Grading NFL’s next generation of quarterbacks: Patriots give Mac Jones more responsibility, get mixed results

We saw the Patriots put more on Mac Jones‘ plate against the Colts than the coaches had in any other game to date this season. And there were mixed results. Jones flashed his ability to throw accurately to all levels of the field but also made a few costly mistakes, and his overall ball placement wasn’t nearly as good as it had been leading into that outing.

We also saw the NFL debut for Jake Fromm in Week 15. 

There were nine quarterbacks selected in the past two NFL Draft classes that saw considerable playing time — more than 10 pass attempts — in Week 15.

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.

Best Throws: 

• On the play Donald Parham injured his neck, Herbert made a pretty throw through traffic. 
• Late in the first half, he gave Mike Williams a chance in a jump-ball situation that amounted to a big gain down the right sideline.
• While rolling left with a defender closing in, Herbert fit the ball over an underneath defense for a 29-yard gain to Keenan Allen.
• In the fourth, I have no clue how he squeezed a 15-yard pass into the arms of Josh Palmer through traffic.
• The go-ahead touchdown in the fourth to Allen was a rocket between two defenders.

Worst Throws: 

• He threw a sideline go route to Williams that was too far to the inside. 
• On the final drive of regulation, Herbert made a very dangerous throw downfield into double coverage that was nearly picked.
• His last throw of the game was too far out in front of Allen who looked to have a step deep down the field. 

Summary: Another impressive game from Herbert against Kansas City. It wasn’t an otherworldly performance, but the stellar throws far outweighed the bad ones, and he put his arm talent on display often.  

Grade: A-
Season Grade: B

Best throws: 

• In the second, he found his check down on the other side of the field from where he initially looked as pressure mounted in his face. 
• A few plays later, Burrow found Tyler Boyd across the middle for 19 yards. 
• In the fourth, he did a great job moving away from pressure inside the pocket before scrambling for nine yards.
• On his last throw of the game, inside a collapsing pocket, Burrow delivered a strike to Boyd for 15 yards over the middle. 

Worst throws: 

• His second throw of the game was too far out in front of Ja’Marr Chase on an in-breaking route.
• Late in the first, Burrow as a tick late on a short out-breaker that was knocked away. 

Summary: This was the classic Burrow outing, without the long-ball strike we’ve seen from him often this season. Very workmanlike. Took some hits/sacks. Didn’t make major mistakes and sprinkled in a few decently difficult passes at the intermediate level.   

Grade: B
Season Grade: B

Best Throws: 

• On his third drop back of the game, Jones dipped his shoulder to evade a defender and scrambled for 12 yards.
• In the second, he threw a seam route to Jonnu Smith high which was nearly intercepted.
• Later in the first half, Jones threw with pinpoint accuracy on a flag route to Hunter Henry. Gorgeous placement for 25 yards.
• With four minutes to go in the third, Jones squeezed one into Nelson Agholor a tick before Darius Leonard hit the receiver over the middle.
• While a dangerous throw, Jones rolled right then threw across his body to the other side of the field to Henry boxing out his defender for a decent gain.
• Late in the contest, Jones threw a deep dig to Kendrick Bourne that just made it over the underneath linebacker.
• Under pressure, down 10 late, Jones got a long ball on the post to N’Keal Harry for a big gain.
• He threw with anticipation and surgical accuracy on the touchdown to Henry late.

Worst Throws: 

• Early in the first, Jones tried to reverse his field with DeForest Buckner in his face. 15-yard sack.
• On his red-zone interception, Jones failed to see Leonard underneath the route he was targeting.
• In the third, Jones didn’t have enough zip on a short out route that was picked by Bobby Okereke.
• On a flea-flicker in the fourth, Jones missed an open Meyers running down the left sideline.
• In the fourth, he overthrew Meyers in the end zone.
• He skied a longer throw into the flat to Brandon Bolden.

Summary: This contest from Jones was unrecognizable compared to the responsibilities he had been given in the first 13 games of the season. He made more impressive throws against the Colts than he had in any other game to date this year but also made noticeably more mistakes and misfires.

Grade: C
Season Grade: C+

Best Throws: 

• Early in the game, while rolling right, he found an open Darnell Mooney but had to laser the ball into the second-year receiver. 
• Late in the second, he showcased nice touch on a throw down the sideline that went for 12 yards.
• In the fourth, Fields made a pinpoint accurate throw down the seam to Cole Kmet through the tiniest window.
• In the fourth, he shrugged off a defensive lineman and ran up the middle for 11 yards.
• While being taken down in the fourth quarter, Fields flipped a pass underhand to David Montgomery for three yards.

Worst Throws: 

• In the third, he took a bad sack trying to reverse his field.
• On a 4th and 1 in the third, he took another bad sack while rolling out. 

Summary: Pretty bland outing from Fields at home in prime time. He took a few unnecessary sacks, but as usual, did showcase his legs quite frequently. The arm-talent displays popped occasionally. The misfires did too. 

Grade: C-
Season Grade: C+

Best Throws: 

• Early in the second, Lawrence ripped a strike off play action for 21 yards that needed to have a lot of heat behind it.
• In the fourth, while getting pressured on the inside, Lawrence fit the ball into Laquon Treadwell over the middle for 12 yards vs. tight coverage.

Worst Throws: 

• Early in the first, he threw wide of Marvin Jones in the end zone.
• He then missed a wide open receiver on a deep cross.
• Lawrence took a bad sack early in the third while staring at his check down option. 
• In the fourth, he threw low on a comeback just outside the numbers. 

Summary: Certainly not a game in which Lawrence took a sizable step forward, however he didn’t put the ball in harm’s way. His stat line was hurt by a litany of drops in the rain-soaked outing. 

Grade: C-
Season Grade: C

Best Throws: 

• Wilson ripped an over-the-middle throw to Keelan Cole was that contested at the catch point and ultimately fell incomplete.
• While not a tough throw to an open tight end across the field, Wilson found a way to elude multiple defenders on a trick play in the second before getting the ball out. 

Worst Throws: 

• Late in the first, Wilson threw a dangerous out route into double coverage that was wide of its target.
• In the fourth, he overthrew Denzel Mims deep down the field by about five yards.
• On a checkdown to Mims late, Wilson overthrew the wide open receiver. 

Summary: Another ghastly performance from Wilson, and it was mostly due to him taking a bunch of sacks. The impressive throws weren’t really there, and his accuracy was questionable for essentially the duration of the loss to the Dolphins.

Grade: D+
Season Grade: C-

Best Throws: 

• On the first play of the second quarter, Tagovailoa fit a long pass on corner route to DeVante Parker between two defensive backs for 37 yards. 
• Late in the second, he threw with good velocity to squeeze a slant into Mike Gesicki.
• Early in the third, Tagovailoa dropped it on the bucket down the numbers to Isaiah Ford.
• There was a ripped comeback route down the numbers to Ford in the fourth just past the reach of an underneath linebacker.
• With a tied game in the fourth, he placed it only where Parker could go up and get it but the ball was knocked away. 

Worst Throws: 

• His first throw of the game was intercepted. It’s unclear if it was too far in front of DeVante Parker or too far behind Mike Gesicki.
• His second throw was late and thrown dangerously into coverage deep down the left sideline.
• Tagovailoa airmailed and end zone target to Mack Hollins in the second.
• In the fourth, he was late on a long sideline throw and was intercepted. Needed more velocity too.

Summary: As the score indicated, it was a more difficult game for Tagovailoa than the records going in would’ve indicated. He did make some nice downfield throws, but the passes thrown in precarious spots were not good.   

Grade: C
Season Grade: C+

Best Throws: 

• Early in the game Mills had to throw with anticipation on a short in-breaker to Brandin Cooks because of pressure. Throw was on target against tight coverage. 
• Under immense pressure in the third, Mills dropped one in the bucket to Nico Collins deep down the field for 33 yards.
• Mills was able to fit a pass down the numbers to Jordan Akins for 18 yards. Nearly got picked but had just enough loft to make it over the underneath linebacker.

Worst Throws: 

• In the fourth, he lofted a sideline route that needed to be driven to the its target. It was intercepted.
• Later in the final quarter, Mills threw a dangerous pass into coverage deep down the field that was nearly picked.

Summary: Mills is looking more comfortable in his starting role. And the high-end throws are there just about every week. The bad decisions pop every week too. Most of his attempts are either schemed open targets or checkdowns. 

Grade: B-
Season Grade: C

Best Throws: 

• On his second NFL throw, Fromm looked to the flat to draw a defender, then threw with good accuracy on a longer sideline route for 14 yards. 
• He threw with good anticipation on the long throw to the right sideline for a first down against tight coverage.

Worst Throws: 

• After the two-minute warning, Fromm was late on a comeback that was knocked away.

Summary: Only 13 drop backs for Fromm in garbage time against the Cowboys, and I’ve got to say — he didn’t look bad at all.   

Grade: B-
Season Grade: B-

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