NFL Report Card Week 16: Handing out Grades to All 32 Teams

Everyone knows that Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers annihilated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Obviously Tim Tebow struggled, as the Denver Broncos lost to the Buffalo Bills.

But what, exactly, happened in the Tennessee Titans' victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars?

This article will analyze every game, regardless of its significance and status. Only here is the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs' battle as important as the battle of New York.

Chicago Bears

Though Josh McCown threw for 242 yards, he also tossed two interception in the Bears' loss. Kahlil Bell rushed for 121 yards in Matt Forte's absence, and he carried the Chicago on their way to 441 yards.

Chicago's defense could not stop Aaron Rodgers, and the star quarterback threw five touchdown passes. The Packers gained only 363 yards, but their 35 points tells the story.

Grade:  D-

Cincinnati Bengals

Andy Dalton did nothing special in the Cincinnati Bengals' victory over the Arizona Cardinals, but he played mistake-free football and was good enough to win. Cedric Benson also struggled, fumbling twice, and the Bengals gained only 301 yards.

Cincinnati did, however, force two John Skelton interceptions, while shutting down Beanie Wells and the Arizona rushing attack. The Bengals defense won this game, as they allowed just 316 yards and 16 points.

Grade:  C+

Buffalo Bills

Not many expected the Buffalo Bills to be able to stop Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos. The Bills forced four interceptions—two of which were returned for touchdowns.

The Bills scored 40 points, but it wasn't because of their offense. C.J. Spiller was great, gaining 138 total yards, but Ryan Fitzpatrick didn't play especially well.

Grade:  A-

Denver Broncos

In Denver's loss to Buffalo, Tim Tebow was the quarterback we all knew he could be. Tebow threw four interceptions while completing just 13 of his 30 passes. Even the Broncos rushing attack struggled, and the team gained a meager 293 yards.

Though Denver technically allowed 40 points, the team's defense did not play too poorly. Twenty-one of Buffalo's points came from defensive and special teams touchdowns, so the Broncos defense actually allowed just 19 points. Denver didn't do much to stop C.J. Spiller, though.

Grade:  F

Cleveland Browns

Seneca Wallace didn't do much in Colt McCoy's absence, and Peyton Hillis carried the Cleveland offense on their way to a not-so-impressive 14 points. Though Hillis played well, the Browns gained only 256 yards.

Defensively, on the other hand, the Browns played excellently. The Cleveland defense held Ray Rice to less than four yards per carry, and Joe Flacco didn't even complete half his passes.

Grade:  D+

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Though Josh Freeman played well, the Tampa Bay offense stalled, and the team scored just 16 points. In fact, the Buccaneers gained only 317 yards, largely because of a horrible rushing attack.

The team's defense was even worse than its offense, and Tampa Bay allowed Carolina to score 48 points. The Panthers gained a staggering 270 yards on the ground, and Cam Newton scored four touchdowns himself.

Grade:  F

Arizona Cardinals

John Skelton and the Arizona Cardinals had been rolling, but they fell against the Cincinnati Bengals. Beanie Wills couldn't get going, and Skelton made too many mistakes for the Cardinals to win.

Defensively, Arizona did an excellent job, allowing just 301 yards. Andy Dalton didn't throw any interceptions, but he gained only 154 yards through the air.

Grade:  C-

San Diego Chargers

As the San Diego Chargers scored 10 points, Philip Rivers threw two interceptions. Though Ryan Mathews was successful, he received only 11 carries and had a limited impact on the game.

San Diego's defense was atrocious, and the Detroit Lions gained 440 yards. Matthew Stafford could not be stopped, as he completed 29 of his 36 passes for 373 yards.

Grade:  F

Kansas City Chiefs

In a not-so-surprising loss, the Kansas City Chiefs struggled offensively. After playing well a week ago, Kyle Orton struggled, and the team's rushing attack couldn't get rolling.

The Chiefs did, however, force two interceptions while allowing only 71 rushing yards. Kansas City's defense was almost good enough to secure the victory, as they allowed only 16 points and 308 yards.

Grade:  C

Indianapolis Colts

After winning their last two games, the Colts appear to be on a roll (kind of). Once again, the Indianapolis offense struggled, scoring all their points on field goals prior to the final minute of the game. However, the Colts scored a touchdown at just the right time, and they escaped with the victory.

Indianapolis held the T.J. Yates-led Houston offense to just 16 points and one touchdown. In fact, the Texans gained only 283 yards, and with the exception of Arian Foster, the Colts shut down Houston's offensive attack.

Grade:  C+

Dallas Cowboys

Tony Romo left early with a bruised hand, and though Stephen McGee didn't play horribly, he wasn't good enough to keep the Dallas Cowboys in the game. With Felix Jones also dealing with an injury, the Dallas rushing attack faltered, and the Cowboys gained just 238 total yards.

Defensively, Dallas allowed Michael Vick to see reasonable success, but they did shut down LeSean McCoy. However, the Cowboys allowed just 20 points, and DeMarcus Ware picked up two more sacks.

Grade:  D+

Miami Dolphins

Matt Moore didn't complete a high percentage of his passes, but he threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns nonetheless. Once again, Reggie Bush put together an excellent game, gaining 139 all-purpose yards.

The Miami defense shut down the Patriots in the first half, but they allowed New England to mount a huge comeback. The Dolphins did hold New England to a decent 27 points, so it wasn't a complete failure for the unit.

Grade:  C+

Philadelphia Eagles

Though LeSean McCoy once again somehow managed to avoid fumbling, he struggled to gain yards. Michael Vick, however, put together a solid performance, throwing for 293 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

In Tony Romo's absence, the Philadelphia Eagles held the Dallas Cowboys to just one touchdown. In fact, the Eagles limited the Cowboys to just 238 yards in a dominating performance.

Grade:  A-

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta defense was dominated in a game where they gave up 463 yards and 45 points. On the whole, the Falcons defense has improved, but the team's pass rush was nonexistent, and Drew Brees could not be stopped.

Though Matt Ryan had some success, he was unable to produce much in the way of points. Ryan threw for 373 yards, but Michael Turner struggled and the Falcons scored just 16 points.

Grade:  D-

San Francisco 49ers

Alex Smith struggled somewhat, and he was nothing more than a game manager in this contest. Unfortunately, Frank Gore was unable to carry the team's offense, as he gained only 83 yards on 23 carries.

The San Francisco defense finally allowed a rushing touchdown, and Marshawn Lynch gained an impressive 107 yards. Tarvaris Jackson even played reasonably well, but the 49ers allowed only 17 points and defeated Seattle.

Grade:  C

New York Giants

Eli Manning was horrible, but the New York Giants still managed to defeat the New York Jets. Ahmad Bradshaw was nothing special on the ground, either, yet the Giants scored 29 points, easily defeating the Jets.

The Giants defense didn't quite shut down Shonn Greene, and he and LaDainian Tomlinson totaled for 87 rushing yards. Mark Sanchez threw the ball an outrageous 59 times, but he still gained only 258 yards through the air while throwing two interceptions.

Grade:  B

Jacksonville Jaguars

Blaine Gabbert wasn't nearly as terrible as usual, and the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Tennessee Titans by just six points. Maurice Jones-Drew was once again successful on the ground, but the Jaguars gained only 300 total yards.

Jacksonville allowed Matt Hasselbeck to throw for 350 yards, but they did force two interceptions. The Jaguars' sturdy run defense did hold Chris Johnson to 56 yards, though.

Grade:  D+

New York Jets

The New York Jets couldn't have possibly expected to win a game in which Mark Sanchez threw the ball 59 times. Sanchez threw to interceptions, and the team's rushing attack wasn't nearly good enough to carry the Jets over the New York Giants.

The Jets played well defensively, save for a 99 yard touchdown reception by Victor Cruz. In fact, Eli Manning was horrible, and the Giants running backs didn't accomplish much, either.

Grade:  C-

Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions slaughtered the San Diego Chargers in Matthew Stafford's best game yet. Stafford completed 29 of his 36 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns. In all, the Lions gained 440 yards and scored 38 points.

Detroit allowed Philip Rivers to throw for 299 yards, but he also tossed two interceptions. The Lions also struggled to contain Ryan Mathews, but he carried the ball only 11 times.

Grade:  A

Green Bay Packers

In a huge win over the Chicago Bears, Aaron Rodgers threw five touchdown passes and completed 21 of his 29 passes. Ryan Grant was reasonably successful on his eight carries, but make no mistake about it, Rodgers provided the offense.

The Packers intercepted Josh McCown twice, though they did allow Kahlil Bell to gain 121 yards on the ground. Green Bay allowed 21 points, but most of them came when the game was far out of reach for the Bears.

Grade:  A

Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers were even more effective on offense than usual, and the team gained 433 yards on its way to scoring 48 points. Cam Newton didn't gain too many yards, but he scored four touchdowns and led the team's offense in a dominant performance.

Defensively, the Panthers allowed Josh Freeman to throw for 274 yards. However, Carolina also held the Buccaneers to just 59 rushing yards while allowing only 317 total yards.

Grade:  A+

New England Patriots

Tom Brady wasn't as dominant as usual, and the New England Patriots narrowly escaped with the victory. Brady threw just one touchdown pass, but fortunately, the New England rushing attack was decent, and the team scored 27 points after a second-half surge.

The New England defense was once again dominated, as they allowed the Miami Dolphins to gain 381 yards. Matt Moore threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns, and Reggie Bush once again broke the 100-yard barrier.

Grade:  C+

Oakland Raiders

Despite scoring just 16 points, the Oakland Raiders were able to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs. Carson Palmer struggled, completing 16 of his 26 passes while throwing two interceptions as well.

The Raiders shut down Kyle Orton, who played well a week ago, and allowed only 13 points. Oakland did allow 435 yards, though, so they desperately needed Orton's two interceptions.

Grade:  C

St. Louis Rams

Let's be honest: even with Ben Roethlisberger not playing, Kellen Clemens and the 2-13 St. Louis Rams never had a chance of beating the Pittsburgh Steelers. Clemens completed just 9 of his 24 passes for 91 yards, and Steven Jackson wasn't nearly dominant enough to carry the Rams in this game.

St. Louis didn't do much to contain the always-not-dangerous Charlie Batch, and they really struggled against Rashard Mendenhall. Without Roethlisberger, the Steelers still managed to score 27 points, while gaining 377 yards.

Grade:  F

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens dominated the first half against Cleveland, but struggled some in the second half. Ray Rice had a decent but unspectacular game, and Joe Flacco struggled even in a ball-control offense.

Baltimore completely shut down Seneca Wallace and the Cleveland passing attack. However, Peyton Hillis had a great game, gaining 112 yards, and the Ravens front seven lost the battle against the Browns offensive line.

Grade:  C+

Washington Redskins

Rex Grossman played excellently against the Minnesota Vikings, and rookie Evan Royster dominated, gaining 132 yards on 19 carries. The Washington Redskins scored 26 points, but they were unable to defeat the Vikings.

Defensively, the Redskins struggled to contain Toby Gerhart, and Joe Webb dominated in limited playing time. Washington's defense allowed a poor Minnesota offense to score 33 points and gain 397 yards.

Grade:  C-

New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees threw two interceptions, but his record-breaking performance carried the New Orleans Saints over the Atlanta Falcons. Combined with 164 rushing yards, Brees's four touchdowns was more than enough to defeat the Falcons, and the Saints scored 45 points.

New Orleans did not shut down Matt Ryan, but Gregg Williams's defense allowed just 16 points. The Saints turned Michael Turner into a non-factor, and only Julio Jones and Roddy White really hurt the Saints.

Grade:  A

Seattle Seahawks

In a narrow loss against the San Francisco 49ers, the Seattle Seahawks offense once again held the team back. Though Marshawn Lynch rushed for 107 yards, Tarvaris Jackson was unable to make plays and the team scored only 17 points.

The Seattle defense was dominant, and even Frank Gore was unable to produce. Alex Smith continued to slowly slide downhill, and he threw for just 179 yards and no touchdowns. He did mount a late drive to win the game, though.

Grade:  C

Pittsburgh Steelers

Charlie Batch did nothing special in Ben Roethlisberger's stead, yet the Pittsburgh Steelers scored 27 points, which was more than enough to topple the pathetic St. Louis Rams. Rashard Mendenhall gained an impressive 116 yards on only 16 carries, and Isaac Redman scored a touchdown as well.

The Steelers held Kellen Clemens to a poor game, even by his low standards. Pittsburgh did, however, allow Steven Jackson to break 100 yards, though it was on 24 carries. Most importantly, the Steelers did not allow a single point.

Grade:  A

Houston Texans

Until the final moments of the game, Houston's defense did a great job of limiting the Indianapolis offense. Still, the Texans allowed just 320 yards and 19 points.

Though their defense played well, the Texans struggled offensively. T.J. Yates wasn't bad statistically, but he couldn't put together many points, even with the help of Arian Foster.

Grade:  C-

Tennessee Titans

Though he threw two interceptions, Matt Hasselbeck gained 350 yards through the air and led the Tennessee Titans to a victory. Jared Cook built off of a great performance, but Chris Johnson once again failed to make an impact.

Not surprisingly, the Titans held Blaine Gabbert to under 200 passing yards. Tennessee did allow Maurice Jones-Drew to gain more than 100 yards on the ground, though.

Grade:  B-

Minnesota Vikings

Christian Ponder and Adrian Peterson both went out with injuries, but the Minnesota Vikings surged in their absence. Joe Webb provided a huge spark, completing four of his five passes for two touchdowns, while also gaining 34 yards on the ground. Toby Gerhart also rushed for 109 yards.

The Minnesota defense, on the other hand, played horribly, allowing the Washington Redskins to gain 397 yards and score 26 points. The Vikings could not stop Evan Royster, and Rex Grossman also played well.

Grade:  B-