We saw some terrible NFL quarterback performances around the league this week. It started with future Hall of Famers Matt Ryan and Russell Wilson stinking it up on “Thursday Night Football.”
Sunday’s action saw Carolina Panthers signal caller Baker Mayfield continue to struggle in that role. Meanwhile, a Super Bowl-winning quarterback was downright atrocious as his team lost yet another ugly contest. These are among the five worst NFL quarterback performances from Week 5.
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Matt Ryan has some major issues in Indianapolis
The Colts were able to even their record at 2-2-1 on the road against the Denver Broncos Thursday night. However, most of that had to do with the performance of their defense and some major struggles on the part of Russell Wilson. For his part, Ryan looked like a rookie out there by making mistake after mistake.
This was emblematic of Ryan’s struggles in Week 5. How does a veteran of his ilk make a mistake like that? We’re talking about four Broncos defenders in coverage. Throwing late didn’t help, either. All said, Ryan completed 26-of-41 passes for 251 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. He also fumbled the ball twice. It was a disaster.
Related: Five worst NFL quarterback performances from Week 4
Baker Mayfield just isn’t it for the Carolina Panthers
It stood to reason that Mayfield and his Panthers offense would struggle big time against the league-best San Francisco 49ers defense on Sunday. San Francisco entered the game having yielded an average of 11.5 points per game. Carolina ranked dead last in the NFL in total offense.
So, it was not a surprise that Mayfield completed just 20-of-36 passes for 215 yards with zero touchdowns and an ugly pick-six late in the second quarter.
It was just 10-3 at the time of the interception return for a touchdown. Embattled Panthers head coach Matt Rhule opted to go hurry up late in the second quarter, giving his quarterback a vote of confidence in the process. And that’s what Baker Mayfield provided him? Absolutely brutal.
Through five games, Mayfield has thrown four touchdowns against four interceptions. He’s simply not a starter-caliber quarterback in the NFL anymore.
Related: 5 worst NFL quarterback performances from Week 3
Russell Wilson’s struggles continue
The scene was not great at Mile High Thursday night as Denver Broncos continued to boo their recently-acquired “franchise quarterback.” When Wilson threw an interception in the end zone late in the fourth quarter and missed on a do-or-die fourth down pass in overtime, things turned even uglier. The end result was a 12-9 Broncos loss and more questions about whether Wilson has hit that proverbial wall.
- Russell Wilson stats (2022): 59% completion, 4 TD, 3 INT, 82.8 QB rating
Following the game, it was noted that Wilson has been dealing with shoulder discomfort and a strained lat. Either way, the status quo is not working for a Broncos team that’s now 2-3 on the campaign. Wilson recognizes that.
“It’s very simple. At the end of the day, I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to be better,” Russell Wilson on brutal Week 5 performance.
Coming off one of the worst NFL quarterback performances of the season, Wilson will now try his luck against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers in Southern California on “Monday Night Football.” Another dud of a performance will bring up even more questions about the future Hall of Famer.
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Jared Goff lays a complete egg
We focused on how well Goff was playing ahead of Week 5 against the New England Patriots. The signal caller had Detroit with the highest-scoring offense in the NFL at 35.0 points per game. He had thrown 11 touchdowns against a mere three interceptions through the first four games. It seemed reasonable to believe that the former Super Bowl quarterback had turned the corner. About that?
- Jared Goff stats (Week 5): 19-of-35 passing, 229 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 1 lost fumble, 62.7 QB rating
Ouch! This resulted in Detroit’s first shutout loss since back in November of 2020. It was brutal. It was hard to watch. And in reality, the 1-4 Lions now have more questions than answers on both sides of the ball. That includes Mr. Goff.
Related: Biggest winners and losers from Sunday’s NFL Week 5 action
What is up with Matthew Stafford?
We were left wondering whether Stafford’s disastrous Week 4 performance was an outlier for the defending champion Los Angeles Rams. After all, he was taking on an elite-level San Francisco 49ers defense on the road. Well, Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys proved that something is wrong with Stafford and the Rams.
Stafford completed 28-of-42 passes for 308 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Outside of a 75-yard touchdown strike to Cooper Kupp, he did absolutely nothing. Lending credence to the idea that Stafford has been one fo the worst NFL quarterbacks this season is the fact that he also lost two fumbles. The first one was returned for a touchdown to open the game.
Stafford then concluded the game with an interception and another lost fumble in Los Angeles’ final two possessions, sending the Rams to a 22-10 home loss and an ugly 2-3 start to the season. Just brutal.