What a start to the NFL playoffs these last two weeks have been. We have seen a couple of quarterbacks make names for themselves—and others crumble under the pressure of the postseason action. Now that the Bills and Chiefs showdown is a wrap, let’s take a look back at the Divisional Round and rank every team’s (that played) starting quarterback from worst to first.
8. Green Bay Packers Jordan Love (Last Week #2)
Jordan Love had himself a monster outing on Wild Card Weekend against the Dallas Cowboys, but unfortunately, he ran into a much tougher defense in the Divisional Round. Everyone knew that the San Francisco 49ers were going to be a formidable challenge, but they really delivered a heck of an effort and performance.
Despite his best effort, Love struggled to establish a consistent rhythm against the 49ers’ fierce defense. His performance was marked by moments of promise, but too often he faltered against the intense defensive pressure and the game definitely showed a couple of areas where he will need to continue to grow and develop as he continues in his promising young career. Love finished the game having completed just 21 of 34 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns and surrendered two interceptions in the process. A far cry from the near perfect performance that he delivered the week prior.
That said, Love did well to maintain his composure throughout, navigating the high-pressure situations about as well as you could hope for a first-year starter. This experience should ultimately bode well for him as he heads into the 2024 NFL season.
7. Houston Texans C.J. Stroud (Last Week #4)
C.J. Stroud might’ve had a great game in the Wild Card game against the Browns, but unfortunately for the Texans Faithful, the rookie failed to match the level of the nasty Baltimore Ravens defense. The Ravens’ defense was relentless, pressuring Stroud on over half of his dropbacks, which significantly impacted the Texans’ offensive output.
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Granted, Stroud faced a challenging matchup in the Divisional Round, as the Ravens were one of the best defenses across the league all season, but to be honest, he was a little disappointing. I mean, the Texans managed just 10 points on the afternoon and their only touchdown was the result of a punt return touchdown rather than anything the offense did under Stroud’s guidance.
That said, he did have an impressive season, it seems that the Ravens’ defense was just too formidable, as Stroud completed 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards, with a rating of 72.2. This performance was one of his lower-yardage games and the second-worst rating of his season. This game marked a tough end to an otherwise stellar season for Stroud and the Texans.
6. San Francisco 49ers Brock Purdy (Last Week Bye)
In the Divisional Round against the Green Bay Packers, Brock Purdy showcased the resilience and potential that got everyone so excited about him as a quarterback in this league.
The Packers’ defense posed a very tough challenge, as Green Bay was disguising their coverages and blitzes extremely well and making things incredibly difficult for the second-year start, Purdy may not have had a record-breaking performance, but he was as steady as they come, even as the game wore on with San Francisco trailing throughout. During the second half, Purdy demonstrated moments of brilliance and did just enough to get his team over the hump and into the Promised Land of victory. When all was said and done, he had completed 23 of 39 passes for 252 yards and one crucial touchdown,
It will be interesting to see how Purdy can build on this next week in the NFC Championship Game, as he tries to find redemption coming off of last year’s devastating loss when he got injured against the Eagles.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Baker Mayfield (Last Week #1)
It has been an amazing comeback season for Baker Mayfield in 2023. First, he led the Buccaneers to an NFC South championship, then he knocked off the Eagles to win a playoff game, when even Tom Brady couldn’t do that with this team last year.
But sadly, the fairy tale season came to a screeching halt this week with Baker Mayfield’s performance in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ game against the Detroit Lions. That said, it wasn’t all bad on Sunday, in fact he deserves a lot of credit for the way he fought back. Unfortunately, much of that will be forgotten because the game was sealed by a Mayfield interception that came on what was supposed to be a game-tying drive. Despite Tampa Bay’s loss, this game, along with the overall season, represented a significant turnaround and resurgence for Mayfield, who has reestablished himself as a starting quarterback in the NFL after a tumultuous period.
4. Buffalo Bills Josh Allen (Last Week #5)
Once again, Josh Allen was everything and more for the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night, as the burly signal caller balled out all night against a stout Chiefs defense. The star quarterback played a huge role in creating opportunities for the rest of his team the entire game, as he remained a threat with both his arm and legs all night.
Unfortunately, he came up short on one third down too many and was betrayed by his kicking game, as Tyler Bass missed what would’ve been a game-tying field goal. Granted, there would’ve still been over a minute-and-a-half on the clock for Patrick Mahomes, which isn’t exactly a recipe for success, but credit to Allen for a great performance.
When all was said and done, he finished with three total touchdowns and 258 yards of total offense between his arm and his legs.
3. Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes (Last Week #3)
No shocker here, but Patrick Mahomes played a great game this week in what was a hard-fought matchup against their vaunted rival, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo may have had some injuries in the middle of the defense, but this marked a significantly more challenging matchup than the soulless Dolphins defense he went up against during the Wild Card Round. Especially considering that the weather in Western New York was cold and unpleasant.
Mahomes was clutch as they come down the stretch, helping lift the Chiefs to a 27 to 24 win on the road. The signal caller completed 17 of 23 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns—and made a couple of extremely timely throws when the Chiefs needed him most.
2. Detroit Lions Jared Goff (Last Week #7)
Jared Goff led the Detroit Lions to a meaningful and impressive 31 to 23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, really establishing himself as a premier starting quarterback in the NFL. In this vital game, Goff completed 30 of 43 passes for 287 yards and threw two touchdowns—and was instrumental in guiding the Lions to their first NFC Championship Game appearance in 32 years.
This one had to feel particularly good for Goff, as the quarterback was essentially cast aside by McVay and the Rams right before their Super Bowl-winning campaign in favor of Matt Stafford—and now he has his team one win away from a chance to capture a ring of his own.
1. Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson (Last Week Bye)
Though it obviously doesn’t factor into the official voting, Lamar Jackson delivered a performance against the Houston Texans this week that really solidified his standing as a likely NFL MVP candidate. Jackson’s dynamic playmaking ability was on full display, as he showcased his unique talent as both a passer and a runner. He navigated the Texans’ defense with elite athleticism and impressive precision—even with mid-range throws, which tends to be a challenge to him, leading his team to a commanding victory.
His performance in this game should serve as a poignant remind for how amazing he was all season and why he is considered one of the most electrifying and effective quarterbacks in the league today. Let’s see the Lamar haters try and detract against him this week… I mean, 16 for 22, 152-yard, and two-touchdown through the air and an additional 100 yards and two scores on the ground? Say no more—what a showing!
