It was a rough week to be a starting quarterback whose last name begins with “R.”
Spencer Rattler, Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph and Cooper Rush disappointed with poor games in losses.
Let’s examine each to see where things went wrong. Here are Sunday’s worst NFL performances.
Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler
The Saints rookie fifth-rounder had an excellent start to Week 17 against the Raiders. During the first half, he was 11-of-13 for 146 yards and a touchdown as New Orleans trailed 13-10.
It took an ugly second half for Rattler to end up as one of the week’s worst quarterback performances.
The Saints were shutout after halftime in their 25-10 loss, and Rattler was 9-of-23 for 72 yards and two interceptions.
Rattler didn’t set his feet on his first interception, and his pass for wideout Cedrick Wilson Jr. sailed high. Raiders cornerback Jack Jones made a diving pick, and Las Vegas scored a touchdown to take a 25-10 lead six plays later.
Rattler finished Sunday’s loss 20-of-36 for 218 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions while being sacked three times and losing 27 yards.
The Saints are averaging 11 points per game in Rattler’s five starts. He hasn’t shown nearly enough for New Orleans to be comfortable allowing him to start in 2025.
Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers
Has Rodgers thrown his last pass as a Jet? We can only hope.
Before being benched for backup Tyrod Taylor in a 40-14 loss to the Bills, Rodgers was 12-of-18 for 112 yards and two interceptions. He also lost 26 yards on four sacks as he became the most-sacked quarterback in NFL history.
It would be one thing if Rodgers’ supporting cast let him down, but he was New York’s biggest problem on offense.
Rodgers showed his lack of arm strength on a rollout pass that should have been a walk-in touchdown for tight end Kenny Yeboah. Instead, Rodgers got no power behind the pass, and it fell incomplete.
Rodgers also lacked awareness on his second-quarter safety, holding onto the ball when he needed to get rid of it immediately.
Adding to his ugly game, Rodgers was flagged for unnecessary roughness on a late hit following an interception, drawing a wry smile from lead official Clete Blakeman.
Per ESPN Analytics’ Seth Walder, Rodgers posted the lowest single-game QBR (1.2) since former Texans quarterback Davis Mills’ 0.8 QBR in 2021 (Week 4).
NFL insider Jason La Canfora said it best during New York’s hapless loss.
“Aaron Rodgers is something else man,” La Canfora wrote. “Just go away already.”
Titans QB Mason Rudolph
Rudolph was the best of Week 17’s bad quarterbacks, but getting outplayed by and losing to Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones makes him a worthy member of this week’s list.
Rudolph was 19-of-31 for 193 yards, one touchdown and one interception in the 20-13 loss to the Jaguars.
Rudolph lamented putting the defense in bad situations with turnovers earlier in the week.
“That’s not winning football,” Rudolph said on Christmas Eve. “I’m ready to prove I can take of the ball better and keep scoring points,” he added.
So, while Rudolph wasn’t entirely to blame for his tipped-pass interception that gave Jacksonville the ball on the Tennessee 43-yard line, it still cut through his goals for himself leading into Week 17.
And after only leading the Titans to 13 points—including one touchdown—he proved incapable of producing enough offense to win.
If there’s one Rudolph that shouldn’t be invited to play games, it’s this one.
Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush
Sunday’s Cowboys-Eagles game was a battle of backup quarterbacks, and Rush was outplayed by Eagles backup Kenny Pickett in Dallas’ 41-7 loss.
Rush set the tone for his poor day with a pick-six on the Cowboys’ first possession. He added a second interception on an ugly deep ball intended for wide receiver Brandin Cooks.
Rush finished 15-of-28 for 147 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions before being pulled for Trey Lance during Dallas’ last series.
With only one week left in the regular season, we’ve seen enough of Rush. It’s time for Dallas to see what it has in Lance, who it acquired from the 49ers for a 2024 fourth-round pick in August 2023.
