Five worst Week 11 performances: Sam Darnold reverts to old self in critical NFC West showdown

Including an 11-game stint as interim Falcons coach in 2020, Morris has six seasons as an NFL head coach and is 32-54 with one winning season and no playoff appearances. With each week, it's increasingly clear he's ill-fitted as a head coach. It's fair to wonder how many more losses he needs before Falcons owner Arthur Blank takes the hint.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders

The nicest thing we can say about Sanders' dreadful first NFL action is that he certainly looked like a quarterback without any prior experience playing with Cleveland's first-team offense. "I think it was my first ball thrown to them all year," the rookie fifth-rounder said after replacing fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel (concussion) and going 4-of-16 for 47 yards and an interception in a 23-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Instead of silencing doubters, Sanders fanned their flames. When accounting for sacks and rushing totals, he averaged 1.7 yards per play.

Sanders was unprepared for NFL pressure, crumbling at the first sign of an oncoming pass-rusher on a 3rd-and-8 early in the third quarter.

His interception appeared to be the result of miscommunication, with wideout Jerry Jeudy seemingly stopping on his route while Sanders threw toward the sideline.

It was an inauspicious debut for Sanders, who may be forced into his first career start next Sunday depending on Gabriel's health. Just a week ago, it seemed unlikely Sanders could fare much worse based on how Cleveland's season had gone, but that couldn't have been more off-base.

Los Angeles Chargers offensive line

The biggest head-scratching result on Sunday was the Chargers' 35-6 blowout loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4). Quarterback Justin Herbert threw for a career-low 81 yards and was pulled after throwing an interception four minutes into the fourth quarter. As bad as he was, his offensive line was even worse.

The pocket collapsed on a 3rd-and-10 midway through the second quarter as Herbert got to the top of his dropback, resulting in a key stop with a sack.

The unit, which is missing starting tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, gave Herbert no time to throw on a 4th-and-7 late in the first half, leading to another sack and sending Herbert to the blue medical tent.

The Chargers (7-4) could be in danger of missing the playoffs if they can't keep their star quarterback healthy. Sunday showed how bad things can get for Los Angeles when it's unable to protect its most valuable asset.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy

Don't let a furious fourth-quarter rally attempt distract you from the fact that for most of Minnesota's 19-17 loss to the Chicago Bears (7-3), McCarthy was comfortably the day's worst starting quarterback. The second-year pro, making his fifth career start, finished 16-of-32 for 150 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

On his first pick, McCarthy threw an awful pass intended for All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson that was easily taken the other way by Bears safety Kevin Byard III.

McCarthy's second interception came on a contested pass in the end zone late in the second half, preventing the Vikings (4-6) from cutting into a seven-point deficit.

With a roster that is largely built to win now, McCarthy doesn't have the luxury of patience. If he doesn't take massive strides over Minnesota's final seven games, it might be forced to find his replacement.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold

Another big game, another Darnold flop. After ugly performances last season in Week 18 and the wild-card round, Darnold's ghosts once again haunted him in a high-stakes environment, this time a 21-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams (8-2).

The No. 3 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft was 29-of-44 for 279 yards and four interceptions, the most by a quarterback in a game this season. On his first turnover, Darnold threw off his back foot, and safety Kamren Kinchens easily came away with the ball.

His second interception, when he got hit as he threw, was less his fault, but he forced the ball into double coverage on No. 3. The fourth interception was his worst decision, with Darnold awkwardly climbing the pocket while pressured and jumping to throw the ball directly to Rams cornerback Darious Williams.

Despite the miscues, Seattle still had a chance to win the game with a 61-yard field goal attempt at the end of regulation, suggesting that as long as Darnold avoids catastrophe, the Seahawks should be able to win most games. But it's a terrible sign that in the team's first big game of the season, Darnold reverted to his old self.