-
Patrick Mahomes QB | KC
Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes: Accounts for four TDs vs. Titans
Mahomes completed 23 of 35 pass attempts for 294 yards and three touchdowns Sunday against the Titans. He also carried eight times for 53 yards and a touchdown in the 35-24 win.
Although the Tennessee defense had been rolling, it was no match for Mahomes, who averaged a healthy 8.4 yards per attempt while completing 66 percent of his passes. He connected with Tyreek Hill for two touchdowns and added a spectacular 27-yard rushing score before capping his day off with a 60-yard strike to Sammy Watkins in the fourth quarter. Mahomes has been outstanding in two playoff games this postseason, accounting for nine total touchdowns, zero turnovers and 106 rushing yards, in addition to plenty of passing yards. Both his potential Super Bowl opponents boast strong defenses, but he seems more than capable of producing regardless of who lines up across from him.
-
Ryan Tannehill QB | TEN
Titans' Ryan Tannehill: Pair of scores in loss
Tannehill completed 21 of 31 pass attempts for 209 yards and two touchdowns in Titans' 35-24 loss to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. He added three rushes for 11 yards.
Tannehill couldn't keep pace with Patrick Mahomes, but he did throw for two touchdowns for the second consecutive game. His first came from one yard away to put the Ttians up 17-7 in the second quarter. However, he didn't follow that up with another score until late in the fourth quarter on a 22-yard strike to Anthony Firkser. The performance closed a campaign that rejuvenated Tannehill's career, as he led the Titans to a 7-3 record in the regular season prior to earning two playoff victories. He should be in line for a big payday this offseason, regardless of whether that comes in the form of the franchise tag or a long-term deal.
-
Drew Lock QB | SEA
Broncos' Drew Lock: Gets new OC
Lock will have a new offensive coordinator in 2020 after the Broncos officially appointed former Giants head coach Pat Shurmur to the position Tuesday.
Shurmur's scheme averaged 4.5 plays of 20 or more yards per game over two seasons in New York, good for sixth in the league, per Patrick Smyth, Denver's Executive Vice President of Public and Community Relations. Despite having the aging Eli Manning under center in 2018 and then rookie Daniel Jones at quarterback for New York in 2019, Shurmur has developed a reputation as a play caller capable of making defenses uncomfortable downfield. That style seems to suit Lock's big arm and gunslinger mentality. Additionally, given his two unsuccessful stints as an NFL head coach, Shurmur seems unlikely to jump ship for another organization any time soon, giving the Broncos some stability around their young signal-caller.
-
Alex McGough QB | GB
Texans' Alex McGough: Remains with Texans
McGough signed a reserve/future contract with the Texans on Monday.
McGough joined the Texans' practice squad after being let go off the 53-man roster in mid-October, and he'll also begin the offseason with the team. The 24-year-old spent a month on the active roster but has yet to see game action since being selected in the seventh round of the 2018 draft by Seattle.
-
Geno Smith QB | NYJ
Seahawks' Geno Smith: No snaps in 2019
Smith didn't play an offensive snap for the Seahawks in 2019.
Russell Wilson hasn't missed a game since entering the league in 2012, and he continued that trend in 2019. That left Smith on the sidelines for the full season. Smith last started a game in 2017 for the Giants. Overall in his career, he's completed 57.7 percent of passes for 6,182 yards, 29 touchdowns and 36 interceptions while rushing for 661 yards and seven scores. The 29-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent in March.
-
Aaron Rodgers QB | PIT
Packers' Aaron Rodgers: Throws two TD passes vs. Seahawks
Rodgers completed 16 of 27 pass attempts for 243 yards and two touchdowns during Sunday's 28-23 divisional-round win over the Seahawks.
Rodgers completed just 59 percent of his pass attempts, but he averaged a healthy 9.0 yards per attempt thanks to some big gains through the air. The majority of his damage was done when targeting Davante Adams, who piled up 160 yards while reaching the end zone in the first and third quarters. Rodgers could be busier in next week's NFC Championship Game against the 49ers, but he could face a tough task against one of the league's best defensive units.
-
Russell Wilson QB | NYG
Seahawks' Russell Wilson: Comeback falls short in Green Bay
Wilson completed 21 of 31 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown while adding 64 rushing yards on seven carries in Sunday's 28-23 divisional-round loss to the Packers.
Wilson came up just short of digging his team out of a 21-3 halftime hole, tossing a seven-yard touchdown to Tyler Lockett in the process. This loss puts an end to an excellent campaign from Wilson, who finished with 4,110 passing yards and a 31:5 TD:INT in the regular season before knocking off the Eagles in the wild-card round. Coming off three consecutive seasons with 30-plus touchdown passes and still a threat to add meaningful contributions with his legs any given Sunday, Wilson should be among the first few quarterbacks off the board in fantasy next season.
-
Deshaun Watson QB | CLE
Texans' Deshaun Watson: Three-TD outing not enough
Watson completed 31 of 52 passes for 388 yards and two touchdowns, while running for 37 yards and an additional TD on six carries during Sunday's 51-31 divisional-round loss to the Chiefs.
The third-year signal-caller delivered once again from an individual perspective during Houston's 2019 finale, wrapping up the postseason with 700 combined passing and rushing yards along with five total TDs. Though the ultimate result was disappointing, there's no denying Watson got off to an electrifying start Sunday, going 4-for-4 with a TD on Houston's opening drive while leading the Texans to 21 first-quarter points -- the most ever in 298 regular-season and playoff games in franchise history. The former Heisman winner closes out 2019 with a 29:12 TD:INT and more than 260 passing yards per game, as well as 505 rushing yards and an additional nine scores on the ground. Watson will be in the fourth season of his rookie deal in 2020 and carry an economical cap hit of $4.4 million, but he remains poised for a massive pay raise within the next two years.
-
Patrick Mahomes QB | KC
Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes: Marvelous second quarter spurs win
Mahomes completed 23 of 35 pass attempts for 321 yards and five touchdowns, while also picking up 53 rushing yards on seven carries during Sunday's 51-31 AFC divisional-round win against Houston.
The reigning MVP orchestrated a trademark comeback effort after Kansas City fell into a 24-0 hole, joining Washington's Doug Williams as the only quarterbacks in postseason history with four TD passes in a single quarter, as the Chiefs rattled off 28 second-quarter points and a total of 41 unanswered points Sunday. With the convincing come-from-behind victory, Kansas City became the first team in NFL history to win by 20-plus points after trailing by at least 20 in a playoff game, while Mahomes established postseason career bests in both passing yards and TDs. He now owns an impressive 31:5 TD:INT in the regular season and postseason while averaging more than 290 passing yards per game. However, he now heads into an AFC Championship Game matchup against a Tennessee defense that has forced three interceptions and allowed just one TD throw thus far in the playoffs.