 TD / 0 INT
Josh Allen is absolutely incredible, and has been a sensational postseason quarterback his entire career. He was lights-out against the Broncos on Sunday. Three more performances like that should bring a Super Bowl to Buffalo for the first time.