NFL Player News
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Cooper Rush QB | BAL
Cowboys' Cooper Rush: Leads Cowboys to upset win
Rush completed 26 of 35 passes for 292 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 26-24 win over Tampa Bay.
Rush delivered arguably his best showing of the season to lead Dallas to an upset win in primetime. He completed five passes of more than 20 yards, including 52- and 34-yard deep completions to CeeDee Lamb, to average 8.3 yards per attempt. Rush also avoided mistakes, as he didn't turn the ball over and was sacked just once. The only disappointing aspect of the showing was that he found the end zone only one time, on a 10-yard connection with Jalen Tolbert late in the first quarter.
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Baker Mayfield QB | TB
Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Tops 300 passing yards in loss
Mayfield completed 31 of 43 passes for 304 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in Sunday's 26-24 loss to the Cowboys. He added three rushing attempts for 42 yards.
Mayfield was quiet for most of the first half but heated up on Tampa Bay's last possession before halftime. He completed three passes of 15-plus yards on the drive before capping it with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jalen McMillan. That improvement didn't last long, though, as the Buccaneers produced just three points in the third quarter. Mayfield was evaluated for a concussion in the fourth quarter but was cleared to return without missing a play. He was intercepted on the next drive but then bounced back with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Miller with 2:36 remaining to kickstart a Buccaneers comeback that was gaining steam when a Rachaad White fumble dashed Tampa Bay's hopes. No longer in control of their own destiny in the NFC South, Mayfield and the Buccaneers will try to bounce back in Week 17 against the Panthers.
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Aidan O'Connell QB | LV
Raiders' Aidan O'Connell: Manages Raiders to victory
O'Connell completed 24 of 38 passes for 257 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in Sunday's 19-14 win over the Jaguars. He added seven rushes for 12 yards.
O'Connell returned from a one-game absence and stabilized the Raiders' offense by not turning the ball over and taking only two sacks. He also completed three passes of at least 20 yards, two of which came in the first quarter. O'Connell has now thrown for multiple touchdowns in only one of his four starts on the season, but he has shown the ability to get the ball to the Raiders' top playmakers at a consistent clip.
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Mac Jones QB | SF
Jaguars' Mac Jones: Decent showing against Raiders
Jones completed 25 of 39 passes for 247 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 19-14 loss to the Raiders.
The Jaguars haven't been afraid to take to the air with Jones under center, as he's now attempted 46 and 39 passes in the last two weeks. His stat line was driven by that volume rather than efficiency, illustrated by averaging just 6.3 yards per attempt despite connecting with Brian Thomas for a 62-yard score late in the third quarter. The biggest positive for the day was Jones' ball security, as Sunday marked only the second time he did not turn the ball over in six games as Jacksonville's starter.
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Josh Allen QB | BUF
Bills' Josh Allen: Battles through hand injury
Allen (hand) completed 16 of 29 passes for 154 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 24-21 win over the Patriots. He added six rushes for 30 yards.
Allen lacked his typical explosive playmaking ability as he averaged just 5.3 yards per attempt and failed to account for multiple touchdowns in a game for the first time since Week 10. He particularly struggled to make deep connections with his pass catchers, as his longest completion went for only 17 yards -- most of which came after the catch. More concerning for the Bills was that Allen hit his throwing hand on a defender's helmet on a scramble in the third quarter, causing him to get up favoring the injury. He didn't miss a play, but it will be something worth monitoring during the week heading into a Week 17 matchup against the Jets.
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Tua Tagovailoa QB | MIA
Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa: Modest numbers in win
Tagovailoa completed 22 of 34 pass attempts for 215 yards and a touchdown while rushing twice for a loss of one yard in Sunday's 29-17 win over San Francisco.
Tagovailoa played the role of game manager in Sunday's comfortable win, letting Miami's rushing attack and defense handle the 49ers. The Alabama product showed no ill effects from the hip injury that limited the signal-caller during the practice week. The win kept the Dolphins' slim playoff hopes alive, so the team will need more mistake-free football from Tagovailoa against the Browns next Sunday.
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Brock Purdy QB | SF
49ers' Brock Purdy: Late INT taints bounce-back effort
Purdy completed 26 of 40 pass attempts for 313 yards, two touchdowns and one interception while adding 26 rushing yards on four attempts in Sunday's 29-17 loss to the Dolphins.
Purdy was coming off of his worst showing of the 2024 campaign, so it was a positive sign to see the star quarterback put together an improved fantasy line against Miami. It wasn't all roses for 2022's Mr. Irrelevant, though, as an ugly interception in the fourth quarter killed any hopes for San Francisco to make a comeback. Purdy also led the 49ers with his 26 rushing yards for an injury-riddled squad that was forced to start its fifth-string RB on Sunday. With his team out of playoff contention, Purdy will continue to play out the string in Week 17 against the Lions on Monday Night Football.
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Aaron Rodgers QB | PIT
Jets' Aaron Rodgers: Fizzles out after decent start
Rodgers completed 28 of 42 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 19-9 loss to the Rams. He also rushed once for six yards and lost a fumble.
Rodgers connected with Davante Adams for an 11-yard touchdown in the first quarter, but the Jets added only three points the rest of the way, including a missed PAT after Adams' third touchdown catch in the past two games. The veteran quarterback still has multiple touchdown passes in five of his last eight starts despite failing to do so against the Rams, but his uptick in production hasn't led to much team success, as the Jets fell to 4-11 with Sunday's loss. New York's unlikely to get back in the win column in Week 17 against the Bills.
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Geno Smith QB | LV
Seahawks' Geno Smith: Posts big numbers in loss
Smith completed 31 of 43 pass attempts for 314 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions while taking his only carry for eight yards in Sunday's 27-24 loss to Minnesota.
Smith was cleared from the knee injury that forced him out of last week's contest against Green Bay prior to Sunday's kickoff, and the end result was a strong performance from a fantasy perspective. It was the veteran QB's second game of the season with three touchdown passes thrown and the fifth time he has eclipsed the 300-yard mark through 15 starts. Smith's passing volume (3,937 yards) has helped offset a mediocre 17:15 TD:INT on the campaign. With the minor knee injury in the rearview mirror, Smith makes for a fine play in Week 17 against the lowly Bears on Thursday Night Football.
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Matthew Stafford QB | LAR
Rams' Matthew Stafford: Struggles persist in Week 16 win
Stafford completed 14 of 19 passes for 110 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 19-9 win over the Jets. He also registered three rushing attempts for minus-4 yards.
Stafford threw for only nine yards in the first quarter and was picked off in the second, finishing the first half with a modest 46 passing yards. He was only moderately more effective in the second half, though Stafford's 11-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Higbee in the fourth quarter helped the Rams pull away and improve to 9-6. After struggling in the cold Sunday, Stafford will be glad to be back in Los Angeles for Week 17 against the Cardinals.