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NFL Week 4's worst QB performances
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

NFL Week 4's worst QB performances: It's time to raise the alarm on Trevor Lawrence

Quarterbacks are under more scrutiny than anyone else in the NFL. And for these five, they deserve it.

Here is our rundown of the five worst quarterback performances from Week 4.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix

It takes a special performance to have one of the worst of the week in a win, but that's what the Broncos rookie quarterback delivered. In Denver's 10-9 win over the Jets, Nix was 12-of-25 for 60 yards and a touchdown. 

At halftime, Nix was 7-of-15 for negative-7 yards.

According to NFL senior researcher Dante Koplowitz-Fleming, Nix became the first quarterback in league history to win a game in which he averaged fewer than 2.5 yards per attempt on a minimum of 25 pass attempts.

In Nix's defense, rainy conditions at Met Life Stadium didn't help. The 2023 Heisman finalist also threw arguably the best pass during Sunday's game, a 29-yard strike to wide receiver Courtland Sutton on a third-and-11 during the game's lone touchdown drive.

However, while he looked great on that one throw, his 24 others suggest his rookie season could have as many downs as ups.

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers

Do you know what the only thing worse than throwing for 60 yards in a win is? Being the quarterback to lose to someone who threw for only 60 yards.

Rodgers was 24-of-42 (57.1 percent) for 225 yards (5.4 yards per attempt) in the loss. When accounting for sacks and carries, Rodgers gained 210 yards on 52 dropbacks, a paltry four yards per dropback.

As the NFL on CBS social media account noted, Rodgers didn't score a touchdown for the first time in his career during a home start when he played the entire game.

Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett

The nine-year veteran had his worst start for the Patriots in a 30-13 road loss to the 49ers, leading to an increase in calls for New England to turn to its 2024 first-round pick, quarterback Drake Maye.

Brissett was 19-of-32 for 168 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also lost 25 yards on six sacks.

He forced the ball to wide receiver Tyquan Thornton on his interception, which was picked off by 49ers linebacker Fred Warner and returned 45 yards for a touchdown.

Brissett also showed poor anticipation on an inside dig route, holding on to the football and missing the open receiver. Brissett then failed to find DeMario Douglas, who was open after he worked back toward the middle of the field, and took a sack.

We haven't even made it to October, and Patriots fans are (rightfully) already ready for May(e).

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts

In a 33-16 loss to the Buccaneers, Hurts turned the ball over for the ninth consecutive game.

He showed poor awareness on the strip sack by Bucs linebacker Lavonte David, taking a couple of steps to avoid the initial pressure but remaining far too casual in the pocket, resulting in David forcing the fumble from behind on Hurts' release.

Hurts averaged 3.1 yards per play (excluding an end-of-half kneel down), passing for 158 yards on 30 attempts while being sacked six times for 44 yards and losing one of his two fumbles.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence

It's been almost a year since Lawrence last won an NFL game.

The 2021 No. 1 overall pick continued his regression in Year 4 on Sunday in a 24-20 loss to the Texans. Lawrence only completed 18 of his 33 attempts (54.5 percent) for 169 yards and two touchdowns, one of which was a two-yarder directly following a Texans muffed punt.

Jacksonville (0-4) has lost nine consecutive games Lawerence started. While he isn't solely responsible for the Jags' ineptitude, his subpar play has contributed.

Against the Texans, Lawrence took points off the board with his inaccuracy, including overthrowing a wide-open Christian Kirk on a play that would have been a touchdown with a better throw. 

Among quarterbacks to make at least one start this season, only Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (50 percent) has a worse completion percentage than Lawrence (53.3 percent).

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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