NFL Report Card Week 6: Handing out Grades to All 32 Teams

After Week 6 of the NFL season, fans have the same questions. Did Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan shut down the New England Patriots and Tom Brady again? How did Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers defeat Sam Bradford and the St. Louis Rams?

Every fan wants to know how good each team is. Did the Oakland Raiders really only beat the Cleveland Browns by seven, or does the score not tell the whole story? What was different for the Chicago Bears this week?

Here's a look at the answers to all of these questions and more.

Chicago Bears

Offensive coordinator Mike Martz finally adjusted to the Bears' terrible offensive line, and the team produced 39 points. Matt Forte had another productive game, but Devin Hester led the team to the win with 91 receiving yards, a receiving touchdown and a kick return for a touchdown.

The Chicago defense completely shut down Vikings' star running back Adrian Peterson. The Bears also did not let either Donovan McNabb or Christian Ponder hurt the team, and the Vikings did nothing on offense.

Grade:  A

Cincinnati Bengals

While Cedric Benson couldn't get anything going, rookie quarterback Andy Dalton annihilated the Indianapolis secondary. The Bengals offense produced a decent amount of yards but managed only two touchdowns, kicking three field goals.

The Cincinnati defense was able to dominate the Indianapolis offense, but that isn't exactly impressive. The team let the Colts stay in the game far too long but clinched the victory when Carlos Dunlap returned a fumble for a touchdown.

Grade:  C+

Buffalo Bills

Fred Jackson built upon his incredible start to the season, but the Bills were unable to defeat the Giants. Ryan Fitzpatrick struggled, throwing two interceptions, and didn't have the huge passing day that he is capable of.

Buffalo's defense was unable to force Eli Manning into throwing any interceptions and allowed Ahmad Bradshaw to have a big day running the ball. While the Bills were able to give the Giants a good game, Buffalo didn't turn in one of its better performances.

Grade:  C+

Denver Broncos

The Broncos had their bye in Week 6, and thus could not be graded.

Grade:  N/A

Cleveland Browns

Though the Browns only lost by seven points, they were absolutely pathetic in their game against the Raiders. Colt McCoy was terrible, completing less than 50 percent of his passes, and star running back Peyton Hillis barely even played.

The Cleveland defense didn't do too poorly, limiting to Darren McFadden to under 100 rushing yards.

However, the Browns did benefit from playing against Oakland's second-string quarterback, Kyle Boller. Cleveland played horribly and was only able to make it a close game due to a garbage-time touchdown.

Grade:  F

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Josh Freeman led the Buccaneers to a win over their division rival, throwing for 303 yards. Earnest Graham also had a big game, adding 109 yards on the ground.

The Tampa Bay defense was able to cause three Drew Brees interceptions and limited him to just one touchdown pass. The team also completely shut down Mark Ingram and the Saints running backs, allowing just 70 rushing yards.

Grade:  A-

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals had their bye in Week 6, and thus could not be graded.

Grade:  N/A

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers had their bye in Week 6, and thus could not be graded.

Grade:  N/A

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs had their bye in Week 6, and thus could not be graded.

Grade:  N/A

Indianapolis Colts

While Curtis Painter wasn't awful against a good Bengals defense, he wasn't especially good, either. The Colts' offense couldn't get anything going on the ground or through the air, but their defense did limit Cincinnati's offense.

Indianapolis gained just 273 yards but was still able to stay in the game. The team did limit the Bengals to only two offensive touchdowns and was surprisingly solid against the run, holding Cedric Benson to 57 yards.

Unfortunately, Andy Dalton tore up the Colts' secondary, and the team simply can't score without Peyton Manning.

Grade:  D+

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys were able to give the Patriots a good game but once again came up just short. While Tony Romo had a productive game, he did throw one interception and threw a last-second Hail Mary pass out of bounds.

The Dallas run game did nothing, but the team's defense did an excellent job against an elite offense.

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was once again able to limit Tom Brady and nearly led the team to a victory. The Cowboys sacked Brady three times and forced him into throwing two interceptions.

Grade:  B+

Miami Dolphins

Not surprisingly, Matt Moore and the rest of the Dolphins struggled immensely against the New York Jets. Reggie Bush actually had a productive game running the ball, but he didn't do nearly enough to make this a close game.

While the offense failed to do much of anything, the Dolphins defense did a great job of limiting the New York offense. As Mark Sanchez continued to struggle, the Jets could not get their running game going. New York doesn't exactly have a great offense, but it was nice to see a good game from the Miami defense.

Grade:  C-

Philadelphia Eagles

Mike Vick wasn't particularly effective, but the play of the Eagles defense allowed the team to win their second game. Rex Grossman did not at all hurt the Philadelphia effort, but LeSean McCoy ran all over the Redskins.

Kurt Coleman picked up three of the Eagles' four interceptions off Grossman, and Philadelphia completely shut down the Washington run game. From the beginning of the game, it was obvious that the Eagles would win, but they were led by an unusually sound defensive effort.

Grade:  B+

Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan didn't have a particularly productive game throwing the ball, but Michael Turner was able to carry the offense to a victory. The Atlanta defense also did a superb job and was able to orchestrate an abysmal three-interception performance by Cam Newton.

The Falcons still did not display the explosive offense that we saw in 2010, but the team was able to get the victory nonetheless. If Michael Turner and the defense are able to keep up this type of play, the Falcons will be just fine.

Grade:  B

San Francisco 49ers

The now 5-1 49ers were able to pick up a huge victory against the previously undefeated Lions. Alex Smith came back down to earth, but Frank Gore was able to keep the offense rolling to a win.

Smith completed just 17 of 32 passes for 125 yards with a touchdown and an interception. However, Gore went off, rushing for 141 yards on 15 carries.

The San Francisco defense did a great job of containing the explosive Detroit offense, and Matthew Stafford struggled with the pass rush constantly in his face.

Grade:  A-

New York Giants

The Giants' run game finally took off as Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for 104 yards and three touchdowns. Eli Manning played mistake-free football and led New York to a close win over the 4-2 Bills.

New York's pass rush continued to dominate, and sophomore star Jason Pierre-Paul picked up yet another sack. The Giants allowed Fred Jackson to dominate but forced Ryan Fitzpatrick into throwing two interceptions.

Grade:  A-

Jacksonville Jaguars

The formerly 1-4 Jaguars were actually able to hang in with the Steelers and it was a close game until the end. Rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert continues to struggle, but the Jacksonville defense was able to keep the team in the game.

Maurice Jones-Drew had a productive day on the ground, rushing for 96 yards. However, the Gabbert-led passing attack isn't developed enough to be able to win consistently. While the team has a formidable defense, it will not be able to carry the team every game.

Grade:  C

New York Jets

Mark Sanchez can't seem to get anything going on offense, and the team's run game was even worse than the passing attack. However, the Jets did a great job of avoiding turnovers and allowed their defense to win the game.

Though Miami's offense is absolutely terrible, New York didn't even give the Dolphins a chance. Darrelle Revis had two interceptions, and only Reggie Bush was able to hurt the Jets. The team's defense is still solid, but with this offense, the Jets simply cannot be playoff contenders.

Grade:  B

Detroit Lions

In the team's first loss of 2011, the usually dynamite Lions offense just couldn't take off. The offensive line was exposed as a huge weakness, and the defense could not contain Frank Gore.

Sacked five times, Matthew Stafford rarely had time to throw and seemed to struggle in the face of pressure. Calvin Johnson had a big game as usual, and Jahvid Best contributed as a receiver, but the team's running attack struggled.

While the Lions were able to shut down Alex Smith, Frank Gore tore apart the team's run defense.

Grade:  B-

Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers had one of his less amazing games but was still extremely productive against an abysmal Rams defense. Fortunately for Rodgers, it didn't matter as his defense held St. Louis to just three points.

While Rodgers was still productive, James Starks and the rest of the Green Bay run game couldn't get going.

The Packers were able to sack Sam Bradford three times but didn't stop the Rams from gaining more yards than they typically do.

Grade:  B

Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton's phenomenal start to his rookie season hit a speed bump during the loss to Atlanta. The No. 1 overall pick didn't put up the huge numbers he has previously, but more importantly, he threw three interceptions.

The former elite Carolina run game hasn't been able to take off in 2011, and this game continued the negative trend. The Panthers defense did an excellent job of limiting the Falcons' passing attack, but Michael Turner dominated on the ground.

Grade:  C-

New England Patriots

The New England offense had an unusually poor game, while the team's defense earned the victory. Tom Brady produced under 300 passing yards and also threw two interceptions. BenJarvus Green-Ellis could not get the running game going and the team had to rely on Brady.

While the offense struggled, the team's defense played an excellent game, limiting the Cowboys to just 16 points. The Patriots shut down Dallas' rushing attack and kept Tony Romo from killing them. The New England defense has struggled early in 2011, but they had a great game against the Cowboys.

Grade:  A-

Oakland Raiders

While the score doesn't suggest it, the Raiders absolutely dominated the Browns. Even with Jason Campbell suffering a broken collarbone, Oakland beat the Browns in every aspect of the game.

Darren McFadden had a good game, rushing for 91 yards, and even Kyle Boller didn't play badly. The Raiders defense completely shut down the Cleveland rushing attack, and Colt McCoy had one of his worst games in the NFL. McCoy faced a relentless pass rush and constantly seemed flustered.

Grade:  B+

St. Louis Rams

Sam Bradford actually threw for more than 300 yards but was not able to get into the end zone. Steven Jackson also had a productive day, rushing for 96 yards on 18 carries, but the Rams never had a chance against a far superior Green Bay team.

The St. Louis run defense did a good job of limiting the Packers ground game and actually help Aaron Rodgers to a below average performance (for him). However, the Rams just couldn't score and the game was over before the first half expired.

Grade:  D-

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens aren't doing anything flashy, but the team is now 4-1 and continues to pile up wins. Ray Rice rushed for over 100 yards with Joe Flacco throwing 305 yards. Anquan Boldin had a big game, catching eight passes for 132 yards.

The Baltimore defense shut down the Texans and allowed just 14 points. Arian Foster could get nothing going on the ground and the Ravens sacked Matt Schaub four times.

Grade:  B+

Washington Redskins

The Redskins had virtually no success running the ball and were even worse passing. Starting quarterback Rex Grossman threw four interceptions, while completing less than 50 percent of his passes. John Beck relieved Grossman and was more successful but did not play well by any means.

Washington did a good job of containing Mike Vick but allowed LeSean McCoy to have a big game. The Redskins also forced Philadelphia into throwing two interceptions and did not give up many completed passes.

However, Rex Grossman was simply too awful for Washington to have a chance.

Grade:  C-

New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees had an unusually poor game, throwing three interceptions. The New Orleans rushing attack did not help matters and produced just 70 yards. Jimmy Graham and Marques Colston both had big games, catching a combined 14 catches for 242 yards.

The Saints defense struggled, allowing Josh Freeman to throw for over 300 yards. The team was also unable to stop Earnest Graham, who gained 109 yards on the ground.

Grade:  C

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks had their bye in Week 6, and thus could not be graded.

Grade:  N/A

Pittsburgh Steelers

While Ben Roethlisberger didn't have a huge day, Rashard Mendenhall more than made up for it. The Jaguars typically have a solid run defense, but Mendenhall had a huge game. The Steelers had a nice balance, passing and running at a nearly equal rate.

The Steelers' run defense is not as good as it once was, and Maurice Jones-Drew had a big game, but Blaine Gabbert struggled. Pittsburgh provided plenty of pressure on Gabbert and held him to a completion percentage under 50 percent.

Grade:  B+

Houston Texans

After getting off to a hot start, the Texans have been hugely affected by injuries. Without Andre Johnson, the team's passing and rushing attacks have struggled.

Mario Williams was obviously a huge part of the team's defense, and Houston had just one player record a sack against the Ravens.

Matt Schaub couldn't get anything going on offense, and Arian Foster did virtually nothing. While Schaub didn't have a bad game by any means, he was unable to put up his usual numbers without Johnson.

Grade:  C

Tennessee Titans

The Titans had their bye in Week 6, and thus could not be graded.

Grade:  N/A

Minnesota Vikings

Donovan McNabb continued to struggle, and Adrian Peterson couldn't do anything against the Bears. The Minnesota offensive line could not stop the Chicago pass rush and allowed five sacks.

While Jay Cutler has been one of the most sacked quarterbacks in the NFL, the Vikings only picked up one sack.

Forte seemed to run over the Minnesota defense effortlessly, and the Vikings could not contain the always explosive Devin Hester, whether he was on offense or special teams.

Grade:  F