NFL Player News
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Jared Goff QB | DET
Lions' Jared Goff: Two TDs in divisional-round win
Goff completed 30 of 43 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 31-23 divisional-round win over the Buccaneers.
After a tight first half that saw the two teams battle to a 10-10 standstill, Goff got rolling after halftime and led the Lions on three straight TD drives, capping the last one with a nine-yard scoring strike to Amon-Ra St. Brown. Goff has a 12:2 TD:INT over his last six games with a 70.5 percent completion rate and 8.0 YPA, but he'll face a tough test in the NFC Championship Game next weekend on the road in San Francisco.
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Baker Mayfield QB | TB
Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Stellar effort marred by INT
Mayfield completed 26 of 41 passes for 349 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions and added two rushes for 15 yards in the Buccaneers' 31-23 divisional-round loss to the Lions on Sunday.
Mayfield authored yet another noteworthy performance, eclipsing the 300-yard mark for the second time in as many postseason games and fourth time in the last six contests overall. However, the Buccaneers ultimately came up short in large part because of Mayfield's interception on a pass intended for Cade Otton with 1:35 remaining on the second play of what was set to be Tampa Bay's potential game-tying drive. Mayfield had helped put his team in that position on the previous possession, when he spearheaded a nine-play, 75-yard march that he capped with his third touchdown toss of the day, a 16-yard laser to Mike Evans. That scoring throw had been preceded by two- and 12-yard connections with Otton and Rachaad White, respectively, in what was a back-and-forth affair all afternoon. Despite the disappointing end to a better-than-expected season, Michael Baca of NFL.com reports there is mutual interest between player and team for Mayfield to return in 2024 after he threw for 4,044 yards with a 28:10 TD:INT and 163 rushing yards and an additional score across 17 regular-season games.
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John Wolford QB | MIN
Buccaneers' John Wolford: Won't suit up
Wolford (illness) is inactive Sunday against the Lions.
Wolford came down with the illness Friday when he first popped up on the team's injury report. Although he likely would have been inactive for the divisional-round matchup under any circumstance, he probably would have dressed as an emergency third option. Instead, it'll be just Kyle Trask behind starter Baker Mayfield against Detroit.
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Brock Purdy QB | SF
49ers' Brock Purdy: Leads game-winning drive Saturday
Purdy completed 23 of 39 passes for 252 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in the 49ers' 24-21 divisional-round win over the Packers on Saturday night. He also rushed six times for 14 yards.
Purdy and the 49ers certainly had more trouble than anticipated with the upstart Packers, which once again were undeterred by a hostile environment and elite defense. The second-year signal-caller was off with his accuracy at times, and the loss of Deebo Samuel in the first half due to a shoulder injury certainly didn't help Purdy's cause. However, Purdy gathered himself when it mattered most, leading a 12-play, 69-yard game-winning scoring march in the latter portion of the fourth quarter on which he recorded six completions and also contributed a nine-yard run. Those exploits were preceded by a 32-yard touchdown toss to George Kittle in the second quarter that gave the 49ers their first lead of the night. Purdy and his teammates now await the winner of Sunday's Buccaneers-Lions divisional-round clash in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, Jan. 28.
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Jordan Love QB | GB
Packers' Jordan Love: Uneven performance in loss
Love completed 21 of 34 passes for 194 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in Saturday's 24-21 loss to the 49ers.
Love came into the contest on an excellent run, having thrown for multiple touchdowns in each of his last five games while also topping 250 yards four times in that span. He continued his multi-touchdown streak with tosses of 19 and two yards into the end zone, and he also delivered three completions of greater than 20 yards. However, he was held to only 5.7 yards per attempt and missed several throws, in part due to rainy conditions and in part caused by a tough matchup. Love also forced an ill-advised throw deep down the field on the Packers' final drive that was picked off, clinching the win for the 49ers. Though his season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion, Love established himself as Green Bay's franchise quarterback in his first campaign as a starter and has a multitude of talented young receivers that should form the core of a productive offense in 2024 and beyond.
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C.J. Stroud QB | HOU
Texans' C.J. Stroud: Overwhelmed in playoff loss
Stroud completed 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday's 34-10 loss to the Ravens. He added three rushes for nine yards.
In contrast to his performance in his playoff debut, Stroud looked overwhelmed for much of the loss and could not consistently move the ball. He started reasonably well by racking up 82 passing yards in the first quarter but ultimately averaged just 5.3 yards per attempt, with the team's only touchdown coming on a punt return. Despite the disappointing close to his rookie campaign, Stroud was impressive overall by throwing for 4,108 yards with a 23:5 TD:INT across 15 regular-season games. That leaves little doubt that he's the franchise quarterback, and he also has several young pass catchers who combine to have the trajectory of the offense headed in a positive direction.
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Lamar Jackson QB | BAL
Ravens' Lamar Jackson: Four total touchdowns in win
Jackson completed 16 of 22 passes for 152 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Saturday's 34-10 win over the Texans. He rushed the ball 11 times for 100 yards and an additional two scores.
Jackson and the rest of Baltimore's offense got off to a relatively slow start, as they didn't find the end zone until midway through the second quarter. However, he took over from there, throwing for touchdowns of three and 15 yards while also finding the end zone on the ground with rushes of 15 and eight yards. Jackson had thrown at least one interception in each his four postseason games entering Saturday's matchup, though he had no turnovers in the blowout win. He also now has at least 100 rushing yards in three of five career playoff games. Jackson became the first player in NFL history (regular or postseason) to have a game with multiple TD passes and multiple rushing scores while throwing and rushing for over 100 yards to go with a 100-plus rating. He and the Ravens will host either the Bills or Chiefs next Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
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Brandon Allen QB | TEN
49ers' Brandon Allen: Emergency QB vs. Green Bay
Allen (coach's decision) is inactive for Saturday's NFC divisional-round game against the Packers, but he will serve as the 49ers' emergency quarterback, Matt Barrows of The Athletic reports.
As the emergency quarterback, Allen will only see the field if both Brock Purdy and backup Sam Darnold are forced out of Saturday's game due to injuries.
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Josh Johnson QB | CIN
Ravens' Josh Johnson: No. 3 QB versus Texans
Johnson (coach's decision) is inactive for Saturday's tilt against the Texans.
With Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley healthy, Johnson will serve as the team's emergency quarterback if both of the former two players get hurt. The veteran quarterback has yet to appear in a game this season.
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Case Keenum QB | CHI
Texans' Case Keenum: Emergency QB again
Keenum (coach's decision) is inactive for Saturday's game against the Ravens, Drew Dougherty of the Texans' official website reports.
No surprise here, as C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills are both healthy. Keenum would be called upon to serve as the emergency quarterback if both the aforementioned quarterbacks happen to get hurt.