NFL Week 6: Julius Peppers Makes Panthers Pay; Grades For Each Team on 10/10/10
NFL Week 6 will undoubtedly be a hot search topic on Monday morning, as fans look forward to the next week of football.
But how did your team do this Sunday? Don't worry, I've got you covered.
I'll break down all the action from October 10th and grade each team's performance on the day.
There's a lot to go over, so let's get right to it.
Arizona Cardinals
1 of 26
Max Hall may not have been very effective, but the defense was effective enough to quiet Drew Brees, who had 294 yards and two touchdowns, but was picked off three times by the Cardinals.
Somehow, the Cardinals were able to win this game despite being outgained 194 to 373 in yards. This includes a disparity of Arizona's 3.4 average yards gained per offensive play to New Orleans' six average yards. In fact, the Cardinals didn't score an offensive touchdown, getting all three of theirs on defensive plays, including a game-ending interception return for a touchdown by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.
Not flashy, but for the Cardinals to beat the defending Super Bowl champions is pretty close to the shocker of the season to date.
Overall grade: B+
Atlanta Falcons
2 of 26
Pulling out a second-half win against the Cleveland Browns isn't exactly the best way to make a resume for a postseason run, but a win is a win especially when you're one of the few teams sitting at 4-1.
Michael Turner turned on the burners once again, carrying 19 times for 140 yards, and Matt Ryan proved his moniker, "Matty Ice," as he didn't light up the boards, but did enough to pull out the win with efficient passing. His 45-yard touchdown strike to Roddy White will likely land on at least a few highlight reels.
Overall grade: B
Baltimore Ravens
3 of 26
The Ravens gave up over 300 yards to a quarterback for the first time this season, but after jumping out to a 17-0 lead, the Broncos really had no choice but to air it out at every opportunity.
Ray Rice had a huge game with 133 yards and two touchdowns, with Willis McGahee adding 67 yards and another score. In short, this was a vintage Baltimore win, highlighted by strong performances from the running game, and the defense doing what it needed to do for a win.
I'm sure they would have rather not given up that much yardage, but with that kind of lead, it happens more by allowance than mistake.
Overall grade: A
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Buffalo Bills
4 of 26
This is yet another disappointing loss for the Buffalo Bills. They were able to build a 10-0 lead six minutes into the first quarter, but couldn't stop Jacksonville from rallying back. Ryan Fitzpatrick's first three-touchdown performance of the season wasn't enough.
They ceded 207 rushing yards on 37 carries, and David Garrard did the rest with three passing touchdowns.
The Bills have put up a fight in three of their losses, but only have an 0-5 record to show. This is just further proof that no one runs in circles like the Buffalo Bills.
Overall grade: D
Carolina Panthers
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The Panthers couldn't really look much worse than they did against the Bears. Despite picking off four passes by Todd Collins, the offense just couldn't get anything moving through the air or on the ground, and Jimmy Clausen and Matt Moore combined for three interceptions to all but totally negate the four that their defense created.
I'm sure allowing five sacks on their quarterbacks didn't help much, either.
There wasn't much hope for the Panthers from the start. Once the Bears dictated the tempo of the game, the game was all but over.
Overall grade: F
Chicago Bears
6 of 26
"Judas Peppers" made his return to Carolina, and immediately made his presence felt. He had an interesting interception on Jimmy Clausen on what can only be defined as a big-time heads-up play as he batted the pass in the air and made the diving catch.
This game was dominated largely by Matt Forte, who took 22 carries for 166 yards and two touchdowns.
Not even Todd Collins' four interceptions could get in the way of Matt Forte and a dominant defensive performance, holding the Panthers' rushing duo to 81 yards on 20 carries, and no touchdowns.
Overall grade: A
Cincinnati Bengals
7 of 26
The Bungles are looking more and more like a disappointment with each game that they fail to deliver on expectations. The offense piled on the yards, with Cedric Benson gashing the Bucs for 144 of them and a touchdown, but three big-time Carson Palmer interceptions, including one from the end zone that got run back for a touchdown, won't be helping them win games anytime soon.
Still, the defense wasn't able to do much against the Bucs, holding them just barely under 400 yards on the day.
The expectations for the Bengals were soaring high this preseason when they appeared to be finally clicking and ready to make a name for themselves, but a loss to the Bucs is hardly the way to do that.
Overall grade: D-
Cleveland Browns
8 of 26
Jake Delhomme proved to be the downfall of the Browns once again, as another halftime lead slipped through their fingertips.
The Browns may have had a chance, but injuries crippled any hope the Browns had of putting up a fight against the Falcons, as both Seneca Wallace and Peyton Hillis went down through the course of the game.
Overall grade: C-
Dallas Cowboys
9 of 26
Tony Romo's career-high 406 yards weren't enough to overcome several big mistakes by the Cowboys, not the least of which were Romo's three interceptions, including one that took away Dallas' final chance at tying.
In fact, it's safe to say the offense was the redeeming factor that kept the game so close to begin with. The fifth-ranked rush defense in the league allowed 131 yards and two touchdowns to Chris Johnson.
Mental mistakes on defense, an excessive celebration penalty on Marc Colombo, and a special teams gaffe didn't make this game any easier for Dallas, and though they weren't entirely beaten by themselves, they sure didn't do themselves any favors. Super Bowl teams don't make those kind of errors at home.
Overall grade: D+
Denver Broncos
10 of 26
It was another big game for Kyle Orton, and it came against the No. 1 pass defense in the league. Unfortunately, it came on the heels of a 17-0 deficit that was far too much for the Broncos to overcome.
The Broncos' ninth-ranked rush defense got gashed time and time again by Ray Rice and Willis McGahee, forfeiting over 200 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Yielding that kind of yards to the Ravens at M & T Bank Stadium is a quick recipe for a win, especially when they have that defense to fall back on.
Overall grade: F
Detroit Lions
11 of 26
The Lions landed in the win column with a bang on Sunday, holding the Rams to just six points as they marched up and down the field on the strength of Shaun Hill's three touchdown passes and 227 yards.
Stefan Logan ran a kickoff back 105 yards for a touchdown, breaking a tie and the record for the longest return in franchise history.
They gave up yards at will to Steven Jackson, but didn't allow a single touchdown on the day. This win must be doing wonders for Detroit's confidence going forward.
Overall grade: B+
Green Bay Packers
12 of 26
We saw shades of Brett Favre in Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, as Green Bay's young gunslinger threw an overtime interception that sealed the fate of the Packers.
After that, it was (you guessed it) two penalties by the Packers that helped set up Graham Gano in good range to ice the game with a kick. Prior to that, the defense couldn't stop Donovan McNabb from marching the team up and down the field at will, despite yielding only one touchdown pass.
Overall grade: C-
Houston Texans
13 of 26
The high-powered Texans offense, which ranked fourth in the league in points before today, was held by the Giants to just 10 points on the day. Matt Schaub didn't have a touchdown and threw an interception right into the arms of Corey Webster.
Facing a halftime deficit of 24-3, there wasn't much hope for the Texans, especially since they didn't really have the ball enough to throw with frequency. They were just shut down on too many drives and shot themselves in the foot too many times with incompletions and defensive breakdowns.
Overall grade: D-
Indianapolis Colts
14 of 26
Beating an undefeated team never looked so mediocre, unimpressive, and downright unconvincing.
The Colts had all they could do just to move the ball, much less score a touchdown, which they didn't do until the waning minutes of the fourth quarter. I can't ever remember seeing Peyton Manning so frustrated in himself and his team. Especially not at Lucas Oil Stadium, where they've been nearly unstoppable.
This was the very definition of a defensive struggle. Luckily for Indianapolis, they didn't have to struggle against a top offense this week.
Overall grade: B-
Jacksonville Jaguars
15 of 26
After falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter, the Jaguars remained patient on their way to a 36-26 victory. David Garrard had another monster performance, the second time this season he's thrown for three touchdowns in one game.
It wasn't the best showing from Jacksonville's defense, which allowed Ryan Fitzpatrick to match Garrard touchdown-for-touchdown, but the defense did what it had to by buckling down on two key fourth-down plays, including a fake punt in which Brian Moorman chased down punter Rian Lindell to make the stop.
Maurice Jones-Drew may have been silenced, but the Jaguars don't care about the performance of your fantasy team, just the fact that they got a win.
Overall grade: B-
Kansas City Chiefs
16 of 26
Yes, the Chiefs lost this game, but the Colts sure didn't do a whole lot to win it. The defense was able to stifle the Colts' high-powered pass attack, limiting Peyton Manning to under 250 yards, no touchdowns, and picking him off once.
Needless to say, Kansas City's cornerbacks were their players of the game. Brandon Carr and Brandon Flowers will be a great duo for years to come.
Still, you won't win (m)any road games if you can't score a touchdown. Matt Cassel and the Chiefs may not be back to square one, but much more is to be expected, especially if the Chiefs want to remain at the top of the AFC West.
Overall grade: B-
New Orleans Saints
17 of 26
Of New Orleans' three victories, none of them have been impressive. They haven't yet won a game by more than a touchdown. As the game began to wind down, it was clear that they'd be playing another nailbiter, as the scoring exchange went back and for the majority of the game.
That's not exactly something to be proud of against the Cardinals. The Saints had a chance all the way to the end despite their mediocre play, but Drew Brees threw his third interception with under a minute to go and that was the end of the game.
The Saints defense held the Cardinals to under 200 yards of offense, but even that wasn't enough. These are definitely not the Saints of 2009.
Overall grade: D-
New York Giants
18 of 26
No one was sure what to make of the Giants defense after planting 10 sacks on Jay Cutler last week. Was that a product of their defense, or of the Mike Martz offense? Well, the defense did some more solid work this week by holding the high-scoring Texans offense to just 10 points at home.
The real story in this game was Hakeem Nicks, with 12 receptions for 130 yards and two touchdowns. He continues to have breakout performances in his second year in the league and appears to be just what the Giants needed on their offense.
Overall grade: A-
Oakland Raiders
19 of 26
Despite their losing record, the 2-3 Raiders have been a resilient team all season, fighting through and keeping games close to the final whistle in most of their games. Their hard work paid off on Sunday with their first win over the Chargers since 2003.
The big story was the two blocked punts in the first half. Those set up two big scores for the Raiders that gave them an early 12-0 lead.
Their defense let the Chargers crawl back into the game, yielding over 400 yards to Philip Rivers, but ultimately sealed the deal with a sack fumble on Rivers that was returned for a touchdown.
Overall grade: A-
Philadelphia Eagles
20 of 26
Kevin Kolb had an efficient performance, piling up 253 yards with a touchdown and without an interception. There still weren't a whole lot of downfield passes to be had, but Kolb looked much more comfortable than he did last week when he came in for the injured Michael Vick.
The defense may have given up some yards, but did what they needed to in creating five turnovers against the 49ers. Most importantly, they were able to contain the rush attack. Doing so made the 49ers one-dimensional, and Alex Smith isn't a good enough quarterback to take advantage of that.
Overall grade: B
San Diego Chargers
21 of 26
For the Chargers, this was yet another painful game of missed opportunities and poor special teams play. I'd be surprised if their special teams coordinator wasn't fired in the very near future after the team allowed two blocked punts in the first half.
Offensively, the Chargers were about as one-dimensional as they come, airing it out 42 times for 431 yards and two touchdowns. They had a chance to seal the deal on a late fourth-quarter drive, but Rivers coughed up a fumble that was returned for a touchdown, and that was the end of the 13-game winning streak of San Diego over their perennial doormat.
In the end, it was a close game against a sub-par team that came down to a few flukey plays.
Overall grade: C-
San Francisco 49ers
22 of 26
The poses of these two in this picture have been replicated several times this season.
Flashes of brilliance from Alex Smith just haven't been enough. Turnovers have been the undoing of the 49ers before, and proved to do it once again as Alex Smith had a chance to win the game, but committed three turnovers including a late fumble in the fourth quarter.
The defense continues to fall short of expectations, forfeiting 356 yards to the Eagles, including 253 through the air to Kevin Kolb and the Philadelphia Eagles. Still, the team was able to keep the game close in spite of five turnovers committed by the 49ers.
At 0-5, it doesn't look like things can get much worse, and though they're keeping some of their games close, I'm sure they're getting tired of losing. Mike Singletary's seat is getting mighty hot.
Overall grade: C-
St. Louis Rams
23 of 26
The Rams' shot at their first three-game win streak since 2006 was shot down quick by the Lions, who piled on the points following a 3-3 tie in the first quarter.
Steven Jackson had a great game, with 114 yards on 25 carries, but Sam Bradford was barely able to complete 50 percent of his passes. The injury to Mark Clayton in the first quarter certainly wasn't St. Louis' undoing, but it didn't help them very much in their quest for win No. 3 on the season.
In terms of yardage, the game was very close, but you'll have a hard time winning when you lose the turnover battle by three. They just need to get back to the disciplined play that earned them two straight wins.
Overall grade: F
Tennessee Titans
24 of 26
The Titans defense gave up a lot of yards, but forced mistakes and stalled out drives to keep the game close. They were able to build an early 17-3 lead but weren't able to stop the Cowboys from crawling back into the game.
The game went back and forth for awhile, with neither team leading by more than a touchdown following that 14-point deficit. The Titans were simply able to capitalize on mistakes by the Cowboys, including a penalty for excessive celebration after a Jason Witten touchdown.
The Cowboys may be underachieving, but the Titans victory was impressive no less.
Overall grade: B+
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
25 of 26
Perhaps the Bucs are for real? Their 2-0 start was dashed by the Steelers' 38-13 romping of the Bucs at home, but a big win over Cincinnati puts them right back on track.
The defense was able to intercept Carson Palmer three times on the way to a 24-21 win. They gave up 358 total yards, which isn't exactly something to be proud of, but is to be expected against a high-powered offense like the Bengals.
Josh Freeman did a fine job of managing the game despite throwing an interception. 280 yards on 20-for-33 passes isn't anything to send him to the Pro Bowl over, but wins are key for a young quarterback.
Overall grade: B
Washington Redskins
26 of 26
It took a 10-point fourth-quarter rally, but the Redskins will take the win any way they can get it. Especially since they now sit at 3-2 and tied for the division lead with the Giants.
The Redskins gave up yards at will to the Packers offense, but only allowed them to get in the end zone but one time.
The defense harrassed Aaron Rodgers with four sacks and an interception, and although they were gashed by Brandon Jackson on a 71-yard run, they were able to contain the running game for the most part besides that. It wasn't the flashiest win, but it was gutsy, resilient, and impressive nonetheless.
Overall grade: B+
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