Why Joshua Dobbs’ magical 2023 season could be over: NFL quarterback power rankings after Week 12
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Joshua Dobbs has had quite the interesting year in his first year as an NFL starting quarterback. But could that be coming to an end soon?
After Dobbs and the Vikings lost to the Bears on Monday night, 12-10, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell would not to commit to Dobbs starting when they come out of the bye week. The big reason is Dobbs has turned the ball over six times in his last two games, both losses.
Dobbs threw four interceptions against the Bears.
He is now tied for fourth in the NFL with 10 interceptions. Only Josh Allen, Sam Howell (both have 13) and Mac Jones (12) have thrown more picks than Dobbs.
In addition to the 10 picks, Dobbs has also lost two fumbles between his stints with the Cardinals and Vikings.
With the 6-6 Vikings clinging to the final playoff spot in an NFC race that got more compelling with a trio of 5-6 teams in the Packers, Rams and Saints, O’Connell clearly understands the urgency in trying to find a quarterback who can protect the football.
Here is a power ranking of all 32 starting quarterbacks based on how they have performed 12 weeks into the season. Their previous ranking is in parenthesis. If a starter was injured or benched within the last week, their replacement will be listed with the previous starter in the parentheses.
24. Joshua Dobbs, Minnesota Vikings (20)
Any quarterback coming into the NFL hopes to get an opportunity as a starter. Dobbs has done his best to take advantage of that chance. He’s tied with Matthew Stafford and Lamar Jackson for touchdown passes, and he has one more than Trevor Lawrence.
But like any quarterback, turning the ball over will cause any coach to question keeping you on the field. It’s why Jimmy Garoppolo got benched in Las Vegas and why Mac Jones’ status in New England has been scrutinized.
Dobbs deserves a lot of credit for what he’s done this season, making as many exciting plays as he has and having an almost storybook-like moment in Minnesota. But reality can be cruel, and that’s why despite the good that Dobbs has shown, the bad could get him sidelined when the Vikings travel to Las Vegas on Dec. 10.
23. Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers (24)
Season stats: 194-314 (61.8%), 2,000 yards, 6 TDs, 4 INTs
In the first game since the firing of Matt Canada as offensive coordinator, Pickett had one of his best games of the season in a 16-10 win vs. the Bengals in Cincinnati. Pickett was 24 of 33 pass — a season-high 72.7 completion percentage — for 278 yards, also a season high.
He should have had a touchdown had Diontae Johnson not dropped a ball in the end zone. But he continued a stretch of seven consecutive games without an interception, which is why the Steelers continue to stay in a playoff spot despite the No. 28 scoring offense in the NFL (16.5 points per game).
The Steelers will host the Cardinals on Sunday.
22. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Cleveland Browns (23)
Season stats: 58-109 (53.2%), 429 yards, 1 TD, 4 INTs
Thompson-Robinson finally got his first NFL touchdown pass on Sunday when he threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Harrison Bryant in the third quarter of the Browns’ 29-12 loss in Denver. But it also stands to reason he should be doing better because of the drops.
Pro Football Focus tallied six drops for Browns receivers a week ago vs. the Steelers, and then there were three more vs. the Broncos. David Njoku dropped a potential touchdown pass against Pittsburgh and Amari Cooper had a surprising drop on a two-point try in Denver. If he caught that pass, the game could very well have taken a different direction.
It’s tough for the Browns to see Thompson-Robinson go into the concussion protocol for multiple reasons, including the fact that he made tangible progress in his last two starts. He’s shown enough where you want to see more if he were healthy, especially with just one turnover in his last seven quarters.
The only question is when we’ll see the next step with Thompson-Robinson.
17. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (15)
Season stats: 246-380 (64.7%), 2,588 yards, 17 TDs, 7 INTs
The first four weeks of the season feel like a distant memory to Mayfield and the Buccaneers as they’ve now lost six of their last seven games, including a 27-20 loss at Indianapolis in Week 12.
Mayfield was 20 of 30 passing for 199 yards, two touchdowns, an interception and a lost fumble. His stats haven’t been terrible, but he hasn’t done enough to turn around his slumping team as the playoffs continue to slip away.
The Buccaneers will host the 1-10 Panthers on Sunday as they try to get back into the NFC South race.
10. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (11)
Season stats: 249-370 (67.3%), 2,746 yards, 12 TDs, 7 INTs
While Wilson did well against the Browns, I moved Lawrence up because I thought he was just better on the road against what had been a red-hot Texans team.
In a 24-21 win at Houston, Lawrence completed 23 of 38 passes for 364 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also added a rushing score. But for the Jaguars, it was a much-needed win to avoid losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Texans in the AFC South.
Jacksonville will host the Bengals on Monday night.
9. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers (7)
Season stats: 266-402 (66.2%), 2,826 yards, 20 TDs, 6 INTs
Herbert and the Chargers missed probably their last chance to get back into the playoff race as they lost at home to the Ravens, 20-10. He was 29 of 44 passing for 217 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the loss.
The Chargers have now lost three straight games and might need to win out to get to the playoffs. With the Bills, Chiefs and two games against the Broncos, it feels like more than a monumental task.
The stretch run for Herbert and company starts with a trip to New England on Sunday.
8. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (9)
Season stats: 214-305 (70.2%), 2,871 yards, 19 TDs, 6 INTs
Purdy and the 49ers had no problems with the Seahawks on Thanksgiving in a 31-13 rout in Seattle. Purdy wasn’t great as he was 21 of 30 for 209 yards, a TD and an interception, but it was more than good enough.
Since the bye week, Purdy has completed 75.3% of his passes for 838 yards, seven TDs and an INT. It’s a big reason why the 49ers look like the team that rolled through the first five weeks of the season.
But next up is a massive test at Philadelphia in a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship Game. Purdy suffered a torn UCL early in that game and was barely able to throw, taking the excitement and hype out of a game that the Eagles eventually won, 31-7.
7. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (4)
Season stats: 295-433 (68.1%), 3,214 yards, 24 TDs, 13 INTs
It’s been that kind of year for Allen and the Bills. Despite a pair of 10-point leads, the Bills couldn’t get the win in Philadelphia as they lost to the Eagles, 37-34, in overtime.
Allen was 29 of 51 passing for 339 yards, two TDs and a pick. He also rushed for a team-high 81 yards and two more TDs. Now, the Bills face a virtual must-win in Kansas City when they return from their bye week to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Considering Allen’s talent and what the Bills have, it would be a massive disappointment if they don’t make it. But it’s the hole they’ve dug for themselves, due in part to Allen’s league-leading 13 interceptions.
6. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (6)
Season stats: 228-334 (68.3%), 2,618 yards, 13 TDs, 5 INTs
Jackson and the Ravens head into the bye week atop the AFC at 9-3 following their 20-10 win in Los Angeles vs. the Chargers. He had a quiet night, however, completing 18 of 32 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown.
The bye week will be a good time for Jackson to assess his accuracy of late. After completing 71.5% of his passes over the first nine games, Jackson has only completed 58% in his last three. So the time away could be good for Jackson to try and get that number back up for the home stretch.
The Ravens host the Rams when they return to action in Week 14.
5. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (8)
Season stats: 259-370 (70.0%), 2,935 yards, 23 TDs, 6 INTs.
DaRon Bland may have made history with his record-breaking fifth pick-six this season. But the annual Thanksgiving stage belonged to Prescott this year in the Cowboys’ 45-10 blowout of the Commanders.
Prescott was 22 of 32 passing for 331 yards and four TDs, all of which went to different receivers. Only Josh Allen (24) now has more touchdown passes this season than Prescott’s 23.
The Cowboys will host the Seahawks on Thursday night.
4. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (5)
Season stats: 249-391 (63.7%), 3,266 yards, 19 TDs, 5 INTs
The last two games for the Texans have been kind of weird in a way. Stroud threw three interceptions in a win vs. the Cardinals in Week 11. He didn’t turn it over against the Jaguars, but he also didn’t get the win in a 24-21 defeat.
Stroud completed 26 of 36 passes for 304 yards and two TDs, as well as 47 yards rushing and another score on the ground. But it wasn’t enough to negate being sacked four times and two missed field goals, which were the difference in the loss.
The Texans stay home on Sunday to host the surging Broncos.
3. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (2)
Season stats: 263-377 (69.8%), 3,177 yards, 22 TDs, 10 INTs
Tagovailoa threw more interceptions than touchdowns for the first time in a game this season, but it didn’t mean much to the outcome as the Dolphins blew out the Jets on the road, 34-13.
He finished the game 21 of 30 passing for 243 yards, a TD and two INTs. He has now thrown interceptions in four of his last five games, which is a bit concerning.
Tagovailoa and the Dolphins travel up the East Coast to take on the Commanders on Sunday.
2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (1)
Season stats: 280-411 (68.1%), 2,917 yards, 21 TDs, 9 INTs
After spotting the Raiders the first 14 points in Week 12, Mahomes rallied the troops to turn the game around and deliver a 31-17 win. Mahomes was strong as he completed 27 of 34 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
Rookie Rashee Rice continues to emerge as a player Mahomes continues to lean on. He’s second on the Chiefs to Travis Kelce in receptions (44) and yards (527), and they share the team lead in TD catches with five each.
Next up for Mahomes and the Chiefs is a Sunday night matchup at Green Bay.
1. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles (3)
Season stats: 242-358 (67.6%), 2,697 yards, 18 TDs, 10 INTs
We have yet another new No. 1 at this list, and it’s the quarterback of the only team in the NFL with double-digit wins this season. Hurts threw three touchdown passes and rushed for two more scores, including the game winner, in Philadelphia’s 37-34 overtime comeback win vs. Buffalo.
Hurts’ play this season hasn’t been the cleanest as he’s already thrown 10 picks this season. But just like the rest of his team, he’s done what’s been required to win.
Philadelphia has another tough test coming up on Sunday when the Eagles host the 49ers.
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