NFL Week 12 grades from around the league

Unrivaled on the draft-and-develop wide receiver scene, the Steelers (4-7) showed off their latest prize Monday. George Pickens looks set to move Diontae Johnson to WR2 status. Pickens only caught three passes for 57 yards (plus a two-point conversion), but his slick sideline grab and diving third-down conversion moved chains on touchdown drives. The Georgia product, who fell too far in the draft (No. 52) due to an ACL tear and character questions, keeps progressing. Pittsburgh's track record here -- the team will probably add another Round 2 wideout to its receiving corps next year after their Chase Claypool trade added an extra pick -- makes Pickens projections tantalizing.

STEELERS GRADE: B-plus | NEXT: at Falcons (Sun.)

On a night in which Joe Buck and Troy Aikman took aim at the NFL's term for the wild-card fringe, the Colts (4-7-1) slipped off that tier. After Jonathan Taylor's fumble and Matt Ryan's lost recovery duel stalled the Colts' comeback, Jeff Saturday raised the degree of difficulty for his team. A Colts offense short on aerial weaponry let the clock tick to 33 seconds without calling a timeout, despite the ex-ESPNer holding three clock stoppages in his pocket. This might have been fine for the Chiefs, but the Colts' 31st-ranked offense needed more time -- especially after Alex Highsmith's sack/strip -- to operate than Saturday allotted. This was not on the Nathaniel Hackett 64-yard field goal level of Monday-night mismanagement, but it hijacked a quality opportunity. 

COLTS GRADE: C | NEXT: at Cowboys (Sun.)

Although the 2008 and 2021 offseasons generated quarterback controversies, this franchise has strung together an unmatched run of years with a Hall of Fame passer running the show. As Year 31 of Green Bay football featuring Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers winds down, the latter is now battling thumb and oblique injuries. Rodgers went blow-for-blow with Jalen Hurts in the first half of Sunday night's shootout, but the Packers (4-8) are now (somehow) in a position in which sitting the league's only $50 million-per-year player makes sense. The team needs more intel on Jordan Love, thus far a misuse of a first-round pick. Rodgers still holds the cards here due to his megadeal, but it is time for the Pack to borrow an NBA tactic and sit him.

PACKERS GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: at Bears (Sun.)

The franchise that rostered Randall Cunningham, Donovan McNabb, and Michael Vick hast traditionally positioned itself for monster rushing performances but Hurts pushed the Eagles' ground attack onto a higher plane Sunday. The Eagles (10-1) rushed for 363 yards -- second-most in team history. (A Steve Van Buren-led 376-yard outing during the team's 1948 title season is No. 1.) Hurts turned in the NFL's only 125-125 first half. Miles Sanders' 143-yard outing and the team's short-yardage victories showed how much a well-built O-line -- still featuring three Super Bowl cogs -- matters. This bounce-back performance covered for a Philly defense that struggled to contain Rodgers for much of his night. 

EAGLES GRADE: A | NEXT: vs. Titans (Sun.)

The Bengals' stretch-run schedule is vicious. Games against the Chiefs, Buccaneers, Patriots, Bills, and Ravens are on tap in December and January. That raised the stakes for Week 12's Titans outing. In a game without Joe Mixon or Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati's AFC title defense needed a big Higgins showing; the third-year wideout came through. Higgins' seven-catch, the 114-yard day included three 20-plus-yard fourth-quarter catches to hold off the Titans. The Clemson product has 16 receptions for 262 yards over the past two games. With a monster Joe Burrow extension looming, it will be interesting how the Bengals (7-4) handle Higgins' second contract come 2023. But he has certainly been a find for a Bengals team that has thrived with second-round picks.

BENGALS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: vs. Chiefs (Sun.)

Viewers of CBS's marquee Week 12 game saw a lot of undrafted rookie Caleb Shudak, Tennessee's second Randy Bullock fill-in option in two weeks. The Iowa product only attempted one extra point during a game featuring four field goal tries (one miss) inside of 38 yards. Down reliable center, Ben Jones for a second straight week, the Titans (7-4) could not sustain much on the ground. Derrick Henry's 38 rushing yards were his second-fewest since his All-Pro run began in 2019, with his fumble-turned-Treylon Burks TD epitomizing an up-and-down day. The Titans also followed their nine-sack outing against the Bengals in January with just one Sunday. Fortunately for Tennessee, the AFC South is otherwise littered with disappointments.

TITANS GRADE: C | NEXT: at Eagles (Sun.)

Only 11 players have totaled 300 scrimmage yards in a game. Hall of Famers join the likes of Flipper Anderson and Stephone Paige in this exclusive club, but only two running backs in the past 60 years (Priest Holmes, Adrian Peterson) have accomplished what Jacobs did Sunday. Totaling 303 scrimmage yards (tied for-eighth all-time), the fourth-year back tore apart the Seahawks and delivered one of the better overtime closers you'll see. Jacobs amassed a career-high 74 receiving yards, and he now leads the NFL with 1,159 on the ground. Despite the new Las Vegas regime passing on Jacobs' fifth-year option, he has made a strong enough case to the Raiders (4-7) to be kept off a crowded 2023 running back market.

RAIDERS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: vs. Chargers (Sun.)

After following horrid defensive starts with midseason improvements over the past two seasons, the Seahawks reenacted that routine this year to calm more concerns. Worries about the state of Seattle's defense are again warranted. The Seahawks ceded 576 yards -- a Pete Carroll-era high and the third-most in team history -- against a Raiders team missing Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow. Mack Hollins' flea-flicker TD reminded of Julio Jones' wide-open Germany scamper, and ... Jacobs did some damage as well. The Seahawks (6-5) drew their two Rams games at the right time, and a Panthers tilt remains as well. It is not time to cast off Seattle just yet, but we do have some decent turbulence here.

SEAHAWKS GRADE: D-plus | NEXT: at Rams (Sun.)

All-decade-teamers, Super Bowl standouts, turnover fiends and trade investments line a Ravens defense that had seemingly turned a corner since a run of early-season collapses. But their past two shutdown efforts came against low-end QBs. Trevor Lawrence showed he is not in that category, leading two 75-yard drives in a fourth-quarter comeback. The Ravens (7-4) had both Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters available. Lawrence picked on Peters and Brandon Stephens during his comeback -- one not exactly including elite wide receiver opposition. This loss may shut down any outside hopes of home-field advantage Baltimore may have harbored, even with an easy schedule. And it invites more concern about Mike Macdonald's defense. 

RAVENS GRADE: D | NEXT: vs. Broncos (Sun.)

His NFL ascent was effectively delayed by one of the worst coaching hires in league history, Trevor Lawrence had shown glimpses of the form that made him the No. 1 overall pick this season. He delivered a breakthrough Sunday, shredding the Ravens with an array of impact throws in a two-score comeback. Lawrence (321 yards, three TDs) set this in motion with a slick fourth-and-8 toss to Zay Jones, who lived up to his scrutinized contract (three years, $24 million) with 11 catches for a career-high 145 yards and rewarded Doug Pederson's faith on the Jags' do-or-die two-pointer. Lacking Travis Etienne and playing with a middling-at-best receiving corps, Lawrence's latest salvo -- and the 4-7 Jags' stretch run -- deserves big-picture attention. 

JAGUARS GRADE: A | NEXT: at Lions (Sun.)

Needing just one score to put the Browns away, the Buccaneers ended their final five regulation drives with no points. They followed that lackluster sequence with two overtime punts. Tampa Bay (5-6) has the luxury of playing in what could be one of the worst divisions in NFL history, creating a margin for error that might be new territory even for Tom Brady. But the team scoring 17 points against a bad Browns defense is not a good message for late-season legitimacy. Todd Bowles still should have given Brady a better shot by calling a timeout earlier on the Bucs' final drive of regulation, but again, the team is still in good shape for the NFC's No. 4 seed. The Bucs' inconsistency does not suggest they would do much with it, however.

BUCCANEERS GRADE: D-plus | NEXT: vs. Saints (Mon.)

Asked to be a temporary starter for the third time in six years, Jacoby Brissett did not keep the Browns (4-7) in playoff contention. Cleveland's defense surprisingly saw to that being impossible. But the player formerly known for receiving late-summer notifications he would be replacing Andrew Luck accounted himself well during his 11-start Browns bid. Brissett did not light up the Bucs defense in a 210-yard performance -- one highlighted by David Njoku's one-handed TD grab on fourth-and-10 -- but he spotted the visitors' Amari Cooper coverage bust to set up the Browns' win. Brissett, whom QBR rates seventh, will step aside as the Deshaun Watson awkwardness takes center stage. 

BROWNS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: at Texans (Sun.)

As the Bucs failed to topple the Browns, the Falcons could not finish off what became a winnable Commanders matchup. In addition to Marcus Mariota's tipped interception and the game-sealing special teams penalty, the Falcons lost a game in which the opposing quarterback (Taylor Heinicke) threw for 138 yards. Atlanta (5-7) allowed 176 Commanders rushing yards, and Brian Robinson dispatched Darren Hall en route to a swing-pass score. The Falcons also hit Heinicke just twice, continuing their low-voltage pass-rushing season (17 sacks). The Falcons-Bucs rematch is not until Week 18; will the team have morphed into its expected Desmond Ridder-quarterbacked rebuilding form by then?

FALCONS GRADE: C | NEXT: vs. Steelers (Sun.)

Initially sent away in the Alex Smith trade, Fuller is in his third season back with the team that drafted him. The versatile cornerback has offered sporadic production but has proven valuable for a team that admitted a mistake on William Jackson. Fuller followed his Houston pick-six with an end zone INT that held off an Atlanta team carrying some momentum. Daron Payne's tip made up for his failure to touch down Mariota for a sack earlier in the drive, a mistake that led to a 45-yard Olamide Zaccheaus catch. Fuller, who also deflected two passes, has been the key piece to the Commanders' puzzle at corner. Ahead of its most pivotal Giants matchup in many years, Washington (7-5) has fully crossed the contender threshold.

COMMANDERS GRADE: B | NEXT: at Giants (Sun.)

Staley has drawn some bad cards while simultaneously underachieving as the coach of a team with a top-five quarterback. This situation has led to a run of rumors the Chargers could trade for Payton next year. While a one-point win over the Cardinals will not stop Payton-Bolts talk, Staley helped pause this storyline. Bolstered by two Derwin James turnovers, the Chargers (6-5) held off a Cardinals team playing to stay relevant. Staley's two-point decision played into his all-or-nothing reputation, which has not produced as many headlines as his brigade of fourth-down gambles did in 2021. But the Justin Herbert-to-Austin Ekeler two-pointer kept an injury-plagued team on decent footing in the AFC playoff race. 

CHARGERS GRADE: B | NEXT: at Raiders (Sun.)

While last year's debut of in-season "Hard Knocks" did not lead to eventful episodes, it at least profiled a talented Colts team surging toward a playoff spot. A collapse intervened on postseason episodes. It will be interesting to see what the Cardinals (4-8) permit to air going forward, as they are set to play out the string. Fortunately for the Cards, teams like the Broncos, Rams and Colts exist. Those disappointments have overshadowed Arizona's. The latest Cards offering included a combined seven QB hits from Zach Allen and J.J. Watt and 120 James Conner rushing yards. The Bolts' only sack -- on a potential Cardinals closeout drive -- set up the latest letdown, one that will not fan the flames on Kliff Kingsbury's hot seat.

CARDINALS GRADE: B-minus | NEXT: vs. Patriots (Dec. 12)

The Rocky Mountain region's fumble-fueled ire toward Melvin Gordon may still diminish any other player's fumbling issues, but Kamara's ball-security problems reached a concerning stage in San Francisco. The perennial Pro Bowler lost two fumbles against the 49ers, one at the goal line, in the Saints' first shutout loss since a 38-0 blemish against the 49ers in 2001. Kamara now has four lost fumbles, outpacing Gordon, who still leads all backs with five total. This might end up Kamara's first non-Pro Bowl season. He has just three TDs and sits 17th in scrimmage yards (946). The departures of Drew Brees and Sean Payton have hurt New Orleans' top playmaker. The Saints (4-8) have taken a major step back under Dennis Allen.

SAINTS GRADE: D-plus | NEXT: at Buccaneers (Mon.)

A fast-emerging defense keyed the 2019 49ers' Super Bowl trip. While this group still features important pieces from that team -- Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, Jimmie Ward -- many of its parts are new. As San Francisco's starters are steadily returning (sans its defensive tackles), this defense has taken more steps. The 49ers (7-4) blanking the Saints extended their run of second-half shutouts to four; they are only the eighth defense since the 1970 merger to accomplish that. The team may have another gear to reach soon when Arik Armstead returns. Week 13's Mike McDaniel reunion will provide a solid gauge for DeMeco Ryans' defense, which is still powering a team that rosters four All-Pros on offense.

49ERS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: vs. Dolphins (Sun.)

Thanks to a defense that has allowed at least 27 points in five straight games, the Bears have climbed into the No. 2 overall draft slot. Although that placement is obviously not solidified, it would give Chicago (3-9) either the draft's best non-quarterback -- with Houston set to be linked to passers at No. 1 -- or a bounty of picks from a team keen on trading up for a QB. Down rookie DBs Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker, the Bears allowed the Jets to amass 466 yards. Even if Justin Fields were available instead of the strange will-he/won't-he pregame subplot involving replacement Trevor Siemian, Chicago's post-Robert Quinn/Roquan Smith defense would have given the starter little chance. 

BEARS GRADE: F | NEXT: vs. Packers (Sun.)

Facing perhaps the NFL's biggest cupcake matchup for aerial deterrence, Mike White capitalized. The benched-and-deactivated Zach Wilson surely viewed this as a missed opportunity, but the former No. 2 overall pick gave the Jets (7-4) no choice. White, who has bounced from the practice squad to first-string during his four-year Jets run, sliced up a weakened Bears secondary for 315 yards and three scores in a game-long rainstorm. The former Cowboys draftee showed capabilities last year in his 400-yard day against the Bengals before crashing to earth, but he made a talented Jets receiving corps relevant again. This might not last, but the veteran raises a defensively geared Jets team's floor from its previously unacceptable place.

JETS GRADE: A | NEXT: at Vikings (Sun.)

Showing no regard for FOX's Week 12 lineup, the Rams fielded a preseason-caliber offense. They are trudging through what will almost certainly be the worst Super Bowl title defense ever. Former QB3 Bryce Perkins totaled 100 passing yards and threw two INTs, and Sean McVay could not dodge trouble even on his own sideline. But still. This Rams defense houses two first-ballot Hall of Famers (Aaron Donald, Bobby Wagner), and Jalen Ramsey could have a Canton case someday. Donald and Leonard Floyd combined for one QB hit, while Ramsey -- a week after allowing a deep Chris Olave TD -- yielded a Travis Kelce score. The Rams (3-8) forced some red zone field goals, but the Donald-Wagner-Ramsey trio's place on this lifeless team is strange.

RAMS GRADE: D-plus | NEXT: vs. Seahawks (Sun.)

While (thankfully) the actual Pro Bowl no longer exists, the invite should at least remain important. After a rookie season in which Micah Parsons eclipsed every other rookie linebacker's work, Bolton is on his way to an invite to February's various skills competitions. The 2021 second-round pick was a quick study last season; he has built on that in Year 2. Bolton's 11-tackle performance included a tackle for loss, a pass deflection and an INT, helping the Chiefs (9-2) keep Perkins from changing their status atop the AFC. Kansas City's back-seven anchor post-Tyrann Mathieu, Bolton (106 tackles, nine TFLs) has nearly matched his rookie-year work (112, 11). The Chiefs are now 26-0 in Patrick Mahomes November or December starts. 

CHIEFS GRADE: B-plus | NEXT: at Bengals (Sun.)

David Culley did not have the chance to coach a rookie first- or second-round draftee. Smith has four on his team, yet the product is worse. The Texans (1-9-1) are cruising toward 2023's No. 1 pick and will have another high choice thanks to the Browns; will Smith be around to offer input on those selections? The Texans have taken a step back even from the Culley year. They fell behind 30-0 to the Dolphins, who yanked Tua Tagovaioa in the third quarter. GM Nick Caserio will look bad for canning a second coach after one season, but can be afford to keep Smith around? Either way, this rebuild attempt -- which differs from the Browns' Hue Jackson arc in terms of roster experience -- stands out in recent NFL history. Here comes Deshaun Watson again.

TEXANS GRADE: F | NEXT: vs. Browns (Sun.)

The Dolphins (8-3) ruined Kyle Allen's first start in two years and dealt another blow to Damien Pierce's Offensive Rookie of the Year candidacy. Pierce now has back-to-back eight-yard rushing performances, while the Texans' decision to bench Davis Mills for Allen yielded similar results. Miami's defensive line led the way in this predictable romp. Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb collected sacks during a five-sack Dolphins day, with Chubb forcing a fumble that preceded Xavien Howard's touchdown. Melvin Ingram and Christian Wilkins added three pressures apiece for a D-line that still appears capable -- though, tougher tests obviously loom -- following Emmanuel Ogbah's season-ending injury.

DOLPHINS GRADE: A | NEXT: at 49ers (Sun.)

After Nathaniel Hackett is canned, we may learn more about what drove this one-time bandwagon team off a cliff. Wilson will be left standing, however, and will have to prove this was a coaching- and injury-driven one-off because this Broncos experiment keeps getting worse. Denver (3-8) mustered 24 third-quarter yards; the team still has one third-period TD all year. The team is without top O-linemen, wideouts and its running back and its previous running back's fumbling problem may have led to two losses. As the Broncos crater in a shocking way, Wilson's stock will have nosedived to the point he will face more pressure than just about any NFLer next season. The Broncos will need to do whatever it takes to justify what, as of now, looks like a terrible trade.

BRONCOS GRADE: F | NEXT: at Ravens (Sun.)

Teddy Bridgewater remains the best quarterback D.J. Moore has played with, as Cam Newton's injuries left him a shell of his Pro Bowler version by the time Moore arrived. Moore and Darnold did not click for long last season, but they showed signs of life Sunday. The Panthers (4-8) did not need Darnold to do too much against a freefalling Broncos operation, but the reinserted starter made multiple quality throws to Moore -- a cross-field TD pass and a strike that traveled 58.5 yards in the air -- during the latter's 103-yard day. Moore beat standout cornerback Patrick Surtain II on both plays. The Panthers are the first team since Oct. 2 to score more than 20 points on the Broncos in regulation. 

PANTHERS GRADE: A | NEXT: at Seahawks (Dec. 11)

Through eight starts, Jones is still sitting on six touchdown passes and seven interceptions. But he has made some progress over his past two games. Jones' 382-yard, two-TD night in Minnesota did not produce a win -- and included a belated makeup call (for Steelers fans, at least) for 2017's Jesse James play/debacle via the Hunter Henry "what is a catch?" sequence -- but the second-year passer at least picked up the pace after a mostly dreadful sophomore slate. The Patriots (6-5) have not done enough with personnel to help Jones, whom Bill Belichick entrusted to Matt Patricia. But Thursday was a positive development on the quarterbacking front for the Pats.

PATRIOTS GRADE: B | NEXT: vs. Bills (Thu.)

With all due respect to Kene Nwangwu's kick-return score, the Vikings (9-2) beat the Patriots because they roster Justin Jefferson. The 6-foot-1 target's contested-catch gift bedeviled a Patriots secondary, despite routine double-coverage efforts, and moved the Vikings (9-2) past their Week 11 no-show. As much (earned) scrutiny as Kirk Cousins receives for big-game disappointments, Jefferson has become a cheat code for the oft-derided passer. The third-year wideout's 1,232 yards are one behind Tyreek Hill. Those two appear near-locks for two of the three first-team All-Pro wideout/flex spots. 

VIKINGS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: vs. Jets (Sun.)

Were Thursday's game televised on NBC, Amazon or ESPN, a graphic would have accompanied the Giants' startling number of backups needed. The team played without three O-line starters, Azeez Ojulari, and just about every first-string DB. And its receiver decimation is well-documented by this point. Brian Daboll's club was still a better-placed Daniel Jones-to-Saquon Barkley pass from giving the Cowboys a serious scare. Barkley's 61 rushing yards over the past two games reflect this personnel dip. With only one "In the hunt" team (Seattle) over .500, the Giants (7-4) remain in decent position. But they will fall out of the race if forced to deploy lineups like this much longer. 

GIANTS GRADE: B-minus | NEXT: vs. Commanders (Sun.)

CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup did well to stop the Giants' hopes at a stunning -- given the health disparity between these teams -- Thanksgiving upset, combining for 169 receiving yards. The Cowboys (8-3) are the clear favorites to sign Odell Beckham Jr., but they are both betting the mercurial receiver is healthy and can seamlessly fit into this offense. Beckham did hit the ground running in L.A., but his Cleveland routine -- from health and fit standpoints -- should at least give Dallas pause. The Cowboys' Lamb-Gallup fit is starting to work again, and Gallup is already coming off an ACL tear. For a frequently questioned coach, Mike McCarthy may soon be dealing with a major distraction if/when OBJ arrives.

COWBOYS GRADE: B | NEXT: vs. Colts (Sun.)

Buffalo's Von Miller-centric plan to change the rivalry dynamic with Kansas City worked in October, and when at full strength, the Bills (8-3) are a better team than the Chiefs. But Miller's injury further depletes a Buffalo squad already forced to use extensive second-string talent. While Miller not sustaining an ACL tear is good news, the future Hall of Famer may no longer be at full strength this season. The Chiefs have played the Titans with Malik Willis and caught a much worse Rams team compared to the version the Bills played in Week 1. They also have two Broncos games left. Buffalo has just one game against a sub-.500 team remaining, which certainly points to the AFC's rivalry of the moment being contested in Missouri again.

BILLS GRADE: B-minus | NEXT: at Patriots (Thu.)

D'Andre Swift has returned from the injuries that sidelined him during the Lions' midseason stretch. But the team (4-7) has relegated the dynamic running back to reserve duties since his comeback. The 2020 second-round pick has not cleared the 35% snap barrier since Week 8 and has not surpassed 50 scrimmage yards since Week 2. Jamaal Williams has obviously exceeded expectations, but Swift not being close to his 2020 level (1,069 scrimmage yards in 13 games) limits the Lions' capabilities. This will be a Detroit subplot worth following as the season winds down.

LIONS GRADE: B-minus | NEXT: vs. Jaguars (Sun.)