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Kirk Cousins QB | LV
Vikings' Kirk Cousins: Quiet performance in win
Cousins completed 11 of 14 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 28-22 win over the Packers.
Dalvin Cook did all the work for the Vikings, scoring three rushing TDs before taking a screen pass from Cousins 50 yards for the winning touchdown late in the third quarter. Still, the veteran QB didn't commit any turnovers, just the second time in seven starts this season he's avoided coughing up the ball. Cousins could be a little more involved in Week 9 against a Lions defense that just gave up three passing TDs to Philip Rivers.
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Ryan Tannehill QB | TEN
Titans' Ryan Tannehill: Throws two TDs in loss
Tannehill completed 18 of 30 pass attempts for 233 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while adding 20 yards on two carries during Sunday's 31-20 loss to the Bengals.
Tannehill completed a pedestrian 60 percent of his passes for the second straight week, as he struggled through the early going. Although his team trailed throughout and ultimately suffered its second straight loss, he salvaged his day from a fantasy perspective with touchdown passes to A.J. Brown and Corey Davis in the fourth quarter. Tannehill sports an impressive 17:3 TD:INT for the season, but his passing yardage totals have been inconsistent and he's now been held under 250 yards in five of seven games. He'll look to improve his efficiency next Sunday in a tough matchup with the Bears.
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Matthew Stafford QB | LAR
Lions' Matthew Stafford: Stifled by Colts
Stafford completed 24 of 42 passes for 336 yards, three touchdowns and one interception during Sunday's 41-21 loss to Indianapolis. He also rushed once for 10 yards and lost a fumble.
Failing to overcome a stagnant running game against a tough Colts defense, Stafford came through in the stat sheet but he did not have a good game in reality. The veteran seemingly missed a number of completable passes and his two turnovers - a fumble and a pick-six -- combined with an injury to top receiver Kenny Golladay (hip) to prevent Detroit from getting out of an early hole. Fortunately for the entire Lions offense, Week 9 brings a get-right matchup against a porous Minnesota defense that allowed the third-most yards per pass attempt leaguewide (8.5) before suffering numerous injuries in the secondary during Sunday's game against Green Bay.
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Sam Darnold QB | SEA
Jets' Sam Darnold: Possible shoulder injury in loss
Darnold completed 18 of 30 passes for 133 yards and rushed four times for 21 yards in Sunday's 35-9 loss to Kansas City, but he may have re-injured his shoulder.
Darnold's three-game passing touchdown drought has him stuck on three passing scores and four total touchdowns through six games played. In his second game back from a shoulder injury, Darnold appeared to get banged up in the shoulder region late, and coach Adam Gase said after the game that the team will re-evaluate the injury, though Darnold appears to be okay, per ESPN's RIch Cimini. Even if he avoids a setback with the shoulder, Darnold's dearth of weapons -- which was magnified in this one with Jamison Crowder's (groin) absence -- will make it difficult for the struggling quarterback to get much going against the Patriots in Week 9.
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Patrick Mahomes QB | KC
Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes: Tosses five TDs in blowout win
Mahomes completed 31 of 42 passes for 416 yards and five touchdowns in Sunday's 35-9 win over the Jets.
Mahomes came out of the gate on fire, completing all five of his passes for 85 yards on the opening drive, which he capped with a 30-yard touch-pass touchdown to Mecole Hardman. The Chiefs needed a fake punt to keep their next drive alive, but Mahomes took advantage of the successful trick play with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill on the very next play. That hot start was only the tip of the iceberg for the superstar quarterback, who added touchdowns to Travis Kelce (three yards), Demarcus Robinson (26) and Hill again (41) before handing off to backup Chad Henne for mop-up duty. Mahomes matched his passing touchdown total from the previous three games combined while throwing more than two touchdowns for only the third time this season. He's capable of heating up in a hurry, though, and will look to build on this effort in Week 9 against the Panthers.
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Tyrod Taylor QB | GB
Chargers' Tyrod Taylor: Not suiting up Sunday
Taylor (chest) is inactive for Sunday's game at Denver, Daniel Popper of The Athletic reports.
The 31-year-old was considered questionable after practicing as a full participant all week for the second straight week, but he's once again inactive. Easton Stick will once again serve as the backup to Justin Herbert with Taylor not in uniform.
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Marcus Mariota QB | WAS
Raiders' Marcus Mariota: Sitting Week 8
Mariota (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday's game at Cleveland, Vic Tafur of The Athletic reports.
The 27-year-old was activated off injured reserve Oct. 20 but has been a healthy scratch in his first two games on the active roster. Mariota appears entrenched as Las Vegas' No. 3 quarterback, with Nathan Peterman continuing to handle backup duties.
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Gardner Minshew QB | ARI
Jaguars' Gardner Minshew: Unlikely for Week 9
The Jaguars expect Minshew (thumb) to be inactive for the team's Week 9 game against the Texans, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Shortly after the Jaguars headed into their Week 8 bye, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that Minshew was revealed to be dealing with multiple fractures and a sprained ligament in his right thumb after he was sent in for X-rays. While the team hasn't commented on Minshew's injury nor provided a timeline for his return, the second-year signal-caller doesn't look like he'll be ready to go coming out of the bye. The Jaguars are expected to have the other two quarterbacks on the roster, Mike Glennon and Jake Luton, compete in practice during the upcoming week before head coach Doug Marrone names a starter for the Nov. 8 game versus Houston.
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Ben DiNucci QB | DEN
Cowboys' Ben DiNucci: Confirmed starter for Sunday night
DiNucci has officially been named the starting quarterback for Sunday's game versus the Eagles following news that Andy Dalton (concussion) has been ruled out, Todd Archer of ESPN reports.
DiNucci likely wasn't expecting to get much playing time behind Dalton and Dak Prescott (ankle) this year, but he'll be counted on Sunday night in a crucial divisional tilt. The Cowboys' offensive line should see some improvement from last week's loss against Washington, as starters Zack Martin (concussion) and Joe Looney (knee) will both be active. The tackle positions will still be filled by backups, though, which is a major concern after DiNucci was sacked on three of six dropbacks last week. Perhaps a full week of first-team reps can warrant a better outing for DiNucci, and having a stacked set of wide receivers doesn't hurt either.
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Andy Dalton QB | PHI
Cowboys' Andy Dalton: Officially ruled out
The Cowboys have officially ruled out Dalton (concussion) ahead of Sunday's game against the Eagles, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.
No surprise here, as Dalton was originally deemed doubtful for the contest and held out of practice all week. As a result, rookie seventh-round pick Ben DiNucci is expected to make his first career NFL start. The veteran quarterback will continue to focus on his recovery and look to make his way out of concussion protocol for the Cowboys' Week 9 contest against the Steelers.