Continuing the series of following the careers of the five quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, recapping through week 13 of season six.
Heading into the final five weeks of their sixth NFL season, the four active quarterbacks from the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft are all vying for playoff spots.
Yes, a lot can happen in five weeks and success can turn on a dime. But barring a major meltdown, two of the players and their respective teams should get there with some ease. Two others, well, finding and keeping momentum will be entirely up to them.
Okay. All four will need to do that. Three, really, when boiling down to it. Unless an injury happens, the rise and fall of the team is not really in their control.
In most regards, the three quarterbacks who are starters from this class have similar, and in some instances better, stats than in recent seasons. But the overall success and production hasn't necessarily elevated their teams to new levels in all cases. They have the final stretch of the 2023-24 season to prove naysayers wrong. If so, one of them could be the first of these quarterbacks selected in the 2018 first round to become a Super Bowl champion.
Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson already has one MVP award under his belt. And if 2023 continues the same way, Jackson could very well add a second MVP honor to his name.
Jackson has had a stellar season so far. While he's no lock and not a runaway favorite, there's certainly a case for MVP to be made. Numbers aren't eye-popping but Jackson has the Baltimore Ravens (9-3) atop a strong AFC North.
And the Ravens have found ways to win in style and through imperfection, even with an odd loss to the Cleveland Browns (which, sidenote, the Browns are quite the surprise at 7-5, especially without their star running back Nick Chubb and starting quarterback).
Though his completion percentage has faltered in recent weeks, Jackson remains at 68.3 percent on the season. Jackson has passed for 2618 yards, putting him on pace to surpass his career-high of 3127 from the MVP season in 2019. These are nice and Jackson has thrown only five interceptions but only 13 touchdown passes.
That's because the Ravens have had a semi-healthy running game in '23-24 that has 22 touchdowns and a budding star in Keaton Mitchell. And that's without Jackson leading the way or being forced to carry the load. While still with 574 rushing yards, second on the team, Jackson is only averaging 5.1 yards per carry and has accounted for only five ground scores.
The passing game has helped, too, with a productive receiving corps led by rookie Zay Flowers and a suddenly resurgent Odel Beckham Jr. Tight end Mark Andrews was injured in week 11, so that was unfortunate but the Ravens have responded well.
A difficult close to the season is on the horizon, with a possible Super Bowl preview against the 49ers on Christmas Day. Meetings with Jacksonville and Miami also await but the Ravens should finish the season at least 12-5 and an AFC North title to their name.
Weeks 14 - 18: vs LAR (12/10), @ JAX (12/17), @ SF (12/25), vs MIA (12/31), vs PIT (1/7/24)
Josh Allen
The season for Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills (6-6) could very well be on the line in the coming weeks, with games in back-to-back weeks against the Chiefs and the Cowboys. Not to say that a loss in both weeks would ruin the season but playoff chances might look very slim at that point.
And despite Allen having the stats similar to the rest of his career, a lot of the losses can be blamed on him and the offense. Mostly due to a penchant for turning the ball over.
It's not only Allen but he is a top culprit. The sixth-year quarterback has thrown at least one interception in 10 of the team's 12 games, including in eight straight games.
Frustration has grown in Buffalo, with the six losses for the Bills coming by a combined 26 points, with two coming in overtime. To shake things up, offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey was fired after a week 10 loss to Denver.
Allen has thrown 83 passes in the two games since, completing 49 of them for 614 yards and five touchdowns. He even had his best game on the ground in week 12, gaining 81 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
Still, the Bills went 1-2 in the recent stretch. Looking at stats, Allen is having another outstanding year (aside from the 13 interceptions). He's at a 68.1 completion percentage with 3214 yards and 24 touchdown passes. Allen's added 342 rushing yards and has been sacked only 15 times this season.
Even after the Chiefs and Cowboys, the Bills face a daunting task down the stretch. They will need to be at their best on both sides of the ball. A 9-8 season is a real possibility and the one question left to be seen if that happens will be: is that good enough to get into the playoffs?
Weeks 14 - 18: @ KC (12/10), vs DAL (12/17), @ LAC (12/23), vs NE (12/31), @ MIA (1/7/24)
Baker Mayfield
The NFC South is up for grabs with five games remaining on the schedule. Believe it or not, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7) are hanging around because Baker Mayfield is their quarterback.
Their record isn't the prettiest and Mayfield isn't the sleekest of these quarterbacks and not even in the top-10 in league. But he is putting up more-than-modest numbers despite a shaky offensive line and a stuck-in-cement running game.
The Bucs managed to go 2-2 in their last four games despite not once scoring over 21 points. In fact, they've only done such on three occasions thus far in '23-24. And while some of the blame for the losing record can be blamed on quarterback play, Mayfield is the best option for the team at the moment.
Mayfield is coming off one of his weakest games this season, a 21-18 victory over the Carolina Panthers. He was 14-29 for 202 yards, one touchdown, and one pick. Seven of those completions, and the touchdown, went to Mike Evans, who finished with 162 receiving yards.
Mayfield has seen some regression in recent weeks but I suppose that's what happens when one is sacked 13 times in a span of three games. After throwing only four interceptions in the season's first nine weeks, Mayfield has thrown four in the last four, notching one a week.
The completion percentage is lowest of these 2018 quarterbacks this season, at 63.8 percent. But Mayfield has thrown for 2790 yards and 18 touchdowns and is on pace to put up similar to numbers as those in his first three seasons in the league.
Tampa Bay went 2-1 in the division on the first go-around, so a division title is very much in play. They are only one game back of the Atlanta Falcons, their next opponent (and only division loss so far). A win this week and they'll be in play until the final two weeks. A loss makes things more difficult but there's a chance an 8-9 Mayfield-led Bucs squad could very well sneak into the playoffs.
Weeks 14 - 18: @ ATL (12/10), @ GB (12/17), vs JAX (12/24), vs NO (12/31), @ CAR (1/7/24)
Sam Darnold
The San Francisco 49ers (9-3) have found their winning ways again, notching four straight victories by an average of nearly 23 points per game. Quarterback Brock Purdy has recaptured his magic and the team is fresh off a 42-19 throttling of the Philadelphia Eagles.
This means Sam Darnold is riding the backup quarterback high, mostly entering games late in the action to hand the ball to others or take a knee. Darnold has collected nine carries this season for negative nine yards, really taking a bit out of his career average.
Darnold is 2-3 for seven yards this season. On paper, the Niners have not-so-terrible schedule down the stretch. Perhaps, if all goes to plan, the team will have a no. 2 seed or homefield advantage sewn up by week 18 and Darnold could earn a start. If not, well, he'll continue to carry the clipboard, waiting for his chance to shine.
Weeks 14 - 18: vs SEA (12/10), @ ARI (12/17), vs BAL (12/25), @ WAS (12/31), vs LAR (1/7/24)
Josh Rosen
With all the quarterback injuries this season, I wonder if Josh Rosen has received any calls? Is he taking calls? Or is his pro career effectively over? Nothing new to report but perhaps one day Rosen's career will be written about as a miraculous turnaround with future success. Or, this space will remain blank in future years.
Be sure to check back in after the final week of the regular season to see which quarterbacks are playoff bound and which are staying home.
photo credit: Flickr
5 NFL QBs: Previewing season six
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