NFL Grades: Week 13

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That's it. I give up. I am heading down to Florida Field in Gainesville this week and I plan to take a picture of me "Tebow-ing."

You don't really believe that, do you?

You also probably think it's time for me to say I was wrong about Tim Tebow?

I won't. Not yet, which means my Twitter-haters will still kill me.

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This is what I will say: There is something magical about that kid. It's hard to put a handle on it, but no matter what happens during the course of a game, no matter how bad things are going for him or his team, Tebow somehow has things go his way and then he makes the most of it.

It isn't quarterback he plays. It's just been successful.

Take Sunday's thrilling 35-32 victory over the Vikings at the Metrodome. He trailed 29-21 in the fourth quarter, led his team to a touchdown and scored on a 2-point play to tie it. Then after the Vikings made it 32-29, Tebow drove the Broncos to a tying field goal and Denver won it when Christian Ponder was picked on the first play from scrimmage after that to give Denver the victory.

Tebow was 10 of 15 for 202 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings. His passer rating was a sensational 149.3. When I say things go his way, I mean things like a long kickoff return to set up the tying score or a pick-six for a touchdown by the Broncos defense earlier in the game. And even the pick to set up the game-winning field goal.

You wonder if He is looking down on him.

Tebow isn't turning the ball over, he's hitting the open men and he's been great in the clutch. The teams he's beaten on his 6-1 run as a starter have a combined 29-42 record, which shows he isn't besting great teams, but he's still winning.

I want to give him an "A" here to top the CBSSoports.com Weekly Grades.

That doesn't mean I am ready to say I am wrong about him. It's way too early for that.

But there is something special about the kid, something that is hard to figure out for quarterback purists like myself.

I would never want him quarterbacking my team if I were a general manager, but there is no denying he has a magic touch.

Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011
Team	Grade	GPA	Seattle Seahawks 31, Philadelphia Eagles 14
	A-	2.26	Seahawks: Less than a week after blowing a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks bounced back with one of their most complete efforts of the season. RB Marshawn Lynch has now rushed for 100 yards or more in four of five games, and QB Tarvaris Jackson played very well even if he didn't put up gaudy numbers. The defense gave up some yards, but was opportunistic, coming up with four interceptions. -- John Boyle, RapidReports Correspondent
	D-	1.70	Eagles: Vince Young threw a career-high four interceptions, one of which was the result of a receiver drop. DeSean Jackson turned in another lackluster performance, and the defense had no answer for Seattle RB Marshawn Lynch's physical running. Only another standout performance by RB LeSean McCoy keeps this from being a failing grade. -- John Boyle, RapidReports Correspondent
Sunday, Dec. 4, 2011
Team	Grade	GPA	Tennessee Titans 23, Buffalo Bills 17
	B	2.55	Titans: Chris Johnson (153 yards, 2 touchdowns on 23 carries) set the tone with a tremendous first quarter and the Bills were never able to catch up. Matt Hasselbeck was efficient (140 yards, no touchdowns or interceptions) and the Titans' defense got enough pressure up front to keep the Bills off balance. -- Mark Ludwiczak, RapidReports Correspondent
	C-	2.17	Bills: Buffalo's losing streak fell to five games in a row after an uninspiring home effort. Ryan Fitzpatrick was erratic throughout the afternoon and had trouble finding a rhythm. The Bills' defense was gashed for big plays at critical times and was not able to contain Titans RB Chris Johnson. -- Mark Ludwiczak, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Kansas City Chiefs 10, Chicago Bears 3
	C+	1.67	Chiefs: Tyler Palko looks more like Richard Dawson than Len Dawson, but the Chiefs offense finally managed to put together a touchdown drive. OK, it was a Hail Mary pass, but it still counted for 6. The Chiefs running game was a big factor in time of possession, and the defensive scheme of blitzes, zone blitzes and man-to-man pass coverage confused Caleb Hanie. -- Gene Chamberlain, RapidReports Correspondent
	F	2.53	Bears: The way the offense fell apart after Matt Forte's knee injury was predictable. They allowed seven sacks to a team that had 13 on the year. The defense again failed to deliver in the clutch by coming up with a key turnover. Devin Hester completely mishandled several punts, and even dependable Robbie Gould missed a 41-yard field goal. -- Gene Chamberlain, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Houston Texans 17, Atlanta Falcons 10
	B-	2.98	Texans: T.J. Yates didn't have great numbers, yet managed the game well enough to pull out the win. While the defense didn't record a sack, the unit pressured Falcons QB Matt Ryan extensively in the fourth quarter and stopped a pair of potential game-tying drives in the last 2:35. Biggest concern will be health of WR Andre Johnson (left hamstring). Brandon Williams, RapidReports Correspondent
	C-	2.09	Falcons: The defense held the Texans in check until a 19-play drive led to an eventual game-winning score, much of it coming off the legs of RB Arian Foster. The running game never got on track (70 yards), while drops from the receiving corps helped betray QB Matt Ryan, who also threw pair of early interceptions. Brandon Williams, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Miami Dolphins 34, Oakland Raiders 14
	A	2.18	Dolphins: Miami was diverse offensively and active defensively. QB Matt Moore was solid and LB Kevin Burnett was a beast. P Brandon Fields was money. And Miami scored TDs instead of FGs. This was how Miami should have played early in the season. -- Chris Perkins, RapidReports Correspondent
	D	2.56	Raiders: Traveling cross-country for a 1 p.m. ET game isn't easy. But Oakland apparently never got its wakeup call. QB Carson Palmer was off, RB Michael Bush was ineffective and DE Richard Seymour got ejected. It was a terrible effort by a team fighting for a division title. -- Chris Perkins, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Pittsburgh Steelers 35, Cincinnati Bengals 7
	B+	2.69	Steelers: They scored 28 points in a second quarter when the Bengals have been outscored by 119-39, so the outburst could be something of a mirage. Cincinnati had 80 yards in first-half penalties and gave them their third multiple-takeaway game in a row. The best news: Four days until Cleveland. -- Chuck Finder, RapidReports Correspondent
	C-	2.69	Bengals: After their scoreless opening drive to the Steelers' 4, the Bengals played well enough to compete with some NFL teams. Just not Pittsburgh. Eighty yards in first-half penalties, a punt-return TD, 28 second-quarter points and two turnovers are too much to give the Steelers. -- Chuck Finder, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Carolina Panthers 38, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19
	B+	2.33	Panthers: Cam Newton was lights out, completing 12 of 21 passes for 204 yards and a TD, rushing for 54 yards and three TDs and catching a pass for 27 yards. Carolina also rushed for 163 yards as a team. Defensively, the Panthers held Tampa to 285 total yards, including 78 rushing yards. In short, the Panthers pretty much dominated in every way. -- Scott Purks, RapidReports Correspondent
	D	1.97	Buccaneers: Tampa's defense continued its downward spiral, giving up 385 total yards and 163 on the ground. In its six-game losing streak, the Bucs' rushing defense has given up an average of almost 170 yards a game. On the flip side, Tampa rushed for only 78 yards, or five more than it was penalized (nine for 73). -- Scott Purks, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	NY Jets 34, Washington Redskins 19
	B+	2.25	Jets: The Jets did what they normally do; they struggled for a while before making big plays in the end. Mark Sanchez had a rough first three quarters, but executed well on the go-ahead drive in the fourth with a key third down conversion and subsequent TD pass. The defense did a good job of forcing Washington to kick field goals. -- John Keim, RapidReports Correspondent
	C-	2.24	Redskins: The Redskins' defense could not stop the Jets when needed in the fourth quarter and the offense failed to capitalize on excellent field position on several drives. Rex Grossman was awful, lacking poise in the pocket and missing targets. After snapping a six-game skid last week, the Redskins proved that they remain a bad team. -- John Keim, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Denver Broncos 35, Minnesota Vikings 32
	B-	2.41	Broncos: The Broncos extended their road-game winning streak to five with another display of Tim Tebow magic. Trailing at halftime, Tebow led his team to another comeback victory, this time with his arm rather than his feet. With Willis McGahee gashing the Vikings on the ground, Tebow threw two second-half touchdown passes for the 35-32 win. -- Joe Oberle, RapidReports Correspondent
	C	1.58	Vikings: The depleted and beaten up Vikings battled the Broncos all afternoon in search of their third win, but two early QB Christian Ponder turnovers (plus a big one late) and the inability to stop RB Willis MaGahee were too much to overcome. Ponder's first 300-yard game (381 yards) was not enough to slow the red-hot Broncos. -- Joe Oberle, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	New England Patriots 31, Indianapolis Colts 24
	C	2.49	Patriots: The Patriots didn't play well and had to recover two onsides kicks to seal the win. When they wanted to play, they had their way through the air with Tom Brady completing 23 passes (three total TDs). Running game is still terrible. The defense tried a new scheme (3-3-5) and personnel, and it was a work in progress with 437 total yards and 353 passing yards allowed. -- Greg Bedard, RapidReports Correspondent
	D+	1.62	Colts: They made it interesting with 21 fourth-quarter points, but the game was well over by that point because the defense couldn't stop Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski (three touchdowns) and QB Dan Orlovsky didn't get in a rhythm until it was too late. The Colts were lucky that the Patriots sleepwalked through the first and fourth quarters. -- Greg Bedard, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Baltimore Ravens 24, Cleveland Browns 10
	A-	3.16	Ravens: The pass offense struggled at times, but it was otherwise a thoroughly dominant performance. The blockers opened up huge holes for Ray Rice, who set a single-game career high in rushing. The front seven overwhelmed the Browns. The secondary didn't allow a wide-open receiver until the final minutes. And Lardarius Webb put a cherry on top with a punt return TD. -- Marty Gitlin, RapidReports Correspondent
	D	1.96	Browns: Folks wondered how the feeble offense would perform once defenses such as Baltimore and Pittsburgh rolled around on the schedule. The answer? More feeble. The progress made by QB Colt McCoy and his receivers was reversed in this game. The running game was halted after the first quarter, the run defense remains terrible and the team appeared uninspired throughout. -- Marty Gitlin, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Arizona Cardinals 19, Dallas Cowboys 13
	B	1.91	Cardinals: The defense has turned a corner. For a fifth straight game it gave the Cardinals a chance to win, shutting down Dallas' offense and pressuring Tony Romo. The unit didn't produce any turnovers for an anemic offense that got little from QB Kevin Kolb's return and couldn't open holes for Beanie Wells, but LaRod Stephens-Howling's 52-yard TD run in OT was enough for the win. -- Craig Morgan, RapidReports Correspondent
	D	2.50	Cowboys: The Cowboys found another way to lose a game, and got creative this time. They basically lost all three phases, including special teams. The usually reliable PK Dan Bailey missed two FGs including a 48-yarder at the end of regulation after Jason Garrett iced him with a timeout. The offense failed on many opportunities and the defense broke down with bad tackling in overtime. -- Nick Eatman, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	NY Giants 35, Green Bay Packers 38
	B	2.40	Giants: Nobody wants to hear about moral victories, but the pass rush returned (two sacks, six QB hits) and RB Ahmad Bradshaw came back from a foot injury to combine with Brandon Jacobs and D.J. Ware for 100 yards, one TD and one two-point conversion on 20 carries. DT Linval Joseph registered nine solo tackles and LB Chase Blackburn picked off a pass on defense. -- Alex Raskin, RapidReports Correspondent
	B-	3.23	Packers: Aaron Rodgers wasn't going to let a little thing like the defense keep the Packers from staying undefeated. Rodgers basically carried an offense that lost its top RB and whose receivers couldn't always catch the ball, as well as a defense that couldn't stop the Giants. Not their best performance but the Packers showed real mettle. -- James Carlton, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	San Francisco 49ers 26, St. Louis Rams 0
	A-	2.98	49ers: Even without LB Patrick Willis, the NFC West champion 49ers had their most convincing win of the season. QB Alex Smith was 17-of-23 for 274 yards with two touchdowns and a career-high 142.3 passer rating and RB Frank Gore and K David Akers set franchise records for career rushing yards and most field goals in a single season, respectively. The defense had four sacks, two takeaways and allowed just 157 yards. -- Michael Erler, RapidReports Correspondent
	D-	1.33	Rams: The Rams managed only 157 yards of offense and ten first downs, numbers that are pathetic even by their lowly standards. They converted just 3-of-13 third downs, averaged 1.3 yards per rushing play, and QB A.J. Feeley was sacked four times and turned it over twice. Then there was the defense, which played really bad. -- Michael Erler, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	New Orleans Saints 31, Detroit Lions 17
	B	2.83	Saints: By no means was it picture perfect. Sometimes it doesn't have to be when Drew Brees is having a record-breaking season offensively. The Lions exposed the Saints secondary several times and a lack of pass rush could eventually bite New Orleans. Yet the Saints did slow down Calvin Johnson. And with the Falcons going down, they have quite a grip on the NFC South race. -- Larry Holder, RapidReports Correspondent
	D+	2.58	Lions: Detroit saw every playoff team hovering around the standings go down earlier Sunday. The Lions couldn't take advantage and look more undisciplined than ever. The Lions offense chalked up a ton of yards, but couldn't muster more than 17 points to show for it. Detroit's banged-up defense had few answers for Drew Brees and the high-octane Saints offense. -- Larry Holder, RapidReports Correspondent
Monday, Dec. 5, 2011
Team	Grade	GPA	San Diego Chargers 38, Jacksonville Jaguars 14
	A	1.88	Chargers: The Chargers needed a big game to stop a six-game losing streak and they got it. Philip Rivers wasn't flawless against a depleted defense, but he was close, passing for three touchdowns. After allowing back-to-back touchdown drives in the second quarter, the Chargers did a better job confusing Jaguars rookie QB Blaine Gabbert in the second half. -- John Oehser, RapidReports Correspondent
	D	2.07	Jaguars: The Jaguars showed signs of life in the first half. They had back-to-back touchdown drives for the first time this season and briefly took a 14-10 lead. But a slew of recent injuries defensively seemed to take a toll as the Jaguars allowed Philip Rivers three touchdown passes to ruin the debut of interim coach Mel Tucker. One bright spot: Maurice Jones-Drew took over the NFL lead in rushing. -- John Oehser, RapidReports Correspondent