Drake Maye, Jaylen Warren Lead Top 15 Performers From Five Sunday NFL Games

By Tiffany Williams –

Drake Maye shredded the Raiders, Jaylen Warren punished the Colts in two different ways and Parker Washington delivered the touchdowns Jacksonville desperately needed in London. Across the five games covered here, the strongest performances came from quarterbacks who finished possessions, defenders who wrecked them and a kicker who delivered the afternoon’s most ruthless final blow.

These 15 players are ranked by their production and impact in those five games, using the supplied gamebooks and notes. Winning mattered, but outstanding performances in a loss or draw still earned recognition when the numbers and pivotal plays demanded it.

Drake Maye takes the No. 1 spot after turning New England’s 45–17 victory over Las Vegas into his personal scoring exhibition. He completed 26 of 34 passes for 374 yards, threw four touchdowns without an interception and added a three-yard rushing touchdown. His 150.9 passer rating backed up what the scoreboard made painfully clear: the Raiders could not contain him.

The decisive throws arrived throughout the game. Drake Maye opened with a 35-yard touchdown to DeMario Douglas, found Hunter Henry from 11 yards before halftime and hit Kyle Williams for a 34-yard score on second-and-19 early in the third quarter. He later supplied another touchdown pass to DeMario Douglas, finishing an afternoon in which New England produced 536 net yards.

Jaylen Warren ranks second because Indianapolis had no answer for his explosive production through the air or on the ground. He rushed 15 times for 101 yards and a touchdown, caught five passes for 87 yards and another score, and finished with 188 yards from scrimmage. His two touchdowns covered a combined 130 yards.

An 80-yard touchdown reception gave Pittsburgh a 7–3 first-quarter lead, and a 50-yard touchdown run made it 24–16 in the third quarter. According to the Steelers’ notes, Jaylen Warren became the first NFL player since Herschel Walker in 1986 to combine an 80-yard touchdown reception and a 50-yard touchdown run in the same game. That was historic damage delivered in two enormous bursts.

Parker Washington earns third after supplying both Jacksonville touchdowns in its 19–17 victory over Philadelphia. He caught six passes for 124 yards, averaging 20.7 yards per reception, and repeatedly gave the Jaguars the explosive offense their penalty-filled afternoon required. Without his scoring plays, Jacksonville’s empty goal-line possessions would have been even more costly.

His first touchdown covered 51 yards and gave Jacksonville a 7–0 lead. His second was the more demanding moment: fourth-and-five at the Philadelphia 27, with the Jaguars trailing in the fourth quarter. Parker Washington caught Trevor Lawrence’s touchdown pass to put Jacksonville ahead 16–14 with 3:20 remaining.

David Bailey lands fourth after making Deshaun Watson’s afternoon miserable in the Jets’ 17–12 victory over Cleveland. He recorded three sacks, seven combined tackles, three tackles for loss and four quarterback hits. New York finished with eight sacks, and David Bailey supplied the largest individual share.

His sacks repeatedly helped push Cleveland out of manageable situations. Two came before halftime, and another arrived during a fourth-quarter possession that eventually left the Browns punting on fourth-and-38. The Jets’ offense committed enough mistakes to keep Cleveland alive, but David Bailey helped ensure the Browns could not consistently turn those opportunities into points.

Aaron Rodgers takes fifth after delivering three touchdown passes without an interception in Pittsburgh’s victory over Indianapolis. He completed 22 of 31 attempts for 235 yards, a 71 percent completion rate, and finished with a 125.1 passer rating. His passing yardage was lower than several quarterbacks represented here, but his scoring efficiency was outstanding.

Aaron Rodgers connected with Jaylen Warren for the 80-yard touchdown and found Pat Freiermuth for scores of one and 17 yards. The second touchdown to Pat Freiermuth extended Pittsburgh’s lead to 31–22 with 6:35 remaining. Three touchdown throws, no interceptions and a productive fourth-quarter finish made this a performance built around converting opportunities.

Isaiah Likely ranks sixth after catching 11 passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns in the Giants’ 27–27 draw with Washington. The reception total was a career high, and the two touchdown catches matched his career best. He provided Jameis Winston with both substantial receiving volume and scoring production.

The Giants’ notes identify Isaiah Likely as the first tight end in franchise history with at least nine receptions and two receiving touchdowns in one game. His catches accounted for one-third of Jameis Winston’s completions. New York did not secure a victory, but Isaiah Likely supplied a performance that deserves recognition independently of the result.

Braelon Allen claims seventh after producing the run that rescued the Jets. He finished with 116 yards on 24 carries and scored the winning touchdown against Cleveland. New York’s passing attack had stretches of productivity, but Braelon Allen supplied its most important late offensive play.

With the Jets trailing 12–10, Cleveland’s aborted punt gave New York possession at the Browns’ 23. Two plays later, the Jets faced third-and-nine at the 22. Braelon Allen ran through the left side for a touchdown, putting New York ahead with 3:01 remaining and turning a short-field opportunity into the winning score.

Jameis Winston places eighth after carrying an enormous passing workload against Washington. He completed 33 of 54 attempts for 326 yards and three touchdowns, finished with a 96.7 passer rating and added 27 rushing yards on five attempts. All three touchdown passes came in the second half.

The Giants’ notes identify his combination of at least 300 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and 25 rushing yards as the franchise’s only such performance since 1950. The 27–27 draw keeps the result from matching the individual achievement, but Jameis Winston’s production remains substantial. Fifty-four attempts also underline how heavily New York depended on him.

Malik Nabers ranks ninth after catching 11 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown against Washington. He received 20 targets, making him the most heavily targeted receiver identified in the supplied individual statistics. His production gave the Giants a 100-yard receiving performance alongside Isaiah Likely’s two-touchdown afternoon.

Malik Nabers accounted for more than a third of Jameis Winston’s passing yardage. The game also brought him to 156 career receptions through 24 appearances, placing him among the four players identified in the Giants’ notes who reached 150 catches in fewer than 25 games. The draw did not erase another major receiving contribution.

Jalen Carter earns 10th after repeatedly disrupting Jacksonville’s offense in Philadelphia’s narrow defeat. He finished with five combined tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Both forced fumbles came on sacks of Trevor Lawrence, although Jacksonville recovered each one.

Those recoveries prevented turnovers, but the plays still damaged possessions. Jalen Carter’s second-quarter sack helped force a punt immediately before Philadelphia’s 62-yard touchdown pass. His performance gave the Eagles meaningful defensive production on a day when their offense managed only 22 rushing yards and repeatedly failed to extend its lead.

Quincy Williams takes 11th after forcing three fumbles and recording 11 combined tackles for Cleveland. He also added a tackle for loss and a pass defended. The Browns lost, but Quincy Williams repeatedly created trouble for a Jets offense already fighting its own inconsistency.

His most consequential forced fumble came when Kenyon Sadiq caught a third-quarter pass near the Cleveland goal line. Quincy Williams knocked the ball loose, and Ronnie Hickman recovered at the seven, ending a Jets scoring threat without points. Cleveland failed to capitalize fully on the opportunities its defense supplied, but Quincy Williams did his part.

Dru Phillips ranks 12th after producing an unusually disruptive afternoon from the cornerback position. He finished with five tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and four quarterback hits in the Giants’ draw with Washington. That is a substantial pressure line from a defensive back.

According to the Giants’ notes, Dru Phillips became the fifth defensive back in franchise history to record at least two sacks since the statistic became official in 1982. His four quarterback hits also placed him among a small group of cornerbacks to reach that total since quarterback hits became official in 2006. The supplied notes do not establish the situation for each pressure, but the overall production earns his place.

Garrett Wilson takes 13th after catching seven passes for 104 yards and a touchdown against Cleveland. He accounted for more than half of Geno Smith’s 182 passing yards. When the Jets needed meaningful production through the air, Garrett Wilson was their primary source.

He caught passes for 17 and 21 yards on New York’s opening scoring possession before finishing it with a 32-yard touchdown reception. Later, he converted third downs with catches of 10 yards, including one during the fourth quarter. His performance supplied both the early touchdown and important chain-moving receptions in a game short on sustained offense.

Cam Little ranks 14th because his final kick changed the winner in London. He converted field goals of 34 and 57 yards in Jacksonville’s 19–17 victory, with the longer attempt coming as time expired. That last kick turned Philadelphia’s 17–16 advantage into a defeat.

His afternoon also included a missed extra point after Parker Washington’s fourth-quarter touchdown, a mistake that allowed Philadelphia to move ahead with a field goal. Cam Little then delivered from 57 yards after Ameer Abdullah’s 53-yard kickoff return supplied the opportunity. The miss belongs in the evaluation, but so does the game-winning kick under the final-second pressure.

Elijah Ponder rounds out the ranking at No. 15 after helping New England keep Las Vegas from matching its offensive pace. He recorded six combined tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble. Both sacks came during the second quarter.

The first helped terminate a Raiders possession in New England territory. The second came just before halftime and forced a Kirk Cousins fumble that Michael Mayer recovered. Elijah Ponder’s pressure complemented Drake Maye’s scoring barrage, giving the Patriots a defensive contributor who repeatedly disrupted Las Vegas while the offense built its commanding lead.