NFL Week 10 Grades: Grading Every NFL Team’s Sunday Performance

The Sunday Of Week 10 of the NFL season is in the books. Here’s how all 24 teams that played on Sunday graded out.

The Sunday of Week 10 is in the books. There were some really high highs, and some really low lows.

These grades don’t just take into account how a team played and the final score. It factors in things like expectations, short and long-term goals of the franchise, injuries, and other factors. It’s a long season, and the grade is about more than just who won and who lost. The big picture has to be kept in mind.

New York Giants: D

20-17 (L) Vs. Panthers (Game in Munich, Germany)
Losing to the Panthers is always embarrassing. Going all the way to Munich, Germany and making a string of comical errors makes the loss sting all that much more. Daniel Jones is making fans cringe on a weekly basis. The only reason this isn’t an F is because it’s a huge loss for draft position.

Carolina Panthers: A

20-17 (W) Vs. Giants (Game in Munich, Germany)
Draft position is important for bad teams. But, the Carolina Panthers need to start winning games after the putrid product they’ve put on the field the last few years. This marks a second straight win, and a second straight solid performance from Bryce Young. We’ve seen turnarounds start by a strong end to the season during a lost season, like the Lions’ turnaround that began late in the 2022 season. Maybe, just maybe, this is the start of something.

New England Patriots: A

19-3 (W) @ Bears

The Chicago Bears were supposed to be well ahead of the New England Patriots in the rebuilding process. Instead, Drake Maye and a resurgent Patriots defense punked the Bears for four quarters. The pass rush made life difficult for Caleb Williams, and they made enough plays on offense. The Patriots could be turning the corner towards competitiveness.

Chicago Bears: F

19-3 (L) Vs. Patriots

This may be the easiest F grade of the season. The Bears, losers of two straight, faced a must-win game against the lowly Patriots at home. They flat-out stunk for four quarters, especially on offense. The franchise, which seemed to be headed for playoff contention for years to come, is a total disaster right now.

Buffalo Bills: B+

30-20 (W) @ Colts

Road wins in the NFL are always good, and the Bills played fine enough. But, Josh Allen threw two bad picks. Those interceptions weren’t happening early in the season. That’s a trend that needs to stop. Still, a nice win.

Indianapolis Colts: D

30-20 (L) Vs. Bills

When the Colts decided to bench Anthony Richardson and start Joe Flacco prior to Week 9, it was to make a push for the playoffs. Now, they’re 4-6, their young quarterback isn’t getting reps, and they’re likely to miss the playoffs. It’s a bad situation all around. After an impressive first year as head coach, Shane Steichen’s sophomore campaign has not been good.

Denver Broncos: C+

16-14 (L) @ Chiefs

The Broncos were so close to ending Kansas City’s undefeated season. Bo Nix played well, the defense toughened up in the red zone, and they were in perfect position to win. But, special teams can decide games, and they learned that the hard way when their chip shot field goal was blocked. They played well, but you have to execute in big moments to beat good teams. They failed that test.

Kansas City Chiefs: B

16-14 (W) Vs. Broncos

Wins are wins. But, the Chiefs essentially lost this game before the heroic blocked field goal by Leo Chenal. The red zone struggles have to stop, as they’re settling for far too many field goals. That’s the big hurdle keeping this team from firing on all cylinders.

Atlanta Falcons: D-

20-17 (L) @ Saints

Teams often get a boost in their first game under an interim head coach, and that’s how the Saints played on Sunday. But, the Falcons still should’ve been good enough to beat a really bad Saints team. That being said, they did outplay the Saints and totaled 468 yards of offense. Red zone efficiency was the difference in this game. A bad loss, but not necessarily a bad performance.

New Orleans Saints: B+

20-17 (W) Vs. Falcons

The only points off here is because it will hurt the draft picks for a Saints team that desperately needs talent. But, after seven straight losses, it had to feel great for the team to find a way to win for interim head coach Darren Rizzi. Derek Carr had a huge bounceback game and the defense found way to get stops when it counted.

San Francisco 49ers: A-

23-20 (W) @ Buccaneers

Christian McCaffrey returned to the lineup, but the story was Brock Purdy. Purdy played, in my opinion, his best game of the year. The highlight was a sensational drive to get the 49ers into field goal range for a walk-off kick. The biggest knock on San Francisco in this game was kicker Jake Moody. Yes, he made the game-winner, but three other missed kicks means nobody is confident in him.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: C

23-20 (L) Vs. 49ers

Despite being decimated by injuries, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to play hard, and Baker Mayfield is playing like a true franchise quarterback. But, their season has slipped away because they simply cannot close out close games. It has to be frustrating for the team to seemingly always be on the wrong side of these kinds of games.

Pittsburgh Steelers: A

28-27 (W) @ Commanders

The 7-2 Steelers have their signature win of their great start to the season. They made Jayden Daniels operate from the pocket and held him to his worst game as a pro. Offensively, the balance this team has is something not seen in Pittsburgh since the “Killer B’s” of the mid-2010s. The Pittsburgh Steelers should be thought of as contenders.

Washington Commanders: C+

28-27 (L) @ Steelers

The Commanders had chances to win this game, and likely fell just a foot short of winning it. But, they went toe-to-toe with a quality opponent and a ferocious pass rush for four quarters. While Jayden Daniels was inefficient overall, he showed no fear in the pocket. The defense played well, and kept the team in the game for stretches. The Commanders continue to prove that they’re for real.

Minnesota Vikings: B

12-7 (W) @ Jaguars

Road wins are always good, and the defense was stifling. But, the fact that Sam Darnold threw three interceptions makes onlookers wonder if regression to the mean for Darnold is coming. And, not being able to score a touchdown all day against a gettable Jaguars defense is frustrating. That being said, it’s better than a loss.

Jacksonville Jaguars: D

12-7 (L) Vs. Vikings

The Jaguars played hard with Mac Jones under center while Trevor Lawrence nurses an injury. But, the fact they could not win a game in which the defense picked off three passes and kept the Vikings out of the end zone shows how directionless this team is right now. Another rebuild is coming.

Tennessee Titans: C

27-17 (L) @ Chargers

Yes, it’s a loss. But, the Tennessee Titans wanted to see how Will Levis would play after a rough start to the year followed by an injury. While he was sacked seven times, Levis looked solid and certainly had a performance that was worth building on. His connection with Calvin Ridley looked especially strong. Overall, Titans fans may be feeling a bit better than they did before Week 10.

Los Angeles Chargers: A+

27-17 (W) Vs. Titans

This was the kind of football that Jim Harbaugh wants to build this team around. The Chargers played smashmouth football on offense, and Justin Herbert was deadly in play-action. On defense, they got consistent pressure that resulted in seven sacks. The Chargers could be a tough out in the playoffs if they keep progressing.

Philadelphia Eagles:A+

34-6 (W) @ Cowboys

The Philadelphia Eagles absolutely demolished their hated rival, controlling the game in all facets. Jalen Hurts rebounded from a shaky start to play well, and the team kept Saquon Barkley’s touches down as they move into the meat of their schedule. There’s very little to complain about from a Philadelphia perspective.

Dallas Cowboys: F

34-6 (L) Vs. Eagles

The Dallas Cowboys and owner/GM Jerry Jones are a total embarrassment. The product on the field stinks, players can’t see because Jones won’t close the curtains, resulting in a strong glare, and fans are getting restless. Micah Parsons did play well in his return, but everything else was pretty darn awful.

New York Jets: F

31-6 (L) Vs. Cardinals

After the Jets beat the Texans in Week 9, some thought maybe they could save the season. They could not. The Jets were humiliated by the Cardinals. The Cardinals are supposed to be the team rebuilding, but the Jets look like they need yet another rebuild. Aaron Rodgers looked old and slow, the rest of the team looked disinterested, and it’s another lost season.

Arizona Cardinals: A+

31-6 (W) Vs. Jets

The Arizona Cardinals continue to show us week after week that they’re a real contender to win the NFC West, and we should start believing them. Kyler Murray is playing fantastic football leading an offense that can beat you in a variety of ways. Most importantly, the defense is quickly improving, especially up front. A nonexistent pass rush early in the year has been getting to quarterbacks lately. Sunday’s demolition of Aaron Rodgers and the Jets was no different. At 6-4, the playoffs are a real possibility.

Detroit Lions: B+

26-23 (W) @ Texans

Good teams find ways to win games. That’s what the Lions did, surviving five Jared Goff interceptions. Not all of them were his fault, and one was a Hail Mary, but the team still had to overcome the four interceptions that were costly out of the five. They showed their mettle in the second half, outscoring the Texans 19-0 in Houston. But, it is concerning that the offense has slowed down a bit in the last few games. It improved in the second half, but the first half was a slog. Still, this is the best team in the NFC.

Houston Texans: D

26-23 (L) Vs. Lions

Normally, a 26-23 loss to a juggernaut Lions team wouldn’t get such a harsh grade. But, when you’re gifted five interceptions and play against a Lions offense that wasn’t firing on all cylinders, you’ve got to take advantage. Instead, CJ Stroud continues to struggle, the defense suddenly couldn’t get a stop in in the second half, and they played poor situational football. All that added up to blowing a 16-point second-half lead. The AFC South is bad, so they’re probably fine in terms of making the playoffs. But, the Texans have absolutely regressed recently, costly injuries aside.