Week 12 didn't look overly appealing on paper yet delivered to the maximum, with a completely bonkers 1 p.m. slate in which four contests were decided on the final drive.
The slump continued for C.J. Stroud in a shocking loss to the Titans at home. Jayden Daniels was good, not great against the Cowboys -- until way late in his home loss -- and Bryce Young keeps stacking rock-solid performances.
He was awesome in Carolina's upset bid, that ultimately fell short, against the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
There were eight quarterbacks selected in the past two NFL Draft classes who saw considerable playing time in Week 12. Let's dive deep into the individual efforts of each quarterback and assign a grade on a per-snap basis, taking every individual aspect of their performance into account.
(At least 10 attempts were needed to qualify for this piece, which comes out weekly on Tuesdays.)
Who's the betting favorite to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after 11 weeks? Check out the latest odds over at FanDuel.
Week 12 stats
- 25 of 38 for 275 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- In the fourth quarter, Daniels rolled right and found Terry McLaurin near the sideline on a comeback against tight coverage.
- Later in that quarter, he made a long throw from the far hash to the right sideline for 11 yards to move the sticks.
- Daniels connected on a deep dig to Dyami Brown a few drop backs later.
- He had an effortless 23-yard scramble later. Demonstrated his speed to turn the corner at the end of the run.
- While Terry McLaurin certainly did his part, the 86-yard touchdown featured a beautiful throw downfield between defendrs.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- Daniels overthrew a corner route run by Zach Ertz early in the first quarter.
- The screen pass interception wasn't entirely Daniels' fault, but the play simply wasn't there. Unnecessary throw.
- He missed high on a throw in the second half down the numbers, although there was a defender sitting underneath the throw.
Summary: For the Commanders offense, the first half of this game was rough. Daniels' pocket awareness failed him, and the easy in-breaking routes that have been so effective were simply not there. Daniels wasn't abysmal by any means, yet his second-reaction plays did not materialize in this stunning loss to the Cowboys. The last few drives featured his best throws of the game.
Grade: B
Season Grade: B-
Week 12 stats
- 25 of 38 for 273 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- After bouncing around in the pocket on his second drop back of the game, Nix found a receiver deep down the left sideline for 23 yards.
- While fading away, Nix hit Courtland Sutton on a deep dig for 17 yards.
- There was a nice pass down the seam for 26 yards midway through the first quarter.
- Nix ripped a fastball to an open receiver over the middle for 24 yards in the second quarter.
- The deep fade to Sutton for the touchdown in the third quarter was gorgeously placed.
- While rolling right in the fourth quarter near the goal line, he fit a pass into the hands of Sutton in the back of the end zone.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- Nix threw drastically short on a long ball to Troy Franklin in the first quarter.
- On the next throw, Nix rolled right and threw a pass downfield that should've been intercepted.
- He threw behind a swing pass in the second quarter.
- Late in the third quarter, he forced an inside slant that was nearly intercepted.
Summary: More impressive throws than a week ago for Nix, especially both touchdowns to Sutton. The offense is still swing pass and screen based, but as Nix is playing more football, Sean Payton is very gradually putting more on his plate. The two near picks could've changed the narrative here in a reasonably tight game against the Raiders.
Grade: B+
Season Grade: C+
Week 12 stats
- 32 of 47 for 340 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- Williams had an impressive nine-yard scramble to pick up a third down deep in his own territory on his opening drive.
- There was a ripped fastball through a closing window to Keenan Allen that amounted to a 40-yard gain. Serious velocity and precision.
- After eluding multiple defenders while scrambling right, as he was falling out of bounds, Williams lofted a gorgeous pass to D'Andre Swift down the right sideline. Perfect touch, incredible body control.
- On a third-and-11 with a deep middle safety closing fast, Williams scorched another fastball on target for 25 yards to Allen.
- Even though it was ruled incomplete, in the second, Williams threw with perfect placement on a deep back-shoulder to Allen for 24 yards down the left sideline.
- Early in the fourth, he cranked the miles per hour on another seam throw to Kmet through layers of coverage.
- On a fourth-and-4 late in the game, Williams had a nifty scramble in the pocket, which included a leap over a defender on the ground, that got the first down.
- To convert another fourth down, he threw accurately on a dig to Rome Odunze that had a safety over the top of the throw.
- Williams' touchdown with under 30 seconds to go featured him eluding a free outside rusher.
- After the recovery of the onside kick, Williams beamed a laser to D.J. Moore, over two diving underneath defenders, for 27 yards. Absolute heater.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- Early in the game, he scrambled right in his own end zone but then threw behind Cole Kmet near the sideline.
- In the second quarter, he attempted a seam shot right in front of a safety that should've been intercepted.
- He sailed a seam shot to Cole Kmet late in the first half.
- Late in the game, Williams attempted a deep shot against an underneath zone defender that was broken up.
- The next throw sailed over the head of an open Odunze down the right sideline that could've been a touchdown.
- He took a brutal sack on second down in overtime for a 12-yard loss.
Summary: What a wildly entertaining performance from Williams in what amounted to a wild game between the Bears and Vikings. In watching his film in Week 12, it was blatantly obvious why Williams was the No. 1 overall pick. His traits were apparent throughout. And it's been back-to-back games in which he's looked considerably more comfortable both in the pocket and while improvising outside of it. This effort wasn't without flaws, yet there were more positives than negatives, and the positives were jaw-dropping.
Grade: A-
Season Grade: B-
Week 12 stats
- 22 of 37 for 222 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- In the third quarter, Maye scrambled left, avoided a tackler and found Kendrick Bourne near the sideline for 10 yards.
- With a defender in his face after rolling right, Maye uncorked a long ball to a wide open Austin Hooper 50 yards downfield for a long score in garbage time.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- Midway through the second quarter, he threw behind a hot receiver against an inside blitz.
- He threw drastically short of a deep sideline comeback in the third quarter.
- Early in the fourth quarter, Maye took a bad sack when he held the ball in the pocket too long against two free rushers.
- He drastically overthrew a corner route run by Hunter Henry in the fourth quarter.
- Ill-advised fadeaway while being pressured in the fourth quarter. Maye floated a pass near the line of scrimmage and was intercepted.
Summary: Maye had a "Welcome to the NFL" experience in Miami in Week 12. His offensive line did him no favors, and the Dolphins covered well all afternoon. But Maye's ball placement was below-average, and he was unable to make many plays outside of the pocket like we've seen from him often in his rookie season.
Grade: D+
Season Grade: C+
Week 12 stats
- 20 of 33 for 247 yards with 2 TD and 2 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- In the first quarter, while being taken to the turf, Stroud squeezed a pass between defenders to Xavier Hutchinson for eight yards.
- Midway through the second quarter, Stroud hit Dell on a deep over for 39 yards. Nice placement.
- His touchdown to Nico Collins later that quarter was thrown with quality timing and accuracy.
- The 56-yard bomb to Collins was placed in stride down the left sideline.
- After stepping into the pocket on a fourth-quarter drop back, Stroud laced a pass between defenders near the sideline to Tank Dell for 17 yards.
- On a scramble drill, Stroud fit a pass into the arms of Collins tip-toeing the sideline for 16 yards.
- He threw with ideal timing and accuracy on a deep out-breaking route to Dalton Schultz for 16 yards in the fourth quarter against reasonably tight coverage.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- From a clean pocket in the second quarter, Stroud missed high and wide on a target for an open Joe Mixon running toward the sideline.
- The late second-quarter interception may have been a miscommunication with his receiver, but there was no need for Stroud to try to lead his wideout up the field against zone coverage.
- His second interception was much more egregious. He simply did not see the linebacker sinking underneath the throw over the middle.
- On a third-and-3 in the fourth quarter, Stroud threw low to Collins, and the ball fell incomplete. The veteran receiver was open.
- He stepped out of bounds in his own end zone on his final drop back of the game.
Summary: Stroud made his fair share of impressive throws in this game, but again they were overshadowed by a large number of easy misses and passes directly to the opposing team. That's a solid month now of far from outstanding play for the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year. Something just seems off about him and the Texans passing offense, although the occasional splash play is still there.
Grade: C
Season Grade: C+
Week 12 stats
- 21 of 35 for 263 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- In the first quarter, he threw Xavier Legette open on deep over that went for 34 yards.
- As he was taking a hit while rolling left, Young floated one down the left sideline to Ja'Tavion Sanders for 28 yards against tight coverage.
- He somehow fit a pass into David Moore's grasp on an in-breaking route in the third quarter with a defender draped all over the receiver.
- On a third-and-8 in the third quarter, while taking a hit in the pocket, Young threw with tremendous accuracy and anticipation to connect with Moore on an out-breaking route.
- Young dropped one in the bucket to Legette down the sideline but the ball fell incomplete.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- Early in the second quarter, Young overthrew David Moore on a post in the end zone. He had a step.
- He held the ball far too long on a sack fumble in the second quarter.
Summary: Fourth-consecutive (!) impressive outing from last year's No. 1 overall pick. The anticipation and comfort in the pocket have been drastically better than they were earlier this season or at any point during his rookie campaign. He hung in against some creative, all-out blitzes and kept the ball out of harm's way. Stellar effort from Young here. Considering the opponent, this is probably Young's finest game in the NFL to date.
Grade: A
Season Grade: C+
Week 12 stats
- 18 of 24 for 278 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
High-caliber throws/plays
- While not the most difficult throw of his life, Levis threw with perfect touch on a double-move to an open Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for 38 yards in the first quarter.
- From a tightening pocket, Levis sent a moon ball to Calvin Ridley in stride for 63 yards.
- After bootlegging left, with a defender hitting him, Levis got his shoulders square and delivered an on-target strike to Ridley for 17 yards. Awesome display of his arm talent.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- Late in the first half, Levis missed wide on an out-breaking route run by Ridley.
- It appeared Levis didn't see Jimmie Ward sitting underneath his throw near the numbers on the pick-six in the third quarter.
Summary: Steady effort from Levis on a road in a wild win. The pick-six, he'd probably like back. But the long touchdown early, the deep connection with Ridley and the bootleg were awesome. Levis didn't have to do much in this contest volume-wise, as evidenced by his 24 attempts, but he did enough to be an integral part of this Titans victory.
Grade: C+
Season Grade: C-
Week 12 stats
- 11 of 28 for 172 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT and 61 yards rushing
High-caliber throws/plays
- In the second quarter, Richardson lofted a teardrop in the bucket to Pierce for 39 yards.
- Later in that quarter, he looked left, came back to the middle and threw a strike for what should've been a touchdown but was dropped.
- He ran through a tackler then spun off another on a designed run that went for 17 yards in the third quarter.
- In the fourth quarter, Richardson ripped a gorgeous long ball to Ashton Dulin down the left sideline, but the young receiver stepped out of bounds.
Low-caliber throws/plays
- Early in the game, in a crumbling pocket, Richardson missed a completely wide-open Pierce deep down the field. Could've been an 88-yard touchdown.
- He missed badly on a checkdown against pressure in the third quarter.
- Richardson held onto the ball far too long in his own end zone, took a hit, and almost fumbled the football upon release.
- On a third-and-15 in the fourth quarter, he forced a pass down the middle that was nearly picked by a diving underneath linebacker.
Summary: A bit of a disappointment for Richardson after his stellar performance a week ago against the Jets on the road. He was ultra-aggressive attacking downfield in this one with minimal results. The accuracy problems limited his productivity in this home loss to the Lions. Would love to see more layups for Richardson early to get him into more of a rhythm.
Grade: C
Season Grade: C