NFL Regular Season Report Card: Handing out Grades to Every Team

As we close another season out, it's time to take a look at who did well and who didn't.

Keep in mind, this isn't about records, though they are reflective of what a team can and can't do, did or didn't do.

Injuries played a large part in many of the teams we'll look at here. For some, the injuries were insurmountable. Others, it just once again showed why they are amongst the best franchises.

In the end, it's not the injuries or the schedule. It's how a team reacts to the pressure caused by either one.

For some teams, the pressure forms a diamond. For others, it crushes them to pulp.

Let's see which is which around the league post-2011.

AFC East: New England Patriots

The Patriots have taken an interesting path to the playoffs this year—one involving a nearly complete lack of defense.

As always, the offense works incredibly well, a combination of superb quarterback play, solid running back work and some great pass catchers.

The thing that struck me about the offense is the continued use of the two tight-end set. Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowksi are a nearly unstoppable combination and, coupled with Wes Welker, Tom Brady, have no end of options to throw to.They continue to have a solid run game as well.

If it was just the offense (and we'll have another of these articles just covering offenses), we'd be talking A grades here.

But oh, that defense....32nd ranked overall, 32nd against the pass and 17th against the run?

If this was just defense, the Pats would get an F.

The coaching has been among the best for years, as Bill Belichick and his staff have done a great job overall. Again, this year was a mess defensively, and while that falls on the players, the lack of talent and the inability to keep this defense from the bottom of the barrel falls on the staff as well.

Again, this comes down to two very different ends of the spectrum.

Overall, I split the difference and give the Pats a C+. While I almost feel like it should be higher, the defense has been so bad that often the team wins despite the defense. I can't rate it higher.

AFC East: New York Jets

The Jets have been disappointing across the board.

OK, so the defense was ranked seventh overall, fifth against the pass. The 15th ranking against the run? Not so very impressive, especially after the first two years of the Ryan regime ranking in the top five.

The Jets run defense also allowed 17 touchdowns, tied for third most in the NFL.

Overall, the defense took a step back this year. Maybe it was the departure of guys like Shaun Ellis. Maybe it was the continued inability to stop of the slow bleed that is the middle of the field.

Either way, the Jets weren't as efficient defensively as they had been previously, which just made the woes of the offense harder to overcome.

The Jets offense was a near-disaster in 2011. It lacked any cohesive personality or defining characteristic. Once, it had been ground and pound, but to kick the season off, the Jets decided to throw more. However, they then abandoned that when quarterback Mark Sanchez struggled early.

While they claimed they were going back to ground and pound, it never seemed like they did. Meanwhile, they were throwing the ball well, weren't stretching the field and Sanchez was turning the ball over with alarming regularity.

Really there are two parts of this offensive mishmash which has skewered the Jets. First the tremendous regression of Sanchez. Moreso than any other quarterback this year, Sanchez took more than a step back—he leaped back, right off a cliff into shark infested waters while carrying a torn bag of chum.

Oh yes, it is that bad. Sanchez seems unable to see the field, missing defenders who would be wearing a "hey I'm about to pick you off" sign to any other quarterback, staring down his targets and just making horrendous decisions.

You can't win with a QB like that.

The other issue is playcalling. In some ways, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer could become a scapegoat for the ineptitude of the offense, but honestly, his schemes have been simple and repetitive since well before Sanchez came along.

I'm not saying he's the reason for Sanchez's implosion—one has to wonder if he doesn't call vertical routes because he knows his quarterback be unable to execute—however, in the years he has been with the Jets, I have yet to see anything innovative or surprising in his offensive schemes.

In Sunday's season-killing loss to the Miami Dolphins, wide receiver Santonio Holmes was targeted once. It's no wonder he was screaming at someone in the huddle (anyone want to bet it was his quarterback since it was right after yet another soul-crushing interception?) and sat the rest of the game out.

I don't condone such antics, but one could appreciate the frustration to get his number called all of one time in the biggest game of the year.

Once, you could at least point to locker room solidarity. They don't even have that anymore.

From top to bottom, the Jets have been a mess in 2011. Can they recover? Sure. Worse teams have done so quickly.

However, in order to do it, the Jets may have to think about some serious changes. That starts with the coaching staff and works down through the roster.

It's been a bad season, and the Jets get a bad grade. D+ is the best I can come up with, and it'd be worse if the pass defense wasn't so good.

AFC East: Buffalo Bills

The Bills were one of the more schizophrenic teams in the NFL this year. They started off hot, with solid defense and a surprisingly dynamic offense.

Around midseason, it all started falling apart, as the team went on a seven-game losing streak which only ended when they beat Denver in Week 16. From Week 9 to Week 16, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a dozen interceptions (a cynic might point out that he'd just signed a new contract and lacked incentive), and the defense was torched for an average of 29 points a game.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what changed. They had beaten some creampuffs to start the year, but they'd also beaten a good (at the time) Raiders team and the Patriots. Fred Jackson was hurt in Week 11, and that certainly affected the gameplan.

Jackson was a nice surprise for the Bills over the past few years, and when he went down, they never really adequately addressed his position, adding mediocre players like Tashard Choice or leaning on underwhelming players like CJ Spiller.

Spiller only really got going with consistency the last few weeks of the season. Should they have made a bigger move or looked for a better back to split time with Spiller? I think so, and that failure, as well as the lack of adjustment to account for defensive injuries and the bad play of the defense itself, is a sign of a still-not-ready-for-prime-time coaching staff.

I like Chan Gailey as an offensive coordinator. I am still not sold on him being a head coach.

This is a team hurt by one or two key injuries, but also one which failed to adjust for those injuries and suffered for it. It's a team which seemed to start reading its own press clippings and believing them, showing at times an arrogance it hadn't earned (I am looking right at you, Stevie Johnson).

What started out as a promising year was reduced to a shambles, and I'm left with the same feeling I had preseason.

What is this team? Where is it going? How does it plan on getting there?

None of those answers are forthcoming. For the season, I give this team a D. I think the pieces are here, but there is a lot more work to do.

AFC East: Miami Dolphins

Changes have already begun for the Miami Dolphins after a tremendously disappointing season. Head coach Tony Sparano was fired, Chad Henne was once again injured and is unlikely to be back, Jason Taylor is retiring and both the offense and defense is in need of an overhaul.

On top of that, it seems as though ownership is constantly putting its foot in its mouth. From the ill-advised pursuit of Jim Harbaugh while Sparano was under contract this offseason to the inability to pull the trigger on the trade for Kyle Orton, this team has an owner in Stephan Ross who has yet to learn to think before he talks.

In my opinion, that's never good for a team as poor leadership trickles downhill. Besides, how can you believe in a coach when the owner is trying to replace him while the guy is still under contract? How can you respect the owner?

We haven't even talked about the offense and defense yet. Neither was horrific, but neither was really very good. The Reggie Bush signing was better than anyone thought it would be, and Bush has had a very good season for the Dolphins. Matt Moore has filled in ably at quarterback, though there are still lingering questions as to whether he has what it takes to be a starting NFL quarterback.

The offensive line hasn't been terribly effective and has given up the second most sacks in the NFL (tied with the Arizona Cardinals). The defense is 26th against the pass, though third against the run and a middling 16th overall defensively.

There's plenty of work to do here, and I have my doubts that this ownership will be able to pull it off.

For now, like so much of the AFC East, Miami gets a D.

AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers had some issues offensively, but still ended up in the top 10 for passing, as Ben Roethlisberger was neither suspended nor hurt enough to miss time.

Big Ben has been hurt, of course, but it hasn't stopped him from playing virtually every week.

The ground attack wasn't as good as expected, but considering the team was in the bottom half of the league in rushing attempts, their 1,742 yards, 4.4 YPC average and 12 touchdowns are actually pretty solid.

Defensively, this team is as good as it's ever been, ranking first against passing and ninth against the run. As always, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is a master at his craft and continues to add new wrinkles each game to keep offenses on their toes.

Aside from the offensive line, which still struggles with both protecting the quarterback (40 sacks and 74 quarterback hits is too much) and creating gaps for running back Rashard Mendenhall to get through, this team is in very good shape. As wide receivers Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown continue to improve, the offense keeps getting better.

Their biggest issue this year was a pair of losses to the Baltimore Ravens, something that any Steeler fan will tell you stings quite a bit.

As I said, overall, there isn't too much to complain about. Call this grade a B. I'd like to see some more improvement on the line, a little more running attempts and perhaps a few more points on the 20 PPG average but really, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

AFC North: Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens still survive mostly on their defense, and with a defense like this, that's no bad thing. Dominating against both pass and rush, this is a team who can shut down just about anyone.

Too bad they don't move the ball on offense that way.

It's not that the Ravens are bad offensively. They're fine, middle of the road in both categories. However, at this point, with All-World running back Ray Rice, a veteran Joe Flacco at quarterback and some weapons both at tight end (Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson) and wide receiver (Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin), you would expect this offense to be better than average.

The Ravens have won when they needed to, and you can't fault them for what is, at least in my opinion, the ceiling for their quarterback. Perhaps there is only so much you can do with Flacco.

It's funny, because before I looked at the stats, I felt like the Ravens had done more than average totals offensively. So of course, herein lies the great problem with just reading stats—you read enough of them, maybe you start doubting your own eyes.

I think Flacco is an OK but not great quarterback. Certainly enough to get to the Super Bowl and not choke. I've liked what I saw of the offense this year and feel as though this is a unit which can be better and more explosive with time. I certainly don't believe that an offense with Ray Rice as its running back should be ranked middle of the pack in rushing.

So I actually believe things will get more balanced out and the offense, while never reaching the heights of the defense, will become a more explosive and effective.

For this year, I give it a B with the expectation of better things to come.

AFC North: Cincinnati Bengals

I have to admit, the Bengals surprised me. Especially Andy Dalton.

Dalton was a guy who I saw a lot of last year, then watched at the Senior Bowl practices in Mobile and came away unimpressed. I thought the pick was a bit of a reach, and while I knew Dalton had the intangibles and acumen to play well, I didn't think he had near enough arm strength to zip the ball in between defenders at the NFL level.

Jury is still out—one year does not a career make—but color me impressed so far. While I still think his arm a bit weak and don't see the heat I'd prefer to see on the short passes where he has to thread the needle, he's done everything else pretty close to perfect.

Letting Carson Palmer go was the right choice either way, but Dalton is making life post-Palmer much more palatable for Bengals fans. Dalton and fellow rookie AJ Green have made this offense something to watch very carefully in the coming years.

It's still a bit raw, and the run game isn't what it could be, but the corps is there, and the Bengals have played well.

Defensively, I think Cincy is almost always underrated. This is a team which can pressure just about any quarterback, though they aren't as consistent as you'd like to see. On the whole, this is a team still rebuilding, though perhaps closer than expected.

Hats off to Marvin Lewis. I wasn't sold he'd be employed after the season.

I'll give the team a B-. I like the defense and think the offense has potential. It may seem close to the Ravens and Steelers, but—and I acknowledge neither fanbase will swallow this—I don't think the Bengals are too far behind either team.

AFC North: Cleveland Browns

What are the Browns? Are they a team that runs? A team that likes to pass? That plays tough defense?

None of the above?

Like the Jets, this is a team with no real identity, better known for ignoring a player's concussion (allegedly) than a style of play.

That's a problem, especially in the hard-hitting, take-no-prisoners AFC North.

Colt McCoy is an OK quarterback who is inconsistent from play to play, forget game to game. Rumor has it that Peyton Hillis is about to become persona non grata in Cleveland and teammates are tired of his act. That leaves oft-injured "Mr. Glass" Award winner Montario Hardesty as the feature back.

There are virtually no wide receivers worth talking about, and the tight ends are serviceable and that's about it. The offensive line is mediocre.

The defense? Don't be fooled by that high defensive ranking against the pass. It's that way because the run defense is atrocious. Ranked second against the pass? Only because they have been thrown on the second least amount of times. This "top-ranked" defense has just nine interceptions and 32 sacks (23rd in the league in sacks).

This is the third worst run defense in the league, allowing 145.5 yards a game. You can run on them pretty much at will, gaining an average of 4.4 yards per carry. The only thing this unit does well is keep the rushing touchdowns to a minimum, allowing just 11 of them this year.

This is not a good team. Not the worst (hello Colts), but pretty damned bad. There is so much to do here, I'm not sure where to start.

Sorry, Cleveland, please keep in mind that this grade is not a reflection of you; just your team: D-.

AFC South: Houston Texans

I find it really tough to grade this team, one I might dub the "Hard Luck Boys." With TJ Yates going down to a separated or bruised shoulder (depending on the source) on Sunday, they were down to their what? No. 4 quarterback? Who was Jake Delhomme? And turned the ball over pretty much immediately (you know—because he's Jake Delhomme).

Yipes.

That's not even mentioning the injuries on the defensive side of the ball with FS Danieal Manning, ILB Darryl Sharpton and most importantly, OLB Mario Williams all down either permanently or for huge stretches of time due to injury.

Despite that, this defense still finished second overall in total defense, third against the pass and fourth against the run.

Not bad when arguably your biggest asset is down for the season, huh?

Head coach Gary Kubiak and his staff has done a great job on both offense and defense in keeping this thing going, and Wade Phillips' decision to change to a 3-4 has worked out tremendously.

Yes, they ended the regular season by skidding into the playoffs with a three-game losing streak. How many teams have been hit this hard by injuries and fallen apart? You lose Andre Johnson for a month, and you might lose a game or two with your fifth-round, third-string quarterback.

It's hard to ding them too much for some of the struggles they've had, especially given how resilient they've been. It's not perfect, but it's a job well done across the board.

For overcoming adversity and managing to win the division with a third string quarterback, no stud wide receiver some missing pieces on defense, I grade them as a B-.

AFC South: Tennessee Titans

It's been a rough season in many respects for the Titans, more painful for the fact that with the first winning season under head coach Mike Munchak (and first as a franchise since 2008), they still miss the playoffs because of a tiebreaker they lose to Cincinnati.

In an up and down season, the biggest "down" was running back Chris Johnson. Johnson had a protracted hold-out that nearly lasted into the season and cost him all of training camp.

As is often the case when a player holds out and skips training camp, Johnson had a horrid season achieving career lows in touchdowns with just four and yards per carry with, again, four.

Johnson looked like he had lost a step—not shocking given the 900-plus carries he had the first three years of his career—and sometimes just didn't look like he was going 100 percent.

The rest of the offense suffered a bit because of his ineffectiveness, as well as the season-ending injury to wide receiver Kenny Britt. No one player stepped up to fill that void, though Nate Washington played well. Of course, veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck made a huge difference under center, helping to transition from the erratic Vince Young Project to the future of the position, rookie Jake Locker.

Defensively, the Titans were a mixed bag: average against the pass, a little below average against the run. They could keep games close, with the exception of two drubbings, one by Houston and one by Pittsburgh.

Clearly, this is a team which lacks a few pieces, but if they can get Johnson back on track, keep Britt healthy and find another solid receiver option, this team could challenge in the South.

Overall, they still need some work, but by and large, it's a pretty good team, and I give them a B-.

AFC South: Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville is another team who was bitten by the injury bug, losing several key players on the defensive side of the ball.

However it was the offense which more often than not let the team down. The wide receivers, when healthy, were just not good.

Mike Thomas is a much better slot guy and was out of place as a primary receiver, while Jason Hill wrote checks with his mouth that his skills couldn't cash. Jarrett Dillard is a better special teamer than a receiver, and rookie Cecil Shorts never really emerged as a viable target.

This is not to excuse some awful play by rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert looks skittish on nearly every play, never really setting his feet and seeming uncomfortable behind the line.

This was a line, by the way, who allowed 44 sacks this season, tied for seventh most. They weren't all on Gabbert, but it's not a stretch to suggest he didn't trust them after a while.

Back to the receivers, though. While I'm not saying Gabbert would have been as successful as Andy Dalton with the Bengals, having a wide receiver like AJ Green would go along way towards helping him out. Honestly, how successful is a rookie going to be constantly under pressure and with only one, maybe two, reliable targets?

The only upside here is Maurice Jones-Drew, but he can't do it all himself.

Offensively, this team is a mess. If they can fix the offensive line and get some weapons, Gabbert might rebound. Even if they replace him, both of those fixes need to happen.

Until then, this team is just spinning its wheels. Their defense may keep them in games when they're healthy, but the offense (save for MJD) will likely let them down.

I grade the Jaguars a tough-love D.

AFC South: Indianapolis Colts

Oh man, where to start?

This team was held together by more spit, bailing wire and bubble gum than anyone ever imagined. You know the game Jenga? Yeah, this team was that game, and Peyton Manning's injury was the piece that brought it all down.

People for years have been wondering if sinking so much into a handful of positions would bite the Colts in the rear, and this year, it did. The Colts had absolutely no plan for the eventuality of a long term manning injury. None.

Curtis Painter? Kerry Collins? Dan Orlovsky?

Those aren't plans. They're Bondo on a rotting car body.

Manning was the first domino, and it was a huge one, but it wasn't the only one. Dallas Clark disappeared, then got hurt. The defense was terrible. The run game was filled by the walking wounded and underwhelming.

The upside is that Indianapolis has the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and is in a perfect position to draft Manning's replacement. However, Manning's dad—you know, one of the architects of the Eli for Rivers Draft day trade—has said that he doesn't think Manning and likely first pick overall Andrew Luck would fit on a team together.

So we already have the inkling that the Colts may just keep on keeping on like they have to date and hope things get better. It's not insane to think they trade out, as the contracts a quarterback gets in the draft aren't as insane as it used to be.

Someone will trade up for Luck.

Hopefully, the Colts get more than magic beans for the pick if it comes to that. I have my worries.

For an abysmal season which revealed how little forethought has gone on in Indy, they get an F+.

AFC West: Oakland Raiders

At some point this season, the Raiders looked into the abyss, and it looked back. Then they blinked.

Losing Darren McFadden was a huge blow, no doubt, but it's more than that. This team should have been able to take a relatively weak AFC West and run away.

It mostly comes down to the quarterback position, which, despite their best efforts, is still an issue. Jason Campbell is a free agent, and in my opinion, will be gone this offseason. Carson Palmer can play well, but he turns the ball over way too much.

Perhaps Terrelle Pryor can evolve into the Raiders starting quarterback, but that's a ways away.

It's not that far off, but the quarterback needs to be resolved with a long-term answer.

The defense has its own issues, and whether you blame the departure of Nnamdi Asomugha or a line that isn't getting quite enough consistent pressure, there are adjustments that need to be made. A full offseason under Hue Jackson should help, but a solid draft and a dip into free agency would be better.

They aren't far off, but there are some big pieces missing. Grade: C+

AFC West: Denver Broncos

It's possible that Denver has now had enough football drama for the next decade. First, Kyle Orton implodes to start the season. Then, Tim Tebow comes in and reels off a 7-1 record.

Then the wheels come off and Tebow just cannot work his magic for three straight games, but the Broncos make it into the playoffs and win the AFC West anyway.

Makes your head ring, huh?

As I have said many, many times, I am not ready to pronounce Tebow dead any more than I was prepared to call him a legitimate quarterback before this three-game skid. How he improves (or doesn't) with a full offseason and how defensive coordinators prepare for him with that same time are more vital than merely this season.

All that said, it hasn't gone well of late, and I have a hard time fathoming losing when Willis McGahee runs for 145 yards.

Can the playcalling be a little less conservative? Yes, for sure. Has his decision making been bad the last three games? Yes.

I don't envy John Fox or John Elway as this is a rough thread to untangle. The Broncos could use another solid wide receiver and a running back to pair with McGahee—lightning to his thunder to re-coin a phrase.

Defensively, this team has played much better once Tebow was in, in part because before the current skid started, Tebow wasn't going three downs and out like Orton is prone to. A rested defense is an effective defense.

Rookie OLB Von Miller has also emerged as a monster, slowed only recently because of an injured thumb which caused his hand to be wrapped and has limited his ability to grab onto ball carriers and quarterbacks.

The defense is the part to build on, and if they can add a few more pieces there, they can continue to keep games close, which is where Tebow can be successful.

Meanwhile, Tebow needs to throw a few balls downfield to keep the defense honest.

Not even "Football Messiah" can overcome a constant eight man front.

The Broncos aren't there yet, and while they looked very good defensively, the offense has been shaky for weeks even before this losing streak. I like the last-minute wins; I don't like the three quarters of bad football by the WHOLE offense. It's not just Tebow.

So with the jury still out on Tebow and the offense, I call this a grade: C+.

AFC West: Kansas City Chiefs

Keeping in mind that losing Jamaal Charles and Matt Cassel (more Charles than Cassel) is enough to throw an offense off its feed, I have to say I am impressed with the way Romeo Crennel has the Chiefs playing.

Aside from shutting down Tebow-Time this week, they were the only team to beat the then-undefeated Green Bay Packers and gave Oakland some fits as well.

Defensively, this team turned it around. Offensively? Not so much.

It will be interesting to see how Crennel or anyone else uses Charles next season and whether this team will stick with Cassel or change quarterbacks.

Kyle Orton is playing well and could earn a roster spot for next year. Is he the answer, though? Orton moves the chains fine; it's finishing the drive which sent him packing from Denver.

Dwayne Bowe has played well enough, but beyond him, the receivers aren't all that inspiring, and none of the running backs filling in for Charles really stepped their games up.

It's a tough spot to be in for the next coach, be it Crennel or anyone else. While there are pieces here, they aren't all the right pieces and depth is going to be a concern as well—something we saw this year.

The Chiefs finished on a strong note, but still have a ways to go. For the whole season, I'll give them a D-, though for the last month, I'd say they played like C students.

AFC West: San Diego Chargers

I'm still convinced that Philip Rivers has an injury. He's played so badly for much of the season that to me, that's the only explanation. I have nothing but my gut, but I won't be shocked if it comes out sometime in late January that Rivers was hurt.

That said, here's a team that sure played well below expectations.

I've never been a big Norv Turner fan. While I understood the decision to fire Marty Schottenheimer and hire Turner, I didn't ever buy that it would make that big a difference.

And it hasn't. The Chargers don't win in the playoffs, and lately, they either barely make it in or don't get in at all.

Turner and GM AJ Smith haven't really formed or drafted a solid team here. They've antagonized their best receiver, allowed the offensive line to remain mediocre, making it very hard to run the ball. The defense has been spotty at best for years, and they can't seem to find a way to draft enough new talent to fix it.

Will Turner get fired? Probably not, especially after killing the Raiders' chances for playoff glory.

The clock has to be ticking, though, and ticking faster each year.

It isn't the worst team we've seen but it's far from good: C-.

NFC East: New York Giants

Not too long ago, the Giants looked dead in the water. Once again, the sharks were circling Tom Coughlin, and media members were postulating who would be next to coach the Giants.

Yeah, not so much anymore.

With a sweep of the Dallas Cowboys, the Giants have won a weak NFC East and gained entry into the playoffs. Along the way, they have had numerous injuries to their secondary which they overcame, injuries to their main running back and trounced cross-town rivals, the upstart New York Jets.

Altogether, a successful year.

I've never bought the "Eli Manning as elite quarterback" talk, and while I'm still not on board 100 percent, he's played exceptionally well this year. He's making his case as well as he can, and he has, at times, lifted this team up and carried it. He makes some terrible choices, but he has also overcome some bad drops by his receivers.

He's playing the quarterback position exceptionally well.

As I mentioned earlier, the defense has been patched together multiple times due to injury (most notably the secondary), as has the offensive line. Yet for all the bumps and injuries, this is a team which fought hard and overcame them.

The Giants may not win the Super Bowl (personally, I don't think they're quite strong enough to beat Green Bay tough; it was very close earlier this year), but they've certainly re-established themselves as one of the better teams in the NFC.

While they could use some help in various positions hammered by injury, they've played very well, earning a B-.

NFC East: Dallas Cowboys

In the end, I think there were just too many injuries for the Cowboys. Losing Miles Austin for so long, Dez Bryant for a stretch and rookie DeMarco Murray for the season threw this team off its game too frequently for it to ever get into a rhythm.

Romo's aches and pains didn't help either, though the emergence of Laurent Robinson was quite the revelation and helped the offense keep its head above water for some time.

The defense was more of a problem, and Rob Ryan, like his brother Rex, might need to spend less time gabbing and more time prepping for game days.

Overall, the defense played well, but the few times it came up short in a big way were critical (such as Sunday night's drubbing by the Giants).

One thing that didn't kill the Cowboys a lot this year? Romo interceptions.

Glass half full, guys.

Grade: C+

NFC East: Washington Redskins

The Redskins were red hot for about five minutes...and then the wheels on the wagon came off.

Many fans (and more than a few writers) were dubious that this team would go into the season with two underwhelming journeymen quarterbacks, but for a brief shining moment, it looked as though it might work.

Then, reality came crashing in, and so began a merry-go-round of quarterback and running back changes which, while it didn't kill momentum and chemistry already dead, didn't help.

On top of that, we had injuries to players on both sides of the ball and some bone-headed off-the-field nonsense from TE Fred Davis and OT Trent Williams, which resulted in suspension for four games—the rest of the season.

Something about the Redskins always seems off, no matter who they bring in or how and why. It always seems like the wrong decision by head coach Mike Shanahan and owner Dan Snyder.

This team took a nosedive early in the season and never recovered. They desperately need a quarterback solution long term and need to get some receivers while they are at it.

This patch as-you-go method doesn't cut it on either side of the ball.

Grade: D-

NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles went out and bought everything they could off the free agency sale shelf, and it didn't help them at all.

It's fine to have a great cornerback (or two) and fantastic to add extra receivers and sign your quarterback long term.

It isn't great to do all that and not try and shore up the offensive line, or have any proven players to man the middle of the defense.

It also seems silly to spend all this money on Nnamdi Asomugha and yet have him doing things which aren't what he does best.

Yet that seems to have been defensive coordinator Juan Castillo's plan, and to the shock of none, it hasn't worked out.

Not only have the Eagles spent unwisely (at least short term), they've misused the tools they overspent to get.

I can't say if head coach Andy Reid will survive this debacle, nor Castillo or anyone else on staff.

The Eagles have talent, though, and it's up to the coaching staff to use it right.

If that means cleaning house, that's what Philadelphia needs to do.

Speaking of cleaning house, what the heck, DeSean Jackson? Has any player ever so mishandled a contract year? Yipes.

This had the potential to be a B at least, but in the end, the bad coaching and schemes (as well as attitudes by Mr. Jackson) drag this grade to a D+.

And that might be generous.

NFC North: Green Bay Packers

The Packers once again are riddled with injuries (though nowhere near as badly as in 2010) and have taken that opportunity to show us how a good franchise does business.

Despite offensive line issues, a downed James Starks and an injured Greg Jennings, the Packers haven't really missed a beat.

Part of this is because of the extraordinary season Aaron Rodgers is having. It's hard to imagine anyone playing better than Rodgers is right now, and given the seasons Tom Brady and Drew Brees are having, that's saying something.

Rodgers' mobility and vision have allowed him to overcome offensive line issues since he first started in the wake of Brett Favre's retirement No. 1 of 450. It continues to come in handy, as year after year, the Packers seem to have guys go down on the line.

If there is one dim spot offensively, it's the somewhat underwhelming year Jermichael Finley is having. Finley has dropped a lot of balls this year, unusual for him. It's unclear if it's some lingering factor from the injury which ended his 2010 early or if the contract issues are wearing on him and ruining his concentration.

Now that the playoffs are here, we'll see if he can right the ship.

The defense has also played well, though without the huge number of injuries.

While they occasionally get torched, the defense usually finds a way to make that one critical play which is the difference in a game.

They're far from perfect, but they're playing football better than just about anyone else. The Cheeseheads get an A-

NFC North: Chicago Bears

For a while, it looked as though most of the NFC North would end up in the playoffs, but the Bears faded down the stretch, although once Jay Cutler was injured, I felt like it was only a matter of time.

Losing Matt Forte just made it worse. A few bad bounces later, and they'd lost to the Broncos, Seahawks and Packers.

The Bears continue to be a befuddling team, often inconsistent and always just good enough to keep things interesting. If it wasn't for the Cutler/Forte injuries, this team probably would have found a way to make the playoffs. As it stands, a lack of depth at both the quarterback and running back spots killed their season.

It doesn't help that the offensive line continues to be an issue and that OC Mike Martz's schemes exacerbate that.

Meanwhile, the defense, while generally solid, is aging and definitely lost a step.

The clock appears to be ticking on the Bears, and perhaps Lovie Smith.

The same holes have been here for a long time. At some point, they either get fixed, or people get fired.

Again, I think this grade would have been different without injury to Cutler and Forte, but even when they were hurt, this team never really adjusted to account for losing its two best players (Marion Barber was, at best, a half step).

Grade: C-

NFC North: Detroit Lions

The Lions have sure turned things around swiftly, haven't they?

While they did lose running back Jahvid Best to a concussion (which is likely a very serious issue at this point given his history), and they did stumble in the middle of the season, the Lions have recovered and are playing better ball at the end of the season.

Their shootout loss to the Packers on Sunday notwithstanding.

Long term, they need to figure out what to do at running back, as well as find a way to control Ndamukong Suh's temper. The defensive front is very good, but the secondary needs help.

If they can fix those things, this team could be pretty scary.

Health is the key for the Lions. For the most part, they had it. If they had been more consistent in the middle of the year, they'd grade higher. Still, a B- is nothing to sneeze at.

NFC North: Minnesota Vikings

Losing Adrian Peterson was a big deal, but the problems for this team go much deeper.

While Percy Harvin seems to have his health issues under control, there are few other playmakers here, and without Peterson, "it's tee off on Ponder" time.

Really, there isn't much threat to run unless Harvin lines up in the backfield, since Toby Gerhart has been spectacularly unspectacular while replacing Peterson.

Ponder is still very raw, though an improvement over Donovan Mcnabb any day. Still, carrying the offense is far beyond his current skill set, and it shows.

The defense has gotten old quickly, though Jared Allen continues to be exceptional. Overall, though, this is not a team to be feared, especially sans Peterson. One hopes he can rehab and get back to his old self for next season.

If not, things will be grim in Minnesota.

As it stands, things aren't great anyway, nor is the resulting grade: D-

NFC South: New Orleans Saints

The 2011 New Orleans Saints are pretty much the same as the 2010 New Orleans Saints: incredibly potent offense with a solid, but far from lock-down defense.

When you score as much as the Saints do, the defense can be less than perfect I suppose. That said, 30th against the pass is problematic when you have to go against offenses like the Lions, Packers and Falcons.

That's just the NFC. Tom Brady likes the look of this secondary as well.

The rushing defense is better, but that's just because nobody runs on them. Of course, nobody has the chance to run and grind the clock because Drew Brees and the offense score so early and often that the opposition is often trailing and having to throw.

It's interesting to examine this defense, because by and large, it's a well run defense which mixes in some very aggressive blitzes with their standard coverages. That will get them burned at times, but also keeps the quarterback from getting too comfortable.

It hasn't resulted in a tremendous amount of sacks, nor has it generated many interceptions (the Saints have just nine on the season).

Defensively, this is a team which could use some more work. While the offense will always score, not getting turnovers is problematic, as is the 259 yards per game (third highest in the league).

It's interesting to note that the only two teams with higher yards per game against are the Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots.

That's not exactly bad company to keep.

Offensively, TE Jimmy Graham has been outstanding and the wide receivers are a collection of next-man-up style players, all of whom will step up at any time. Darren Sproles was a fantastic free agent acquisition, and Pierre Thomas has been steady—and relatively healthy—all year. If there is one downside to the run game, it's the injuries to rookie Mark Ingram.

If he can stay healthy, though, I still believe he could be a full-time featured back for the Saints.

Shoring up the defense and generating more turnovers is a must down the road, but it's hard to complain when they just keep winning. Grade: B

NFC South: Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons always strike me as a team which should be much more effective on both sides of the ball than they end up being.

Defensively, this is a team with some solid playmakers, but no big home-run hitters. They stay in the middle of the pack against the pass, though they generate a fair amount of turnovers and can pressure the quarterback.

They are very effective against the run, allowing an average of just 97 yards per game, though they have seen the third fewest carries against in the league.

Offensively, Matt Ryan has had a very nice season, topping 4,000 yards for the first time in his career, although he also turned the ball over 12 times, his second highest interception total ever.

In big games, Ryan plays well but can be a bit inconsistent. Still, he gets the job done and is very, very tough to beat, especially at home. He already had Roddy White at wide receiver, and the addition of rookie Julio Jones has been a great help—though Jones spent a bunch of time dinged up.

All this results in the eighth-ranked passing offense in the league. Given that the Saints, Packers, Lions and Giants are ranked ahead of the Falcons, this is part good fortune and part necessity.

Michael Turner grounds a very good run game, though he seemed to burn out a bit towards the end of the year. The Falcons rushing attack is middle of the road, but when you have the weapons they do in the passing game, you use them.

Overall, this is a good team, but not great. Certainly it's well coached by head coach Mike Smith and his staff, but there's definitely room for quite a bit of improvement defensively.

Grade: C+

NFC South: Carolina Panthers

Very early on this season, it became evident that this was not your father's Carolina Panthers.

Newly-minted head coach Ron Rivera abandoned the John Fox "run first, run, second ah, hell just run" offensive playbook and mixed in one part passing, one part running a whole lot of Cam Newton.

Newton certainly was a tremendous surprise to many, as the thought was he might be a good quarterback someday, but was too raw to really have a positive impact early.

While he didn't win as many games as he would have liked, Newton played very well and not just when showcasing his trademark mobility. Newton can throw, more accurately than anyone seemed to give him credit for.

He needs to be better about taking care of the ball, and he did fade down the stretch, but for the most part, this was a highly successful rookie year for Newton.

Certainly, he rejuvenated Steve Smith's career.

Offensively, this biggest mis-step is still the gigantic contract awarded DeAngelo Williams, at least in terms of immediate return.

Why spend so much money on a guy you're hardly going to use? I'll be interested to see if we get more Williams next year or if this was just a massive waste of money.

Where the Panthers really need to step it up is on defense, which is a surprise given Ron Rivera's resume as a defensive coach.

This is a team which needs a massive infusion of talent on the defensive side of the ball if it's going to compete with the rest of the NFC any time soon.

The offense is still too young and developing to get into shootouts every week and keep up.

Rivera has quite a bit of work to do on the defense and a long offseason to do it in.

Grade: D+

I like where the offense is going, but the defense is a mess.

NFC South: Tampa Bay Bucaneers

Nobody backslid harder than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

An offense which was tapped as up and coming completely fell apart, a young quarterback who was considered the best in his class looked like a back-up and a defense which was battered by injuries couldn't hold on.

Head coach Raheem Morris finds himself embattled in a way which is almost inconceivable given how well the team did in 2010.

Truly, this is a "what have you done for me lately?" league.

Defensively, the line is solid and will continue to develop as they get more experience. Certainly losing Gerald McCoy hurt, but overall, the defensive line played OK given its youth.

Unfortunately, the defense can't stop the run to save its life, and the secondary isn't generating turnovers nor the line any sacks.

The defensive problems only made it harder for the offense to overcome its issues.

Josh Freeman, Mike Williams and LaGarrette Blount all took a step back this year (Blount the least), and while it's not a great sign, I don't think the baby needs to be thrown out with the bathwater yet.

While there are certainly issues to be addressed, we've seen the Bucs play well in 2010—isn't it just as big an overreaction to can Raheem Morris and start over as it was to assume they could vie for a Super Bowl after one year?

Certainly, the Bucs have work to do and a lot of it. However, I don't think they are as bad as 2011 made them out to be. It's a talented group which just hit a speed bump.

Grade: D+

NFC West: Arizona Cardinals

Not much went right for the Arizona Cardinals. After trading for Kevin Kolb and paying him a large chunk of money, he got hurt, and when he wasn't hurt, you could argue he was outplayed by backup John Skelton.

Chris Wells continues to struggle with consistency (and injuries) at running back. The offensive line is mediocre at best, inconsistently streaky and unable to protect the quarterback or open holes for the running game.

Luckily, Larry Fitzgerald is still Larry Fitzgerald and capable of overcoming multiple defenders to make a catch.

The defense is middle of the road, though to their credit, they generated the seventh-most sacks in the league. Overall, though, this is a very mediocre defense which is unable to generate turnovers and isn't particularly good at stopping the run or the pass.

Head coach Ken Whisenhunt has his work cut out for him this off season.

I came away unimpressed with the Cardinals this year and found most of their games a fascinating mix of train wreck rubbernecking and unintentional comedy.

Grade: D

NFC West: Seattle Seahawks

Despite missing the post-season, the Seattle Seahawks seemed to be better this year than when they made the playoffs last year.

To be certain, they have a lot of issues. The quarterback play of Tarvaris Jackson improved ever so slightly over years past, but not to where I'd imagine head coach Pete Carroll will stop looking for a franchise quarterback.

They signed Sidney Rice, but lost him to injury, and nobody really stepped up to replace him. Their other big offensive signing, TE Zach Miller, was kept in blocking because the offensive line is still not very good and was battling through injuries.

On the other hand, Marshawn Lynch continues on his Skittle-infused rampage across the league and will be a centerpiece to this offense, assuming they re-sign him.

The defense was actually pretty good this year, 11th ranked against the run and 15th against the pass. It's not a tremendous defense, but it can get the job done. They actually have the fourth-most interceptions in the league (22), though they could do with some more sacks.

Still, if the offense can get its act together, stay healthy and consistent, the Seahawks will be a yearly contender for the NFC West crown and could do some damage in the playoffs.

Grade: C+

NFC West: San Francisco 49ers

After numerous coaches and numerous schemes, quarterback Alex Smith finally has a coach who can get something other than turnovers out of him.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff has worked to fit his offense to Smith, not cram Smith into another ill-fitting scheme.

While the wide receivers can be inconsistent, this offense has been pretty successful and, anchored by Frank Gore in the ground attack, is potent.

Harbaugh has done this without sacrificing the defense as well. He's done something most previous 49er head coaches never seemed to be able to: He has struck a balance between offense and defense with both sides of the ball supporting each other.

While they certainly took advantage of a weak NFC West, this is a team which has played—and beaten—its fair share of good teams as well.

Can Alex Smith play well when it counts, in the postseason? The answer to that will go a long way towards telling us if he really has a home in the Bay Area going forward.

One thing for certain is that Harbaugh does.

The 49ers surprised a lot of people in the regular season. We'll see if they can make some heads turn in the postseason as well.

Grade: B 

NFC West: St. Louis Rams

It's already looking bad for head coach Steve Spagnulo, and while I do want to repeat what I said about Raheem Morris and not overreacting to one year, this was one atrocious year.

The Rams fell apart this season, and while some of that is due to injury and bad luck, overall, this team just seemed to do everything wrong.

Defensively, offensively, nothing worked for them. They couldn't protect Sam Bradford, resulting in him being hurt more than once. They were finally able to acquire a solid wide receiver in Brandon Lloyd, but he didn't have much help.

On the defense, they couldn't stop anyone consistently.

Should Spags get fired? Again, I don't know that tossing him after one year—even as bad as this was—is a good plan.

Something needs to change, though, and soon.

Grade: D-