We’ve reached the back half of the NFL season, where all 32 teams have played either 10 or 11 games. With much of the season already decided, it’s time to evaluate the performance of each team. Some teams have earned an A+, while others are flunking their way to an F. How does your team’s NFL report card look before Week 12?
Arizona Cardinals: D
NFL: Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys
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Jacoby Brissett completed an NFL-record 47 passes, but it didn’t matter with the Cardinals turning the ball over three times while getting zero takeaways. It doesn’t help that the Cardinals have allowed an average of 32 points across their past five games, but overall, this roster still needs a lot of help.
Atlanta Falcons: F
NFL: Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers
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The Falcons definitely didn’t expect to be 3-7, sitting outside the playoff picture just over halfway through the season. They didn’t trade their 2026 first-round pick to finish in third place of the NFC South. A lost season is never fun, but now that Michael Penix won’t even gain the experience he needs to close out the year? At least they’ll finally get some return on their $180 million Kirk Cousins investment.
Related: NFL Power Rankings 2025: Week-by-Week NFL Evaluations of All 32 Teams
Baltimore Ravens: C+
NFL: Chicago Bears at Baltimore Ravens
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The Ravens have slowly been ascending toward the top of the AFC North, and winning their passt four games has dramatically increased their playoff odds. A bad Baltimore defense that allowed 35.4 PPG in their first five contests has flipped the script. They’ve allowed just 14.8 PPG in their past five matchups. If that defensive effort continues, watch out come playoff time.
Buffalo Bills: A-
NFL: Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers
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Beating a playoff-bound Buccaneers team is another big win for a Bills squad that looks poised for another deep playoff run. There are still concerns about a defense that’s allowed 30 or more points three times this season, but Josh Allen and James Cook make for one of the NFL’s most dynamic duos that are hard to stop.
Carolina Panthers: A-
NFL: Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
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Every once in a while, just when we’re ready to say Bryce Young won’t be a franchise quarterback, he flashes star potential. No one saw a 400-yard game coming, but now the question is can Dave Canales help the No. 1 overall pick repeat his success? With more wins than they had last season, this year has already been a profound success in Carolina.
Chicago Bears: A+
NFL: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings
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The Bears are actually doing it. Caleb Williams has a chance to become the first Chicago QB to have a 4,000-yard passing season. But more importantly, the Bears are in first place of the NFC North, and they haven’t won the division since 2018. The scary part is this team is just starting to be built.
Related: NFL Power Rankings 2025: Week-by-Week NFL Evaluations of All 32 Teams
Cincinnati Bengals: D-
NFL: New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals
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The moment Joe Burrow went down, everyone knew the Bengals’ season was in danger. Here we are, and Burrow’s on the verge of recovery, but it may not even be worth it for a team that’s 3-7. Cincinnati’s lucky that the AFC North-leading Steelers have just six wins, giving the Bengals a sliver of hope. Yet, with the NFL’s worst defense, what’s the point? This team isn’t going anywhere.
Cleveland Browns: F
NFL: Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns
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The Browns do not deserve Myles Garrett. The QB room has predictably been atrocious since they dealt Flacco to a division rival. But at least now the fans get their wish by seeing what Shedeur Sanders is capable of. Perhaps with some first-team reps he’ll have a fighting chance, because it can’t get any worse than the fifth-round pick’s debut.
Dallas Cowboys: C
NFL: Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets
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The Cowboys came out of the bye on a high note, with a new and improved roster, and they rolled over the Raiders. A bigger test comes this week, where the Cowboys’ offense should have no trouble outpacing the Eagles. The real mystery is in predicting which version of the Cowboys’ defense will show up. The Cowboys held an opponent to under 20 points for the first time all season. Was it a fluke? Or was it just the Raiders?
Denver Broncos: A+
NFL: Dallas Cowboys at Denver Broncos
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On pace to record more sacks than any other team in NFL history, the Broncos’ defense is clearly elite. While the offense hasn’t been consistently sharp, Bo Nix leads the NFL in game-winning drives this season. It still feels like this offense has to be more productive, but with a suffocating defense, this team might just have what it takes to go all the way.
Detroit Lions: B
Detroit Lions
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Some form of regression was always expected for a team that won 15 games, then lost their offensive and defensive coordinator. Yet, Detroit still boasts one of the NFL’s best offenses, and we’ve seen the potential on defense too. Let’s just hope they correct the coaching mistakes before the postseason arrives.
Green Bay Packers: B
NFL: Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers
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Getting back in the victory column feels good for a Packers team with an important stretch against three consecutive divsional opponents ahead. Jeff Hafley’s defense has been excellent again. There are still consistency issues on offense, which is where things could get interesting in the next month.
Houston Texans: C
NFL: San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans
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Houston’s defense remains dominant under DeMeco Ryans. But this offense is still a concern. Davis Mills has filled in for C.J. Stroud admirably, but the rushing offense won’t suddenly fix itself. There’s a lot of developing going on in Houston this season, which is not what anyone was hoping for after a taste of the playoffs.
Indianapolis Colts: A+
NFL: Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts
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A few scary moments leading into the bye gave the Colts plenty to evaluate during their week off. Now they’ll face a hungry Chiefs team is coming off a tough loss. Yet, considering the Colts haven’t scored fewer than 20 points all season, we see no reason why they can’t win this one too. If so, it crosses off arguably their toughest remaining test before the postseason kicks off.
Jacksonville Jaguars: B+
Syndication: Florida Times-Union
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Not many teams can beat up on Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers like the Jaguars just did. Perhaps this is the galvanizing win that helps Liam Coen’s Jaguars turn the corner, but they’ve already recorded two more wins than they had all of last season. The Jaguars are clearly building something here, and they should be able to rattle off a few more wins with a soft schedule to close out the season.
Kansas City Chiefs: B
NFL: Washington Commanders at Kansas City Chiefs
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It’s never easy facing the Broncos, but the Chiefs need to find ways to still be dominant against even the NFL’s best defenses if they want to return to the pinnacle. We’ve learned that we can count on Kansas City’s fourth-ranked defense. Now it’s time for Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes to figure things out on offense too.
Las Vegas Raiders: F
NFL: Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
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Nothing has gone right in Vegas this season. Not even Asthon Jeanty, who felt like a safe pick to be a surefire star in the NFL, hasn’t panned out. We thought the Antonio Pierce era was ugly, but this group was aiming for a playoff spot with Pete Carroll and they still fell just as short as Pierce did.
Los Angeles Chargers: B+
Syndication: Florida Times-Union
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The Chargers have dealt with a litany of injuries on offense, so even getting to se ven wins is quite the feat. After being obliterated in Jacksonville, the bye week couldn’t come at a better time We expect the Chargers to get right back on track in Week 13 before they face a tough stretch on the schedule.
Los Angeles Rams: A+
NFL: London Games-Los Angeles Rams at Jacksonville Jaguars
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We never imagined that a Rams team without Aaron Donald would have a better defense than their offense under Sean McVay. Which is even crazier when you realize Matthew Stafford is a leading MVP candidate. The Rams look like a true Super Bowl contender on both sides of the ball.
Miami Dolphins: D
NFL: Miami Dolphins at Atlanta Falcons
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The Dolphins have gotten back to the victory column for two consecutive weeks now and they may stay there for another two with the Saints and Jets up next. Getting this thing back to a near .500 record would be an impressive feat after starting 1-6. Mike McDaniel is literally coaching for his job right now.
Minnesota Vikings: D+
NFL: Baltimore Ravens at Minnesota Vikings
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This was supposed to be the year of J.J. McCarthy’s development. Yet, the Vikings can’t like what they’ve seen from the 22-year-old so far. He’s already tossed eight interceptions in just five starts. That’s put a lot of extra pressure on the defense, which hasn’t quite matched last year’s elite group.
New England Patriots: A+
NFL: Cleveland Browns at New England Patriots
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The Patriots aren’t just in first place of the AFC East, they’re fighting for a first-round bye in the playoffs. Drake Maye has developed into one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks and Mike Vrabel has drastically turned around the defense too. They’ve been excellent through 11 weeks.
New Orleans Saints: D-
NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints
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Tyler Shough got the Saints a win before the bye and now he’s had an extra week to review film and build chemistry with his receivers. We don’t expect a vastly improved effort from one of the NFL’s worst rosters, as this was always going to be a year of development. They’ve only played three one-score games all year, which suggests there’s plenty of room for growth as the rebuild continues.
New York Giants: F
NFL: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
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Five consecutive losses have the Giants looking more like a team ready to finish with a top-five pick for the second year in a row. It’s no surprise that Brian Daboll got fired, but what about the person that hired him and failed to reinforce the offensive line or supply Daniel Jones with the weapons he needed to succeed?
New York Jets: D
NFL: New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals
Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
Two wins in the past three games might get some to think the Jets are turning the plane around. Yet, that improvement won’t come this season. After loading up on draft picks, the Jets are looking to the future, and they’re not even evaluating Justin Fields anymore, despite him being under contract for next year too.
Philadelphia Eagles: A
NFL: New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles
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A.J. Brown hasn’t been happy, but he was pleased with his target share this past week. Jalen Hurts has taken a lot of criticism, but he’s only thrown one interception compared to 16 touchdown passes. Philadelphia’s defense is once again a top-ten unit so if everyone can get on the same page, they could very well run this thing back.
Related: 2025 NFL QB Rankings: Maye and Stafford’s Dominance Set Tone
Pittsburgh Steelers: B
Syndication: Beaver County Times
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The Steelers crushed the Bengals, but at what cost? Aaron Rodgers is now dealing with a wrist injury and the Steelers have three tough opponents coming up next. Look, Mike Tomlin’s teams will never fall flat, but seeing how the Steelers respond over the next three weeks could determine their season.
San Francisco 49ers: B
NFL: San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans
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In an unexpected turn of events, the 49ers have the NFL’s worst rushing yard average of just 3.5 yards per carry, and that’s with Christian McCaffrey leading the NFL in attempts. Though, the 49ers are amazingly second in passing yards, even with Mac Jones making eight starts this season. We’ve seen a much improved effort on both sides of the ball, and now the 49ers are back in the playoff race.
Seattle Seahawks: A
NFL: Seattle Seahawks at Washington Commanders
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
A tough loss to the Rams feels like a crushing blow, but Sam Darnold won’t throw four interceptions each week. To be fair, the Rams also have a really good defense and a strong coaching staff. With a top-ten offense and defense, the Seahawks will definitely be in the postseason, and Darnold is a huge reason why.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: B-
NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Back-to-back losses to surefire playoff contenders puts the Buccaneers in a tough spot. But it won’t get any easier this week against the Rams. Baker Mayfield has pulled out four game-winning drives this season and he may have to deliver in the clutch again this week.
Tennessee Titans: F
Syndication: The Tennessean
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Only losing by three points feels like a step in the right direction. Tennessee also came within just one possession of a win against the Chargers too. With the NFL’s worst offense and the league’s third-worst defense, the Titans may just be the worst team in football, but that was expected after starting a rookie QB who needs a lot of development.
Washington Commanders: F
NFL: Seattle Seahawks at Washington Commanders
Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Six consecutive losses? There’s no way to sugarcoat it, the Commanders have fallen well short of expectations. Not having Jayden Daniels for five games didn’t help, but the Commanders weren’t playing well with him either. At least they’ll get a great draft pick and ideally return with a roster more built for the future in 2026.
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Sports fan since birth. I am also passionate about cars, music, and anything funny. Minnesotan, born and raised. Maybe ... More about Andrew Buller-Russ