Does a 20-point quarterback game in a loss tell you anything?

It tells you the quarterback was busy, and busy is partly a verdict on his defense. Burrow, Cousins and Goff all cleared 20 points on 52 or more throws and none of them won.

How much should a quarterback's rushing yards change his price?

A rushing yard is worth two and a half passing yards in half-PPR scoring. Maye's 54 yards equaled about 135 through the air, and rushing is the part of a line that repeats most reliably.

Why did our top-ranked quarterbacks miss by so much?

Quarterback scores swing on a handful of plays: a turnover, a rushing touchdown, a lead that ends the game early. Allen, Prescott, Lawrence and Stafford all landed more than four points under their numbers, so read a weekly projection as a range, not a promise.

Rankings

Monday Morning QB: Week 4

Drake Maye answered two bad games with the week's best quarterback line, three passers threw 158 times without a win, and our top four quarterbacks all missed.

By Derek Sallis · October 5, 2026

Drake Maye scored 8.0 and 3.8 in his previous two games, and we told you to hold him. He answered with the best quarterback line of Week 4.

Maye ran his way to 26.2

Maye completed 22 of 37 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns in a 29-26 win at Buffalo, threw one interception, and ran eight times for 54 yards. The running alone was worth more than five points. Romeo Doubs caught two of the touchdowns and Efton Chism III caught the third.

One game doesn't cancel two bad ones. It does show that New England will let Maye throw 37 times when the game calls for it, and that his legs give him a floor the arm hasn't. Accuracy isn't what's missing, either: Next Gen Stats had him at +9.1 completion rate over expected last season.

Burrow, Cousins and Goff: 158 throws, three losses

Joe Burrow threw 54 times for 428 yards and two interceptions, and added a rushing score. That's 23.7 points in a 22-17 loss to Jacksonville. Kirk Cousins threw 52 times for 365 yards in a 30-27 loss to Kansas City, good for 22.6. Jared Goff threw 52 times in a 32-26 loss at Carolina and scored 20.5 on one passing touchdown.

Cincinnati's volume had a cause. Ja'Marr Chase left in the second quarter with a concussion, and Tee Higgins caught 11 of 16 targets for 157 yards before an adductor injury ended his day.

Stroud's 31 throws

C.J. Stroud completed 21 of 31 for 347 yards and two touchdowns, ran for 12 more, and scored 23.1 in a 34-30 loss to Dallas. Our Wednesday preview said this was the week Houston's attempts would climb back, and they went from 27 in Week 3 to 31. Nico Collins returned from his hamstring injury with seven catches, 118 yards and two touchdowns.

Rodgers and Winston beat their numbers too

Aaron Rodgers went 22 of 40 for 299 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in Cleveland's 27-24 Thursday-night win over Pittsburgh. He scored 22.0 against a projection of 12.5. Jameis Winston beat his number the same way, throwing three touchdowns and two interceptions in New York's 36-24 win over Arizona for 18.0 against 11.5. Winston is the Giants' starter while Jaxson Dart is on injured reserve.

Our top four did not hold

Wednesday's board put Josh Allen first at 23.8, Brock Purdy second at 23.3, Dak Prescott third at 22.8 and Trevor Lawrence fourth at 22.6. Allen scored 18.5 in a 29-26 home loss, with a rushing touchdown and an interception. Prescott scored 18.1. Purdy's 19.6 came in a 24-14 win over Denver. Lawrence scored 13.1 on 23 attempts.

Matthew Stafford, ranked ninth at 20.2, went 32 of 51 with two interceptions and no touchdowns for 9.7. The misses ran the other way too. Cousins sat 19th at 15.2 and Stroud 17th at 16.3, and Maye's Sunday-morning projection of 19.0 landed more than seven points under his score.

Lamar's two quarters

Lamar Jackson went 15 of 20 with two touchdowns, then turned his left ankle trying to escape a sack and missed the second half. His 18.9 came in two quarters. He left the stadium in a walking boot, Ravens coach Jesse Minter said he avoided a major injury, and Tyler Huntley finished 8 of 9.

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FAQ

Does a 20-point quarterback game in a loss tell you anything?: It tells you the quarterback was busy, and busy is partly a verdict on his defense. Burrow, Cousins and Goff all cleared 20 points on 52 or more throws and none of them won.
How much should a quarterback's rushing yards change his price?: A rushing yard is worth two and a half passing yards in half-PPR scoring. Maye's 54 yards equaled about 135 through the air, and rushing is the part of a line that repeats most reliably.
Why did our top-ranked quarterbacks miss by so much?: Quarterback scores swing on a handful of plays: a turnover, a rushing touchdown, a lead that ends the game early. Allen, Prescott, Lawrence and Stafford all landed more than four points under their numbers, so read a weekly projection as a range, not a promise.

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