NFL Report Cards: Team-by-Team Grades for Week 6
Winning isn't everything.
With all due respect to former Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, "just win, baby" never made a lot of sense. Yes, winning is the point of the game. Yes, the team with more points on the scoreboard when the clock hits zeroes is better off—no one is denying that.
Yet, the NFL season is more than just one game in one city. It's 16 games—a grueling season full of veritable car crash-level collisions and plenty of ups, downs and all-arounds. Winning is the point, yes, but it isn't everything.
Teams can play poorly and still win. Teams can play really well and still lose.
If we're in the business of taking an objective look at teams and their efforts on the field, the moment in time in which a team has won or lost may be a positive, but it's only a smaller piece of a much bigger picture. A team that plays well in defeat could be in a better place down the road than a team that plays poorly in victory, especially depending upon their opponents.
Weeks 6 and 7 are a good time to remind us that football is not just the horse race chasing a divisional victory or wild-card berth. A win here or a loss there will likely not sink a team. However, the teams that are continually playing well week-in and week-out (win or lose) are putting themselves in a good position for bigger and better things down the road.
Criteria for Grading
- Coaching decisions and how a team performed on offense, defense and special teams.
- The caliber of opponent the team was facing.
- The atmosphere the performance was played in: at home, away, weather, etc.
Not Considered in Grades
- Excuses. I grade the team on the field, not the ideal team that could have been out there without injuries, suspensions, etc.
- Expectations. If everyone picked your favorite team to lose and it won, that doesn't mean it gets an A+ grade.
- Results. A team can look really bad and win a game, while another team can look great in defeat. While it's true that winners will often trend higher than losers from week to week, that doesn't mean all of the winners get good grades while the losers get bad ones.
Each team also gets a "game ball" and a "game goat" to clue you in to some of the things that went into the assessment of the team. Many will be obvious to those who watched the game, but some will require a deep dive into the stats or film. Though much of the commentary will center on those choices, the grades are a look at the entire team.
Each team also gets a cumulative grade, averaging grades thus far in the current season. This will be a running metric all season long. A reminder, though, that this is simply an average. Early on, massive outliers (both positive and negative) will affect those averages.
Grab your red pens. We're on to the grades!
Arizona Cardinals (4-1)
1 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Def. Washington 30-20
Game Ball: Rashad Johnson, Safety
Game Goat: Patrick Peterson, Cornerback (Pictured Above)
Johnson didn't just collect two interceptions in the game and lead the Cardinals in tackles. That alone may have sealed a game ball for him, but his contribution was even bigger than that. With a pick-six interception of Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins to put the Cardinals up 30-20 with only 18 seconds left on the clock, Johnson slammed the door on any late-game heroics.
Yet, it's worthwhile asking why in the heck Washington was even in the game to begin with, as the Cardinals are not only the much better team, but they also had starting quarterback Carson Palmer back under center. A big part of Washington staying in the game was the play of the other defensive backs on the Cardinals—especially Peterson and rookie safety Deone Bucannon.
Together, the two heralded defensive backs allowed 10 of 11 passes thrown their way to be completed. Peterson gets the goat, however, because two of the five receptions he allowed were touchdowns—one to DeSean Jackson and one to Pierre Garcon.
Week 6 Grade: B+
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 7 Opponent: Oakland Raiders (Away)
Atlanta Falcons (2-4)
2 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Lost to Chicago Bears 27-13
Game Ball: Antone Smith, Running Back (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Jake Matthews and Gabe Carimi, Offensive Tackles
Is there a more underutilized player in football right now than the Falcons' Smith?
The dude just makes big plays. Against the Bears, he touched the ball six times for a total of 69 yards and a touchdown. It wasn't a huge contribution, because it was only six touches. Meanwhile, the Falcons continue to lean on players like running back Steven Jackson and tight end Levine Toilolo who bring so little to the table.
Quarterback Matt Ryan had a rough game, completing only 19 of 37 passes for 271 yards, but a big reason he was so erratic was the Falcons' complete inability to protect him. He was sacked four times and took seven additional hits. The fact he didn't spike the ball in his tackles' faces makes him eligible for sainthood.
Week 6 Grade: C-
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 7 Opponent: Baltimore Ravens (Away)
Baltimore Ravens (4-2)
3 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Def. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48-17
Game Ball: Joe Flacco, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Matt Elam, Safety
The Ravens haven't been perfect this season, but when they're on...they're really on.
Picking a goat on the winning side of a blowout is never an easy task, but I was disappointed in the play of Elam against the Buccaneers. He gave up a touchdown to Buccaneers receiver Louis Murphy because he got caught up in traffic, which was a common refrain on his day on a few run plays as well. Not a terrible effort by any means, but he'll need to be better.
It's hard to think of Flacco playing any better, though. The big-armed/heavy-walleted passer earned his game check with 21-of-29 passing for 306 yards and five first-half touchdowns.
Week 6 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: B+
Week 7 Opponent: Atlanta Falcons (Home)
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Buffalo Bills (3-3)
4 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Lost to New England Patriots 37-22
Game Ball: Nigel Bradham, Linebacker
Game Goat: C.J. Spiller, Running Back (Pictured Above)
We're at the point where Spiller is running out of time to be the kind of player many believed he could be pre-draft. At 27 years old and continually fluctuating between spurts of misuse and failed chances, Spiller was only targeted once on Sunday (no receptions), and he carried the ball just six times for 19 yards.
The defense gave up 37 points, but the game stayed close (Bills were within eight points in the fourth quarter) because they held the Patriots to four field-goal attempts, three of which were made. It's tough to call that a victory, but when one considers what the Patriots did to a good Bengals defense, it's a bit of a silver lining.
Bradham gets the game ball for leading that defense with 11 tackles.
Week 6 Grade: C
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 7 Opponent: Minnesota Vikings (Home)
Carolina Panthers (3-2-1)
5 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Tied Cincinnati Bengals 37-37
Game Ball: Cam Newton, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Jerricho Cotchery, Wide Receiver
Newton didn't have the best day passing the ball at 29-of-46 for 284 yards, but he was continually let down by both his protection and his receivers, including Cotchery who had two drops and failed to seal the game when one of those drops happened on a well-thrown ball into the end zone.
Yet, Newton also led the team with 107 yards rushing, and one gets the impression that any other passer on the day wouldn't have been able to put the team on his back in quite the way Newton did.
The defensive line continues to be an up-and-down adventure (both snap-to-snap and game-to-game), which highlights some of the already-known personnel issues in the defensive backfield.
Week 6 Grade: B+
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 7 Opponent: Green Bay Packers (Away)
Chicago Bears (3-3)
6 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Def. Atlanta Falcons 27-13
Game Ball: Matt Forte, Running Back
Game Goat: Jordan Mills, Offensive Tackle
This was the Bears' best performance of the season, especially considering the Falcons are a tough opponent at home. Quarterback Jay Cutler (pictured above) was awfully close to getting the game ball thanks to an interception-free performance and 381 yards passing. Forte takes the cake, though, with 157 total yards and two touchdowns. He was a threat to break a big play every time he touched the ball.
Mills continued what has been a disappointing season, giving up pressure numerous times and forcing the Bears to help him with extra blockers against a Falcons pass rush that had been terrible most of the season.
Week 6 Grade: A-
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 7 Opponent: Miami Dolphins (Home)
Cincinnati Bengals (3-1-1)
7 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Tied Carolina Panthers 37-37
Game Ball: Giovani Bernard, Running Back (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Mike Nugent, K
A reminder here that cumulative grades are averages. Ask me what grade I would, off the top of my head, give the Bengals, and I would probably say B+/A-, as they've been one of the best teams from week to week in the league. Yet, an atrocious outing against the New England Patriots last week (which I graded a D+) drops them to a B.
Nugent only missed one kick, but it was a 36-yarder that would have won the game in overtime. He just choked at the worst possible moment.
Bernard earned his money, though (which isn't hard, since he's earning about half of what Nugent is this season). He ran for 137 yards and a touchdown on only 18 carries.
Week 6 Grade: B+
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 7 Opponent: Indianapolis Colts (Away)
Cleveland Browns (3-2)
8 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Def. Pittsburgh Steelers 31-10
Game Ball: Brian Hoyer, Quarterback
Game Goat: Joe Haden, Cornerback
It is telling that Haden had one of his best games of the season, and his best career game against Steelers receiver Antonio Brown, yet he's still getting the goat here. Not only is it telling as to how bad Haden has been in other games this year but also how good the Browns were in this one. It was much more difficult on a second go-around with this game than simply handing the ignominious title to Haden like usual.
In all, Haden didn't allow a touchdown, but he did allow all but two passes thrown toward his direction to be caught, including a 5-of-6 effort for Brown. When the No. 1 corner is getting picked on like that, it's hard not to notice.
Hoyer, too, had one of his best games of the season, but it was truly a great effort. No, 8-of-17 for 217 yards aren't eye-popping numbers, but 12.8 yards per attempt is excellent, and three Browns dropped passes kept that number from being even higher. Most of all, he was mistake-free against a defense renowned for pass rushing and confusing passers.
Week 6 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 7 Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars (Away)
Dallas Cowboys (5-1)
9 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Def. Seattle Seahawks 30-23
Game Ball: DeMarco Murray, Running Back (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Doug Free, Offensive Tackle
No one gave the Cowboys a chance, because they shouldn't have had one.
Remember, I don't grade based on expectation, but there are objective hurdles toward playing the Seahawks in Seattle, and the Cowboys cleared them just about as well as can be expected to move to a tie for first place in the NFC East and the entire NFL at 5-1.
Paced by Murray's 115 yards and quarterback Tony Romo's mistake-free 250-yard, two-touchdown performance, the Cowboys quickly quietened the Seattle crowd and neutralized any sense of home-field dominance.
Free didn't have a terrible day, but when Romo was pressured, it was usually because Free wasn't sustaining blocks. This led to some interesting (and fantastic) plays from the quarterback, but had Free held up a little better, those wouldn't have been needed.
Week 6 Grade: A+
2014 Cumulative: B+
Week 7 Opponent: New York Giants (Home)
Denver Broncos (4-1)
10 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Def. New York Jets 31-17
Game Ball: Demaryius Thomas, Wide Receiver (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: N/A
I am flat-out refusing to give a goat in this game, as it was a complete-game beating that downed the Jets in New Jersey. No drops by the receivers, a good running game (including 100 yards from Ronnie Hillman), decent blocking up front and a great defensive effort.
Impossible to ask for much more. The only reason this isn't an A+ is because it's still the Jets.
Quarterback Peyton Manning was close to getting the game ball with a great 22-of-33 effort for 237 yards and three touchdowns. Tight end Julius Thomas caught two touchdowns and deserves props as well. Still, I'm giving the ball to Demaryius Thomas, who caught 10 of 12 targets and was basically uncoverable for the entire game.
Week 6 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: A-
Week 7 Opponent: San Francisco 49ers (Home)
Detroit Lions (4-2)
11 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Def. Minnesota Vikings 17-3
Game Ball: Ezekiel Ansah, Defensive End
Game Goat: Dominic Raiola, Center
The story was the same on Sunday as it's been for much of the Lions' 2014 season. The highly paid, supposedly potent offense was terrible thanks to another off-day for quarterback Matthew Stafford and a big letdown from Raiola, who allowed three of the four sacks on Stafford.
The offense was missing big pieces in wide receiver Calvin Johnson and running back Reggie Bush, but Stafford, tight end Eric Ebron, running back Joique Bell and wide receiver Golden Tate have as much talent as a lot of teams that took the field on Sunday and just couldn't get rolling.
The defense, though, was superb. Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (pictured above) was a force in the middle, taking and eating up double-teams on a near-constant basis. He was behind a lot of the success for Ansah (who gets the game ball after 2.5 sacks and a number of other pressures) and others.
Week 6 Grade: B+
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 7 Opponent: New Orleans Saints (Home)
Green Bay Packers (4-2)
12 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Def. Miami Dolphins 27-24
Game Ball: Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Eddie Lacy, Running Back
Packers fans have a lot of reasons to be excited for this game, and if I were grading only the last few seconds, there would not be enough plusses in the world to do the play of Rodgers justice. On the day, he was only 24-of-42 for 264 yards and three touchdowns, but the decision to go with a fake snap paid dividends, and his ball placement on the final touchdown was tremendous.
That said, this is about grading the whole game, and the fact that the Packers needed those kind of heroics says a lot about the efforts overall—especially since they won the turnover battle three to zero.
It should have been an absolute blowout, but it was a rough day for the offensive line and an even worse day for Lacy (40 yards on 14 carries). The defense, though it caused those turnovers, had plenty of "bend but don't break" moments against inferior competition.
Week 6 Grade: B
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 7 Opponent: Carolina Panthers (Home)
Houston Texans (3-3)
13 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Lost to Indianapolis Colts 33-28
Game Ball: J.J. Watt, Defensive End (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Johnathan Joseph, Cornerback
If the Texans could put together a complete game, Watt would probably appreciate it.
Watt was fantastic, collecting two sacks, four quarterback hits, two more hurries on top of it, three batted passes and a fumble return for a touchdown. He was a one-man wrecking crew, and it took an equally fantastic game by Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and Co. to neutralize his efforts.
When Luck was able to elude Watt's harassment, he found an easy target in Joseph, who allowed eight of the nine passes thrown his way to be completed for a total of 152 yards. Colts receiver T.Y. Hilton made Joseph look like a rookie time and time again.
Other big negatives in the grade, though, are thanks to an offense that struggled due in large part to a couple of turnovers. No one stood out entirely poorly (thus the goat going to Joseph), but the Colts defense looked a lot better than it had in some weeks past.
Week 6 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 7 Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers (Away)
Indianapolis Colts (4-2)
14 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Def. Houston Texans 33-28
Game Ball: Andrew Luck, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Gosder Cherilus, Right Tackle
As mentioned in the previous slide, Luck was fantastic. Numbers like 25-of-44 for 370 yards and three touchdowns are good enough, but the pressure Luck was under was intense. He was masterful in both eluding and managing the pressure to directly lead the Week 6 victory.
That pressure was largely thanks to the efforts of Cherilus. Now, we might have all expected Cherlius to get beaten like a rag-doll, but that doesn't change the fact that a better performance out of him (or more help in terms of extra, capable blockers) would've turned this into a much different game.
Week 6 Grade: A-
2014 Cumulative: B+
Week 7 Opponent: Cincinnati Bengals (Home)
Jacksonville Jaguars (0-6)
15 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Lost to Tennessee Titans 16-14
Game Ball: Blake Bortles, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: John Cyprien, Safety
The Jaguars looked as competitive as they have all season, but that needs to be tempered against the competition. In truth, this was a battle of the bottom-feeders, and it's not like the Titans should be that proud of themselves for barely winning.
That being said, the biggest positive is still the play of Bortles. Completing 32 of 46 passes is huge for an offense that desperately needs to loosen up the running lanes, and Bortles has continued his trend of making the kind of quick decisions that have kept him (mostly) upright since taking over for Chad Henne.
Cyprien—another young player the Jaguars have high hopes for—was not as big of a positive against the Titans. Of Titans quarterback Charlie Whitehurst's 17 completed passes, seven were on Cyprien for 98 of Whitehurst's 233 passing yards.
Week 6 Grade: D+
2014 Cumulative: D
Week 7 Opponent: Cleveland Browns (Home)
Kansas City Chiefs (2-3)
16 of 32
The Kansas City Chiefs were on bye this week.
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 7 Opponent: San Diego Chargers (Away)
Miami Dolphins (2-3)
17 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Lost to Green Bay Packers 27-24
Game Ball: Olivier Vernon, Defensive End
Game Goat: Running Game
As masterful as Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was, the Dolphins defense was able to get pressure on him a few times thanks to the fine play of both Vernon and fellow defensive end Cameron Wake, each credited with 1.5 sacks. In addition, Vernon collected seven total tackles (two for loss) and another quarterback hit.
Even though this was a loss, the Dolphins defense should feel good about holding the Packers running game down and the scoring to only 27 points. Remember, the Packers are coming off of 38 and 42 points against the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings, respectively.
It was the offense, though, that kept things down. Tannehill had an OK game, but two interceptions plus a fumble by running back Lamar Miller allowed the Green Bay Packers to look better defensively than they actually were. It also didn't help that Knowshon Moreno managed only 18 yards on seven touches. He has since been placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL, via the Miami Herald's Armando Salguero.
All eyes are rightfully on the Dolphins offensive line this season, and in this game, it faltered.
Week 6 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 7 Opponent: Chicago Bears (Away)
Minnesota Vikings (2-4)
18 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Lost to Detroit Lions 17-3
Game Ball: Jerick McKinnon, Running Back (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Matt Kalil, Offensive Tackle
I would like to give Vikings fans a similar platitude that was given on the Jaguars slide. It's one thing to have the light at the end of the tunnel of decent quarterback play, but QB Teddy Bridgewater was pretty terrible against a very good Lions defense. A big part of that poor play was the play of left tackle Matt Kalil. He allowed three sacks and three additional hurries.
Bridgewater is a young quarterback dealing with absolutely terrible stuff around him; anyone who says anything else is missing the forest for the trees. On an otherwise-terrible offensive day, though, McKinnon managed 82 yards on 17 touches against the Lions' No. 1 defense.
A big contributor to the positive part of this grade, though, is the defense that tormented Detroit quarterback Matt Stafford and kept the Lions offense to only 17 points (a couple of Lions missed field goals helped as well).
Week 6 Grade: C+
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 7 Opponent: Buffalo Bills (Away)
New England Patriots (4-2)
19 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Def. Buffalo Bills 37-22
Game Ball: Tom Brady, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Alfonzo Dennard, Cornerback
It's difficult to pinpoint many teams playing that much better than the Patriots over the past couple of weeks, but the Patriots' stinkers early on in the season are continuing to submarine their cumulative grade. That said, the Patriots went up against a Buffalo defense that has been solid and poured on 37 points.
In fact (as mentioned on the Buffalo slide), if the Patriots had been able to reach the end zone more instead of kicking field goals so many times, this likely could have been an A+.
Defensively, it's a little embarrassing to give up 22 points to a Bills offense that has sputtered and stopped so many times this season, but Bills receiver Robert Woods absolutely worked Dennard to the tune of five catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.
Week 6 Grade: A-
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 7 Opponent: New York Jets (Home)
New Orleans Saints (2-3)
20 of 32
The New Orleans Saints were on bye this week.
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 7 Opponent: Detroit Lions (Away)
New York Giants (3-3)
21 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Lost to Philadelphia Eagles 27-0
Game Ball: N/A
Game Goat: Justin Pugh, Offensive Tackle
I don't give out game balls for embarrassing performances like this.
A few players—mostly on defense—played well enough. Come on, though...this was terrible. It started with Pugh's absolutely offensive play (not in the good way) on the O-line. He allowed four sacks and looked like he was darn close to helping facilitate a butt-fumble.
That, in turn, looked like it scared the good will right out of quarterback Eli Manning (pictured above). Instead of pressing the field and working the short passes to open up intermediate ones, Manning simply ate around the edges like he was playing with the lead. A 6.6-yards-per-passing-attempt night is embarrassing.
The whole night was simply embarrassing.
Week 6 Grade: F
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 7 Opponent: Dallas Cowboys (Away)
New York Jets (1-5)
22 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Lost to Denver Broncos 31-17
Game Ball: Muhammad Wilkerson, Defensive End
Game Goat: Chris Ivory, Running Back (Pictured Above)
This could've gone worse but not much.
Ivory has been one of the more surprising backs in the league this season, and he is making a lot of people, who had such high hopes for Chris Johnson, look foolish. Yet, only managing seven yards on eight carries is about as terrible as one can get.
Much of what Wilkerson did will not show up on a stat sheet, but eight tackles, a sack and another QB hit isn't anything to shake a stick at. Still, it was much more impressive how he took up blockers and made life easier for a bunch of his teammates in the front seven.
Week 6 Grade: D+
2014 Cumulative: D+
Week 7 Opponent: New England Patriots (Away)
Oakland Raiders (0-5)
23 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Lost to San Diego Chargers 31-28
Game Ball: Derek Carr, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Derek Carr, Quarterback
Being the team's best player as well as costing it the game aren't always mutually exclusive.
Carr was fantastic for the better part of three-and-a-half quarters. He was, without equivocation, the reason the Raiders were even in this game. Frankly, they had no business hanging tough with the Chargers, and their grade reflects that they did positively.
Yet, poor play by Carr in the last couple of drives for the Raiders showed his age and immaturity. The heat turned up in Carr's trial by fire, and he got burned. Long term, that isn't an issue, but how he responds and handles similar adversity down the road will define him as a quarterback.
Week 6 Grade: C+
2014 Cumulative: D+
Week 7 Opponent: Arizona Cardinals (Home)
Philadelphia Eagles (5-1)
24 of 32
Week 6 Outcome:
Game Ball: LeSean McCoy, Running Back (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Todd Herremans, Offensive Guard
Picking on Herremans is a bit of a quibble, as he probably played better than a number of interior linemen on a whole lot of other teams this week. Still, he allowed a couple of hits and hurries and was a bit of a non-factor in the run game.
McCoy? Now, he was a factor.
It wasn't just the 149 yards. No, this was a different burst than we've seen in previous weeks from McCoy. He moved with purpose and didn't just take advantage of what his line gave him (it was better than previous weeks as well). He created for himself in space.
Week 6 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 7 Opponent: Bye
Pittsburgh Steelers (3-3)
25 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Lost to Cleveland Brown 31-10
Game Ball: Antonio Brown, Wide Receiver
Game Goat: Cortez Allen, Cornerback (Pictured Above)
Allen has had a rough season, but this was a bad day even by his recent standards. He was beaten by three different receivers and tight end Jordan Cameron to the tune of 118 total yards and a touchdown. The entire defense took a big step back, but Cortez needs to play better than this.
Brown still had a good day with, ironically, 118 yards of his own. He did so by continuing to pick on cornerback Joe Haden, whom he's picked on just about every time they've matched up.
Week 6 Grade: D
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 7 Opponent: Houston Texans (Home)
San Diego Chargers (5-1)
26 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Def. Oakland Raiders 31-28
Game Ball: Philip Rivers, Quarterback
Game Goat: Defensive Front Seven
Rivers continued his great play against the Raiders, passing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. He was joined by plenty of other good offensive efforts, like Branden Oliver (pictured above), who had just over 100 yards rushing and 23 more receiving. Malcom Floyd, too, had a good day with over 100 yards receiving and a touchdown.
Sadly for the Chargers, he was matched throw-for-throw for much of the game by Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. This was because the Chargers front seven failed to get pressure on him for almost the entire game.
Week 6 Grade: B
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 7 Opponent: Kansas City Chiefs (Home)
San Francisco 49ers (4-2)
27 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Def. St. Louis Rams 31-17
Game Ball: Colin Kaepernick, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Carlos Hyde, Running Back
Kaepernick finished Monday Night Football with 343 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also added 37 yards rushing. The Rams defense didn't exactly put up that much of a fight, but that doesn't change the fact that Kaepernick was masterful.
Hyde was quite a bit less than masterful.
One could plumb the very depths of all football knowledge and have no idea what the 49ers were doing running Hyde 11 times for only 14 yards while leaving Frank Gore rusting on the bench. Hyde has been good at times this season, but he's not Gore, and he was not effective against the Rams.
Week 6 Grade: A-
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 7 Opponent: Denver Broncos (Away)
Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
28 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Lost to Dallas Cowboys 30-23
Game Ball: Steven Hauschka, Kicker
Game Goat: Russell Wilson, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
This was a bad game for the Seahawks...like, really bad.
Wilson was off, only completing 14 of 28 passes for 126 yards (4.5 yards per attempt!) and an interception. That interception, with the game on the line, looked more like what the harshest critics expect from Dallas quarterback Tony Romo than from Wilson.
Speaking of bad games, running back Marshawn Lynch couldn't shift into Beast Mode with only 61 carries on the day. Wide receiver Percy Harvin had six touches for minus-1 yards.
That last one isn't a typo.
So, I gave the game ball to the kicker, who actually did his job, going 3-of-3 on the night.
Week 6 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: B+
Week 7 Opponent: St. Louis Rams (Away)
St. Louis Rams (1-4)
29 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Lost to the San Francisco 49ers 31-17
Game Ball: Tre Mason, Running Back
Game Goat: Defensive Line
Other than a game-clinching pick-six, quarterback Austin Davis was awfully close to taking home the game ball. Sure, he only completed 50 percent of his passes, but he did so with little help from his line or his receivers and made a lot of really good decisions.
Instead, it goes to Mason, who was money when he touched the ball, totaling 52 yards. The Rams really need to let him have more than five carries and a reception, though.
I thought about giving offensive tackle Jake Long the goat for this game, as he allowed pressure time and again, but it goes to the defensive line. The D-line is showing itself to be one of the most overpaid and overhyped units of this season. Yes, there were a couple of big stops thanks to rookie defensive tackle Aaron Donald, but there was zero pass rush, and that's what it's paid to do.
Week 6 Grade: C+
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 7 Opponent: Seattle Seahawks (Home)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-5)
30 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Lost to Baltimore Ravens 48-17
Game Ball: Louis Murphy, Wide Receiver (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Anthony Collins, Left Tackle
Eventually the Buccaneers need to reconcile their high-risk/high-reward offense with the jump-ball receivers and a big-armed quarterback, and the lack of protection that Glennon has. Collins gave up a sack, two other hits and three hurries. In all, Glennon had to deal with five sacks and 15 extra hits.
Murphy managed to get a game ball with 72 yards receiving and a touchdown.
Week 6 Grade: F
2014 Cumulative: D
Week 7 Opponent: Bye
Tennessee Titans (2-4)
31 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Def. Jacksonville Jaguars 16-14
Game Ball: Taylor Lewan, Offensive Tackle
Game Goat: Bishop Sankey, Running Back
Lewan gave up a sack, but it was a single pockmark in an otherwise fantastic day blocking. He played every snap and was the team's most dependable lineman by far. After all the nonsense all season long in just about every phase of the game, Lewan's potential is a good sign of possible things to come.
Sankey, however, has yet to become the type of back so many had him pegged for pre-draft. His 61 yards on 18 carries just isn't the sort of contribution that really helps teams win games. He takes what the line blocks for him and gets little more.
Week 6 Grade: C-
2014 Cumulative: D
Week 7 Opponent: Washington (Away)
Washington (1-5)
32 of 32
Week 6 Outcome: Lost to Arizona Cardinals 30-20
Game Ball: Ryan Kerrigan, Linebacker
Game Goat: Kirk Cousins, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
On a week-to-week basis, Kerrigan is showcasing play that should have him named among the best linebackers in football. Against the Cardinals, Kerrigan only collected half a sack, but he hit Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer a few more times and was a pain in run defense.
Cousins, on the other hand, has had his bubble burst in that same time frame. He was bad against the Cardinals. The yardage was there, but some of the decisions that led to his three interceptions were just inexcusable.
Week 6 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: C-
Week 7 Opponent: Tennessee Titans (Home)
Michael Schottey is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Find more of his stuff on his archive page and follow him on Twitter.
All traditional box score stats courtesy of ESPN.com. Advanced stats and metrics via Pro Football Focus (subscription required).
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