NFL Week 5 Report Cards: Lions Earn A's But Who's Getting Flunked?
There were some surprising starts to the games in Week 5 of the NFL Season: the Raiders and Colts, for example.
And for the most part the better teams pulled out the big-time victories that they needed.
But the final scores rarely tell the whole story of a 60-minute game.
Check out these report cards of each team's performance in the early and late afternoon games.
Atlanta Falcons (4-1)
1 of 24
Won 20-12 at Cleveland
Offensive: Michael Turner controlled the tempo of the game with his running and Matt Ryan made the perfect throw—lobbing a fine 45-yard touchdown to Roddy White—when he had to. Grade: B
Defensive: The defense took advantage of a pair of mediocre quarterbacks, snagging three turnovers. But Kory Biermann’s wonderfully athletic interception/touchdown was an exceptional play that earned the win. Grade: A-
Special Teams Grade: Too much return yardage from Josh Cribbs cost the Falcons a lot of field position. Grade: D
Overall: Head coach Mike Smith should be a bit concerned now that it’s been two straight weeks that his Falcons have played down to their competition. But going on the road is always tough in the NFL. The mark of a good team is winning games when you don’t play well. Atlanta won, end of story. Grade: B
Cleveland Browns (1-4)
2 of 24
Lost 20-12 vs. Atlanta
Offense: Peyton Hillis is a budding star, breaking tackles, catching one-handed touchdowns. But without anything from the quarterback position, the Browns offense was pretty bad. Grade: C
Defense: The defense just couldn’t slow down Michael Turner and they looked gassed late in the game. Grade: C
Special Teams: Josh Cribbs wasn’t dominant but overall, the unit did a fair job. Grade: B
Overall: The Browns put up a great fight today, especially Hillis. But the question has to be asked: Warm up Colt McCoy? Grade: C
Green Bay Packers (3-2)
3 of 24
Lost 16-13 (OT) at Washington
Offense: Despite pretty good stats today (293 yards for Aaron Rodgers, Brandon Jackson’s first 100-yard rushing day ever) the Packer offense was woeful. Chalk that up to the injuries to Jermichael Finley and Donald Lee. Without them, the Pack just couldn’t finish drives. Grade: B
Defense: Clay Matthews’ loss on the opposite side of the ball didn’t do as much damage as you’d expect. The rest of the defense stepped up for a while. But 13 unanswered points cost them the game. Grade: B
Special Teams: Mason Crosby’s pair of misses cost the Packers a chance to seal the win. Grade: C
Overall: Given all their injuries Green Bay performed admirably in the road loss. Grade: B
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Washington Redskins (3-2)
4 of 24
Won 16-13 (OT) vs. Green Bay
Offense: Donovan McNabb was remarkably efficient and because he kept the chains moving, the Redskins hung around long enough to strike back at the end of regulation. Grade: B+
Defense: Poor tackling allowed Brandon Jackson to have a great day and Green Bay’s injuries limited what Aaron Rodgers could do, but even without Albert Haynesworth, the Redskins defense was very good. Grade: B+
Special Teams: Giving up a 52-yard punt return to Washington allowed the Packers to score their first points. Grade: C
Overall: To come back from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit and win in overtime shows that Mike Shanahan’s veteran team is dangerous in the NFC East race. Grade A-
Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)
5 of 24
Lost 24-21 vs. Tampa Bay
Offense: Great running from Cedric Benson and typical playmaking from Terrell Owens were not enough to overcome Carson Palmer’s bad day. Grade: C
Defense: If they really think of themselves as playoff contenders, the Bengals need to do better than surrendering nearly 400 yards to a mediocre Tampa offense at home. Grade: D
Special Teams: At least punter Kevin Huber had a nice day: averaging 51 yards on six punts. Grade: B
Overall: Once again the Bengals inability to play 60 minutes leads to a loss. Grade: D
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1)
6 of 24
Won 24-21 at Cincinnati
Offense: Josh Freeman showed excellent presence in the two-minute drill and with a handful of capable backs and nice production from the receiving corps, the Bucs offense looked good. Grade: B+.
Defense: They surrendered huge chunks of points but came up with four turnovers that kept the game close. Grade: B.
Special Teams: It didn’t cost them this week but the punting and punt coverage wasn’t very consistent. Grade: B
Overall: Another win with smoke and mirrors but the Bucs are playing way above expectations.Grade B+.
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2)
7 of 24
Won 36-26 at Buffalo
Offense: The fact that the Jaguars are winning on the arm of David Garrard’s crisp passing makes Maurice Jones-Drew even better. That balance will pay off later this year. Grade: A
Defense: The stats weren’t good and they fell behind early but (after the opening score) they limited the kept Buffalo from making big plays. Grade: B-
Special Teams: Deji Karim’s kick and punt returns set up the Jags with good field position. Josh Scobee continues to be an exceptional kicker. Grade: B+
Overall: The Jags got off to a slow start but throttled a far inferior opponent….like they should have. Grade: B+
Buffalo Bills (0-5)
8 of 24
Lost 36-26 vs. Jacksonville
Offense: Ryan Fitzpatrick looked much more comfortable and gave the Bills fans some hope that Chan Gailey’s offensive philosophy is viable. Grade: B
Defense: Whatever Gailey’s defensive philosophy is, it ain’t working. Eight Jacksonville drives ended with scores.
Special Teams: The Bills decent special teams might be their most consistent facet of the game. Grade: B
Overall: After a few decent efforts to start the season, the Bills have regressed the past few weeks. Grade: C-
Detroit Lions (1-4)
9 of 24
Won 44-6 vs. St. Louis
Offense: Shaun Hill looked great in what should be his last start before the return of Matthew Stafford: Calvin Johnson’s presence will do that. Against an average St. Louis defense, the yards-per-carry on the ground could have been better. Grade: A-
Defense: Mark Clayton’s injury took away Sam Bradford’s security blanket, so allowing Steven Jackson to rush for over 100 yards is surprising. Nevertheless, the defense was great on their half of the field. Grade: A-
Special Teams: Kicker Jason Hanson was great 8 for 8 on kicks….Stefan Logan was incredible, returning a kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown. Grade: A+
Overall: By defeating one of the hotter teams in the league, the Lions deserve some respect. Grade: A
St. Louis Rams (2-3)
10 of 24
Lost 44-6 at Detroit
Offense: Sam Bradford looked a bit more like a rookie today. Thankfully, Steven Jackson turned in his first 100-yard day of the season. Grade: C
Defense: The Lions have been close for weeks but the Rams defense made them look like world beaters today. Grade: D
Special Teams: Stefan Logan’s touchdown started the avalanche of points. Grade: D
Overall: The Rams bandwagon is a lot lighter today than it was a week ago. Grade C-
Kansas City Chiefs (3-1)
11 of 24
Lost 19-9 at Indianapolis
Offense: Matt Cassel’s receivers (mainly Dwayne Bowe) didn’t help him with dropped passes. Neither did head coach Todd Haley’s ultra-conservative, run-heavy gameplan. Grade: C
Defense: They held Peyton Manning in check for virtually the entire game, frustrating him frequently on third downs. That’s an excellent job, especially on the road. Grade: A
Special Teams: Dexter McCluster is a turning into one of the AFC’s better returners. Grade: B+
Overall: The Chiefs put up a good fight through 50-plus minutes but the lack of playmakers cost them in the end. Grade: B
Indianapolis Colts (3-2)
12 of 24
Won 19-9 vs. Kansas City
Offense: If Peyton Manning is playing one of his worst games in recent years, Joseph Addai is knocked out of the game, and the third-string running back is on the field most of the second half, the offense is going to struggle. Grade: C-
Defense: Dwayne Bowe’s dropped touchdown was the difference in the game. The Colts don’t deserve much credit for that. Grade: B+
Special Teams: Adam Vinatieri’s reliable kicking was clutch for the Colts. Grade: B
Overall: A win is a win but the Colts have problems if they're only scoring field goals and not touchdowns. Grade: C
Chicago Bears (4-1)
13 of 24
Won 23-6 at Carolina
Offense: Even without Jay Cutler, the offense bounced back after the embarrassment against the Giants. Matt Forte proved that he can get the job done on the ground. Grade: A-
Defense: Don’t blame the Bears because the Panthers offense is miserable. They took advantage, collecting turnovers and pressuring the quarterback. Grade: B+
Special Teams: Danieal Manning and Devin Hester are probably the best one-two return combination in the NFL. Grade: A
Overall: The pass rush was great and so was the running game. Lovie Smith has to be pleased with both. Grade: A-
Carolina Panthers (0-5)
14 of 24
Lost 23-6 vs. Chicago
Offense: You know you’ve got problems on offense when you have two very talented running backs like DeAngelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart and your offense is this bad. Grade: D
Defense: Had the Bears not been content to run out the clock in the second half, this one could have been much worse. Grade: D
Special Teams: Aside from a very busy punter, not much from the special teams today. Grade: B
Overall: Jimmy Clausen needed more help than he got today. And if he wants to keep his job so does John Fox. Grade: D
Baltimore Ravens (4-1)
15 of 24
Won 31-17 vs. Denver
Offense: With Ray Rice and Willis McGahee combining for 200 yards and three touchdowns, Joe Flacco didn’t need to be a superhero today. Grade: A-
Defense: Although Denver’s passing game was again surprisingly efficient, the Ravens linebackers and secondary got their hands on a lot of Kyle Orton’s passes. A meaningless last-second touchdown made the score closer than it really was. Grade: B+
Special Teams: The kick coverage still needs a little bit of work but that’s their only flaw right now. Grade: B
Overall: No letdown after the huge win in Pittsburgh; the Ravens looked very good in every aspect. Grade: A-
Denver Broncos (2-3)
16 of 24
Lost 31-17 at Baltimore
Offense: There’s a reason why Kyle Orton is leading the NFL in passing yards: They have no running game. Grade: B
Defense: They couldn’t run the ball today and, not surprisingly, they couldn’t stop the run either. Grade: C
Special Teams: As a complete unit, the special teams looked better this week. Grade: B+
Overall: On the road against an AFC elite, the Broncos turned in a pretty good first three quarters. It’s their fourth-quarter play that’s been the Achilles Heel. Grade: C
New York Giants (3-2)
17 of 24
Won 34-10 at Houston
Offense: Eli Manning’s interception problems notwithstanding, the passing game was excellent. Hakeem Nicks is a worthy challenger to Steve Smith for the team’s best receiver. Grade: B+
Defense: After Chris Johnson rolled over the Giants front-seven two weeks ago, New York’s defense has been excellent, especially the run defense, which limited Arian Foster to 11 carries for 25 yards. Grade: A
Special Teams: When the offense and defense play this well, they don’t need much from the special teams. Grade: B
Overall: Tom Coughlin’s team might have it’s swagger back now. Grade: A-
Houston Texans (3-2)
18 of 24
Lost 34-10 vs. New York Giants
Offense: The only bright spot: Andre Johnson (five catches, 95 yards) looks to be healthy again. Grade: D
Defense: The Giants didn’t need to run the ball all that much, because New York’s wide receivers continuously found holes in the Houston coverage. Grade: C
Special Teams: When the Texans are punting seven times, that’s not a good sign. Grade: B+
Overall: Another shellacking by an NFC East opponent has taken much of the luster off of the Texans’ early start. Grade: D
New Orleans Saints (3-2)
19 of 24
Lost 30-20 at Arizona
Offense: The lack of a running game really hurt the World Champions today. Drew Brees was under pressure throughout the day and finally showed bad decision-making with three interceptions. Turnovers killed them. Grade: C-
Defense: Against a rookie quarterback making his first start, the Saints expected a better outcome. They did great jobs against the run (Beanie Wells had 20 carries for 35 yards!) and the pass but still came up short. Grade: B+
Special Teams: One long kickoff return by Arizona was costly. Grade: C
Overall: The Saints were flat-out outplayed by the Cardinals in the second half. That hasn't been said often in the past year. Grade: C-
Arizona Cardinals (3-2)
20 of 24
Won 30-20 vs. New Orleans
Offense: Not much doing for the revamped Arizona offense. However, Max Hall's first win should bolster his confidence. Grade: C
Defense: Although the Saints have yet to play like they did a year ago, that doesn't make the Cardinals performance any less special. Their ability to create turnovers and convert them into scores was tremendous. Grade: A
Special Teams: LaRod Stephens-Howling is a danger to break each time he touches the ball on special teams. Grade: B+
Overall: Ken Wisenhunt is doing more with less than any other coach in the NFL and he proved it once again today. Grade: A
San Diego Chargers (2-3)
21 of 24
Lost 35-27 at Oakland
Offense: Although he couldn't pull it out in the final minute, Philip Rivers is the front-runner for the mid-season MVP award. Grade: A
Defense: Facing a comparatively huge hole to start the game, the Chargers rebounded well, then frittered the lead away in the fourth quarter. Grade: B-
Special Teams: A safety and a blocked punt in the game’s first five minutes nearly led to a disaster. And if the Chargers miss out on the playoffs, their poor special teams this week might be the reason why. Grade: F
Overall: Having their 13-game winning streak over, Oakland only revealed more of the Chargers' vulnerability. Grade: B-
Oakland Raiders (2-3)
22 of 24
Won 35-27 vs. San Diego
Offense: First Darren McFadden’s hamstring, then Bruce Gradkowski’s injured shoulder knocks him out of the game. You'd figure there was no hope for the Raiders offense to compete under those circumstances. The fourth quarter proved that wasn't the case. Zach Miller is one of the best unknown skilled players in the entire NFL. Grade: B+
Defense: For the most part, the Raiders contained Antonio Gates but that only opened the floodgates for Malcom Floyd and Philip Rivers to dominate. Credit is due Tom Cable's defense for two late game stops of the potent Charger offense. Grade: C
Special Teams: Two big special teams scores got the Raiders off to a good start, that they couldn't hold. Still, part of it was the result of San Diego miscues. Grade B+
Overall: By showing an ability to overcome a slew of adversities, the Raiders showed they should not be forgotten in the AFC West race. Grade: B
Dallas Cowboys (1-3)
23 of 24
Lost 34-27 vs. Tennessee
Offense: Tony Romo put up big numbers once again but it was his wide receivers, Miles Austin and Roy Williams who came up huge. Romo's two interceptions gave Tennessee some extra opportunities. Grade: B+
Defense: Chris Johnson is expected to be a constant problem, but Vince Young's down-the-field throwing was the reason why the Cowboys failed to silence the Titans. Grade: C-
Special Teams: The 73-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter by Marc Mariani was a backbreaker for Dallas. Grade: F
Overall: And now the "fire Wade Phillips" talk picks up steam. Grade: C
Tennesseee Titans (3-2)
24 of 24
Won 34-27 at Dallas
Offense: His stats weren't all that brilliant but Vince Young played fantastic today. Chris Johnson's running wore down the Dallas defense but Young's ability was enormous. Grade: A+
Defense: They gave up huge chunks of yardage and the Miles Austin's long touchdown was pretty embarrassing. Still, on fourth down, with the game on the line, they shut down Dallas. Grade: B
Special Teams: Marc Mariani's kickoff near the end of the game pushed the Titans to victory. Grade: B+
Overall: Going on the road to defeat Dallas in a shootout earns the Titans some serious respect. Grade: A-
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