Chris Simms' Team-by-Team Grades for NFL Week 13

The Franklin Lakes-Wayne Hills rivalry was about as serious as New Jersey high school football got in the late '90s. 

So Chris Olsen—the Wayne Hills head coach who also happens to be the father of a famous Panthers tight end—didn’t like it when the rival quarterback with the famous last named dropped a touchdown in the snow on his team. And he really didn’t like it when said quarterback joined his teammates for end-zone snow angels to celebrate.

I don’t regret a damn thing because that was the only snow game of my football-playing career. There aren’t a lot of white Christmases in Austin, Tampa Bay or Nashville. The one place I thought I’d get some powder—Denver—didn’t give me my shot.

The best I can do now is watch 49ers-Bears or Texans-Packers. Especially when Randall Cobb copped my go-to move (that’s good form, 18).

You better believe NFL players are hoping for a snow game of their own; we all want a chance to act like 300-pound six-year-olds out there. The snow lets that happen.

Dallas Cowboys

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Offense: If it feels like the Cowboys always have the right play on, that’s because they do. Case in point: A Dez Bryant out-and-up midway through the second quarter that took advantage of Harrison Smith’s aggressive play. Bryant dipped one way, then back upfield and boom—56-yard connection. Jason Garrett needs a little more Coach of the Year buzz, all things considered.

Defense: Dallas found a gem in late-round pick Anthony Brown. Like most defensive backs, his hands are the reason he’s playing defense. But Sam Bradford tested the rookie with his longest throws, and Brown did enough to knock ‘em down—upholding Dallas' "no big plays" defensive mantra.

Grade: B-

Philadelphia Eagles

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Offense: Defenses are catching on to what I’ve mentioned in these grades before: Carson Wentz’s throwing motion. He drops the ball down too low, lets the nose of the football peek out, then unfurls a long-as-hell delivery. It helps explain how a talented secondary like Cincinnati’s jumped three of his throws.

Defense: Remember when Jim Schwartz’s defense obliterated and outmuscled the Steelers? Feels like a decade ago. Philadelphia might have the worst pressure defense in football now (six sacks in six games with Fletcher Cox). You see the end result fleshed out on Andy Dalton and Co.'s gaudy third-down numbers (50 percent).

Grade: F

New York Giants

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Offense: Big Blue’s blindside protector isn’t improving in his second year. Ereck Flowers was guilty of an obvious end-zone hold—safety, Steelers. Thirty-eight-year-old James Harrison routinely showed him up in pass protection in Week 13. That’s not the way a Super Bowl contender stays in contention.

Defense: Can’t blame Big Blue for wearing down on this side of the ball. Eli Manning did his team no favors on third downs, meaning the defense had to go out and contain Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell too many times. Then, Ladarius Green broke out down the seam.

Grade: D

Washington Redskins

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Offense: I’m still scratching my head about Washington’s offensive game plan. Robert Kelley (63 yards on 14 attempts) ran well in his feature role, but that feature role wasn’t featured often. The ’Skins ran it just one time in the first quarter alone and 18 times overall. That helped Arizona pin its ears back to chase Kirk Cousins, who felt pressure on both of his turnovers.

Defense: Washington’s defense hung tough on the first two downs. Then, third down happened. Carson Palmer and Co. moved the sticks at a 63 percent clip in Week 13. Five of the Cardinals’ 10 conversions were from five-plus yards away. That’s a lack of pass rush, folks.

Grade: B-

Buffalo Bills

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Offense: Buffalo’s rushing statistics are fast approaching O.J. Simpson-era levels (five straight 150-plus-yard rushing games). Cool, right? Not if Buffalo still wants to sniff the playoff field. Tyrod Taylor disappeared as Oakland mounted its 29-point comeback.

Defense: Did I say 29-point comeback? As in 29 unanswered points? Rex Ryan was supposed to take care of this side of the ball. Instead, his defensive line softened up in the second half just enough to put the entire defense at Derek Carr’s mercy.

Grade: C+

Miami Dolphins

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Offense: Place the six punts, three interceptions and a missed field goal out of your mind for now. Because Ryan Tannehill and Co. didn’t just lose; they quit. I saw no urgency from a group trailing by more and more each time it took the field. And I saw no creativity past the standard bubble screen.

Defense: When your defense can’t contain Dennis Pitta, there’s a problem. That guy is fresh off double hip surgery; he looked like Tony Gonzalez in a two-touchdown day running right over the middle against Miami. This group can explore upgrading its back seven when it stays home for the playoffs this winter.

Grade: F

New York Jets

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Offense: In two Monday Night Football appearances, the Jets have been outscored 69-13. No amount of quarterback flip-flopping can make up for that. Backup Bryce Petty took the reins and was plagued by the same old stuff: drops, interceptions and bad blocking.

Defense: Todd Bowles’ defense might as well have stayed at home. It's effort was historically bad; Colts players were laughing at Jets in the huddle. Receivers ran unattended through the secondary. I’d expect better play from a pee-wee team. This was disgusting.

Grade: F-

New England Patriots

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Offense: I didn’t hear a peep out of the NFL’s top interior pass-rusher. That means three things: 1. Tom Brady was on top of his game again, 2. LeGarrette Blount had room to run (4.9 yards per carry) and 3. New England’s guard-to-guard play is no longer its offensive weakness. Shaq Mason, Joe Thuney and center David Andrews form one fearsome wall.

Defense: Bill Belichick vs. a rookie quarterback? Advantage: Belichick. New England’s defensive mastermind Malcolm Butler could handle island duty on Kenny Britt. From there, he had 10 other defenders at his disposal to confuse and pressure the hell out of Jared Goff.

Grade: A

Chicago Bears

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Offense: Jordan Howard might already be the NFL’s top outside zone runner. Chicago deployed its rookie to test the edges of San Francisco’s weak run defense. He did, particularly in the second half when offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains entrusted him with 22 carries.

Defense: It took Leonard Floyd a quarter or two to readjust in his first game back. But when he did—whoo boy. I’ve said it before; Floyd (two sacks) balances out this defense. He’ll join Akiem Hicks (10 tackles, two sacks, forced fumble) on a scary group in 2017.

Grade: A-

Detroit Lions

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Offense: That 66-yard bomb to Golden Tate? That wasn’t coordinator Jim Bob Cooter’s call. Matthew Stafford saw that play could break open and swapped to it at the line. We’re now at the point where putting Stafford in the same category with Drew Brees slights the Lions quarterback.

Defense: Teams will search high and low for head coaching candidates this winter. They won’t find a more qualified guy than the one who coordinates defenses up in Detroit. Teryl Austin held this group together when injury threatened to spoil the season. Now, the front seven is back (Haloti Ngata and A’Shawn Robinson are scary), and the secondary just robbed three Brees passes.

Grade: A+

Green Bay Packers

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Offense: Aaron Rodgers might rent a snow machine to blanket the Frozen Tundra from here on out. His play-extending ability was multiplied tenfold by a healthy snow dusting that sapped Houston of its speed. The end result: touchdown drives of 98 and 89 yards.

Defense: Clay Matthews has a bum shoulder. Jake Ryan can barely move on his ankle. Nick Perry has a giant club on his hand. Health-wise, Green Bay’s linebacking corps was not in a good place. That it surrendered only 123 total rushing yards to Houston is an impressive feat, especially when the conditions are considered.

Grade: B+

Minnesota Vikings

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Offense: Sam Bradford’s uncalled headshot comes with a silver lining. Minnesota’s quarterback played the best ball he’s played since his team started 5-0. Bradford impressed me with his accuracy, but also with his movement in and out of the pocket. The Vikings need that every game, Sammy.

Defense: Minnesota’s defense kept producing without its ringleader in Mike Zimmer. Just ask Ezekiel Elliott, who found no room when he ran with power or outside zone blocking. Other than a perfectly timed Dez Bryant double move, the secondary surrendered nothing. It played winning football on this end.

Grade: B

Cincinnati Bengals

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Offense: It wasn’t just that the Bengals won without A.J. Green. It’s how. Andy Dalton spread the ball around to nine different players, including NFL Scouting Combine speedster Cody Core. I’ve been calling for Cincinnati’s passing attack to find new targets; it found about four in Week 13 worth keeping around.

Defense: We can save Vontaze Burfict’s performance for my All-22 team later this week. I want to talk about Cincinnati’s defensive start—a three-and-out! This Bengals defense hasn’t made many of those during its losing streak. In fact, it allowed opening touchdown drives in its last four games (three losses, one tie). Go figure.

Grade: A

Baltimore Ravens

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Offense: Want to know where Joe Flacco’s monster day came from? Look at the five guys right in front of him. Baltimore’s front five looked strong for a third consecutive week, particularly tackles Ronnie Stanley and Ricky Wagner. Cam Wake didn’t interrupt anything coming off the edge for Miami.

Defense: Tackling Jay Ajayi took more than just big days from Timmy Jernigan and Brandon Williams. It took support from a beleaguered Ravens secondary, too. Hats off to defensive backs Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb for coming up to stop a 6'2" running back from breaking off big ones.

Grade: A+

Pittsburgh Steelers

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Offense: Ben Roethlisberger was sacked twice. Only three of Le’Veon Bell’s touches went for negative yards. That’ll do the job against a good Giants defense that makes so many plays at or behind the line of scrimmage.

Defense: Odell Beckham Jr. got his catches in volume. But if I’m coach Mike Tomlin, I’ll take a 100-yard game from the league’s best receiver—especially against a secondary populated with rookies. Oh, and James Harrison is 38 going on 24.

Grade: A

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Offense: Jameis Winston’s now-legendary Bears scrabble was no fluke. The kid has a sixth sense when it comes to stepping up in the pocket, avoiding pass-rushers and even making plays with his legs. I’m also impressed at his maturity after nearly two seasons. He bounced right back from his sole interception and drove the Buccaneers right back down the field again.

Defense: I’ve used this space to criticize other teams for not playing enough (or playing too little) man defense. Well, Mike Smith has found the sweet spot down in Tampa Bay. He has three versatile corners in Alterraun Verner, Vernon Hargreaves III and Brent Grimes. Week 13 marks the fourth great outing by this secondary.

Grade: A+

Atlanta Falcons

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Offense: Matt Ryan giveth, Matt Ryan taketh away. The Falcons quarterback, who carried his team on his hot start, is now slowly dipping back to the mean. His two interceptions (a 37-yard Eric Berry pick-six and a 90-yard Eric Berry pick-two) single-handedly turned the NFC South race into a four-week sprint.

Defense: Atlanta’s run defense (123 rushing yards allowed in Week 13) is nothing to write home about. Its pass defense is weak right up the middle. Kansas City couldn’t dream up a better draw; it rode Spencer Ware on the ground and Travis Kelce in the air and outclassed the Falcons.

Grade: B-

Carolina Panthers

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Offense: I won’t make a huge deal that Ron Rivera swapped out quarterbacks on the first drive. But there’s no denying Derek Anderson’s interception gave Seattle a CenturyLink Field-sized swagger boost. Coming off a loss in Tampa Bay, Rivera handed the Legion of Boom all its confidence back on the first play. It showed.

Defense: Save for one interception, Russell Wilson had his way with Carolina’s defense all night. How? Because his offensive line, pieced together with toothpicks and gum, outmanned Carolina’s Big Three defensive front. Star Lotulelei, Kawann Short and Vernon Butler were moved off the ball. In a word: embarrassing.

Grade: D-

New Orleans Saints

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Offense: For the first time in weeks, New Orleans’ offensive line struggled to do its job. You saw the end result: Drew Brees faced pressure (and threw bad interceptions again) against bigger Lions defenders up the middle. The Saints’ run game stumbled for four quarters too. In short, Sean Payton’s offense had issues at all levels.

Defense: Everything looked so promising in the past few weeks. Then, Golden Tate caught a 66-yard touchdown—the kind of big-play score New Orleans has avoided during its upswing. This is a 7-9 defense that disguised itself as a playoff unit the past few weeks.

Grade: D

Indianapolis Colts

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Offense: Every receiver—from T.Y. Hilton to Dwayne Allen—ran free through New York’s secondary. I can’t discredit Indy for taking advantage. The Jets decided to play seven-on-seven ball with the flag football-iest team in the league. No wonder Andrew Luck and Co. dropped the hammer to the tune of 41 points. It could’ve been much uglier.

Defense: Rotate your quarterbacks all night. This Colts defense is better than you think—and it benefitted from the extra three days off from a Thanksgiving loss. The only bad news? D’Qwell Jackson, the quarterback of the unit, might miss time with a concussion.

Grade: A

Jacksonville Jaguars

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Offense: Jacksonville's pick-six problem is now an epidemic. For the second time in three weeks, the passing game has operated to score points for the opposition. Blake Bortles now has more career pick-sixes than wins. An overhaul is necessary...

Defense: ...Because all that offensive failure masks Jacksonville's defensive strides. I saw Jalen Ramsey back locking down one side of the field. I saw safeties who refused to let Paxton Lynch beat them deep. But by the end of the game, I saw a young group of 11 so gassed that their talents were wasted.

Grade: C-

Houston Texans

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Offense: Bill O'Brien's snow-game offense might need to be adopted for the rest of the season. It featured quick bubble screens to Will Fuller on the edge and easy checkdowns first—easy stuff for Brock Osweiler to handle. Then, when Osweiler got loose, the Texans connected on some deep balls to DeAndre Hopkins. A fumble and a missed fourth-down play stung, though.

Defense: The snow hurt Houston's defensive output as much as losing Jadeveon Clowney. Houston's cornerbacks had a tough time battling the elements and Green Bay's receivers. And their change-of-direction was compromised whenever Aaron Rodgers broke contain, which was often.

Grade: C-

San Francisco 49ers

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Offense: Colin Kaepernick took a major—and I mean major—step back. By the time he was yanked in favor of Blaine Gabbert, he had taken more sacks than he had passing yardage. No wonder why Kaep put his Bay Area home on the market; I'd want to leave too.

Defense: Eli Harold and Aaron Lynch are tasked with setting the edge of this defense; both failed fantastically in Week 13. Jordan Howard ran without consequence to the corners of San Francisco's defense. Upgrading that spot with a bigger body is a must this spring.

Grade: D-

Arizona Cardinals

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Offense: Oh, hello 2015-style Carson Palmer. It's amazing what Arizona's quarterback can do with time. Palmer was a master on both deep throws and intermediate routes. His long post to J.J. Nelson at the end of the game was an onion throw; it could bring a tear to the eye. Couple that with David Johnson's monster output (175 total yards, two touchdowns) and you have an offense that'll make Bruce Arians proud.

Defense: Arizona spends most of its money on defense, and finally it got a return on investment. Calais Campbell teed off on Kirk Cousins for a big sack-fumble. Then, with the game in the balance, Patrick Peterson swooped in on a Cousins throw. That's what this team needed from the jump.

Grade: A

Los Angeles Rams

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Offense: Note to Jeff Fisher: Lance Kendricks cannot adequately block Jabaal Sheard one-one-one. I'm constantly amazed at this team's blocking schemes. It's no small wonder Todd Gurley continues to fizzle out; the offensive line is rough.

Defense: Hello, Aaron Donald. Come in, Aaron Donald. L.A.'s star defender was nowhere to be found in Week 13. And that would be fine if Donald opened up lanes for other defenders. All the Rams' money is tied up on defense; that's unacceptable. 

Grade: D

Seattle Seahawks

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Offense: Turns out Seattle just needed a decisive ball-carrier to spark its offense. Thomas Rawls looked like the running back who broke loose at the end of last year. His success in the wide zone runs freed up everything else: Russell Wilson runs, Tyler Lockett sweeps, etc.

Defense: Losing a player like Earl Thomas could cripple any other defense. This one just kept plugging. Kudos to the 'Hawks for holding Cam Newton to only one big throw. The rest was Michael Bennett pass rushes and stuffing Jonathan Stewart in the backfield.

Grade: A

Denver Broncos

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Offense: Paxton Lynch didn't show me much in his second career start. It felt like he was aiming his passes—a common mistake for young passers. You'd see Lynch release his throws high but end up skipping footballs. That tells me he was trying to compensate for his height and throw to shorter targets.

Defense: Denver's players make it a top defense, but the coaching makes it the top defense. Wade Phillips clearly instructed his defensive backs to guard against the back-shoulder lob—a staple of Jacksonville's passing game. Blake Bortles found every touch pass either swatted or picked off.

Grade: B

San Diego Chargers

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Offense: Philip Rivers has had too many multi-interception games to keep his team afloat in the AFC West. But San Diego's latest loss isn't all on him; Mike McCoy abandoned the run on one big drive and again when Rivers threw the game-turning pick-six. Instead, McCoy put the fate of his season in the hands of receivers like Tyrell Williams and Dontrelle Inman. Both guys can separate, but both aren't consistent football-catchers.

Defense: The good news? San Diego held the Buccaneers to 81 rushing yards. The bad news? When the fourth quarter rolled around, Joey Bosa and friends couldn’t generate enough meaningful pressure to avoid getting Jameis Winston’d. It allowed the 11 deciding points when the game got hairy.

Grade: B-

Kansas City Chiefs

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Offense: For at least a week, throw out the book on Alex Smith. Kansas City’s veteran passer bucked his career trends by unleashing an intermediate passing game upon Atlanta’s unsuspecting secondary. Travis Kelce was a big part of that. His 140 yards on eight catches kept the chains moving—a must versus the Matt Ryan-Julio Jones complex.

Defense: We could’ve been talking about a 418-yard outing by Atlanta. Instead, we’re talking about Eric Berry’s superhero-like feats. The Atlanta native returned two interceptions for a touchdown and a two-point play. Without either bring-back, K.C. drops in the playoff hunt.

Grade: A-

Oakland Raiders

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Offense: Derek Carr’s receivers were plagued by drops. A penalty wiped out a 51-yard completion. Then, the second half kicked off. Latavius Murray and Jalen Richard both broke big gains to keep the Bills defense guessing. Buffalo didn’t have an answer when the offense evened its run-pass ratio out.

Defense: When is a 212-yard rushing day a good thing? When it’s a win. Khalil Mack made sure of that with another late strip-sack-recovery. And the Raiders secondary eliminated any big Tyrod Taylor throws downfield in the game’s final 30 minutes.

Grade: B+