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With playoff positioning still up for grabs in the final weekend of regular-season action, there were some surprisingly poor quarterback performances on display by some of the NFL’s top passers in Week 17.
These quarterbacks stunk up the stat sheet in the final game of the season, and not surprisingly all but one watched their respective teams suffer defeat on the final Sunday of the 2015 NFL season.
In a battle of NFC North lightweights, Cutler was outplayed by Matthew Stafford as the Detroit Lions defeated the Bears by a score of 24-20.
Cutler completed a high percentage of his passes (17 of 23), but three of his six misses were caught by the other team, and his final mistake sealed the victory for the Lions just after the two minute warning had passed.
What’s worse is that Cutler had actually improved this season when it comes to taking care of the football... that is, until Sunday. It was his first multiple-interception game of the season.
Cutler had managed to throw just eight interceptions all year until his poor outing against the Lions. Perhaps he was pressing to end the season on a high note, or perhaps he just does not care.
Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars
After such a sensational year, Bortles sure finished the 2015 campaign with a whimper.
The second-year quarterback was second in the NFL entering Week 17 behind only Tom Brady with 35 touchdown passes. On Sunday, he failed to throw a single touchdown for the first time all season long.
Bortles finished with no touchdowns and two interceptions — one of which was a pick-six engineered by Houston Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson, who high-stepped his way to the end zone.
To be fair to Bortles, the Texans are starting to play extremely well on the defensive side of the ball, and J.J. Watt was back to his old tricks playing without a cast on his hand for the first time in three weeks. Furthermore, they had much more to play for with the playoffs on the line.
Austin Davis, Cleveland Browns
Let’s be honest, here. Nobody expected Davis to have a big game Sunday against the Pittsburgh Stelers. Playing on a team with a coach and general manager that everyone knew were about to be fired, he lived up to those expectations.
What’s crazy is that the Browns had Davis attempt 46 passes. Predictably, he didn’t complete a high volume, finishing with just 240 yards on 24 completions, throwing no touchdowns and two interceptions.
The Browns were in the game until late, so it’s hard to understand why they called so many passing plays and ran the ball just 23 times. Hard to understand, that is, until you remember this is Cleveland we’re talking about.
Perhaps this is why there will be a new coaching staff taking over next year.
Ryan Mallett, Baltimore Ravens
Mallett couldn’t conjure a win two weeks in a row against top AFC North teams. He led an incredible win last weekend against the Steelers but was not nearly as sharp Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals, who won their 12th game of the season.
The Houston Texans cast-off heaved the ball an unbelievable 56 times against Cincinnati, completing 30 of them for 292 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Both interceptions were hauled in by linebackers, and he could have had at least one more if not for a drop and potential second pick by Vontaze Burfict.
It was a predictably poor showing by a quarterback who has never been tremendously sharp and who joined Baltimore’s roster just a few weeks ago.
Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Brady and the Pats were completely dominated on the road by the Miami Dolphins, who won 20-10 and played with perhaps the most fire we’ve seen since Dan Campbell first took over following the team’s trip to London.
Miami’s defense swarmed to the ball and dominated the line of scrimmage, forcing many a hurried throw.
New England’s golden boy finished with just 134 yards on 12-of-21 passing and failed to throw a single touchdown pass for the first time this season before giving way to Jimmy Garoppolo.
He was hit hard on more than a few occasions, and the entire state of Massachusetts held its collective breath when Ndamukong Suh was shoved into the quarterback, hitting him hard below the knees (watch here). He limped off the field after that hit and was seen hobbling on his way off the post-game podium.
Needless to say, it’s a good thing the Patriots have a week off on a bye for Brady to get healthy.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, New York Jets
After getting their fans ravenous for a playoff berth, the Jets came up flat in the biggest game of the year, losing to Rex Ryan’s Buffalo Bills, 22-17, to miss out on the postseason.
After the game, Fitzpatrick was predictably upset about the fact that his team failed to reach the postseason.
“It’s the hardest and most difficult end to a season I have ever had,” Fitzpatrick said, via the Associated Press. “There’s not a whole lot of talking in there right now. It’s hard to come up with words.”
Fitzpatrick had plenty to do with the loss, too. After posting career numbers this season, he failed to complete even half his passes Sunday (16 of 37) for just 181 yards (a pathetic 4.9 yards per attempt). The Harvard grad with the famous beard did manage two touchdown passes to keep New York in contention, but his three interceptions sunk the team’s playoff hopes.
His third interception sealed the team’s fate late in the fourth quarter when linebacker A.J. Tarpley took the ball away with just 11 ticks remaining on the game clock.
Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Cam Newton is where Winston wants to be. With some hard work and a bit of luck in the health department, perhaps one day he’ll be on Newton’s level. He was nowhere near it Sunday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visited the Carolina Panthers, though, in a 38-10 blowout loss.
To be fair to the rookie, he held up pretty well against one of the NFL’s top defenses, completing 29-of-47 passes for 325 yards. However, he failed to throw a touchdown and turned the ball over twice through the air, leading to 14 points scored by the Panthers.
It wasn’t all bad, though. He became just the third rookie quarterback in the history of the NFL to throw for over 4,000 yards in his first season as a pro.
The young gun-slinger must learn how to take better care of the football facing the Panthers. Six of his 15 total interceptions this year have come against Carolina, which owns the NFC South at this time and will be difficult to overcome in the years to come.
Brock Osweiler, Denver Broncos
Heading into Week 17, it was reported that Osweiler was going to be the starter of the Broncos and that Peyton Manning would only be inserted into the game if Osweiler were to be injured. The young signal-caller had been dubbed the starter “going forward” and had acquitted himself well for the most part during his six starts before Sunday’s game, leading the Broncos to a 4-2 record in those starts.
Then all hell broke loose.
The Broncos fell behind the San Diego Chargers — at home — by a score of 13-7 midway through the third quarter, Osweiler had three turnovers (one fumble and two interceptions) and at the same time the Kansas City Chiefs were well ahead of the Oakland Raiders. A loss, combined with a Chiefs win, would have sent Denver tumbling to the No. 5 seed in the AFC.
That wasn’t an option. Manning entered the game and led Denver on a 20-7 run to close out the game and seal the 27-20 win (and the No. 1 seed in the AFC) for the Broncos.
Osweiler finished the game 232 yards on 14-of-22 passing, and the only touchdown he threw was courtesy of receiver Demaryius Thomas making a spectacular play after the catch.
How much you want to bet it’s the last time Osweiler sees the field for the Broncos this year? I got five on it.
Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals
One week after dishing out a humiliating loss to the Green Bay Packers, Palmer and the Cards were the ones getting pummeled at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Seattle Seahawks absolutely dominated their NFC West foes, 36-6, and Palmer didn’t even take a single snap in the second half.
Palmer would have played if the Cardinals had anything to play for. However, it was already clear the Panthers were going to win at home against the Bucs, sealing the No. 1 seed. As such, win or lose, Arizona was locked into the No. 2 spot.
Before being replaced by Drew Stanton at the half, Palmer endured plenty of hits at the hands of Seattle’s dominant front seven. He was hit hard multiple times, and the abuse started on the first drive of the game.
Arizona’s leading man finished with just 129 yards on 12-of-25 passing with one touchdown and one interception. It was a humbling loss at home to one of the NFL’s hottest teams, but it’s one Palmer and the Cardinals might have a chance to avenge in the playoffs.
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
It would have been easy to insert his counterpart, Teddy Bridgewater, into the list, but he really only made one mistake all night and came away with the road win and NFC North crown for his squad.
Playing at home in front of the faithful fans at Lambeau Field, Rodgers had his second poor outing in a row.
Last weekend the Arizona Cardinals absolutely took a sledgehammer to his offensive line and demoralized the Packers in Arizona, which wasn’t too shocking. But it was truly shocking to see him struggle so badly at home Sunday night with so much at stake.
Yes, his offensive line still stinks (five sacks Sunday night), and yes, the team’s receiving corps is significantly depleted, but Rodgers hung onto the ball too long at times and made a critical mistake in his red zone late in the game. His interception, hauled in by Xavier Rhodes, was inexcusable. He forced the ball into coverage, and the mistake cost his team a chance to score.
Rodgers finished the game with 291 yards on 28-of-44 passing with one touchdown to tight end Richard Rodgers and two turnovers, the other being a fumble recovered by Minnesota.
The Packers lost the game by a score of 20-13, and the score would have been more lopsided if not for an amazing play by kicker Mason Crosby. He somehow stopped Cordarrelle Patterson from scoring on a kickoff return and stripped the ball in the process (watch here).
The loss bumped Green Bay into the No. 5 spot in the NFC, and now Rodgers and Co. will need to win three games on the road to get to the Super Bowl in February.
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