Chris Simms' Team-by-Team Grades for NFL Week 9

Remember that "Michael Vick Experience" commercial from back in the day? 

It perfectly summed up what it was like to play the guy. Every down was an emotional roller coaster. We had Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks and John Lynch; Vick put the fear of God into all three of them on any given play.

That’s what separates rivalry games at the pro level. In college, I was amped to play Oklahoma; I thought we’d win every time. But watching Vick break contain on 3rd-and-15 wasn’t exhilarating. It was nerve-wracking and mentally taxing. I wanted to take a nap after watching No. 7 from the sidelines.

So I’ve been where a handful of players were heading into a rivalry game-filled Week 9. The teams that rose to the occasion got my respect—and a higher grade in my latest ratings release.

Dallas Cowboys

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Offense: Future Rookie of the Year winner Ezekiel Elliott better have something nice on layaway for his five offensive linemen. The tape tells me at least 50 of his 92 rushing yards came before contact with a Browns defender. Let that sink in for a second. Then, think about all the play-action and one-on-one coverage a running game like that opens up for Dallas. Scary, right?

Defense: Name a running back who hit the 100-yard mark this season against Dallas. Now, name a receiver who hit the same mark. Stumped? That’s because Dallas hasn’t allowed either through nine weeks. Its defensive line is one of the deepest in football, and it doesn’t quit for 60 minutes. No one knows that better than Cody Kessler (four sacks).

Grade: A

Philadelphia Eagles

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Offense: Doug Pederson’s terrible, horrible, no good, bad coaching day had one silver lining: Bryce Treggs. He wears No. 16, and the Eagles got him off the waiver-wire scrap heap. He might just be the deep receiving option Carson Wentz and Eagles fans alike have dreamed of for weeks.

Defense: Leodis McKelvin is not a bad cover cornerback. Stick him next to Odell Beckham Jr., though, and he looks like a pee wee football player. You know who might’ve helped? Jaylen Watkins, who was too busy playing a weird third safety spot to take one of the Giants’ receivers away.

Grade: C+

New York Giants

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Offense: I’ve been quick to chalk up Big Blue’s running woes as an offensive line issue. That wasn’t the case in Week 9, even against Philadelphia’s outstanding front seven. How could I tell? Justin Pugh’s injury-related exit really changed Ben McAdoo’s plans. The Giants stopped pulling guards when their best pulling one was sidelined.

Defense: Was it pretty? No. Should Jordan Matthews have turned the other way for a surefire touchdown? Probably, yeah. But New York spent $200 million this offseason to help preserve late-game leads. That’s precisely what it did against a good offensive team.

Grade: A-

Buffalo Bills

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Offense: Monday night’s loss will sting for a while, but Buffalo’s offense should take comfort in the fact that it played its most complete game of 2016. Tyrod Taylor was uncontainable. LeSean McCoy was back to his normal elusive self. Robert Woods even pitched in with a few "wow" catches.

Defense: I get it, Rex Ryan. You want to stick your two corners in an opponent’s face and play island coverage for 60 minutes. Is there a plan B if the opponent finds success that look? Russell Wilson and Jimmy Graham treated sungle coverage like a yellow light and just sped past. Plus, Seattle’s wide receivers smoked Stephon Gilmore and Ronald Darby on a few throws. Some zone looks might’ve helped.

Grade: B

Miami Dolphins

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Offense: It doesn’t matter where they play. It doesn’t matter who they play. If Miami’s front five can stay healthy, they’ll bulldoze any defense in front of them. Jay Ajayi had his choice of three 747-sized holes to run through. Then, Mike Pouncey or a Dolphins guard would scoot up to the second level, take out a linebacker and spring Ajayi for even more yards. They’re Dallas-like.

Defense: Ndamukong Suh threw a Jets ball-carrier to the ground. Cameron Wake got the edge for a couple of sacks. Even big Jordan Phillips (a former All-22 player) caught a tipped pass and rumbled the other way for a bit. I’ve called Miami’s defensive line the strength of this team. On Sunday, it finally played like it.

Grade: B+

New York Jets

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Offense: I didn’t expect Ryan Fitzpatrick to make every right read and accurate throw versus Miami. I do expect him to see the 330-pound nose tackle slinking back in zone coverage, though. He’s hard to miss.

Defense: It started when Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson both apparently skipped a pregame meeting, according to Manish Mehta and Seth Walder of the New York Daily News. It bled through into Week 9 when two personal foul calls gifted Miami its walk-in opening touchdown. It ended when an offside call gave Kenyan Drake another shot to return a kick (not on the defense, but c’mon). Disciplinarian Todd Bowles better find a new shtick.

Grade: F

Detroit Lions

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Offense: Matthew Stafford’s latest comeback wasn’t just a thing of beauty. It was NFL history in the making. With 30 seconds to go, Stafford quarterbacked the Lions into field-goal range from inside his own 30…and won. That makes Detroit the only team to pull a win off like that since 2001; 98 other teams couldn’t do it, according to ESPN's Trey Wingo. It also puts Stafford squarely in the MVP race.

Defense: Move over, Ezekiel Ansah. This is Kerry Hyder’s season—from the inside or from the edge. Sam Bradford couldn’t drop back without the Texas Tech product lunging at him. Add two more sacks to his impressive seven-sack season.

Grade: A-

Green Bay Packers

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Offense: Pay no attention to Aaron Rodgers’ inflated stats. Before moving the ball in garbage time, his Packers trailed by three scores. Rodgers was part of the problem this time; a third-down interception cost Green Bay at least three points off its comeback.

Defense: Road trips to Lambeau Field used to terrify me. That home-field advantage is gone; Green Bay has a losing record there in the last calendar year. Andrew Luck can now go there, throw two interceptions and still emerge unscathed. He even mounted a 96-yard end-of-half drive just to add insult to injury.

Grade: C-

Minnesota Vikings

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Offense: There’s a reason why Norv Turner left this team at midseason. Minnesota’s cupboard is bare; Bradford is working with the talent of a 6-10 team. Replacement coordinator Pat Shurmur did well to involve one actual playmaker: Cordarrelle Patterson. He needs to utilize another in Ronnie Hillman because his group's skill doesn’t scare defenses.

Defense: After this week, I’ll rescind my Broncos-Vikings defensive comparison. Let’s take it a step further, though. Minnesota’s issue is that it’s not Broncos-like enough. Coverage is a little too soft on the outside at times, like it was on Stafford’s last throw to Golden Tate. Move those talented corners up, Mike Zimmer.

Grade: C

Cleveland Browns

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Offense: Want a competitive game against the Cowboys? Try gaining more than 28 yards in the second half. Hue Jackson might’ve cost his team a win by switching back to Kessler.

Defense: Completely overpowered, completely outclassed. Cleveland couldn’t stop Dak Prescott on third down (8-of-12) because it couldn’t stop the running game on first and second down (168 team rushing yards). Jamie Collins even got in on the fun; the ex-Patriot was one of many Browns burned by Jason Witten on sideline-breaking routes.

Grade: D-

Baltimore Ravens

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Offense: Factor out that blip-on-the-radar Mike Wallace touchdown. What would Joe Flacco’s day look like? Seventeen completions for 146 yards. That’s what. Baltimore’s running game (1.7 yards per attempt) was just as unimpressive against Pittsburgh’s 27th-ranked defense.

Defense: Credit Dean Pees, who’s one of the best coordinators in today’s game. Pees limited the Ben Roethlisberger long ball with a smart zone defense. He read personnel and formation perfectly, then aligned his guys to pack the deep part of the field and wait. Big Ben delivered a throw into traffic more times than not.

Grade: B+

Pittsburgh Steelers

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Offense: Le’Veon Bell stuck out like a sore thumb on tape. Why? Because it’s clear he’s not the explosive player he was before his injury. Bell’s jump cuts don’t pop the way they used to. Baltimore didn’t need to expend a lot of energy trying to track him down, and it showed.

Defense: Bell is out of his groove; Ryan Shazier is just finding his. After a few weeks of subpar play, the Steelers inside linebacker played like the star he is. He even turned up the heat on Flacco on one play. Pittsburgh needs game-plan guys on that side of the ball in the worst way.

Grade: D

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Offense: Doug Martin’s loss has never been felt more. Tampa Bay’s offense is almost comically unbalanced—Peyton Barber paced its backfield with 31 yards on 11 carries. Jameis Winston is talented, but with guys like that behind him, he needs to be perfect.

Defense: Tampa Bay’s defense was on the field for 90-plus plays in Week 8. It showed in Week 9. Cornerbacks looked sluggish in chasing Julio Jones and disinterested in battling for jump balls with him. Gerald McCoy is the only lineman who can generate regular pressure. It’s no shock this group has surrendered over 1,000 combined yards in the last two weeks.

Grade: C

Atlanta Falcons

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Offense: There’s a new "Greatest Show on Turf" in the NFL. It calls the Georgia Dome its home, and it has an MVP candidate at quarterback. Keep in mind: Matt Ryan didn’t incorporate Jones into the mix until late in the second quarter. As we saw last week, plenty of other weapons are capable.

Defense: Dan Quinn is open to suggestions when it comes to his regular old Cover 3. We saw Vic Beasley and Adrian Clayborn lined up over guards. We saw Brooks Reed standing up at his old outside linebacker spot. And we saw plenty of Grady Jarrett plugging the middle.

Grade: A

Carolina Panthers

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Offense: Cam Newton forgot to get his Blake Bortles flu shot this week. His front leg was locked tight. His motion was jerky. Newton showcased some bad mechanics when he entered the league, but this was the worst throwing performance of his pro career. Related: No one on the interior of his line could block the run/Aaron Donald.

Defense: Want to know Carolina’s winning formula? Play conservative, ball-control offense and play the kind of defense it did at the Los Angeles Coliseum. That Panthers' front four turned in its second dominating performance. Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei can carry this team back to prominence.

Grade: B

New Orleans Saints

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Offense: Good luck stopping Sean Payton’s offense once the running game gets rolling. It frees Drew Brees to toy with linebackers and safeties in play action. Even Brees’ throws to the flat after a ball-fake were delivered to wide-open areas. And now, there’s the threat of Michael Thomas over the top.

Defense: It’s not that all 11 defenders struggled to contain Colin Kaepernick throws. It’s that all 11 defenders were finally out there to try to contain Kaepernick throws. Sheldon Rankins and Delvin Breaux give some much-needed help to New Orleans’ defense. It’ll take some time for both starters to get their football legs back underneath them, though.

Grade: A-

Indianapolis Colts

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Offense: I’d take Andrew Luck as the closer for my Yankees. The guy went 7-of-14 on third down in Week 9, firing fastball after fastball to hang onto the lead. It was doubly important he do so considering the No. 12 on the other sideline. Timeless old Frank Gore helped cash in three of Indy’s four red-zone trips too.

Defense: Chuck Pagano’s defense dictated the game against Rodgers. Guys such as Erik Walden and David Parry were on a constant path to Green Bay’s backfield. The end result? Four third-down conversions allowed, and Rodgers went 2-of-4 in the red zone. Surprise!

Grade: A-

Jacksonville Jaguars

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Offense: Chris Ivory’s goal-line fumble was a costly one—but it shouldn’t have counted. It was clear (at least to me) that Ivory still had control of the football with his hand over the goal line. It’s a shame the referees didn’t see it that way; Ivory’s giveaway interrupted an otherwise amazing Week 9.

Defense: This Jaguars defense is getting the wrong kind of turnovers. Sure, allowing Kansas City to convert on only one of its 14 third downs causes a change of possession. But this is a team that desperately needed a Dante Fowler Jr. forced fumble or a Jalen Ramsey interception to boost its offense. Despite a dominant day, Jacksonville’s not at that level yet.

Grade: B-

Tennessee Titans

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Offense: Marcus Mariota sparked the Titans at the end of the first half. He came out flying to start the second. Then…turnovers. It’s the story of Mariota’s season. If Tennessee misses the playoffs, point to Mariota’s lack of ball security. San Diego returned two of his turnovers for touchdowns in Week 9.

Defense: Paging Jurrell Casey. Are you there? Melvin Gordon ran wild for nearly 200 yards. That’s not supposed to happen with a top-tier defensive tackle like you plugging the middle. And what happened to run-stuffing linebackers such as Avery Williamson behind you? Tennessee’s offense is still blossoming; its defense expects much, much more.

Grade: C+

San Francisco 49ers

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Offense: People crowned Chip Kelly as a football genius not too long ago. That brainpower isn’t translating over to his new team, though. Case in point: Torrey Smith tried to juke his way to a first down instead of going straight ahead in the second quarter. On the next play, New Orleans stuffed DuJuan Harris on fourth down. And six minutes after that, the Niners were down three scores instead of two. Everything snowballs when you don’t play smart football.

Defense: Mark Ingram went 75 yards untouched for a score. It’s not a shock; a 150-yard rushing game is guaranteed when you play this team. In fact, I’m surprised when San Francisco keeps foes under 200 total rushing yards. I can’t remember a team this bad against the run in my life.

Grade: D-

Los Angeles Rams

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Offense: Jeff Fisher’s offense is driving right back to Seven and Nineville. Case Keenum, limited though he may be, isn’t the issue. It’s the execution of the 10 guys in his huddle that’s baffling. Case in point: Brian Quick’s quick little third-down lunch break. He caught a throw short of the sticks, went down without contact and never fought for a first. On the next play? L.A. was stuffed on fourth down.

Defense: I’ll touch more on Aaron Donald on my All-22 roster. I’ll just say he led a march through the heart of Carolina’s defense that was straight Hall of Fame-worthy. From what I saw on film, Newton took heat on at least half of his throws.

Grade: C

Seattle Seahawks

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Offense: Wilson might be a little banged up. You’d never know it from the two dimes he dropped to Jimmy Graham on Monday night, though. Wilson and Graham linked up enough times to make the rest of the Seahawks offense (including that still-shaky offensive line) look good.

Defense: No Michael Bennett? No Kam Chancellor? No worries. Seattle still generated enough pressure—and caused enough procedure penalties—to come away with a big Week 9 victory. When those twisters return, the entire group can work on third-down efficiency. Taylor was 12-of-17, and Buffalo possessed the ball for over 40 minutes.

Grade: B+

Denver Broncos

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Offense: Trevor Siemian is an above-average backup/below-average starter. Asking him to drop dime after dime downfield with Khalil Mack bearing down is just a little unfair, don’t you think? Coach Gary Kubiak needs to come up with a better way to get Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas their touches.

Defense: The lowlight of the Kubiak era doesn’t involve an out-of-his-prime Peyton Manning. It involves a star-studded defense getting its ass whupped in front of a national television audience. Oakland’s offensive line drove Von Miller and Co. back all night long. Aqib Talib can suit up next week, but this group won’t collectively get bigger and stronger.

Grade: C-

San Diego Chargers

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Offense: Philip Rivers must’ve felt so good after this game. For the first time in a while, he didn’t have to carry the Chargers offense. He just handed the ball to No. 28 and waited for something big to happen. More often than not, Gordon (196 rush yards on 32 carries) delivered.

Defense: Joey Bosa was held in check, so other Chargers defenders halted the Titans’ tough rushing attack. Hats off to reserve linebacker Korey Toomer for coming off the bench and playing exactly like Denzel Perryman would have. Both of San Diego’s corners threw in big interceptions too.

Grade: A-

Kansas City Chiefs

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Offense: I expected this team to miss a big, bruising back like Spencer Ware, and it did. Charcandrick West couldn’t run through arm tackles or move the pile quite like his predecessor. But I didn’t expect the passing game to sputter like it did with Nick Foles at the helm. Kansas City managed 231 yards of total offense against a defense that can be taken deep. Not good.

Defense: You’ll see Dee Ford’s name with two sacks by it in the box score. In reality, he should’ve had five. Bortles was big and strong enough to wriggle away from two or three more. There’s no denying the Auburn product is the league’s hottest quarterback harasser, though.

Grade: C+

Oakland Raiders

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Offense: Derek Carr! Amari Cooper! It’s the biggest game in Oakland in over a decade and…Jack Del Rio runs the ball right down Denver’s throat. What a masterful piece of coaching by the former Broncos assistant. And what a masterful piece of running by Latavius Murray, who proved this playoff-ready Raiders roster has an edge to it.

Defense: Maybe I should rename my "All-22 Team" as the "Khalil Mack Memorial Team." We’ve reached a point in the season where his play deserves weekly recognition. His latest masterpiece: a two-sack, one-forced-fumble night against the NFL champs.

Grade: A+