NFL Report Card Week 12: Handing out Grades to All 32 Teams

Whether it was Tom Brady and the New England Patriots murdering the Philadelphia Eagles or Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers barely beating the Kansas City Chiefs, fans want to know how each team looked.

The score will often tell one story, while the details and smaller facts will tell another. The second story is far and away the more important one, and the one we will look at here.

Sure, the final score is the most important thing, but it's not necessarily an indication of future success. So let's take a look at the smaller details and grade each team's Week 12 performance.

Chicago Bears

In some ways, Caleb Hanie was better than expected. He threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns. On the other hand, he completed just 50 percent of his passes and threw three interceptions.

In addition to Hanie's struggles, the Bears were unable to run the football. Matt Forte had one his worst games this season, and the Chicago defense allowed 25 points.

However, the Bears allowed just one touchdown and did force one interception. Even without their star quarterback, Chicago was able to compete with—and nearly beat—a decent team.

Grade:  C

Cincinnati Bengals

In the first half, Cincinnati allowed the Browns to score 17 points, while only scoring one touchdown themselves. With the Browns' offense, this performance is unacceptable, but the Bengals did a much better job in the second half, allowing just one field goal.

Andy Dalton tore apart the Cleveland secondary, and A.J. Green was once again able to make plays. Cedric Benson had one of his best games yet this year, rushing for 106 yards on 21 carries.

Though this game shouldn't have been as close as it was, the Bengals were able to rebound in the second half in order to secure a victory.

Grade:  C

Buffalo Bills

The Bills have really been struggling as of late, and though they played better against the Jets, they were unable to halt the losing streak. Ryan Fitzpatrick played extremely well, completing 26 of his 39 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns.

However, the loss of Fred Jackson was detrimental, and Buffalo's offense couldn't score enough points. The defense was, however, the primary reason for the loss. A poor Jets' offense scored 28 points, with Mark Sanchez throwing four touchdowns.

Though the Bills didn't get the victory here, they played well enough to beat a good team. Compared to recent weeks, this is progress.

Grade:  C

Denver Broncos

Though the Broncos' Tebow-led offense continued to struggle, the team eked out yet another victory. Tebow completed just 50 percent of his passes and rushed for a meager 67 yards on 22 carries. Willis McGahee was much more successful on the ground, however.

Denver shut down San Diego's offense, but it's unclear how much credit they can be given for this, considering Philip Rivers's season-long struggles. The Broncos did allow Ryan Mathews to rush for 137 yards on 22 carries.

With Tebow at quarterback, Denver certainly hasn't been getting its wins conventionally, but they are wins nonetheless. Though it's still unclear if Tebow's success can last, the team isn't complaining at the moment.

Grade:  C

Cleveland Browns

Though Colt McCoy did struggle some, the Browns' wide receivers did him no favors, as they dropped numerous passes. In his first game back from a hamstring injury, Peyton Hillis gained just 65 yards on 19 carries.

Once again, the Cleveland defense proved to be overrated. Andy Dalton shredded the Browns' secondary, and Cedric Benson rushed for 106 yards on 21 carries.

Cleveland got off to a good start in the first half, but the team faltered down the stretch. The Browns' offense was less anemic than usual, but it still wasn't good.

Grade:  C-

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

In the midst of an already disappointing season, the Buccaneers took yet another step back against the Titans. Starting quarterback Josh Freeman continued to struggle, throwing an interception and fumbling twice.

LeGarrette Blount was able to provide some offense, as he rushed for 103 yards on 20 carries. However, Tampa Bay's run defense was awful, and Chris Johnson ran for 190 yards.

The Buccaneers did shut down the Tennessee passing attack, but that wasn't enough to earn the victory. To put it simply, Tampa Bay's pass defense was the only positive part of the game for the team.

Grade:  C-

Arizona Cardinals

John Skelton once again proved that he's an awful quarterback, but Beanie Wells and Patrick Peterson were able to carry the Cardinals to a victory. Wells rushed for a franchise record 228 yards on just 27 carries, while Peterson returned his fourth punt for a touchdown this season—tying an NFL record.

Arizona also did well defending the run, as they limited Steven Jackson to 64 yards on 17 carries. Sam Bradford wasn't as bad as he's been against other teams, but that's not exactly the end of the world for the Cardinals.

Despite getting the win here, Arizona shouldn't be proud of this performance. The team seemed to dominate in ever aspect, yet they only won by three points.

Grade:  C-

San Diego Chargers

As Philip Rivers continues to struggle, Ryan Mathews is carrying the San Diego offense. With 137 yards on 22 carries, Mathews certainly did his part against the Broncos, but it still wasn't enough.

The Chargers didn't allow Tim Tebow to do any damage through the air, and only Willis McGahee was productive on the ground. Despite this defensive effort, San Diego was unable to beat the lackluster Broncos.

With each passing game, it becomes more clear that something is not right with Philip Rivers. And until this unknown issue is fixed, the Chargers will continue to struggle. For Norv Turner's sake, San Diego may want to figure this out quickly.

Grade:  C-

Kansas City Chiefs

With Tyler Palko starting at quarterback, the Chiefs predictably fell to the Steelers. The game was, however, closer than most expected. Palko and the Kansas City offense were awful, but they were still nearly good enough to beat Pittsburgh.

Thomas Jones did virtually nothing against the Steelers, but the Chiefs' rushing attack was still better than their passing offense. The team's defense, on the other hand, did a great job of shutting down Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisbeger completed 21 of his 31 passes, but he was still unable to spark the team's offense.

Likewise, the Chiefs stuffed Pittsburgh's rushing attack, allowing Rashard Mendenhall to gain just 57 yards. Though Kansas City certainly turned in an ugly performance, the team likely would have won the game with just decent quarterback play. I guess that's a positive.

Grade:  D+

Indianapolis Colts

It surely surprised no one, but Curtis Painter led the Colts to yet another defeat. Though Painter was as bad as usual, Donald Brown did show up and rushed for 80 yards on 14 carries. Reggie Wayne likewise had a big performance, catching five passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.

The Indianapolis defense, on the other hand, played surprisingly well, limiting Cam Newton to just 261 total yards. Despite containing Newton, the Panthers were still able to score 27 points, so it wasn't a complete success for the Colts' defense.

Though Indianapolis was able to stay in the game, they were once again overmatched—this time by a two-win (entering the game) team.

Grade:  D

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys didn't necessarily play badly, but they did underperform. Tony Romo threw two more interceptions and threw for just 226 yards.

DeMarco Murray had another solid performance, rushing for 87 yards. The Dallas defense performed well, limiting Reggie Bush to under four yards a carry.

Though the Cowboys nearly lost to the Dolphins, they weren't awful. If Tony Romo can pick up his performance, Dallas could become a dangerous team down the stretch.

Grade:  C+

Miami Dolphins

Matt Moore continued to play surprisingly well, and the Dolphins' defense played excellently. Moore didn't complete an especially high percent of his passes, but he averaged nine yards per attempt and made no costly mistakes.

Though Tony Romo and the Cowboys are certainly capable of making big plays, they didn't against Miami. The Dolphins forced two interceptions and allowed just 20 points.

Despite not pulling off the victory, Miami turned in a quality performance. The Dolphins have looked like a new time in recent weeks, and they may not be the joke they were once thought to be.

Grade:  C+

Philadelphia Eagles

Even after losing six games, the Eagles showed us that they were still overrated. For whatever reason, Philadelphia chose to pass the ball—with Vince Young at quarterback—48 times, while only giving LeSean McCoy 10 carries.

Though it came as no surprise, the Philadelphia defense played horribly. Tom Brady put together a superb—though typical—performance, and the Patriots scored 38 points.

Vince Young played about as well as could be expected but not nearly well enough to secure a victory. The bigger issue, however, is the Eagles' awful defense. It's becoming more obvious by the game that Philadelphia simply isn't a playoff-caliber team.

Grade:  C-

Atlanta Falcons

Though Michael Turner struggled, Matt Ryan was able to carry the offense, and the Falcons coasted to a victory over the Vikings. Ryan completed 27 of his 34 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns in what might have been his best game of the season.

On the defensive side of the ball, Atlanta held Minnesota to just 14 points and 226 yards. The Vikings were missing Adrian Peterson, but the defensive effort is impressive nonetheless.

After getting off to a slow start, the Falcons have been rolling as of late, and they continued this trend against Minnesota. Atlanta performed well in literally every aspect of the game and coasted through this week's contest.

Grade:  B+

San Francisco 49ers

Alex Smith struggled statistically, but it was not at all his fault. The 49ers' offensive line was abused by the Ravens front seven in both pass protection and the run game. San Francisco allowed an astounding nine sacks, and Frank Gore had virtually zero holes to run through.

The 49er defense, on the other hand, played well. Ray Rice gained just 59 yards on 21 carries, and Joe Flacco didn't exactly rip up the San Francisco secondary either.

Smith and the offense certainly struggled, but the team's defense played well, as usual. If the team's offensive line had played as well as it typically does, the 49ers may have won this game.

Grade:  C

New York Giants

Because the Giants play the New Orleans Saints on Monday night, this game could not yet be graded. A grade will be added after the contest concludes.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Once again, Blaine Gabbert turned in a truly awful performance, completing just 13-of-29 passes prior to being benched. Luke McCown was slightly better, but neither provided adequate play.

Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jacksonville offensive line did well in the run game, as the team rushed for 105 yards against an excellent defense. However, the Houston pass rush annihilated the Jaguars.

It's impossible to give Jacksonville credit for limiting Houston's quarterback play, but the team did do an excellent job of containing Arian Foster. Once again, the Jaguars showed that they are a decent team without a competent quarterback.

Grade:  C-

New York Jets

After losing two straight, the Jets finally won another game, and through an unlikely source—Mark Sanchez. This year, Sanchez has, by all accounts, been awful. Against the Bills, however, he threw four touchdowns and (kind of) carried the New York offense.

Sanchez still completed less than 50 percent of his passes, and Shonn Green had a productive game as well, though. The Jets' defense wasn't as great as it has been, but it was good enough. Ryan Fitzpatrick shredded the New York secondary, but C.J. Spiller couldn't accomplish anything on the ground.

With a decent performance from Sanchez, the Jets were able to score 28 points. With Rex Ryan's defense, that should be good enough to win just about any game the team will play.

Grade:  B-

Detroit Lions

The Lions' offense was able to gain some yards against the Packers, but they struggled to put points on the board. Matthew Stafford's three interceptions were costly and negated an above-average performance from the team's defense.

Even without Ndamukong Suh, Detroit's defense played well, limiting Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay rushing attack. Despite the score's suggestion, the Lions really didn't play a bad game.

Unfortunately, Stafford was once again inconsistent, and his play may have been the difference in the game. Though the Lions weren't able to knock off the Packers, they gave a solid performance against a great team.

Grade:  B

Green Bay Packers

Though the Green Bay offense wasn't quite as incredible as usual, the team's defense held the explosive Lions to just 15 points. The Packers intercepted Matthew Stafford three times and no Detroit player rushed for more than 39 yards.

Aaron Rodgers had another excellent performance, but he didn't throw for the staggering yardage he has in other games. It isn't obvious looking at the score, but the Packers' offense actually underperformed some, gaining just 349 yards.

This offensive output did come against a good defense, however, and it's not like Green Bay struggled offensively. On the whole, the Packers did a great job of stopping the Detroit offense and scoring more than enough points to secure the victory.

Grade:  B+

Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton played reasonably well against the Colts, and the Panthers were able to secure a third victory. Though Newton did nothing earth shattering, the Carolina rushing attack took off against a poor Indianapolis defense.

The Panthers' defense once again disappointed, allowing Donald Brown to rush for 80 yards. Carolina did, at least, hold Curtis Painter to a performance equal to his typical game.

Carolina was able to beat the Colts relatively comfortably, but it's not like they were playing a great team. Against a team as bad as Indianapolis, the Panthers need to be able to win more easily.

Grade:  C-

New England Patriots

In New England's huge victory over the Eagles, Tom Brady put together another excellent performance. The team's run game struggled some, but it's impossible to seriously criticize the Patriots' offense.

While New England's offensive output was expected, its defensive performance was not. Vince Young unsurprisingly struggled, but the Patriots did a great job of shutting down LeSean McCoy on the rare occasions that he was given the ball.

Though the Eagles aren't exactly great competition, New England's performance was noteworthy nonetheless. If the team can continue to play like this, they just might be the AFC's representative in the Super Bowl.

Grade:  A

Oakland Raiders

Yes, a punter gets the picture here. Anytime someone punts the ball 80 yards, he deserves some props.

Though the Raiders scored 25 points, they only entered the end zone once. Carson Palmer was efficient, completing 21 of his 37 passes for 301 yards, but he didn't throw any touchdowns and did toss one interception.

Oakland did a great job of shutting down Matt Forte and the Chicago run game, but Caleb Hanie made a surprising number of plays. The Raiders forced three interceptions, yet the Bears were able to stay in the game.

While Oakland played well enough to win, they need to be better against a team with Caleb Hanie at quarterback. If the Raiders want to be a playoff team, this performance isn't good enough.

Grade:  C+

St. Louis Rams

Sam Bradford turned in a mediocre performance, but sadly, it may have been his best game this year. Steven Jackson and the run game couldn't take off, and once again, The St. Louis run defense was atrocious. 

Though the Cardinals have an awful pass rush, St. Louis's terrible offensive line was once again highlighted, as Arizona sacked Bradford on two occasions. The Rams' defense shut down Skelton (as they should) but allowed Beanie Wells to rush for a staggering 228 yards on just 27 carries.

Once again, the Rams showed the world that they may in fact be the NFL's worst team. The Colts obviously disagree, but this debate could only be settled by an unwatchable head-to-head contest.

Grade:  D-

Baltimore Ravens

Though the Baltimore offense didn't play as well as the team hoped it would, the Ravens still ended up with an easy victory. Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata and the Ravens' defense terrorized Alex Smith, sacking the quarterback nine times.

Baltimore also completely shut down Frank Gore, allowing him to gain just 39 yards. Ray Rice struggled to gain yards on the ground, but Joe Flacco was much more accurate than he had been, and the team was able to score 16 points.

If it weren't for Flacco's better-than-expected play, the Ravens probably would have lost this game. Fortunately, the team's defense had its best performance of the year, and Flacco was able to come through.

Grade:  B

Washington Redskins

If Rex Grossman could have only avoided throwing his two interceptions, he would have ended up with a great game. As it stands, Grossman's performance was still good enough to earn the victory over the Seahawks.

Roy Helu had an impressive performance, rushing for 108 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. Though the Washington defense was unable to stop Marshawn Lynch, they did shut down Tarvaris Jackson.

Though Grossman once again made some costly mistakes, he also made plenty of plays for the Redskins. In reality, the team's run defense was the only glaring weakness in this contest.

Grade: C+

New Orleans Saints

Because the Saints play the New York Giants on Monday night, this game could not yet be graded. A grade will be added after the contest concludes.

Seattle Seahawks

In Seattle's loss to the Redskins, Tarvaris Jackson once again showed that he's a terrible quarterback. Even with Marshawn Lynch rushing for over 111 yards on 24 carries, Jackson was unable to complete 50 percent of his passes.

Seattle's run defense was uncharacteristically bad, allowing Roy Helu to gain over 100 yards. The team allowed Rex Grossman to pick them apart, but they did force him to throw two interceptions.

Through 12 weeks, we have seen the good and bad side of the Seahawks. They are a relatively talented team capable of winning, but they can also turn in ugly, ugly performances like this one.

Grade:  D

Pittsburgh Steelers

Though it was a close game to the end, the Steelers were able to defeat the Chiefs with a final score of 13-9. Ben Roethlisberger was efficient, completing 21 of his 31 passes, but he didn't gain many yards. The team's rushing attack was also unable to produce much yardage.

Pittsburgh completely shut down Tyler Palko and the Kansas City passing attack, but I refuse to give them any credit for that. The Steelers similarly shut down the Chiefs' always-unproductive rushing attack.

On the whole, this was an ugly game for Pittsburgh. The team managed to escape with the victory, but they need to take a step back and look at their weaknesses. If the Steelers play like this against a team that isn't so awful, they will lose.

Grade:  D+

Houston Texans

Before suffering an injury, Matt Leinart wasn't awful, but the Houston offense certainly struggled in Matt Schaub's offense. Arian Foster ran for just 65 yards on 22 carries, and the Houston passing attack produced a total of 127 yards.

The Houston defense was still effective, however. Maurice Jones-Drew did run for 99 yards, but the Jacksonville passing attack was as awful as ever. The Texans also recorded seven sacks.

Playing without a competent quarterback for much of the game, Houston did a good job. Unless the team does something at quarterback, the Texans may have to rely on their defense even more in the future.

Grade:  B

Tennessee Titans

Matt Hasselbeck struggled to do anything offensively, but Chris Johnson was able to carry the team to a victory over the struggling Buccaneers. Though Johnson lacked his trademark explosiveness, he still rushed for 190 yards on just 23 carries.

The Tennessee defense did a great job of forcing Tampa Bay turnovers, and only LeGarrette Blount was able to do much damage. Josh Freeman continued to play poorly, and he threw an interception while also fumbling the ball twice.

The Titans didn't beat a great team here, but Johnson's excellent performance is encouraging. If the running back can continue to carry the Tennessee offense, the team might still have a shot at the playoffs.

Grade:  C+

Minnesota Vikings

Though Christian Ponder was certainly efficient, he was unable to provide a spark for the Minnesota offense. Without Adrian Peterson, the Vikings just couldn't make enough plays to win. Percy Harvin was the lone playmaker for the team, and they scored just 14 points.

The Minnesota defense, on the other hand, wasn't awful. They allowed 24 points, but Michael Turner rushed for just 60 yards on 19 carries. Unfortunately, Matt Ryan seemed to have his way with the Vikings' secondary, completing 27 of his 34 passes.

With a rookie quarterback leading a playmaker-less offense, the results here aren't exactly surprising. They are, however, disappointing and unacceptable.

Grade:  C-