Welcome to the Week 14 grades!
This was supposed to be the week where Kirk Cousins got revenge on his old team. Instead, the Vikings proved they made the smart decision to move on from their former quarterback. Sam Darnold was the quarterback who replaced Cousins in Minnesota, and he went off on Sunday, throwing for five touchdowns in the Vikings' 42-21 win over the Falcons.
In the win, Darnold accomplished multiple things that Cousins never did during his six years in Minnesota:
- Darnold was the first Vikings QB with five or more passing touchdowns in a game since Daunte Culpepper in 2004.
- Darnold now has four straight games with at least two touchdown passes and zero interceptions, which is the longest single-season streak in franchise history.
- Darnold is now the first QB to start 11-2 or better in his first season after changing teams since Brett Favre in 2009. Favre also did it with the Vikings. In his first 13 games with the Falcons, Cousins has Atlanta at 6-7.
With that in mind, let's get to the grades, starting with Minnesota's big win:
Minnesota 42-21 over Atlanta
| D |  |
| The Falcons appear to have a Kirk Cousins problem. Although Cousins put up some big numbers with 344 passing yards, he also threw two interceptions against his former team and zero touchdowns, which means he's now thrown eight interceptions with zero touchdowns during Atlanta's current four-game losing streak. Of course, Cousins didn't get any help from a Falcons defense that got torched for five touchdowns by Sam Darnold. Heading into Week 10, the Falcons were 6-3 and sitting atop the NFC South, but they've now choked away that lead. This team has been playing sloppy football for nearly a month now and if they don't get it turned around soon, the division is going to slip through their fingers. | |
| A |  |
| The Vikings offense put on a show with Sam Darnold throwing for 347 yards and five touchdowns. Darnold was especially impressive during a nearly perfect second half where he completed 16 of 18 passes for 250 yards and three touchdowns. The offense was clicking because the long ball was working on a day where Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison both went over 130 yards. The Vikings were dominant in almost every key situation: They converted 66.7% of their third downs and scored on all four of their trips to the red zone. With the win, the Vikings are keeping the pressure on the Lions, who are only one game ahead of them in the NFC North. | |
Pittsburgh 27-14 over Cleveland
| D+ |  |
| Jameis Winston torched the Broncos defense for 497 yards in Week 13, but he was no match for the Steelers on Sunday. Winston completed just 58.5% of his passes in a game where he was constantly under pressure while being sacked three times (He also threw two interceptions). In the rare instance where the Browns were actually able to move the ball, it didn't matter, because their kicker couldn't put the ball through the uprights (Dustin Hopkins missed two field goals). The Browns were going for their first season sweep of the Steelers since 1988, but they came up way short. | |
| A- |  |
| After getting surprised by Jameis Winston in Week 12, the Steelers defense was ready for him this time around. The defense sacked Winston three times, with two of those coming from Cameron Heyward. The constant pressure also led to two interceptions, including one by Keeanu Benton in the second quarter that eventually led to a Pittsburgh touchdown. The offense looked sluggish in the first half, but Russell Wilson came out firing during a third quarter where he threw for 91 yards and two touchdowns (Wilson threw for 67 yards and zero touchdowns in the other three quarters combined). The Steelers continue to look like one of the best teams in the AFC. | |
Jacksonville 10-6 over Tennessee
| B |  |
| On a day where the Jaguars got shut out through the first three quarters, the Jags defense kept them in this game by coming up with several big plays. The defense made THREE fourth-down stops, including two that came from inside of Jacksonville's 10-yard line. The offense then came alive during a fourth quarter where Mac Jones completed four of five passes for 62 yards, with all four completions going to rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr. This was an impressive win for a Jags team that looked to be left for dead at halftime. Doug Pederson might be on the hot seat, but his team is still playing hard for him. | |
| C- |  |
| The Titans lost this game because their red zone offense was nonexistent. Tennessee made it to the red zone twice in this game, but it scored zero points due to two failed fourth downs. The Titans simply couldn't come up with a clutch play on offense when they needed it, which has been the story of their season. Tony Pollard (21 carries for 102 yard) was one of the few bright spots for a Titans offense that failed to put the ball in the end zone. NFL teams were 45-1 when holding their opponents to 10 points or less this year, but that's now 45-2 after Tennessee's loss. | |
Miami 32-26 over N.Y. Jets
| B- |  |
| For the first time in three years, Aaron Rodgers threw for more than 300 yards in a game, but the effort went to waste because of a Jets defense that disappeared late in the game. Rodgers never got to touch the ball in overtime because the Dolphins were able to march the ball 70 yards down the field for the game-winning touchdown. Garrett Wilson (114 receiving yards) and Davante Adams (109 yards) both had big days in the losing effort. Although the Jets offense has looked better over the past three weeks, the defense has looked worse. This team, which has been a huge disappointment, might just end up finishing in last place in the AFC East. | |
| B |  |
| With their playoff hopes on life support, Tua Tagovailoa almost single-handedly revived them by going off late in the game. The Dolphins QB threw for 144 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and overtime combined, including a 10-yard score to Jonnu Smith that won the game. The Dolphins got Tyreek Hill involved early and often on a day where he caught 10 passes for 115 yards and a TD. The defense struggled, but the offense was around to save the day with some help from Jason Sanders, who kicked a 52-yard field goal on the final play to send the game to overtime. At 6-7, the Dolphins are now only two games out of a possible wild-card spot in the AFC. | |
New Orleans 14-11 over N.Y. Giants
| C |  |
| When you talk about ugly wins in the NFL, this is about as ugly as it gets. The Saints had two missed field goals, a failed fourth down and a Derek Carr interception, but they were able to hang on, thanks to Brian Bresee, who blocked a Giants field goal on the final play of the game. Bresee's effort salvaged a win for a Saints team that almost blew it in the fourth quarter. The Saints are now 3-1 under interim coach Darren Rizzi, who's doing his best to earn some consideration to become the permanent head coach in New Orleans. | |
| C- |  |
| The Giants were able to hang around in this game, thanks to a defense that kept coming up with big plays. The defense forced five three-and-outs, they came up with a big fourth-down stop and Tre Hawkins ended a New Orleans drive in the third quarter with a big interception. After sputtering through the first three quarters, the offense came alive in the fourth quarter. During the final period, Drew Lock totaled 188 yards. Not only did he lead a TD drive, but he set Graham Gano up for a game-tying field goal attempt from just 35 yards away, but the kick was blocked. Nothing has been going right for the Giants this season and this game was just another example of that. | |
Philadelphia 22-16 over Carolina
| B+ |  |
| For the third straight week, the Panthers were a huge underdog, and for the third straight week, they went toe-to-toe with their opponent. The defense held the Eagles' high-powered offense to under 300 yards and a big reason that happened is because the Panthers were able to get a lot of pressure on Jalen Hurts, who was sacked four times. Offensively, Chuba Hubbard (92 rushing yards) and Adam Thielen (nine catches for 102 yards) kept making big plays, which kept Carolina in the game. Bryce Young is also doing his best to convince the Panthers that he can be their quarterback of the future. At the beginning of the season, the Panthers were the laughingstock of the NFL, but now, no one is laughing because this is a dangerous team that could play the role of spoiler down the stretch. | |
| B |  |
| Saquon Barkley continues to look like an MVP candidate. The Eagles running back had another huge game with 124 yards on just 20 carries. The Eagles offense has been riding Barkley hard during the team's nine-game winning streak with Barkley going over 100 yards in seven of those nine games. The Eagles defense did struggle at times, but it also came up with two big fourth-down stops. If this team has any concerns, it's the fact that Jake Elliott still can't hit from long range and Jalen Hurts was held under 180 passing yards for the third straight week. | |
Tampa Bay 28-13 over Las Vegas
| C- |  |
| If there's one thing that's clear about the Raiders, it's that they're going to be looking for a quarterback this offseason. The QB position has been a nightmare for the team this year, and that continued in this game. Aidan O'Connell turned the ball over twice, including an interception that came inside Tampa Bay's 10-yard line in the third quarter on a drive where the Raiders had a chance to take the lead. After a rough first quarter, the Raiders defense caught fire with four sacks of Baker Mayfield while also forcing three turnovers in the game. The problem for the Raiders is that it doesn't matter how well your defense plays when your offense can't score points. | |
| B+ |  |
| This wasn't a perfect performance by the Buccaneers, but it was definitely impressive, especially during a first quarter where they ran the Raiders off the field. Baker Mayfield threw for 110 yards and two touchdowns in the opening period, and with the way Tampa Bay's defense was playing, that was all the Bucs needed. Although Mayfield did struggle at times -- he threw two interceptions -- Rachaad White was around to take some pressure off his QB with a performance that saw him rush for 92 yards on just 17 carries. Defensively, Tykee Smith came up with one of the biggest plays of the game when he picked off a Raiders pass after Las Vegas had driven down inside Tampa Bay's 10-yard line in the third quarter. The resurgent Buccaneers have won three straight since their Week 11 bye and they suddenly look like the best team in the NFC South. | |
Detroit 34-31 over Green Bay
| B- |  |
| The Packers absolutely had a chance to win this game, but they had two big issues: Their defense couldn't get off the field and their offense couldn't stay on it. That combination allowed the Lions to hold the ball for more than 36 minutes (NFL teams are 3-30 this year when they allowed their opponent to have the ball for 36 minutes or more). The Packers defense allowed the Lions to convert 7 of 15 third downs and 4 of 5 fourth downs while the offense was just 1 of 5 on third down. The Packers were able to stay in the game despite getting off to a slow start with just 104 yards of total offense in the first half. Josh Jacobs carried the offense with 66 yards and three touchdowns on a night where Jordan Love threw just 20 passes. Christian Watson caught four big passes for 114 yards, but he also lost a fumble in the first half that led to a Lions touchdown. The Packers have proven that they can play with the best teams in the NFC, but they haven't proven that they can beat them with Green Bay now falling to 0-4 against teams who currently have 10 wins or more. | |
| B |  |
| Dan Campbell is definitely the boldest head coach in the NFL, and he showed everyone why in this game. Campbell had his team go for it on FIVE different fourth downs in the game, and a big reason the Lions won is because they were able to convert four of those, including two that went for touchdowns. Campbell also went for it on fourth-and-1 from Green Bay's 25-yard line with 43 seconds left in a tie game. It was a risky decision that could have cost Detroit the game, but David Montgomery gained 7 yards to set up Jake Bates' game-winning field goal. Of course, these fourth-down decisions work for the Lions because Campbell has confidence in his offense, and that starts with Jared Goff. The Lions QB threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns with two of those going to the unsung hero of the game, Tim Patrick. One reason the Lions have been the best team in the NFC this year is because they always seem to come up with big plays in the clutch, and this win was just another example of that. | |
