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• John Short

  

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  March 14, 2024 5:50 AM EDT

  The Super Wild Card Weekend is in the books, with six different teams advancing on Saturday and Sunday, including the upstart and . Whether close games or blowouts, each contest added some important context to quarterback situations around the league. Who's upped their stock? Whose future is muddier than before?Here's our instant a se sment of each QB situation from this week's wild-card playoff games:This just might be Josh Allen's year. Easy does it, you say, he's still gotta outduel Patrick Mahomes. Sure, but the dual-threat superstar did the one thing he absolutely had to do in the wild-card round: control the ball. Allen's superpower is playing old-fashioned gunslinger, but when he can also make smart decisions, he's darn near unstoppable.The experience is over, probably for good. Magical as his fearle s gunslinging may have been late in the year, the 38-year-old effectively reaffirmed his backup status with against Houston, hence coach Kevin Stefanski talking up rehab in post-game media availability. Watson has plenty of his own questions, but unle s he has significant physical setbacks this offseason, you can forget about any kind of Udonis Haslem Jersey Flacco encore, at least in a starting role. Jerry Jones is due to pay a bittersweet price for.There are two realities at play here: 1.) Prescott was thoroughly outplayed byin yet another Sunday, exacerbating questions about his big-stage effectivene s; 2.) Goran Dragic Jersey Prescott showcased MVP-caliber play for much of 2023, and his contract -- with a ridiculous $59.5 million 2024 salary-cap hit, and a future no-tag clause -- all but guarantees he'll be extended again, unle s Jones gets wild and shops him.is a local hero, for now.spent 12 years gutting it out for Detroit. He'll always be a Lion, in many fans' eyes. But Goff needed just three seasons to do what Stafford never could: as the Lions' QB. That's a testament to Detroit's roster construction and coaching, but it also speaks to Goff's resilience, sharpening his already-accurate arm even after arriving as a perceived throwaway for a rebuilding lineup. Let's see how far he can take this.They've done it again.OK, so one playoff game isn't enough to crown Jordan Love the next homegrown Hall of Famer under center, but boy did he look like the next big thing, slinging the ball from every angle and posture . This kid is just 24, fresh off his first full year as' succe sor, but his gifts promise top-10, maybe top-five, production. No matter what happens against the , Love's already locked himself in as the face and future of Green Bay. has already made 2023 a succe s.And maybe he'll go further, adding to a Rookie of the Year campaign. But like Jordan Love in Green Bay, his All- Chris Silva Jersey Pro-caliber touch and poise ensure Texans fans can leave the playoffs with a smile on their faces, no matter the next-round results. The first-rounder has looked the part all year, Browns, and he figures to have Houston in the mix out of the AFC South for years to come. is getting his groove back. It's the playoffs; what else did you expect? He against the , completing just 56% of his throws. But with steady ground-game support from , plus an emerging No. 1 downfield target in , there's reason to believe he and . That 12-3 career playoff record looms large over the rest of the AFC field.Matthew Stafford bought himself more time.A year ago at this time, it wouldn't have been crazy if the Rams had unloaded Stafford in a "salary dump," just two years after doing the same thing to Jared Goff. The formerchamp was aging quickly and battered all over, it seemed. But then 2023 happened, and he overcame a slow start to rediscover that laser arm, in his anticipated return to Detroit. Suddenly, going on 36, he doesn't feel so old. may have played himself out of an extension. To be fair, Miami's shortcomings against elite opponents go well beyond the QB. Mike McDaniel's had precious few in-game adjustments to help. The O-line battled injuries all year. But Tagovailoa, for all his improvement as a confident, downfield thrower in recent years, to be a le ser point guard when pre sured in a high-stakes environment. Miami may prefer to give Andre Iguodala Jersey him a final audition before paying top dollar.It's time to get Jalen Hurts a better support staff. Hurts shouldn't totally avoid blame for Philly's late-year collapse; he was loose with the ball all year, and also had no answers for the blitz, often choosing -- or refusing -- to run at the wrong times. But even more problematic this year? His coaches. His play calls. His options, or lack thereof. His contract dictates he won't be going anywhere, nor should he. But now it's up to team bra s to figure out how to maximize his talent.It may be time for a total makeover. Kenny Pickett isn't going anywhere as a 2022 first-rounder, but if this team didn't trust him to start a playoff game, it's foolish to think he will -- or should -- be an unquestioned starter for 2024. Mitch Trubisky is a surefire cut candidate after losing the No. 2 job. Mike Tomlin may be returning, but he'll be hard-pre sed not to add at least one legitimate veteran or rookie to compete for time under center. Baker Mayfield continues to entrench himself. Getting the Bucs to the playoffs was enough to justify another short-term deal for the journeyman. After routing the Eagles, pulling within one win of the NFC title game Shaquille O'Neal Jersey (!), Mayfield may have already locked up Tampa Bay's QB1 job for 2024. Good for him, truly making the most of this opportunity.