NFL Report Card Week 7: Handing out Season Grades to All 32 Teams

Well, we are coming up to the halfway point of the 2011 NFL season in a couple of weeks. Goes by quickly, doesn't it? Maybe too quickly for many fans who live and die football. 

At this point in the season the picture becomes clearer as to where teams stand and what is going to occur in the second half of the year. Newly formed contenders such as the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions look to sustain early-season success as "pretenders" such as the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys look to pick it up toward the midpoint of the season.

Today, I am going to grade each team's performance through seven weeks of the 2011 season. Keep in mind that these grades are subjective and you might not agree with specific grades.

On that note, I will also be grading on a curve. This means that a 4-2 San Diego Chargers team might not be graded as well as a 2-5 Carolina Panthers team. One simple reason for that: expectations at the beginning of the season.

Let's take a look.

Arizona Cardinals

Record: 1-5 

Team MVP: Larry Fitzgerald; 31 receptions, 505 yards and two touchdowns

After falling to Pittsburgh yesterday afternoon, Arizona has now lost five consecutive games for the second time in less than one calendar year.

The Cardinals acquired Kevin Kolb to be the answer at quarterback, but he has yet to make a positive impact through six games. Instead, the signal-caller has as many interceptions (seven) as he has touchdowns, while owning a pedestrian quarterback rating just below 80.

Arizona's defense got burned for over 400 yards—the third time that has happened this year—as Ben Roethlisberger threw for more than 350 yards. With San Francisco the clear favorite in the NFC West and four games ahead of the Cardinals, this team might already just be playing out the stretch.

Still, the Cardinals need Kolb to live up to the expectations they had for him in trading a second-round pick and Dominique-Rodgers Cromartie for his services. There remains a wide array of issues for this Arizona Cardinals team, and its current five-game losing streak best represents that.

Grade: F

Atlanta Falcons

Record: 4-3 

Team MVP: Michael Turner; 621 rush yards and six touchdowns

Atlanta had a nice little win on the road against Detroit yesterday. This game was important for a couple of different reasons. First, it was the first time this season that the Falcons have run off consecutive victories. Secondly, it put them in a second-place tie in the NFC South with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With all the issues the Falcons have had protecting Matt Ryan so far—on pace for 48 sacks—they are in a pretty good position one game behind the division-leading New Orleans Saints. The Falcons pass defense has also stepped up over the past two games, allowing less than 400 passing yards against Cam Newton and Matthew Stafford.

If it can continue to improve along the offensive line and in the defensive secondary, this team can make waves as the season progresses. For now, it appears it has righted the ship after early-season struggles.

Grade: B- 

Baltimore Ravens

Record: 4-1 (play Jacksonville Jaguars tonight)

Team MVP: Ray Rice; 700 total yards and four touchdowns

With one unexpected blip on their otherwise perfect record against the Tennessee Titans a few weeks ago, the Ravens sit with one of the best records in the AFC going into tonight's matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Ray Lewis leads the league's No. 1 scoring defense. How many times have we heard that over nearly the last two decades? Still, that unit is playing inspired ball behind a couple of veterans who appear to have been past their prime.

Surprisingly, Baltimore's defensive secondary has impressed a great deal thus far. This was a unit that some people expected to be the weak link on an otherwise dominating defense. Lardarius Webb has made the jump from solid young corner to Pro Bowl candidate through the first five games. He is joined by an improved Cary Williams as well.

The one issue you may want to look at when watching the Ravens play in the upcoming weeks is Joe Flacco's relatively weak completion percentage (51.4) and pedestrian quarterback rating (79.6). If he can improve like we have seen the last couple of seasons, Baltimore will be a team to watch in the AFC throughout the playoffs.

Grade: A

Buffalo Bills

Record: 4-2 

Team MVP: Fred Jackson; 880 total yards and six touchdowns

If the playoffs started right now, Buffalo would be the last AFC team out. Don't tell me you saw that coming. Currently, the Bills rank behind the Green Bay Packers in scoring offense at just under 32 points per game. I absolutely love their balance on offense as well. They are averaging nearly 400 yards per game on offense, including 141 on the ground. 

Fred Jackson is on pace for nearly 2,400 total yards and 16 touchdowns, while Ryan Fitzpatrick continues a progression that saw him have a really nice 2010 campaign when all was said and done. 

Still, the Bills defense has major concerns at this point. They are allowing over 420 yards of total offense and about 25 points per game. They have a dynamic offense, but in order to be considered real contenders, Buffalo's defense must take the next step toward even just mediocrity.

Grade: A

Carolina Panthers

Record: 2-5 

Team MVP: Cam Newton; 2,103 passing yards, 269 rushing yards, eight touchdowns, nine interceptions and seven rushing touchdowns

Cam Newton is on pace for a rookie quarterback passing and rushing record through seven games, which is amazing in and of itself. What is more amazing is the fact that he is completing over 60 percent of his passes, give that his accuracy was a perceived weakness approaching the 2011 NFL draft.

Carolina has already matched its win total from the 2010 season and isn't even halfway through the year. Additionally, the Panthers are playing with every team on their schedule. Four of the Panthers' five losses have come by single digits, meaning they are playing up to the level of their opponents—a really good sign for such a young team.

The Panthers will not contend for a playoff spot in 2011, but they have an extremely bright future with a dynamic franchise quarterback, two really good running backs and a young defensive core. Look for good things from this team as the 2011 season progresses and moving forward beyond that.

The first step to contention is competing. Right now Carolina is doing that.

Grade: A

Chicago Bears

Record: 4-3 

Team MVP: Matt Forte; 1,066 total yards and three touchdowns

A couple of weeks ago it appeared the Bears season was dead in the water. They were sitting at 2-3, three games behind both Green Bay and Detroit. After two consecutive convincing victories coupled with two straight Lions losses, Chicago is very much in the thick of the NFC playoff race.

Why?

Well, it mostly has to do with improved play of the defense and their best player, Matt Forte. Currently the franchise running back has over 1,000 total yards and is on pace to shatter Walter Payton's single-season Bears total yards record.

Many people believe it isn't sustainable to rely so much on one player, but over the last couple of games it has worked well for Chicago. It still has tremendous issues along the offensive line and in the defensive secondary. These are two things that will probably keep Chicago right in the middle of the pack and vying for one of the last playoff spots as the second half of the season progresses.

Grade: B-

Cleveland Browns

Record: 3-3 

Cleveland's 3-3 record is what many would call misleading. The Browns' three wins have come by a total of 12 points against teams with a combined 2-17 record.

There are a lot of issues on this team right now. It hasn't found a true identity in the running game and lacks the downfield threat to open up the offense. Instead, Colt McCoy is relying on short dump passes to slowly move the offense down the field. This isn't sustainable if Cleveland wants to make a push for the playoffs.

Among other issues, Cleveland is currently looking up to both Pittsburgh and Baltimore, two more talented teams in the AFC North. Next week's game against a really good San Francisco 49ers team on the road will be a good barometer in terms of where this team stands. However, its lack of a run defense will probably make that game difficult at best. 

Cleveland needs to start making a statement against better teams; otherwise this .500 record will come crashing down as quickly as the Peyton Hillis phenomenon.

Grade: C

Cincinnati Bengals

Record: 4-2 

Team MVP: Andy Dalton; 1,311 passing yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions

I mentioned this in an article last week, but it deserves to be rehashed. My preseason projections had the Cincinnati Bengals winning a total of three games this season. Through six games, they have already surpassed that total.

Not only is Andy Dalton playing really good game-controlled football right now, he has also been one of the reasons why the Bengals are one of the surprising teams in the league. The rookie second-round pick is completing over 60 percent of his passes and is on pace to throw for more than 3,000 yards.

Teaming up with Dalton is fellow rookie A.J. Green, who already has 453 receiving yards and is on pace for over 1,200 yards this season.

More than the Bengals' surprising success on offense is the fact that they are in the top five in most defensive categories, including points allowed and pass defense.

That said, only one of the Bengals' four wins came against a team with a winning record. They have the distinction of having to play the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens twice each in their final 10 games. I am not sure if Cincinnati can be considered a true playoff contender right now, but its future looks incredibly bright.

Grade: A+

Dallas Cowboys

Record: 3-3 

Did any of you expect Dallas to fall to the St. Louis Rams yesterday in the Big D? I didn't. So the Cowboys took care of business against a vastly inferior team. What is the big deal? They should have won that game.

The big deal is that DeMarco Murray stepped up and broke the Dallas Cowboys single-game rushing record. The rookie from Oklahoma has tremendous talent and will probably continue this success as the season progresses. This gives the Cowboys some semblance of balance on offense.

With Tony Romo, Miles Austin and Dez Bryant all looking fully healthy for he first time all season, expect the Cowboys offense to take the next step toward elite status in the not so distant future.

People will look at the Cowboys' 3-3 record and say they have been disappointing thus far. While that may be true, their schedule has been ugly early in the season. Their three losses have come by a combined 11 points against teams with a 12-6 record.

If healthy, the Cowboys' chances of winning the division are relatively high at this point. They just need to execute better down the stretch against good teams—not a small feat considering what has occurred in their three losses.

Grade: B-

Denver Broncos

Record: 2-4 

Team MVP: Von Miller; 23 tackles and six sacks.

Leave it to Tim Tebow to play the role of Superman in his first start of the season. While the Broncos' 15-point comeback inside of four minutes yesterday may not be enough to save their season, it did go a long way in terms of cementing their starting quarterback for the remainder of 2011.

The fact that Tebow didn't look like a capable pro quarterback through three-and-a-half quarters really doesn't matter. He showed something that we saw glimpses of last season: He is a winner.

Now, Denver has a myriad of different issues right now. First, the Broncos are having problems in pass protection, as Tebow was sacked seven times and hit nine times. Some of that had to do with him holding on to the ball too long, but more of it had to do with breakdowns at the line. As athletic as Tebow is, he still cannot make up for that.

Second, the Broncos run defense is simply brutal. Prior to allowing only 94 yards against Miami, the Broncos were 23rd in the league in rush defense. They are also in the bottom third of the league in pass offense and pass defense.

With every other team in the AFC West at or above .500, the Broncos are probably not looking at contention this season. At least they have Tebow fever to look forward to.

Grade: C-

Detroit Lions

Record: 5-2 

Team MVP: Calvin Johnson; 41 receptions, 679 yards and 10 touchdowns

As much as Detroit was one of the big success stories over the first five weeks, it has come tumbling down to earth over the last two games. The Lions' nine-game winning streak was snapped against San Francisco last week, and that was followed by another home loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Issues remain on both sides of the ball, and they need to get them fixed quickly.

First, Detroit only put up 263 yards and 13 first downs against what had been a mediocre-at-best defense in the Atlanta Falcons. This came on the heels of a performance against the 49ers that saw Detroit struggle on third downs.

Rush defense has also been an issue over the last few games. The Lions gave up 122 yards against Michael Turner, the third consecutive opposing running back to go for triple digits. Scheme seems to be the issue. Offenses are finding out a way to attack the middle of the Lions defense with a great amount of success. You can expect this to be fixed in short order.

Detroit is still going to be a playoff team, but its path there won't be as easy as most people thought just two weeks ago. Teams like the Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys and even the Philadelphia Eagles might give them a run for their money.

Still, a 5-2 record through seven weeks is pretty amazing for this up-and-coming team.

Grade: A

Green Bay Packers

Record: 7-0 

Team MVP: Aaron Rodgers; 2,372 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and three interceptions

What else can you say about these Green Bay Packers? Seriously, it appears they are a cut above everybody else in the entire National Football League. While there still remain some issues in regards to pass defense, Green Bay is clearly the best all-around team in the league.

Just take a look at the offensive weaponry around Aaron Rodgers, who is the favorite to win the MVP. Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson are both on pace to eclipse 1,000 yards, while Jermichael Finley is nearing that. Their offensive line has stepped it up and is protecting Rodgers a lot better as well.

Defensively, injury concerns to Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams have subsided over the last few games, and they appear to be fully healthy. We all knew that Green Bay's front seven was right up there with those of the Ravens and 49ers as one of the best in the league. All around, the Packers defense should start to contribute to their success as the season progresses.

At this point I have to conclude that the only team that could stop Green Bay from winning back-to-back Super Bowls is itself. The Packers are clearly the best team in the NFL.

Grade: A+

Houston Texans

Record: 4-3 

Team MVP: Arian Foster and Ben Tate; 1,045 combined yards and five touchdowns

Houston is winning this season behind a great offensive rushing attack and solid defense, not as much its passing game. Still, Matt Schaub and co. are extremely solid through the air and will look even better when Andre Johnson returns from injury.

Despite what has appeared to be a successful first half of the season, Houston found itself at 3-3 and in second place prior to yesterday's matchup with the Tennessee Titans. There had been consistency issues on both sides of the ball. Well, that came to a crashing end in a 41-7 domination of the Titans in Tennessee.

This is the type of talent the Texans have. They just need to learn to be able to put it together in a string of consecutive games—something they have been unable to do for the last few seasons. Still, they have to be considered the favorites to win a suddenly weak AFC South.

Grade: B-

Indianapolis Colts

Record: 0-7 

Team MVP: Pierre Garcon; 30 receptions, 503 yards and four touchdowns

Gosh, where to start? After four straight single-digit losses, I had held out hope that the Indianapolis Colts weren't just going to play out the string. They looked to be playing hard and attempting to make the best of a bad situation.

However, last night's debacle against the New Orleans Saints changed my opinion a great deal. They didn't show up for the game, and a dejected team looked like it was at the point of not caring anymore.

Listen, I understand that losing your franchise quarterback for the season has to be a hit, especially if that guy is Peyton Manning. Still, you have a responsibility to show up for every game and give your fans and teammates a product to cheer for.

Indianapolis did not do that in its 62-7 loss to the Saints.

Over the last couple of seasons it has become evident when a certain team is no longer playing for its coach. The Cowboys loss to Green Bay last October is a perfect example of this. I hate to say this, but it appears that is the case with Jim Caldwell and the Indianapolis Colts right now.

This team lacks focus, talent, scheme and coaching—four variables that when added together equal an 0-7 record.

Grade: F

Jacksonville Jaguars

Record: 1-5 (play the Baltimore Ravens tonight)

Team MVP: Maurice Jones-Drew; 647 total yards and two touchdowns

When the Jacksonville Jaguars made the switch to Blaine Gabbert, it was apparent they were ready for the struggles that come with starting a rookie quarterback. After all, he couldn't do much worse than Luke McCown.

While Gabbert has shown some promise it has become increasingly evident that he isn't ready to be a productive quarterback in the NFL right now. He struggles reading defenses, isn't comfortable in the pocket and stares down receivers too much. These are things that can be fixed in time, but not midseason.

The Jaguars defense continues to perform well and keeps them in games, which is key when you have a struggling offense. However, five straight losses and matchups against the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans coming up could mean that this team will be well out of the playoff race before November, if it isn't already.

Jack Del Rio may also be looking for new employment if the Jaguars don't right the ship in quick order.

Grade: D

Kansas City Chiefs

Record: 3-3 

Team MVP: Dwayne Bowe; 26 receptions, 496 yards and four touchdowns

After losing its first three games by a total of 82 points, Kansas City has come swarming right back into the playoff picture after three consecutive victories.

The Chiefs defense stepped up big time against the Oakland Raiders, shutting them out and forcing six turnovers. It appears that Brandon Carr and Brandon Flowers are starting to perform up to 2010 levels, which is something this injury-rattled team desperately needs.

As much as I criticized Todd Haley's coaching early in the season, I have to give him props right now. Kansas City has righted the ship and appears to be in the AFC West division race for the long haul. It could actually take sole possession of the division lead with a win against San Diego next week—simply amazing considering how the Chiefs started, plus the fact that both Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry are out for the remainder of the season and have missed the last four-plus games.

Grade: B

Miami Dolphins

Record: 0-6 

Team MVP: Brandon Marshall; 34 receptions, 483 yards and one touchdown

If the last three minutes of the Miami Dolphins loss to Denver yesterday is any indicator, Tony Sparano may be out of the job before this article is published. Blowing a 15-point lead with 3:00 remaining in the game doesn't happen too often. In fact, it was the first time since 1970 that this has happened. 

Excuses won't work anymore either. You can talk about the season-ending injury to Chad Henne and say Matt Moore isn't a starting quarterback in the NFL. But let's get real: Neither was Henne.

The Dolphins are struggling in pass defense, cannot stop the mid-range pass and have a wide array of issues on offense. It isn't just poor quarterback play. You also have to wonder whether Sparano actually knows what he is doing on game day. There have been numerous questionable calls and iffy strategical moves over the first six games. Miami is right up there with Indianapolis and St. Louis in the hunt for Andrew Luck.

Grade: F

Minnesota Vikings

Record: 1-6 

Team MVP: Adrian Peterson; 685 total yards and seven touchdowns

I try to be as unbiased as possible when watching games on Sunday, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't going for Christian Ponder and the Minnesota Vikings yesterday. They played their best game of the season and barely came up short against a great Packers team. 

It was unbelievable to see the offensive transformation from Donovan McNabb to Ponder. In fact, I would be hard pressed to come up with a scenario in which the latter throws for nearly 300 yards in his first NFL start.

Still, it goes without saying that this team is in complete shambles right now. I am not going to address their lack of a defensive performance against the Packers, because every team has struggled in that aspect against Aaron Rodgers and co.

Instead, I want to focus on where this team is right now and where it is heading in the future. The Vikings defensive back seven look pretty out of tune right now. It seems that age might have finally caught up with Antoine Winfield, and no one else in the secondary is stepping up at this point. Their rush defense also blew a great chance to get the ball back for Ponder toward the end of yesterday's loss.

I am not sure how to evaluate the Vikings moving forward. Is this a team in rebuilding mode? Are they in transition? Or are they still holding out hope for contention? It seems that they don't have a clearly defined direction. I guess making the jump to starting a rookie quarterback may clear up that ambiguity somewhat.

Grade: D-

New England Patriots

Record: 5-1 

Team MVP: Tom Brady; 2,163 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions

I could have easily gone with Wes Welker as the Patriots MVP at this point, but he sure does have one heck of a quarterback throwing the ball to him.

Tom Brady is one of three quarterbacks that has a good chance of breaking Dan Marino's single-season yards passing record (Cam Newton and Drew Brees being the other two). New England probably has the most explosive and dynamic offense in the entire league. Sorry Packers fans.

This does not mean the Patriots are without their issues. They still rank dead last in pass defense and are giving up well over 400 total yards of offense per game. This might work well during the regular season, but it won't lead to playoff success.

To say that New England needs to clean up its defensive issues would be a major understatement. As good as the Patriots offense is, it isn't sustainable to win games by having a defense perform that poorly. 

As it is, the Patriots are one of the favorites to win the AFC and take on Green Bay in the Super Bowl. Oh, I might be jumping to conclusions—disregard that.

Grade: B+

New Orleans Saints

Record: 5-2 

Team MVP: Drew Brees; 2,477 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions

Oh my, that was a fun game to watch. Yes, you did see that game correctly. New Orleans scored on its first nine possessions to score the most points in an NFL game since the 1999 Jacksonville Jaguars put up the same 62 points against the Miami Dolphins.

Watching New Orleans destroy the Indianapolis Colts last night was fun as a football fan, but also depressing if you like drama. This game was over within the first five minutes, as it appeared the Saints were taking on a really bad junior varsity high school team.

Still, you have to look at who they were playing.

Remember, the Saints were just coming off a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that saw them fall back into a first-place tie. Their running game had not been going well yet, and their pass defense was struggling to an extent. Take the 62-7 win over the Indianapolis Colts with a grain of salt, because the Saints will be playing much stiffer competition as the season progresses and in the playoffs.

They need to keep this running game going in order to compete against pretty solid defenses at the top of the NFC in the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers. Fully expect the Saints to run with it—pun intended. This is a really good team.

Grade: B+

New York Giants

Record: 4-2 

Team MVP: Eli Manning; 1,778 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions

To say that I am surprised by the success of Eli Manning would be an understatement. He has been one of the most mistake-prone quarterbacks in the NFL over the course of the last three seasons. Thus, limiting those mistakes means he is one of the primary reasons the New York Giants sit in first place after seven weeks.

There are still a myriad of different issues for the Giants. Although they have improved in pass defense over the last couple of games, it still remains a weak link on an otherwise solid defensive unit. After hosting Miami next week, New York will be facing eight teams that are at or above .500 over its final nine games, so those issues will be magnified even more.

Additionally, Manning has faced a tremendous amount of pressure over the first six games despite being sacked just 14 times. The Giants run a timing offense that relies on protection. This needs to be fixed in short order if they are to succeed down the stretch.

The Giants win over Buffalo before the bye was their first against a team with a winning record. They will need a lot more of those in order to win the NFC East.

Grade: B

New York Jets

Record: 4-3 

Team MVP: Darrelle Revis; 20 tackles, 10 passes defended and four interceptions

I am still not sold on the New York Jets and Mark Sanchez as being one of the top contenders in the AFC. In fact, I find them to be incredibly overrated. Simply put, Sanchez just doesn't have the talent or ability to be a one-man show on offense. Instead, they need to find a running game.

After serious struggles over the first five games, Shonn Greene has come up big the last two weeks. He has over 200 total yards during that span, which has a direct correlation to the success of the Jets offense. If he can keep that up, this is going to be a really good team moving forward. If not, New York will struggle down the stretch.

It isn't like the Jets need to put up 30 points a game to win. They have one of the best defenses in the NFL, anchored by the island that is Darrelle Revis. When will teams learn that it's hard to maintain drives and be successful when you throw his way?

While the Jets rush defense has struggled a great deal, their secondary more than makes up for it. If their offense can sustain drives and limit mistakes, this team will be right in the thick of things at season's end.

Grade: C+

Oakland Raiders

Record: 4-3

Team MVP: Darren McFadden; 768 total yards and five touchdowns

Ouch, that is not a good way for Carson Palmer to start his post-Cincinnati career. You could tell timing was off all day and for good reason. After all, he had just been with the Oakland Raiders for a total of five days prior to trotting onto the field in the second half.

One thing became apparent in the Raiders' 28-0, six-interception loss to the Kansas City Chiefs: They needed to make the move for Palmer because Kyle Boller was on the path of leading this offense to the banks of the Pacific Ocean down by the Wharf. He really is that bad.

It would be easy to chalk the Raiders' blowout loss up to being more of a mirage than anything. Still, they played badly in almost every aspect of the game, not just quarterback play. We also got a good indicator of the importance of Darren McFadden, who left the game with a foot injury in the second quarter. Oakland's offense bordered on horrendous following his departure.

Right now Oakland goes into its bye with a winning record, 4-3, and is just a half game out of first place. I fully expect McFadden to be back after the bye and Palmer to be more comfortable in the team's offense. If that happens, the Raiders will be just fine because they have a heck of a lot of talent.

Grade: B+

Philadelphia Eagles

Record: 2-4 

Team MVP: LeSean McCoy; 692 total yards and eight touchdowns

Some could argue that the Eagles' bye came at the perfect time. This was a team that had lost four in a row prior to its Week 6 victory over the then-first place Washington Redskins. It wasn't a pretty win for them either.

The Eagles needed to regroup during the bye and get their act together. They commit too many costly penalties, turn the ball over at the most inopportune times and continue to shoot themselves in the foot. Right now, they are playing more like a collection of individual talent than as a team. That is not sustainable in the modern NFL.

Defensively, the Eagles cannot tackle worth a damn, take bad angles on ball-carriers and lack cohesion. It is up to Andy Reid and co. to get this collection of talent on board with their philosophy before it is too late. The good news is that Philadelphia saved its season by beating Washington and is only a couple of games out of first place in what appears to be a mediocre division. 

There is no denying the talent that Philadelphia has. The Eagles just need to put it all together.

Grade: F

Pittsburgh Steelers

Record: 5-2 

Team MVP: Ben Roethlisberger; 1,937 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions

A couple of weeks ago pundits like me were stating that the Steelers were done. That, in fact, they were beginning to show their age. After three consecutive victories, those skeptics are relatively quiet.

Listen, this is still a team that has some issues. Big Ben has now been sacked 20 times in seven games and hit a ton more. The old saying goes that "bigger guys fall harder," and that is the case with Roethlisberger. He was hit another six times against a relatively weak Arizona Cardinals defense, but protection held up for the most part.

If he can get protection, Roethlisberger has proven that he can eat apart opposing secondaries. If not, he will probably not last the season.

Defensively, the Steelers seem as good as ever. They rank No. 1 in pass defense and are not in the top 10 in rush defense. This unit will keep Pittsburgh in the game even when their offense is having a bad day. A couple weeks after it was written off by some, Pittsburgh has rebounded to show that the ride isn't over yet.

Grade: B

San Diego Chargers

Record: 4-2 

Team MVP: Ryan Mathews; 713 total yards and three touchdowns

What in the world has happened to Philip Rivers? I am sure San Diego Chargers fans are asking themselves the same question. He has thrown nine interceptions in six games and is on pace for 24 this season. To put that in perspective, he had thrown the same number of interceptions in his last 40 starts combined prior to this season.

Some of that could have to do with Antonio Gates not being on the field for the vast majority of the Chargers' first five games, but these struggles continued with Gates in the game on Sunday.

The Chargers seem to be playing down to the level of their opponents, while struggling against the good teams on their schedule. They just haven't been right on offense thus far. This needs to be fixed in short order if San Diego is going to win the AFC West.

Grade: C- 

San Francisco 49ers

Record: 5-1 

Team MVP: Frank Gore; 622 total yards and four touchdowns

I am not sure that any San Francisco 49ers player wanted to have their off week right now. After all, this is one of the hottest teams in the NFL with four consecutive wins. Still, it gives them a chance to get fully healthy and get Braylon Edwards, among others, back on the field.

The 49ers are playing with an aura of confidence that we have not seen since the early 2000s, which bodes well for their short-term success. The 49ers front seven is among the best in the NFL, while their secondary continues to make huge play after huge play.

Offensively, Alex Smith has been more than a game manager and continues to limit mistakes. At this rate, he will finish the season with the best touchdown-to-interception ratio in San Francisco 49ers history. Additionally, the 49ers have one of the best running games in the NFL with former Pro Bowler Frank Gore and rookie standout Kendall Hunter.

No longer are the 49ers just playoff contenders; they now have to be considered one of the elite teams in the entire NFL.

I don't buy into the whole "they play in a crap division" as a reason for this success. After all, they have only played one NFC West opponent. I will say that it doesn't hurt to have five games against division opponents in the remainder of their schedule.

Right now, the 49ers own a huge three-game lead in the NFC West with a tiebreaker over the second-place Seahawks. It is premature to say they have this division wrapped up, but it is looking more and more like that. Upcoming games against Cleveland, Washington and Arizona should solidify this status.

Grade: A+

Seattle Seahawks

Record: 2-4 

Team MVP: Doug Baldwin; 20 receptions, 330 yards and two touchdowns

What a dud of a game that was against the Cleveland Browns following Seattle's bye. It is never a good sign to see a team play like that after a week off. After winning two of its last three games, Seattle regressed a great deal this past weekend.

Some of that had to do with Charlie Whitehurst pulling his best Canadian Football League impersonation, but the issues lie with more than just quarterback for the Seahawks. I guess you could just say they lack the necessary talent to compete in the NFC right now. This is why many people have dubbed 2011 a rebuilding year in the Pacific Northwest.

I like some of the young talent this team possesses, but it just has too many holes right now. It starts at the quarterback position and trickles down along an improving offensive line and questionable secondary.

The Seahawks are currently three games behind the division-leading San Francisco 49ers with games against Cincinnati, Dallas and Baltimore coming up. Within three weeks it could become apparent that they are just playing out the stretch.

Grade: C-

St. Louis Rams

Record: 0-6

Team MVP: Steven Jackson; 341 total yards and two touchdowns

Prior to the Colts' embarrassing 62-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints last night, I was fully expecting to say that the St. Louis Rams were the worst team in the entire NFL. Still, they are not that far off.

The Rams are averaging less than 10 points per game on offense and have lost their last four games by a combined 85 points. It just doesn't look like they are competing at this point. This is surprising considering that many people predicted the Rams to win the NFC West during the preseason.

Injuries have played a major role in the Rams' continuing struggles. They are without their top four cornerbacks and a wide array of other players. For a team that was thin at so many positions, this was going to hurt them a great deal.

Now, St. Louis finds itself as one of three teams without a win and is five games back in the division. This has been a lost season for the young St. Louis Rams.

Grade: F

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Record: 4-3 

Team MVP: LeGarrette Blount; 386 total yards and three touchdowns

The up-and-down season for this young Tampa Bay Buccaneers team continues. Following their worst loss in nearly two decades a couple weeks ago in San Francisco, the Buccaneers came back and beat the division-leading New Orleans Saints last week. That win put them in a tie for first place.

After traveling to London to take on the Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay laid a flat egg in every possible way. While the game was close, the team struggled in nearly every aspect. Josh Freeman continues his inconsistent play and now has 10 interceptions on the season after he threw four against Chicago.

At this point I would have to conclude that the Bucs are not quite "ready for prime time" players. They are young and have a lot of talent, but consistency needs to be preached by Raheem Morris and co. before they take the next step. Until then, you are probably looking at an eight- or nine-win team.

Grade: C

Tennessee Titans

Record: 3-3 

Team MVP: Matt Hasselbeck; 1,518 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions

To say I was surprised by Tennessee's lack of execution against the Houston Texans yesterday would be a huge understatement. They got destroyed in every single possible way as Chris Johnson continues to let his team down.

Matt Hasselbeck is still a good quarterback, but he is not at that point in his career where he can single-handedly lead an offense. Instead, the Titans were relying on CJ to step his game up—it hasn't happened. What began as a mild surprise early in the season led many people to believe that Tennessee was for real. Well, the Titans got a huge dose of reality in their 41-7 loss to the Texans.

Grade: B-

Washington Redskins

Record: 3-3 

Team MVP: Fred Davis; 28 receptions, 423 yards and two touchdowns

After Washington's narrow victory over the St. Louis Rams a couple of weeks ago, I came to the conclusion that it wasn't as good as its record indicated. I still stand by that. This team has a lot of issues on the offensive side of the ball. It has a nice running-back-by-committee group but doesn't have one specific player to rely on for 20 to 25 rushes a game.

The larger concern is the Redskins' lack of talent and execution at the quarterback position. After a strong start to the season, Rex Grossman imploded against the Philadelphia Eagles a couple of weeks ago by throwing four interceptions. He was replaced in the game by John Beck, who made his first start of the season yesterday.

It didn't turn out much better.

Beck did throw for 279 yards and had a quarterback rating of over 80. However, a lot of Redskins drives stalled because of a lack of execution on offense—the same lack of execution we saw with Grossman in the couple of games prior. You don't need to have a Pro Bowl quarterback to win in the NFL, but you do need to have a starter-caliber signal-caller in order to win. Right now, the 'Skins have neither. Look for this regression to continue as the season plays out.

Grade: C