Chris Simms' Team-by-Team Grades for NFL Week 4
Ever have that back-to-school-and-there’s-a-test-today nightmare?
That’s what a handful of NFL teams just lived out—in real life. I flunked more Week 4 participants than ever before because they showed up to test day without a clue. And like that bad dream, they need to wake up.
Quick note: I factor in what I saw from the most recent round of games—stats, game tape, toughness, team style, etc. If you’re looking for a more complete picture of how all 32 teams look, check out my power rankings.
Let’s see if your favorite team remembered to study up.
Dallas Cowboys
1 of 30
Offense: I’m still freaking amazed at how well this offense controls the football. Everyone in Levi’s Stadium knew what Dallas would do—run Ezekiel Elliott, throw it short and safe with Dak Prescott, etc. The 49ers were powerless to stop either.
Defense: The Cowboys fell in a 14-0 hole with some sloppy assignment football; for instance, Anthony Brown and Byron Jones blitzed the same gap on Jeremy Kerley's long touchdown. But Tyrone Crawford's first-quarter sack swung momentum 180 degrees for Rod Marinelli and surrendered only a field goal after that.
Grade: A
New York Giants
2 of 30
Offense: Eli Manning was afraid of the Vikings. He did everything in his power to dump passes off, even against down and distance. In doing so, he nullified the one advantage his team had in Minnesota. Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz and Sterling Shepard were quiet all night.
Defense: Big Blue’s secondary consisted of Janoris Jenkins, Landon Collins and three guys you couldn’t pick out of a team photo. They played good football and got after Sam Bradford enough to win. Problem was, they were out on the field for way too long.
Grade: C
Washington Redskins
3 of 30
Offense: We all know what TE Jordan Reed can do to a defense. We haven’t seen what RB Matt Jones can do. His 117 rushing yards give the Redskins offense the balance it needs to overcome Kirk Cousins’ limitations.
Defense: Washington didn’t really feel like tackling anyone. It’s a common theme of the season. The team is thankful a few opportunistic guys—Will Compton, Quinton Dunbar, Josh Norman—have stepped it up.
Grade: B
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Buffalo Bills
4 of 30
Offense: What’s the biggest difference between Greg Roman’s offense and Anthony Lynn’s? Simplicity. Tyrod Taylor didn’t run to the line and call 800 checks against New England. Lynn is calling plays with a rhythm and an attitude that fit his depth chart’s power persona.
Defense: The last Patriots home shutout? 1993. The Bills defense should take a bow regardless of which Patriot played quarterback. Rex Ryan has this team—and particularly this defensive line—back playing his brand of ball.
Grade: A
Miami Dolphins
5 of 30
Offense: Adam Gase was hired to light a fire under Ryan Tannehill’s ass. We’re at the quarter mark, and I still can’t tell if it’s working. Tannehill has as many turnovers as touchdowns (six). But is he to blame for the 2-of-11 third-down percentage last Thursday night? Or the offensive line struggles?
Defense: What a fall from grace if you’re Byron Maxwell. The guy goes from Super Bowl champ to big Eagles free-agent signing to…trade throw-in. His demotion behind a rookie and a converted wide receiver is just the final straw.
Grade: C
New York Jets
6 of 30
Offense: Warm that arm up, Geno Smith. The Jets don’t have anything to lose by swapping quarterbacks out now. Just like they don’t have anything to gain by opening holes up for Matt Forte. The explosion of his Chicago days are gone; plenty of meat was left on the bone in the run game.
Defense: Todd Bowles’ supposedly tough secondary was shredded. Which makes me wonder: Why did the defensive game plan involve selling out against the run? Russell Wilson had a field day picking apart man coverage on the back end of run blitzes.
Grade: D
New England Patriots
7 of 30
Offense: It’s hard to sneak up on a second straight opponent when you’re running Jacoby Brissett option plays. It’s even harder when that high school-style offense gets rocked off the line. Buffalo gave New England’s blockers a wake-up call before Tom Brady’s return.
Defense: Given the circumstances, Bill Belichick’s defense played well. It just didn’t look like his defense. It played man instead of zone. It brought extra pass-rushers at Tyrod Taylor. And it let Buffalo get to the edge a little too much.
Grade: C
Chicago Bears
8 of 30
Offense: I had Jordan Howard as my third-rated running back coming out last NFL draft season. I think he showed everyone what he’s capable of. Same goes for Brian Hoyer. Offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains can put together a winning plan if his players don’t make mistakes.
Defense: Shorthanded defenses aren’t supposed to make stops? Someone forgot to give John Fox that memo. His unit was down a key starter at every level and still shocked the Lions. How? By taking away Marvin Jones Jr. and the deep ball.
Grade: A
Detroit Lions
9 of 30
Offense: Detroit punted its first four possessions. Two drives resulted in a bad interception and a field goal. By a mile, this was the worst offensive outing for Matt Stafford under Jim Bob Cooter. There’s no balance on this offense anymore.
Defense: I don’t get how Brian Hoyer goes for 300-plus yards on any NFL defense, injures or not. The Lions might own the NFL’s worst tackling unit.
Grade: D
Minnesota Vikings
10 of 30
Offense: It wasn’t the best Stefon Diggs week. But the Vikings stacked Kyle Rudolph on Diggs’ side to work underneath coverages, and boy, did he break free. Sam Bradford was solid for the third consecutive week.
Defense: There is no good offensive game plan against these Vikings. Their front will punish a passer if he holds on to the ball too long (see: Cam Newton in Week 3). They’ll also tackle soundly on the back end when a quick-release passing game comes to town. Eli Manning’s receivers were all kept in check.
Grade: A+
Cincinnati Bengals
11 of 30
Offense: Yes, A.J. Green went off. But I looked a little deeper and saw a unit that’s struggling without someone opposite No. 18. The Bengals’ next leading receiver Thursday? C.J. Uzomah (four catches). This is a team that should pick a secondary like Miami’s apart and can’t.
Defense: Five sacks. Seven three-and-outs. This is the Bengals defense that we all know and love. And by "we all," I mean everyone except Dolphins lineman Ju’Wuan James. Carlos Dunlap put him on skates for four quarters.
Grade: B-
Cleveland Browns
12 of 30
Offense: Raise your hand if you had Isaiah Crowell as the NFL’s leading rusher at the quarter mark. Anyone? Crowell’s running gave Cleveland a chance. The Browns only punted once. Three turnovers were the difference.
Defense: Kirk Cousins threw for 183 yards. That’s a win for any defense and a double-win for any defense as shorthanded as Cleveland’s. It just couldn’t stop Jordan Reed when it mattered.
Grade: B+
Baltimore Ravens
13 of 30
Offense: First things first: Steve Smith is an unreal human being. The fact that he can still outrun a defense is mind-blowing to me. But Smith, Joe Flacco and the rest of this Ravens group controlled the game. They had 25 first downs and couldn’t get a win to show for it.
Defense: The final score is misleading. It’ll tell you Oakland scored four touchdowns. It won’t tell you the Ravens defense basically allowed two. A fumble return and a Joe Flacco fumble aside, Baltimore gave up 261 net yards to this Raiders offense.
Grade: B
Pittsburgh Steelers
14 of 30
Offense: Remember Le’Veon Bell? He’s the best running back in football, and he reminded everyone of that Sunday night. His quarterback isn’t too shabby either. Ben Roethlisberger sliced a pretty good secondary for five touchdown passes. This Steelers offense had a one-week hiccup, and it’s clear that it’s back.
Defense: Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt made a turnstile out of Kansas City’s offensive line. Their secondary bounced back. I even saw some vintage James Harrison. This Steelers defense is fun to watch with a lead.
Grade: A
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
15 of 30
Offense: Someone tell Dirk Koetter he used to coach at Arizona State—not the Arizona Cardinals. His offense is just as deep-ball-centric as Bruce Arians’. The difference? He hasn’t drawn up a way for Jameis Winston to get completions when the home run ball goes away.
Defense: Gerald McCoy left after the first half and took his team’s hopes with him. Defensive coordinator Mike Smith showed some of the most vanilla looks and paid for it. His secondary was topped by two quarterbacks with one combined year of experience.
Grade: C+
Atlanta Falcons
16 of 30
Offense: Pretty easy to put up points when the other team forgets to double Julio Jones. But credit Kyle Shanahan for pushing the envelope and actually running the ball. I would’ve never taken Atlanta’s O-line over Carolina’s D-line, but it won outright. This unit is scary when everything’s clicking.
Defense: Things got interesting when Cam Newton left; this defense did its job and forced the Derek Anderson mistakes it needed to. That’s how the Falcons will win games this year.
Grade: A+
Carolina Panthers
17 of 30
Offense: It’s Cam Newton or nothing these days in Carolina. Either the reigning MVP fires a howitzer past coverage and completes it, or…well, not much else. There’s no meaningful run game minus Jonathan Stewart. There are no screens or draws with an injured and bad O-line.
Defense: Atlanta ran the same play—front-side play-action, back-side slant to Julio Jones—to great success. These corners can’t compete with star power, and their front seven just received its first official ass-whupping. Times are not good in Charlotte.
Grade: F
New Orleans Saints
18 of 30
Offense: The Saints had very little to do with what just happened at Qualcomm Stadium. Drew Brees was held to 207 yards and threw two picks. The run game couldn’t get going. Michael Thomas was their only impressive receiver. It took a meltdown of epic proportions for this team to get its first win.
Defense: Good things happen when you blitz like your season depends on it. That was Dennis Allen’s approach. The defensive coordinator was rewarded with timely turnover over timely turnover. Good call replacing Jairus Byrd with rookie Vonn Bell, too.
Grade: C+
Indianapolis Colts
19 of 30
Offense: Indianapolis has to stop this fairytale of offensive balance. It put Andrew Luck behind the eightball once again in London last weekend. How about using your franchise quarterback to loosen a defense up instead of old man Frank Gore? Maybe then it wouldn’t need Luck’s magic touch.
Defense: Any other team would savor a week up against turnover machine Blake Bortles. Not the Colts. They dived and grabbed and couldn’t tackle Allen Hurns on a simple swing pass. Wasn’t defense supposed to be Chuck Pagano’s specialty?
Grade: C+
Jacksonville Jaguars
20 of 30
Offense: Gus Bradley finally took a paper shredder to all the stretch plays in his offensive playbook. Look what T.J. Yeldon and Chris Ivory did with a more north-south approach. The offense gained almost a full yard more per carry than its season average. That’ll buy time for Blake Bortles and let more drive develop.
Defense: Dante Fowler Jr.! Yannick Ngakoue! Myles Jack! We saw a glimpse of what the Jags front seven could be for years to come. It made life absolutely terrible on Andrew Luck.
Grade: B
Houston Texans
21 of 30
Offense: Bill O’Brien reclaimed his rightful place as the Texans’ play-caller. What changed? Brock Osweiler’s play was still erratic, but he spread the ball around more—especially to tight ends such as C.J. Fiedorowicz and Ryan Griffin. It’s a great sign when DeAndre Hopkins can struggle and Will Fuller can pick up the slack, too.
Defense: It played like a group that just lost its leader. A 14-point first-half lead was erased. And then…Jadeveon Clowney woke up. His lone sack forced the Titans to punt late in the game and set up the go-ahead touchdown. Credit the Texans for toughing this one out.
Grade: A-
Tennessee Titans
22 of 30
Offense: Their rushing attack in the first half? 82 yards. Their rushing attack in the second half? 42 yards. Opposing teams have figured out that Marcus Mariota can’t beat them in the air and adjust accordingly.
Defense: Not too shabby after falling in a 14-0 hole. The Titans stuffed Houston on a fourth-down play. They turned two more Brock Osweiler throws into interceptions. DeAndre Hopkins had only four yards! Dick LeBeau has the golden touch.
Grade: B-
San Francisco 49ers
23 of 30
Offense: The good news? Chip Kelly has added a few new wrinkles into his passing playbook. The bad news? They’re still being executed by Blaine Gabbert, who fell off a statistical cliff after the first quarter. Carlos Hyde can't do everything.
Defense: NaVorro Bowman’s exit leaves a huge leadership void. But his presence wasn’t stopping Ezekiel Elliott’s monster day whatsoever. San Francisco’s front seven was picked on all afternoon by a tougher team.
Grade: C+
Arizona Cardinals
24 of 30
Offense: I haven’t seen a team force the ball down the field like this ever. It’s costing the team offensive success; L.A. could simply sit in deep zone coverage and wait for weak-armed Carson Palmer to test it. Does Bruce Arians know his offensive line can’t buy the time needed for long-breaking routes?
Defense: Remember that pesky second cornerback spot? Marcus Cooper is a better option, but he’s no savior there. I saw Brian Quick beat him twice downfield for big plays. And did Tyrann Mathieu rush back or what?
Grade: D+
Los Angeles Rams
25 of 30
Offense: Case Keenum is a much better downfield thrower of the football than I initially give him credit for. Those throws aren’t loosening anything up for Todd Gurley, though. Offensive coordinator Rob Boras’ best offensive player had 33 yards on 19 carries. That’s not a stat line that suggests sustainable success.
Defense: Aaron Donald is playing at a Defensive Player of the Year level. When he’s unstoppable, this team gets turnovers. And this team just turned the Arizona Cardinals over five times.
Grade: A-
Seattle Seahawks
26 of 30
Offense: This offense was the snooze button personified through two weeks and a preseason. Along came old Jimmy Graham, and it all changed. Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell can line him up or flex him out. Graham’s resurgence opens everything up—single-coverage for Doug Baldwin, time in the pocket for Russell Wilson, etc.
Defense: It took Richard Sherman a while to figure out Brandon Marshall. Then, he stuck his foot in the turf before the Jets receiver could and intercepted two back-shoulder throws. The Sherminator hasn’t taken a step back.
Grade: A
Denver Broncos
27 of 30
Offense: Trevor Siemian? Paxton Lynch? Doesn’t really matter in this Broncos offense. Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas got enough touches, and the Broncos played mistake-free ball.
Defense: I can’t decide which Broncos corner is more adept at shutdown coverage. This week’s favorite? Aqib Talib, who hauled both of Jameis Winston’s picks in. Typical Broncos ass-whupping defense across the board.
Grade: A
San Diego Chargers
28 of 30
Offense: Those two late fumbles pretty much say it all. I’ve never seen a team roll out a prevent offense.
Defense: The New Orleans offense couldn’t find the big splash play. But it could find the end zone when San Diego gifted it late possessions. One stop and we’re not talking about such an amazing meltdown, right?
Grade: F
Kansas City Chiefs
29 of 30
Offense: Jamaal Charles came back at the right time. Spencer Ware’s clock hit midnight; he’s a physically gifted ball-carrier who can’t hold on to a football. This offense isn’t built to come back against a team such as Pittsburgh.
Defense: I was really looking forward to Antonio Brown vs. Marcus Peters. Then the game started, and I saw how lost Kansas City’s defensive backfield looked. It had no clue where its assignments were.
Grade: F
Oakland Raiders
30 of 30
Offense: Derek Carr is Aaron Rodgers-lite when it comes to red-zone production. He can air out a packed-in defense better than anyone who’s not quarterbacking the Packers. And like Rodgers, he can threaten the line of scrimmage with his legs before getting a pass off. It’s a joy to watch.
Defense: The guys who were counted on to carry this defense are finding their form. Khalil Mack (who looks 10-15 pounds lighter than last year) finally got his first sack. Sean Smith had his best game after a really rough stretch to start the year. Jack Del Rio has this group on the arrow-up.
Grade: A
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")