NFL
HomeScoresDraftRumorsFantasyB/R 99: Top QBs of All Time
Featured Video
EPIC NFL Thanksgiving Slate 🙌
Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

NFL Report Cards: Team-by-Team Grades for Week 3

Michael SchotteySep 23, 2014

The NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint.

If the NFL season were a sprint, we'd be talking about what these teams are. In reality, we're still wondering about what many of these teams can be this season, as the majority of the league is either 2-1 or 1-2 and there's very little separating many of the haves and have-nots of the league.

Because of that, it's still time to preach patience. Every single team has a chance to turn its stars around both positively or negatively as we close out the first quarter of the season.

In that vein, there are no favorites in the grading process. We have to take the teams as they are, not what we think they could or should be. Each and every week has provided its own surprises and wrinkles, and it's likely every week will moving forward.

Criteria for Grading

—Coaching decisions and how a team performs on offense, defense and special teams.

—The caliber of opponent the team was facing.

—The atmosphere the performance was played in: at home, away, weather, etc.

Not Considered in Grades

—Excuses. I grade the team on the field, not the ideal team that could have been out there without injuries, suspensions, etc.

—Expectations. If everyone picked your favorite team to lose and it won, that doesn't mean it gets an A+.

—Results. A team can look really bad and win a game, while another team can look awfully great in defeat. While it's true that winners will often trend higher than losers from week to week, that doesn't mean all of the winners get good grades while the losers get D's or F's.


Each team also gets a "game ball" and a "game goat" to clue you in to some of the things that went into the assessment of the team. Many will be obvious to those who watched the game, but some will require a deep dive into the stats or film.

Each team also gets a cumulative grade, averaging grades from Week 1 and Week 2. This will be a running metric all season long.

On to the grades!

Arizona Cardinals (3-0)

1 of 32
Cardinals QB Drew Stanton
Cardinals QB Drew Stanton

Week 3 Outcome: Def. San Francisco 49ers 23-14

Game Ball: John Brown, WR

Game Goat: Larry Fitzgerald, WR

Are we looking at a changing of the guard?

The Cardinals are fine at wide receiver without big performances from Fitzgerald, who had a terrible game other than a small spurt of catches in the fourth quarter that ended with a fumble recovered by the 49ers. This season has been a disappointment for the former top receiver, and it's not just the lack of quarterback Carson Palmer in the lineup.

Backup quarterback Drew Stanton (pictured above) found a rhythm with rookie receiver Brown, who caught four of six targets, which seems like a paltry number until one also sees that it went for 52 yards and two touchdowns.

Week 3 Grade: A

2014 Cumulative: B+ 

Week 4 Opponent: Bye

Atlanta Falcons (2-1)

2 of 32
Falcons WR/KR Devin Hester
Falcons WR/KR Devin Hester

Week 3 Outcome: Def. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 56-14

Game Ball: Devin Hester, WR/KR (Pictured Above)

Game Goat: Lamar Holmes, OT

This was a Grade-A butt-whuppin'.

With all due respect to Hester, who had a fantastic game as a runner, receiver and returner, it's unlikely that he'll be featured quite this heavily again, but the Buccaneers simply couldn't contain him, and the Falcons knew it.

It's hard to quibble and find a goat here, but Holmes found it hard to gain any traction in the run game, with running back Steven Jackson only able to rush for four yards in three carries behind the right tackle.

Week 3 Grade: A

2014 Cumulative: B 

Week 4 Opponent: Minnesota Vikings (Away)

Baltimore Ravens ( 2-1)

3 of 32
Ravens WR Steve Smith
Ravens WR Steve Smith

Week 3 Outcome: Def. Cleveland Browns 23-21

Game Ball: Steve Smith, WR (Pictured Above)

Game Goat: Matt Elam, S

Steve Smith is the perfect free-agency addition from this past offseason. It's not just the stats (five catches for 101 yards in Week 3); it's also the mentality. Honestly, if Smith's only catch had been the 32-yard grab that put the Ravens in field-goal position to win this game, he'd still have the game ball.

As much as Smith seemed to will the Ravens to victory at points, Elam darn near willed them out of a win. The Browns targeted Elam twice, and he allowed both catches for 113 yards.

Week 3 Grade: B

2014 Cumulative: B

Week 4 Opponent: Carolina Panthers (Home)

TOP NEWS

Colts Jaguars Football
Rams Seahawks Football
Mississippi Football

Buffalo Bills (2-1)

4 of 32
Bills RB C.J. Spiller
Bills RB C.J. Spiller

Week 3 Outcome: Lost to San Diego Chargers 22-10

Game Ball: Kyle Williams, DT

Game Goat: C.J. Spiller, RB (Pictured Above)

Is this just a hiccup, or are the wheels coming off the Bills resurgence?

Historically, we're nearly trained to believe the former, but one also has to remember what the Chargers were able to do (albeit at home) against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2. So, while this loss was ugly in all three phases of the game, it's likely not the end of the world.

Spiller, who is supposed to be breaking out for like the umpteenth year in a row, managed only 25 yards on 10 carries and 37 yards through the air.

Yet the Bills also did a good job bottling up the Chargers' run game, and that started with Williams, who was dominant at the point of attack for the second week in a row.

Week 3 Grade: D+

2014 Cumulative: C+

Week 4 Opponent: Houston Texans (Away)

Carolina Panthers (2-1)

5 of 32
Panthers WR Kelvin Benjamin
Panthers WR Kelvin Benjamin

Week 3 Outcome: Loss to Pittsburgh Steelers 37-19

Game Ball: Kelvin Benjamin, WR (Pictured Above)

Game Goat: Mike Shula, Offensive Coordinator

I have never seen a team so talented, yet so deserving of a loss.

The Panthers could've followed the same game plan the Baltimore Ravens used in Week 2 to completely demolish the Steelers. Instead, OC Mike Shula basically threw out the run plays in his playbook and put the game entirely in the hands of Cam Newton, the beleaguered receiving corps and an offensive line that allowed the Steelers pass-rushers to tee off on Newton by pinning their ears back.

The one bright spot of the pass-heavy attack was the play of Benjamin, who finished with 115 yards and a touchdown on eight catches.

Week 3 Grade: F

2014 Cumulative: C 

Week 4 Opponent: Baltimore Ravens (Away)

Chicago Bears (2-1)

6 of 32
Bears TE Martellus Bennett
Bears TE Martellus Bennett

Week 3 Outcome: Def. New York Jets 27-19

Game Ball: Martellus Bennett, TE

Game Goat: Terrell Manning, LB

Game balls could've been given both to safety Ryan Mundy and cornerback Kyle Fuller for their turnovers (the former starting the game off with a pick-six), but Bennett's end-zone-finding ways are starting to become a real crutch for quarterback Jay Cutler, and that is a good thing.

Manning gets goat status for a stupid 15-yard penalty for bumping the return man. It didn't turn the game toward the Jets, but it had that chance, as the Jets were keeping things dangerously close.

Week 3 Grade: B

2014 Cumulative: C 

Week 4 Opponent: Green Bay Packers (Home)

Cincinnati Bengals (3-0)

7 of 32
Bengals RB Gio Bernard
Bengals RB Gio Bernard

Week 3 Outcome: Def. Tennessee Titans 33-7

Game Ball: Bengals Offensive Line

Game Goat: Rey Maualuga, LB

If the Bengals aren't the best team in the AFC, they're playing like it right now.

I'm going to pick on Maualuga, who missed three tackles and gave up the only pass thrown his way, but honestly he didn't have that bad of a game—no one on the Bengals did. The defense made Titans quarterback Jake Locker look as bad as he's looked recently (and that's saying a lot).

The big positive for me, though, was the Bengals offensive line, which has continued to keep quarterback Andy Dalton upright and has provided huge running lines for Giovani Bernard (pictured above).

Week 3 Grade: A

2014 Cumulative: A- 

Week 4 Opponent: Bye

Cleveland Browns (1-2)

8 of 32
Browns QB Brian Hoyer
Browns QB Brian Hoyer

Week 3 Outcome: Lost to Baltimore Ravens 23-21

Game Ball: Isaiah Crowell, RB

Game Goat: Joe Haden, CB

Haden is having a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad season.

The Browns cornerback gave up five receptions on six targets in his zone for Week 3. That amounted to 82 yards and a 118.8 passer rating. Sadly, because he managed to not give up a first down, that's actually his best game of the season.

One could roll a die between a number of Browns offensive players who all seemed to have slightly better than mediocre days. Crowell was the pick here because he was able to find a modicum of success against a good Ravens run defense.

Week 3 Grade: C-

2014 Cumulative: C+ 

Week 4 Opponent: Bye

Dallas Cowboys (2-1)

9 of 32
Cowboys WR Dez Bryant
Cowboys WR Dez Bryant

Week 3 Outcome: Def. St. Louis Rams 34-31

Game Ball: Bruce Carter, LB

Game Goat: Morris Claiborne, CB

Let's get one thing straight. This grade is going to look inflated on first glance, because a game against the Rams shouldn't be so difficult. As many times as I went back, though, this grade held up. Though Carter gets the game ball because of his 25-yard interception return in the fourth quarter, it could've easily gone to wide receiver Dez Bryant (pictured above).

Claiborne, strangely enough, had the worst day of any Cowboys player even though he should be their best defender. He got an interception, yes, but also allowed five catches, 108 yards and two touchdowns when targeted.

Week 3 Grade: B

2014 Cumulative: C+ 

Week 4 Opponent: New Orleans Saints (Home)

Denver Broncos (2-1)

10 of 32
Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders
Broncos WR Emmanuel Sanders

Week 3 Outcome: Lost to Seattle Seahawks 26-20 in OT

Game Ball: Emmanuel Sanders, WR (Pictured Above)

Game Goat: Montee Ball, RB

Earlier, I called the Baltimore Ravens' signing of Steve Smith the most perfect signing, but Sanders might have the biggest impact on the box score all season long. Here, he racked up 149 yards against the Legion of Boom, of all defenses.

Ball, however, did not have a good day, as the Seahawks shut down the Broncos' running game just about as well as they did in the Super Bowl. Ball's 2.7 yards per carry and opening fumble allowed the Seahawks to set the tone for most of the game.

Week 3 Grade: B+

2014 Cumulative: B+

Week 4 Opponent: Bye

Detroit Lions (2-1)

11 of 32
Lions QB Matthew Stafford
Lions QB Matthew Stafford

Week 3 Outcome: Def. Green Bay Packers 19-7

Game Ball: DeAndre Levy, LB

Game Goat: Matthew Stafford, QB (Pictured Above)

One look at the score, and it's probable that one believes the Lions had a really good game.

Meh.

The Lions defense was decent, yes, but the Packers' offensive woes had far more to do with their inability to make plays and avoid unforced errors. Still, the play of Levy, with 10 tackles and two pass deflections, helped pace the Lions' efforts.

It was Stafford, though, with two interceptions and a fumble, who seemed so interested in giving this game right back to the Packers.

Week 3 Grade: C+

2014 Cumulative: C+

Week 4 Opponent: New York Jets (Away)

Green Bay Packers (1-2)

12 of 32
Packers LB Julius Peppers
Packers LB Julius Peppers

Week 3 Outcome: Lost to Detroit Lions 19-7

Game Ball: Julius Peppers, LB (Pictured Above)

Game Goat: Eddie Lacy, RB

So, about those terrible Packers efforts.

We've picked on the Packers defense enough this season (and rightfully so), but they had Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford absolutely rattled all game long. If the offense had been able to do anything, literally anything, against a poor Detroit secondary, this game should've been in the bag.

Lacy's starting to get that "Trent Richardson" vibe in Green Bay as he falls into a plodding, less dynamic running style when things aren't going his way. The Lions have a good defensive line, yes, but Lacy seemed to settle far too many times on his 11 carries.

Week 3 Grade: F

2014 Cumulative: D+

Week 4 Opponent: Chicago Bears (Away)

Houston Texans (2-1)

13 of 32
Texans QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
Texans QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

Week 3 Outcome: Lost to New York Giants 30-17

Game Ball: Brian Cushing, LB

Game Goat: Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB (Pictured Above)

This is the Texans team we expected to see.

It's also the Giants offense we expected to see.

Defensive end J.J. Watt bounced back from his goat game last week, but Cushing was all over the field and gets game-ball honors slightly ahead of his teammate.

Fitzpatrick, though, is the story here. He was terrible, throwing three interceptions that kept the rest of the Texas team just out of actual contention.

Week 3 Grade: C

2014 Cumulative: B 

Week 4 Opponent: Buffalo Bills (Home)

Indianapolis Colts (1-2)

14 of 32
Colts QB Andrew Luck
Colts QB Andrew Luck

Week 3 Outcome: Def. Jacksonville Jaguars 44-17

Game Ball: Andrew Luck, QB (Pictured Above)

Game Goat: Trent Richardson, RB

Luck had one of the best quarterbacking days of his young career, and that's starting to become the Jaguars defense's M.O. this season. Still, props for 31-of-39, 370 yards and four touchdowns—even if it did look like a controlled seven-on-seven situation.

Richardson...man, when is the light going to turn on for either him or the Indianapolis coaching staff? He had 57 rushing yards overall, but much of that was on a big 27-yard run. Outside of that run, Richardson averaged a whopping 2.3 yards per carry.

Week 3 Grade: A

2014 Cumulative: B 

Week 4 Opponent: Tennessee Titans (Home)

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3)

15 of 32
Jaguars QB Blake Bortles
Jaguars QB Blake Bortles

Week 3 Outcome: Lost to Indianapolis Colts 44-17

Game Ball: Allen Robinson, WR

Game Goat: Dwayne Gratz, CB

Robinson's seven receptions were a lone offensive bright spot punctuated by the exit of backup quarterback Chad Henne and the entrance of Blake Bortles (pictured above). Though Bortles has the upside to receive many game balls in the future, his entry was too little, too late for true consideration here.

Why were the Jaguars down so much? Well...there were certainly many reasons, but Gratz giving up six of seven catches for 78 yards and a touchdown was a big part of it.

Week 3 Grade: F

2014 Cumulative: D- 

Week 4 Opponent: San Diego Chargers (Away)

Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)

16 of 32
Chiefs RB Joe McKnight
Chiefs RB Joe McKnight

Week 3 Outcome: Def. Miami Dolphins 34-15

Game Ball: Knile Davis, RB

Game Goat: Mike McGlynn, OG

Tight end Travis Kelce and running back Joe McKnight (pictured above) both deserve plaudits for their efforts against the Dolphins. Yet it was Davis who served as the team's battering ram (32 carries, 132 yards) that really paced their efforts.

The defense, too, stepped things up this week, though that may have just been the Dolphins' continued offensive sputtering.

One of the lone lowlights was the play of McGlynn, who gave up two sacks on the day and struggled in the run game.

Week 3 Grade: B

2014 Cumulative: C

Week 4 Opponent: New England Patriots (Home)

Miami Dolphins (1-2)

17 of 32
Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill
Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill

Week 3 Outcome: Lost to Kansas City Chiefs 34-15

Game Ball: Jelani Jenkins, LB

Game Goat: Ryan Tannehill, QB (Pictured Above)

A lot of the offensive sputtering in Miami has nothing to do with Tannehill, but a lot of it did Sunday. He's becoming a much lower-percentage passer than he has been in his career, and it's less of an accuracy issue than it is a mechanics and decision-making issue.

Jenkins, defensively, was a sight for sore eyes as he made play after play, finishing with 15 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Week 3 Grade: D+

2014 Cumulative: C+

Week 4 Opponent: Oakland Raiders (Away, in London)

Minnesota Vikings (1-2)

18 of 32
Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater
Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater

Week 3 Outcome: Lost to New Orleans Saints 20-9

Game Ball: Blair Walsh, K

Game Goat: Matt Kalil, OT

Enter the Teddy Bridgewater era.

Bridgewater (pictured above) should be the starter for the Vikings for the foreseeable future after an injury to Matt Cassel, and he performed reasonably well given the circumstances. Next week's home slate against the Falcons will be a much better test of his efforts.

Kalil has become a liability at left tackle. It's come out of seemingly nowhere, but his career has been trending downward this season, and something is either wrong or he needs to be replaced sooner rather than later. He gave up a sack, QB hit and five hurries against the Saints (via PFF).

Week 3 Grade: C-

2014 Cumulative: C 

Week 4 Opponent: Atlanta Falcons (Home)

New England Patriots (2-1)

19 of 32
Patriots K Stephen Gostkowski
Patriots K Stephen Gostkowski

Week 3 Outcome: Def. Oakland Raiders 16-9

Game Ball: Stephan Gostkowski, K

Game Goat: Stevan Ridley, RB

KickFest 2014, feel the excitement!

The Patriots hardly deserve this generous C they've been given, as the caliber of opponent they faced (at home no less) should've warranted a much better effort. Playing down to competition like this is going to get them in a lot more trouble.

Ridley carried the ball 19 times for 54 of the most boring rushing yards one could ever see. The Raiders spent a lot of money upgrading the defense this offseason, but things hadn't been looking that good.

Week 3 Grade: C

2014 Cumulative: C+

Week 4 Opponent: Kansas City Chiefs (Away)

New Orleans Saints (1-2)

20 of 32
Saints RB Pierre Thomas
Saints RB Pierre Thomas

Week 3 Outcome: Def. Minnesota Vikings 20-9

Game Ball: Brandin Cooks, WR

Game Goat: Jairus Byrd, S

Cooks was my Rookie of the Year pick, and he's paying dividends. Here, 74 yards on eight out of 10 targets in a game where the Saints didn't need much more out of him.

Byrd, meanwhile, is supposed to be the cornerstone of the defense, and he continues to be what's wrong with it. He gave up all three passes in his coverage area for 50 yards. Against a better opponent, those numbers would be much higher.

Week 3 Grade: B-

2014 Cumulative: C+

Week 4 Opponent: Dallas Cowboys (Away)

New York Giants (1-2)

21 of 32
Giants RB Rashard Jennings
Giants RB Rashard Jennings

Week 3 Outcome: Def. Houston Texans 30-17

Game Ball: Rashard Jennings, RB (Pictured Above)

Game Goat: Stevie Brown, CB

Stevie Brown got benched and deserved it after giving up both catches in his area, including a 44-yard touchdown pass to Texans receiver Damaris Johnson.

Thankfully for Brown and his teammates, there was help on the offensive side of the ball. Things still don't look perfect for quarterback Eli Manning, but he was a lot more composed running the offense, and a big part of that is being able to trust Jennings on the ground. Yeah, 176 yards earns a lot of trust.

Week 3 Grade: B+

2014 Cumulative: C

Week 4 Opponent: Washington (Away)

New York Jets (1-2)

22 of 32
New York Jets CB Antonio Allen
New York Jets CB Antonio Allen

Week 3 Outcome: Lost to Chicago Bears 27-19

Game Ball: Nick Folk, K

Game Goat: Antonio Allen, CB

Folk's four field goals kept the Jets in the game, but their inability to score touchdowns in those situations is what did them in from even early on in the game, as the Bears never really ceded control.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler fell into a rhythm of targeting Allen in coverage, and it worked, with Allen giving up a number of big catches and being generally rattled.

Week 3 Grade: C-

2014 Cumulative: C 

Week 4 Opponent: Detroit Lions (Home)

Oakland Raiders (0-3)

23 of 32
Raiders K Sebastian Janikowski
Raiders K Sebastian Janikowski

Week 3 Outcome: Lost to New England Patriots 16-9

Game Ball: Sebastian Janikowski, K

Game Goat: Darren McFadden, RB

The Raiders are a lot more amenable to kickers getting game balls than the Patriots, but it still isn't good.

This was a whole-team loss for the Raiders on the road in New England. It may have been what everyone expected, but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow when one is forced to grade it!

McFadden, with only 59 yards on 18 carries, isn't the back people once wanted him to be. Though the backfield was supposed to be a bright spot for the Raiders this season, it's been a disappointment.

Week 3 Grade: D

2014 Cumulative: D+ 

Week 4 Opponent: Miami Dolphins (Home, in London)

Philadelphia Eagles (3-0)

24 of 32
Eagles RB LeSean McCoy
Eagles RB LeSean McCoy

Week 3 Outcome: Def. Washington 37-34

Game Ball: Cody Parkey, K

Game Goat: LeSean McCoy, RB

Sooner or later, the Eagles are going to give themselves a hole they can't dig out of.

Maybe, but not if Parkey (three second-half field goals) has anything to say about it.

Cornerback Cary Williams could easily be the goat for his idiotic comments about the Eagles practicing too hard. Heck, I could give Chip Kelly goat status for going out and calling Williams a competitor (literally the opposite of what he's doing right now) and not just cutting the cornerback, who has been terrible this year—on and off the field—for the Eagles.

Instead, the goat goes to McCoy, who looked like late-career Shaun Alexander out there with 22 yards on 19 carries. Washington has an upward-trending defense, but that's insanity.

Week 3 Grade: B

2014 Cumulative: B- 

Week 4 Opponent: San Francisco 49ers (Away)

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)

25 of 32
Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell
Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell

Week 3 Outcome: Def. Carolina Panthers 37-19

Game Ball: Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount, RB

Game Goat: Cortez Allen, CB

Carolina didn't commit to the run, but Pittsburgh did, and its two backs eclipsed 100 yards apiece and looked great doing it. Toward the end of the game, Blount simply ran over and leaped over defenders for fun, as the Panthers had given up.

Allen gets the goat this week as part of a troubling trend for him. Though the young corner has undeniable talent, he gave up eight receptions and a touchdown. At that point, they're just picking on him.

Week 3 Grade: A

2014 Cumulative: B-

Week 4 Opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Home)

San Diego Chargers (2-1)

26 of 32
Chargers WR Eddie Royal
Chargers WR Eddie Royal

Week 3 Outcome: Def. Buffalo Bills 22-10

Game Ball: Eddie Royal, WR (Pictured Above)

Game Goat: Donald Brown, RB

Royal only caught four balls, but two of those went for touchdowns. In scoreboard terms, he beat the Bills all by himself. Seriously, though, the honors could've gone to a number of players on the offense, as it was a group effort downing a Bills team that didn't need much to knock them over.

Except for Brown.

The Chargers handed Brown the ball 31 times in a level of rushing-game commitment previously unheard of in San Diego. He responded with only 62 yards. 

Week 3 Grade: B

2014 Cumulative: B- 

Week 4 Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars (Home)

San Francisco 49ers (1-2)

27 of 32
49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman
49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman

Week 3 Outcome: Lost to Arizona Cardinals 23-14

Game Ball: Steve Johnson, WR

Game Goat: 49ers Run Game 

The Cardinals have a phenomenal defense, but the 49ers rushing attack wasn't supposed to be this bad.

It wasn't just running back Frank Gore either. It was offensive coordinator Greg Roman (pictured above) deciding to put the ball in the hands of quarterback Colin Kaepernick and only call nine running plays for his backs. That isn't how this team is built to win.

With such heavy passing, Johnson had a good game with nine catches for 103 yards.

Week 3 Grade: C-

2014 Cumulative: C+ 

Week 4 Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles (Home)

Seattle Seahawks (2-1)

28 of 32
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson

Week 3 Outcome: Def. Denver Broncos 26-20 in Overtime

Game Ball: Kam Chancellor, S

Game Goat: Justin Britt, OT

Chancellor doesn't always get the love he deserves, but he earned anything he got against the Broncos with a fantastic day covering a lot of quality targets.

Offensively, quarterback Russell Wilson (pictured above) and the Seahawks struggled with so much pass rush coming from the Broncos. A big part of that was the five hurries given up by Britt (via PFF).

Week 3 Grade: A-

2014 Cumulative: A-

Week 4 Opponent: Bye

St. Louis Rams (1-2)

29 of 32
Rams CB Janoris Jenkins
Rams CB Janoris Jenkins

Week 3 Outcome: Lost to Dallas Cowboys 34-31

Game Ball: Janoris Jenkins, CB (Pictured Above)

Game Goat: Robert Quinn, DE

Quinn is one of the best defenders in the game, but he wasn't against the Cowboys, struggling to make an impact either as a pass-rusher or a run defender as the Cowboys threw everything at him.

Thankfully for the Rams defense, Jenkins stepped up with a good day in coverage, including an interception that he turned into a touchdown as he is wont to do.

Week 3 Grade: C+

2014 Cumulative: C-

Week 4 Opponent: Bye

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3)

30 of 32

Week 2 Outcome: Lost to Atlanta Falcons 56-14

Game Ball: N/A

Game Goat: Head Coach Lovie Smith (Pictured Above)

When your team is beaten this badly in all three phases of the game, you failed as a head coach and no one gets a game ball. 'Nuff said.

Week 2 Grade: F

2014 Cumulative: D-

Week 3 Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers (Away)

Tennessee Titans (1-2)

31 of 32
Titans QB Jake Locker
Titans QB Jake Locker

Week 3 Outcome: Lost to Cincinnati Bengals 33-7

Game Ball: Bernard Pollard, S

Game Goat: Jake Locker, QB (Pictured Above)

Locker and the Titans are in serious regression mode after a Week 1 victory. Locker simply couldn't keep the ball, as he threw two interceptions and fumbled twice (though the Titans recovered both). That's a level of Yakety Sax-inspired poor play that should force the Titans to move on.

Defensively, things weren't great, but Pollard had himself a day with five tackles, including the only pass in his zone that was caught but immediately shut down for a three-yard loss.

Week 3 Grade: F

2014 Cumulative: D+ 

Week 4 Opponent: Indianapolis Colts (Away)

Washington (1-2)

32 of 32
Washington QB Kirk Cousins
Washington QB Kirk Cousins

Week 3 Outcome: Lost to Philadelphia Eagles 37-34

Game Ball: Kirk Cousins, QB (Pictured Above)

Game Goat: David Amerson, CB

This game wasn't great for Washington, as the defense (especially Amerson) got picked on for most of it, but it gives fans a lot of reasons for hope as Cousins went toe-to-toe with the vaunted Eagles offense and nearly pulled out the victory.

His 427 yards passing is something literally no scouts had pegged for him in the league, even those (like me) who were high on his chances. Better yet, he seems to be progressing in the offense, which is more than has been able to be said about Robert Griffin III.

Week 3 Grade: B-

2014 Cumulative: C+ 

Week 4 Opponent: New York Giants (Home)

Michael Schottey is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Find more of his stuff on his archive page and follow him on Twitter.

All traditional box score stats courtesy of ESPN.com. Advanced stats and metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

EPIC NFL Thanksgiving Slate 🙌

TOP NEWS

Colts Jaguars Football
Rams Seahawks Football
Mississippi Football
Packers Bears Football

TRENDING ON B/R