NFL Report Cards: Team-by-Team Grades for Week 9
Context is the word of the week.
Some big-name teams with big plans for 2014 lost in Week 9, and they lost in embarrassing fashion. It might be tempting to completely write off one or more of these franchises as the conversation switches to the dominant teams of the moment.
Only, longtime readers will realize that this flies in the face of just about everything I write in this space from week to week. From "the season is a marathon, not a sprint" (as I wrote in Week 8), to taking the phrase "any given Sunday" to its logical conclusion (in Week 4), and even all the way back to Week 2 when I encouraged everyone to allow their preconceived notions to be proven wrong and their paradigms to be shattered.
The Denver Broncos losing in New England isn't that surprising. The Patriots have one of the most dominant (and least talked about) home-field advantages in the league, and Brady has usually had Manning's number in their matchups.
The Dallas Cowboys losing to the Arizona Cardinals without Tony Romo isn't that crazy, either, when one remembers how good the Cardinals run defense is and how bad Brandon Weeden has been.
Even the San Diego Chargers' beatdown at the hands of the Miami Dolphins makes a little more sense when you realize that teams crossing multiple time zones tend to do worse than those with shorter travel times.
These aren't excuses, but this is valuable context to studying (not rationalizing) some of these losses. We don't anoint a team after one win, nor do we prepare for Armageddon after one loss—no matter how embarrassing. When we do that, it's called a narrative, and in the world of sports, narratives built on faulty reasoning are always proven wrong sooner rather than later.
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 contest, 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 squad.
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 (7-1)
1 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Def. Dallas Cowboys 28-17
Game Ball: Tyrann Mathieu, Cornerback
Game Goat: Paul Fanaika, Offensive Guard
Mathieu promised to bring back the days of the "Honey Badger," per Bob McManaman of AZcentral Sports, and he made good on that promise against the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Brandon Weeden.
Now, there's something to be said about tempering both his play and that of the Cardinals overall against the fact that Romo wasn't in the game, but that doesn't change the fact that he played lights-out in the face of the competition before him.
Mathieu had two balls thrown his way against the Cowboys. One was a seven-yard completion that Mathieu stopped dead in its tracks. The other was an interception. That's a good day.
Fanaika had less of a good day. (By extension, that means Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer wasn't exactly walking on cloud nine either.) Palmer was pressured a total of 12 times, and Fanaika gave up four of those.
Week 9 Grade: A-
2014 Cumulative: B+
Week 10 Opponent: St. Louis Rams (Home)
Atlanta Falcons (2-6)
2 of 32
The Atlanta Falcons were on a bye this week.
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 10 Opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Away)
Baltimore Ravens (5-4)
3 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers 43-23
Game Ball: Justin Forsett, Running Back
Game Goat: Lardarius Webb, Cornerback
Anytime you're drawing lead coverage duties on a wide receiver like Antonio Brown, things are likely to go pretty bad for you. Webb was targeted with 12 throws, and he allowed seven receptions for 105 yards and a touchdown. Much of that was to Brown, but Markus Wheaton (who is considerably less explosive and formidable) ate him up for that aforementioned touchdown—a 47-yard reception.
Forsett was a breath of fresh air in the loss and had one of his best games of the season, leading the Ravens in both rushing (38 yards on only nine rushes) and receiving (67 yards).
Week 9 Grade: C-
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 10 Opponent: Tennessee Titans (Home)
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Buffalo Bills (5-3)
4 of 32
The Buffalo Bills were on a bye this week.
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 10 Opponent: Kansas City Chiefs (Home)
Carolina Panthers (3-5-1)
5 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Lost to New Orleans Saints 28-10
Game Ball: Luke Kuechly, Linebacker
Game Goat: Cam Newton, Quarterback
Kuechly was the best player on the field for the Panthers, but that's not saying a whole lot in this one, and it wasn't exactly a great game by the linebacker's standards, either. He was credited with eight tackles in the official box score, but maybe half of those can't be chalked up to a friendly home stat guy. Still, he was also capable in pass coverage and as a rusher.
The star of the offense, however, did not have a great game. "Superman" looked like he was more interested in whipping the ball around the Earth as hard as he could to turn back time. Yes, the protection was bad, but every single quarterback in an NFL jersey deals with bad protection at times. The way to deal with that is not to whip the ball as hard as humanly possible. That's what Newton tried, and it didn't work out for him.
Week 9 Grade: D+
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 10 Opponent: Philadelphia Eagles (Away)
Chicago Bears (3-5)
6 of 32
The Chicago Bears were on a bye this week.
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 10 Opponent: Green Bay Packers (Away)
Cincinnati Bengals (5-2-1)
7 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Def. Jacksonville Jaguars 33-23
Game Ball: Jeremy Hill, Running Back
Game Goat: Andy Dalton, Quarterback
If Dalton had to be the deciding factor in this game, the Jaguars would have had a good chance to pull the upset here. He had a number of terrible throws and two interceptions in a contest that could've been his best of the season. Overall, he was 19-of-31 for 233 yards and two touchdowns to go along with the two picks.
Thankfully, Hill picked things up with 154 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Law Firm, who?
Week 9 Grade: B
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 10 Opponent: Cleveland Browns (Home)
Cleveland Browns (5-3)
8 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Def. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 22-17
Game Ball: Joe Haden, Cornerback
Game Goat: Nick McDonald, Center
I've called out Haden for his poor play in previous weeks, so it's only fair that I highlight when he has an absolutely fantastic game. Manning up against three different receivers, Haden only allowed two catches on eight targets and had more pass deflections (three) than those two receptions allowed.
As for McDonald...'nuff said.
Week 9 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 10 Opponent: Cincinnati Bengals (Away)
Dallas Cowboys (6-3)
9 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Lost to Arizona Cardinals 28-17
Game Ball: Henry Melton, Defensive Tackle
Game Goat: Dez Bryant, Wide Receiver
Melton has had his two best games of the season in recent weeks and had 1.5 sacks, an extra tackle for loss and three extra quarterback hits. In addition to that, he provided consistent pressure and was absolutely stout in the run game.
Offensively, quarterback Brandon Weeden is a known commodity, and it's easy to "blame" him for the loss (and I'm not saying not to), yet Bryant was targeted 10 times, and he caught only two passes for 15 yards. Some of that is assuredly on Weeden, but the uber-talented wide receiver could have (should have) done a lot more.
Week 9 Grade: C
2014 Cumulative: B+
Week 10 Opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars (Away)
Denver Broncos (6-2)
10 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Lost to New England Patriots 43-21
Game Ball: Emmanuel Sanders, Wide Receiver
Game Goat: Ronnie Hillman, Running Back
This wasn't quarterback Peyton Manning's best game. But, even one of his worst performances this season is still significantly better than what most could do. Though the Patriots defense, the wind and the Foxborough crowd put pressure on him and forced two turnovers, Manning still hit 438 yards passing. Sanders gets the game ball for bringing in 151 yards of that on 10 receptions.
Manning likely would've looked even better if Hillman had been able to pick up more rushing yards. Though he was able to rack up 47 yards receiving, he managed only 16 yards on 10 carries.
Week 9 Grade: C-
2014 Cumulative: B+
Week 10 Opponent: Oakland Raiders (Away)
Detroit Lions (6-2)
11 of 32
The Detroit Lions were on a bye this week.
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 10 Opponent: Miami Dolphins (Home)
Green Bay Packers (5-3)
12 of 32
The Green Bay Packers were on a bye this week.
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 10 Opponent: Chicago Bears (Home)
Houston Texans (4-5)
13 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Lost to Philadelphia Eagles 31-21
Game Ball: DeAndre Hopkins, Wide Receiver
Game Goat: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Quarterback
How does a receiver get a game ball when the quarterback plays so poorly? Well, 62 yards after the catch of his total 115 yards and touchdown helps for Hopkins, as does how atrocious Fitzpatrick was targeting other receivers.
When not going at Hopkins, Fitzpatrick was only 7-of-16 for 88 yards.
Yuck.
Week 9 Grade: C+
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 10 Opponent: Bye
Indianapolis Colts (6-3)
14 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Def. New York Giants 40-24
Game Ball: Andrew Luck, Quarterback
Game Goat: Griff Whalen, Returner
Luck would probably be on everyone's mind as "playing the best" out of any quarterback in the game if Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady weren't on ridiculous streaks right now. Against the Giants, Luck passed for 354 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions.
The defense deserves a lot of credit, too, because it harassed Giants quarterback Eli Manning all night and never let this beatdown devolve into a shootout.
Whalen was an easy (if low-hanging fruit) pick for goat, as I'm still not sure he'd be on this team if not for his friendship and history with his college teammate, Luck. He doesn't really pitch in to the offense in any meaningful way, and he tops out as a returner because he doesn't have the prerequisite speed or quickness to threaten to score.
Week 9 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: B+
Week 10 Opponent: Bye
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8)
15 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Lost to Cincinnati Bengals 33-23
Game Ball: Allen Hurns, Wide Receiver
Game Goat: Austin Pasztor, Offensive Tackle
Behind two second-half touchdowns by Hurns, this Jaguars team almost "shocked the world" by coming back to beat the Bengals, even trailing by only three points in the middle of the fourth quarter. Had quarterback Blake Bortles gotten things rolling a little bit sooner, this game could've gone quite differently.
Part of Bortles' issues this season (though, not all) can be attributed to poor line play. Though he's not taking the massive amount of sacks Chad Henne did, he is throwing a lot of interceptions under duress. Pasztor was a liability in both run- and pass-blocking.
Week 9 Grade: C+
2014 Cumulative: D+
Week 10 Opponent: Dallas Cowboys (Home)
Kansas City Chiefs (5-3)
16 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Def. New York Jets 24-10
Game Ball: Alex Smith, Quarterback
Game Goat: Rodney Hudson, Center
A matchup against the Jets defensive line is going to make just about any center look bad, and Hudson is no different. Had he been able to get a little more push in the run game, this contest probably would've been even more lopsided.
As it was, Smith "game-managed" the Jets into submission. His performance wasn't flashy because it didn't have to be, but a line of 21-of-31 for 199 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions was more than enough to send the Jets away with a loss.
Week 9 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 10 Opponent: Buffalo Bills (Away)
Miami Dolphins (5-3)
17 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Def. San Diego Chargers 37-0
Game Ball: Ryan Tannehill, Quarterback
Game Goat: N/A
The only real goat in this game were the Chargers, as the Dolphins rolled in just about every possible way.
Special kudos to Tannehill, who has been tremendous as of late and went 24-of-34 for 288 yards (8.5 yards per attempt), three touchdowns and zero interceptions. He hit 10 different receivers and had five-plus catches by three different guys—which is all even more notable because the Dolphins didn't really need to pass late into the game.
Week 9 Grade: A+
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 10 Opponent: Detroit Lions (Away)
Minnesota Vikings (4-5)
18 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Def. Washington 29-26
Game Ball: Sharrif Floyd, Defensive Tackle
Game Goat: Chad Greenway, Linebacker
A light has turned on for Floyd recently, as he's started to make good on the trust the Vikings had in him when they made him a first-round pick in 2013. Against Washington, he was only credited with half a sack and two QB hits on the box score, but he was much more of a pest for Robert Griffin III and the Washington offense.
Once they got past Floyd, though, Greenway didn't give them much trouble, as I caught him missing almost as many tackles (three) as solo tackles he made (four).
Week 9 Grade: B
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 10 Opponent: Bye
New England Patriots (7-2)
19 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Def. Denver Broncos 43-21
Game Ball: Tom Brady, Quarterback
Game Goat: Brandon Browner, Cornerback
The Patriots' cumulative grade continues to be deep-sixed by some truly awful games early on in the year, but they've turned in two straight A+ performances, and it's clear that they're playing as well (if not better) than any team in football right now.
It begins with Brady, who was 33-of-53 for 333 yards, four touchdowns and one interception against a pretty good Broncos defense and pass rush.
Browner gets the goat simply for three penalties (there could have been more). He was overmatched, and his mistakes could've cost the Patriots in a closer game.
Week 9 Grade: A+
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 10 Opponent: Bye
New Orleans Saints (4-4)
20 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Def. Carolina Panthers 28-10
Game Ball: Mark Ingram, Running Back
Game Goat: Travaris Cadet, Running Back
Brees had an OK day passing (297 yards), but a couple of turnovers keep him from earning top honors here.
Instead, the game ball goes to Ingram, who got 100 yards for the second game in a row and truly paced the offense against what should be a much stouter run defense than it's been this season. Frankly, his performance—running the way he did against Panthers linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis—deserves all the love it can get.
Cadet, though, seemed to lack his normal explosiveness.
Week 9 Grade: A
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 10 Opponent: San Francisco 49ers (Home)
New York Giants (3-5)
21 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Lost to Indianapolis Colts 40-24
Game Ball: Odell Beckham Jr., Wide Receiver
Game Goat: Giants Offensive Line
I'm going to call out the entire offensive line here, because it made life terrible for the skill-position players all night long. Quarterback Eli Manning could hardly catch the snap from his center before the Colts were in his face, and running back Andre Williams had zero room to get a head of steam. The Colts defensive line has overachieved this season, but it looked like a collection of Pro Bowlers against the Giants.
Still, somehow, ODB got his (albeit mostly in garbage time). As the only dependable Giants receiver on the night, Beckham Jr. racked up 156 yards on eight receptions.
Week 9 Grade: D+
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 10 Opponent: Seattle Seahawks (Away)
New York Jets (1-8)
22 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Lost to Kansas City Chiefs 24-10
Game Ball: Percy Harvin, Wide Receiver
Game Goat: Chris Ivory, Running Back
The Jets are terrible, but this game was set up for them to fail from the start.
The Chiefs are playing really well as of late, and they may not have an explosive offense (though, every offense looks at least a little explosive against the Jets), but it is the defense, the pressure and the coverage that forces opponents into submission. For a Jets team that has questions at quarterback and even bigger questions when it comes to how to protect the passes, there wasn't much of a chance.
Harvin was a bigger part of the offense this week with 11 catches and 129 yards, but the unit can't get rolling without a better effort from the run game, and Ivory could only manage 22 yards on eight carries.
Week 9 Grade: D
2014 Cumulative: D+
Week 10 Opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers (Home)
Oakland Raiders (0-8)
23 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Lost to Seattle Seahawks 30-24
Game Ball: Khalil Mack, Linebacker
Game Goat: T.J. Carrie, Cornerback/Returner
Even without a win, at 0-8, the Raiders have played well enough that they don't have my worst cumulative grade on the year (though they're awfully close). It is tough losses like this that continue to keep their grade floating just above the flotsam.
The Raiders were awfully close to shocking the reigning world champions.
Carrie had a fumble on a kick return, which didn't result in points for the Seahawks, but every possession counts in a game like this (read: in every game), and the Raiders lose because things like that happen. On top of that, Carrie had a terrible day in coverage and was found wanting against just about every Seahawks player who matched up with him.
Mack, though, continued his fine level of play. Officially, he collected seven tackles and two QB hits on the stat sheet, but there was far more pressure than that, and his presence helped keep this game awfully close far longer than the Seahawks would've liked.
Week 9 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: C-
Week 10 Opponent: Denver Broncos (Home)
Philadelphia Eagles (6-2)
24 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Def. Houston Texans 31-21
Game Ball: Jeremy Maclin, Wide Receiver
Game Goat: Lane Johnson, Offensive Tackle
It's almost cheating, every week, giving the goat to whomever has to face Texans end J.J. Watt, but Johnson earned his with (easily) his worst game of the season. Johnson has been on a tear and has been a big part of the Eagles' success this season, but Watt still had his way.
Maclin caught a touchdown pass each from Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez on his way to 158 yards on only six receptions.
Week 9 Grade: B
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 10 Opponent: Carolina Panthers (Home)
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3)
25 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Def. Baltimore Ravens 43-23
Game Ball: Ben Roethlisberger, Quarterback
Game Goat: N/A
The Steelers have had some absolutely terrible games this season, but they have come alive as of late, not only to resurrect their season but also to shock the rest of the AFC, which had been expecting them to roll over and be (not just play) dead.
Roethlisberger has thrown 12 touchdowns in two games, and that's something no one else has ever done in NFL history. Against a good Ravens defense, he went 25-of-37 for 340 yards and six touchdowns. Some 144 of those yards were to wide receiver Antonio Brown, but a large part of Big Ben's recent success is how he's integrated Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant into the offense as well.
Week 9 Grade: A+
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 10 Opponent: New York Jets (Away)
San Diego Chargers (5-4)
26 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Lost to Miami Dolphins 37-0
Game Ball: N/A
Game Goat: The Whole Team
This was a beating.
Though I talked about the context of the loss in the intro slide, and how I'm not willing to completely write off the Chargers as playoff contenders because of it, that doesn't make the beating any less severe or embarrassing.
Quarterback Philip Rivers: 12-of-23 for 138 yards and three interceptions.
Running Branden Oliver: 13 carries for 19 yards.
Offensive line: porous.
Defensive backfield: even more porous.
It was a whole-team loss, and we might not see another effort this bad from the Chargers all season long...at least, we hope.
Week 9 Grade: F
2014 Cumulative: B-
Week 10 Opponent: Bye
San Francisco 49ers (4-4)
27 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Lost to St. Louis Rams 13-10
Game Ball: Anquan Boldin, Wide Receiver
Game Goat: Colin Kaepernick, Quarterback
San Francisco 49ers fans have a right to be legitimately peeved that the refs factored a little too heavily into the result with a close scoring play/turnover toward the end of the game. However, the 49ers should've never been in that situation save for terrible performances by their offensive line and Kaepernick, who turned the ball over twice (including on that final play).
Boldin—the ageless wonder—was still a steadying presence for the 49ers, though, with 93 yards and a touchdown.
Week 9 Grade: D
2014 Cumulative: C+
Week 10 Opponent: New Orleans Saints (Away)
Seattle Seahawks (5-3)
28 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Def. Oakland Raiders 30-24
Game Ball: Marshawn Lynch, Running Back
Game Goat: Russell Wilson, Quarterback
Yes, for those of you paying attention, I'm giving the Seahawks the same grade (B-) for winning this game as I gave the Raiders for losing it. When one factors for level of competition, one could even make the case that the Raiders deserve the better grade here.
Wilson was terrible this week, going 17-of-35 for 179 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. That's no game-manager status; that's just bad-quarterback status. At only 5.1 yards per completion, Wilson has to be in the offensive coordinator's office both begging to be allowed to air the ball out a little more but also doing penance for only completing just under 50 percent of his passes.
Lynch, thankfully, had a fine day. Overall, his 67 yards rushing (3.2 average) may not look all that fantastic, but he added two touchdowns on the ground and 76 yards receiving, which included a big ol' 39-yard "Beast Mode" reception.
Week 9 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: B
Week 10 Opponent: New York Giants (Home)
St. Louis Rams (3-5)
29 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Def. San Francisco 49ers 13-10
Game Ball: James Laurinaitis, Linebacker (Pictured Above)
Game Goat: Austin Davis, Quarterback
If the Rams offense had done their job a little bit better, this game could've been a lot more lopsided. Davis completed only 13 of 24 passes for 105 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. It was a back-down-to-Earth kind of game for Davis as the 49ers harassed and confused him for most of the day.
Still, the Rams defense had an even better game against 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Laurinaitis collected six tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.
Week 9 Grade: B-
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 10 Opponent: Arizona Cardinals (Away)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-7)
30 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Lost to Cleveland Browns 22-17
Game Ball: Mike Evans, Wide Receiver
Game Goat: Mike Glennon, Quarterback
Evans didn't have the perfect game, but he looked uncoverable at times with 124 yards and two touchdowns. One has to wonder how he would fare with someone better throwing him the ball, as Mike Glennon completed only 17 of 33 passes (seven of those to Evans) and threw two interceptions.
I'm not saying that Josh McCown is the answer, either, but that might be the way Bucs coach Lovie Smith goes, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
Week 9 Grade: C-
2014 Cumulative: D+
Week 10 Opponent: Atlanta Falcons (Home)
Tennessee Titans (2-6)
31 of 32
The Tennessee Titans were on a bye this week.
2014 Cumulative: D
Week 10 Opponent: Baltimore Ravens (Away)
Washington (3-6)
32 of 32
Week 9 Outcome: Lost to Minnesota Vikings 29-26
Game Ball: Alfred Morris, Running Back
Game Goat: Stephen Bowen, Defensive End
While it was good to see quarterback Robert Griffin III back healthy and mostly effective, the story of this matchup was Morris, who had his best game of the season with a number of great runs, bursting through wide-open holes in the line. Altogether, he had 92 yards and two touchdowns.
Sadly, the running defense was almost as porous.
It was a team effort for the Vikings, as they collected 100 yards rushing between three different players, but a lot of that was right at Bowen, whom the Vikings were perfectly comfortable running at time and again.
Week 9 Grade: C+
2014 Cumulative: C
Week 10 Opponent: Bye
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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