Wildcard weekend saw some solid and winning quarterback performances from Josh Allen, Jared Goff, Jordan Love, and C.J. Stroud, to name a few. Some quarterbacks had an incredible time marching on to the Divisional round, while other quarterbacks faltered and struggled, when it mattered, and were shown the exit, to the offseason.
Here are the grades for all NFL team’s quarterbacks that competed in Wildcard weekend:
Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen: B+
Josh Allen had a very strong performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers, in the Bills 31-17 playoff win. Allen completed 21 passes for 203 yards, threw three touchdowns with no interceptions, rushed for 74 yards on eight carries, and scored a rushing touchdown, but was sacked twice. Allen is having a strong season, and continues to show his resilience, with a statement playoff victory in the frigid weather against the Steelers. He now gets to march on for a matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, in the Divisional round. Allen is also the only quarterback to have three touchdown passes, a rushing touchdown, and 70 rushing yards in a playoff game. That is one for the NFL history books.
Cleveland Browns: Joe Flacco: F
It was a rough afternoon for Joe Flacco, as he was brought back to reality, in the Browns’ 14-45 loss to the Houston Texans. Flacco completed 34 passes for 307 yards, threw a touchdown against two interceptions (both turned into pick-sixes), and rushed for 13 yards on three carries but was sacked four times. Could this be Flacco’s last game in the NFL? Who knows? However, he did have an incredible regular season, and if he does leave the Browns, a quarterback-needy team should sign him, in the 2024 offseason.
Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott: C-
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It was a rough afternoon for Dak Prescott, as he and the Cowboys were shown the exit to the playoffs, in their 32-48 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Prescott completed 41 passes for 403 yards, threw three touchdowns (all of the touchdowns were caught by Jake Ferguson) against two interceptions (one of them was a Darnell Savage 64-yard pick-six), and rushed for 45 yards on six carries but was sacked four times. Prescott and the rest of the Cowboys have to step it up in the playoffs, if the team wants to get over the hump. They have an offseason to fix a few things, before the start of the 2024 season.
Detroit Lions: Jared Goff: B-
It was a solid night for Jared Goff, as the Lions earned their first playoff win since 1991, with a 24-23 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Goff completed 22 passes for 277 yards, threw a touchdown against no interceptions, and rushed for negative three yards on three carries but was sacked three times. Goff has the Lions moving in the right direction, as the team stays home and prepares for the arrival of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their upcoming Divisional round.
Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love: A
Jordan Love played an outstanding game on the road, in the Packers’ 48-32 statement win over the Dallas Cowboys. Love completed 16 passes for 272 yards, threw three touchdowns against no interceptions, rushed for negative one yard on one carry, and wasn’t sacked at all. Love is morphing into a superstar for the Packers. Don’t be surprised if Love becomes an Ironman in the playoffs now, and potentially for years to come.
Houston Texans: C.J. Stroud: A
C.J. Stroud had a strong showing in the Texans’ 45-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Stroud completed 16 passes for 274 yards, threw three touchdowns against no interceptions, and wasn’t sacked. Stroud showed audiences that he’s not afraid to go up against some of the league’s best defenses, but he also proves he has what it takes, to steer the Texans on the right course- in the playoffs.
Kansas City Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes: B+
Patrick Mahomes performed well, in the icy weather, as the Chiefs defeated the Miami Dolphins 26-7. Mahomes completed 23 passes for 262 yards, threw a touchdown against no interceptions, rushed for 41 yards on two carries, and wasn’t sacked at all. Mahomes continues to shine, as he took the visiting Dolphins to town, in beat down fashion.
Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford: B
Despite the Rams losing 23-24 to the Detroit Lions, Matthew Stafford performed well, in his return to Detroit. Stafford completed 25 passes for 367 yards and threw two touchdowns against no interceptions but was sacked twice. Stafford will always be remembered for what he accomplished with the Lions. He and the Rams will bounce back from this heartbreaking playoff loss, in the 2024 regular season.
Miami Dolphins: Tua Tagovailoa: D
Tua Tagovailoa had a rough playoff experience, on the road in an icy Arrowhead Stadium, as the Dolphins lost 7-26. Tagovailoa completed 20 passes for 199 yards, threw a touchdown against an interception, and rushed for 25 yards on three carries but was sacked twice. Tagovailoa may have been decent in the regular season, but, the postseason hasn’t been kind to the young signal caller. There’s still time for Tagovailoa to up his game. Everyone else, on the Dolphins, needs to turn in better play in the 2024 season.
Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts: C-
Jalen Hurts didn’t play his best game, but could’ve played a lot worse, in the Eagles’ 9-32 playoff meltdown, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hurts completed 25 passes for 250 yards, threw a touchdown to Dallas Goedert against no interceptions, and rushed for five yards on one carry, but was sacked three times. Not having A.J. Brown in the lineup stung. Hurts had to make the best of what he had, which wasn’t enough to get past the Buccaneers, in the Wildcard round.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Mason Rudolph: C
Mason Rudolph did whatever he could against the Buffalo Bills, but he and the Steelers fell 17-31. Rudolph completed 22 passes for 229 yards, threw two touchdowns against one interception, and rushed for 16 yards on three carries but was sacked once. Rudolph turned in a decent performance, but it was not enough to carry the team to victory. He and the Steelers enter the offseason with a few things to fix, for a better 2024 season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield: B
Baker Mayfield had a solid game in the Buccaneers’ 32-9 statement victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Mayfield completed 22 passes for 337 yards, threw three touchdowns against no interceptions, and rushed for 16 yards on two carries but was sacked four times. Despite getting sacked more than Jalen Hurts. Mayfield played a very strong game against the Eagles, and won the right to fight on for another week of battle. Next up is the Divisional round against the Detroit Lions.
