Toronto Maple Leafs captain and U.S. Olympian Auston Matthews left Tuesday’s game and didn’t return after a series of hits involving him and Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

Matthews, who was one of the first six players named to the U.S. Olympic men’s hockey team, went hard into the boards after he was checked from behind by Zadorov during the second period of the Nov. 11 game. The center got up, skated down the ice, checked the defenseman and lost his balance. Matthews also was hit by a cleared puck right before he checked Zadorov.

The Maple Leafs later announced that Matthews would not return to the game because of a lower body injury.

Auston Matthews injury update

Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube had no updates on Matthews after the game.

He said he couldn’t provide a timeline or say how serious the injury was.

‘We’ll see (tomorrow),’ he told reporters on Tuesday. ‘Right now, it’s lower body. We’ll see (tomorrow) how he is.’

On the original Zadorov hit, Berube said, ‘I think it’s a penalty, personally, but I’m not the referee. I don’t like it. I don’t like the hit. It’s a vulnerable position.’

Zadorov, known for his physical play, told reporters about his perspective on the hit.

‘It was just a normal play,’ he said. ‘I didn’t really hit him. I hit my right shoulder, 99% of my hits in the NHL are with my right shoulder.

‘I’m not sure what hit he got hurt (on). Is it like when he went after me again and I counter-hit him? Or maybe when I cleared the puck, I hit him with the puck. … There was really no intention to hurt him. I play hard against top players on the other team, that’s my job.’

U.S. Olympic team injuries

Four of the original six players named to the U.S. Olympic team have been injured since the announcement.

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk had offseason hernia surgery. Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk had thumb surgery in October. Both remain out but are expected back before the Olympics in February.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes missed four games with a lower body injury but returned in early November. He left Tuesday’s game after an injury scare but returned.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel and Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy also were named to the U.S. team.

Final rosters are due on Dec. 31.

STORRS, Conn. — If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

That may not be exactly how sophomore Kayleigh Heckel ended up playing for No. 1-ranked UConn, but it is true that she finished her freshman season at USC with a loss to the team she ended up joining after entering the transfer portal.

‘My last game at USC was against UConn,’ Heckel said in a video posted by UConn prior to the season. ‘The stakes were high, was the Elite Eight game, so excited to to be on this side now.’

Heckel is fitting right in with the Huskies, averaging 13 points, 2.5 assists and 3.5 steals. She brings energy off the bench to a backcourt led by Azzi Fudd and KK Arnold. Heckel had six steals as UConn ran its press and overwhelmed Florida State, 99-67, on Sunday. The Huskies scored 42 points off 23 turnovers.

‘A lot of people on our team are very aggressive defensively,’ said Heckel, whose Huskies host Loyola on Wednesday (truTV, 7:30 p.m. ET). ‘(Running the press) helps us a lot. The six steals, that comes from my teammates helping me and getting a position where I can get a steal. We all work together defensively.’

Coach Geno Auriemma said Heckel is familiar with UConn’s style of defense.

‘Her whole high school career, the team that she played on, they were a pressure defense’ Auriemma said ‘It kind of fits in with what she likes, that’s her skills. That’s your skill set. So it sound like we’re introducing anything new here, but she’s going to get better at it.’

A 5-foot-9 native of Port Chester, New York, Heckel was the No. 13-ranked recruit in her class. Auriemma said that although he wasn’t sure about the fit out of high school, he was impressed with her play last season. The Huskies lost to USC in December last season before getting their revenge in the Elite Eight.

‘Watching her play, playing against her, I just thought that things that she’s really good at can help us, the other stuff, I think we can work with,’ Auriemma said. ‘I don’t think she’s changed (her game) that much (last season), but the changes she has made have made her for the better.

‘She’s a way better offensive player than I thought she was. You know, She loves that pull up. She knows that.’

Heckel has already doubled her 6.1 point scoring average with USC. She said Auriemma challenged her to work on being aggressive.

‘Coach told me that I have to have a very consistent midrange shot, so I’ve been working on it a lot, and I just try to get to my spots,’ Heckel said. ‘If it’s open, I’m gonna take it. If not, I can always pass to an open teammate.’

Heckel watched UConn raise its championship banner on Sunday. The Huskies have won 12 national titles, the last against South Carolina in April. She said playing for UConn comes with pressure, but she’s here for it.

‘I would say the biggest adjustment is like, the expectations,’ Heckel said. ‘I think that they’re super high and I really like that because I have a lot of goals for myself and for the team this year, so I’m super excited to just be held to the expectations and those standards.

‘I really want to get better, and I think that that can really be something that I can do here.’

The ACC could see a seven-team tie, potentially requiring advanced analytics to decide the matchup.
In the Big Ten, the race could come down to the rivalry game between Ohio State and Michigan.
The SEC has several one-loss teams, creating multiple pathways to the championship game behind likely participant Alabama.

Dozens of scenarios are still in play as the Power Four inches toward conference championship games, beginning with the possibility of an absurdly convoluted quagmire in the ACC.

The league is likely to travel far down the list of tiebreaker scenarios to decide which teams meet in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the league’s one assured College Football Playoff bid.

While other Power Four conferences could have two, three or even four teams with identical records, the ACC faces the possibility of a seven-team stalemate that would require an NSA-level cryptologist to decipher.

Things are simpler in the SEC, relatively speaking. While Indiana is on the verge of locking down a championship game appearance, the other half of the Big Ten race could come down to the final day of the regular season and the rivalry between No. 1 Ohio State and No. 17 Michigan.

With three weeks remaining until conference championship games, here’s where each race stands in the Power Four and the American, which has the inside track for the Group of Five’s playoff berth:

(League records in parentheses)

SEC conference tiebreakers

Contenders: No. 3 Texas A&M (6-0), No. 4 Alabama (6-0), No. 5 Georgia (6-1), No. 7 Mississippi (5-1), No. 10 Texas (4-1).

Let’s start by agreeing on this: Alabama is going to make the championship game.

The Crimson Tide can lose to Oklahoma or Auburn and still make it to Atlanta because of its head-to-head tiebreaker over Georgia and an advantage over Mississippi in conference opponent winning percentage. That Alabama is unlikely to lose both games could block Georgia from reaching Atlanta for the fifth year in a row, while the Rebels are also held at arm’s length by a loss to the Bulldogs.

The Tide would face Texas A&M if the Aggies beat South Carolina and Texas to end the regular season. But just one loss would throw the SEC into chaos.

Begin with the assumption that Alabama goes unbeaten in conference play. That would leave the possibility of three other one-loss teams in the Aggies, Rebels and either the Bulldogs or Longhorns, who meet this weekend. Here’s how that would unfold:

If Texas A&M, Georgia and Mississippi are in a three-way tie for second place, Georgia would likely advance based on conference opponent winning percentage.
If the Texas A&M, Mississippi and Texas are in a three-way tie, Texas would be eliminated by a loss to Florida, one of three common opponents along with Mississippi State and Arkansas. The tiebreaker would then be conference opponent winning percentage. If that fails to break the stalemate, the SEC would turn to “capped relative scoring margin,” a formula created by the firm SportSource Analytics.
The Rebels’ path to Atlanta requires wins against Florida and Mississippi State, a Texas win against Georgia, an A&M loss to South Carolina and then an A&M win against the Longhorns.
Lastly, Texas returns to the championship game by beating Georgia and beating A&M while the Rebels drop one of two.

Hey, no one said this was going to be easy.

Big Ten conference tiebreakers

Contenders: No. 2 Indiana (7-0), No. 1 Ohio State (6-0), No. 18 Southern California (5-1), No. 6 Oregon (5-1), No. 17 Michigan (5-1).

The Big Ten is easier to decipher, at least. For the two favorites, Indiana ends the year against Wisconsin and Purdue while Ohio State closes with UCLA, Rutgers and Michigan. Let’s work off two assumptions: one, the Hoosiers take care of the Badgers and Boilermakers, and two, Oregon beats Southern California and eliminates the Trojans.

If Ohio State loses again to Michigan, the Ducks are in position to earn a rematch against Indiana over the Wolverines because of an expected higher common opponent winning percentage. That same edge would send the Ducks to Indianapolis should the Buckeyes lose to UCLA. Should Ohio State lose to Rutgers, the Ducks would finish ahead of Ohio State thanks to a better record among five common Big Ten opponents.

There is a way for Michigan to face the Hoosiers. First, Oregon or USC would have to lose this weekend to Minnesota or Iowa, respectively, and then the loser would have to win next Saturday’s matchup at the Coliseum, leaving both teams with two conference losses. The Wolverines would then have to beat the Buckeyes for the fifth time in a row.

USC makes the championship game by running the table combined with a Michigan win against Ohio State.

Big 12 conference tiebreakers

Contenders: No. 8 Texas Tech (6-1), No. 12 Brigham Young (5-1), No. 22 Cincinnati (5-1), Houston (5-2), No. 15 Utah (4-2).

Texas Tech finishes with Central Florida and West Virginia, so let’s start with the expectation the Red Raiders end November with one league loss and lock up one spot.

It’s win-and-in time for BYU, which has been miserable in November games since joining the Big 12. The Cougars close with TCU, Cincinnati and Central Florida. The Bearcats are in by beating the Cougars, Arizona and TCU.

There’s a fairly high likelihood of having multiple teams with two conference losses, however.

In the case where BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and Utah finish are tied at 7-2 in conference play, the Utes would be expected to have a rematch with the Red Raiders by having the best common opponent winning percentage.

ACC conference tiebreakers

Contenders: No. 12 Georgia Tech (5-1), No. 19 Virginia (5-1), No. 23 Pittsburgh (5-1), SMU (5-1), Duke (4-1), No. 21 Louisville (4-2).

Georgia Tech ends with Boston College and Pittsburgh. Two wins in guarantee the Yellow Jackets head to the ACC championship game for the first time since 2014.

Even if Tech takes care of business, there’s the high probability of multiple teams tied with two conference losses, which would trigger the use of the SportSource Analytics formula to decide who faces the Jackets.

Saturday’s matchup between Duke and Virginia could be a tipping point. Should Duke win and Louisville beat SMU next weekend, the Blue Devils could finish second even with a loss to North Carolina or Wake Forest because of a higher common opponent winning percentage than Louisville, Virginia, Miami and SMU.

The Cardinals would finish second with a win against SMU combined with a Virginia win against Duke and a Virginia loss to Virginia Tech. Should Virginia beat Duke and SMU beat Louisville, the Cavaliers would finish ahead of the Mustangs based on common opponent winning percentage.

And yes, there is a chance of a seven-win tie for first. That’s how Miami — somehow, someway — makes the championship game. In the case where Georgia Tech loses once, Virginia beats Duke but loses to the Virginia, Louisville beats SMU and Miami wins out, the Hurricanes would draw a rematch with the Cardinals.

Got all that?

American conference tiebreakers

Contenders: Navy (5-1), South Florida (4-1), Tulane (4-1), North Texas (4-1), East Carolina (4-1).

Memphis is no longer a serious contender after losing to Tulane. North Texas is the most likely to finish with one loss given games against Alabama-Birmingham, Rice and Temple to end the month. One of Navy and South Florida will be sent to the back of the line after the two meet on Saturday in Annapolis.

Should Navy beat South Florida but then lose to Memphis, the most likely matchup in the championship game is North Texas against Tulane, which seems set to finish with one loss based on upcoming games against Florida Atlantic, Temple and Charlotte. The Green Wave also own the tiebreaker over East Carolina.

The likeliest scenario has a three-way tie between the Bulls, Mean Green and Green Wave. In this case, the playoff rankings or computer metrics would be used to break the deadlock.

Should two teams be ranked in the penultimate playoff rankings and then win their season finales, that pair would meet in the conference championship. This is the dream scenario for the American and the playoff.

That’s because of the growing possibility the league has to use computer metrics — our old, much-maligned friend from the Bowl Championship Series days — to determine the two teams left standing.

In the case where playoff rankings won’t settle the story, the American will split hairs between three or more teams by using the compositive average of four metrics: ESPN reporter Bill Connolly’s SP+, SportSource Analytics’ TR116 SOR, ESPN’s SOR and the KPI, a measurement tool created by Michigan State associate athletics director Kevin Pagua.

So, boiled down: One spot in the 12-team playoff could be decided by computers. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

No one is talking about them. Just an overlooked name on a lost line among College Football Playoff Top 25 poll. 

But No. 14 Vanderbilt is in prime position to win out and find a way to the CFP.

At this point, it’s a numbers game. A strange and surreal numbers game we’ve never seen in the history of the CFP. 

Texas, Oklahoma and Vanderbilt will be vying for what could be two playoff spots. Texas has the most difficult road, but the story is Oklahoma and Vanderbilt. 

They have seven common SEC opponents, a rarity in any season, in any conference. 

Texas has the head-to-head win over Vanderbilt, and the Commodores likely need the Longhorns to lose two games. But the resume comparison with Oklahoma is where it gets interesting. 

Both lost to Texas, and both beat South Carolina on the road and Auburn at home.
Oklahoma beat Tennessee on the road, Vandy plays at Tennessee on the final week of the regular season. 
Vanderbilt lost at Alabama, Oklahoma plays at Alabama this weekend. 
Vanderbilt beat Missouri at home, Oklahoma plays host Missouri Nov. 22. 
Vanderbilt beat LSU at home, Oklahoma plays host to LSU on the final week of the regular season. 

Never have two teams fighting for one spot been so easy to compare via common opponents. 

The question: How many more losses can Texas and Oklahoma sustain before Vanderbilt passes them? This three-team comparison is the only way Vanderbilt reaches the playoff. 

While No. 10 Texas plays at No. 5 Georgia and plays host to Arkansas and No. 3 Texas A&M over the final three weeks of the season, Vanderbilt plays Kentucky and at No. 23 Tennessee.

Do three-loss Oklahoma and Texas remain ahead of Vanderbilt? Can the Commodores use a big win at Tennessee to strengthen its resume enough that one loss by Oklahoma will be enough for the Commodores to jump them?

This, as much as anything, will show the committee’s ability to look past name and television property value, and reward resume.

The Fortunate

No. 15 Miami

The classic makeup call. Canes were ranked No. 18 in the first poll of the season, out of reach from No. 9 Notre Dame — which it beat in the season opener and has an identical record and a comparable schedule.

Apparently, Miami’s 38-10 win over Syracuse — which has lost six straight by an average of 22.5 points — was a game-changer in the committee’s eyes.

“We had some teams lose,” CFP chairman Mack Rhoades said on the ESPN selection show — and then mumbled some word salad about consistency, playing great defense, the offense needs to play better … and then I lost interest. 

Because here’s the reality: Even with Miami’s win over the Irish, this choice could come down to how each plays at Pitt. A common opponent, and prisoner of the moment game. 

No. 2 Indiana

Penn State is bad. One of the worst teams in the Big Ten bad. And but for some late game heroics from Hoosiers QB Fernando Mendoza, Penn State would’ve given Indiana its first loss of the season. 

The committee could’ve easily moved Texas A&M — which continues to roll through its SEC schedule — to the No. 2 spot, but stuck with the Hoosiers. With games against Wisconsin and Purdue, Indiana may not have enough to hold off the Aggies who still play SEC games against South Carolina and No. 10 Texas.

No. 13 Utah  

What exactly have the Utes done to be ranked in the top 13? Utah beat No. 25 Cincinnati two weeks ago, and that’s about it. 

The problem: Who has Cincinnati beaten?

Utah was blown out at home by Texas Tech, and lost by three at BYU. Other than that. A whole lot of nothing. A win over Arizona State without its starting quarterback is Utah’s next best win.

The Frantic

No. 10 Texas

Longhorns likely need two wins over the final three weeks of the season to reach the CFP. That means beating one of two top 5 teams (Georgia or Texas A&M).

A 9-3 record isn’t a lock, but there would have to be some wild upsets over the final three weeks of the season for three-loss Texas to not reach the CFP. A win over either Georgia or Texas A&M would be too difficult to ignore.

The ACC

There are five teams with one conference loss, and only two control their destiny (Georgia Tech, Duke). The best team could be SMU, which struggled early this season and lost to rivals Baylor and TCU. 

Then there’s No. 22 Pitt, which finishes the season playing host to No. 9 Notre Dame, at No. 16 Georgia Tech and playing host to No. 15 Miami. Win those three and the Panthers will move into the top 10.

No. 12 BYU

The remaining games: TCU, at No. 25 Cincinnati, UCF. BYU will be favored in all three games, and control their destiny in the race for the Big 12 championship game. 

Cincinnati, too, controls its destiny — and is unbeaten at home this season.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB.

The second round of College Football Playoff rankings reaffirmed the possibility that the SEC sends not one, two, three or even four teams into the tournament but possibly five — or even six, if things get really crazy.

No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Indiana continue to lead the rankings out of the Big Ten. But then comes a parade of contenders from the SEC, starting with No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Georgia and No. 7 Mississippi.

All four teams are potentially one more conference win away from locking down at-large playoff berths, though the Rebels might face elimination with a loss to Florida or Mississippi State.

This group is followed by three more prime contenders in No. 10 Texas, No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 14 Vanderbilt. The Longhorns can play their way in by splitting games against Georgia and Aggies. Oklahoma has a huge game at Alabama followed by home contests with Missouri and LSU. Vanderbilt’s chances will come down to the season finale against Tennessee.

At this point, having four SEC teams in the bracket seems guaranteed. At the same time, the ACC and Big 12 might end up as one-bid leagues. Even if those two leagues share three bids, there’s an opportunity for the SEC to make up half of the 12-team field.

That puts the conference front and center among the biggest winners and losers of Tuesday night’s rankings, joining South Florida and the ACC:

Winners

Indiana

The Hoosiers were able to stay ahead of Texas A&M despite of — or because of, from one perspective — last weekend’s 27-24 escape at Penn State. While the Aggies had no issues taking care of Missouri, the Hoosiers were able to pull down the first win at Beaver Stadium in program history, something the committee clearly recognized as meaningful despite the narrow victory. Remaining in the No. 2 spot solidifies Indiana’s near-lock status with games against Wisconsin and Purdue to end the month.

South Florida

South Florida squeezed into the rankings at No. 24 as the only Group of Five representative, giving the Bulls a clear edge for an automatic playoff bid should they take care of business and win the American. Given games against Navy and the second-best team in the American for the conference championship, USF is essentially a lock for the No. 12 seed in the bracket with a clean finish. Looking ahead, placing in the rankings is a huge deal given that in the case of a multiple-team tie atop the standings, the championship game pairings could end up being decided by which team or teams were in the penultimate rankings and where.

Texas Tech

Saturday’s 29-7 win against No. 12 Brigham Young moved Texas Tech up two spots to No. 6, leapfrogging ahead of Mississippi. While the clearest path to the playoff remains via the Big 12 championship, the Red Raiders have built up enough wiggle room and goodwill with the committee to potentially survive a loss to BYU in a Big 12 title game rematch and earn an at-large bid, though that might come down to whether or not the Big Ten has a fourth team in the conversation.

Notre Dame

No. 9 Notre Dame must win out, starting on Saturday at No. 22 Pittsburgh, but are now firmly in at-large position after climbing one spot from last week’s rankings. With both the ACC champion and Group of Five representatives potentially finishing outside the top 12 in the final rankings, climbing inside the top nine at this point guarantees the Fighting Irish will make the playoff for the second year in a row with a perfect close to the regular season.

Losers

The ACC

For the second week in a row, there’s no bigger loser in the playoff rankings than the ACC. After a horrific weekend that included losses by No. 19 Virginia, No. 20 Louisville and Duke, the league’s highest-ranked teams are No. 15 Miami and No. 16 Georgia Tech. The Cavaliers and Cardinals both dropped five spots from last week. While No. 15 Miami and Pittsburgh give the ACC five teams in Top 25, these rankings strongly suggest only the conference champion will make the bracket unless the Yellow Jackets win the conference, the Hurricanes run the table and there is chaos ahead. That USF made the rankings helped the Hurricanes climb three spots and definitely breathes some life into their chances.

BYU

The five-spot drop from last week leaves BYU only one clear path to the playoff: via the Big 12 championship. There’s a chance for an at-large bid, though that demands not just a perfect finish to November, complete with a win against No. 25 Cincinnati, but also help from bottom-feeders in the SEC and Big Ten to clear an avenue for a second team from the Big 12. In addition to that assistance, the Cougars would need to put together a much stronger and competitive performance in the rematch with Texas Tech.

There are eight weeks left in the 2025 NFL regular season, and we have a new quarterback rising to the top of these weekly power rankings.

Los Angeles Rams veteran Matthew Stafford just completed his third straight game throwing at least four touchdown passes – he had five in Week 7 before a bye. He also hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 3 – which was also the last time he had a completion rate below 63.5%.

Stafford, who just reached a .500 win percentage for the first time in his entire career, is suddenly the front-runner to win this year’s NFL MVP award. The 17-year veteran hasn’t so much as made one All-Pro team, but he currently leads the league with 25 passing touchdowns through 10 weeks.

Meanwhile, last week’s No. 1, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, has tumbled down the board after losing to the Miami Dolphins on the road.

Here’s a full look at the Week 11 NFL quarterback power rankings, including how much each player has risen or fallen since last week:

NFL quarterback power rankings: Week 11

1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

Last week: 5

No NFL quarterback has thrown more passing touchdowns than the 25 Stafford has through 10 weeks (nine games). Lions quarterback Jared Goff is the only other player with 20. Stafford also ranks fifth in the NFL with his 0.6% interception rate.

2. Drake Maye, New England Patriots

Last week: 3

Maye has led the Patriots to a tied-for-NFL-best 8-2 record in the first 10 weeks with his 2,555 passing yards (third in the NFL), 19 touchdown passes (tied for third), 113.9 passer rating (fifth) and 71.7% completion rate (second).

3. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Last week: 2

Mahomes is second in the NFL in ESPN’s QBR efficiency metric (74.5), fifth in the NFL in passing yards (2,349), tied for seventh in passing touchdowns (17) and seventh in passing success rate (51.1%). He’s also fifth among NFL quarterbacks in rushing yards (285) and tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (4).

4. Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

Last week: 6

Darnold threw for just 178 yards on 12 attempts in Week 10, but he holds league leads in yards per attempt (9.9), yards per completion (14.0) and QBR (77.6). His 17 touchdowns on 228 attempts also have him ranked third in the league in touchdown throw rate (7.5%), as the Seahawks hold the NFC West division lead at 7-2 through 10 weeks.

5. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Last week: 1

Even with a 300-yard, two-touchdown game, Allen tumbles down the rankings a bit after losing to the Dolphins for the first time since 2022. The Bills’ quarterback threw his fifth interception of the season and lost a back-breaking fumble in the fourth quarter that cut Buffalo’s comeback effort short.

6. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

Last week: 7

Herbert has continued to string together wins despite playing behind a banged-up offensive line. The Chargers won their third straight on ‘Sunday Night Football ‘ on Nov. 9, behind their quarterback’s 220-yard effort, which included a touchdown pass to Ladd McConkey. Herbert leads all quarterbacks with 240 completions and 358 attempts. He’s second in the NFL with 2,610 passing yards and tied for third with 19 touchdown throws.

7. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Last week: 4

Week 10’s win over the Vikings wasn’t quite the four-touchdown outburst that came in Jackson’s first game back from his hamstring injury. His 58.6% completion rate was his lowest of the season (in six games) and his 176 passing yards were second-fewest this year. His 36 rushing yards, though, were his second-most this year – a good indication that he’s feeling good after missing three games with his ailment.

8. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

Last week: 9

The Commanders couldn’t stop anything the Lions’ offense threw at them on Nov. 9. Goff threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns with a 75.8% completion rate. It was enough for him to re-take the NFL lead in completion rate with his 74.0% mark.

9. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Last week: 8

Against Maye and the Patriots, 273 yards and three touchdown passes with no interceptions and a 65% completion rate still were not enough for Mayfield to get a win.

10. Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

Last week: 13

Through 10 weeks, no quarterback has more passing yards (2,659) or a higher passing success rate (53.5%) than Jones. He did set a season high with seven sacks, matched a season high with three fumbles and threw another interception though.

11. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

Last week: 10

Hurts’ performance on ‘Monday Night Football’ was statistically the best of any player’s, probably, with his 183 passing yards and touchdown. But he also lost an early fumble, and the bar is very low coming off that 10-7 Eagles win. Hurts leads the league with a 0.4% interception rate now that Justin Fields has thrown his first of the season.

12. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

Last week: 14

Prescott and the Cowboys were off in Week 10 with a bye, so he moves up the rankings by virtue of others around him moving down.

14. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

Last week: 17

Williams led the Bears to snatch a second straight victory from the jaws of defeat in Week 10. The second-year quarterback threw for 220 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 63 yards and another (game-winning) score. Most impressive was Williams’ ability to evade sacks against a mighty Giants pass-rush attack that brought pressure more than a handful of times.

14. Mac Jones, San Francisco 49ers

Last week: 15

Only one quarterback had more passing yards than Jones’ 319 in Week 10, and it was Goff – by one yard. Jones did manage to lead all passers with his seriously impressive 84.6% completion rate on 39 pass attempts. He also threw three touchdowns (and an interception) in the 49ers’ divisional loss to Stafford and the Rams.

15. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

Last week: 11

Love and the Packers would like to forget their 10-7 loss in a ‘Monday Night Football’ stinker ASAP. Love didn’t throw any interceptions, but he did get strip-sacked just outside of the red zone in a game Green Bay lost by three points to fall out of first place in the NFC North.

16. Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

Last week: 16

Dart may miss the Giants’ next game while in the league’s concussion protocol after sustaining a head injury in the third quarter of New York’s loss to the Bears. Before the injury, the rookie threw for 242 yards and rushed for 66 more, scoring two touchdowns on the ground. Despite starting just seven games, Dart is second among all signal-callers with 317 rushing yards.

17. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Last week: 12

Lawrence can’t entirely blame drops this week for his 56.5% completion rate – receivers only dropped one of his passes, per PFF. He also made five turnover-worthy plays with one resulting in an interception. The Jaguars blew a 19-point lead they had entering the fourth quarter against the Texans in Week 10. Lawrence went 0-of-1 with three sacks taken for a cumulative loss of 19 yards and a lost fumble in the final period.

18. Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons

Last week: 18

No starting quarterback had a lower completion rate in Week 10 than Penix’s 42.9% mark on his 28 pass attempts in Berlin. He also lost a fumble that led to a quick touchdown in a game the Falcons lost by a score in overtime.

19. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

Last week: 19

Much as the Eagles would like to move on quickly from their 10-7 prime-time win on ‘Monday Night Football, so too would Nix and the Broncos from their 10-7 prime-time win on ‘Thursday Night Football.’ Nix threw for just 150 yards – fourth-fewest of any starter this week – with a touchdown and two interceptions. His eight picks this season are tied for the third-most in the NFL so far.

20. Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals

Last week: 21

Flacco and the Bengals had a Week 10 bye, which is significant for a veteran quarterback dealing with a shoulder injury he sustained in Week 8.

21. Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals

Last week: 22

Brissett completed a season-low 50% of his passes against the Seahawks on Nov. 10 in a third loss in four starts for the veteran journeyman. He threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns while avoiding an interception, but he did lose two fumbles that were returned for touchdowns in a span of three possessions.

22. Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers

Last week: 20

Rodgers had the worst QBR (4.5) and second-worst PFF passing grade (36.2) of any quarterback in Week 10 after throwing two interceptions with 161 yards and a touchdown against the Chargers on ‘Sunday Night Football.’

23. J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

Last week: 23

McCarthy had a very up-and-down showing against the Ravens in Week 10. He had four big-time throws, per PFF, which led all quarterbacks in Week 10, but he also made three turnover-worthy plays. McCarthy finished Week 10 with 248 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions while also leading Minnesota in rushing with 48 yards on five carries.

24. Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints

Last week: 28

Shough’s second career start ended with his first career win. He balled out against the Panthers’ defense with a 70.4% completion rate, 282 passing yards and two touchdowns. PFF also credited Shough for two big-time throws and zero turnover-worthy plays.

25. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers

Last week: 24

Young’s 13.2 QBR was the third-lowest last week. His 124 passing yards were the second-fewest of all starters in Week 10, and his 34.3 passing grade from PFF was the worst of all quarterbacks.

26. Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders

Last week: 25

Week 10 brought another Smith game with an interception and no touchdowns, his third of the season. It also brought the Raiders’ third straight loss, leaving them at 2-7 in their first year with Smith.

27. Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans

Last week: 26

Ward and the Titans were off with a bye in Week 10. The rookie quarterback dropped a spot thanks to Shough’s strong game against Carolina.

28. Davis Mills, Houston Texans

Last week: 31

Mills may not play in Week 11 as starter C.J. Stroud works his way back from a concussion, but the backup’s 292 yards and two touchdowns (plus an interception) helped lead the Texans to an improbable comeback win over the Jaguars in Week 10.

29. Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders

Last week: 27

Mariota will be the Commanders’ quarterback until starter Jayden Daniels returns from a dislocated elbow. His latest effort was a serviceable 16-of-22 for 213 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough against a potent Lions offense that scored 44 points. Mariota is now 1-3 as Washington’s starter this year.

30. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins

Last week: 32

Tagovailoa and the Dolphins may have defeated the Bills in Week 10, but the win also included two interceptions from the quarterback. Tagovailoa still leads the NFL with 13 picks in 10 starts.

31. Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns

Last week: 29

Gabriel didn’t do enough in Week 10 to earn a bump up the rankings in a 167-yard loss to the Jets.

32. Justin Fields, New York Jets

Last week: 30

Play a whole game with 11 pass attempts for 54 yards? Hard not to end up at the bottom of the power rankings, even with a win.