The NFL provides an unpredictable landscape, and that's
part of the allure of the sport. We can never be exactly sure of what to expect
from week to week and game to game. Yet, we're still quick to jump on
overreactions and premature hot takes.
Just look at the first month of the 2018 season, during
which it was easy to believe the New England Patriots offense had serious
issues, that Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown weren't on the same page and
that we'd finally waved goodbye to problematic Blake Bortles.
Naturally, the Patriots dominated, Big Ben and Brown
played pitch-and-catch and Bortles played like trash in Week 5.
New England and Pittsburgh get high grades for the week,
while Bortles and his Jacksonville Jaguars didn't fare so well. How did your
favorite team grade out? Let's dig in.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Atlanta Falcons
RESULT: Won
41-17
For the first time all season, the Pittsburgh Steelers
looked like a legitimate playoff contender against the Falcons. The offense was
clicking as well as it has this year, the running game finally got going and
the defense didn't fall apart like a pair of $10 sneakers.
The Falcons came into the game averaging 29.0 points per
contest. Yet, their drives consistently stalled outside of scoring range thanks
to a bend-but-don't-break style of defense played by Pittsburgh. Falcons
quarterback Matt Ryan still had 285 yards passing, but he didn't have receivers
running open deep like he has for much of the season.
A lot of credit for this defensive turnaround has to go
to Pittsburgh's dedication to the running game and the performance of James
Conner (110 yards rushing). The Steelers had the kind of ground control they've
been lacking since Week 1 against the Browns, and it prevented the defense from
having to pull its weight in a shootout.
When Ben Roethlisberger and the offense don't completely
stall like they did in the second half last week against the Ravens, all the
defense needs to do is not be terrible to beat most teams.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
A
SEASON GRADE:
C+
ARIZONA CARDINALS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
San Francisco 49ers
RESULT: Won
28-18
Arizona Cardinals rookie quarterback Josh Rosen got his
second career start Sunday, and he helped lift his team to its first win of the
season. He had his struggles (just 10-of-25 passing), but he also made a couple
of big plays, like his 75-yard strike to fellow rookie Christian Kirk.
The real credit for Arizona's first win has to go to the
defense, which allowed plenty of yardage but also made timely takeaways.
The Cardinals forced five turnovers in all, including two
interceptions of CJ Beathard and a fumble that Josh Bynes returned 23 yards for
a touchdown. The Cardinals followed that fourth-quarter score with a David
Johnson touchdown and a late 16-point lead.
Offensive coordinator Mike McCoy continues to
underutilize Johnson in the passing game—he had just three targets against San
Francisco—and that's a serious misstep for a team with a rookie quarterback and
a lack of downfield receiving threats.
The Cardinals got an important divisional win, but if
they want to get more, they need to start playing to their strengths.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
C+
SEASON GRADE:
D+
ATLANTA FALCONS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Pittsburgh Steelers
RESULT: LOST
41-17
Technically, the Atlanta Falcons are still in contention
for a playoff spot at 1-4. As a practical matter, though, the Falcons look to
be done.
The issue for Atlanta is that the defense is a complete
liability in its current state. That defense is playing without Keanu Neal,
Deion Jones and Ricardo Allen, so some of the criticism is unfair. However, the
guys who are on the field are consistently failing to execute.
Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Falcons defense
allowed the opposition to move the ball at will—and it had absolutely no answer
for running back James Conner.
Conner finished the game with 110 rushing yards, 75
receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Atlanta came into Week 5 allowing an average of 5.0 yards
per carry, and that inability to stop the run is a major issue. The Falcons are
potent enough on offense to engage in shootouts with confidence, but when
opponents control the game on the ground, the chances of winning drop
dramatically.
GAME GRADE: D
SEASON GRADE:
D+
BALTIORE RAVENS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Cleveland Browns
RESULT: Lost
12-9
The Baltimore Ravens came into Week 5 looking like
perhaps the most complete team in the AFC. Their defense had been stonewalling
people, especially in the second half—just seven touchdowns allowed all season,
zero after halftime. Their offense was as explosive as it had been in recent
memory.
Baltimore should have had little trouble with the
Cleveland Browns and rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield. It did, though, and it
cost the team a share of first place in the AFC North.
Baltimore's defense largely did what it had been doing.
The Browns scored just nine points in regulation and a mere field goal after
halftime. However, Joe Flacco and Co. couldn't find an answer for Cleveland's
defense, and it took a fourth-quarter Justin Tucker field goal with 52 seconds
left to send the game to overtime.
In the extra period, Baltimore allowed the Browns to find
just enough offense to kick a game-winner with just two seconds remaining.
Don't be fooled by Mayfield's 342 yards passing. The
Ravens defense didn't make things easy on him. They didn't make things easy on
themselves either, though, as miscues and inefficiency—Baltimore had two
turnovers and was just 4-of-16 on third down—resulted in a divisional loss.
GAME GRADE: C-
SEASON GRADE:
B-
BUFFALO BILLS
WEEK 5 OPONENT:
Tennessee Titans
RESULT: Won
13-12
This win was much uglier than the one the Buffalo Bills
got against the Minnesota Vikings a couple of weeks ago, but it was still a win
and a good reminder that Buffalo was a playoff team just last year.
Rookie quarterback Josh Allen (10-of-19 for 82 yards and
an interception) had another rough outing, and that's no surprise. He's a raw
player with a bad offensive line and poor receiving talent around him. The
Bills shouldn't expect to lean on him.
Buffalo can, however, lean on its defense, much like it
did during last year's push to the postseason. It was the defense that kept
Buffalo in the game long enough to get the last-second field goal and the
second win of the season.
The Tennessee Titans totaled just 221 yards of offense.
Marcus Mariota was under constant pressure and failed to push the ball
downfield for Tennessee. Corey Davis, who had 161 yards last week, was held to
just four catches and 49 yards.
By the way, Buffalo's Tre'Davious White is emerging as
one of the most underrated young cornerbacks in the league. He's consistently
shadowed the opposition's top receiver, and he did the same with Davis.
Allen has a long way to go before becoming a legitimate
franchise quarterback, and the Bills have a long way to go before returning to
the postseason. However, Buffalo isn't going to be an easy out for anyone when
the defense plays well.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
B
SEASON GRADE:
C-
CAROLINA PANTHERS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
New York Giants
RESULT: WON
33-31
The Carolina Panthers won a wild game with an incredible
last-second 63-yard field goal from kicker Graham Gano. It was an exciting way
to finish, and the Panthers desperately needed the win to keep pace with the New
Orleans Saints in the NFC South, but this was a game that raised some concerns.
The biggest issue was that good defense only made
sporadic appearances against a New York Giants offense that was inconsistent
throughout the first month of the season.
Eli Manning threw for 326 yards, Odell Beckham Jr. threw
and caught a touchdown pass and the Giants managed to rack up 15 fourth-quarter
points to take a late lead. The Panthers were left with just over a minute to
drive down and set up Gano's long game-winner.
The other issue is that the running game wasn't firing on
all cylinders—Christian McCaffrey averaged just 3.4 yards per carry—and it put
a lot of pressure on quarterback Cam Newton. Newton ended up tossing a pair of
picks, and the Panthers were lucky to escape with a win over an inferior
opponent.
GAME 5 GRADE:
C
SEASON GRADE:
C+
CHICAGO BEARS
WEEK 5 Bye
The Chicago Bears spent Week 5 on bye and looking to
build off their best game of the season, a 48-10 drubbing of the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers.
Chicago's defense, which has allowed just 16.2 points per
game, is the real deal. If second-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky can
continue playing like he did against Tampa (354 yards, six touchdowns), the
Bears are going to be difficult to stop.
They are still sitting atop the NFC North standings, but
they'll want to get off to a fast start coming out of the bye. Both the Detroit
Lions and Minnesota Vikings closed the gap with wins Sunday.
SEASON GRADE:
B
CINCINNATI BENGALS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Miami Dolphins
RESULT: Won
27-17
If you're going to hop on the bandwagon, do it now. The
Cincinnati Bengals have quietly emerged as one of the most dangerous teams in
the AFC. Whenever you think they're beaten, they go full Undertaker and pull
themselves back up.
Against the Miami Dolphins, the Bengals engineered their
second straight fourth-quarter comeback. This one was huge, as Cincinnati
entered the final period down 14 and emerged with a 10-point victory.
What's really impressive about this Bengals team is it
keeps finding ways to win without some top playmakers. Joe Mixon made his
return this week, and his return was huge for the rushing attack (he had 93
yards), but the Bengals were without Giovani Bernard and Tyler Eifert.
Eifert is done for the year with a broken ankle.
Cincinnati got linebacker Vontaze Burfict back from
suspension but then watched tight end Tyler Kroft go down with a foot injury.
The Bengals can't keep losing players and expect to be
legitimate title contenders, but the resiliency they've shown is going to make
them a real threat come November and December.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
B+
SEASON GRADE:
B+
CLEVELAND BROWNS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Baltimore Ravens
RESULT: Won
12-9
The Browns are quickly becoming the NFL's most exciting
team. They've now lost two games by a field goal, taken three games to overtime
and have two wins with a rookie quarterback under center. Win or lose,
Cleveland is going to deliver an exciting finish.
Against the Ravens, the Browns delivered the first Sunday
win of the Hue Jackson era, and it came due in large part to the clutch play of
Mayfield. While the rookie was far from perfect, he delivered with a touchdown
in the two-minute drill just before halftime and a beautiful throw under
pressure on the game-winning drive in overtime.
The Ravens came into the game 15-5 against rookie
quarterbacks under Coach John Harbaugh.
Mayfield is looking like the true franchise quarterback
the Browns have been waiting for. Yes, he had another interception, but he also
gave his team energy, made big-time plays with his arm and his legs and avoided
serious mistakes down the stretch.
Cleveland's other first-round rookie, Denzel Ward, also
shined with a red-zone interception and a blocked field goal. The Browns don't
get this win without him.
Special teams continues to be a major issue for the
Browns, and you'd like to see them put teams away in regulation when they have
the lead. However, this was still a big-time win for a franchise that has long
been irrelevant in the AFC North.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
B+
SEASON GRADE:
C+
DALLAS COWBOYS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Houston Texans
RESULT: Lost
19-16
The Dallas Cowboys defense may not be elite, but it's
largely been carrying the team this season. Coming into Week 5, it had allowed
just 19.2 points per game, sixth-fewest in the NFL.
This type of efficient defense is a perfect complement to
the run-oriented offense. The problem is that when opposing teams are able to
stifle running back Ezekiel Elliott, there often isn't enough of a passing game
to keep pace on the scoreboard.
When your defense allows just 16 points in regulation, as
Dallas' did Sunday night, you should be able to win. However, the Houston
Texans held Elliott to just 2.7 yards per carry, and Dak Prescott couldn't lead
the offense the rest of the way.
Prescott did do a nice job of avoiding pressure, and he
passed for 208 yards and a touchdown. However, he also struggled to take
advantage of a suspect Texans secondary—one that allowed 288 passing yards per
game coming in.
Coach Jason Garrett's decision to punt on 4th-and-1 from
the Houston 42 in the middle of overtime set up the Texans with a chance to
drive down and score the game-winning kick, which they did.
This was a winnable game that Dallas lost because of poor
planning, coaching and execution.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
D+
SEASON GRADE:
C-
DENVER BRONCOS
10 OF 32
WEEK 4 OPPONENT:
New York Jets
RESULT: Lost
34-16
Perhaps this was an emotional letdown we should have seen
coming. After narrowly losing a hard-fought game against the rival Kansas City
Chiefs last week, the Denver Broncos laid an absolute egg against the New York
Jets on Sunday.
Denver's vaunted defense was nowhere to be found,
especially against the run. Isaiah Crowell racked up 219 yards on the ground by
himself, on a mere 15 carries. Bilal Powell added 99 rushing yards, and the
Jets averaged 8.5 yards per carry as a team.
Denver simply had no way of controlling the tempo or the
momentum of this game because the defense allowed the Jets to do exactly that.
At the same time, the Broncos offense struggled to finish drives.
Case Keenum threw for 377 yards and two touchdowns, but
that wasn't enough to match points with a Jets team that seemed to score at
will.
The Broncos had better hope they can get their defense
back up to form in a hurry. They'll host the Los Angeles Rams and their
explosive offense next week.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
F
SEASON GRADE:
C-
DETROIT LIONS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Green Bay Packers
RESULT: Won
31-23
The Detroit Lions were terrible in their season opener
against the New York Jets, and they stumbled again against the San Francisco
49ers in Week 2. During that two-week stretch, the Detroit defense was a mess
and it seemed fair to wonder if the hiring of head coach Matt Patricia was a
mistake.
Since then, though, the Lions have had a close loss to
the Cowboys sandwiched by big wins over the Patriots and the rival Green Bay
Packers. Sunday's win over Green Bay was especially huge, as it was a total
team effort against a divisional opponent.
Matthew Stafford wasn't spectacular, but he was efficient
enough (101.9 passer rating) while Kerryon Johnson ran the ball well (5.8 yards
per carry) and the defense regularly stiffened when it needed to.
The Packers had success moving the ball between the
20s—Aaron Rodgers racked up 442 yards passing alone—but the Lions defense
consistently forced Green Bay to settle for field-goal attempts. With Mason
Crosby missing four of them, that was more than enough to come away with the
win.
Detroit is just 2-3, but it is heading into the bye week
with a ton of momentum.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
B
SEASON GRADE:
C
GREEN BAY PACKERS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Detroit Lions
RESULT: Lost
31-23
Kicker Mason Crosby is going to get a lot of blame from
fans for Green Bay's loss to the rival Lions. After he missed four field-goal
attempts and an extra point, it isn't unwarranted. However, Crosby isn't the
only reason for the disappointing loss.
One could argue that poor Packers defense deserves even
more criticism. The Lions were able to jump out to a fast 14-0 lead because of
it, and that lead grew to 24-0 by halftime. At that point, the Packers offense
was essentially forced to abandon any sense of balance.
It's a shame, too, because Aaron Jones (5.7 yards per
carry) and Jamaal Williams (5.5) were both running well.
Rodgers wasn't perfect—and I'm still unconvinced he's 100
percent healthy—but he certainly played well enough to win. Unfortunately, he
and the Packers offense too often failed to punch the ball into the end zone.
When you only make one field goal in five tries and have a massive hole to
climb out of, the end result is going to be a loss more often than not.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
C-
SEASON GRADE:
C
HOUSTON TEXANS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Dallas Cowboys
RESULT: Won
19-16
Texans fans have seen it all over the last couple of
weeks, but Sunday night, a national audience received the news that Deshaun
Watson is all the way back. The second-year quarterback showed no lingering
effects from last season's ACL tear while leading Houston to an overtime
victory.
Watson frequently avoided pressure, planted firmly on the
throw and moved well both inside and outside the pocket. Aside from a panicked
throw late in the fourth quarter that resulted in an interception, he made good
decisions.
Watson finished 33-of-44 for 375 yards with a touchdown
and 40 yards rushing.
There's no question the Texans have their franchise
quarterback; however, he isn't the only reason they won. Their stout defensive
front held Ezekiel Elliott in check for most of the game and forced Dak
Prescott to beat the defense through the air, which he couldn't consistently
do.
The Texans now sit just a game back in the AFC South.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
B-
SEASON GRADE:
C
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
New England Patriots
RESULT: Lost
38-24
The good news for the Indianapolis Colts is that Andrew
Luck does appear to be back to 100 percent. The bad news is that he isn't
surrounded by top-tier—or for that matter, healthy—talent. Marlon Mack, T.Y. Hilton
and Jack Doyle were all inactive against the New England Patriots.
Indianapolis' leading wideout was Chester Rogers.
What's alarming is the Colts are relying almost
exclusively on Luck's surgically repaired throwing shoulder to carry the team.
They rushed for just 84 yards against the Patriots, and with the exception of
two interceptions, the defense was largely absent. Luck, meanwhile, had 59 pass
attempts and has 121 in his last two games.
The Colts cannot expect Luck to carry them all season, at
least not to this extent.
At 1-4, the Colts are in rebuild mode and should be
thinking about how to preserve Luck for the future.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
C-
SEASON GRADE:
C-
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Kansas City Chiefs
RESULT: Lost
30-14
Defense wins championships, and in a big postseason
matchup, I'm going to trust an elite defense over an elite offense more often
than not. On Sunday, however, the superb defense of the Jacksonville Jaguars
looked pedestrian against the high-flying Kansas City Chiefs.
Kansas City racked up 424 total yards of offense.
Still, it was offensive mistakes that doomed Jacksonville
in this game, not a lack of defense. Yes, the Chiefs are tremendous on offense,
but their defense is terrible, and the Jaguars had plenty of chances to pull
ahead on the scoreboard.
Unfortunately, bad-game Bortles showed his face and
wasted the opportunity to take advantage of a defense that often appears to be
playing with 10 guys. Bortles passed for 430 yards, but he also tossed four
picks, one of which was returned for a touchdown. He also fumbled the ball away
once.
That's five turnovers by Bortles, with one directly
leading to seven Kansas City points.
Jacksonville's defense could have played better, to be
sure, but it did limit the Chiefs to 23 offensive points. Thanks to Bortles'
bumbling, Jacksonville never really got the chances needed to match them.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
D
SEASON GRADE:
C+
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Jacksonville Jaguars
RESULT: Won
30-14
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes finally had an off
game, yet he was still good enough to get a win. He tossed a pair of
interceptions and posted a passer rating of just 62.7, but he also racked up
313 yards against a very good Jaguars defense.
Mahomes is still looking like a high-end franchise
quarterback. That hasn't changed. What also hasn't changed is the fact the
Chiefs defense is a liability.
Yes, Kansas City nabbed five turnovers, and kudos to the
opportunistic players who took advantage. However, the Chiefs aren't going to
play the mistake-machine version of Blake Bortles every week, and without those
turnovers, this would have been a very different game.
Just consider the fact that the Jaguars were missing
Leonard Fournette and still managed to produce 502 yards of total offense. The
Chiefs cannot expect to give up that kind of yardage to Tom Brady and the
Patriots next Sunday night and escape with an unblemished record.
Still, this was a big win over a potential playoff team,
and the Chiefs remain undefeated for now.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
B-
SEASON GRADE:
B+
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
WEEK 4 OPPONENT:
Oakland Raiders
RESULT: Won
26-10
Don't look now, but the Los Angeles Chargers have won
their second game in a row and at 3-2 are in a much better position than they
were at the start of last season (1-4). The Chargers are also playing without
star pass-rusher Joey Bosa, which makes L.A.'s dominant defensive performance
against the Oakland Raiders all the more impressive.
The Raiders finished with just 289 yards of offense and
10 points, a week after dropping 45 to beat the Browns in overtime.
The Chargers didn't win solely on defense, of course.
Philip Rivers (339 yards, two touchdowns) had another strong game, and he got a
big assist from running back Melvin Gordon, who had 110 combined rushing and
receiving yards.
Los Angeles was a complete team in 2017, which is why it
was dangerous down the stretch. If the Chargers can get healthy and improve
like they did last year, this 3-2 start will have them set up for a playoff run.
Next up for L.A. is a clash with the Browns, which may or
may not end up in overtime.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
A
SEASON GRADE:
B-
LOS ANGELES RAMS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Seattle Seahawks
RESULT: Won
33-31
The Los Angeles Rams offense is unbelievable when it is
clicking. However, the defense is susceptible to having off days, especially
against the run. This was the case last season, and it was the case Sunday
against the Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle rushed for 190 yards and 5.9 yards per carry,
which helped keep the Rams offense off the field and gave the Seahawks a shot
at pulling off the upset.
Losing wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp to
concussions certainly upped the difficulty level for the Rams.
L.A. leaned on its offense in the fourth quarter, and Jared
Goff led a go-ahead field-goal drive with just over six minutes remaining. The
offense put the game away with a three-minute drive to end regulation.
Thanks primarily to the offense, which racked up 468
total yards against Seattle, the Rams sit at 5-0 and in control of the NFC
West. Hopefully for them, that offense can get fully healthy in time for next
week's matchup with the Broncos.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
B-
SEASON GRADE:
A-
MIAMI DOLPHINS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Cincinnati Bengals
RESULT: Lost
27-17
These last two weeks have represented a major drop-off
for the Dolphins. A week after getting blown out by the rival Patriots, Miami
had a total collapse in the fourth quarter against the Bengals—and this now
feels nothing like the 3-0 team we once saw.
There are two big takeaways from this loss. The first is
that the Dolphins don't know how to put away quality opponents. Good teams—the
kind of teams the Dolphins want to be—don't take a two-touchdown lead into
halftime and then allow a 24-0 run.
The other is that Bad Ryan Tannehill has officially
returned.
Tannehill had just 100 yards passing against the Patriots
and followed that up with a 20-of-35, 185-yard performance against Cincinnati.
He and the Dolphins offense were just 4-of-13 on third down. Tannehill threw
two interceptions in the fourth quarter, and miscues led to two Cincinnati
defensive scores in the final period.
Miami is still tied for first place in the AFC East, but
the Dolphins have to start limiting mistakes and learning how to overcome them
against good teams if they're going to challenge for the division crown at
season's end.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
D
SEASON GRADE:
C
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Philadelphia Eagles
RESULT: Won
23-21
The Minnesota Vikings came into their Week 5 matchup against
the Philadelphia Eagles without starting running back Dalvin Cook and off
back-to-back losses. However, the Vikings were able to deliver a victory with a
total team effort.
You can credit a precision passing attack led by Kirk
Cousins that controlled the tempo. Minnesota held the ball for more than 32
minutes despite only rushing 23 times. You can credit wideout Adam Thielen, who
had his fifth 100-yard game of the season (116, to be exact) and who recovered
Philadelphia's late onside-kick attempt.
You can also credit a defense that sacked Carson Wentz
three times and recovered two fumbles. One of those, Linval Joseph returned 64
yards for a touchdown.
This win doesn't make up for the embarrassing loss to
Buffalo or the shootout loss to the Rams, but it does put the Vikings back in
the playoff picture and give them momentum heading into next week's game
against Arizona.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
B+
SEASON GRADE:
C+
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Indianapolis Colts
RESULT: Won
38-24
The New England Patriots seem to have found their groove
on offense. Of course, the return of Julian Edelman, the emergence of Josh
Gordon and the presence of a subpar Colts defense across the line of scrimmage
all contributed Thursday night.
Still, the fact New England is settling into an offensive
identity is noteworthy. This is looking like an offense that will rely heavily
on the backfield—with Sony Michel's running and James White's receiving—as
Edelman and Rob Gronkowski work the second level and Gordon occasionally stretches
the field.
Once Tom Brady starts getting comfortable with the
offensive identity, the New England offense gets dangerous for the opposition.
Brady, by the way, threw his 500th touchdown pass
Thursday.
New England's defense, however, continues to be a
weakness. It allowed an undermanned Colts offense to rack up 439 yards and 24
points. The Patriots still look like the class of the AFC East, but they don't
look like a legitimate title contender right now.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
B+
SEASON GRADE:
C+
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Washington Redskins
RESULT: Won
43-19
Monday was a nearly perfect night for New Orleans Saints
fans. Drew Brees became the NFL's all-time passing leader with a 62-yard
touchdown pass to Tre'Quan Smith before halftime, and the Saints rolled to a
blowout win at home.
Aside from a lost Cameron Meredith fumble just before the
intermission, there weren't many negatives for New Orleans. The defense, though
imperfect, did enough to ensure the Washington Redskins never had much of a
chance.
New Orleans led just 26-13 at the half, but the game felt
over by that point.
Yet, head coach Sean Payton kept on the gas in the second
half, building up a 40-13 lead before coasting into the final quarter. It was a
remarkable performance by one of the most dynamic offenses in the league and
one of the greatest signal-callers to ever play.
If this is the Saints team we see in December and
January, the rest of the NFC could be in trouble.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
A+
SEASON GRADE:
B
NEW YORK GIANTS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Carolina Panthers
RESULT: Lost
33-31
Over the first month of the season, the Giants offense
failed to click. Despite boasting explosive players like Odell Beckham Jr.,
Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard, the Giants came into Week 5 averaging just
314.3 yards (25th in the NFL) and 18.3 points (29th) per game.
The inability of the offense to function at a high level
led to some discord among players.
Beckham wasn't targeted 20 times against the Panthers,
but he was targeted 14 and finished with eight receptions, 131 yards and a
touchdown. He also threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Barkley, as the Giants
opened up the playbook and the offense against Carolina.
Dropping 31 points should have been enough to beat the
Panthers, but it was New York's defense that failed to put the game away. Maybe
this is a sign of what the offense can be—it produced 432 total yards—and the
Giants can match it with some better defensive play to start stringing together
wins.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
C
SEASON GRADE: D+
NEW YORK JETS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Denver Broncos
RESULT: Won
34-16
Jets head coach Todd Bowles may have felt his seat
getting a little warm over the last few weeks, but he may have cooled it with
his game plan against the Broncos. When your rookie quarterback is struggling,
it's always a good idea to lean on the ground game. It may not have taken a
genius to recognize that as a good strategy against Von Miller and Co., but at
least Bowles was smart enough to do so.
Bowles called for 38 rushing attempts while allowing Sam
Darnold to throw just 22 times.
Darnold was mostly good with his smaller workload. While
he only completed 45.5 percent of his passes, he threw for 198 yards with three
touchdowns and just one interception.
This run-focused game plan wasn't just about limiting
Darnold's exposure, though. It was about relying on what was working. New York
dominated at the point of attack and consistently chewed up yards on the
ground.
With the offense controlling the tempo with the run, New
York's defense was able to successfully play the bend-but-don't break style for
which it is well-suited. The end result was a win that was even more impressive
than the one the Jets earned over the Lions in the opener.
The Jets may not be a playoff team, but they performed
like one against Denver.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
A+
SEASON GRADE:
C
OAKLAND RAIDERS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Los Angeles Chargers
RESULT: Lost
26-10
There was no defensive collapse on the other side of the
field this week. There were no questionable calls to bail out the Raiders and
no shot at overtime and redemption for earlier mistakes. Against the Chargers,
the Raiders got into an early hole and simply dug themselves deeper.
You can blame a lack of defensive talent if you want, but
the players on the field have to execute at least some of the time.
Teams can still win with a terrible defense, as Oakland
showed last week. You're not going to win, though, when your defense is a joke
and your offense is also making game-changing mistakes—like the interception
Derek Carr threw from the Chargers' 1-yard line.
You're definitely not going to win when you ignore your
playmakers. Marshawn Lynch had just nine carries, and he didn't get a carry
from the 1-yard line before that Carr pick. Amari Cooper was targeted once.
This game makes last week's win over Cleveland look like
a total fluke and makes the Raiders look like the worst team in football.
Week 5 Grade: F
Season Grade: D
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Minnesota Vikings
RESULT: Lost
23-21
The Eagles have quarterback Carson Wentz back and close
to 100 percent. What they don't have is the same dominance and confidence they
had during last year's Super Bowl run. You can call it a Super Bowl hangover if
you want, but whatever you call it, this isn't the same Eagles team.
Philadelphia hasn't been nearly as strong in the
trenches. The defense hasn't been making as many impact plays. Wentz hasn't
looked as sharp or as sure of himself. And while he did lead a late surge, it
was too little, too late.
The Eagles were bland while falling into a 20-3 hole.
It's a must that they avoid a slow start Thursday night against the Giants, as
it seems New York is finally finding its offensive groove.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
C-
SEASON GRADE:
C
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Arizona Cardinals
RESULT: Lost
28-18
Would the 49ers have won this game with Jimmy Garoppolo
under center? CJ Beathard was responsible for four turnovers, but the pressure
that led to his mistakes, specifically the lost fumbles, was a product of the
players around him.
Garoppolo had three picks and four fumbles in his
two-plus games as a starter this season.
The reality is that San Francisco is a rebuilding team
that is going to have rebuilding-team struggles. It was always going to be this
way in 2018, even if Garoppolo-mania gave the false impression that the 49ers
were playoff-ready.
The Beathard-led 49ers amassed 447 yards of offense and
33 first downs, and they held the ball for more than 40 minutes. San Francisco
dominated the game, but the team made too many mistakes.
San Francisco may have had fewer mistakes with Garoppolo
under center, but the Niners likely would have still made enough to blow this
one.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
D
SEASON GRADE:
C-
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
Los Angeles Rams
RESULT: Lost
33-31
Perhaps the death knell for the Seahawks was rung
prematurely. Yes, the Legion of Boom is gone. Yes, Seattle just lost to a
division rival and sits at 2-3. However, it feels like the Seahawks are
beginning to forge a new identity—and that could make them dangerous moving
forward.
The defense and the offensive line remain works in
progress. However, Seattle has finally found a rushing attack behind Chris
Carson (116 yards against the Rams) and Mike Davis (68 yards). With Russell Wilson
still capable of making magic in the passing game, this gives the Seahawks a
dangerous offensive combination.
The Rams came into Week 5 as the league's hottest team
and off a long week, but Seattle traded blows with them for the full four
quarters and nearly came out on top.
Almost only counts in horseshoes and corn hole (or
something like that), but this close loss is one the Seahawks can build off
heading into next week's matchup with the Raiders.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
C
SEASON GRADE:
C
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
WEEK 5 Bye
The bye week couldn't have come at a better time for the
Buccaneers. This is a team with a questionable quarterback situation coming off
a blowout loss and heading into a tough divisional matchup.
Is returning to Jameis Winston at quarterback the right
move? Its clear coach Dirk Koetter and his staff don't believe in Ryan
Fitzpatrick.
Another question is whether Tampa's defense can play at
even a functional level against a team like the Falcons, who await in Week 6.
If it can't, the Buccaneers have no chance in the NFC South.
SEASON GRADE:
C-
TENNESSEE TITANS
WEEK 4 OPPONENT:
Buffalo Bills
RESULT: Lost
13-12
Over the last three weeks, we've watched the Titans play
close, sloppy games while winning with physicality and by making key plays
late. Sunday's game against Buffalo looked like it would have a similar
outcome, but it was the Bills, not Tennessee, that found a way to win when they
had to.
It's a disappointing result for a Titans team that was
rolling as much as anyone in the league.
Tennessee has just seemed to find ways to win this
season. It looked like the Titans had done so again when they picked off Josh
Allen and responded with a go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter. However,
the Bills took over with 4:43 remaining and calmly drove down the field for
their own go-ahead kick as time expired.
The Titans are still in control of the AFC South for now,
but losing a winnable game because the defense couldn't get one last key stop
is going to sting for the next seven days.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
C-
SEASON GRADE:
B-
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
WEEK 5 OPPONENT:
New Orleans Saints
RESULT: Lost
43-19
Because of the energy surrounding Brees' awaiting record,
it always felt like it was going to be the Saints' night. However, it didn't
feel like Washington was going to be completely out of it until Brees set his
record with a marvelous 62-yarder. It was 26-6 then, and the lead seemed
insurmountable.
It was a shame to see the Redskins defense getting torched
like it did because the unit had been playing well. It came into Monday night
allowing just 278 yards per game, fewest in the NFL.
Washington deserves credit for continuing to fight in the
second half, but there aren't many positives to take out of this game. The
defense looked nonexistent. The Redskins couldn't control the tempo with the
ground game—Chris Thompson led the team with just 17 yards rushing. And no one
stepped up as a big-play receiver to counter what the Saints were doing.
All Washington can do is go home, regroup and hope next
week's game against the Panthers is a little closer.
WEEK 5 GRADE:
F
SEASON GRADE:
C
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