Five quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. This is a continuing series following their careers, now thru week 13 of year four.
The fourth year for the five quarterbacks taken in the first-round of the 2018 NFL draft has been bumpy at times. Injuries, inconsistencies, playing behind leaky offensive lines (on occasion), and bad play have all shown up for these quarterbacks in 2021.
Their seasons haven't gone off the rails just yet, for three of them, though things can turn on a dime in these final five weeks.
The theme as of late: interceptions.
They've arrived in bunches, inopportune times, and to speak plainly, on bad throws. These were issues at times in seasons one and two for these quarterbacks but, until recently, a problem that seemingly had been corrected.
However bad these interceptions have been, three of the quarterbacks are (mostly) finding ways to win. These three have their teams in playoff and divisional title contention as the stretch run creeps upon the season. The other two? Well, they both could see little-to-no game action the rest of 2021, depending on the situation.
Lamar Jackson
At 8-4 and atop the AFC North, Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens seem to be in the best position right now.
Considering the number of injuries on both sides of the ball, cornerback Marlon Humphrey now joining that list, it's a surprise Baltimore is winning at all. Jackson was a huge reason for success in the first-half of the season. But, in his last three starts, there's been bad throws, wrong reads, and an offense struggling to score points.
Jackson is 1-2 in his last three games, plus one missed due to an illness. In those three games, Baltimore is averaging 15 points per game, with Jackson throwing six interceptions.
Four of those were in a 16-10 win against the Cleveland Browns and that game is Baltimore's only division victory to date.
A combination of being under pressure and holding the ball too long have led to Jackson being sacked 13 times during those three starts. He does have three touchdown passes and has totaled 162 yards on the ground.
Jackson and the Ravens have a tough stretch to close the season, too, with all five games against teams playing .500 or better. Three division games remain, with two of those being on the road. Jackson and a revamped running game, with DeVonta Freeman running decent, will need to return to form if the Ravens want to snag that AFC North title. They may very well get it but it could come down to the very final week. And when you're as banged up as the Ravens, that's never an ideal situation to be in.
Final five weeks: @CLE (12/12), GB (12/19), @CIN 12/26), vs LAR (1/2), vs PIT (1/9)
Josh Allen
Finding a bit more consistency in big games is what's been missing for Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in 2021. At 7-5, the Bills currently sit in second-place in the AFC East and are 1.5 games behind the New England Patriots.
Allen, too, has been bitten by the interception bug. Leading up to last Monday's blustery affair with the Patriots, Allen had thrown five inceptions in the preceding three games. (Though he did have a clean sheet in that regard despite wind gusts reaching 50 mph in Monday's loss.)
Going 2-2 these past four weeks showed off Allen's brilliance and struggles. In two victories, was 44-56 for 626 yards and six touchdown passes as Buffalo averaged 38 points per game.
In the two losses, however, Buffalo only scored a total of 25 points, with Allen throwing for only 354 yards.
Part of the issue is lack of a consistent running game, of which shows improvement when Allen carries the ball more. He doesn't need to put up Jackson totals but it does seem the Bills offense flows more when Allen gets seven to ten carries per game.
The Bills might have the clearest path to the playoffs, facing teams with winning records only twice down the stretch. Going against a suspect Tampa Bay defense might get Allen rolling again, which is desperately needed if Buffalo hopes to garner another AFC East crown.
Final five weeks: @TB (12/12), vs CAR (12/19), @NE (12/26), vs ATL (1/2), vs NYJ (1/9)
Baker Mayfield
That Baker Mayfield is out there playing at all attests to his toughness and fortitude. A myriad of injuries has befallen Mayfield in 2021, yet he's out there each week.
Question is, though, should he be?
That's an iffy yes, as long as he and the team are comfortable with it. Despite Case Keenum leading the Brown to a victory in week seven, Mayfield gives this team the best chance to win. As long as the running game stays intact, that is and Mayfield's not asked to throw the ball 40 times per game.
This happened in a loss to Baltimore, where the ground game struggled and Mayfield had to throw the ball 37 times. He did have a decent performance with 247 passing yards and a touchdown without a pick. But the Browns have had trouble scoring as of late, too, scoring only 30 points in their last three games. Plus, their lone victory was a 13-10 squeaker over the Detroit Lions.
There's been a lot of discussion if Mayfield is the quarterback to lead this team (hence no contract extension). At 6-6, the playoffs and a division title are still in the mix. They'll need a victory this weekend over Baltimore for sure. Like the Ravens, the Browns have a remaining schedule against teams that are all .500 and better.
If Mayfield can get Cleveland back to the playoffs, a fifth-season with the Browns should be lock. If not, there's going to be some long, deep conversations regarding his future.
Final five weeks: vs BAL (12/12), vs LV (12/18), @GB (12/25), @PIT (1/3), vs CIN (1/9)
Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold has been out since with a shoulder injury since playing in week nine. He was placed on IR, with an expected time on the shelf of four to six weeks. With the quarterback situation in Carolina still unsettled and Christian McCaffrey out for the season, it will be interesting to see if Darnold is healthy enough to play down the stretch.
On the season, Darnold has thrown for 1986 yards and completed 59.6 percent of his passes. He has tossed seven touchdown passes and was a victim, too, of the interception plague, throwing seven of his 11 picks in his last four games.
Darnold also has 186 rushing yards and five scores on the ground.
Final five weeks: vs ATL (12/12), @BUF (12/19), vs TB (12/26), @NO (1/2), @TB (1/9)
Josh Rosen
In backing up Matt Ryan for the Atlanta Falcons, Josh Rosen was unlikely to get much playing time unless an injury occurred.
That has proven to hold true, though Rosen has appeared in a few games during garbage time. Given a chance to do a little bit has not been good for Rosen, as he's completed the same number of passes to his own team as to the opposition.
In horrible losses to Dallas and New England, Rosen was 2-9 for 19 yards and two interceptions. Plaguing him even further, after going 1-3 against the Patriots, Rosen was benched.
The Falcons are still hanging around the playoff picture by a thread. While it's also tough to come in mid-game and perform, chances are Rosen might have shown his way out of Atlanta after the season ends based on his small sample size of game action in 2021.
Final five weeks: @CAR (12/12), @SF (12/19), vs DET (12/26), @BUF (1/2), vs NO (1/9)
Check back in after week 18, where we'll close out the progress of the 2021 season. Catch up with previous weeks below.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
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