It’s not every week that Bryce Young leads the NFL in passing yards. Or, for that matter, that Jacoby Brissett sets the all-time record for completions. But it’s Week 11 and things are starting to get weird. Let’s lean into the unusual performances — the ones where the stats belie what’s actually happening. Let’s dive beneath the surface-level box scores.
In these QB rankings, I’m focused on monitoring the fluctuations of a quarterback’s performance throughout the season. No one — not even Matthew Stafford — is safe at the top. No one — not even Justin Fields — is stuck at the bottom. There is room for quick ascent — and rapid decline. One question holds most important: What have you done for your team lately?
Previous: Preseason, Week 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
In his past three games, Love has averaged 207.7 passing yards, 0.6 touchdowns and 0.6 interceptions while completing 60.8% of his throws. Over that span, coach Matt LaFleur fielded a question about whether he feels he’s playing for his job. Over that span, the Packers are 1-2.
Over that span, I remain rooted in my belief that Love is among the NFL’s best quarterbacks.
He is a microcosm of counting stats versus advanced stats. Because as ugly as those numbers are above, he sits tied atop the NFL in EPA/play (alongside Drake Maye). I’m not saying the Packers are going to make the deep playoff run that many expected following the Micah Parsons trade. I’m just saying that Love is a major part of why they’re still winning games.
This isn’t the guy who was missing easy throws like he did last year. His incompletions are, on occasion, more impressive than most middling QB’s completions. Watch the game. Not the box score. You’ll have a great time watching Love.
He completed 37.8% of his passes for … 255 yards?
There are a lot of parts about this game that feel inexplicable — and hard to reconcile in terms of analyzing where the Lions go from here. But let’s start with a few truths from this game:
- Goff looked hurried on the vast majority of his dropbacks and it had catastrophic results. Against pressure, the Lions QB was 1 of 14 for a 40-yard touchdown, per Next Gen Stats. He had a completion percentage over expected of -33.6% (against pressure).
- Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams each had at least one drop that ended drives.
- Cooper DeJean did a very, very nice job in coverage against St. Brown.
- The Eagles’ defensive line batted five passes at the line of scrimmage.
- The weather was cold and blustery, which are notoriously difficult conditions for Goff.
So … now what?
There are parts of this sport that the Lions can handle — after which flip into an outlier. The Eagles appeared to get unsustainably fortunate (with all of the tipped passes) and the Lions obtained unfortunate (with drops).
There was one factor they can’t chalk up as an outlier: Goff’s difficulty with strain is a typical theme this yr. And admittedly, yearly.
It’s one factor for a quarterback to battle beneath strain. Patrick Mahomes does. Tom Brady did. Each QB does. It’s one other factor for that strain to single-handedly take down the offense. That’s what occurred Sunday evening for the Lions.
This yr is worse than different years for Goff.
In 2025, Goff has accomplished 45.8% of his passes (44/96) towards strain. His completion proportion over anticipated is -5.1%, his EPA per dropback is -.48 and his success proportion is 31.1%. These are all profession lows towards strain. To make issues worse, the Lions are surrendering strain on 35.5% of Goff’s dropbacks, the second-highest charge of his Detroit tenure. Kind of, there’s extra strain than ever and he’s dealing with it worse than ever.
Will probably be on head coach Dan Campbell — who’s doubling because the offensive playcaller — to determine the best way to 1) assist his OL stop strain after which 2) assist Goff deal with that strain extra comfortably.
As a result of it’d simply be the Lions offense’s single greatest drawback.
What quarterback controversy?
Purdy did what Purdy is meant to do — feed his playmakers. No turnovers. Three touchdowns. And a completion proportion over anticipated of +7%.
Squeaky clear effectivity — so clear that there may not be any point out of Mac Jones till the offseason, when he’ll inevitably get entrenched in commerce rumors.
For the primary time in what seems like perpetually, Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle are wholesome on the similar time. So is Ricky Pearsall. We’re simply ready for Brandon Aiyuk — however don’t maintain your breath (and it in all probability gained’t matter that a lot). Purdy appeared just like the quick-thinking, quick-moving level guard that the 49ers have wanted. That’s not even the very best information. The very best information is that, even with out him for the majority of the season, they’re 7-4 and have an 87% likelihood of creating the postseason, per the New York Times simulator.
The strain is off Purdy. The group is wholesome. (And each issues are vital as a result of the strain to hold the group proved an excessive amount of for Purdy final yr.)
Issues are literally trying up for San Francisco. Presently final yr, I questioned if the 49ers’ championship window was closing. Presently final yr, individuals questioned if coach Kyle Shanahan and/or GM John Lynch would possibly find yourself some place else in 2027, whether or not by commerce or in any other case. (After which Purdy would in all probability get displaced, too.)
Nope. Not occurring.
This isn’t to say it’s going to be all roses and the 49ers are going to win the Tremendous Bowl. Nevertheless it’s refreshing to see the 49ers’ greatest gamers wholesome and taking part in collectively. We’ll maybe see what this 2025 membership is basically product of within the ultimate three weeks of the season, when the Niners shut out at Indianapolis, after which at dwelling versus the Bears and the Seahawks. We’ll know then whether or not they could make a deep run within the NFC.
Sure, this does occur yearly.
Darnold is the king of meltdown video games. At the same time as he has grown right into a dependable NFL starter, he has not shaken his once-a-year propensity to place up a catastrophic efficiency. He has three four-interception video games in his profession and 6 three-interception video games. The one season when he has not thrown three or extra interceptions in a single sport was in 2023 (backup in San Francisco) and 2022 (initially a backup, solely to begin six video games in Carolina).
However this wasn’t only a Darnold-will-be-Darnold sport.
He fell proper into the Rams’ plan to set off the meltdown. Darnold and Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula have the kind of relationship that Invoice Belichick as soon as had with Darnold. (Keep in mind when Darnold infamously admitted to “seeing ghosts”?) Shula isn’t taking part in cat and mouse with Darnold — they’re taking part in predator and prey, with the DC working one step forward of the QB.
The final time they squared off, Darnold took 9 sacks within the Vikings’ playoff defeat to the Rams. It was clear Darnold’s precedence this previous Sunday was to not take all these sacks. Whether or not or not Shula knew that firstly, he and his defenders figured it out shortly. They didn’t blitz Darnold, as a substitute forcing him to course of the actions of the seven defensive backs in protection — however with that ticking clock behind his head.
You could possibly nearly hear Darnold questioning: How lengthy till Jared Verse will get dwelling?
“The frenzy comprises him, and he needs to do away with the ball, and he’s flinching up,” Rams security Kam Kinchens stated, via The Athletic. “He don’t need to get sacked. He’s simply making an attempt to get the ball out of his arms, in order that’s after I knew there was a chance.”
Paradoxically, it could’ve been higher if Darnold had simply taken the sacks. As a result of all 4 of his turnovers have been his fault and if he’d taken these sacks, the Seahawks in all probability would’ve gained due to higher discipline place.
OK, now I’m about to go into left discipline, so bear with me. There’s a saying about World Battle II, which was that the Allies struggled on the outset as a result of they have been combating the final conflict (World Battle I). They anticipated the Germans to reach with the identical plan of conflict. The Germans had new plans. Soccer shouldn’t be conflict. However hopefully, you see my level: You may’t win your subsequent sport by merely fixing the errors of your earlier one.
Darnold can’t anticipate Shula to return with the identical plan, if these two groups see one another once more. Darnold gained’t rectify his issues by taking the sacks. He and OC Klint Kubiak must play catch-up with a Rams protection that’s a number of steps forward.
Greatest quote of the yr goes to … Adam Trautman. Tight finish. Broncos.
“First off, if you happen to’re speaking s— about Bo on-line, you’re a coward. Absolute coward. However – I simply need to say that, and guard him a bit of bit,” Trautman told reporters this previous Sunday. “He blanks it out, and we talked about it this week. We don’t care what different individuals suppose. We all know what now we have within the constructing, and we all know what he’s product of, and we don’t actually care what individuals should say. So, DragonSlayer69, with the 7-Eleven Slurpee in his mother’s basement, I don’t give a s— what he has to say, proper? And Bo doesn’t both.”
Excellent. Meaning I — DragonSlayer69 — am now free to guage Nix. Nevertheless it’s too unhealthy he and Trautman aren’t studying (although… they have to be studying in the event that they know individuals are criticizing). However I digress.
Nix is a system quarterback. He’s solely nearly as good as his playcaller. And about midway via the third quarter, coach Sean Payton discovered the best way to maximize his quarterback and, in flip, his offense. The important thing was clear: abandon all intermediate passing.
Payton dialed up performs to permit Nix to uncork downfield passes. Payton dialed up receiver, operating again and tight finish screens. He stopped asking Nix to throw into the enamel of the protection. As a result of the Chiefs’ protection was too good in the course of the sphere.
However guess what? It labored. Nix attacked downfield and obtained chunk performs. His pass-catchers saved the offense on schedule with YAC off screens. And the Broncos’ protection held up its finish of the discount. So Denver beat the Chiefs and took management of the AFC West.
It should’ve been onerous for Nix to attend and let the sport come to him. However finally, it did. He seized his alternatives.
The nice half about Younger’s efficiency was how a lot assist he obtained. That’s been the systemic drawback in Carolina, with no supporting forged from coach to receivers to offensive line. That’s how Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold cruised via the group with out realizing their potential. That’s how Younger may simply exit the group with out ever realizing his.
However we noticed him throw for 448 passing yards and three touchdowns largely off the deserves of others. Younger appeared like what I initially thought J.J. McCarthy would appear like — a younger, smaller point-guard passer whose supporting forged elevates him.
Younger made a number of high-difficulty throws, whether or not it was the tight-window throw rolling left and zipping it into the arms of Xavier Legette — or the pinpoint deep ball to Legette for a landing.
However in all, Younger tried tight-window throws on simply 11% of his passes, the fourth-lowest variety of the season, per Subsequent Gen Stats. He additionally had a receiver large open on 31.1% of his passes, the second highest of the season.
Sure, Younger performed properly. However most significantly, coach Dave Canales schemed up a sport plan that sprung Legette, Tetairoa McMillan, Rico Dowdle and even tight finish Tommy Tremble to massive video games.
Such a efficiency is big for Younger, who’s taking part in for his job in 2026. It’s not new, per se. We’ve seen him have a gentle hand for one-game spurts — and even eight-game runs (trying on the second half of final yr). What we haven’t seen is a higher physique of constant work for an entire season. He gained’t put up these sorts of numbers each week, clearly, however that is the fashion of play that he must display via the season and, maybe, into the playoffs.
Or another person would be the Panthers’ QB subsequent yr.
Can Tua Tagovailoa lengthen his tenure in Miami with a powerful end to the season? (Photograph by Megan Briggs/Getty Photos)
Shedeur Sanders is on observe to make his first profession NFL begin this weekend instead of an injured Dillon Gabriel. Will it go higher than Sanders’ reduction look in Week 11? (Photograph by Jason Miller/Getty Photos)
Earlier than becoming a member of FOX Sports activities as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years masking the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports activities Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Comply with him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.
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