Grades for NFL teams coming out of 2023 bye week
Minnesota Vikings (6-6)
Kevin O’Connell’s defending NFC North champions dropped their first three games and has come up short in their last two outings. In between there was a 6-1 stretch via three different starting quarterbacks and an improved defensive unit led by new coordinator Brian Flores. A return to the playoffs is still a possibility.
While the team has regrouped after a slow start, those three losses to start 2023, while the Vikings still had a healthy Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson, may indeed wind up costing the club a postseason berth.
Grade: C+
New York Giants (4-8)
Where to begin. Despite the fact that team has prevailed in its last two games, it’s hard to give Brian Daboll’s club a higher mark. Only the New England Patriots are averaging fewer points per game after 13 weeks. The Giants’ offense, led by three different starting quarterbacks this season, has totaled 15 TDs.
Big Blue should be renamed Big Black and Blue. The team has surrendered an astounding 69 sacks. New York’s point differential is minus-133. Second-year pro Kayvon Thibodeaux has 11 of the team’s 21 sacks.