While Week 14 saw some very good quarterback performances, it has been far from a vintage week for the position. The NFC West and North led the way, with Matthew Stafford, Brock Purdy, Jared Goff, and Sam Darnold posting impressive numbers, but there were as many performances that graded below a C- as there was above a C+ this week.
Let’s break down all of the quarterback performances this week in our Week 14 QB rankings, using our QB+ metric to analyze the full spectrum of their play.
Our QB+ metric looks at several statistics, including net yards per attempt (nYPA), third-down conversion rate, passing under pressure, and passing from a clean pocket. Additionally, we have quantified performances in clutch situations using statistics from different key scenarios within a game.
By no means is QB+ the perfect metric, and we will continue to develop it throughout the season and beyond. However, when we analyzed it against the past five years, the results were extremely indicative of what we saw on the field while providing enough nuance away from traditional statistics for measuring quarterback play.
All stats are from TruMedia unless otherwise stated.
Week 14 QB Grades
First, you will find a full list of all quarterbacks from Week 14, listed in order of their QB+ grade and score. Below, you will find an analysis of all qualified quarterbacks and the context for their grades.
They will be listed alphabetically by first name rather than by grade or score. This will allow readers to quickly find the QB they are looking for in the writeups.
- Matthew Stafford, A (93.1) | LAR vs. BUF
- Sam Darnold, A- (92.2) | MIN vs. ATL
- Brock Purdy, B+ (88.8) | SF vs. CHI
- Jared Goff, B (85.3) | DET vs. GB
- Josh Allen, B (83.0) | BUF at LAR
- Joe Burrow, B- (81.8) | CIN at DAL
- Geno Smith, B- (81.2) | SEA at ARI
- Jalen Hurts, C+ (79.4) | PHI vs. CAR
- Aaron Rodgers, C+ (78.6) | NYJ at MIA
- Jordan Love, C+ (78.6) | GB at DET
- Justin Herbert, C+ (78.2) | LAC at KC
- Mac Jones, C (76.7) | JAX at TEN
- Tua Tagovailoa, C (76.5) | MIA vs. NYJ
- Russell Wilson, C (76.5) | PIT vs. CLE
- Patrick Mahomes, C (75.1) | KC vs. LAC
- Kirk Cousins, C (75.1) | ATL at MIN
- Baker Mayfield, C (74.4) | TB vs. LV
- Derek Carr, C (74.3) | NO at NYG
- Caleb Williams, C- (70.7) | CHI at SF
- Cooper Rush, C- (70.2) | DAL vs. CIN
- Will Levis, D+ (69.9) | TEN vs. JAX
- Kyler Murray, D+ (69.0) | ARI vs. SEA
- Bryce Young, D+ (69.6) | CAR at PHI
- Desmond Ridder, D+ (68.1) | LV at TB
- Aidan O’Connell, D+ (67.3) | LV at TB
- Jameis Winston, D (66.0) | CLE at PIT
- Drew Lock, D (63.8) | NYG vs. NO
Week 14 QB Analysis
Aaron Rodgers, NYJ (at MIA)
- Grade: C+
Week 14 was Aaron Rodgers’ fourth-best game of the 2024 season, and just his fifth grade above a C. Rodgers was much improved when asked to make plays both under pressure and from a clean pocket. This was actually Rodgers’ best number for the entire season in terms of nYPA at 8.2. Unfortunately, it was also one of his worst in terms of third-down conversions (27.3%).
Aidan O’Connell, LV (at TB)
- Grade: D+
Aidan O’Connell was having his worst game of the season before having to leave on the cart with an injury that could potentially end his season. After a promising performance in Kansas City last week, some of O’Connell’s throws this week were downright head-scratching.
The metrics reinforce that this was a problematic performance from O’Connell, and when combined with the injury, it may have ended any hopes of a starting role in 2025. This was his worst game of the season when under pressure, and he converted on just 16.7% of his third-down opportunities. His nYPA was down at 4.9, and he finished the game with a -0.4 EPA per dropback.
Baker Mayfield, TB (vs. LV)
- Grade: C
Baker Mayfield continues to be all over the place with his performances since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Week 11 bye. He was impressive when making plays from a clean pocket, but for the second week, running was really poor when put under pressure. He finished the game with a -1.34 EPA per dropback when pressured, compared to a 0.03 EPA per dropback across all his dropbacks.
Mayfield posted an impressive number when it came to nYPA (9.2) but also averaged 8.4 yards after the catch per completion (YAC/Cp). Therefore, it is hard to fully separate his play from the efforts of his receivers to make plays with the ball in their hands. Mayfield salvaged his clutch numbers with a strong fourth quarter because he had struggled in other spots.
Brock Purdy, SF (vs. CHI)
- Grade: B+
This was a very nice rebound for Brock Purdy after a tough day out in the snow of Buffalo last Sunday. He was impressive from a clean pocket, and 12.8 nYPA is at the top of anything we have seen in our database since 2019. His clutch performances, especially late in the first half, leave a little to be desired, but the pressure was off pretty early.
This was a good return for Purdy after two tough games. However, the Chicago Bears’ defense has not been as good lately, reinforcing the narrative that Purdy can play in good weather but will struggle in cold or adverse weather conditions.
Bryce Young, CAR (at PHI)
- Grade: D+
It was a very mixed performance from Bryce Young, who continues to play better since returning in Week 8 from his benching in Week 2. However, this was Young’s second-worst performance in those last six games, and it was mostly driven by poor numbers when working from a clean pocket and in clutch situations.
Somewhat bizarrely, Young continues to post good numbers for the most part when playing under pressure but has really struggled when operating within a clean pocket this season. The other positive this week was a 50% third-down conversion rate and a 0.13 EPA per dropback. However, that was undermined by a 5.4 nYPA and his worst performance in clutch situations this season.
Caleb Williams, CHI (at SF)
- Grade: C-
This pattern of Caleb Williams not being able to move the ball in the first half before waking up in the second half needs to change quickly. By the time Williams got going, the game was already lost, and it was going to take some incredible heroics to bring them back. Thomas Brown needs to figure out how to get Williams starting quicker.
MORE: Simulate the Rest of the NFL Season With PFN’s Playoff Predictor
The positive spin is that this is three straight games graded C- or better after three games graded D or below. The biggest issues this week were on third down (25.0%) and a 3.8 nYPA. Williams was good from a clean pocket and just below league average when pressured and in clutch situations.
Cooper Rush, DAL (vs. CIN)
- Grade: C-
Cooper Rush completed just over 50% of his passes, hitting 16 of 31 passes for 183 yards and two TDs. After connecting with CeeDee Lamb often in the first half, it was a slow second half for the entire Dallas Cowboys offense in the loss. The C- grade was Rush’s fifth grade of C or worse in his six starts this season.
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The positive spin is that this is three straight games graded C- or better after three games graded D or below. The biggest issues this week were on third downs (25.0%) and a 3.8 nYPA. Williams was good from a clean pocket and just below league average when pressured and in clutch situations.
Derek Carr, NO (at NYG)
- Grade: C
Before leaving the field with an injury, Derek Carr was playing at a similar level to what we have seen since his return. He now has four grades between a C- and a C+ in the last five games, with the one exception being a B- against Atlanta in Week 10. Carr continued to be good when playing from a clean pocket but struggled when under pressure and on third downs.
This season continues to be Carr’s best with the New Orleans Saints in terms of the metrics, but there is no uncertainty over the future in New Orleans as a new head coach will come in. It is tough to know if Carr has done enough to be the unquestioned starter in New Orleans going forward. He will hope the injury issue is not serious enough to cost him the rest of the season.
Desmond Ridder, LV (vs. NO)
- Grade: D+
It is hard to be too critical of a quarterback who was thrust into action due to an injury, and we should look at Desmond Ridder’s D+ grade from that perspective. He struggled when under pressure and on third downs while finishing with a 5.6 nYPA. Ridder’s 0.05 EPA per dropback is far from a bad number, and he will now likely have a chance to prove himself with the Las Vegas Raiders after O’Connell was hurt.
Drew Lock, NYG (vs. NO)
- Grade: D
After a tough outing on Thanksgiving, when playing on relatively limited notice, things did not get off to a much better start for Drew Lock in Week 14. He began with eight straight incompletions but corrected things a little, even if the numbers were still pretty underwhelming. Lock finished the week with a worse QB+ score than last week (63.8 vs. 66.8).
In two straight starts, we have now seen Lock struggle when operating from a clean pocket, and his 4.3 nYPA was barely an improvement from last week. He also regressed when throwing from a clean pocket and when playing in clutch spots. If Lock wanted to convince the New York Giants, or anyone else, he deserves an extended look as a starter, he is off to a bad start so far.
Geno Smith, SEA (at ARI)
- Grade: B-
A week after Geno Smith dropped outside of his usual C+ to C- window with a D+, he made up for it with a B- to balance things out. Smith was good from a clean pocket, converted 50% of his third-down opportunities, and finished with 7.8 nYPA. Smith was closer to league average when throwing under pressure and in clutch spots, but it was enough to be his best game of the season with a 0.2 EPA per dropback.
Jalen Hurts, PHI (vs. CAR)
- Grade: C+
There is quite a lot to unpack in this performance from Jalen Hurts. In terms of his season, it was a very much middle-of-the-pack performance, and the contrast in his metrics is quite wide. He was good when throwing from a clean pocket, on third downs, and in other clutch spots. However, his nYPA was just 4.0, with a 3.1 YAC/Cp and a total of 108 passing yards.
The element that will take the most unpacking is Hurts’ performance under pressure. He finished with a -0.33 EPA per dropback in those spots. He was 4-of-7 for 25 yards and one touchdown when throwing the ball under pressure, but he also added a 35-yard run alongside being sacked four times, including a strip-sack. The Panthers came after Hurts a lot, and the results were extremely mixed, so we could see more teams do it.
Jameis Winston, CLE (at PIT)
- Grade: D+
We had seen far too much consistency from Jameis Winston in the previous three weeks, with three straight C grades in a row. He made sure it would not be four-straight with a D-grade performance in Pittsburgh against the Steelers. This was Winston’s worst performance of the season in terms of performance under pressure and close to his worst on third downs and in terms of nYPA.
We have come to expect this level of uncertainty from Winston. He has improved the Cleveland Browns’ offense, but the bar was extremely low after Deshaun Watson’s performances. However, he has yet to prove that he should be the starter for this team in 2025, and the Browns have a lot to ponder at QB this season.
Jared Goff, DET (vs. GB)
- Grade: B
After a couple of C-graded performances, Jared Goff bounced back nicely on Thursday Night Football. This was far from his best performance of the season, but it was one of three B-grade performances for the season to go with an A+ and an A. Goff is now grading as an A- on the year, which will be by far his best year in Detroit so far.
Goff particularly excelled in clutch situations, making plays in all the key spots to post one of the best numbers in our database since 2019. He also converted 60% of third-down opportunities and had a 0.29 EPA per dropback. The numbers under pressure were good again this week, improving for the second straight week, even if the numbers from a clean pocket were just league-average.
Joe Burrow, CIN (at DAL)
- Grade: B-
The ball finally bounced the Cincinnati Bengals’ way and, for once, didn’t waste another good Joe Burrow game. Burrow passed for 369 yards and three TDs, including a clutch 40-yard TD pass to Ja’Marr Chase with under a minute left in a tied game.
Burrow’s 81.8 (B-) was the fifth-best score of the week among QBs and his seventh grade of B- or better in the 13 starts this season.
Jordan Love, GB (at DET)
- Grade: C+
While a C+ is far from a bad performance for Jordan Love, he will be frustrated to have not played better this week. The number that will be most jarring is a 20% conversion rate on third downs, which in a tight game is often the difference between the two teams. When you consider Goff was converting 60% of his third-down opportunities, you can clearly see the gulf.
Love also struggled when under pressure this week, finishing with a -0.85 EPA per dropback. The combination of the struggles under pressure and on third downs undid the impressive work he did from a clean pocket and in other clutch spots in this game, especially in the fourth quarter.
Josh Allen, BUF (at LAR)
- Grade: B
That was a tough loss for Josh Allen, as he scored six total touchdowns and accounted for over 400 yards between his passing and rushing. However, Allen left something to be desired with his QB play as he struggled when under pressure, with a -0.41 EPA per dropback when pressured. On all dropbacks, Allen had a 0.57 EPA per play, showing he was good when operating from a clean pocket this week.
Allen’s numbers, other than when pressured, were good, but they were hardly what you would describe as incredible. He was solid in clutch situations and between the 70th and 80th percentile throwing from a clean pocket, on third downs, and in terms of nYPA.
Justin Herbert, LAC (at KC)
- Grade: C+
Another tough Chargers loss against the Chiefs. After a slow first half, Herbert got the Chargers rolling with back-to-back TD drives to give them the lead. But it wasn’t enough to stop Mahomes and the Chiefs in the end, and Herbert never got the ball back.
He completed 70% of his passes for 210 yards and a TD. A second-down sack on the Chargers’ last possession forced them to settle for the go-ahead FG instead of a TD.
Kirk Cousins, ATL (at MIN)
- Grade: C
It has been a tough last four games for Kirk Cousins, who has not posted a grade above a C in that time. He was once again bad when under pressure this week, but he did at least play better from a clean pocket in Week 14. Other than his numbers when under pressure, Cousins had a better week, but it would have been hard to be much worse than he was last week.
Cousins is the first starting quarterback with zero passing touchdowns and eight or more interceptions in a four-game span since Ben Roethlisberger from 2005-06. That play has seen his team drop out of control of the NFC South, as they are now a game behind the Buccaneers despite beating them twice this season.
Kyler Murray, ARI (vs. SEA)
- Grade: D+
Since the Arizona Cardinals’ bye week, Kyler Murray has posted two D+ grades and a C-. That has been a terrible run for a quarterback who had crept up to around the top 10 before the bye week. He has looked far from comfortable in the last few weeks, especially when pressured. That was an area he had been playing week in the first 10 weeks, but Week 14 was his worst of the season with a -1.43 EPA per dropback.
Murray also struggled on third down, converting just 22.2% of opportunities, and could only average 6.2 nYPA despite getting 6.9 YAC/Cp from his receivers. The Cardinals have already seen their playoff chances drop precipitously in the last few weeks, and they could be over if Murray cannot stop this downward trend quickly.
Mac Jones, JAX (at TEN)
- Grade: C
Mac Jones continues to improve as the starter of the Jacksonville Jaguars, but the numbers themselves leave a lot more room for improvement. He posted his best score and grade of the season, largely driven by a 50% conversion rate on third downs. However, the team was still held scoreless in the first half and managed just 10 points in total in Week 14.
Jones has been fairly consistent when playing under pressure, but unfortunately, it has been consistently below average. His numbers from a clean pocket struggled somewhat this week but were still better than his previous two weeks as a starter. Jones did manage to post a 7.1 nYPA number and a positive EPA per dropback at 0.04, as well as solid numbers in clutch situations.
Matthew Stafford, LAR (vs. BUF)
- Grade: A
Just when we were starting to question whether Matthew Stafford still has it, he put together a performance for the ages, the seventh-ranked performance of the entire season. Stafford posted numbers above the 85th percentile when playing from a clean pocket and above the 90th percentile on third down, in other clutch spots, and in terms of nYPA.
The only thing that was not elite for Stafford was his play when under pressure. He finished with a perfectly adequate 0.02 EPA per dropback when pressured, but it was not in the same league as a 70% third-down conversion rate and a nYPA number of 10.7. The Los Angeles Rams need their veteran quarterback to play like this throughout the remainder of the regular season.
Patrick Mahomes, KC (vs. LAC)
- Grade: C
It wasn’t pretty at times, but in the end, it was enough as Mahomes led the Chiefs to another close win and their ninth consecutive division title. The Chiefs are 10-0 this season in one-score games and have won 15 consecutive one-score games overall.
Mahomes completed 24 of 37 passes for 210 yards and a lone TD and struggled again on third down (36.4%), resulting in four field goals by Matthew Wright.
Russell Wilson, PIT (vs. CLE)
- Grade: C
Things were a little all over the place for Russell Wilson in Week 14, as he posted his second-worst QB+ score of the season. He remained excellent when playing from a clean pocket but continued to struggle when under pressure, with a -0.61 EPA per dropback. The numbers were not all that exciting, but they did not really need to be as the Pittsburgh Steelers won by a comfortable margin.
Sam Darnold, MIN (vs. ATL)
- Grade: A-
Sam Darnold put it all together in the best way possible in Week 14. This was the best performance of his career and the best QB+ from a Minnesota Vikings quarterback since the start of the 2019 season. His numbers were excellent across the board, as he posted a top-10 performance on the season so far.
Darnold was under plenty of pressure but still managed to make plays despite being sacked multiple times. His 0.4 EPA per dropback when under pressure was his second-best of the season, while he posted season-best numbers from a clean pocket, on third downs, in other clutch spots, and with an nYPA of 11.4.
Tua Tagovailoa, MIA (vs. NYJ)
- Grade: C
This was not the best week for Tua Tagovailoa, grading as his second-worst performance since returning from injury and his fourth-worst of the season. Other than a fairly woeful 14.3% third-down conversion rate, the metrics were not all that bad. The third-down struggles are somewhat of a surprise, as Tua has been excellent on that front since returning to the field.
The positives are that he still posted a 0.44 EPA per dropback and a 0.05 EPA per dropback when under pressure. Additionally, Tua played nicely in clutch spots, helping to keep the Miami Dolphins’ NFL playoff chances alive.
Will Levis, TEN (vs. JAX)
- Grade: D+
Just when you think Will Levis is building momentum, he takes a step back. Having not been graded lower than a C since his return in Week 10. This was a fairly ugly performance across the board, with a 4.6 nYPA and some terrible clutch numbers. His best numbers this week came when under pressure and a 41.7% third-down rate. However, those were merely mediocre in our database.
