Week 3 NFL QB Report Card: Caleb Williams Showed Up, C.J. Stroud Didn't

Another week, same truth: the league lives and dies with its QBs. We stacked up every starter, weighing highlight throws against back-breaking mistakes. A handful dazzled, plenty just survived, and a couple are flirting with the hot seat.

Thursday Night Football: Bills 31, Dolphins 21

Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins

STATS: 22–34 passing, 146 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 0 sacks; 2 carries, 10 yards

While the Dolphins hung around against the Bills longer than most people might have thought they would, Tagovailoa just doesn't look good. Miami has to be regretting that $212 million contract about now. 

GRADE: D

Josh Allen, Bills

STATS: 22–28 passing, 213 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 2 sacks; 4 carries, 25 yards

Josh Allen didn't dominate the Dolphins defense quite as much as he could have, but he was effective, efficient and didn't make mistakes. That's all he needed to do for his much superior team to come out on top on Thursday night. 

GRADE: B+

Colts 41, Titans 20

Daniel Jones, Colts

STATS: 18–25 passing, 228 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 0 sacks; 4 carries, 27 yards

What more is there to say about Danny Dimes? He's playing out of his mind—albeit against a couple of weak opponents—and deserves to be the NFL MVP frontrunner through three weeks. But it's obviously very early, and the Colts schedule gets a lot tougher over the next few weeks. Stay tuned. 

GRADE: B+

Cam Ward, Titans

STATS: 23–38 passing, 219 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 4 sacks; 3 carries, 12 yards

A slight improvement this week from Ward, but he made one of the worst plays so far of the NFL season with a terrible pick-6 early in the game. Tennessee isn't going to replace Ward, so it's up to him to work his way through the rookie growing pains. 

GRADE: D+

Steelers 21, Patriots 14

Aaron Rodgers, Steelers

STATS: 16–23 passing, 139 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 0 sacks

Not much to say here. Rodgers didn't look great, but did enough to win. Moving on. 

GRADE: C

Drake Maye, Patriots

STATS: 28–37 passing, 268 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 5 sacks; 7 carries, 45 yards, 1 lost fumble

Maye’s stats were respectable, but his play was not. He turned the ball over twice, took five sacks (several were his fault for holding the ball too long) and failed on a fourth-and-one with a chance to tie the game in the final minute. 

GRADE: D+

Buccaneers 29, Jets 27

Tyrod Taylor, Jets

STATS: 26–36 passing, 197 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 4 sacks; 8 carries, 48 yards, 1 fumble lost

Tyrod Taylor looked much better than Justin Fields—no surprise, since Fields isn't very good—and he led the team on two fourth-quarter touchdown drives to get the Jets back into the game. Overall, a pretty good performance (though the two turnovers are a concern) and New York probably needs to stick with Taylor moving forward. 

GRADE: B

Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers

STATS: 19–29 passing, 233 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 1 sack; 4 carries, 44 yards

It wasn't really Mayfield's fault that the Bucs nearly lost to the hapless Jets—blame the defense and special teams for that—but it was his leadership and play that made sure they didn't lose. Mayfield led the team on a game-winning field goal drive in the final minutes, a position he shouldn't have found himself in the first place. 

GRADE: A-

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield reacts after a ply against the New York Jets during NFL Week 3.

(Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)

Commanders 41, Raiders 24 

Geno Smith, Raiders

STATS: 19–29 passing, 289 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 5 sacks; 2 carries, 5 yards

Smith's stats look fine, but they don't tell the full story. Washington tried to give the Raiders several opportunities—including a fumble and a missed field goal in the first half—but Smith and the Raiders didn't really take advantage. Despite the chances, Las Vegas never seemed to be in contention to actually win. 

GRADE: C

Marcus Mariota, Commanders

STATS: 15–21 passing, 207 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 1 sack; 6 carries, 40 yards, 1 TD, 1 lost fumble

Credit to Mariota for stepping in for the injured Jayden Daniels and putting on a strong performance. Smart move by the Commanders to add a backup quarterback who can run a similar offense to their starter. 

GRADE: B

Eagles 33, Rams 26

Matthew Stafford, Rams

STATS: 19–33 passing, 196 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 1 sack; 0 carries, 0 yards

Unlike several of the previous quarterbacks, Stafford's stats actually look worse than he played. The early interception wasn't great, but Eagles defender Zach Baun made a really nice play. Stafford bounced back and led the team on six consecutive scoring drives. Let's be honest—the Rams should have won this game. 

GRADE: B-

Jalen Hurts, Eagles

STATS: 21–32 passing, 226 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 4 sacks; 9 carries, 40 yards, 1 TD, 1 lost fumble

This was the first game where Jalen Hurts had to lean on his arm, and there were some hiccups along the way. Ultimately, though, Hurts showed that he and the team could win in different ways. After a bad fumble to start the second half, Hurts led the team on three touchdown drives to win the game. One of those drives lasted 13 plays and another lasted 17. 

GRADE: B+

Panthers 30, Falcons 0

Michael Penix Jr., Falcons

STATS: 18–36 passing, 172 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT, 0 sacks; 2 carries, 9 yards

Penix looked awful in a game where the Falcons never even threatened to contend. He completed just 50% of his passes and threw two interceptions—including a soul-crushing pick-6. Yeah, it was bad. 

GRADE: F

Bryce Young, Panthers

STATS: 16–24 passing, 121 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 1 sack; 2 carries, 8 yards, 1 TD

Young didn't have to do much since the Falcons didn't score. But he managed to avoid any turnovers, so that's good. 

GRADE: C

Vikings 48, Bengals 10

Jake Browning, Bengals

STATS: 19–27 passing, 140 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 3 sacks

Another blowout thanks to a terrible performance by a quarterback. Browning looked completely overmatched, and the Bengals are in a lot of trouble without Joe Burrow for the foreseeable future. 

GRADE: F

Carson Wentz, Vikings

STATS: 14–20 passing, 173 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 3 sacks

It's nice when your defense scores two touchdowns, and Wentz benefited greatly from that and the +5 turnover differential. Still, he avoided making the mistakes that could have kept the Bengals in the game. 

GRADE: B

Jaguars 17, Texans 10

C.J. Stroud, Texans

STATS: 25–38 passing, 204 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 2 sacks; 4 carries, 22 yards

I'm running out of patience with C.J. Stroud. With each passing week, it seems that his rookie season was just a crazy anomaly, and he's not nearly a top ten NFL quarterback at this point in his career. The Texans had several chances to win this game, and Stroud couldn't get it done. Even his lone touchdown pass came after a blown coverage by the Jags where Stroud simply had to hit a wide open Nico Collins. The interceptions were ugly. 

GRADE: D-

Houston Texans quarterback CJ. Stroud struggled in NFL Week 3 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

(Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union via Imagn Images)

Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars

STATS: 20–40 passing, 222 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 2 sacks

This should have been a showcase between a former #1 overall pick (Lawrence) and a former #2 overall pick (Stroud) but it was anything but. Sure, the Jags won, but Lawrence wasn't good. This was more about which quarterback wanted to lose more, and it happened to be Stroud. 

GRADE: D+

Browns 13, Packers 10

Jordan Love, Packers

STATS: 18–25 passing, 183 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 5 sacks; 4 carries, 18 yards

I noted my concerns about Jordan Love in previous editions of this column, so you might expect me to crush him because of this performance. I'm not going to do that, though. The Browns' defense is legit. The interception Love threw late was bad (although Delpit made a great play). However, the loss isn't entirely on Love. My concerns remain, though. 

GRADE: C-

Joe Flacco, Browns

STATS: 21–36 passing, 142 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 2 sacks

Flacco still looks old, but the Browns beat the Packers and the 40-year-old led the team on a game-winning field goal drive against an elite defense. The stats aren't good, but credit for a gutsy performance. 

GRADE: B-

Chargers 23, Broncos 20

Bo Nix, Broncos

STATS: 14–25 passing, 153 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 2 sacks; 8 carries, 33 yards

The Broncos had a legitimate chance to win this game, but don't let that fool you—the offense was anemic. The team converted just nine first downs and gained only 265 yards. Plus, with a 17-10 lead in the fourth quarter, Nix and the Denver offense had a quick three-and-out before the Chargers game-tying touchdown. Then, with an opportunity to lead the team on a field goal drive, Nix posted another three-and-out (gaining 0 yards). 

GRADE: C-

Justin Herbert, Chargers

STATS: 28–47 passing, 300 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 5 sacks

Herbert struggled against a stout Denver defense, but stepped up with the game on the line. He took the team on a 76-yard game-tying touchdown drive before leading his offense to a game-winning field goal on the ensuing possession. 

GRADE: B

Seahawks 44, Saints 13

Spencer Rattler, Saints

STATS: 28–39 passing, 218 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 2 sacks; 2 carries, 10 yards

Rattler and the Saints are among the worst teams in the NFL, and they never threatened to win this game. The team is going to have to turn to rookie Tyler Shough at some point. 

GRADE: D

When do the Saints turn to rookie Tyler Shough? 

(Matthew Hinton/Imagn Images)

Sam Darnold, Seahawks

STATS: 14–18 passing, 218 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 0 sacks

Like Bryce Young and Carson Wentz, Darnold didn't have to do much in a blowout. No sacks and no turnovers are notable, though. 

GRADE: B+

49ers 16, Cardinals 15

Kyler Murray, Cardinals

STATS: 22–35 passing, 159 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 1 sacks; 6 carries, 37 yards

It was a mixed bag for Murray, whose stats would look a lot better if Marvin Harrison didn't drop a potential touchdown. The Cardinals receivers actually let Murray down throughout the game, dropping several critical passes—including one by Zay Jones that could have sealed a victory. 

GRADE: B-

Mac Jones, 49ers

STATS: 27–41 passing, 284 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 1 sacks

Jones threw a later interception, which could have been costly, but ultimately wasn't. Then, with the game on the line, he quickly moved the team into field goal range to win it as time expired. 

GRADE: B

Bears 31, Cowboys 14

Dak Prescott, Cowboys

STATS: 31–40 passing, 251 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT, 2 sacks

This was not a difficult matchup for Prescott, as the Bears allowed 52 points against the Lions the prior week. Yes, the early CeeDee Lamb injury took away the team's best playmaker (and probably devastated their offensive gameplan), but Prescott simply didn't do enough. Here's how the team's first three drives of the second half—with the game still within reach—looked: punt, interception, interception. Yuck. 

GRADE: D+

Caleb Williams, Bears

STATS: 19–28 passing, 298 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT, 0 sacks; 5 carries, 12 yards

This was easily the best performance of Williams' young career. That being said, it was against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL (especially after Dallas traded Micah Parsons). He needs to carry this momentum into the next game against the Raiders, who just allowed 34 points to a Marcus Mariota-led Commanders offense (yes, the Commanders scored 41, but they had a punt return touchdown). 

GRADE: A

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams celebrates after throwing a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys during NFL Week 3. 

(David Banks/Imagn Images)

Sunday Night Football: Chiefs 22, Giants 9

Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs

STATS: 22–37 passing, 224 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 2 sacks; 5 carries, 2 yards

It's getting harder and harder to keep making excuses for Patrick Mahomes. Yes, the offense lacks playmakers. But Mahomes just doesn't look up to his MVP form so far this season. I'm certainly not giving up on him, but he needs to start putting the team on his back if the Chiefs are going to be serious contenders. 

GRADE: C+

Russell Wilson, Giants

STATS: 18–32 passing, 160 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT, 2 sacks; 5 carries, 27 yards

Wilson bounced back from a horrendous Week 1 performance to post monster numbers in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys. In Week 3, he was back to being terrible. That made the decision to start Jaxson Dart in Week 4 an easy one for head coach Brian Daboll. 

GRADE: F

Monday Night Football: Lions 38, Ravens 30

Jared Goff, Lions

STATS: 20–28 passing, 202 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 0 sacks; 0 carries, 0 yards

The Lions offense ran for 224 yards and four touchdowns, so Goff didn't have to do much. But he made quick decisions, avoided sacks and turnovers, and got out of the way while David Montgomery and Jamhyr Gibbs rumbled all over the Ravens defense. 

GRADE: B+

Lamar Jackson, Ravens

STATS: 21–27 passing, 288 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT, 7 sacks; 7 carries, 35 yards

Lamar Jackson actually played really well, despite being under constant pressure by a Detroit Lions defensive line that dominated the Ravens offensive line. Really, the Lions controlled the line-of-scrimmage on both sides of the ball, so it was really only Jackson's heroics that kept this game close for a long time. 

GRADE: B+

NFL Quarterback Power Rankings, Top 8 & Bottom 8

This isn't just based off of the first three weeks, but rather how I view the quarterbacks for the rest of the 2025 season. I'm focusing on the top and bottom 25%. Everyone else is in the middle. 

NOTE: For the purposes of these rankings, injured starting quarterbacks will still count so long as they are not expected to miss more than four games. 

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (Last Week: 1)

2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (2)

3. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (4)

4. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders (5)

5. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (3)

6. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (6)

7. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8) 

8. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (7)

…

25. Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns (27)

26. Drake Maye, New England Patriots (25)

27. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers (28)

28. Jaxson Dart, New York Giants (NR)

29. Justin Fields/Tyrod Taylor, New York Jets (29)

30. Jake Browning, Cincinnati Bengals (26)

31. Spencer Rattler, New Orleans Saints (32)

32. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans (31)

That's it for Week 3! We'll be back in seven days to do it all over again.