NFL Report Cards: Team-by-Team Grades for Week 7
Week 7 gave NFL fans a reminder of what greatness looks like.
When Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning threw his third touchdown in the Broncos' rout of the San Francisco 49ers, it gave him 509 touchdowns for his career, surpassing Brett Favre as the NFL's all-time leader in passing touchdowns. The record not only cements Manning's already sterling legacy, but puts another feather in his cap as he continues the clinic of how to end a career the right way.
We see punctuated moments of greatness every week. It might be a phenomenal play from Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt in one moment, or a fantastic catch-and-run from Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown in the next. But the kind of sustained dominance Manning has epitomized is a rarity and should be appreciated.
Manning is an outlier, though. Each week, hundreds upon hundreds of NFL players scattered about the 32 teams (save those on bye) need to try their hardest just to win a football game. While we appreciate Manning, we must pay attention to the field as well.
With that in mind, here are the grades from watching every moment of NFL action this weekend.
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 (5-1)
1 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Def. Oakland Raiders 24-13
Game Ball: Andre Ellington, Running Back
Game Goat: Rashad Johnson, Safety
Quarterback Carson Palmer (pictured above) wasn't perfect, but he was as good as he's been this season, throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns to only one interception. The offensive line, too, seemed to take a step forward, but that may have had something to do with playing the Raiders.
Game ball goes to Ellington, though, who the Cardinals leaned upon yet again. He had 88 yards on the ground and 72 through the air with a couple of touchdowns vultured away from him thanks to fellow back Stepfan Taylor.
Johnson is the goat thanks to being out of position on a number of run plays, missing a tackle and giving up the only target to his area for a 55-yard completion.
Week 7 Grade: A-
2014 Cumulative: B+
Week 8 Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles (Home)
Atlanta Falcons (2-5)
2 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Lost to Baltimore Ravens 29-7
Game Ball: Roddy White, Wide Receiver (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Jake Matthews and Gabe Carimi, Offensive Tackles
The Falcons continue their incredibly uneven play this season, and much of that has to do with the terrible performance of the offensive line. Though both Matthews and Carimi have played better in 2014 than they managed against the Ravens, they couldn't have done much worse. Together, they allowed quarterback Matt Ryan to be pressured a total of 10 times.
Somehow, White managed to still cross 100 yards receiving, catching nine of the 15 targets Ryan threw his way, which included the Falcons' only touchdown.
Week 7 Grade: D+
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 8 Opponent: Detroit Lions (In London)
Baltimore Ravens (5-2)
3 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Def. Atlanta Falcons 29-7
Game Ball: Elvis Dumervil, Outside Linebacker (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: James Hurst, Offensive Tackle
Hurst is a bit of a low-hanging piece of fruit for game goat because he shouldn't be in the lineup in the first place. He's there due to a Eugene Monroe injury, but that doesn't really change the fact he's been terrible and the Ravens will want Monroe back as soon as humanly possible. He gave up two of the four pressures Joe Flacco felt all day.
Speaking of pass rush, Dumervil applied tons of it to Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, with two sacks, three more hits and a couple of extra hurries tacked on.
Week 7 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: B+
Week 8 Opponent: Cincinnati Bengals (Away)
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Buffalo Bills (4-3)
4 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Def. Minnesota Vikings 17-16
Game Ball: Sammy Watkins, Wide Receiver (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Nigel Bradham, Linebacker
I wouldn't say the Bills played a very good game—just good enough to beat a floundering Vikings squad.
Watkins is the exception, as he continues to benefit from EJ Manuel's benching. He's shown why he was worth trading up for and did so in spades against the Vikings with 122 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
On the defensive side of the ball, one of the biggest reasons the Vikings were able to score 16 points was the poor play of Bradham, who has played well this season but had his worst game against Minnesota. He was next-to-useless against the run (including missing a tackle) and may have been even worse in coverage, giving up not only 32 yards, but almost all of that after the catch as well.
Week 7 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 8 Opponent: New York Jets (Away)
Carolina Panthers (3-3-1)
5 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Lost to Green Bay Packers 38-17
Game Ball: Greg Olsen, Tight End
Game Goat: Luke Kuechly, Linebacker (Pictured Above)
We can hem and haw about whether or not Kuechly should've been ejected. His contact with the official was hardly egregious, but one can also understand a zero tolerance policy. Bottom line for me is that Kuechly is supposed to be a leader (the leader) for this team, and not knowing it was an official doesn't give him any excuse. He shouldn't be flailing around like that anyway.
All that said, Kuechly played poorly before the ejection, so he'd be the goat here either way. The declined play this season of the defensive tackles has put a lot more blockers in his way. Though he was able to collect eight tackles according to the box score (note: official tackle stats are usually junk and he wasn't really in on that many plays), the Packers felt comfortable running right at him. He also missed a tackle and gave up four catches.
Olsen gets the game ball with 105 yards receiving and caught all eight balls thrown his way.
Week 7 Grade: C
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 8 Opponent: Seattle Seahawks (Home)
Chicago Bears (3-4)
6 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Lost to Miami Dolphins 27-14
Game Ball: Matt Forte, Running Back
Game Goat: Jay Cutler, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Cutler went 21-of-34 for only 190 yards, a touchdown, an interception and a fumble lost. He was off all game thanks to pressure by the Dolphins defense, but rather than mitigate and manage the pressure like top quarterbacks are supposed to do, he succumbed to it and played horribly.
Game ball goes to Forte, who had over 100 total yards (49 rushing, 60 receiving) and two touchdowns. Defensive tackle Jay Ratliff was credited with 3.5 sacks and was also considered.
Week 7 Grade: C-
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 8 Opponent: New England Patriots (Away)
Cincinnati Bengals (3-2-1)
7 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Lost to Indianapolis Colts 27-0
Game Ball: Adam Jones, Cornerback
Game Goat: Andy Dalton, Quarterback (Pictured Above) and Giovani Bernard, Running Back
The Bengals defense actually had some moments in this game, but overall this shutout was a total (disastrous) team effort. Jones gets the game ball for only allowing two receptions on six attempts. Even better, it was only for eight total yards. He chipped in with five tackles and two pass deflections.
On offense, though, things were particularly bad. Dalton completed only 18 of 38 passes for only 126 yards. That's 3.3 yards per attempt, which is bad in rocket-league youth football. Bernard wasn't much better with only 17 yards on the ground and negative-one through the air.
Week 7 Grade: F
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 8 Opponent: Baltimore Ravens (Home)
Cleveland Browns (3-3)
8 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Lost to Jacksonville Jaguars 24-6
Game Ball: Tashaun Gipson, Cornerback
Game Goat: Brian Hoyer, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
As bad as this game was for the Browns, anyone feeling down about it should go back and appreciate the play of Gipson. The young corner only allowed one reception (for zero yards) on three targets. The other two times he was targeted? Interceptions.
The rails really came off the Browns offense, which had been one of the more surprising bright spots in the league. Jacksonville was able to sack Hoyer three times and pressure him seven more, which led to a lot of mistakes, including an interception and a fumble.
Week 7 Grade: F
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 8 Opponent: Oakland Raiders (Home)
Dallas Cowboys (6-1)
9 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Def. New York Giants 31-21
Game Ball: DeMarco Murray, Running Back and Dez Bryant, Wide Receiver
Game Goat: Rolando McClain, Linebacker
Linebacker Justin Durant (pictured above) could've easily been given the game ball for forcing a fumble and recovering another—both in the fourth quarter—that sealed the game for the Cowboys defensively. In a mostly bend-but-don't-break performance, Durant helped slam the door shut.
Yet he also kept it open. He was on the defensive end of two of the Giants' three passing touchdowns. Overall, Eli Manning picked on him eight times, and he allowed all eight receptions for nearly 100 yards. For that kind of day, he could almost rightfully be given goat status.
So we'll split the difference.
Game ball goes to two of Dallas' new-era "Triplets." Murray with 128 yards rushing and a touchdown became the NFL's only running back—ever—to rush for at least 100 yards in the first seven games of a season. Bryant did not get a touchdown (though he was awfully close, taking one down to the 1-yard line) but tallied 151 yards receiving.
McClain gets the goat as the second-worst defender for most of the game, giving up the only pass thrown his way, missing two tackles and generally being out of position against the run.
Week 7 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: A-
Week 8 Opponent: Washington (Home)
Denver Broncos (5-1)
10 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Def. San Francisco 49ers 42-17
Game Ball: Peyton Manning, Quarterback (Picture Above)
Game Goat: Rahim Moore, Safety
When you make breaking one of the biggest records in the sport look so easy against a decent (albeit banged-up) team and win by 25 points in prime time, it's deserving of one of the few A+ grades I've given this season. It wasn't just Manning, though; Denver's whole offense was superb, and the defense held San Francisco mostly in check.
Manning's numbers on the historic day: 22-of-26, 318 yards (12.2 yards per attempt), four touchdowns, zero interceptions. It's almost as if each step of that stat line is more and more impressive.
Defensively, rookie corner Bradley Roby was picked on a bit by 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick and Co., but it was Moore who gave up a bunch of long passes, which is specifically what he's schematically supposed to stop. If Kaepernick had been more on target, things could've been even worse for Moore.
Week 7 Grade: A+
2014 Cumulative: A
Week 8 Opponent: San Diego Chargers (Home)
Detroit Lions (5-2)
11 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Def. New Orleans Saints 24-23
Game Ball: Golden Tate, Wide Receiver
Game Goat: Larry Warford, Offensive Guard
The Lions managed a fantastic win in Week 7, and if I'm only grading the last couple of drives, I give them an A+ all day long. Yet it's important to remember that this is the whole game and the whole team. A "B" is still above average (how they played, especially accounting for how bad the Saints have looked all season), and their cumulative grade of C+ showcases that they're winning games in which they could've played better but still managed to get the win.
When this team is at full strength with wide receiver Calvin Johnson (among others) back healthy, watch out.
Tate has been the bright spot on offense with Megatron out, and his 73-yard touchdown was the catalyst that set the Lions' comeback win in motion. Warford was a big reason things were so rough for most of the game though. Usually one of the best interior linemen in the league, Warford was a liability in both run and pass situations.
Week 7 Grade: B
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 8 Opponent: Atlanta Falcons (In London)
Green Bay Packers (5-2)
12 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Def. Carolina Panthers 38-17
Game Ball: Randall Cobb, Wide Receiver
Game Goat: A.J. Hawk, Linebacker
Don't let the fact that he didn't get the game ball fool you—quarterback Aaron Rodgers (pictured above) is playing out of his mind right now. The swagger left over from the final play in Miami helped this Packers team continue its incredible ascent since a rough start to the season.
It took awfully gaudy numbers by Cobb (six catches on seven targets for 121 yards, with 89 of that after the catch, and one touchdown) to wrest the game ball from Rodgers' clutches.
Hawk had a rough day trying to contain both Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and running back Jonathan Stewart. Though neither had a fantastic day, the Panthers would've looked even worse if Hawk had played up to his normal standards.
Week 7 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 8 Opponent: New Orleans Saints (Away)
Houston Texans (3-4)
13 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers 30-23
Game Ball: J.J. Watt, Defensive End (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Brian Cushing, Linebacker
If all the Texans defenders played like Watt, they'd be undefeated regardless of who their quarterback was. Against the Steelers, Watt had one sack and a tackle for loss, but he was in on plenty of other plays, forcing Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger out of his comfort zone.
However, not every defender does play like Watt...some of them play like Cushing. Pick your poison: Against the run, Cushing was pushed around, missing as many tackles as he made. Against the pass, Cushing looked lost.
Week 7 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 8 Opponent: Tennessee Titans (Away)
Indianapolis Colts (5-2)
14 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Def. Cincinnati Bengals 27-0
Game Ball: Andrew Luck, Quarterback
Game Goat: N/A
In a game where even running back Trent Richardson plays well (118 total yards from scrimmage), it's hard to pick a goat. In addition to Luck, guys like left tackle Anthony Castonzo, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Greg Toler all made me think twice before handing out a game ball.
It was Luck, however, who stuck out above the rest. He may not have had his best game of the season, but he performed excellently against a supposed-to-be-tough Bengals defense with 27-of-42 passing, 344 yards passing and two touchdowns.
Week 7 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: B+
Week 8 Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers (Away)
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-6)
15 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Def. Cleveland Browns 24-6
Game Ball: Denard Robinson, Running Back (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Blake Bortles, Quarterback
Though I had my doubts before the draft whether or not Bortles was truly the top QB in the class (was and still am a Teddy Bridgewater fan), I've been a proponent of his for some time. The Jaguars would be better right now if Bortles had started and gotten starter's reps from Day 1. As it is, though the team picked up its first win against the Browns, it was in spite of its quarterback and not due to his play.
Robinson had himself a phenomenal day, both pacing the Jaguars offense and providing explosive plays. He finished with 127 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries.
Week 7 Grade: A-
2014 Cumulative: D+
Week 8 Opponent: Miami Dolphins (Home)
Kansas City Chiefs (3-3)
16 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Def. San Diego Chargers 23-20
Game Ball: Andy Reid, Head Coach (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Left Side of the Offensive Line
The game ball easily could've gone to kicker Cairo Santos, who hit three out of three field-goal attempts, including a 48-yard game-winner. In a game where the defense played about as well as can be expected against the Chargers offense and the Chiefs offense was merely "not a problem," Santos provided an important scoring punch.
Instead, Reid gets the props as he improves to 14-2 in his career following a bye. Whatever he does with that extra time, the Chiefs have to hope they can bottle it up.
One of the biggest reasons the offense couldn't make a bigger impact in this one was the horrendous play of left tackle Eric Fisher and left guard Mike McGlynn. Both have been highlighted as negatives in this space before, but this week they combined for some truly terrible blocking. Quarterback Alex Smith was pressured eight total times; these two combined for five of those.
Week 7 Grade: B+
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 8 Opponent: St. Louis Rams (Home)
Miami Dolphins (3-3)
17 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Def. Chicago Bears 27-14
Game Ball: Cameron Wake, Defensive End (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Caleb Sturgis, Kicker
The Dolphins actually had a few sloppy moments in this game (including two missed field goals by Sturgis), so think about how much worse this could've been for the Bears!
Still, the positives for the Dolphins far outweighed the negatives, and it started with a fantastic game by the entire defensive line. Much of what Wake did doesn't show up on the stat sheet. He finished with a sack and a fumble recovery, but he pressured Bears QB Jay Cutler time and time again, leading to a number of errors.
Week 7 Grade: B+
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 8 Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars (Away)
Minnesota Vikings (2-5)
18 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Lost to Buffalo Bills 17-16
Game Ball: Harrison Smith, Safety
Game Goat: Teddy Bridgewater, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Oh, Teddy...
Bridgewater completed only 15 of 26 passes for a pedestrian 157 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The Bills have a good defense this season—aggressive if nothing else—and Bridgewater looked a moment too slow on just about all of his throws for much of the game.
Smith had as good of a game as he's had all season, allowing two catches but for only 10 total yards.
Week 7 Grade: C
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 8 Opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Away)
New England Patriots (5-2)
19 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Def. New York Jets 27-25
Game Ball: Shane Vereen, Running Back (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Jordan Devey, Offensive Guard
Though they're playing very well as of late, the Patriots' cumulative grade is still suffering from a few early-season mishaps.
Vereen almost single-handedly embarrassed the Jets defense with 114 total yards and two touchdowns. It was almost like the Jets kept forgetting he existed right before he burned them with a big play. Of course, Vereen did have some help from quarterback Tom Brady, tight end Rob Gronkowski and right tackle Sebastian Vollmer all having a good night.
Devey did not.
It's probably an easy choice, but Devey didn't belong in the lineup. He was beaten time and again and gave up four pressures while being a complete non-factor as a run-blocker.
Week 7 Grade: B
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 8 Opponent: Chicago Bears (Home)
New Orleans Saints (2-4)
20 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Lost to Detroit Lions 24-23
Game Ball: Marques Colston, Wide Receiver
Game Goat: Corey White, Cornerback
The Saints controlled much of this game thanks to the fantastic play of quarterback Drew Brees (pictured above), and the Lions defensive backs consistently left Colston open. He finished with 111 yards receiving and was a huge part of the Saints' early lead.
Then, White happened.
White missed a huge tackle and gave up eight catches on the day for a total of 148 yards—most to Lions receiver Golden Tate. If White makes just one or two plays in the second half as Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is picking on him, the Saints win this game.
Week 7 Grade: C+
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 8 Opponent: Green Bay Packers (Home)
New York Giants (3-4)
21 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Lost to Dallas Cowboys 31-21
Game Ball: Jason Pierre-Paul, Defensive End
Game Goat: Larry Donnell, Tight End (Pictured Above)
Donnell literally fumbled the game away.
This matchup was like a heavyweight match where both teams spent three quarters feeling each other out. Donnell, though he had almost 100 yards on seven catches, fumbled the ball away twice. It was like the underdog boxer dropping his left hand and taking a shot right on the chin.
Things could've easily gone the other way, and Pierre-Paul had a huge hand in keeping the Giants in the game longer than their talent level might have indicated they deserved. He had six tackles, two sacks and three other quarterback hits on Cowboys QB Tony Romo.
Week 7 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 8 Opponent: Bye
New York Jets (1-6)
22 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Lost to New England Patriots 27-25
Game Ball: Chris Ivory, Running Back (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Antonio Allen, Defensive Back
Ivory has had some rough games this season, but this was not one of them. He rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries (5.1 average), adding 18 yards through the air. A bunch of players on the Jets defensive front (especially Sheldon Richardson) deserved consideration, but Ivory paced the Jets offense and gave them a chance to win.
Allen, however, let the Patriots march down the field again and again. He gave up only three catches, but they went for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
Week 7 Grade: C+
2014 Cumulative: C-
Week 8 Opponent: Buffalo Bills (Home)
Oakland Raiders (0-6)
23 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Lost to Arizona Cardinals 24-13
Game Ball: Khalil Mack, Linebacker (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Gabe Jackson, Offensive Guard
The ageless Charles Woodson received consideration for the game ball, as the cornerback had a fantastic game, including a 30-yard interception return. Mack, though, was seemingly in on almost every play. He was credited with 11 tackles—three for loss. He also had a number of pressures on Cardinals QB Carson Palmer.
That's what Mack's supposed to do. Jackson, for his part, is supposed to dominate in the run game. Instead, he was pushed around and couldn't get any leverage. The Raiders have played better in the past couple of weeks, but Jackson just had his worst game of the season.
Week 7 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: D+
Week 8 Opponent: Cleveland Browns (Away)
Philadelphia Eagles (5-1)
24 of 32
The Philadelphia Eagles were on bye this week.
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 8 Opponent: Arizona Cardinals (Away)
Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3)
25 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Def. Houston Texans 30-23
Game Ball: Le'Veon Bell, Running Back (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Cortez Allen, Cornerback
This was a weird game for the Steelers, who were slow out of the gate and got pushed around in both trenches by the Texans. Then, they started getting explosive plays on offense, and a big part of that was Bell, who had 145 total yards on the day.
Yes, wide receiver Antonio Brown had a good day and even threw for a touchdown, so it was close.
Defensively, it's inconceivable that the Texans didn't try to pick on Allen sooner. Once they realized Allen couldn't cover wide receiver Andre Johnson, it almost swung the game back in the Texans' favor.
Week 7 Grade: B+
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 8 Opponent: Indianapolis Colts (Home)
San Diego Chargers (5-2)
26 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Lost to Kansas City Chiefs 23-20
Game Ball: Philip Rivers, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Donald Butler, Linebacker
No one on the Chargers played particularly great, so handing out a game ball was difficult. On repeated viewings, however, Rivers continued to shine, though his stat line may not have indicated that. He was, perhaps, too careful with the ball, but he certainly wasn't the reason the Chargers lost this game.
Butler (along with a number of players on defense), though, was probably the reason the Chargers lost to the Chiefs. Butler takes the goat "honor" thanks to missing as many tackles as he made (three solo tackles).
Week 7 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 8 Opponent: Denver Broncos (Away)
San Francisco 49ers (4-3)
27 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Lost to Denver Broncos 42-17
Game Ball: Stevie Johnson, Wide Receiver (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Tramaine Brock, Cornerback
The 49ers ran into a buzzsaw this week and definitely need their upcoming bye to recover.
Brock gave up all six of the targets Broncos QB Peyton Manning threw his way, which totaled 126 yards and two touchdowns. Those are great numbers for a wide receiver, but a cornerback should be ashamed.
Johnson was one of the few 49ers offensive players who had a good day with five receptions for 79 yards and a touchdown.
Week 7 Grade: D
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 8 Opponent: Bye
Seattle Seahawks (3-3)
28 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Lost to St. Louis Rams 28-26
Game Ball: Russell Wilson, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Justin Britt, Offensive Tackle
The lack of a run game pretty much did the Seahawks in from the beginning in this one (though special teams also played a huge part). Running back Marshawn Lynch got no help from his offensive line and was never able to boost into "Beast Mode" with only 2.9 yards per rush. Britt gave up a number of pressures but was even worse attempting to run-block.
Wilson may not have gotten the win, but he led the Seahawks with 313 yards passing, 106 yards rushing and three total touchdowns.
Week 7 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: B+
Week 8 Opponent: Carolina Panthers (Away)
St. Louis Rams (2-4)
29 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Def. Seattle Seahawks 28-26
Game Ball: John Fassel, Special Teams Coordinator
Game Goat: Alec Ogletree, Linebacker
It's always fun and impressive when special teams contribute so fantastically to a victory, but kudos to Fassel and head coach Jeff Fisher for doing so against a good Seahawks special teams unit. They pulled out all the stops to beat the defending champions, and both fakes on punt plays worked out for them.
On the downside, Ogletree needs to start being less of an athlete and more of a linebacker. He was terrible against the run (he might have been the only player effectively blocked on a number of plays) but even worse in coverage. He gave up five of six targets for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Week 7 Grade: B+
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 8 Opponent: Kansas City Chiefs (Away)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-5)
30 of 32
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were on bye this week.
2014 Cumulative: D
Week 8 Opponent: Minnesota Vikings (Home)
Tennessee Titans (2-5)
31 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Lost to Washington 19-17
Game Ball: Derrick Morgan, Outside Linebacker
Game Goat: Right Side of the Offensive Line
This was a hard-fought game between two bottom-dwelling teams, and neither looked all that impressive offensively. For the Titans, a big part of that was the play of right tackle Michael Oher (pictured above) as well as right guard Chris Spencer. Both failed to make an impact in the run game and struggled against the pass rush.
Morgan did his part to keep Washington QB Kirk Cousins off balance with a sack and a number of other pressures as part of his seven total tackles (two for loss).
Week 7 Grade: C
2014 Cumulative: D
Week 8 Opponent: Houston Texans (Home)
Washington (2-5)
32 of 32
Week 7 Outcome: Def. Tennessee Titans 19-17
Game Ball: Kai Forbath, Kicker
Game Goat: Kirk Cousins, Quarterback (Pictured Above)
Forbath hit four short field goals on the day, including the game-winner as time expired following a pretty impressive drive from backup-of-the-backup QB Colt McCoy (who could be given a game ball as well).
Cousins was atrocious and may not get another shot as a starting quarterback for this or any other team. Against a really bad Titans defense, he let pressure dictate his play and threw for only 139 yards on 10-of-16 passing with no touchdowns and an interception.
Week 7 Grade: C
2014 Cumulative: C-
Week 8 Opponent: Dallas Cowboys (Away)
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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