Each week, we at PFF will break down all of the notable, draft-eligible quarterbacks and how they performed the weekend prior. Be it good or bad, get the exclusive PFF take on each of those quarterbacks you will be certain to hear about come April.
Sam Darnold, USC
It was an up and down game for Darnold who ranked 67th out of 128 quarterbacks with an adjusted completion percentage of 69.6 percent this week. His only turnover-worthy throw was a poor overthrow in the middle of the field that was picked off, but in classic Darnold fashion, he made a number of big throws down the stretch to ensure the overtime victory for USC. It’s been a common theme in his young career as Darnold has the ability to make big-time throws in crunch time and there was none bigger than his in-stride jump throw late in the fourth quarter and his deep post for a touchdown on the first play of overtime. Even in a game in which he had his struggles, Darnold’s late-game magic is difficult to ignore and he came through once again for the USC who moves to 3-0.
Luke Falk, Washington State
Falk threw six touchdowns against no interceptions, but there is some deception to those numbers. While he only had 12 incompletions on the day, four were of the turnover-worthy variety as he fired multiple ill-advised passes into tight coverage and had an overthrow that should have been an easy interception but was dropped. Beyond the misses, Falk showed fine touch down the field, completing all three of his deep (20-plus yard) throws for 67 yards and two scores while doing a nice job in between the numbers at the intermediate (10-19 yard) level (5-for-9, 138 yards). There is still some concern for Falk’s arm strength and he struggled on passes that he had to drive outside the numbers as defenders were often able to make plays on the ball. Falk finished 1-for-6 for 27 yards on passes thrown outside the numbers at the intermediate level, and that’s something to keep an eye on as he is projected to the next level.
Lamar Jackson, Louisville
It was Jackson’s first major challenge against a tough defense, and after two weeks of showing improvement as a passer, this was a rough outing. Clemson blitzed only seven times on 52 dropbacks, and they created pressure on only 15 plays, but seven of those resulted in a sack. Jackson missed on a number of early throws before making his worst throw of the game as he misread the underneath zone coverage and threw a pick-6 to Clemson linebacker Dorian O’Daniel that put Louisville in a 26-7 hole.
Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
Zac Robinson: Mayfield and the offense got off to a bit of a slow start, with a few misses and an underthrow to a wide open receiver on a flea flicker on the first drive. He settled in to play a pretty typical game for him with a number of big plays on seam routes and down the field and post routes. Mayfield dominated the deep middle part of the field on throws traveling 20 plus yards, going 4-of-5 for 158 yards, two touchdowns and a perfect 158.3 passer rating.
Josh Rosen, UCLA
Rosen’s game against Memphis highlighted both his good and bad qualities. He made a number of big-time throws, working the seams well and showing great touch on multiple downfield throws. As for the bad, he finished with five turnover-worthy throws as he threw multiple tight-window throws into the leverage of defenders and his most disastrous decision was a heave back across his body that led to an easy pick-6 for Memphis that put UCLA down by two scores early in the third quarter. It’s the same old story for Rosen who shows his NFL ability every week, but he must cut back on the poor decisions.
Mason Rudolph, Oklahoma State
For the second year in a row, Oklahoma State’s offense torched Pittsburgh’s quarters-heavy scheme which meant a number of throws with open receivers for Rudolph. On passes thrown at least 10 yards in the air, Rudolph went 9-for-15 for 346 yards (!) and four touchdowns to go with one ill-advised throw that was picked off. The numbers are gaudy, but perhaps not indicative of anything that moves the needle for Rudolph as far as draft stock goes given the large available passing windows. To his credit, he did finish with 16.8 yards per attempt and two of his touchdowns when pressured, so there was at least a few positives to come out of the game as we look forward.
Josh Allen, Wyoming
A season that started slow got even worse for Allen who struggled against Oregon on his way to an ugly stat line of 9-for-24 for 64 yards and an interception. Five of his completions were behind the line of scrimmage, meaning he went 4-for-19 for 49 yards on passes thrown beyond the line of scrimmage. Accuracy and decision-making must improve for Allen, who has yet to find the big-time throw magic that he had a year ago to bail him out of his inconsistency.
Mike White, Western Kentucky
It was a solid, but unspectacular, game for White who has yet to attack down the field quite like he did last season. Through three games, he’s gone only 1-for-7 on deep (20-plus yard) throws, so it’s a matter of not attempting these throws, but also not connecting. Last season, 18.3 percent of White’s throws were of the 20-plus yard variety and he led the nation with 1,762 yards on those passes, but this season, only 6.3 percent of his passes have gone down the field. It’s something to keep an eye on as White has the arm to drive the ball and create big plays.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.