Justin Fields is having one of the best rushing seasons we've ever seen from a quarterback. While he hasn't thrown for over 200 yards in a game since early October, the former first-round pick now has back-to-back contests with over 140 yards rushing, and he's averaging nearly 75 rush yards per outing, which equates to 1,275 yards passing for the season.
We had just four quarterbacks selected in the past two NFL Draft classes who saw considerable playing time during Week 10 action.
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 are needed to qualify for this piece, which is published each Tuesday during the NFL season.
Justin Fields, Bears
High-Caliber Throws/Plays:
- Late in the first, he avoided multiple defenders in the pocket, looked to scramble, then got his head up and found Dante Pettis over the middle for 9 yards.
- There was another amazing escape from pressure -- that featured a spin move -- before Fields found Byron Pringle open for 12 yards.
- Fields' 1-yard scramble was outstanding. He was in a defender's grasp while running right, stayed on his feet and found the end zone on the left side of the field.
- In the fourth, while rolling left, Fields uncorked a perfectly thrown pass to Cole Kmet on a back shoulder that was dropped.
- Fields' 67-yard touchdown run was a tremendous example of his vision, cutting ability, and long speed in the open field.
Low-Caliber Throws/Plays:
- Midway through the second, he threw high and wide on a comeback run by Pringle that fell incomplete.
- The fourth-quarter interception on a screen to Kmet was a bad decision while hurried, and the pass was way above the head of the tight end.
Summary: It was another stat-sheet loading game for Fields, and the good throws far outweighed the bad ones. The interception was ugly, though. He had two runs that demonstrated how athletic and naturally fast he is. While there has been development this season as a passer, he must continue to make strides in that area.
Grade: A-
Season Grade: C+
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars
High-Caliber Throws:
- His second throw of the day was a rocket on a deep corner route that should've been caught.
- Close to the end of the half, Lawrence led Marvin Jones beautifully down the field for a 33-yard gain near the sideline.
- On the next play, he showcased his athleticism on a 18-yard run that featured him making a safety miss.
- The touchdown throw to Christian Kirk right before the end of the half, was fantastic. Long throw across the field to the front right corner of the end zone against tight coverage.
- In the third, he squeezed a short in-breaking route to a receiver against air-tight coverage.
Low-Caliber Throws:
- Early in the second, Lawrence sailed a corner route to Evan Engram that should've been completed.
- Later in that quarter, he threw too low on a long swing pass.
Summary: In a game that was never really competitive, Lawrence fared well. He was sacked a few times and had some passes batted at the line, but the misses were minimal and he flashed the big-time arm talent on some throws. Not a spectacular effort by any stretch though.
Grade: B-
Season Grade: C+
Davis Mills, Texans
High-Caliber Throws:
- Mills' touchdown to Nico Collins on a slant-and-go was perfectly placed up and over the cornerback.
- On the final drive, Mills ripped a strike over the middle against tight coverage.
- His second-to-last pass of the contest was an accurate laser on a long outbreaking route.
Low-Caliber Throws/Plays:
- In the first, he underthrew a back-shoulder attempt to Nico Collins.
- The next throw was too low for Brandin Cooks.
- He threw low and outside on a long comeback to Cooks later in the game.
- With under four minutes to go in the fourth, Mills overthrew an open wideout in the end zone
Summary: Way more clean-pocket misfires from Mills in this one than normal, and two of his impressive throws came late in the game, in garbage time. We've seen better from the second-year quarterback.
Grade: D+
Season Grade: C-
Kenny Pickett, Steelers
High-Caliber Throws/Plays:
- Pickett showcased quality speed on his 23-yard scramble in the third quarter.
- He rocketed a slant to George Pickens through a tiny window.
- Midway through the third, Pickett lofted a gorgeous ball to Najee Harris on a wheel down the sideline that was contested at the catch point and fell incomplete.
- Later that quarter, Pickett put a ball over a trailing cornerback down the field to Diontae Johnson for a splash play.
Low-Caliber Throws/Plays:
- His first throw of the game was behind Pickens on a deep over.
- On the same drive, he threw to a covered Pat Freiermuth and was nearly intercepted by the underneath defender.
- In the second, Pickett sailed a pass on a deep over that was double covered.
- Pickett rushed a quick throw into the flat for a receiver screen that missed its target badly.
Summary: Up-and-down effort from the rookie. The second half was better than the opening two quarters. Pittsburgh's offense is still very gimmicky and quick-pass based; it's hard to get a real read on Pickett's throwing capabilities.
Grade: C-
Season Grade: C-