NFL Grades: Week 12

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It was late July when I had a conversation with Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak, and we discussed rookie quarterback T.J. Yates, who was in his first week of work with the team.

"He's done a great job of picking up our system up and just going out there and doing it," Kubiak said. "He acts like he's been around for a while."

Kubiak better hope that to be true now. With starter Matt Schaub out for the season with a foot injury and backup Matt Leinart lost for the season with a broken collarbone, the Texans' fate is now on the right arm of Yates or newly signed backup Kellen Clemens. Or maybe they sign someone else.

Whoever it is, it isn't good, which is why the Texans top our CBSSports.com Weekly Grades. Their luck grade for the season is this: Bad.

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For now, it's Yates, a rookie from North Carolina. He is the quarterback Kubiak will seemingly ride. Yates looked good during the camp work I watched. But that was camp. This is quarterbacking a playoff team. Yates completed 8 of 15 passes for 70 yards in the Texans' 20-13 victory over the Jaguars in relief of Leinart.

With both of the Matts now down, one has to ask this question: Are the Houston Texans cursed?

This looked to be their year. They were clearly the class of the AFC South with Peyton Manning down for the year for the Colts and the other two teams average at best.

Before Schaub went down, there was talk the Texans could be the class of the AFC. With Leinart, there was talk he could manage them through the playoff mine field with a good defense and a top running game.

Can they forget that now?

We've seen a lot of rookie success by quarterbacks this season in the NFL, but it's asking a lot of Yates to take this team anywhere in the playoffs. The Texans will get there, breaking their streak of never having been to the postseason.

But anything more than that would be a miracle, unless, of course, Yates can play like he did early in camp, which was like a veteran who had been there.

Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011
Team	Grade	GPA	Green Bay Packers 27, Detroit Lions 15
	A	3.27	Packers: Aaron Rodgers recovered after a rough first quarter, decimating Detroit's injury-depleted secondary in the second half. Outstanding pass protection made Detroit's potent D-line a non-factor. Three INTs ended any hopes of a Lions' comeback. The Packers left no doubt that a gulf in class exists between the reigning Super Bowl champions and the rest of the NFC North. -- John Kreger, RapidReports Correspondent
	F	2.69	Lions: Kevin Smith's knee injury completely changed Detroit's offensive game-plan, allowing Green Bay to focus almost exclusively on stopping Detroit's passing attack. The injury doesn't mitigate the numerous turnovers and penalties that negated any chance Detroit had of getting a crucial divisional win. Like DT Ndamukong Suh's ejection, Detroit's eight-game Thanksgiving losing streak is embarrassing. -- John Kreger, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Dallas Cowboys 20, Miami Dolphins 19
	B	2.62	Cowboys: It wasn't their best game, but the Cowboys have four straight and this time of year, it's all that matters. QB Tony Romo was sporadic at times but made enough plays in the second half to lift the offense. While the CBs had problems with the deep ball, the overall defensive effort was just good enough to beat a Miami team playing better than its 3-8 record. -- Nick Eatman, RapidReports Correspondent
	C-	2.02	Dolphins: The Dolphins saw their winning streak come to an end, but it was still one of their better efforts. The defense played with tons of emotion and gave Dallas problems all day. They rattled Tony Romo at times but just couldn't make enough plays in the end. QB Matt Moore managed the game well, but the Dolphins had to settle for too many FGs. -- Nick Eatman, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Baltimore Ravens 16, San Francisco 49ers 6
	A	3.12	Ravens: The Ravens' defense pinned its ears back to the tune of nine sacks, which tied a franchise record. The Ravens' offense stayed methodical throughout the game, giving RB Ray Rice 24 touches for 83 yards. The offense did just enough against a tough 49ers defense. -- Jason Butt, RapidReports Correspondent
	B-	2.91	49ers: The 49ers' OL did QB Alex Smith no favors, allowing him to be teed off on like the Ravens were at golf practice. Film study will be painful for this group which holds a lot of responsibility for San Francisco's loss. The defense did what it could, limiting Baltimore to 254 total yards and 16 points. -- Jason Butt, RapidReports Correspondent
Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011
Team	Grade	GPA	Atlanta Falcons 24, Minnesota Vikings 14
	C	2.13	Falcons: What a tale of two halves. In the first half anything Atlanta wanted to do came with ease. However the Falcons came out flat in the second half and let a 2-8 team back into the game. The Falcons' lack of a killer instinct might come back to haunt them later in the season, or in the playoffs against a better team. -- Knox Bardeen, RapidReports Correspondent
	C	1.55	Vikings: With no Adrian Peterson and an injury-weakened secondary that sustained additional injuries during the game, this 10-point loss doesn't seem out of whack. But the Vikings had a chance to take this game from the Falcons and showed heart against huge adversity. Christian Ponder should be commended for his play in the second half, as should his teammates. -- Knox Bardeen, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Cincinnati Bengals 23, Cleveland Browns 20
	B+	2.78	Bengals: If it didn't end with Cincinnati winning on the scoreboard the Bengals would have received an F. Thanks to a Browns collapse and more acrobatics from WR A.J. Green, the Bengals survived for their fifth fourth-quarter comeback win this season. The resiliency is admirable, but the Bengals must play better for four quarters. -- Paul Dehner, RapidReports Correspondent
	B-	2.04	Browns: Several dropped passes and poor secondary play at critical moments prevented the Browns from earning a victory. The offensive line continues to gel both in run blocking and pass protection, which has allowed QB Colt McCoy to display his talent. This team simply doesn't know how to finish against superior competition. -- Marty Gitlin, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Carolina Panthers 27, Indianapolis Colts 19
	B	2.25	Panthers: The Panthers did just enough to pull out their third victory of the season. Carolina's pass defense had some breakdowns as did the offensive line. But the Panthers were able to get big plays from QB Cam Newton, WR Steve Smith, RB Jonathan Stewart and RB DeAngelo Williams to help secure the victory. -- Tom James, RapidReports Correspondent
	B-	1.65	Colts: A better overall performance coming out of the bye week. But, once again, too many costly mistakes in key situations doomed the Colts in their attempt to pick up a win. Bright spots were RB Donald Brown and WR Reggie Wayne along with DEs Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney. -- Tom James, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Houston Texans 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 13
	B	3.01	Texans: They got a victory in tough circumstances. The defense deserves a good grade. The front pressured Blaine Gabbert all day and never allowed Jacksonville to get any momentum going. Offensively, the Texans had nowhere close to their best game, but that was understandable after the loss of QB Matt Leinart (shoulder) late in the first half. -- John Oehser, RapidReports Correspondent
	C-	2.16	Jaguars: The Jaguars' struggling passing offense continues to hurt the team. The defense played pretty well and Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew had yet another productive day in difficult circumstances. But QB Blaine Gabbert struggled much of the game before being pulled in the fourth quarter and the Jaguars never could generate enough offense to mount a second-half push. -- John Oehser, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	NY Jets 28, Buffalo Bills 24
	C-	2.15	Jets: The Jets' fourth-quarter magic was in evidence again. The team managed to overcome missed assignments on defense and inconsistency on offense, including inaccurate throws and an interception by QB Mark Sanchez. Special teams didn't produce as it usually does. A muffed punt by CB Antonio Cromartie and some inconsistent tackling hurt them. -- Lisa Zimmerman, RapidReports Correspondent
	C-	2.22	Bills: In spite of having a banged-up receiving unit, the Bills were able to execute when they needed to. The defense had more production than in recent weeks, but still struggled with inconsistencies. An errant kickoff by new K Dave Rayner ultimately resulted in a score for the Jets. Numerous penalties and missed assignments at critical junctures created setbacks. -- Lisa Zimmerman, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Arizona Cardinals 23, St. Louis Rams 20
	B+	1.81	Cardinals: Beanie Wells set a franchise record with 228 rushing yards, breaking LeShon Johnson's record of 214 set in 1996. That, combined with a fifth straight strong defensive outing helped offset QB John Skelton's poor play for the Cards' fourth win. Rookie OLB Sam Acho had his best day as a pro, posting two forced fumbles, two sacks and three tackles. -- Craig Morgan, RapidReports Correspondent
	D	1.38	Rams: The defense was solid, but couldn't stop the Cardinals on two late third-down conversions and allowed more than 250 rushing yards. The offense sputtered, as usual. The Rams scored on a punt return, but also allowed a punt return and missed a FG. -- Ron Clements, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Tennessee Titans 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17
	B-	2.51	Titans: Despite committing four TOs in sloppy conditions, the Titans pulled out a critical win. Stellar outside-zone blocking by the line enabled Chris Johnson to rush for 190 yards -- the third-most in his career. The defense clinched the win with an INT and a fourth-down stuff of Josh Freeman on their final two series. -- Matt Rybaltowski, RapidReports Correspondent
	C+	2.05	Buccaneers: A steady rain caused the Bucs to lose four fumbles in their fifth straight loss. Josh Freeman threw a key INT late, then followed it up by mishandling the snap on a failed fourth-down conversion that ended the game. The defense nearly surrendered 200 rushing yards to Chris Johnson and left Damian Williams wide open on a game-winning TD. -- Matt Rybaltowski, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Oakland Raiders 25, Chicago Bears 20
	B	2.70	Raiders: Despite missing many of their offensive weapons, the Raiders did what they had to do to beat the Bears to remain atop the AFC West at 7-4. It often wasn't pretty, but Sebastian Janikowksi, with his franchise-record six field goals, made sure the Raiders survived, and QB Carson Palmer came up with a huge throw to Louis Murphy late in the fourth quarter. -- Eric Gilmore, RapidReports Correspondent
	C+	2.76	Bears: With Caleb Hanie making his first NFL start, the Bears were decided underdogs, but they gave the Raiders all they could handle at the Coliseum. Hanie struggled early but improved as the game went along and made a handful of impressive throws. The Bears' defensive line made life rough on Raiders QB Carson Palmer most of the day. -- Eric Gilmore, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Washington Redskins 23, Seattle Seahawks 17
	A-	2.28	Redskins: Ending a six-game losing streak is obviously a positive. Aside from throwing two picks, Rex Grossman played one of his best games of the season, and rookie RB Roy Helu came through with a big game. While RB Marshawn Lynch was able to find some success running the ball, Seattle could not throw against the Redskins defense, totaling just 126 yards through the air. -- John Boyle, RapidReports Correspondent
	D+	2.14	Seahawks: The offense couldn't move the ball consistently despite a strong rushing effort from RB Marshawn Lynch, and the defense gave up 416 yards and two late touchdowns after the Seahawks had built a 10-point lead. And as has been the case all year, the Seahawks hurt themselves with tons of penalties. -- John Boyle, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Denver Broncos 16, San Diego Chargers 13
	A	2.38	Broncos: The Broncos have gone 4-0 on the road since Tim Tebow became their starter. Tebow completed 9-of-18, his first game this year with at least 50 percent passing. Broncos pass-rusher Elvis Dumervil refused to be blocked, Champ Bailey dominated Vincent Jackson and Willis McGahee ripped off a 24-yard run to set up Matt Prater's winning kick. -- Dan McLellan, RapidReports Correspondent
	F	1.70	Chargers: San Diego's blunders at the end of the first half -- by offense, defense and special teams -- let the Broncos back into the game, and a sporadic passing attack kept the game close before Tim Tebow and the Broncos found a way to win, again. Thousands of Chargers fans departed before Denver kicked the winning field goal. Norv Turner may be on his way out, too, come January. -- Dan McLellan, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	New England Patriots 38, Philadelphia Eagles 20
	B+	2.54	Patriots: The Patriots fell behind 10-0 but then outscored the Eagles 38-3 to take complete control. Everything was working offensively. The Patriots ran for over 100 yards. Tom Brady threw for 361 even though the protection was shaky. Defensively, the Patriots limited LeSean McCoy and didn't stand in the way of the Eagles making a plethora of mistakes. -- Greg Bedard, RapidReports Correspondent
	F	1.79	Eagles: The Eagles played small in a big game. Things got off to a promising start with a a few big plays and 10-0 lead, but after that the Eagles looked like a Pop Warner team. Their offense didn't generate much and even when it did, mistakes took away the momentum. Tom Brady toyed with the Eagles defense, completing passes and scoring TDs seemingly at will. -- Kevin Noonan, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Pittsburgh Steelers 13, Kansas City Chiefs 9
	C	2.64	Steelers: The Steelers were without LB LaMarr Woodley going into the game, and then lost SS Troy Polamalu (head) and C Maurkice Pouncey (illness) during the game. But the Pittsburgh defense kept the stumbling Chiefs offense from doing any damage. Playing for the first time with his broken right thumb, QB Ben Roethlisberger was not sensational, but he was overall effective. -- Bob Gretz, RapidReports Correspondent
	D	1.62	Chiefs: The Chiefs' defense actually played a pretty darn good game, allowing Pittsburgh only one touchdown. As good as the Chiefs' defense was, the offense was at the opposite end of the spectrum. QB Tyler Palko turned the ball over three times with two ugly interceptions and a fumbled snap. The were not able to get into the end zone, giving them two straight games without a TD and only 25 points in the last four games. -- Bob Gretz, RapidReports Correspondent
Monday, Nov. 28, 2011
Team	Grade	GPA	New Orleans Saints 49, NY Giants 24
	A	2.82	Saints: Drew Brees completely torched the Giants defense as he's done to almost everyone this season and his O-line kept him clean. And the Saints defense came to play with two turnovers and didn't allow a first-half touchdown for the third consecutive week. Another complete game for the Saints at home as New Orleans is 5-0 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. -- Larry Holder, RapidReports Correspondent
	D-	2.35	Giants: It doesn't appear like any Giants player showed up to play the Saints other than Eli Manning and Victor Cruz. The running game was nonexistent again with no Ahmad Bradshaw. That might not have mattered anyway as the Giants' defense let the Saints' offense do pretty much what it wanted when it wanted. This may end the Giants' playoff hopes. And the Packers are next. -- Larry Holder, RapidReports Correspondent