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You think you know, but you really don't.
That means all of us.
When it comes to the NFL, trying to predict what can happen is nearly as tough as picking lottery winners on a daily basis.
| More on NFL Week 4 |
| Analysis |
Clark JudgeMaybe we should have listened to wise man Rex Grossman when he said the 'Skins are a team to watch. Week 4 Judgements >> 
Will BrinsonOK, enough about the Cowboys' choke job. How 'bout those Lions? There's no doubt -- Detroit's for real. Sorting the Sunday Pile >> |
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We are four weeks into the season, and down is up and up is down.
The only constant is the Green Bay Packers. The Super Bowl champions are one of only two remaining undefeated teams.
The Detroit Lions are the other.
Go figure.
Think about the unexpected.
The "Dream Team" Philadelphia Eagles are 1-3.
The Lions are 4-0.
Mark Sanchez stops himself.
Matthew Stafford can't be stopped.
The St. Louis Rams are 0-4.
The Tennessee Titans are 3-1.
Rex Grossman and Ryan Fitzpatrick are each 3-1.
Sam Bradford and Donovan McNabb are each 0-4.
The unpredictability of it all is what makes me want to give the first month of the season a giant "A" in our weekly CBSSports.com Grades.
For all the talk of how the lockout would ruin the season, that the football wouldn't be the same, that defenses would rule, we've had none of that.
If the first month is any indication, we will see more offense this season than we've ever seen.
It has been a wild first month.
I can't wait for the second, and the third, and the fourth.
Lockout? What lockout?
There were some who speculated that the lockout could change the turnover of playoff teams we've seen each of the past 12 seasons.
Not a chance.
Up is down and down is up.
You figure it out yet? Didn't think so.
| Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011 | |||
| Team | Grade | GPA | Chicago Bears 34, Carolina Panthers 29 |
 | B- | 2.17 | Bears: All the concern about the running game and pass blocking may have been misplaced since the defense has been shredded three straight weeks. Maybe they need to give Chris Harris a big contract extension because the pass coverage has been abysmal since his injury. At least they rediscovered Matt Forte can do more than catch passes, and that Devin Hester is best utilized as a return man. -- Gene Chamberlain, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | C+ | 2.65 | Panthers: The defense revived a non-existent Bears running game, while coverage teams behaved as if Devin Hester was a player they hadn't heard much about before the game. Cam Newton's ability to make big plays and move an offense was obvious again -- as was his ability to make rookie mistakes, like throwing into coverage for an INT and TD return. -- Gene Chamberlain, RapidReports Correspondent |
| Team | Grade | GPA | Cincinnati Bengals 23, Buffalo Bills 20 |
 | B | 2.33 | Bengals: The Bengals' defense limited Buffalo's offense to one TD, while the Cincinnati offense shook off six quarters of ineffectiveness to score two TDs in the second half. Rookie QB Andy Dalton looked like a rookie in the first half before a refreshed running attack helped him regain some of the poise he showed in his first two games. -- Mark Schmetzer, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | C- | 3.07 | Bills: After pulling out thrillers each of the last two weeks at home over Oakland and New England, the Bills had the tables turned on them, blowing a 17-3 halftime lead. Other than one long scoring drive, Buffalo struggled offensively in the second half. The defense allowed the Bengals to go 56 yards in 1:48 to set up Mike Nugent's game-winner. -- Joe Jacobs, RapidReports Correspondent |
| Team | Grade | GPA | Tennessee Titans 31, Cleveland Browns 13 |
 | A- | 3.17 | Titans: This team has thrust itself into contender status. QB Matt Hasselbeck got rid of the ball quickly to counteract the Cleveland pass rush while his line protected him very well. The tight ends are making up for the loss of Kenny Britt. The defensive line dominated the trenches and had Colt McCoy running. -- Marty Gitlin, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | D- | 1.85 | Browns: OK, let's be generous here. The offensive line was porous, allowing the Titans to send QB Colt McCoy reeling time and again. The ground game was mediocre at best. The secondary played its worst game in recent memory and a pass rush that had been promising was non-existent. The good news? The bye week has arrived. -- Marty Gitlin, RapidReports Correspondent |
| Team | Grade | GPA | Detroit Lions 34, Dallas Cowboys 30 |
 | A | 3.65 | Lions: The Lions are not only proving they are for real at 4-0, but they can rally in the second half. Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson were good enough to do the rest. Huge win for this young team. -- Nick Eatman, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | D | 2.78 | Cowboys: No matter the opponent or circumstance, blowing 24-point leads at home is inexcusable. And there is a huge difference between 3-1 and 2-2 heading into the bye. As good as Tony Romo was to get that 27-3 lead, his two interceptions returned for touchdowns sparked yet another Lions rally. -- Nick Eatman, RapidReports Correspondent |
| Team | Grade | GPA | Houston Texans 17, Pittsburgh Steelers 10 |
 | B- | 2.92 | Texans: Penalties cost the Texans two touchdowns, but the defense rose up with five sacks and Jason Allen's game-clinching interception. Return of RB Arian Foster (30 carries, 155 yards, 1 TD) was timely with the injury to Andre Johnson hampering the passing game. Texans got a character win on a Sunday where they played less than their best. -- Brandon Williams, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | C- | 2.50 | Steelers: The defense kept Texans from blowing game open in the first half, but couldn't stop Arian Foster. With a patchwork OL, Ben Roethlisberger was unable to utilize deep threat Mike Wallace, as he was sacked five times and hit constantly. Steelers lost three key defensive players and RB Rashad Mendenhall to injuries. -- Brandon Williams, RapidReports Correspondent |
| Team | Grade | GPA | New Orleans Saints 23, Jacksonville Jaguars 10 |
 | B+ | 3.08 | Saints: The Saints didn't play perfectly and they actually allowed the Jaguars to stay around longer than they perhaps should have. Still, the Saints' defense did a good job not letting the Jaguars back into the game when they had opportunities. The Saints' offense wasn't as efficient in scoring territory as they usually are, but they moved effectively enough. -- John Oehser, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | C | 2.10 | Jaguars: This grade may be on a bit of a curve, because the Jaguars played better in a few areas than many believed they would. The defense forced two turnovers and held the Saints to two TDs when the game was still in doubt. Offensively, while the Jaguars scored just 10 points, rookie Blaine Gabbert showed signs for a second consecutive week of turning into the franchise QB the Jaguars wanted when they drafted him. -- John Oehser, RapidReports Correspondent |
| Team | Grade | GPA | Kansas City Chiefs 22, Minnesota Vikings 17 |
 | B | 1.35 | Chiefs: Sunday's game was easily the Chiefs' best performance of the season. They protected the ball on offense, took it away on defense and made very few of the mistakes that had filled their performances in an 0-3 start. QB Matt Cassel threw the ball much better. Defensively, the Chiefs were able to contain Adrian Peterson. The hero was K Ryan Succop, who made all five FG attempts, including a career high 54-yarder. -- Bob Gretz, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | D | 0.93 | Vikings: This time the Vikings didn't blow a halftime lead and lose the game like they did their first three. They played poorly in all four quarters, as the offense never developed any rhythm and RB Adrian Peterson was contained by the Kansas City defense. The Vikings defense kept the Chiefs bottled up for most of the game, but allowed one big play -- a 52-yard TD pass -- and that kept them working from behind most of the fourth quarter. -- Bob Gretz, RapidReports Correspondent |
| Team | Grade | GPA | San Francisco 49ers 24, Philadelphia Eagles 23 |
 | B | 2.50 | 49ers: It wasn't always pretty, but QB Alex Smith completed the passes he had to complete in the second half and RB Frank Gore made the tough yards. The defense gave up a lot of yards, but stiffened near the goal line and forced the Eagles to attempt four FGs. They missed two of them and that was the difference. -- Kevin Noonan, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | D- | 1.68 | Eagles: Lots of yards, but not enough points. Once again the Eagles red-zone offense failed to punch the ball into the end zone and they were shut out in the fourth quarter. For the third straight week the defense couldn't hold a lead in the fourth quarter and they allowed the 49ers to dominate them when it counted. -- Kevin Noonan, RapidReports Correspondent |
| Team | Grade | GPA | Washington Redskins 17, St. Louis Rams 10 |
 | B- | 3.10 | Redskins: The Redskins took advantage of some sloppy play by the Rams to grab an early lead and hung on late to win. It wasn't pretty but Washington did enough. RB Ryan Torain recorded the team's first 100-yard rushing game of the year and the defense recorded seven sacks. -- Ron Clements, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | D | 1.07 | Rams: The Rams nearly came back but continue to be plagued by self-inflicted mistakes. WR Mike Sims-Walker had three drops and TE Lance Kendricks also had one. St. Louis was penalized nine times for 65 yards, several of which halted potential scoring drives. QB Sam Bradford was also sacked six times. -- Ron Clements, RapidReports Correspondent |
| Team | Grade | GPA | NY Giants 31, Arizona Cardinals 27 |
 | B | 2.60 | Giants: For the third consecutive week, QB Eli Manning improved as the game progressed. The controversial ruling on a would-be Victor Cruz fumble helped, but the Giants' two fourth-quarter TDs within 58 seconds of each other were impressive. The defense struggled to stop the run. However, the final defensive possession of the game was encouraging. -- Craig Morgan, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | D | 1.57 | Cardinals: The red-zone woes continued in the first half with three trips that produced six points. Arizona's supposedly improved defense allowed three fourth-quarter TDs to waste a career-high in yards from running back Beanie Wells and three quarters of solid defensive play that had some believing this unit had finally turned the corner. -- Craig Morgan, RapidReports Correspondent |
| Team | Grade | GPA | Atlanta Falcons 30, Seattle Seahawks 28 |
 | B- | 1.85 | Falcons: Any win on the road is an accomplishment in the NFL, but the Falcons have plenty to work on after nearly blowing a 20-point second-half lead. The good news is that the pass protection was considerably better, and the offense also played a turnover-free game. Allowing 372 yards and 28 points to a Seattle offense that had 30 points in its first three games, however, is not a good sign for the Falcons. -- John Boyle, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | C | 1.82 | Seahawks: After a terrible first half, the Seahawks rallied and nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback win. It was still a loss, but the progress shown in the passing game has to be a good sign moving forward. Defensively, however, the Seahawks were not as sharp as they were a week ago, and could not force a turnover or get to Matt Ryan. -- John Boyle, RapidReports Correspondent |
| Team | Grade | GPA | Green Bay Packers 49, Denver Broncos 23 |
 | B+ | 3.15 | Packers: It's hard to imagine the offense playing better. QB Aaron Rodgers had six TDs (four throwing, two rushing), the WRs shared 408 receiving yards and the Packers rushed for 111 yards. But that defense. They forced four turnovers but gave up 384 total yards to a bad offensive team. Coach Mike McCarthy said afterward there is much to fix. -- James Carlton, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | D+ | 1.97 | Broncos: This team is in shambles. When the defense wasn't getting eviscerated for 507 yards and six touchdowns, the offense was gifting the ball away to the Packers (four turnovers). RB Willis McGahee and LB Von Miller looked good; almost everyone else was abysmal. At this point, not even the sanctified Tim Tebow can save this team. -- James Carlton, RapidReports Correspondent |
| Team | Grade | GPA | New England Patriots 31, Oakland Raiders 19 |
 | B+ | 2.40 | Patriots: The Patriots had enough help from the Raiders (two INTs, nine penalties for 85 yards) to help cover up a defense that still couldn't get off the field on third downs. On offense, the Patriots got 185 yards on the ground, including 96 on just eight carries from rookie Stevan Ridley, to become the No. 2 option behind WR Wes Welker (nine catches, 158 yards, touchdown). -- Greg Bedard, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | C | 2.92 | Raiders: The Raiders stayed close for a half, but they had no answer for Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Wes Welker and couldn't keep up with the NFL's top-ranked offense. The Raiders killed themselves with penalties, and quarterback Jason Campbell threw two killer interceptions, one in the end zone. -- Eric Gilmore, RapidReports Correspondent |
| Team | Grade | GPA | San Diego Chargers 26, Miami Dolphins 16 |
 | B | 2.08 | Chargers: Fortunately, K Nick Novak has thus far been an outstanding replacement for K Nate Kaeding (ACL). Novak hit four field goals against the Dolphins and is now six of six since he was signed in Week 2. The Chargers offense, however, is going to need to find its rhythm soon, because more difficult opponents are on the horizon. -- Dan McLellan, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | D | 1.27 | Dolphins: There seems to be no one around who can stand up and make a play for this team and now their best play makers are hurt. Daniel Thomas (hamstring), the team's leading rusher (202 yards) was inactive against the Chargers and QB Chad Henne went down with a shoulder injury early in the game. If the Dolphins are going to find the win column, they are going to first need to find some playmakers and then the end zone on a more consistent basis. -- Dan McLellan, RapidReports Correspondent |
| Team | Grade | GPA | Baltimore Ravens 34, NY Jets 17 |
 | B | 3.10 | Ravens: The defense was lights out, scoring three defensive touchdowns en route to a 34-17 victory. CB Lardarius Webb, LB Jarret Johnson and LB Jameel McClain all scored touchdowns, making the scoring summary a tad bizarre. However, QB Joe Flacco struggled all night, going 10-31 for 163 yards and an interception. Baltimore's defense bailed its offense out big time. -- Jason Butt, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | F | 2.00 | Jets: The Jets desperately need C Nick Mangold 100 percent and back on the field as soon as possible. The OL was in disarray all game as it was unable to give QB Mark Sanchez (11-35, 119 yards, 1 interception) any time to find WRs down the field. The Jets' defense scored a touchdown and forced three turnovers. But the offense looked like a Pop Warner team breaking in a new roster. -- Jason Butt, RapidReports Correspondent |
| Monday, Oct. 3, 2011 | |||
| Team | Grade | GPA | Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, Indianapolis Colts 17 |
 | B | 2.50 | Buccaneers: Tampa made its share of mistakes, allowing big plays on blown coverages (particularly by DB Aqib Talib), while piling up a consistent stream of penalties. QB Josh Freeman, however, had another solid night, and the defense stepped up at key moments. The Bucs still got off to another slow start, failing to score in the first quarter. -- Scott Purks, RapidReports Correspondent |
 | C | 1.68 | Colts: If not for a couple of long scoring strikes, Indianapolis didn't get much going offensively. QB Curtis Painter was erratic, completing only 13 of 30 passes for 281yards. The Colts also didn't get its running game going, gaining only 62 on the ground. By game's end, the defense was worn down and had trouble stopping Bucs bull-dozing back LeGarrette Blount. -- Scott Purks, RapidReports Correspondent |
| GPA Key (updated through season) | ||
| A = 4.0 | A- = 3.7 | B+ = 3.3 |
| B = 3.0 | B- = 2.7 | C+ = 2.3 |
| C = 2.0 | C- = 1.7 | D+ = 1.3 |
| D = 1.0 | D- = 0.7 | |
