One quarterback has his team already with a division title, turning their eyes towards a carefree push to the conference's top seed.
Another has some work to do to lead his team to a division title. And a third is enjoying a career year with the playoffs well within range.
The fourth quarterback is in the thick of a division race that could be the only route to the playoffs.
Five things remain to sort things out, with plenty of scenarios left on the table. Thru week 13 of their seventh season, it is safe to say that collectively this has been the best for the first round quarterbacks of the 2018 class.
Josh Allen
At 10-2, riding a seven-game winning streak, Josh Allen has the Buffalo Bills atop the AFC East. The Bills already clinched a division title, their fifth consecutive, and are vying to snag the top seed. Buffalo sits one game back of mediocre (looking) Kansas City. If the Bills can pull even with KC, Buffalo owns the head-to-head tiebreaker thanks to a week 11 victory.
The wonder of Allen continued last week against the San Francisco 49ers, where the MVP candidate scored via land, air, and sea.
Fine. Perhaps not by sea. Allen passed for two touchdowns, ran for another, and took one in after a lateral from Amari Cooper.
Despite Buffalo's winning ways, Allen's numbers are down from previous seasons. Even among the four quarterbacks from '18, Allen trails in most categories and only has one game of 300+ passing yards (after finishing with five in the 2023-24 season). In four games this season, Allen passed for less than 200 yards.
Allen has a completion percentage of 64.6, throwing for 2,691 yards, 20 touchdowns, and only five interceptions (which all came in the three games prior to the victory over San Francisco.
Through 12 games, Allen has been sacked 13 times and has taken a smarter approach to running the ball this season, though he still has 334 yards and six touchdowns.
Allen and Buffalo would love, I am sure, to have the top seed come playoff time. The best they can do is take care of their own business down the stretch, which at the very least should be a 4-1 record.
Weeks 14 - 18: @ LAR (12/8), @ DET (12/15), vs NE (12/22), vs NYJ (12/29), @ NE (1/5)
Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens (8-5) currently are 1.5 games back in the AFC North, trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite Jackson's career-best numbers, Baltimore has had trouble closing out games, with four of their five losses by five points or less.
Jackson has cooled off the last three games, two of which were losses. Jackson is 55 of 91 for 621 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception.
Overall, Jackson has 3,290 passing yards this season, with 29 touchdowns against only three interceptions while completing 67 percent of his attempts. Jackson has felt less pressure to carry the team in the ground game, thanks to Derrick Henry. However, the quarterback still has 678 yards, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, with three touchdowns.
Only a major slide would prevent Jackson and the Ravens reaching the playoffs. A division title is within reach, with big games against the Steelers and Browns on the horizon. Four wins to close the season is possible, though having to play Houston four days after Pittsburgh is a little harsh.
Weeks 14 - 18: BYE, @ NYG (12/15), vs PIT (12/21), @ HOU (12/25), vs CLE (1/5)
Sam Darnold
A recent two-game stretch where Sam Darnold had six turnovers brought out the naysayers. It was a bumpy patch, but Darnold settled down. Even with the turnovers, Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings found ways to win, a streak that has now reached five games. At 10-2, Minnesota is one game back of the Detroit Lions in the NFC North.
A playoff ticket should be coming soon for the Vikings, who won their last two games by a combined four points. One of those, a 30-27 victory over the Chicago Bears, Darnold notched his first 300-yard passing game in nearly two years.
Darnold finished 22 of 34 for 330 yards and two touchdown passes.
Overall, Darnold is enjoying his best season as a pro, passing for 2,952 yards and 23 touchdown passes. Darnold has thrown ten interceptions, but zero in the last three games.
Three division games await the Vikings, along with two games against teams with playoff aspirations. No easy stretch over the final weeks but Minnesota should win at least three of five, with a division title within reach.
Weeks 14 - 18: vs ATL (12/8), vs CHI (12/16), @ SEA (12/22), vs GB (12/29), @ DET (1/5)
Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6), after a tough stretch where they lost five of six, finally found solid footing in recent weeks. After a bye in week 11, Tampa Bay won their next two games. Couple with a mini slide from the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa is back in the thick of the race for an NFC South division title.
Atlanta is also 6-6 but has the advantage of two wins over Tampa Bay this season.
Mayfield is having a (mostly) fantastic season, aside from the turnover bug biting at inopportune times. Despite 11 interceptions, Mayfield is performing well. Helping matters is a trio of running backs, racking up yards on the ground and through the air.
Utilizing the backs in the passing game has helped ease the lack of depth at wide receiver, where Mike Evans only recently returned. Over the last three games, Mayfield threw only two touchdown passes.
On the season, Mayfield has 25 touchdowns, plus three more on the ground to go along with 229 rushing yards. Mayfield is completing 70.8 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,034 yards.
A playoff spot without winning the division might be tough for Mayfield and the Bucs. Tampa Bay has a good chance to go 4-1 down the stretch. Doing so is another matter. If Tampa Bay can keep a banged-up Mayfield on the field, then another division title may very well be theirs.
Weeks 14 - 18: vs LV (12/8), @ LAC (12/15), @ DAL (12/22), vs CAR (12/29), vs NO (1/5)
Josh Rosen
Though he hasn't played in some time, Josh Rosen remains part of this series. Even if Rosen never returns to the game (where he is off pursuing a master's degree), Rosen was here at the beginning in this series of posts, so here he will remain.
Thanks for following along in this continuing series following the careers of five quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. Check back in for the conclusion of season seven after week 18 is complete in early 2025.
More of season 7 of these quarterbacks:
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