NFL QB rankings after Week 12: Let Shedeur Sanders cook

Chiefs-Colts. Cowboys-Eagles. Rams-Buccaneers. Week 12 of the NFL season gave us plenty of high-profile matchups, and all of them delivered. It was a consequential Sunday for the league, not only in terms of complicating the postseason picture, but also in terms of setting up narratives that will carry through this season and beyond.

Shedeur Sanders made his first start for the Browns, beginning what is sure to be a totally normal saga for the NFL's most tortured fanbase. J.J. McCarthy looks historically bad, Patrick Mahomes saved the Chiefs' season, and damn, that Jameis Winston dude is fun. Here is how the NFL's QB hierarchy shapes up through the two-thirds point of the campaign.

Ranking all 32 NFL starting quarterbacks after Week 12

*Baker Mayfield left Tampa Bay's loss to the Rams early with a shoulder injury and was replaced by Teddy Bridgewater. The injury is minor and his status for Week 13 is undetermined.

Shedeur Sanders looks the part in his first Browns start

The Cleveland Browns picked up their third victory of the season on Sunday, 24-10, against the Las Vegas Raiders. Myles Garrett led a Browns defensive effort that resulted in 10 (!!) sacks of Raiders quarterback Geno Smith. Las Vegas also fired OC Chip Kelly a day later.

The star of the afternoon, however, was rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who finally notched his first NFL start after months of discord and impatience among the fanbase. After struggling with pinch hit duty the week prior, Sanders appears to have made the most of his first team reps in practice. He completed 11-of-20 passes for 209 yards, one touchdown and one interception. This 53-yard bomb on the run to Isaiah Bond had Browns fans absolutely giddy.

Sanders only took one sack and generally looked in command of the offense. Is this the greatest rookie debut of all time? Hell no, but Sanders did make a couple 'wow' plays that we just aren't used to seeing from a Browns quarterback. On multiple occasions, he did what made him so special at Colorado — stand tall in the pocket, escape pressure, and get creative to find the open receiver downfield.

It's wise to exercise patience and caution when setting expectations for Sanders moving forward. The Raiders' defense is not a serious unit, and any results against them should be taken with a hefty grain of salt. Over half of Sanders' total passing yards came on two plays. When Sanders wasn't taking the lid off of the Las Vegas defense, the Browns' offense largely moved at a crawl.

That said ... this is the way for Cleveland moving forward. There can be no going back to Dillon Gabriel. Sanders was always the better prospect, and the last couple months have only confirmed that suspicion. The Browns could end up replacing both quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft, but until then, it's time to let Sanders cook, just to see what comes of it.

Jameis Winston gave us the full experience in Giants loss

After a quiet first start in a New York Giants uniform, Jameis Winston gave us The Full Jameis Winston Experience in Sunday's 34-27 loss to the Detroit Lions. He remains a deeply imperfect player, but also, he might be the single most entertaining quarterback in the NFL moment to moment.

Winston completed 18-of-36 passes for 366 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He also pulled off one of the most impressive trick plays in recent memory — maybe in NFL history, point-blank. It's one thing for a receiver to track a pass, stop on a dime, create separation, and pick up yards after the catch. But here's Winston going full wide receiver mode against Detroit for a 33-yard TD.

That incredible effort gave the Giants a 27-17 lead with 12 minutes left on the game clock. Detroit proceeded to score 14 unanswered points and avoid the upset.

Winston is obviously not responsible for the Giants defense, but he does shoulder his share of the blame for Sunday's outcome. The former No. 1 pick is a massive talent, but too often Winston struggles with efficiency and turnovers. Sunday's outing was a properly mixed bag, with early successes offset by boneheaded decisions late.

The Giants can't get Jaxson Dart back soon enough, even if the season is effectively over. For now, expect Winston's outsized personality to continue to shine through, be it on the field or on the sidelines.

If there's a silver lining to Winston's approach, it's that it generally succeeds more often than the gun-shy approach most backup QBs around the league adopt. This is why finding a decent QB2 (or QB3) is essential, especially when there are rookies in the mix. Not only has Winston been an excellent leader in the clubhouse, but he's still able to generate explosive plays and keep the Giants competitive against upper-echelon competition. Even after a hit-or-miss performance, Winston has earned a nice bump in these rankings — in part because the options around him are so middling.

Patrick Mahomes can still turn back the clock

The Kansas City Chiefs eked out a 23-20 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. It was a vintage performance from Mahomes with KC's backs against the wall. He completed 29-of-46 passes for 352 yards. He did throw an interception, but it was a forgettable early blemish in an otherwise exceptional afternoon — especially give his heroics in the clutch.

The Colts led 20-9 at the end of the third quarter. The Chiefs entered the game 5-5 and out of the postseason picture. A loss could put the final nail in the coffin for our greatest modern dynasty. Instead, the Chiefs' defense cranked up the pressure and the Colts, for quite possibly the first time all season, cracked. Indy finished the game with four straight three-and-outs.

As for Mahomes, it was a gutsy showcase, featuring that singular improvisational flare the two-time MVP brings to every matchup.

The Chiefs are 5-1 at home and 1-4 on the road. But does that really matter when projecting toward the playoffs? There is built-in skepticism around Indianapolis, Buffalo and other AFC heavyweights head-to-head; plus, Mahomes has earned the benefit of the doubt. He delivered with the Chiefs' season on the line, and it could propel him back into the MVP conversation if Kansas City goes on a run.

Pour one out for Kirk Cousins

There was a certain subsection of the Atlanta Falcons fanbase that was excited for Kirk Cousins to get his shot. Michael Penix's season-ending ACL injury was obviously a huge bummer, especially considering his long history of knee problems and their compounding nature. Some in Atlanta, however, thought Cousins might be able to turn back the clock and save a season on the brink.

Well, Atlanta beat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, 24-10. It was a commanding effort from the Falcons defense. Bijan Robinson and Darnell Mooney put up numbers offensively. At 4-7, Atlanta's season certainly isn't over. But, it's hard to chart a convincing path forward — and no, Cousins is not their long-awaited savior.

Cousins completed 16-of-23 passes for 199 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He took three sacks. Even in a cut-and-dry win, the Falcons' shortcomings were on full display. It starts with Cousins, who it turns out was on the bench for a reason.

The 37-year-old's pedigree far outstrips his ability at this point. Cousins is a total stiff in the pocket, unable to escape pressure or wheel out of play-actions the way he once did so effortlessly in Minnesota.

Cousins is a perfectly adequate backup. He hasn't lost everything. But he is deeply flawed, and he has lost a lot — including the faith of Atlanta fans, coaches and players. Cousins' Atlanta tenure can't end soon enough for either side.

Other quarterback notes from Week 12

• Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy is achieving historic levels of incompetence. He threw for 87 yards and two interceptions in Sunday's embarassing 23-6 loss to Green Bay. His success rate as a passer is on par with JaMarcus Russell, which isn't good company to keep. Not only is he failing, but he's failing with a great roster around him
• Lamar Jackson is still finding his rhythm in the aftermath of an injury. He threw for a modest 153 yards and ran for 11 more in Sunday's 23-10 win over the Jets. A healthy, confident Jackson competes for No. 1 on this list. But right now, he's a step slow.
• The Bears beat the Steelers, 31-28, in a high-octane, back-and-forth battle. Caleb Williams is starting to round into form as the Bears stake their claim atop the NFC North. He has not addressed all his footwork and timing issues, but the talent is popping far more consistently — and Ben Johnson's influence is readily apparent.
• Daniel Jones has led the most efficient offense in the NFL this season, but in the Colts' first marquee test, the former first-round pick was rendered completely impotent down the stretch. The Colts went three-and-out on four straight drives to conclude their 23-20 OT loss to the Chiefs. Jones will get more chances to prove his mettle in primetime, but the seed of doubt has officially been replanted. The honeymoon period is over. Rubber has met the road.