When it came to quarterback play in Week 4, there were two common themes. Some quarterbacks that started the season slowly earned a measure of redemption with strong performances. On the flip side, some quarterbacks that previously had played well regressed and had tough outings.
In our Weekly QB Watch, lets take a look at four quarterbacks who are trending up and four that are trending down.
TRENDING DOWN
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Early in the season, Jackson was playing so well that he was being mentioned in Most Valuable Player conversations. But he’s cooled off a lot in the past two games, both losses. On Sunday, against Cleveland, he did throw three touchdown passes. But he also threw his first two interceptions of the season and was sacked four times. This isn’t a disaster. and it’s not time for the Ravens to panic. They just have to remember that Jackson is in his first full season as a starter. There are bound to be some rough patches.
TRENDING DOWN
Case Keenum, Washington Redskins
After yanking Keenum in the second quarter of Sunday’s loss to the New York Giants and turning to rookie Dwayne Haskins, is there any way coach Jay Gruden can turn back to Keenum and still be able to look the rest of his players in the eye? The answer is no. Keenum was pulled after a disastrous start in which he completed six of 11 passes for 37 yards and was intercepted once. Gruden finally gave Haskins a chance. But Haskins also was a disaster, throwing three interceptions. So where do the Redskins go from here? Do they turn to Colt McCoy? He’s the best quarterback they’ve got. But he suffered a major leg injury last season and only began practicing last week. He’s not fully ready, and the last thing the Redskins need is for McCoy to suffer a setback. Do they stick with Haskins? That’s really the only answer in the short term. He’s clearly not ready, and he’ll probably struggle. But this already is a lost season for the Redskins. They might as well let Haskins grow up the hard way.
TRENDING DOWN
Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears
The Bears beat the Vikings on Sunday, but Trubisky didn’t have much to do with it. After completing two of three passes for nine yards, he was forced out of the game with a left shoulder injury and could miss some time going forward. The Bears didn’t miss a beat with backup Chase Daniel stepping in. He completed 22 of 30 passes for 195 yards and one touchdown. That’s precisely the type of efficient quarterback play the Bears need to go with their strong defense. Trubisky wasn’t giving them that in the first three games. Daniel isn’t going to put up big numbers. But the guy who spent five years observing the Sean Payton/Drew Brees offensive machine knows how to be efficient. This could signal a changing of the guard. Daniel could be the perfect game manager to take the Bears deep into the playoffs.
TRENDING DOWN
Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
It seemed impossible, but Cousins hit a new low after Sunday’s loss to Chicago. He got something you never want – criticism from a teammate.
“At some point, you’re not going to be able to run the ball for 180 yards, even with the best running back in the NFL,” Minnesota receiver Adam Thielen told the media. “That’s when you have to be able to throw the ball. … You have to be able to hit the deep balls.”
Cousins did produce his biggest passing yardage of the season (233 yards). But most of those yards were like empty calories. They meant nothing and got the Vikings nowhere. And that came on a day when the Bears focused their defense on stopping running back Dalvin Cook. And they were successful, as Cook only ran for 35 yards. Other teams are going to do the same thing. So, is it time to bench Cousins and go with backup Sean Mannion? It has to be tempting. But it’s just not practical. Cousins is guaranteed $28 million this season, and he still has another guaranteed year at a similar salary. The Vikings are stuck with Cousins. They’re a good team otherwise, but Cousins is capable of keeping them out of the playoffs.
TRENDING UP
Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders
What Carr did in Sunday’s victory against Indianapolis wasn’t flashy. He completed 21 of 31 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns to help the Raiders end a two-game losing streak. Contrary to popular belief, this is how coach Jon Gruden wants his quarterback to play. Gruden doesn’t want his quarterback throwing for 400 yards. He just wants the quarterback to be efficient. Although there was some talk in the offseason that Gruden didn’t like Carr, that’s simply not true. The coach and quarterback have a solid working relationship. They’ve even talked about living in the same neighborhood when the team moves to Las Vegas. On Sunday, Carr was the one thing Gruden wants him to be – efficient. All you have to do is look at Oakland’s four games to spot an important trend. In the games where Carr hasn’t thrown an interception, the Raiders have won. In the games Carr has been intercepted, they’ve lost. By the way, Carr had an X-ray after getting his leg banged up, but he appears to be all right.
TRENDING UP
Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans
After the Titans averaged just 12 points in losing their previous two games, some fans were calling for Mariota’s benching. He threw only one touchdown pass in those games, and opposing defenses were loading the box to slow running back Derrick Henry. But Mariota ended his slump and silenced his critics as the Titans picked up an easy win against Atlanta. Mariota completed 16 of 27 passes for 227 yards. More importantly, he threw three touchdowns. Mariota hasn’t thrown an interception all season, and that’s the best thing you can say about him. He’s never going to be the superstar many thought he would become. But he can be efficient. The Titans will use the rest of the season to decide if efficient is good enough to sign Mariota to a second contract.
TRENDING UP
Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Not many quarterbacks have taken as much criticism as Winston in recent years. It’s justified, because Winston was extremely inconsistent in his first four years. In fact, Winston lost his starting job to Ryan Fitzpatrick at one point last season. Everything was supposed to turn rosy the moment quarterback guru Bruce Arians was hired as Tampa Bay’s coach. However, things didn’t start that way. In the season’s first three games, Winston was as inconsistent as ever. But Sunday may have been a turning point in Winston’s career. He completed 28 of 41 passes for 385 yards and four touchdowns. He did throw an interception that was returned for a touchdown, but it didn’t have much impact on the game. What matters is that Winston had one of the best games of his career against the defending NFC-champion Los Angeles Rams, and he did it on the road. Maybe Arians and Winston are starting to click. If Winston keeps playing like this, he could become the first quarterback in Buccaneers history to get a second contract with the team.
TRENDING UP
Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns
After a strong rookie season last year, expectations were huge for Mayfield and a Cleveland offense that added receiver Odell Beckham Jr. But Mayfield was mostly disappointing in the first three games. He struggled with accuracy and threw five interceptions. He even prompted former NFL coach Rex Ryan, now a broadcaster, to call him overrated. Ryan’s point seemed pretty accurate. But Mayfield, figuratively, fired back at Ryan and other critics in Sunday’s 40-25 win against Baltimore. He completed 20 of 30 passes for 342 yards and a touchdown. Mayfield has enough of his own talent and a strong enough supporting cast that he should be able to put up numbers similar to that every week.
Pat Yasinskas has covered the NFL since 1993. He has worked for The Tampa Tribune, The Charlotte Observer and ESPN.com and writes for numerous national magazines and websites. He also has served as a voter for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
