NFL Report Cards: Team-by-Team Grades for Week 8
The NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint.
This is always helpful to remember when teams come slow (or fast) out of the gate. Both the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers looked terrible for the first few weeks of the season but had picked up their effort levels in recent weeks before the Packers loss on Sunday night. Conversely, the Cincinnati Bengals won their first three and then laid a bunch of eggs before winning this weekend.
It's also good advice to remember when looking at young players. The college season is infinitely shorter when it comes to the pressure it puts on young bodies. Yes, college athletes work very hard, but the NFL season is longer, more competitive and a daily grind with no pesky classes or long breaks before bowl games. Keep an eye on young players as we reach the latter half of the season.
Finally, it's also a good maxim as we look at these grades. Following last week, I tweeted out a graph noting the frequency of my cumulative grades. For the most part, that's how the league is supposed to look in this era of parity—a few haves, a few have-nots and a big chunk of teams mashed together in the middle.
As the marathon season continues, some of that will shake out and a few pretenders and contenders will emerge from that group, but realize that being graded above average (C+ to B+) isn't a slight against teams in a season when consistent above-average efforts send teams to the playoffs.
Criteria for Grading
- Coaching decisions and how a team performed on offense, defense and special teams.
- The caliber of opponent the team was facing.
- The atmosphere the performance was played in: at home, away, weather, etc.
Not Considered in Grades
- Excuses. I grade the team on the field, not the ideal team that could have been out there without injuries, suspensions, etc.
- Expectations. If everyone picked your favorite team to lose and it won, that doesn't mean it gets an A+ grade.
- Results. A team can look really bad and win a game, while another team can look great in defeat. While it's true that winners will often trend higher than losers from week to week, that doesn't mean all of the winners get good grades while the losers get bad ones.
Each team also gets a "game ball" and a "game goat" to clue you in to some of the things that went into the assessment of the team. Many will be obvious to those who watched the game, but some will require a deep dive into the stats or film. Though much of the commentary will center on those choices, the grades are a look at the entire team.
Each team also gets a cumulative grade, averaging grades thus far in the current season. This will be a running metric all season long. A reminder, though, that this is simply an average. Early on, massive outliers (both positive and negative) will affect those averages.
Grab your red pens. We're on to the grades!
Arizona Cardinals (6-1)
1 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Def. Philadelphia Eagles 24-20
Game Ball: John Brown, Wide Receiver (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Andre Ellington, Running Back
The Cardinals came out on top in this one, but they made it look a lot more difficult that it probably should have thanks to some subpar blocking up front and even worse running from Ellington. The explosive running back scored, yes, but finished with only 71 yards on 23 carries (3.1 average) and had a fumble.
If Ellington had been his normal self, the Cardinals would've put this one away much sooner.
Instead, it took a tremendous 75-yard touchdown by Brown to ice the game for the Cardinals. Brown is starting to solidify his status as one of the top rookie receivers in an extremely packed rookie receiver class.
Week 8 Grade: B
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 9 Opponent: Dallas Cowboys (Away)
Atlanta Falcons (2-6)
2 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Lost to Detroit Lions 22-21
Game Ball: Osi Umenyiora, Defensive End
Game Goat: Matt Ryan, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Overall, Matt Ryan didn't have a terrible game, and head coach Mike Smith shares a huge piece of blame when it comes to why the Falcons gave up 22 unanswered points. But an inexplicable interception from Ryan to Lions defensive back Cassius Vaughn was the signature moment in this loss and one of the worst throws we'll see all year.
Umenyiora doesn't play a ton of snaps anymore, but he's effective when he's in. He harassed Lions quarterback Matt Stafford quite a bit.
Week 8 Grade: C+
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 9 Opponent: Bye
Baltimore Ravens (5-3)
3 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Lost to Cincinnati Bengals 27-24
Game Ball: C.J. Mosley, Linebacker (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Joe Flacco, Quarterback
Though the Ravens lost, they can take some consolation in the fact their rookie linebacker, Mosley, had one of his best games of the season with nine tackles and an interception. Lineman Haloti Ngata also had a very good day, looking unblockable at times.
Whatever it is about the Bengals, Flacco seems to have a lot of trouble with them. The Ravens passing attack has had several big games this year, but Flacco could only manage 195 yards and two interceptions. He's 2-4 against the Bengals in their last six meetings.
Week 8 Grade: C
2014 Cumulative: B+
Week 9 Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers (Away)
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Buffalo Bills (5-3)
4 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Def. New York Jets 43-23
Game Ball: Kyle Williams, Defensive Tackle
Game Goat: Anthony Dixon, Running Back
Rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins (pictured above) had one of the best days of any receiver in football, but I hesitate to reward his 157 yards and a touchdown on three catches (what?) because: first, it's the Jets; second, because of this play.
Instead, I'm giving my game ball to Williams, who was legitimately dominant and helped stymie both the run and the pass game for the Jets. Honestly, the Bills won more because of Jets miscues and defensive stoutness than Watkins' impressive stat line.
Dixon gets the goat dishonor, as the Bills needed him to be the No. 1 running back in this one, and he could only manage a two-yard average with 44 yards on 22 carries.
Week 8 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 9 Opponent: Bye
Carolina Panthers (3-4-1)
5 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Lost to Seattle Seahawks 13-9
Game Ball: Thomas Davis, Linebacker
Game Goat: Cam Newton, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Newton has been the lone bright spot for the Panthers in a number of games this season, but he was part of the problem against the Seahawks. Facing a defense that has the speed to cover sideline-to-sideline, he was limited as a runner (24 yards) and was even worse as a passer—12-of-22, 171 yards, one interception.
Davis continued his fine play this season and was a big reason the Seahawks couldn't score more than 13 points. If one ignores bare tackle statistics—which are often inflated numbers at best—it's more than reasonable to say Davis is having as good of a season as (if not better than) stud Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly. That's not a knock on Kuechly, who's having a great year. It's just a huge credit to Davis.
Davis was credited with 10 tackles but was even more impactive as a pass-rusher and in pass coverage.
Week 8 Grade: D+
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 9 Opponent: New Orleans Saints (Home)
Chicago Bears (3-4)
6 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Lost to New England Patriots 51-23
Game Ball: Martellus Bennett, Tight End
Game Goat: Jay Cutler, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Quite a few of the offensive players on the Bears had decent stat lines, but much of that was in garbage time as the Bears were losing 38-7 at halftime. We'll give Bennett the game ball since he was effective when called upon (six catches in seven targets for 95 yards and a touchdown).
Cutler, though, gets the goat dishonor with an interception, a fumble and terrible play when it mattered. It wasn't all on him—the defense certainly deserves some shame as well—but Cutler is supposed to be the master of this high-powered offense, and right now it looks like a Ferrari without a motor.
Week 8 Grade: D+
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 9 Opponent: Bye
Cincinnati Bengals (4-2-1)
7 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Def. Baltimore Ravens 27-24
Game Ball: Mohamed Sanu, Wide Receiver (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Gio Bernard, Running Back
Sanu's stat line likely would've been good enough to get him the game ball, but he also flashed big-play/gamer ability when he snatched a tremendous 53-yard reception on 3rd-and-10 on the Bengals go-ahead drive. He didn't score or set up an immediate score, but without that grab, the Bengals would've been punting and probably lost this game.
I'm giving the goat to Bernard again for his 2.8 rushing average and minimal production (two receptions for two yards) in the passing game. He's better than that. Though his touchdown means your fantasy team wasn't as deep-sixed as last week, Bernard's lack of impact was nearly as disappointing.
Week 8 Grade: B+
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 9 Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars (Home)
Cleveland Browns (4-3)
8 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Def. Oakland Raiders 23-13
Game Ball: Tashaun Gipson, Safety (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Ben Tate, Running Back
This game was much closer than it needed to be for the Browns, who had a terrible day running the ball. Lack of credit should go to a number of linemen (center Nick McDonald chief among them), but there's no excuse for a 1.7 rushing average in a zone-blocking scheme for a running back as talented as Tate. He missed plenty of lanes against a poor defense.
On the other side of the ball, Gipson continues to play about as well as any safety in the NFL. When teams throw at him (at their own peril), it's likely going to be an incompletion, interception or a completion stopped in its tracks because of his quick reaction ability.
Week 8 Grade: B
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 9 Opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Home)
Dallas Cowboys (6-2)
9 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Lost to Washington 20-17 (OT)
Game Ball: DeMarco Murray, Running Back (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Rolando McClain, Linebacker
Look, McClain has had a great season—literally, out of nowhere—after so many (including McClain) had given up on him. This game, though, was not his best effort. He had trouble with Washington's running game and got caught in the traffic of the zone-blocking scheme far too often. When he was in position to make a play, he missed almost as many tackles (four) as he made (five solo).
Murray, however, was a one-man wrecking crew with 141 yards rushing—his eighth straight game over the 100-yard mark—and 80 yards receiving. His averages (7.4 YPC on the ground and 20 YPC through the air) remind us that he's not just a plodder who receives a yeoman's share of the touches. He's also an explosive playmaker.
Week 8 Grade: C
2014 Cumulative: B+
Week 9 Opponent: Arizona Cardinals (Home)
Denver Broncos (6-1)
10 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Def. San Diego Chargers 35-21
Game Ball: Emmanuel Sanders, Wide Receiver (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Bradley Roby, Cornerback
For most of the game, things were much closer than the score suggests, but a tremendous performance by Sanders (120 yards, three touchdowns) and a great game by the Denver defense (as I wrote following the game) finally wore a good Chargers team down.
Though the defense, overall, was fantastic, Roby got picked on, allowing five receptions on five targets for 43 yards and a touchdown. Had the protection been a little better for Chargers QB Philip Rivers, wide receiver Keenan Allen likely would've had a much better day against the rookie corner.
Week 8 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: A
Week 9 Opponent: New England Patriots (Away)
Detroit Lions (6-2)
11 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Def. Atlanta Falcons 22-21
Game Ball: Golden Tate, Wide Receiver (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Riley Reiff, Offensive Tackle
Lions fans are angry that week after week I "undervalue" Detroit's wins. So let's take a look...
For most of the season, the offense has been terrible and the defense has been fantastic. For most of the season, the Lions have put forth poor effort for two or three quarters before fantastic play in the final quarter to pull out a win.
Just because your emotions scream "A+!!!" after a game doesn't mean the Lions objectively put together 60 minutes of A+ football.
Tate gets the game ball with 151 yards receiving and a touchdown. The things he's done this season in Calvin Johnson's absence have completely saved this team. Reiff was a big part of everything going wrong in the first half, as he gave up plenty of pressure to a team that doesn't often get pressure.
Week 8 Grade: B
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 9 Opponent: Bye
Green Bay Packers (5-3)
12 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Lost to New Orleans Saints 44-23
Game Ball: Eddie Lacy, Running Back (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Tramon Williams, Cornerback
Here's an unpopular opinion for Packers fans: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers' 418-yard performance wasn't all that tremendous. Good? Yes. Impressive? I guess...but not as out-of-this world as the bare number might suggest.
A big factor inflating that number was Lacy's receiving (123 yards to go with his 59 yards rushing). Rodgers made throws that didn't travel very far in the air, but Lacy (and his blocking) did a great job converting them against a Saints defense that's been terrible at tackling all season long.
All told, the Packers receivers had 251 yards after the catch.
As explosive as the Packers offense looked at times, their defense couldn't stop the Saints. Many (many) members of the front seven deserve to be called out for Saints running back Mark Ingram's impressive day, but the defensive backs were an even bigger issue. Davon House was picked on quite a bit, but Williams gave up a touchdown to both Brandin Cooks and Jimmy Graham to go along with 102 yards receiving.
Week 8 Grade: C+
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 9 Opponent: Bye
Houston Texans (4-4)
13 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Def. Tennessee Titans 30-16
Game Ball: J.J. Watt, Defensive End
Game Goat: Whitney Mercilus, Outside Linebacker
On first glance, I really wanted to give the game ball to running back Arian Foster (pictured above). However, the second viewing of the game made me appreciate Watt's performance even more. With two sacks, a number of hurries and one batted pass, he made life awfully difficult for the selfie-taking Titans quarterback, Zach Mettenberger.
Still, props to Foster for his 151 yards rushing, 22 yards receiving and three total touchdowns.
Mercilus has put together a couple of fine weeks for the Texans, heating up toward the end of Clowney's absence. Something about the rookie's return must've spooked the linebacker, though, as he was a non-factor rushing the passer and didn't really do anything special against the run.
Week 8 Grade: A-
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 9 Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles (Home)
Indianapolis Colts (5-3)
14 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers 51-34
Game Ball: T.Y. Hilton, Wide Receiver (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Greg Toler and Darius Butler, Cornerbacks
Quarterback Andrew Luck had a pretty good day—though, nowhere near as good as his counterpart in Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger—but a couple of interceptions offset his 400 yards passing and kept him from getting a game ball. Hilton just barely bests rookie receiver Donte Moncrief with 155 yards and a touchdown.
When an opposing quarterback threatens the all-time single-game yardage record, though, coverage is likely going to be a problem. Toler gave up two touchdowns and a total of 118 yards—mostly to Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown. Butler was similarly picked on by both Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton.
Week 8 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 9 Opponent: New York Giants (Away)
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-7)
15 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Lost to Miami Dolphins 27-13
Game Ball: Denard Robinson, Running Back
Game Goat: Blake Bortles, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Just a week after getting their first A of the season (well, an A-), the Jaguars pick up their third F.
Bortles threw for three touchdowns, but two of them were for the other team. This was part of a day that also included a fumble and only 6.5 yards per passing attempt. Bortles is still going through some rookie bumps in the road, but that's certainly part of the problem in some of these losses. Not saying Chad Henne would be better or that Henne should be started, but this is reality.
Robinson, however, has been a pleasant surprise. He led the Jaguars in rushing with 108 yards and added 10 receiving yards.
Week 8 Grade: F
2014 Cumulative: D+
Week 9 Opponent: Cincinnati Bengals (Away)
Kansas City Chiefs (4-3)
16 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Def. St. Louis Rams 34-7
Game Ball: Justin Houston, Linebacker (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Eric Fisher, Offensive Tackle
Another week, another subpar performance from Fisher. Now, one's first inclination might be to absolve Fisher because the Rams have plenty of big names along their defensive line. Yet, the Rams have been a terrible pass-rushing team all season long, and Fisher darn near allowed them to set up shop in quarterback Alex Smith's facemask.
Speaking of pass rush, Houston was credited with three sacks on the day, but if you're counting all of the times his presence altered what the Rams passing game was trying to do, you'd likely need to take off your shoes and phone a friend.
Week 8 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 9 Opponent: New York Jets (Home)
Miami Dolphins (4-3)
17 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Def. Jacksonville Jaguars 27-13
Game Ball: Cameron Wake, Defensive End (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Jamar Taylor, Cornerback
Wake continues to have a huge impact on the Dolphins on a week-to-week basis even though he's not piling up gaudy box score stats. A big reason Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles threw interceptions was Wake consistently applied pressure or drew attention so someone else could.
Taylor, when Bortles had time, was often the victim of one of the rookie's passes. He had trouble with Jaguars receiver Allen Robinson to the tune of three receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown. Overall, Taylor gave up 84 yards on six receptions.
Week 8 Grade: B+
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 9 Opponent: San Diego Chargers (Home)
Minnesota Vikings (3-5)
18 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Def. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19-13 (OT)
Game Ball: Anthony Barr, Linebacker (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Matt Kalil, Offensive Tackle
The Vikings won a close, poorly played matchup against a really bad Buccaneers team thanks to an overtime fumble recovery for a touchdown by rookie linebacker Barr. For a guy that many draft analysts suggested was more of an athlete than a football player, Barr is proving all of his critics wrong.
Kalil is going through quite the opposite. Once considered one of the top young players at his position, he's been the worst player on the Vikings offense overall and almost every week. He gave up pressure after pressure in this game and continues to be absolutely terrible blocking in the running game.
Week 8 Grade: C+
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 9 Opponent: Washington (Home)
New England Patriots (6-2)
19 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Def. Chicago Bears 51-23
Game Ball: Tom Brady, Quarterback, and Rob Gronkowksi, Tight End
Game Goat: Julian Edelman, Wide Receiver
Putting up a 50-burger is enough reason as any for double game balls. Normally, I'd give it just to any tight end who puts up 149 yards and three touchdowns, but then Brady's numbers not only stick out, but get better the longer you look at them—30-of-35 passing (!), 354 yards (!!), five touchdowns (!!!) and zero interceptions (!-splosion!).
Though the offense had a great day, Edelman dropped more passes (two) than he caught (one). For a player who is supposed to be a steadying veteran presence on the field, those kinds of efforts aren't acceptable.
Week 8 Grade: A+
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 9 Opponent: Denver Broncos (Home)
New Orleans Saints (3-4)
20 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Def. Green Bay Packers 44-23
Game Ball: Drew Brees, Quarterback, and Mark Ingram, Running Back (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Curtis Lofton, Linebacker
The Saints offense was unstoppable against the Packers, but it also had a lot of trouble stopping Packers running back Eddie Lacy. In such a massive win, it's important to point out that there are still some pretty glaring errors, and the play of Lofton continues to be detrimental to the defense most weeks. He missed a couple of tackles and was run over or dragged while making a few more.
With that negative out of the way, we can focus on how awesome Brees, Ingram and the rest of the offense were. Brees' 311 yards passing may not have the glitz of Rodgers' passing exceeding the 400-yard mark, but he was better on the night. Ingram rushed for 172 yards and looked like he could've kept on going no matter how many times they handed him the ball.
Week 8 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 9 Opponent: Carolina Panthers (Away)
New York Giants (3-4)
21 of 32
The New York Giants were on a bye this week.
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 9 Opponent: Indianapolis Colts (Home)
New York Jets (1-7)
22 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Lost to Buffalo Bills 43-23
Game Ball: Nick Mangold, Center
Game Goat: Geno Smith, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
The Bills defense is good...but, it's not this good.
Smith turned the ball over three times and completed only two passes for five yards. He got pulled for Mike Vick, who didn't do much better, as the Bills rolled (words most football writers aren't used to writing).
Almost every week, Mangold continues to be one of the best centers in football. His efforts aren't as noticed in the obscurity of the Jets' terrible record, but he shined in an awfully tough matchup against the Bills interior defensive line. He didn't win every battle against Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus, but he allowed both Vick and running back Chris Ivory some room to work.
Week 8 Grade: F
2014 Cumulative: D+
Week 9 Opponent: Kansas City Chiefs (Away)
Oakland Raiders (0-7)
23 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Lost to Cleveland Browns 23-13
Game Ball: Khalil Mack, Linebacker (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Menelik Watson, Right Tackle
Mack had himself a fantastic game against the Browns with six credited tackles, two for a loss, and a number of pressures including a couple of hits on Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer. He also played about as well against the run as he has since entering the league—stacking up blockers and leaving little room for the Browns' zone rushing attack to get going.
Watson has done OK in recent weeks pressed into duty, but he had a really rough go of it this week. He allowed a sack, a couple of hurries and a false-start penalty.
Week 8 Grade: D
2014 Cumulative: D+
Week 9 Opponent: Seattle Seahawks (Away)
Philadelphia Eagles (5-2)
24 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Lost to Arizona Cardinals 24-20
Game Ball: Jeremy Maclin, Wide Receiver (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Cary Williams, Cornerback
Hey Cary Williams, maybe if you practiced a little harder...
The cornerback publicly chided his head coach for running too-difficult practices earlier this season yet has continued to be one of the worst cornerbacks in football. On the season, Williams has allowed four touchdowns, and he helped give up (safety Nate Allen also to blame) a massive game-winner by Cardinals wide receiver John Brown in this one.
Maclin did his level best to keep the Eagles in it with 12 receptions for 187 yards (54 yards after the catch) and two touchdowns. Neither Cardinals cornerback Jerraud Powers nor star corner Patrick Peterson had any real answer for him.
Week 8 Grade: C+
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 9 Opponent: Houston Texans (Away)
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)
25 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Def. Indianapolis Colts 51-34
Game Ball: Ben Roethlisberger, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Cortez Allen, Cornerback
Allen is starting to be a recurring figure in these parts and gets the nod this week thanks to his efforts helping the Colts get back in the game. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck didn't seem to realize until late that he could feast on whomever was lined up against Allen, and once he did, the Colts almost staged the comeback.
Roethlisberger, however, would not let that happen. He put up the best game of his career and one of the best games of all time with 40-of-49 passing for 522 yards and six touchdowns. More impressively, he did so having to extend plays (as he is wont to do) because protection was still a big issue for the Steelers offensive line.
Week 8 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 9 Opponent: Baltimore Ravens (Home)
San Diego Chargers (5-3)
26 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Lost to Denver Broncos 35-21
Game Ball: Eric Weddle, Safety
Game Goat: Shareece Wright, Cornerback
For the Broncos, the best receiver was Emmanuel Sanders, but he was more of an equal opportunity butt-kicker, as he moved all over the field and beat a number of defensive backs. Meanwhile, Demaryius Thomas ran up over 100 yards receiving almost entirely on Wright, who gave up a total of eight receptions on 13 targets to four different receivers.
This game, though, is a good reminder that a defensive collapse isn't proof that every single defender played poorly. Weddle played like a man possessed most of the game, racking up 11 tackles and keeping Peyton Manning from throwing his way almost the entire game.
Week 8 Grade: B
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 9 Opponent: Miami Dolphins (Away)
San Francisco 49ers (4-3)
27 of 32
The San Francisco 49ers were on a bye this week.
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 9 Opponent: St. Louis Rams (Home)
Seattle Seahawks (4-3)
28 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Def. Carolina Panthers 13-9
Game Ball: Cliff Avril, Defensive End (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Richard Sherman, Cornerback
The Seahawks once again struggled on the road, but this time they came from behind in the fourth quarter to notch a victory. Offensively, a number of established players had subpar efforts, including quarterback Russell Wilson (199 yards passing), running back Marshawn Lynch (62 yards rushing) and wide receiver Doug Baldwin (61 yards receiving).
This was a defensive matchup where Avril factored huge in the victory. Though many normally think of a defense spying on a quarterback to keep him under wraps, the Seahawks forced Cam Newton out of his comfort zone by setting and maintaining the edge. Avril was a huge part of that.
On the flip side, Sherman gave up 94 yards to rookie wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin. That was part of the 107 total yards he gave up—his worst game of the season.
Week 8 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 9 Opponent: Oakland Raiders (Home)
St. Louis Rams (2-5)
29 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Lost to Kansas City Chiefs 34-7
Game Ball: Robert Quinn, Defensive End (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Austin Davis, Quarterback
Quinn has had a bit of a down season after last year's lofty heights. In this game, though, he got to match up one-on-one with Chiefs left tackle Eric Fisher. In response, he kept steady pressure on Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, finishing with two sacks and a bunch of other pressures.
On the other side of the ball, Davis was feeling the pressure from Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston. The Chiefs forced Davis into one of his worst games of the season—15-of-25 passing, 160 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Week 8 Grade: F
2014 Cumulative: C-
Week 9 Opponent: San Francisco 49ers (Away)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-6)
30 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Lost to Minnesota Vikings 19-13
Game Ball: Lavonte David, Linebacker
Game Goat: Mike Glennon, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Though the offense picked up later in the game, 225 yards of total offense and 1-of-12 on third downs is just about all you need to know about how Glennon performed on the day. He's not the answer in Tampa Bay, and though Josh McCown likely isn't either, fans need to turn the page on this guy. A lot of arm talent, size and moxie does not always equate to a franchise quarterback.
The one young Buccaneers star who is always money is David. He had 14 tackles (three for loss), great coverage and consistently pestered Vikings offensive skill-position players.
Week 8 Grade: C-
2014 Cumulative: D
Week 9 Opponent: Cleveland Browns (Away)
Tennessee Titans (2-6)
31 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Lost to Houston Texans 30-16
Game Ball: Jason McCourty, Cornerback (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Michael Oher, Offensive Tackle
For all the Texans who had fantastic games, one of the few who didn't was wide receiver Andre Johnson. That was because McCourty had an outstanding game, limiting Johnson to only three catches of the eight times the Houston receiver was matched up with the Titans corner.
Michael Oher didn't have so much luck, and his inability to stop pressure headed toward quarterback Zach Mettenberg was a direct precursor to the rookie passer not having the time to set up and showcase his incredibly strong arm.
Week 8 Grade: D
2014 Cumulative: D
Week 9 Opponent: Bye
Washington (3-5)
32 of 32
Week 8 Outcome: Def. Dallas Cowboys 20-17 (OT)
Game Ball: Bashaud Breeland, Cornerback
Game Goat: Ryan Clark, Safety
Though the most memorable play of his night was Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams ripping an interception from his hands, Breeland played outstanding for Washington. He only allowed five receptions compared to three pass deflections and held Dez Bryant to zero catches when covering him.
Quarterback Colt McCoy (pictured above) also deserves a lot of credit for his night: 25-of-30, 299 yards.
Clark, however, looked a step slow (being kind) most of the night. He missed three tackles and was late to half a dozen more plays that a free safety should be making.
Week 8 Grade: B
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 9 Opponent: Minnesota Vikings (Away)
Michael Schottey is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Find more of his stuff on his archive page and follow him on Twitter.
All traditional box score stats courtesy of ESPN.com. Advanced stats and metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
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