NFL Week 10 Report Cards: Grades for Every NFL Team
As NFL Week 10 continues, it's time to put together the report card and grade the teams on the product on the field.
Some of these grades may surprise, but getting a victory doesn't give you an automatic "A." These grades are as brutally honest as I can make them, so don't expect there to be any punches pulled.
Starting with the bottom...
*NOTE: Grades will be updated as the late games complete.
Minnesota Vikings
1 of 26
Grade: F
The Vikings' woes continue as Favre had another three interceptions and only one touchdown.
Adrian Peterson got held to 51 rushing yards and didn't see the end zone once.
The Vikings are falling apart, and the Brad Childress Death Watch officially begins.
New York Giants
2 of 26
Grade: F
Yes, the Cowboys have a new head coach and yes, the Cowboys looked more focused. That's still no excuse for the Giants, who were leading just about every power ranking poll out there, to have played so poorly in the first half.
The power problem at the beginning of the second half was just the icing on a perfect storm against the Giants on Sunday.
Cleveland Browns
3 of 26
Grade: F
The Browns had about 10 opportunities to win this game and blew every single one of them. Between turnovers, poor play-calling and a defense that forgot how to tackle, it's amazing this game stayed as close as it did.
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Cincinnati Bengals
4 of 26
Grade: F
Too many turnovers by Carson Palmer were the story of the Bengals game. The Bengals are now in a free-fall only eclipsed by the Cowboys' plunge this season.
The Bengals have to start thinking about the future, and it may be that Palmer won't be a part of that future.
Detroit Lions
5 of 26
Grade: D
The Lions are without Matthew Stafford again, but this should still have been a game the Lions could have won. With this loss, the Lions' outside chance at the playoffs probably is gone.
Shaun Hill didn't play horribly, but the lack of touchdowns and the one interception certainly didn't help the situation.
Arizona Cardinals
6 of 26
Grade: D
Derek Anderson threw for more than 300 yards, but touchdowns? Not so much. Anderson got one touchdown and the Cardinals got 18 points against the Seahawks.
While we can sit here and say the Seahawks are this or that, the fact is the NFC West is pathetic, and the Rams have as much chance of winning this division as any of the other teams right now.
Tennessee Titans
7 of 26
Grade: D
The Dolphins are scuffling, the Titans knocked two quarterbacks out of the game, and Chris Johnson had more than 100 yards rushing plus a touchdown.
How did they lose this game?
Well there was the...and the...oh, never mind.
Carolina Panthers
8 of 26
Grade: D
The Panthers are on their way to battling the Buffalo Bills for the No. 1 overall pick. Jimmy Clausen is not showing the kind of leadership and ability he got hyped as having in the draft.
This was a sloppy game with a lot of penalties, and the Panthers are no closer to solving any of their problems.
St. Louis Rams
9 of 26
Grade: D+
The Rams have made a lot of strides, but they're still a young team. However, they did play what looks like a revitalized San Francisco 49ers team, so this keeps the grade from being an "F."
The Rams played tough, but lost in overtime, and that's just the way things work out sometimes.
Kansas City Chiefs
10 of 26
Grade: C-
The Chiefs got blown apart on Sunday, and a late-game rally fell far short of the mark as the Chiefs lost 42-29.
Despite the loss, Matt Cassel had one of the best days of his career, throwing for more than 400 yards and four touchdowns. He had no picks on the day, but the real story was the Chiefs running game.
The Broncos, who hadn't been able to stop many running backs this season, stopped one of the best running games in the league, holding Jamaal Charles to 41 yards.
Pittsburgh Steelers
11 of 26
Grade: C-
The Steelers made it a wild game in the second half, but the Patriots were all over Ben Roethlisberger, and the defense couldn't stop Tom Brady.
Still, it could've been worse, and the grade reflects that.
Baltimore Ravens
12 of 26
Grade: C
The Falcons played well, but the fourth-quarter collapse by a defense that's not supposed to collapse at any time has to be disturbing to the Ravens coaches and front office.
The Ravens had back-to-back touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, but so did the Falcons, and now the Ravens still find themselves fighting for top spot in the AFC North because of it.
Houston Texans
13 of 26
Grade: C
The Texans almost made it into overtime, but the Hail Mary pass worked for a change, and the Texans came out on the losing end.
So they get the lower grade for being in a position to lose the game on a Hail Mary, and not because the offense wasn't moving. Schaub's 314-yard, two-touchdown performance should have been good enough to win, but it wasn't.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14 of 26
Grade: B
The Bucs won, but they played sloppy, giving up 80 yards in penalties against a team that usually beats itself.
Still, Freeman had 241 yards and two touchdowns while LeGarrette Blount had 91 yards. So it was a good day for the Bucs and a win is a win.
San Francisco 49ers
15 of 26
Grade: B
The 49ers are looking better with Troy Smith behind center, and Alex Smith's days in San Francisco may be coming to a close.
Troy threw for more than 350 yards and a touchdown while Frank Gore had 87 yards and a touchdown.
The game was an overtime win, and the 49ers will take it.
New York Jets
16 of 26
Grade: B
The Jets miss the "A" because this game should have been in the bag by the beginning of the fourth quarter. Nick Folk is trying to kick himself out of a job, and the Jets kept giving the Browns new life in the fourth quarter.
Still, a win in overtime is nothing to look down at, but the fact the Jets were in overtime again this week after having several opportunities to break the game open downgrades them slightly.
Seattle Seahawks
17 of 26
Grade: B
The Seahawks went out and put 36 points on the board against a division rival. However, that division is the NFC West, which isn't exactly lighting things up around the NFL.
The Seahawks took advantage of the Cardinals' bad defense and went home with the victory.
Jacksonville Jaguars
18 of 26
Grade: B
The Jags won on the Hail Mary pass, but quarterback David Garrard still had a good day with 342 yards and two touchdowns.
Maurice Jones-Drew had a 100-yard day, while the Jags defense held Arian Foster to just 56 yards rushing.
That's a pretty good game even though it came down to the last play.
Indianapolis Colts
19 of 26
Grade: B+
The Colts won without Peyton Manning scoring a touchdown, and the defense came up big.
This definitely wasn't one of the prettiest games of the week, but with all the injuries the Colts have on their roster right now, they'll take a win any way they can get it.
Atlanta Falcons
20 of 26
Grade: A
The Falcons held it together and came from behind to pull out a victory against the Baltimore Ravens.
Matt Ryan and Roddy White came through in the fourth quarter after the Falcons lost an early lead. But come back they did, and now the Falcons are in first place in the division.
Buffalo Bills
21 of 26
Grade: A
After all the "almosts" the Bills have had this year, putting up a ton of points on good teams and still losing, the Bills finally put together a complete game, took advantage of the Lions—now minus Matthew Stafford again—and got their first victory of the year.
That gets a good grade no matter what.
Chicago Bears
22 of 26
Grade: A
The Bears also proved they're moving beyond some of their earlier problems this year by scoring 27 points on the Vikings. Jay Cutler had three touchdowns and the defense held Brett Favre to 170 yards and one touchdown.
This was a good game for the Bears, and things continue to be interesting in the NFC North.
Miami Dolphins
23 of 26
Grade: A
The Dolphins lost their starting quarterback two plays into the game, but Chad Henne, given a second chance at life, threw for 240 yards, one touchdown and one pick.
And then Tyler Thigpen entered the game.
Who would've predicted Tyler Thigpen would lead the Dolphins on an 85-yard drive to cement the victory in the fourth quarter?
Is this the Twilight Zone?
Denver Broncos
24 of 26
Grade: A
The Broncos came out and played the kind of game everyone knew the Broncos could play this year, but haven't.
Kyle Orton threw just shy of 300 yards and had four touchdowns. That's a pretty good day. Knowshon Moreno revived the Broncos running game and ran for more than 100 yards while even Tim Tebow got into the action, throwing and running for a touchdown.
New England Patriots
25 of 26
Grade: A
The Patriots came out and showed last week in Cleveland was a fluke. Tom Brady had his best game in a long time, and the Patriots defense got to Ben Roethlisberger early and often.
The game got a little crazy in the second half as neither defense seemed able to stop anybody, but Brady made sure the Patriots stayed out ahead of the Steelers.
Dallas Cowboys
26 of 26
Grade: A+
You go out and embarass the New York Giants on their home field after having a head coaching change earlier in the week, you get the "A+."
The Cowboys just flat-out dominated the Giants in every aspect of the game, and owner Jerry Jones is feeling pretty good about things right now.
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