NFL Grades: Week 15

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Crazy. Unpredictable. Wild. Shocking. Incredible.

Any other words we need to describe Sunday in the NFL?

We had a team win for the first time this season, ending the potential for a winless season.

More on Week 15

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Clark Judge Judgements: After loss, Packers have plenty to worry about Mike Freeman Leave it to Pats' lowly defense to create blueprint on stopping Tebow

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Playoff Race: If the postseason started today ... Sorting the Sunday Pile: Week 15

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We had a team lose for the first time in 19 games.

We had two division leaders get upset at home as big favorites..

We had Tebow Time getting overshadowed by Brady Time.

And I got to see it all. Thanks.

With a rare Sunday at home thanks to covering the Cowboys-Bucs debacle Saturday night in Tampa, I spent all day Sunday with the DirecTV Game-mix in front of my face, keeping up with all the madness.

What were the odds of the previously winless Colts winning on the same day the undefeated Packers lost?

It happened. I saw it with my own two eyes.

The Packers lost 19-14 to the Chiefs as huge favorites, while the Colts beat the Titans 27-13.

The 1972 Miami Dolphins, the last team to go through a full season undefeated, surely cracked open the champagne they had on ice to celebrate the Packers loss.

I popped some to celebrate the day. I give it an A+ here to top our CBSSports.com Grades.

Some will say losing is a good thing, taking the pressure off of pushing for an undefeated season.

I see it differently. I think this loss exposed some Green Bay issues.

The banged-up offensive line didn't protect Aaron Rodgers very well. The receivers dropped passes and didn't have the same separation, which shows how much they miss Greg Jennings. Plus, the defense was pushed around by a not-so-great Kansas City offense.

Let's just call it a late-season road aberration. But there are things inside that game that have to be concerning for the Packers as they eye playoff time.

The loss will mean nothing if they go on to win the Super Bowl. But some of those problems don't make that such a certainty anymore.

We have two more weeks of the regular season. What a final two weeks it will be if Sunday is any indication.

Thursday, Dec. 15, 2011
Team	Grade	GPA	Atlanta Falcons 41, Jacksonville Jaguars 14
	A	2.27	Falcons: Atlanta continued its offensive tear Thursday, scoring 41 points after putting up 24 in the second half of last week's comeback in Carolina. Before you cry foul and claim Atlanta's offensive prowess was against Carolina and Jacksonville, remember that the NFL playoffs are as much about momentum as skill. Atlanta took a huge step towards the playoffs and gained quite a bit of momentum. -- John Oehser, RapidReports Correspondent
	D-	2.09	Jaguars: How in the world can a team that lost so big, so badly get a D-minus? Well, Maurice Jones-Drew rushed for more than 100 yards and continued to play with heart. Aside from that, the Jaguars allowed season-high points and never were competitive in their most one-sided loss of the season. A beat-up defense allowed the Falcons to dominate the first half and the Jaguars committed four turnovers. -- John Oehser, RapidReports Correspondent
Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011
Team	Grade	GPA	Dallas Cowboys 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 15
	A-	2.55	Cowboys: The Cowboys bounced back from two straight losses and put on a clinic against the outmanned Bucs in the first half, dominating both sides of the ball for a 28-point lead. QB Tony Romo was as sharp as he’s been all year and that is saying something considering he’s having a Pro Bowl-type season. But he picked apart the Bucs and scored four first-half TDs. The defense didn’t allow more than one first down in the first half. The second half was more like a cruise control and the Bucs were able to make it respectable. But when it was time to put them away, the Cowboys were able to do that, and stay alive in the playoff picture. -- Scott Purks, RapidReports Correspondent
	D-	1.81	Buccaneers: Tampa got off to another slow start, falling behind 28-0 and gaining just one first down by halftime. The Bucs never established a running game, gaining 58 total yards, including a paltry 21 on nine carries by LeGarrette Blount. The Bucs also finished with 190 total offensive yards. Defensively, Tampa was no better allowing Dallas 399 total yards, including 160 on the ground against a couple of average backs. -- Scott Purks, RapidReports Correspondent
Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011
Team	Grade	GPA	Miami Dolphins 30, Buffalo Bills 23
	A	2.23	Dolphins: The Dolphins offense was, dare we say it, explosive in the 30-23 win over the Bills. QB Matt Moore was outstanding in the pocket, throwing for 217 yards and connecting on a number of key deep balls. RB Reggie Bush looked like he was back at USC, rushing for a career-high 203 yards. -- Chris Perkins, RapidReports Correspondent
	D	1.94	Bills: It’s hard to believe that this is the same team that started the year 5-2. The Bills dropped their seventh in a row following another lackluster effort. A couple of late scores made it close, but not close enough. Ryan Fitzpatrick’s struggles will only create more questions regarding his status as the team’s long-term QB. -- Mark Ludwiczak, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Seattle Seahawks 38, Chicago Bears 14
	B+	2.40	Seahawks: Marshawn 'The Beast' Lynch couldn't get going with the game on the line, but the Seattle defense was the real beast Sunday by scoring and harassing QB Caleb Hanie throughout the second half. The Seahawks' secondary rarely allowed a Chicago receiver to get more than a few feet open, limiting yards after the catch. Special teams made Devin Hester a nonfactor. -- Gene Chamberlain, RapidReports Correspondent
	D-	2.34	Bears: The defense's play early proved the only redeeming factor as it led to a 14-7 Bears advantage at halftime. Caleb Hanie has proven over four games to be a disaster on the level of Henry Burris, Jonathan Quinn and Chad Hutchinson. Injuries now to WR Johnny Knox, WR Devin Hester and S Chris Conte are compounding the Bears' problems. It’s hard to believe that this is the same team that started the year 5-2. The Bills dropped their seventh in a row following another lackluster effort. A couple of late scores made it close, but not close enough. Ryan Fitzpatrick’s struggles will only create more questions regarding his status as the team’s long-term QB. -- Gene Chamberlain, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Carolina Panthers 28, Houston Texans 13
	B+	2.38	Panthers: Cam Newton was held to a season-low 149 passing yards, yet threw a pair of touchdown passes and did not commit a turnover. A defense that entered the contest ranked 24th overall forced three turnovers and survived the loss of DE Charles Johnson, S Charles Godfrey and CB Captain Munnerlyn while also not breaking when Texans attempted to rally from 21-0 hole. -- Brandon Williams, RapidReports Correspondent
	D+	2.91	Texans: Coach Gary Kubiak's fears were realized as the Texans had a mammoth letdown after clinching the AFC South title. QB T.J. Yates threw two devastating red-zone interceptions and failed to blister a Panthers secondary that lacked two starters. The defense failed to get off the field, as Cam Newton converted 9 of 14 on 3rd down while not having an answer for Carolina's unconventional attack. -- Brandon Williams, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Indianapolis Colts 27, Tennessee Titans 13
	A	1.81	Colts: The Colts snapped a 13-game losing streak with a hard-nosed victory over AFC South rival Tennessee. The offense and defense both came up with big plays. Indy got big performances by RB Donald Brown and CB Jacob Lacey, players who have been maligned much of the season. -- Tom James, RapidReports Correspondent
	C	2.56	Titans: The Titans looked out of sorts all afternoon against Indianapolis. Tennessee's passing attack struggled to get much going while the defense couldn't come up with enough big plays against the Colts. The Titans' run defense was sluggish as well. -- Tom James, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Kansas City Chiefs 19, Green Bay Packers 14
	A	1.78	Chiefs: What other grade could be given to a team that did what no other team had done in the previous 19 games. The K.C. defense was nothing short of sensational as they kept up the pressure on QB Aaron Rodgers with a variety of defenses and good pressure from OLB Tamba Hali with three sacks. The offense moved the ball but could score just one TD. But that was enough to give new head coach Romeo Crennel the victory. -- Bob Gretz, RapidReports Correspondent
	F	3.03	Packers: Coming into the game the Packers without without five key players, including WR Greg Jennings. During the game they lost starting RT Bryan Bulaga and then his backup Derek Sherrod. But in the previous 19 games, those type of problems did not stop the Packers from winning. What did this time was poor pass protection from that beat up offensive line and a defense that couldn't get the Chiefs offense off the field. -- Bob Gretz, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	New Orleans Saints 42, Minnesota Vikings 20
	A-	2.93	Saints: In a game where the Saints started slow with dropped passes, uncharacteristic fumbles and a meandering running game, QB Drew Brees and the Saints offense quickly turned things around and proceeded to dismantle the Vikings (42-20). With Brees earning passing records and the Saints defense completely shutting down the Minnesota offense (199 yards), the Saints looked playoff ready. -- Joe Oberle, RapidReports Correspondent
	F	1.50	Vikings: The 2-12 Vikings played like a beaten team against the Saints. With a hobbled RB Adrian Peterson unable to provide a spark and QB Christian Ponder (although protecting the ball) misfiring often to open receivers, the offense accomplished little that wasn’t gifted to them by Saints turnovers or grabbed in garbage time. The Vikings defense could do nothing against the Saints No. 1 offense. -- Joe Oberle, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Washington Redskins 23, NY Giants 10
	A	2.43	Redskins: The Redskins completely dominated the New York Giants on both sides of the ball in their 23-10 win Sunday. The offense deserves credit for sticking with a ground game that wasn't great but was consistent. That set up terrific play-action fake passes. Defensively, they were aided by key drops, but did a good job of limiting big plays and they intercepted three passes. -- John Keim, RapidReports Correspondent
	F	2.34	Giants: The Giants' usually dependable passing attack suddenly sputtered as QB Eli Manning tossed three interceptions. Surprisingly, New York averaged 5.1 yards per run, but the team was only able to rush the ball 18 times. Defensively the Giants have more to apologize for. The coverage was inconsistent at best and the pass rush generated only one sack. -- Alex Raskin, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Cincinnati Bengals 20, St. Louis Rams 13
	C	2.52	Bengals: It wasn’t pretty but the Bengals benefited from St. Louis mistakes and were able to put the game away late. The Bengals did not have a single third-down conversion until the third quarter, but the defense also prevented the Rams from converting on third down until the fourth quarter. -- Ron Clements, RapidReports Correspondent
	F	1.20	Rams: The offense did not convert a third down until late in the fourth quarter and finished 2-of-13 on third-down conversions. They repeatedly threw it on third-and-short and run it on third-and-long. They were flagged 10 times for 109 yards, including several late 15-yarders. On special teams, they allowed a 56-yard punt return and missed a FG. -- Ron Clements, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Detroit Lions 28, Oakland Raiders 27
	A	2.64	Lions: The Lions waged a comeback they won’t soon forget, taking the lead for good on Matthew Stafford’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson with 39 seconds left. Stafford and Johnson were all but unstoppable, tearing the Raiders’ secondary apart. -- Eric Gilmore, RapidReports Correspondent
	C+	2.41	Raiders: The Raiders owned a 27-14 lead with 7:47 left but watched it disappear in a flurry of defensive mistakes. That all but wiped away three and a half quarters of good work from a desperate team. They lost their third straight game and blew a chance to move into a first-place tie with Denver in the AFC West. -- Eric Gilmore, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Cleveland Browns 17, Arizona Cardinals 20
	B	2.10	Browns: It doesn't matter if the Browns play well -- they can't finish. The run defense was fine throughout. QB Seneca Wallace performed as well as injured starter Colt McCoy has at any point this season. Greg Little had the finest game for a Browns WR this year. CB Joe Haden all but shut down All-Pro WR Larry Fitzgerald. Yet they blew a 10-point lead and lost. -- Craig Morgan, RapidReports Correspondent
	C+	2.04	Cardinals: We can't go any higher, considering the opponent was the Browns. The defense allowed 120 rushing yards and had trouble sustaining pressure on QB Seneca Wallace until late. But they made plays in the second half, QB John Skelton (313 yards) made just enough on offense and Patrick Peterson set up the game-winning FG with another big return to give Arizona its sixth win in its last seven games. -- Craig Morgan, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	New England Patriots 41, Denver Broncos 23
	B+	2.51	Patriots: Things didn't look good for the Patriots when they gave up 218 total yards in the first quarter and lost leading pass rusher Andre Carter (knee) for the game, but the team rallied with its highest scoring quarter of the season in the second (20 points, all off three turnovers) to get the ball rolling. Mark Anderson (two sacks, forced fumble), Aaron Hernandez (nine catches, 129 yards) and Tom Brady (320 yards, two touchdowns) had huge games. This was a good, tough road victory for the Patriots. -- Lee Rasizer, RapidReports Correspondent
	D+	2.37	Broncos: It would be difficult to imagine as well as things started for Denver with gashing run after gashing run that things would end so badly -- the opposite MO for a Denver team that's built its postseason resume on fourth-quarter comebacks after slow starts. But a Broncos team that turned the ball over only five times during a six-game winning streak that ended Sunday lost three fumbles within the final 8:37 of the second quarter, leading to 13 of New England's 20 points in the period. The Denver defense couldn't get the key takeaway it needed vs. Tom Brady and Co. while missing a slew of tackles in the open field and busting several coverages. The division title now is on the line with a trip to Buffalo and home game against KC. -- Lee Rasizer, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	Philadelphia Eagles 45, NY Jets 19
	A	1.94	Eagles: The offense didn’t have great numbers, but it made enough big plays, scored enough points and controlled the ball enough to do its share. But this was really the defense’s game. They stuffed the Jets’ run game and harassed QB Mark Sanchez all day – DE Jason Babin had three sacks - and even scored a TD, on a 47-yard fumble return by DE Juqua Parker. One of their best overall games of the season. -- Kevin Noonan, RapidReports Correspondent
	D-	2.24	Jets: The defense had a couple of breakdowns that the Eagles turned into big plays, but for the most part they made the Eagles earn what they got, even though they didn't stop them. But the offense did next to nothing until it was much too late, unless you count turning the ball over and dropping passes. The Jets came out flat and then got flattened in a game they needed to win to keep pace in the AFC wild-card race. -- Kevin Noonan, RapidReports Correspondent
Team	Grade	GPA	San Diego Chargers 34, Baltimore Ravens 14
	A	2.14	Chargers: The Chargers absolutely dominated perhaps the best team in the AFC on both sides of ball. It was their third consecutive blowout win. Three weeks ago the season appeared over and changes appeared eminent in the front office and coaching staff. The Chargers’ playoffs hopes remain slim, but if they find away in, their will not be a team in the AFC that will want to face them. -- Dan McLellan, RapidReports Correspondent
	D	3.05	Ravens: The Chargers made the Ravens look like playoff pretenders. This poor road performance proved why home-field advantage is critical for the Ravens if they are going to be a true threat to win the AFC. Baltimore is 7-0 at home, but they are now 3-4 on the road. The Ravens now must beat out the Steelers for the AFC North, because they will likely be one and done if they are a Wild Card team. -- Dan McLellan, RapidReports Correspondent
Monday, Dec. 19, 2011
Team	Grade	GPA	San Francisco 49ers 20, Pittsburgh Steelers 3
		2.88	49ers:
		2.64	Steelers: