Week 15 worst QB performances: Tua Tagovailoa clunker sinks Dolphins' playoff hopes

Titans quarterback Will Levis

The only good thing about Levis' career-worst game — against an awful Cincinnati defense, no less — was that it brought the Titans closer to drafting his replacement.

Levis was 8-of-12 for 89 yards (7.4 yards per attempt) and three interceptions in the 37-27 loss before being benched for backup Mason Rudolph, who functioned much more like an NFL quarterback should, going 21-of-26 for 209 yards (eight yards per attempt), two touchdowns and an interception.

Levis threw his fourth pick-six this season — the league's most — in the third quarter on an attempt to tight end Charles Okonkwo. Levis stared down his receiver, and Bengals safety Geno Smith jumped the route before returning the interception for a touchdown.

Saints quarterback Jake Haener

Haener failed to meet the low expectations set for his first career NFL start.

The Saints' second-year backup, starting for injured quarterback Derek Carr, was 4-of-10 for 49 yards before being benched in the third quarter for rookie Spencer Rattler.

Haener couldn't get comfortable against Washington, and his 14 total dropbacks netted the Saints 27 yards, a measly 1.9 yards per dropback.

Last season, unheralded backups Jake Browning and Joshua Dobbs were among the quarterbacks to put up respectable numbers in relief of injured starters. Haener flubbed his audition, and it's fair to wonder if he'll get another.

Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson and Broncos quarterback Bo Nix

We had a two-for-one special in Denver. Richardson and Nix looked like inexperienced NFL quarterbacks with non-refundable deposits for January vacations.

Neither looked interested in claiming an AFC wild-card berth during the sloppy game.

Richardson was 17-of-38 — his fifth game this season completing less than half of his attempts — for 172 yards (4.5 yards per attempt) and two interceptions.

Nix was 20-of-33 for 130 yards (3.9 yards per attempt), three touchdowns and three interceptions. We're starting to see why he was a dink-and-dunk maestro at Oregon. All three of his turnovers came on inaccurate throws when Nix attempted to push the ball downfield.

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor had the game's biggest error when he dropped the football moments before crossing the goal line later in the third quarter, taking seven points off the board for Indianapolis.

Instead of overshadowing Richardson and Nix's awful games, it showed what happens when bad quarterback play isn't contained. It can infect an entire team.