Thanksgiving Day Schedule Keeps the Turkeys on the Table, Off the Tube

As we enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday, we should be thankful that the big holiday slate of NFL games will keep some of the worst performing quarterbacks off the television screens.

But many teams—and observers—are throwing their hands up about their quarterbacks.

On the other hand, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has thrown his name to the top of the list among MVP candidates, firing a record streak of touchdown passes without an interception.

The Rams QB has thrown 27 consecutive TDs without an opponent picking one off, tying Tom Brady’s record, set as a member of the New England Patriots.

Meanwhile, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders of the Browns led Cleveland past the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, but he tossed for one score and one pick. His overall performance might best be described as mediocre, as the high-profile fifth-rounder finished a modest 11 for 20 for 209 yards in his regular-season debut as a starter.

Those numbers don’t scream “I’m the man,” but Sanders was feeling a lot like a player ready for prime time than one in the main role for the first time.

Sanders, who hit on a few big plays that produced points in a 24–10 tussle with the Raiders, was smiling and confident during his postgame media duties, describing himself as “very relaxed” before his first start.

But it takes more than one game—and certainly a strong showing against a better defense—to convince the public that he’s the ever-elusive QB the Browns have been seeking seemingly in every draft for decades.

On the other side of the field that day was Geno Smith of Las Vegas. The veteran is not only having a season to forget, he might have to seek counseling when it’s over.

The 13th-year signal caller is tied for the NFL lead in interceptions with 13, and he has been sacked 41 times, second most behind Tennessee Titans rookie Cam Ward.

Smith has exhibited frustration at times, and the 2–9 Raiders have muffled his results. ESPN has him ranked 32nd in the quarterback ratings (QBR) at 29.3, just ahead of Minnesota Vikings starter J.J. McCarthy, who has his own struggles.

And the Raiders don’t have much of an offensive line, so the running game is choppy, at best. When Smith has time, he performs like a credible quarterback and has made some fabulous throws. But Las Vegas is a losing wager.

Speaking of wagers, McCarthy has turned out to be a bad gamble for the Vikings. The team chose him over Sam Darnold, who is tearing it up with the Seahawks, putting Seattle in playoff position as the Vikes search for competent play at the position.

McCarthy, who spent all of last regular season injured, is ranked 33rd with a QBR of 24.8 with six TDs and 10 interceptions.

He has been mostly erratic, and the team is 4–7 with him listed as questionable for Minnesota’s next game because he’s in concussion protocol.

Elsewhere, Trevor Lawrence is a perplexing case for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Lawrence entered the NFL as the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but his 42.9 QBR is less than pedestrian.

The Jags are 7-4 and are in second place in their division, in striking distance from the hot-starting Indianapolis Colts. Lawrence, though, is going to have to clean up his act if the team is going to take the next step and be a real threat during the business end of the season.

The fifth-year starter needs to perform more consistently on a team that has a chance to advance in the playoffs. He takes a lot of sacks—his 29 are the fifth most in the NFL so far—and the overall production falls short of what the team likely envisioned when it went all in on the 6-foot-6, 220-lbs. quarterback in the draft.

Tennessee’s Ward was also the first pick in his draft class, and this rookie has shown real potential with his talent and processing. The results haven’t been there, though, on a team that has just one victory through 12 weeks.

Ward’s 33.2 QBR isn’t terrible, but he has made his share of mistakes when he forces passes or refuses to give up on a broken play.

Ward has just seven touchdown passes, but he has only thrown six picks. And he has put up a number of highlight plays that show the future looks bright for a franchise that needs something positive.

Other QBs have been less than stellar this season—Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland’s Dillon Gabriel, Justin Fields of the New York Jets, to name some—and it all comes back to NFL clubs, which don’t seem to properly set the table when it comes to selecting and developing players to man the game’s most important position.