Bleacher Report's 2014 NFL Midseason Report Cards
Week 9 of the 2014 NFL season is in the books, which means, bye week or no, each NFL club has now played at least half its games.
Some things have gone as we thought they would. The Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots are good. The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Oakland Raiders are not.
There have been more than a few surprises, however. The defending Super Bowl champions have struggled, leaving fans of the Seahawks sleepless in Seattle. The Arizona Cardinals have been as hot as a summer day in the desert, winners of as many games over the season's first half as any team in the NFL.
Now that the 2014 campaign is halfway home, we gathered the national lead and division lead writers here at Bleacher Report to issue a "report card" of sorts for each of the 32 NFL teams.
Let's open the envelope and see whether each team is headed out for ice cream or grounded.
The Grading and the Graders
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For the purposes of this little exercise, each writer assigned a letter grade to each team. That grade was then converted to a score (98 for an A+, 94 for an A, 90 for an A- and so on). The total score for each team was then averaged and converted back into a grade.
That make sense to you? Yeah, me neither.
Now that I've explained (poorly) how the grades were tabulated, let's meet the scribes who graded each team.
Matt Bowen: NFL National Lead Writer
Gary Davenport: NFL Analyst
Mike Freeman: NFL National Lead Writer
Erik Frenz: AFC East Lead Writer
Brad Gagnon: NFC East Lead Writer
Andrea Hangst: AFC North Lead Writer
Christopher Hansen: AFC West Lead Writer
Zach Kruse: NFC North Lead Writer
Rivers McCown: AFC South Lead Writer
Matt Miller: NFL National Lead Writer
Ty Schalter: NFL National Lead Writer
Michael Schottey: NFL National Lead Writer
Brent Sobleski: NFC South Lead Writer
Mike Tanier: NFL National Lead Writer
Sean Tomlinson: NFC West Lead Writer
Arizona Cardinals
2 of 33
Grade: A (95)
It's starting to look like Bruce Arians can coach or something.
Actually, it's looked like that for a while, dating all the way to back to 2012, when Arians won Coach of the Year after leading the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs while Chuck Pagano battled leukemia.
Any thought that Arians' success that year was a fluke has been shown to be 100 percent wrong. Since using that success as a springboard to a coaching job with the Redbirds, Arians has led the Cardinals to a 17-7 record, including a 7-1 mark this season.
That stellar record hasn't come against cream puffs, either. The Cardinals have wins over the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and San Diego Chargers this year. Their only loss came at Denver, in a game in which the team played much of the second half with third-string quarterback Logan Thomas.
Despite numerous injuries and personnel losses, especially on defense, the Cardinals keep rolling right along. Over their last 16 games, dating back to last November, they are an eye-popping 13-3.
Arizona sits in first place in an NFC West most called the toughest division in the league entering the season, and it has a top-five defense. It's hard to find things not to like about the Cardinals so far this season.
Atlanta Falcons
3 of 33
Grade: D- (62)
From the penthouse to the outhouse.
It wasn't long ago that the Atlanta Falcons were considered a legitimate Super Bowl contender, the NFC's top seed in 2012. After the team started the 2014 season 2-1, many fans were ready to proclaim the Falcons "back," satisfied that last year's injury-filled 4-12 nightmare was an aberration.
Of course, since then, the Falcons have lost five in a row. Rock bottom came in Week 8, when the Falcons squandered a 21-0 lead against the Detroit Lions in London.
There's plenty of blame to go around where Atlanta's slump is concerned. The defense ranks dead last in the league, allowing 409 yards per game. As NFL National Lead Writer Mike Freeman recently pointed out, quarterback Matt Ryan has regressed this year:
"There has been an inexplicable metamorphosis with him, a de-evolution into a player who at times is almost unrecognizable. His third-quarter interception against the Lions was Geno Smith-ian. The only person near the football when Ryan threw it was Lions defensive back Cassius Vaughn. There was no Falcons receiver within several time zones.
"
That play is a pretty good microcosm of the Falcons' first half in 2014.
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Baltimore Ravens
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Grade: B (84)
In some respects, this grade might seem high. After all, as things stand today, the Baltimore Ravens are in last place in the AFC North, courtesy of a Sunday night beatdown at the hands of their hated rivals in Pittsburgh.
However, there's no shame in a 5-4 record in what's shaping up to be the most competitive division in the NFL this year, especially given the controversy that has engulfed the Ravens in 2014.
The story the past two weeks for the Ravens has been turnovers. In consecutive losses to the Cincinnati Bengals and the Steelers, the Ravens have given the ball away four times, resulting in 24 points for their opponents.
Head coach John Harbaugh bemoaned his team's recent sloppiness with the football after the Pittsburgh loss while speaking with Will Graves of The Associated Press (via CBSSports.com).
''We set them up with two scoring situations,'' Harbaugh said. ''When you put guys in that part of the field, they are going to have a chance to make some big plays.''
Still, amid all the turmoil of the Ray Rice scandal, this is a season that easily could have gotten away from Baltimore. All isn't necessarily well, but over the season's first half, Harbaugh and Co. have done a fine job of dialing out the distractions and concentrating on the task at hand.
Buffalo Bills
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Grade: B (85)
The Buffalo Bills are one of the more surprising teams in the NFL this year, as few people expected much from them.
Of course, most people also believed that EJ Manuel would be the team's starting quarterback.
That's no longer the case. Head coach Doug Marrone made a switch in Week 5, handing over the reins to 10-year veteran Kyle Orton.
Since Orton took over, the Bills are 3-1, and as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com reports, there hasn't been a better signal-caller in the NFL during crunch time this season:
"In terms of Total QBR, there is no better late-game quarterback in the NFL this season than Orton. His 87.9 fourth-quarter QBR is first in the NFL, as is his quarterback rating (132.5). Orton averages 9.21 yards per attempt in the fourth quarter, second only to Cincinnati's Andy Dalton. He has thrown five fourth-quarter touchdowns and hasn't been intercepted. Manuel, by comparison, had an NFL-worst 10.4 Total QBR in the fourth quarter in his four starts this season. His 6.77 yards per attempt in the final quarter ranks 21st.
"
Mind you, no one is saying the Bills are the AFC's best team. However, what the 5-3 Bills are is relevant in November, and after a 14-year stretch without a playoff appearance, that's a big step in the right direction.
Carolina Panthers
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Grade: C- (72)
If the Buffalo Bills are heading in the right direction, then the Carolina Panthers are barreling the opposite way.
After going 12-4 (including 11 wins in 12 games) en route to the NFC South title in 2013, the Panthers have pitched and lurched their way to a 3-5-1 mark so far this year.
Strengths have turned into weaknesses. In the absence of Greg Hardy, a Panthers pass rush that paced the NFL with 60 sacks a year ago ranks a moribund 14th in 2014. A Carolina run game that averaged more than 126 yards a game last season is managing fewer than 95 this year.
Head coach Ron Rivera admitted to Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer that the season has hardly gone as planned:
"It’s been a long nine weeks, to be honest. We had some good moments early on in the season. I thought we picked up right where we left off. And then things got crazy for a little bit. I think we’ve had our opportunities to bounce back, and we did for a while. And now we’re in a lull. We’re in a figure-it-out situation.
"
They'd better figure it out quickly, because the only thing keeping the Panthers in the playoff hunt right now is a dismal NFC South.
Chicago Bears
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Grade: D (65)
The Chicago Bears were on a bye in Week 9. The fact that it was their most successful weekend in a while tells you everything you need to know about the team.
In fact, one year after his inaugural season in Chicago drew praise, head coach Marc Trestman finds the seat under him getting toastier by the day.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported that Trestman's goose may already be all but cooked for one simple (but glaring) reason—he's lost the locker room:
"The Bears are in a state of crisis, according to several sources with knowledge of the locker room, with a leadership void further fueling their downward spiral. Players are tuning coach Marc Trestman out, according to numerous sources, there has been increased in-fighting in recent weeks and the team's dedication has been called in to question at times by players and coaches alike, sources said.
"
The problems are myriad. A star-studded offense can't move the ball consistently, largely because Jay Cutler has once again mastered the art of the back-breaking turnover. The defense can't stop anyone from scoring, let alone the Packers and Lions.
Given that the team was tabbed a Super Bowl contender in some circles entering the season, the last-place Bears are among the front-runners for the title of the NFL's most disappointing team in 2014.
Cincinnati Bengals
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Grade: B- (81)
The consensus perception of the Cincinnati Bengals is that they are good but not great.
They've been good enough to make the playoffs in three straight seasons but not good enough to get any further.
Andy Dalton has shown himself capable of winning plenty of regular-season games, but the fourth-year pro has been abysmal in his three postseason losses.
However, guard Andrew Whitworth told Coley Harvey of ESPN.com that the perception of Dalton is a mistaken one:
"He's played very well and continues to grow as a leader and grow as a person. We talked about all of those things. I've been very impressed with how he's grown throughout this season just as a guy in the locker room, and in his desire to do what he can to find a way to do more as a leader and those kinds of things; which is kind of the next step for him.
"
When the Bengals started the season 3-0, it appeared they might be ready to take the next step. But Cincinnati was flattened 43-17 by the New England Patriots in Week 5, and back roared that perception.
The Bengals are good enough to lead a highly competitive AFC North but not good enough to be counted among the NFL's elite.
Cleveland Browns
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Grade: B (85)
The Cleveland Browns are 5-3 at the season's midway point.
No, that is not a misprint. Yes, that may well be a sign of the apocalypse.
Frankly, you can make the argument that the Browns' record should be even better. Two of the team's losses were by a combined total of five points. The other was a disheartening 24-6 defeat at the hands of the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Browns' 22-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a microcosm of the team's season to date. Yes, the Browns got the victory, but they didn't earn any style points doing it.
With that said, head coach Mike Pettine lauded the progress his team has made to reporters after the game:
"Obviously proud of the mental toughness we showed to find a way to win it. Not the prettiest one, but we'll take it. For the first time since '07, the Browns are above .500 at the halfway point . . That was a big thing for our guys this week. Offensively we didn't play as we had to. Obviously the run game is still an issue. Defensively, we made plays when we needed it, and we did some good things on special teams as well. It was a good team win.
"
The Browns have also benefited from a relatively easy schedule, but with a Thursday night trip to Cincinnati to face the division-leading Bengals on tap, we're about to find out just how much has changed on the shores of Lake Erie.
Dallas Cowboys
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Grade: A (94)
The Cowboys may have garnered an "A" grade from our panel, but that doesn't mean there isn't some uneasiness building in Dallas.
After a 6-1 start to the season that made the Cowboys the talk of the NFL, Dallas has dropped two in a row, falling from first place in the NFC East in the process.
When wide receiver Dez Bryant got into a sideline dust-up with teammates during last week's loss to Arizona, many fans were likely left muttering, "Here we go again."
However, in the opinion of Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports, this doesn't fit the mold of a classic Cowboys collapse:
"No doubt, the seams holding the Cowboys together are taxed. Quarterback Tony Romo is literally broken. Starting offensive linemen Doug Free and Ronald Leary are injured. Two defensive starters – linebacker Rolando McClain and defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford – went down Sunday. Bryant spent the day shut down and frustrated. The running game sputtered. In any other recent edition, this would be the time to panic.
But none of this screams catastrophe. Not yet. Not with Romo expected back for next week's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Not with a bye week following that game. And not with the NFC East getting messier and more beat up by the week.
"
Assuming that running back DeMarco Murray, who leads the league in rushing by a sizable margin, can carry the Cowboys past the hapless Jags in London, Dallas will have two weeks for Tony Romo's back to get right for the stretch run.
And with the Philadelphia Eagles battling some big injuries of their own on both sides of the ball, it's shaping up to be a very interesting stretch run indeed.
Denver Broncos
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Grade: A (94)
Well, the Denver juggernaut hit something of a pothole in Week 9.
Outside of an overtime loss at Seattle, the Broncos had been rolling right along. Heading into their matchup with the Patriots in Foxborough, Chris Korman of USA Today wrote that "Denver is far and away the best team in the league":
"The defense has been a revelation. Von Miller and Chris Harris Jr. are healthy now,and that has made a huge difference. Denver's the only team with two players who have seven sacks, and it allows the fewest rushing yards per game of any team in the league. The Broncos were lopsided heading into the playoffs last year and got by because of how good Manning can be. This year, they're balanced.
"
Granted, this was before Tom Brady and the Patriots carved that defense to bits in a 43-21 rout.
Speaking with the AP (via ESPN.com), Peyton Manning took the blame for the setback. "Well, I don't usually stink, but I stunk today," said Manning. "I don't make any excuses."
It was an ugly loss that moves the Patriots to the front of the pack in the AFC, but it doesn't change the fact that this year's Broncos team is probably better than last year's incarnation, especially on defense—you know, the team that made it to the Super Bowl.
Detroit Lions
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Grade: A- (91)
Speaking of defense, raise your hand if you thought that halfway through the 2014 season, the Detroit Lions would lead the National Football League in total defense.
Now put your hand down. You're so full of it.
Still, that's exactly where we sit. In fact, while the defense has been carrying the 6-2 Lions to this point in the season, Justin Rogers of MLive.com reports that Detroit's star-studded offense has been something of a Motor City mess:
"The Detroit Lions offense was supposed to border on unstoppable. Instead, it's struggled to be average. Take away a trio of defensive scores and you'll find the offense is averaging just 18.2 points per game.
If you're looking for reasons, there are plenty. Calvin Johnson has been injured, Joe Lombardi's play-calling has been subpar, the running backs aren't producing and quarterback Matthew Stafford hasn't taken the step forward many of us expected with a new coaching staff dedicated to the refinement of his skills.
But, as oftentimes is the case in football, everything starts in the trenches. So if the defensive line can be announced as a group during pre-game introductions, Detroit's offensive line can accept the award for biggest disappointment as a unit.
"
Rogers' criticisms have some merit, but it's worth pointing out that Johnson hasn't been the only injured star on offense, with running back Reggie Bush missing significant time as well.
The Lions had a week off to get healthy in Week 9, and if the offense can come close to playing at the level of the defense, the Lions will have to be considered the team to beat in the NFC North.
Their first playoff win in over two decades just might be in the offing.
Green Bay Packers
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Grade: B (85)
In many respects, as the great Dennis Green once said, the Green Bay Packers are who we thought they were.
The offense, led by star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, has been as prolific as ever after a bit of a sluggish start. The defense has played well in spots but has struggled with consistency.
According to ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky, it's the lack of consistency on the defensive side of the ball that presents the biggest problem for the Packers in the season's second half.
"It's no coincidence that the Packers have been involved in two of the three games in NFL history where there hasn't been a single punt," he wrote. "This defense can't get off the field on a consistent basis."
Still, in an NFC North that's rapidly shaping up as a two-team race, Green Bay is the team that's been there and done that, a squad filled with players who have been tested in tight postseason races.
Throw in arguably the NFL's best signal-caller, and it's not hard to see why some pundits view Green Bay as the cream of the crop in the NFC Norris.
Ah, the good old days when Chris Berman was more amusing and less annoying. That seems like so long ago.
Houston Texans
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Grade: C+ (78)
Given that the Houston Texans won only two games in 2013, a C-plus grade might seem low. After all, the Texans have already won twice as many games this season.
However, there's trouble brewing for first-year head coach Bill O'Brien in Houston. After a 3-1 start to the year, the Texans have dropped four of five. Running back Arian Foster, who has carried the Texans offense to this point in 2014, suffered a groin injury in the team's Week 9 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Then, there's the matter of No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney. Clowney missed several weeks with a knee injury of his own, and as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports, via his colleague Kevin Patra, there were grumblings after Clowney was sidelined by an "illness" in Week 9:
"What they want is for him to start showing some maturity and learn to play through some of these ailments. As a source just mentioned to me, this is really the first time Clowney has faced any sort of injury adversity -- didn't really happen in college -- and they want him to try to play through it in the NFL, but they're frustrated with their No. 1 overall pick.
"
Never mind that defensive end J.J. Watt has been completely ineffective. Oh, wait. Watt's been a force of nature, tallying 8.5 sacks and three touchdowns in an MVP-caliber first half of the year.
The fact is the Texans probably aren't as good as their quick start or as bad as their recent slump. They are headed in the right direction, but they are not quite ready to get back into the playoff mix in the AFC.
Indianapolis Colts
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Grade: B+ (88)
Barring a massive collapse, the Indianapolis Colts are going to win the AFC South again in 2014. With a record of 6-3, the Colts are the only team in the division with a winning record.
Quarterback Andrew Luck has been masterful, passing for 3,085 yards and 26 touchdowns en route to emerging as a legitimate MVP candidate. Wideout T.Y. Hilton ranks second in the league with 937 receiving yards.
Still, in the opinion of Doug Farrar of Sports Illustrated, the real key to the Colts' success this year has lied in the defensive backfield:
"If one player is the face of Pagano's defense, it's cornerback Vontae Davis, who has proven that no matter what kind of defense you want to run, having a shutdown pass defender transcends all schematic constraints.
Denver's Chris Harris Jr. is the only NFL cornerback with a lower opponent passer rating allowed than Davis' 35.2, and when you add in (Greg) Toler's excellent play this season, it's evident that the Colts' defensive excellence in 2014 is predicated to a large degree on their cornerbacks.
"
With Davis sidelined in Week 8 against Pittsburgh, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for over 500 yards and six scores.
The Colts have already lost top pass-rusher (and 2013 sack king) Robert Mathis to a season-ending Achilles tear, and if there's one thing that could derail the Colts' playoff push this year, it's another significant injury to a defense that's short on depth.
Jacksonville Jaguars
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Grade: D- (60)
This was supposed to be the year. After going 4-4 over the second half of the 2013 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars were supposedly headed in the right direction, ready to take a big step toward respectability.
Instead, Jacksonville has taken a step backward.
Mind you, the 1-8 Jaguars have come close in a number of games, only to come up short.
After Blake Bortles' league-leading 13th interception sealed the deal in Week 9's loss at Cincinnati, wide receiver Cecil Shorts bemoaned the team's inability to get over the proverbial hump to The Associated Press (via FoxSports.com).
"You've got to figure out ways to win," Shorts said. "That's definitely the next thing to get over that hump. As an offense, defense special teams, every category we could've done better and we still had a chance at the end."
A defense that ranks 26th in the NFL isn't helping matters any, but head coach Gus Bradley believes there's a lesson to be learned in this latest loss.
"In order to be a championship team, you have to have championship thoughts. 'It's OK to lose' is not a championship thought, and that's not part of our language," Bradley said. "Be upset, be angry and be determined to come back even stronger is our mentality."
The problem is that while the platitudes keep piling up, so do the losses.
Kansas City Chiefs
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Grade: B (84)
The season got off to a bumpy start for the Kansas City Chiefs. The team dug an early 0-2 hole, which included an ugly Week 1 loss at home to the Tennessee Titans.
However, since a Week 5 setback against the San Francisco 49ers, the Chiefs have reeled off three wins in a row, climbing right back into the thick of the AFC West race.
Vahe Gregorian of The Kansas City Star placed credit for the team's winning streak squarely on the shoulders of quarterback Alex Smith:
"He’s engineering the Chiefs offense so seamlessly that you wouldn’t know whether the scheme was designed to be contoured to him or if he’s simply morphed into mastery of it.
What you do know is that Smith is the consummate man for this team at this time … that he’s affirmed many times over that acquiring him was the single-most-essential move the Andy Reid/John Dorsey regime has made in resuscitating the franchise.
"
With Smith keying the offense and outside linebacker Justin Houston (who leads the NFL with 12 sacks through eight games, a pace that would set a new single-season sack record) leading the defense, the Chiefs appear set to be the biggest obstacle standing between Peyton Manning and another AFC West crown.
Miami Dolphins
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Grade: B- (82)
Don't look now, but the Miami Dolphins are pretty good.
In fact, the Dolphins were more than pretty good in Week 9. They were absolutely dominant in laying down the beating of the week, throttling the San Diego Chargers 37-0 in South Florida.
The effort drew praise from head coach Joe Philbin, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
"Yeah, it seems like this year it’s been the best game we've played, for sure," Philbin said. "It seemed like we had control of the game throughout. I thought the lines on both sides…those guys dictated the tempo and we went from there."
However, Salguero also cautioned that the Dolphins still need to show they can put forth such an effort week in and week out:
"These are the Miami Dolphins you would truly love.
You would buy tickets to see these guys. You would not only root for them but defend them if someone dared remind you how embarrassing the past decade has been. You would move heaven and earth to stay close to this team even if the network broke away to a more competitive game, as CBS-TV did Sunday, because you’d want to not miss news of the next great pass or sack or punt return.
You’d love this coach because he’s a fighter with a pulse and a plan.
You’d talk up your quarterback because he’s not just good enough to win a game, but can outplay an established elite quarterback in the process.
This is the team you wish the Dolphins were more often."
It's also a team that already has a win over the division-leading Patriots. If the Dolphins can keep the positive momentum going this week at Detroit, many more people will have to start taking them seriously as a contender in the AFC East.
Minnesota Vikings
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Grade: C- (72)
It's been a bumpy season for the Minnesota Vikings.
The team began the year with high hopes for first-year head coach Mike Zimmer. Then came the banishment of superstar running back Adrian Peterson amid child abuse charges and a season-ending injury to quarterback Matt Cassel.
Cassel's injury thrust rookie first-round pick Teddy Bridgewater into the starting lineup under center. The youngster has had some rough spots (as rookies often do), but as Ben Goessling of ESPN.com points out, Bridgewater has also come up big a couple of times when it mattered most:
"His issues throwing down the field prevented the Vikings from splitting Sunday's game open, when Bridgewater missed early deep balls to Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson, and he'll have to get better in those situations if he wants to be a productive NFL quarterback. But again on Sunday, Bridgewater lifted himself up when it mattered most, and he's done it enough as a rookie that it's beginning to appear as though it's not a fluke.
"
There have been bright spots on defense as well. Everson Griffen has justified his offseason contract extension, amassing nine sacks in as many games. Linebacker Anthony Barr has emerged as a candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year, pacing the team with 47 solo tackles and adding four sacks of his own.
The 4-5 Vikings may not be headed for the playoffs, but they're at least proving to be a team opponents can't take lightly.
New England Patriots
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Grade: A- (91)
Back in Week 4, after the New England Patriots were smoked by the Kansas City Chiefs, more than a few pundits labeled them done. The dynasty was dead.
Someone forgot to tell the Patriots.
Since then, New England has been the team administering the beatings. It flattened the Cincinnati Bengals 43-17 the following Sunday and then followed up that victory with a 15-point win against a Buffalo Bills team that's no joke in 2014.
Week 9 had to be the high point of the five-game win streak, however. Not only did Tom Brady and the Patriots hand Peyton Manning his seventh loss in nine games at Gillette Stadium, but the game wasn't even close.
As the Patriots' official website reported, head coach Bill Belichick was positively ebullient after the big win:
"Once again, I thought it was a great job by our players this week. These guys really worked hard on our preparation. Denver is a real hard team to get ready for. They're a real good football team. They had the extra time after the Thursday night game and all that, so we knew that they'd be really, have us tuned in. But I thought our guys worked hard after the Bear game, we turned around quickly, came out tonight and played well on all three phases.
"
What? You were expecting cartwheels?
New Orleans Saints
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Grade: C- (72)
Where the New Orleans Saints are concerned in 2014, there's good news and bad news.
The good news is that the Saints are in first place in the NFC South. The bad news is that the only reason the Saints are in first place is that the NFC South is rapidly shaping up to be the worst division in the NFL.
It isn't hard to find the reason why the Saints are only 4-4 after eight games. The defense has backslid dramatically, free-falling from fourth in the league last year to 20th in 2014.
Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan didn't mince words while speaking with Mike Triplett of ESPN.com about the team's issues on that side of the ball after the Saints' Week 7 loss to the Lions.
"You know," Ryan said, "however draw you 'em in the dirt, if you don't execute, you don't win it, it's all for naught. And it's a problem for the entire defense, and we have to fix it."
Ryan's right. The NFL is a quarterback-driven league, and the Saints have one of the very best in Drew Brees. But unless the defense improves dramatically, it's hard to imagine the Saints making any real noise in the playoffs.
New York Giants
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Grade: C- (72)
In some respects, the New York Giants were one of the toughest teams in the league to grade.
In their first two games, the Giants earned an "F," getting outscored 60-28 in losses to the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals. Then, the team reeled off three wins in a row, and it looked like the G-Men had righted the ship—right up until they were blasted 27-0 by the Philadelphia Eagles.
That blowout started the Giants on a three-game skid that continued in a lopsided loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night. As Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com reports, the 3-5 Giants now appear to be on a collision course with another early end to the season despite big expectations entering the year:
"In the end, if there was no shame in losing to Luck, there will be some shame in missing the playoffs for the fifth time in six years, assuming the Giants don't survive the forbidding gauntlet of Seahawks, 49ers and Cowboys they're about to run.
There will also be shame in wasting another year of Manning's prime, no small thing given the Giants' investment in a new offensive coordinator and Eli-friendly system designed to reduce his interceptions and keep him upright.
"
Granted, the Giants have shown an ability in the past to right the ship and make a deep playoff run after barely making the postseason at all. However, this year's team has shown little indication that it will have that sort of miraculous turnaround, especially heading into a brutal scheduling stretch.
New York Jets
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Grade: F (57)
We have our first failing grade, and it's a grade the New York Jets have absolutely earned.
Since beating the equally putrid Oakland Raiders all the way back in Week 1, the Jets have lost a staggering eight games in a row.
The reasons for those losses have been myriad. The Jets pass defense has been horrific in the only category that really matters, allowing the most passing touchdowns in the NFL by a wide margin. Quarterback Geno Smith was an ineffective turnover machine prior to being benched. Michael Vick hasn't fared much better.
Frankly, this report from ESPN.com tells you just about everything you need to know about the 2014 New York Jets:
"A group of fed-up New York Jets fans hoped to raise $10,000 to put up a billboard near MetLife Stadium to implore owner Woody Johnson to fire general manager John Idzik. It took them less than a week to reach their goal.
Jason Koeppel, his brother Jared and two of his friends started the website FireJohnIdzik.com last week, launching it last Monday after listening to the second-year general manager's rambling state-of-the-team news conference.
They announced Sunday on Twitter that they had raised enough money for the billboard and displayed via another tweet that donations came from angry Jets fans throughout the country.
"
Yep. That about sums it up.
Oakland Raiders
24 of 33
Grade: D- (60)
The Oakland Raiders narrowly missed being the second straight team in this article to earn an "F" over the season's first half. Their average was 59.6, and I rounded up.
The Raiders are obviously not a good football team, as they are the only franchise in the NFL that has yet to crack the win column this year. In fact, as Cork Gaines of Business Insider reports, the Raiders' second-half schedule could have the team on a collision course with NFL infamy:
"Half of the (Raiders' remaining) games are against two of the three best teams in the NFL according to SRS (Simple Rating System, which weighs how well teams perform in games played and adjusts it for strength of schedule). Only one of those games is against a team with a losing record and that one is on the road in St. Louis.
Unfortunately for the Raiders, this is just terrible luck. According to SRS there are four teams that have played worse, including the Jets, Rams, Jaguars, and Bucs.
A big part of the bad luck was that the NFL schedule worked against the Raiders this season. In addition to having three Super Bowl contenders in their own division, the Raiders also had to schedule teams in the NFC West, a division considered by many to be the best in the NFL, as well as the AFC East, which includes the New England Patriots and the surprising Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.
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There have been glimmers of hope, including the play of rookies Derek Carr and Khalil Mack, but the Raiders don't appear one bit closer to ending a playoff drought that has now lasted more than a decade.
Philadelphia Eagles
25 of 33
Grade: B (85)
There isn't a more depressed 6-2 team in the National Football League than the Philadelphia Eagles.
In Week 9, the Eagles won the battle but may have lost the war. Philadelphia left Houston with a 10-point win over the Texans, but it came at a staggering cost. In fact, the argument can be made that the Eagles lost their two most important players in the game.
In addition to a season-ending Achilles tear suffered by defensive linchpin DeMeco Ryans, quarterback Nick Foles broke his collarbone. The latter injury means Mark Sanchez will start under center for the NFC East leaders for the foreseeable future.
Yes, that Mark Sanchez—Captain Butt Fumble himself.
Sanchez was effective against the Texans, and head coach Chip Kelly asserted to Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com that he's confident Sanchez can get the job done.
"He obviously has a big-time arm, he's got an NFL arm, he's got NFL feet, he's really, really smart, he's sharp, great work ethic, very athletic," Kelly said. "He had all the things we're looking for in a quarterback. He's a hell of a quarterback and we're excited that we got him."
Of course, it's fair to ask if Kelly was trying to convince Rosenthal, us or himself.
Pittsburgh Steelers
26 of 33
Grade: B (83)
These are not your father's Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers used to be about running the ball and playing defense. Pittsburgh was a blue-collar team from a blue-collar town, a smashmouth club in every sense of the word.
The 2014 Steelers, on the other hand, are a so-so 14th in the NFL in total defense and an equally "meh" 13th in rushing offense.
But the Steelers are 6-3 and in the thick of the AFC North hunt.
That's what happens when your quarterback throws six touchdown passes in a game two weeks in a row.
Ben Roethlisberger just accomplished that feat, following up his 522-yard, six-score effort against the Indianapolis Colts with another half-dozen touchdown tosses against the Baltimore Ravens.
As The Associated Press reported (via ESPN.com), it was a performance that impressed Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, who would probably rather eat a broken-glass sandwich than say something nice about the Steelers.
"You could have never sold me that during the week, even though he did it last week," Suggs said. "But he had a helluva game, and that's a reflection on us all. You have stop him in some certain situations."
Big Ben isn't often mentioned among the NFL's elite quarterbacks, despite his two Super Bowl wins (and a third appearance).
Well, if Suggs can admit it's time to give Roethlisberger his due, then we should all follow suit.
San Diego Chargers
27 of 33
Grade: B (86)
The San Diego Chargers would very much like a mulligan for Week 9. As a matter of fact, the Bolts would probably like a do-over for the last few weeks.
After a 5-1 start that included a victory over the defending Super Bowl champions, the Chargers have dropped their last three games, including losses inside the AFC West to Denver and Kansas City.
Those setbacks were nothing compared to Week 9, however. The Chargers were pasted 37-0 by the Miami Dolphins last week, an embarrassing loss in which quarterback Philip Rivers posted his lowest single-game passer rating since 2007.
Rivers made no excuses for his performance while talking to Eric Williams of ESPN.com.
"There’s really no excuses," Rivers said. "I didn’t play good at all, and that’s stating the obvious. I don’t think anybody on our team thinks we played anywhere close to what we’re capable of. That’s what happens when you get beat like we did."
With that said, as Williams pointed out, Rivers wasn't alone in face-planting against the 'Fins:
"The inability of San Diego’s defense to contain a Ryan Tannehill-led offense that had been inconsistent through seven games was the real culprit for the Chargers, and reason for major concern for this team moving forward.
Once again the Chargers were dominated at the line of scrimmage defensively. San Diego’s defense allowed over 100 rushing yards for a fourth straight week, and failed to finish with a sack for a second straight week.
The Chargers did not force Miami to punt until 3:04 left in the third quarter. The team’s best pass-rusher, Dwight Freeney, hasn’t recorded a sack since September. San Diego’s second-best pass-rusher, Corey Liuget, has just one sack in the last six games.
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Those are big worries for the 5-4 Chargers, who have more than a little work to do during their Week 10 bye.
San Francisco 49ers
28 of 33
Grade: C (77)
If the San Diego Chargers should be concerned, then the San Francisco 49ers ought to be freaking out.
It's not hard to see why. Pegged as Super Bowl contenders entering the season, the 49ers are 4-4 and in real danger of falling out of the playoff picture altogether. An NFC West title is already all but out of the question.
The thought was that the 49ers would use their Week 8 bye to circle the wagons. Instead, the team came out flatter than ever against the St. Louis Rams, and by the controversial end of a 13-10 loss, the wheels had come off the wagon altogether.
Quarterback Colin Kaepernick has been erratic, but that's partly due to a porous line that gave up eight sacks a week ago. The defense, wrecked by injuries, has looked little like the dominant units of the past few seasons.
The Niners may be preaching patience, but after watching the team fall to the Rams, former 49ers great Jerry Rice said on KNBR 680 that, in his opinion, San Francisco is in trouble (via Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News):
"To see what happened on that final play, and if you can’t depend on your offensive line or your running back to get one yard to win the football game, that’s very disturbing to me. With this team, you expected so much more this year, and they’re not playing up to their potential. I don’t know if it can be cured.
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Coach Jim Harbaugh isn't hearing it, telling reporters, "We’re not going to be concerned about what other people think or point out."
Maybe if someone pointed out that the 49ers are three games behind the division-leading Cardinals (including a head-to-head loss), then that concern level would grow.
Or maybe Emperor Harbaugh is fiddling while the city burns.
Seattle Seahawks
29 of 33
Grade: C+ (78)
The San Francisco 49ers haven't cornered the market on NFC West panic attacks.
No, there's plenty of worry in the Pacific Northwest as well. Granted, the Seattle Seahawks have a winning record, and if the season ended today, the 5-3 Seahawks would have an opportunity to defend their Super Bowl title—on the road as the NFC's No. 6 seed.
The Seahawks' biggest issues have resided with their biggest players. Neither line has played very well. The offensive line has failed to protect Russell Wilson, while the defensive line has struggled to generate pressure on opponents.
Per Football Outsiders, Seattle's offensive front ranks 17th in pass protection and 12th in run blocking. That's not terrible, but it's certainly not great.
The defensive line, on the other hand, ranks a respectable seventh against the run but a dismal 28th in pass rushing.
It isn't the Seahawks' only concern, but unless Seattle fixes its issues in the trenches, odds are very good that a new team will be lifting the Lombardi Trophy in Arizona next February.
St. Louis Rams
30 of 33
Grade: D (64)
Coming off a big win over their division rivals in San Francisco and three weeks after stunning the Super Bowl champions in St. Louis, a D grade may seem unfairly harsh for the St. Louis Rams.
However, a closer look shows that those NFC West wins were the bread on a turd sandwich, as the Rams were waxed 34-7 by the Kansas City Chiefs between those games.
And that's the issue with the Rams. They played well in those division games but were blown out by the Chiefs and the Minnesota Vikings. They raced to a 21-0 lead over the Dallas Cowboys back in Week 3 but couldn't hold it, falling 34-31.
Still, as Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com reported, after downing the 49ers, defensive end Robert Quinn lauded a Rams front seven that had finally come to life.
"To have six sacks throughout the first seven games and to have eight today is a heck of a pass rush, especially against a quarterback like Kaepernick who can get out of the pocket fast," Quinn said.
Once again, though, there's that contradiction. Sure, the Rams played great defensively against the Niners but only after spending the first two months of the 2014 season on the side of a milk carton.
Until the Rams can put together a few wins and show some consistency on both sides of the ball, it's hard to have much faith in their ability to get out of the NFC West basement.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
31 of 33
Grade: F (55)
Speaking of basements, welcome to rock bottom, folks. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the recipients of the lowest grade of the NFL's 32 teams from our panel, a flat-out, big, red, glaring F.
It wasn't supposed to be like this. After making a number of big free-agent signings (including quarterback Josh McCown and defensive end Michael Johnson), the Buccaneers were supposed to be a vastly improved team in Lovie Smith's first season at the helm.
Instead, this may wind up being Smith's only season at the helm.
That's because the Buccaneers have been bad in every facet of the game. They rank 31st in total defense, surrendering almost 400 yards a game. They're equally putrid on offense, with only the Oakland Raiders gaining fewer yards per contest.
McCown was horrible before getting hurt, and then he was benched in favor of Mike Glennon, who has since been benched in favor of McCown again. Johnson has been either injured or invisible.
It's gotten so bad that Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who has been a rare bright spot for the team in 2014, told ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas that he feels the team has become too used to losing.
"Everybody's frustrated, but I don't think anybody's upset enough with losing," McCoy said. "It's like, 'OK, we had a lot of good plays, and they came back. They won. Now on to the next.' No, we've got to stop that."
Still, Smith insisted after last week's loss to Cleveland that the Buccaneers are headed in the right direction:
"There's no doubt we're headed in the right direction, but you say that about four games ago. We have to find a way to win a game is what we have to do. And that's what we haven't been able to figure out. And we're running out of time. We're at the halfway point in our season now. It's about November football, playing your best ball right now, and we haven't.
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Tell yourself whatever you need to, Lovie. We're not buying it.
Tennessee Titans
32 of 33
Grade: D (63)
All the way back in April, I was tasked with making predictions for the Titans' upcoming season. When I predicted the Titans would finish 4-12, it was not received well by the fanbase. Most of them believed the Titans would win several more games this year.
As it turns out, the Titans might be lucky to get those four wins.
Just about every problem I pointed out for the Titans has been a factor in their 2-6 start.
Bad quarterback play? Well, Charlie Whitehurst has as many wins as Jake Locker, and both have been benched in favor of rookie Zach Mettenberger.
Problems transitioning to the 3-4 under new defensive coordinator Ray Horton? The Titans are 23rd in total defense.
Head coach Ken Whisenhunt told ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky the team used its Week 9 bye to take a long, hard look at itself:
"None of us were happy with how the first eight games went. It’s different to have a break in the middle or almost halfway (in the 17-week season), you get caught up in the weekly preparation and you lose sight of what you really need to focus on to get better. Because you’re trying so hard to assess what you did the week before and then prepare for the next opponent. So we got a chance to look at what we’ve done, areas we need to improve. I think really the message for us is we’ve got to get better. We need to show improvement in the areas where we haven’t been close to being good enough.
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The Titans have to get better. That's some high-end thinking there, Ken.
Washington Redskins
33 of 33
Grade: D (66)
Quarterback controversies are nothing new in the National Football League. However, as it has been wont to do during Daniel Snyder's tenure as owner of the team, Washington has figured out a way to make things even more complicated.
First, Robert Griffin III got hurt. After Kirk Cousins led the team to a relief win and then topped 400 passing yards in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, some fans were more than willing to anoint Cousins as the team's future at the position.
Then, Cousins started handing out turnovers like Halloween candy, and he was yanked in favor of Colt McCoy. Just like Cousins before him, McCoy led Washington to a win in relief. McCoy then one-upped Cousins, guiding Washington to a Monday night win over the Dallas Cowboys.
His reward for that success? McCoy was yanked in favor of Griffin. According to an ESPN.com report, the decision to go back to Griffin came from over first-year head coach Jay Gruden's head:
"Multiple members of the Washington Redskins organization told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter this week that they believe the decision to go back to quarterback Robert Griffin III and away from Colt McCoy, who had led the team to two straight wins, is an owner- and general manager-driven decision.
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Gruden called the report "totally false," but there's no denying that it's been another soap-opera season in the nation's capital.
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