The Week 10 NFL slate gave us a pretty solid collection of QB performances. But, that won't keep us from benching a few QBs, and with good reason.
Perhaps the most disappointing performance of the week belongs to Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He completed 17-of-29 passes for 185 yards with zero touchdowns and two interceptions in a 34-3 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. That first-place cushion over C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans is paper-thin.
Lawrence gets honorable mention status this week since there's no conceivable timeline in which the Jags actually bench the recent No. 1 pick. Lawrence is a genuine talent and the Jags are 6-3 on the season, so one can hardly stage a meltdown after one bad loss to an elite contender.
Also, a shoutout to Kenny Pickett and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are somehow 6-3 despite maybe the worst offense in the NFL week-to-week. Pickett completed 14-of-23 passes for a meager 126 yards in a victory over the Green Bay Packers.
Mike Tomlin is a wizard. It's the only explanation.
Now, here are the three quarterbacks we are benching.
3. Gardner Minshew II, Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts won a rock fight in Germany over the New England Patriots, 10-6. Jonathan Taylor found pay dirt, but little else went right for the Colts' offense. It has been a rocky road ever since Anthony Richardson suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Gardner Minshew was particularly ineffective on the long road trip, completing 18-of-28 passes for 194 yards and one interception. The Colts advanced to 5-5, still within shouting distance of the wild card race. That, combined with the unfavorable circumstances of Sunday's game — it's impossible to fully account for traveling overseas and the wonky sleep/practice schedule that follows — will probably keep the veteran in the driver's seat.
That doesn't mean Minshew should keep the job. The Colts are in a holding pattern without Richardson, but it's fair to question the point of keeping Minshew in the pocket. He's a blatantly limited QB. The Colts' hopes of legitimately contending with Minshew under center are borderline nonexistent.
Of course, there isn't really a young QB nipping at his heels. Richardson was the rookie sensation and it was his job out of the gates. Now, the nominal backup is 25-year-old Sam Ehlinger, a sixth-round pick from the 2021 NFL Draft. Ehlinger has seven appearances (three starts) on his résumé, completing 63.9 percent of his passes for 573 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions.
He's a less proven asset than Minshew. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't, but it could be worth letting Ehlinger have a proper crack at things.
2. Will Levis, Tennessee Titans
Will Levis split his first two starts in the win-loss column, completing 60.3 percent of his passes for 500 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. For a second-round pick making his NFL debut halfway through the season, it's hard to imagine a much better start.
Unfortunately, Levis' third start went a bit sideways. The Tennessee Titans' offense as a whole stalled in a 20-6 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Derrick Henry couldn't find room to run (11 carries, 24 yards), which placed the onus on Levis to create in the pocket. He couldn't deliver.
The rookie completed 19-of-39 passes for 199 yards and one interception. That's an average of 5.1 yards per completion, and he was sacked four times for 32 lost yards.
In short, it was a slow, stubborn crawl for the Tennessee offense. Levis has been something of a revelation for the Titans, who appear ready to finally move on from Ryan Tannehill. But, this was a sobering reminder that most rookies will fluctuate week-to-week. The Titans also have Malik Willis, a 2022 third-round pick, waiting in the wings. Maybe this uneven performance from Levis opens the door for Willis to get another bite at the proverbial apple.
The Titans fell to 3-6 with the loss. The season is slipping away fast, which only widens the runway for their young QBs. The question ultimately is, which young QB gets the nod moving forward? There's a strong chance Tennessee rides with Levis the rest of the way, but another couple of games like this might bring Willis back into the conversation.
1. Mac Jones, New England Patriots
Mac Jones is the king of this particular column this season. He's first team all-benchable.
In the absence of such honors in the NFL awards system, he will have to settle for yet another mention here at FanSided. Jones has been upsetting members of the organization all season, and he now has as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns (10) through 10 weeks. A pick per week keeps the doctor away?
Jones completed 15-of-20 passes in the Patriots' ugly loss to the Colts in Germany. He accrued 170 yards with an interception. The Patriots' offense found a sliver of life on the ground — 20 carries and 88 yards for Rhamondre Stevenson, with a plucky 54-yard effort from Ezekiel Elliott on the side. But, the offense simply couldn't move the ball through the air. The lack of volume from Jones probably signifies the deteriorating trust of the coaching staff.
New England even went as far as to bench Jones with under two minutes left in a one-score game, which is virtually unheard of. Bailey Zappe ended the game with a truly terrible interception, but that was a trick play with time working against him. One can hardly use it to justify sticking with Jones.
That brings us to the future. With Bill Belichick's job security in question and the Patriots' season all but finished at 2-8, the case for rolling with Zappe is simple... why not? It's clear Jones is not in New England's future plans. He's not an NFL starter. Zappe at least has a chance to out-perform Jones if given legitimate reign over the offense. If that doesn't work, the Patriots also have Will Grier and Malik Cunningham in the QB room. Now, more than ever, Belichick has to be open-minded about his options.
Whatever the decision ultimately is, it's clear Jones should not be under center when the Patriots return to the field in Week 12 after the buy.
