Tag: grades

Pro Football Focus: Marcus Williams is the most underrated Saints player

The analysts at Pro Football Focus graded third-year New Orleans Saints free safety Marcus Williams as the team’s most-underrated player.

[jwplayer WU2Y8Ngc]

Who is the most underrated New Orleans Saints player? Some might answer linebacker Demario Davis, or right tackle Ryan Ramczyk — neither of them have ever been voted into the Pro Bowl. Cornerback Eli Apple has done a lot to shed the “draft bust” label he was hit with earlier in his New York Giants career. Rookie punt and kickoffs returner Deonte Harris is among the best in the NFL at what he does. There are even arguments to make for fullback Zach Line and tight end Josh Hill as deep cuts who get appreciated by only the most ardent fans.

According to the analysts at Pro Football Focus, the title of most-underrated belongs to free safety Marcus Williams. PFF listed the candidates for every team in the NFL, and Williams was their pick for the Saints:

The highest-graded safety in the NFL isn’t a household name, but he really should be. Marcus Williams currently sits at the top with a 91.4 grade and has been playing better than any big-name safety you can think of. Williams has been on lockdown in coverage, with just 73 yards allowed in 445 coverage snaps, and he has more combined interceptions and pass breakups (8) than receptions allowed (7).

Those numbers are very impressive for Williams, who has already matched his single-season high for interceptions (4) in six fewer games. Now that he’s hurdled whatever mental blocks followed the Minneapolis Miracle to improve his tackling technique and trust his instincts, he’s become one of the NFL’s best center field ball hawks.

[vertical-gallery id=22891]

PFF grades Nick Easton as the Saints’ best offensive player vs. Bucs

The analysts at Pro Football Focus singled out left guard Nick Easton as the best New Orleans Saints player against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

[jwplayer A2nDW4SZ]

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers boasted the NFL’s best run defense, but it didn’t matter against a New Orleans Saints offensive line that bullied them on Sunday. It’s not uncommon to see the Saints’ big blockers doing damage up front — four of the unit’s five starters were recognized at last year’s Pro Bowl or on the All-Pro lists. But what’s unexpected is how well the unit’s newest addition performed.

According to snap-by-snap charting from Pro Football Focus, backup left guard Nick Easton was the best Saints player on offense. Their grading system credited him with an 83.5 overall mark (third-best in the league this week, going into Monday Night Football) and a no-hitter in pass protection, with 37 snaps logged against the Buccaneers pass rush but no quarterback pressures allowed. Easton’s aggressiveness on run plays was a big part of New Orleans’ success, with the veteran often moving the man across from him before advancing to the second level.

Fans couldn’t have hoped for a better NFL debut for Easton in black and gold, especially given his lack of playing-time so far. Easton signed a four-year, $22.5 million contract with the Saints in the spring but had only played a handful of snaps on special teams going into Week 11. An unfortunate injury to starting left guard Andrus Peat opened the door for Easton to get on the field.

There was some debate among fans about who would start in Peat’s place, though Easton was the popular pick. The doubt surrounded his lack of appearances going into Sunday’s game. Easton was a healthy scratch in six of the Saints’ first nine games, with backups Will Clapp and Patrick Omameh ahead of him on the depth chart. Clapp and Omameh have the versatility to play both guard and tackle (and Clapp has proven he can hold it down at center in a pinch), but Easton’s limitations at guard and center kept him on the bench until the Saints needed him.

And they’re happy to have him. Saints coach Sean Payton can be counted among the group that was impressed by Easton’s performance, saying after the game, “He has been getting a lot of practice reps, but there wasn’t a lot of discussion. We felt like he was going to be the starting left guard. That gave us the ability to keep Will Clapp in his role. Nick [Easton] has played a lot of football in our league — he has started a lot of games. I am anxious to see the film because I think he played pretty well.”

Peat is going to be out about five more weeks while recovering from surgery on his broken arm, so that gives Easton plenty of opportunities to make plays for New Orleans. If he keeps up the pace he started with against Tampa Bay, he might just hold onto the starting job if Peat leaves in free agency in the offseason.

[vertical-gallery id=22622]

Pro Football Focus grades Marcus Williams as the Saints’ best player

The analysts at Pro Football Focus graded Marcus Williams, not Cameron Jordan or Michael Thomas, as the best New Orleans Saints player.

[jwplayer sXmBDaQ3]

The New Orleans Saints have one of the better rosters around the league, led by a defense that’s won most of its battles this year. When prompted to suggest which single player is the best on that unit, popular picks are probably defensive end Cameron Jordan or cornerback Marshon Lattimore, or maybe even linebacker Demario Davis.

But the analysts at Pro Football Focus threw another hat into the ring: free safety Marcus Williams, who they’ve graded as the best player not just on the defense, but on the entire team — ranking him ahead of Drew Brees, Michael Thomas, and everyone else. Williams has caught three of New Orleans’ four interceptions this season, and come close to securing three others:

Everyone loves Marshon Lattimore, but it’s Williams who takes the cake for New Orleans right now. The third-year Utah product has earned an impressive 80.8 run-defense grade and an even better 91.1 coverage grade so far this season. Among the 69 safeties with 10 or more targets in Weeks 1-10, Williams ranks first in completion percentage allowed (46.2%) and total yards allowed (51). He has also recorded three dropped interceptions in addition to his three caught interceptions.

Williams has improved his tackling technique as the season has gone on, though his early outings saw the same bad head-down technique that led to the Minneapolis Miracle a few years ago. So credit him for that big improvement. Until his teammates start to help out with some turnovers of their own, the Saints may have to continue relying on his ability to intercept passes from the center-field spot. In the meantime, maybe he can change into a better jersey number?

[vertical-gallery id=22101]