NFL Player News
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Baker Mayfield QB | TB
Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield: Mistake-ridden performance in loss
Mayfield completed 22 of 33 passes for 309 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and rushed once for minus-1 yard in the Buccaneers' 23-13 loss to the Saints on Sunday.
Mayfield did manage to clear the 300-yard mark for the second time in the last three games and threw for multiple touchdowns for the fourth consecutive contest as well, but those were largely empty numbers. The Buccaneers struggled on offense for most of the day until late, when Mayfield connected with Trey Palmer on a 22-yard touchdown pass just before the midway point of the fourth quarter. Mayfield also managed to hit Chris Godwin for a 47-yard scoring strike with 1:37 remaining, but the Saints recovered the ensuing onside kick. The veteran signal-caller will look to rebound in Week 18 against the Panthers in a game that sets up as a win-and-in scenario for Tampa Bay.
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Derek Carr QB | NO
Saints' Derek Carr: Efficient, mistake-free in win
Carr completed 24 of 32 passes for 197 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions and added three carries for minus-3 yards in the Saints' 23-13 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Carr was impressively efficient in a game the Saints surprisingly controlled for the most part. The veteran signal-caller focused heavily on Juwan Johnson, connecting with him on eight occasions for 90 yards while sending a team-high 12 passes his way. Both of Carr's touchdown passes also went to his tight ends, as he hit Johnson and Taysom Hill from four and 22 yards out, respectively. Carr now has multiple scoring tosses in four straight games heading into a key Week 18 home matchup against the Falcons.
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Nick Mullens QB | JAC
Vikings' Nick Mullens: Finishes second half of blowout
Mullens completed 13 of 22 pass attempts for 113 yards and a touchdown with a six-yard rush in Sunday's 33-10 loss to Green Bay.
Rookie Jaren Hall struggled to the tune of no touchdowns and two turnovers in his first career start, so head coach Kevin O'Connell switched back to Mullens at the beginning of the second half. The veteran signal-caller didn't give the offense a significant makeover, but he certainly produced the more fantasy-friendly half Sunday. O'Connell stated after the game that he has not committed to a starting quarterback for Minnesota's regular-season finale against Detroit, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. The more-experienced Mullens would be the logical choice for the 8-8 Vikings, as their playoff hopes (while slim) are still alive. Mullens also represents the option with the higher fantasy upside after he threw two touchdowns and committed four turnovers in a narrow loss to Detroit when the two teams met in Week 16.
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Bryce Young QB | CAR
Panthers' Bryce Young: Regresses in Week 17 loss
Young completed 19 of 32 passes for 112 yards with no touchdowns and one interception and added one rush for two yards in the Panthers' 26-0 loss to the Jaguars on Sunday.
A week after throwing for a career-best 312 yards and two touchdowns, Young endured a completely forgettable performance that saw him take six sacks while producing his lowest passing yardage total yet. Young has now thrown for under 200 yards in eight of his last nine contests, and he'll have one more chance to move the needle on the perception that he may have been a mistake as the first overall pick when the Panthers close out the season at home against the Buccaneers in Week 18.
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C.J. Beathard QB | JAC
Jaguars' C.J. Beathard: Manages game effectively in win
Beathard completed 17 of 24 passes for 178 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions and rushed three times for 24 yards in the Jaguars' 26-0 win over the Panthers on Sunday.
As expected, Beathard played a game-manager role in his spot start for Trevor Lawrence (shoulder), and he carried out his assignment with plenty of success. Beathard connected with seven different targets overall and did complete a 48-yard pass to Jamal Agnew, but he otherwise unsurprisingly kept most of his pass attempts in the short-to-medium passing windows. If Lawrence can't suit up in Week 18 on the road against the Titans, Beathard will be called upon again as the Jaguars attempt to punch their playoff ticket.
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Justin Fields QB | KC
Bears' Justin Fields: Leads team to win
Fields completed 20 of 32 passes for 268 yards and a touchdown and tallied 45 yards and a touchdown on 11 rushing attempts in the Bears' 37-17 win over the Falcons on Sunday.
Fields used his arm and legs to help Chicago move to 7-9 with a convincing win over Atlanta. Leaning heavily on DJ Moore, who posted 159 yards, Fields recorded his highest passing-yardage total since Week 5. The quarterback has also thrown one touchdown pass in each of the last four games. In addition, Fields has rushed for at least 45 yards in seven of his last eight games. Look for him to remain a high-floor fantasy option with upside in Week 18 at Green Bay.
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Jaren Hall QB | SEA
Vikings' Jaren Hall: Benched at halftime
Hall was benched for the second half of Sunday's 33-10 loss to the Packers after completing five of 10 pass attempts for 67 yards with one interception while taking two carries for four yards with a lost fumble.
Hall had a rough go of things in his first NFL start after failing to produce a touchdown while committing two turnovers before mercifully getting the hook at halftime. In the rookie's defense, being thrown into the fire to save a team's playoff life on Sunday Night Football is a gargantuan task to assign to a player with barely any pro experience. Veteran backup Nick Mullens took over in the second half and threw the Vikings' only touchdown of the contest in garbage time. Despite the quarterbacks' contrasting stat lines, head coach Kevin O'Connell did not comment on who he will start against Detroit in Week 18. Even with the fifth-round pick struggling Sunday, it appears that Hall is still in the mix to start in Minnesota's regular-season finale.
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Jordan Love QB | GB
Packers' Jordan Love: Big primetime performance
Love completed 24 of 33 passes for 256 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 33-10 win over the Vikings. He added two rushes for two yards and a touchdown.
Love continued his second-half surge with an excellent primetime performance. He connected with Jayden Reed (chest) for a pair of touchdowns, which came from 33 and 25 yards away, and added a two-yard rushing touchdown in the first half. Love then chipped in an insurance score of nine yards to Bo Melton late in the third quarter, marking his second straight game with at least three total touchdowns and his fourth such performance in his last six contests. He'll look to carry that momentum into a win-and-in Week 18 matchup against the Bears.
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Jarrett Stidham QB | DEN
Broncos' Jarrett Stidham: Throws TD in win
Stidham completed 20 of 32 pass attempts for 224 yards and a touchdown while gaining six yards on six rushing attempts in Sunday's 16-9 win over the Chargers.
Stidham made his first start for Denver on Sunday following the financial benching of Russell Wilson. The former performed well in place of the usual starter, completing nearly two-thirds of his passes without turning the ball over. Stidham's lone touchdown pass went to Lil'Jordan Humphrey, who took a short slant pass in the second quarter and performed a series of maneuvers that resulted in a 54-yard touchdown. It was a relatively quiet fantasy day for Stidham otherwise, and he is slated to start the Broncos' final game of the regular season against his former club, the Las Vegas Raiders.
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Patrick Mahomes QB | KC
Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes: Improvement against Bengals
Mahomes completed 21 of 29 passes for 245 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions in Sunday's 25-17 win over the Bengals. He also lost a fumble.
Mahomes didn't deliver a stellar stat line, but he kept the Chiefs' offense on schedule by averaging 8.4 yards per attempt and limiting mistakes. He ended an uncharacteristic stretch of four consecutive games with an interception, though he did lose a fumble that led to a Cincinnati touchdown early in the second quarter. Other than that error, he had a positive performance, as he was able to push the ball down the field by tallying four completions of at least 20 yards -- only the second time he's reached that mark in his last nine games. While the performance was improved, Mahomes still has only one touchdown in four of his last five contests.