Chris Simms' Team-by-Team Grades for NFL Week 11

The NFL’s television ratings are in decline!

Fans can’t put up with missed calls!

Tell that to the 100,000-plus who packed Estadio Azteca on Monday night to watch America’s favorite pastime. Professional football knows it has the average American fan; this season has been all about reaching the international one. Despite some shifting landscapes at home, the league’s multinational plan is starting to kick in.

Trust me when I say the benefits aren’t all one-sided. My first-ever game as a professional quarterback took place in Japan in the 2003 preseason. From the flight there to the local events to the flight back, I set the foundation for relationships with teammates that’d last years and years.

Remember: Nothing brings guys together quite like a night out in Tokyo with Warren Sapp. Let’s just say I missed my curfew that night, shall we?

My first grade of Week 11 goes out to the NFL. There are unquestionable issues with the game, but fan interest worldwide has never been higher. And for that, it gets a big old A-plus.

Dallas Cowboys

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Offense: Only three teams have gained 400 yards in eight consecutive games. Two—the 2007 Patriots and 2013 Broncos—are considered legendary scoring units. The third? This Cowboys offense, which just aced its latest test against a tough Ravens defense. Dak Prescott and Co. are getting more legendary by the week.

Defense: Dallas missed a few tackles for the first time all season—especially on Terrance West’s touchdown run. You know how I can tell the Cowboys are talented? Those big runs disappeared in the second half. This defense stresses effort over scheme; it gave a little extra effort in the second half to close things out.

Grade: A

Philadelphia Eagles

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Offense: Doug Pederson needs to treat his current depth chart like the one he inherited in joining Andy Reid back in Kansas City. That group was devoid of any pass-catching talent too (Jeremy Maclin was still in Philadelphia). This Eagles receiving corps doesn’t just suffer from a lack of playmaking ability. It prevents others from making plays, like Nelson Agholor’s procedure call that erased a 57-yard tight end screen. Speaking of tight ends, they’re the only reliable targets Philly (and those old Chiefs teams) had.

Defense: I thought Jim Schwartz’s group was poised to give Seattle all it could handle. That’s a negative, Ghost Rider. Russell Wilson cut through this group like an electric carving knife through your Thanksgiving turkey. Schwartz’s group surrendered 439 total yards (embarrassing) and let Wilson catch a touchdown pass (double embarrassing). Where was Fletcher Cox when C.J. Prosise ran for his 72-yard score?

Grade: C

New York Giants

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Offense: Ben McAdoo has the cojones to match the media market. So, he’ll hear plenty about how his latest fourth-down attempt (another crossing route to Sterling Shepard) inspired his Giants to go out and ball. But the real secret to his offensive success lies behind Eli Manning in Big Blue’s backfield. Rashad Jennings has opened up the playbook in the second half just by running hard and keeping defenses honest.

Defense: Poor, poor Mike Adams. Chicago’s right tackle might’ve looked serviceable had he caught Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon a few weeks back. He looked like a turnstile against Big Blue’s defensive end duo. Big Blue now has 14 sacks in its last five games and—go figure—they’re all wins.

Grade: B+

Washington Redskins

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Offense: How does Scot McCloughan like Kirk Cousins now? The answer should be a whole lot. Washington’s quarterback delivered the signature performance of his career Sunday night. In the fourth quarter, Pierre Garcon and Jamison Crowder both hauled in perfect Cousins throws in the face of a strong-as-hell wind. Take it from a former quarterback when I tell you there wasn’t a better performance, degree-of-difficulty-wise.

Defense: I’m still a tad concerned about the defense in D.C. Other than Josh Norman, it lacks speed on the back end. Aaron Rodgers was able to dodge a group of serviceable, but not dominating, defensive linemen. But when needed most, someone (Preston Smith last week, Norman’s Charles Tillman-like fumble punch this week) makes a play.

Grade: A-

Buffalo Bills

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Offense: The offensive production of this game is your average fan’s ink-blot test. Do you see the final score? It’s tough to get excited over a 16-point performance, especially against a struggling Bengals team. But if you saw the players on the field—Mike Gillislee and Brandon Tate and Jonathan Williams—you feel the opposite way. Buffalo wasn’t at full strength all game and still controlled the tempo. That’s the bigger takeaway here.

Defense: Rex Ryan’s defensive strategy involves sticking Stephon Gilmore out in man coverage and hoping for the best. Well, the best just happened. Gilmore changed the course of the week with a two-interception afternoon. He was aided by a few terrible Andy Dalton throws and the absence of one A.J. Green, but hell. I give credit where credit is due, and Gilmore is due his.

Grade: B+

Miami Dolphins

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Offense: Quick! Name a Dolphins lineman who finished the Week 11 game against the Rams. Because that group included Sam Young, Anthony Steen and Kraig Urbik (not Branden Albert, Laremy Tunsil or Mike Pouncey). It’s no wonder Miami struggled to move the ball for 55 minutes. The fact that the ’Phins left L.A. victorious speaks volumes about this team right now.

Defense: Jared Goff picked the worst week to attempt his NFL debut. The Dolphins limited the Rams to 227 total yards of offense and only two third-down conversions in 13 tries. They also swallowed up Todd Gurley (again), notching six tackles for loss. In short, Miami’s defense did what it was supposed to.

Grade: B

New England Patriots

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Offense: Happy homecoming, Tom Brady. The Patriots legend hadn’t played an away game against his hometown team until Sunday. It seemed important to him; Brady threw touchdowns to four different players. His top moment? An unbelievable scramble outside the pocket coupled with an across-body toss to Malcolm Mitchell.

Defense: I’m sounding the alarm on this Patriots defense. Both Colin Kaepernick (32 yards on four carries) and Carlos Hyde (86 yards on 19 carries) saw plenty of open running lanes. Plus, Kaepernick benefited from so many easy reads. Guys such as Vance McDonald shouldn’t be running free through New England’s defensive backfield. I hold this defense to a higher standard.

Grade: B+

Chicago Bears

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Offense: Dowell Loggains had the perfect game plan to pull off a road upset. Chicago’s offensive coordinator called for quick throws and toss runs—two plays that neutralize the up-the-middle strength of New York’s defense. The Bears' success proved unsustainable when the Giants front upped its play and star guard Josh Sitton succumbed to an injury, though.

Defense: This pass rush really—and I mean really—needs Leonard Floyd opposite Pernell McPhee to succeed. Take Floyd out of the mix with a neck injury, and Chicago reverted right back to its early-season form. Eli Manning found his groove in the second half thanks to Chicago’s defensive pressure (or lack thereof).

Grade: B-

Detroit Lions

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Offense: You can set your watch by Detroit’s epic fourth-quarter comebacks. Matthew Stafford’s latest adventure involved overcoming a fumbled reverse, several key three-and-outs and no running game whatsoever. Still, he reconnected with Eric Ebron with the game in the balance. And I’m impressed coordinator Jim Bob Cooter went right back to Ebron on a tight end sweep—the same play the Vikings used on Detroit the previous week.

Defense: No one’s confusing this group with the Ndamukong Suh-led Lions of the previous generation. It does enough to keep Detroit in games it should probably lose, though. Case in point: Rafael Bush’s trip-drill pick that he returned 39 yards for a touchdown. Without that play and a big Andre Roberts return, Detroit wouldn’t have found the end zone until the fourth quarter.

Grade: B

Green Bay Packers

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Offense: Aaron Rodgers’ career path is slowly slipping into Philip Rivers territory. That is, No. 12 can play lights-out at quarterback and still somehow find a way to lose. I’ll give him his usual "A" grade—with a tip of the hat to Jared Cook (105 yards on six catches), who might be the Jermichael Finley type Green Bay needs. It also happens to need a running game, which isn’t going to magically appear after Thanksgiving.

Defense: Green Bay’s secondary doesn’t have the manpower to contend with any opponent, let alone one stacked with firepower such as Washington. Kirk Cousins’ 375-yard game is now the new normal. Apparently, so is letting vaunted running backs such as Robert Kelley (137 yards on 24 carries) dice it up. These are dark days for coordinator Dom Capers.

Grade: D+

Minnesota Vikings

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Offense: The Chip Kelly-era Eagles offense is alive and well in Minnesota. Its champion, new offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur, has already installed plenty of the quick throws and crossing routes Sam Bradford is accustomed to. The difference? Cordarrelle Patterson and Stefon Diggs. Both pass-catchers are far more skilled at making plays happen after the catch than Shurmur’s old Eagles receivers were. It showed against the Cardinals.

Defense: Mike Zimmer went against his own instincts, and it paid off in a big way. Minnesota’s defense is built to blitz, blitz and blitz again; remember how opposing quarterbacks from Weeks 1-5 didn’t have a prayer? Opponents figured that out, so Zimmer restrained his calls. The end result? Carson Palmer was forced to throw into tight windows and committed the costly error of throwing to Xavier Rhodes. His end-zone trip sealed a Vikings win.

Grade: B

Cleveland Browns

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Offense: Cleveland’s offensive issues run far deeper than the other guy running faster and being stronger. They’re intrinsic issues with Hue Jackson’s offense itself. For instance, too many Steelers took free-pass rushes on Cody Kessler, which might explain his latest concussion scare. And the only receiver capable of gaining separation is Terrelle Pryor when he outleaps a defensive back at the last minute, apparently.

Defense: This is the real reason Cleveland remains winless. Because Le’Veon Bell can touch the ball 36 times and no Cleveland defender can do a damn thing about it. Or Mike Tomlin can leave his offense out on the field with five seconds left and expect an end-of-half touchdown. Hell, the Browns will even hand over a couple of untimed downs to help. This unit is the NFL’s dumpster fire and could use an offseason overhaul.

Grade: D+

Cincinnati Bengals

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Offense: Two issues came back to haunt the Bengals once A.J. Green left. The first is obvious: Cincinnati hasn’t developed a receiver to produce opposite Green. That made Andy Dalton look like his second- or third-year self. Both of Dalton’s picks were wildly off-target; this offense might not be able to function without Green to reel those kinds of balls in.

Defense: Marvin Lewis’ defense is good to surrender a touchdown right off the bat. LeSean McCoy is just the latest player to end an opening drive for six points. In fact, the Bengals have trailed by seven points in the first quarter in each of their last three games. Related: The Bengals have not won any of those games.

Grade: C

Baltimore Ravens

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Offense: Baltimore parted ways with old coordinator Marc Trestman because of his aversion to running the football. Weeks have gone by, but Marty Mornhinweg isn’t faring much better. Take Baltimore’s first scoring drive as Exhibit A. Kenneth Dixon and Terrance West combined for 58 rushing yards on the march, and then…they weren’t heard from again. They totaled 24 more rushing yards the rest of the game.

Defense: Baltimore had a rookie in Tavon Young or a struggling veteran in Shareece Wright. Nothing is behind door No. 3; with veteran Jimmy Smith held out, one of those two guys had to cover Dez Bryant in Week 11. The results were predictably messy, as Bryant snatched two touchdowns and imposed his will throughout the Ravens secondary. One positive? The run defense was even better than Ezekiel Elliott's final stat line (97 yards on 25 carries) suggested. 

Grade: C+

Pittsburgh Steelers

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Offense: Look for Le’Veon Bell on my All-22 roster. For the first time since his return from suspension, I saw an extra gear from No. 26. His dominant day helped Pittsburgh control the game for three-plus quarters. It was still 17-9 with nine minutes left, but Bell and Ben Roethlisberger never lost control of the game. Big Ben looked as cool as a cucumber when coach Mike Tomlin sent the offense back out for a third crack at the end zone on a second untimed down.

Defense: Factor out a few jump balls to Terrelle Pryor and one checkdown to Duke Johnson Jr. Pittsburgh’s defense dominated in Week 11, looking like the high-flying unit that had me thinking the Steelers would be New England’s main competitor this season. Stephon Tuitt (2.5 sacks) and Ryan Shazier (sack, forced fumble) were not to be trifled with. Neither was Artie Burns (interception), who’s coming along as a rookie corner.

Grade: A-

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Offense: It wasn’t that Doug Martin (63 yards) was effective. It’s that he kept coming; coach Dirk Koetter gave him 24 handoffs to keep Kansas City’s safeties playing down instead of back. The one-on-one throwing lanes opened up for Jameis Winston after that. Mike Evans, Cecil Shorts III, Russell Shepard, Adam Humphries…you name it. Winston was able to find them all against man defense.

Defense: Chris Conte hauled in his second game-changing interception in as many weeks. But the Buccaneers defense built to that moment all game by not wearing down against the run. That forced Alex Smith into some uncomfortable throwing moments and—like clockwork—Conte swooped in to stop a pivotal Chiefs drive.

Grade: A

Carolina Panthers

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Offense: Want a sense of how long Cam Newton’s receivers need to get open? Wait for it. Wait for it. Wait for it. Wait for it. And…there you have it. Too much of coordinator Mike Shula’s attack is predicated on deep crossers and deep outs. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Newton needs some short, convenient routes to establish a rhythm. Otherwise, it’s on him to throw through defensive backs like he did last Thursday night.

Defense: I don’t blame Carolina’s players for their latest near-fourth-quarter collapse. The defense lost two difference-makers, first with Mario Addison (two sacks) and then with Luke Kuechly, the undisputed heart and soul of the team. Hats off to safety Kurt Coleman, who notched a pick and led a defensive effort that limited Drew Brees’ big downfield throws.

Grade: B

New Orleans Saints

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Offense: Carolina came out with a conservative two-deep zone rivaled only by Chicago this season. So I was scratching my head when Drew Brees lofted long sideline throws into it; that’s exactly where a two-deep zone is strongest. New Orleans snapped its offensive funk in the second half by running, even when trailing. A balanced attack featuring more Mark Ingram and Tim Hightower turned things around.

Defense: I can’t believe my eyes watching this group play. From a goal-line stand at the start of the game to its strong play against Carolina’s power running attack, New Orleans’ defense is a different animal. The best Cam on the field wasn’t Newton; Cameron Jordan didn’t notch a sack, but he hurried throws all night. On the back end, I loved the blanket coverage on Greg Olsen (33 yards). If only this group could play special teams too.

Grade: B-

Indianapolis Colts

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Offense: Does the other team feature a swarming pass rush? Yes, but the Colts have Andrew Luck. Does the other team have a secondary capable of locking receivers down? Yes, but the Colts have Andrew Luck. Can the other team’s run game keep Andrew Luck off the field for extended periods of time? Yes, but the Colts have Andrew Luck. Luck was the great equalizer in Week 11. Tennessee’s defense could not slow down a quarterback of his caliber.

Defense: I’m guilty of forecasting Indianapolis’ defensive output based on early-season struggles. Want the truth? This Colts defense played the best power team in the AFC and served it four quarters' worth of whup ass. Safety Clayton Geathers led the way with a huge fourth-down stop of DeMarco Murray.

Grade: B+

Jacksonville Jaguars

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Offense: Another week, another solid to spectacular outing ruined by Blake Bortles. He outdid himself on a two-throw stretch to start the third quarter. On the first, he ignored a wide-open Allen Hurns for what might’ve been the biggest gain on the day. On the next throw, Bortles threw behind Marqise Lee, who tipped the football up to Detroit’s Tavon Wilson with—you guessed it—his foot.

Defense: Malik Jackson, Tyson Alualu and Yannick Ngakoue were all good. Coverage was tight on Detroit’s wide receivers all game. Then, Jacksonville showed its true colors. Telvin Smith was worked thoroughly on a long pass to Eric Ebron, for instance. And when the Jags figured to get at least a crack at coming back, Sen’Derrick Marks jumped offside.

Grade: D-

Houston Texans

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Offense: I’m quick to tear down Brock Osweiler when he throws five-yard flats into the dirt. So I’ll give him credit; Monday Night Football was his best performance in Texans colors and maybe the best I’ve ever seen him. The guy threw with—gasp!—anticipation against the Raiders secondary. Receivers didn’t have to wait with the ball already on them. It helped Osweiler avoid his typical second interception and kept Houston rolling. Take away a few tough spots from the officials, and we’d be talking about Osweiler’s solid night.

Defense: Jadeveon Clowney annihilated any blocker in his path to the football. Johnathan Joseph blanketed Michael Crabtree to the point that he was a nonfactor. Houston’s defense played winning football on all but a big pass play to a fullback and a catch-and-run from Amari Cooper.

Grade: B

Tennessee Titans

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Offense: We’ll all probably remember the false start attributed to every Titans lineman "except the center." We should probably remember the job Indianapolis did on that same line for all the other plays. Marcus Mariota was sacked five times by a defense not known for its pass rush. And DeMarco Murray’s 70-yard performance was his most listless since he wore Eagles colors.

Defense: All Dick LeBeau’s planning leading up to Week 11? Throw it out the window. Andrew Luck led a well-oiled Colts machine directly through Tennessee’s defense. Luck connected on 12 of his first 13 passes. By the time the Titans defense blinked, it had already surrendered two quick touchdown throws and a Robert Turbin touchdown run. This loss will smart for a while.

Grade: C

San Francisco 49ers

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Offense: Chip Kelly’s system has to be responsible for springing a receiver. No 49ers pass-catcher can do that himself, which explains why Colin Kaepernick can’t sustain drives with his arm. Kap and Carlos Hyde must instead rely on their legs to move the chains—not ideal for a team that hails from the NFC West and plays all those strong defenses, let alone one taking on the Patriots.

Defense: Another week of not-terrible 49ers defense! Linebackers held against the LeGarrette Blount battering ram; Blount didn’t have 100 yards until the game's final minutes. The defense generated a little pressure on Tom Brady too, just not when it needed it most on Brady’s scramble and long touchdown pass to Malcolm Mitchell.

Grade: C

Arizona Cardinals

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Offense: Carson Palmer must be sore this week. Once again, the offensive line responsible for blocking in front of him failed to do its full job. I counted at least 14 hits on Palmer throughout the game. According to Pro Football Focus, he was under pressure on more than 60 percent of his dropbacks. Minnesota’s defense feasted on reserves such as John Wetzel and Earl Watford; Arizona only managed 27 yards from scrimmage in the second half.

Defense: The 100-yard pick-six isn’t on this group. Neither is Cordarrelle Patterson’s 104-yard kickoff return. But coach Bruce Arians highlighted a third key moment that might’ve righted the sinking ship that is Arizona’s season: an end-around flea-flicker in the middle of the second quarter. Tony Jefferson was flagged for pass interference on the play, and Matt Asiata drove home a Vikings touchdown immediately after.

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Rams

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Offense: Put an Air Raid quarterback in football’s most conservative offense. What do you get? A debut like Jared Goff’s. The rookie tried four passes that traveled over 20 yards in the game and completed none of them. He fared no better on shorter throws; Goff misfired high on a simple five-yard curl on the game’s first play. He didn’t look overwhelmed or panicky, but he played like it.

Defense: L.A. was amazing on defense again—until it wasn’t. Two penalties single-handedly allowed Miami to mount a heartbreaking comeback, and both were avoidable. Alec Ogletree’s late hit out of bounds was egregious. Avoid that Rams-like mistake, and L.A. probably walks out of the Coliseum a winner.

Grade: C-

Seattle Seahawks

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Offense: It takes a special guy to rattle off a 72-yard run against Fletcher Cox and Co. So I’m heartbroken about the loss of C.J. Prosise in Week 11; the rookie brought out the best in coordinator Darrell Bevell. Good thing Russell Wilson’s end-of-season meteoric rise is on to pick up the slack. If there’s a more dangerous quarterback in football, I’d love to hear about him.

Defense: The absence of Michael Bennett is noticeable, but the Seahawks' defensive machine keeps humming. Pass-rushers such as Cliff Avril (sack, four quarterback hits) applied heat on Carson Wentz all day. That freed up the secondary to haul in two Wentz interceptions and drew blocking attention away from Bobby Wagner (15 tackles, sack). Just a textbook Hawks victory.

Grade: A

Kansas City Chiefs

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Offense: Alex Smith was running the same old offense. Even without the success in the run game, he still found Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill enough to move the chains. Then a boneheaded error to end all boneheaded errors: Chris Conte didn’t just pick Smith off and prevent Chiefs points, he flipped field position with a big run back that set Tampa Bay up to widen its lead. Backbreaking.

Defense: Justin Houston was back, but he isn’t back back. So Kansas City could ill afford to lose Dee Ford, which is what happened in the second half. Jameis Winston’s pocket was appallingly clean for large chunks of this game. When he threw, it was into predominantly man coverage. That favored tall Buccaneers wideouts such as Mike Evans over guys such as Steven Nelson.

Grade: C-

Oakland Raiders

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Offense: Michael Crabtree and Seth Roberts must’ve drank the water down in Mexico City. They couldn’t catch one clean ball all evening long. Good thing Amari Cooper is a transcendent talent in the open field. His 35-yard touchdown catch from Derek Carr erased a night of receiving and rushing (30 net yards) misery.

Defense: Houston was a bad matchup. It has the star running back in Lamar Miller (104 yards on 24 carries) to expose Oakland’s run defense. It also has an emerging tight end in C.J. Fiedorowicz who got whatever he wanted over the middle. Those two issues might keep Oakland out of the Super Bowl against a team such as New England, but they can be remedied.

Grade: B+