Tag: next gen stats

Film review: Lions Graham Glasgow played his worst game of the season against the Bills

Film review: Lions Graham Glasgow played his worst game of the season against the Bills

Coming off the best season of his career, it looked like Graham Glasgow really found his groove as he returned to Detroit. He played so well last season that the Lions gave him a three-year contract extension worth $20 million dollars, that included $9.5 million guaranteed.

Last season, he played almost 1200 snaps (highest in his career) and his performance earned an overall grade of 75.1 from Pro Football Focus (PFF). In pass protection, Glasgow allowed 46 pressures, 35 hurries, eight QB hits, and three sacks in 2023.

Moving onto 2024, the Lions signed guard Kevin Zeitler and that forced Glasgow to move to left guard. Unfortunately, this move has been less than ideal for Glasgow. Up to this point in the season, his blocking grades are way down from where they were a season ago.

According to PFF, Glasgow has earned a run blocking grade of 56.2, pass blocking grade of 54.5 and a 55.9 overall grade. Through 941 offensive snaps played, he’s already given up 33 pressures, seven QB hits and four sacks. Meanwhile, he earned the lowest offensive grade for any Lions player on offense against the Bills. His 34.3 overall grade against Buffalo was his lowest grade on the season. Let’s dive into some film and see what some of the issues were for Glasgow in week 15!

 

Starting with the first play that stands out on tape is this one between Graham Glasgow and Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver. Looking at the play above, you’ll see the Lions coming out of an empty formation. Once the ball is snapped, you’ll see Glasgow getting out of his stance at left guard.

Right out of his stance, his base looks a bit wide but furthermore, his pad level is far too high. Especially when playing against a defensive lineman with the blend and power that Ed Oliver possesses. Revealing too much of his chest, Glasgow starts getting blown off the ball.

From there, he’s never able to regain control or anchor against this bullrush from Oliver. This forces Goff to get sacked and ultimately, he fumbles the football in the process. The more I look at this rep, the more concerned I get with the right knee of Glasgow especially when seeing him sit out of practice all week with a knee injury.

 

Moving to a more positive play, there’s still plenty of good technical work from Glasgow on tape. Looking at the play above, the Lions throw out of a shotgun formation that features TE Sam LaPorta being sent on an exit motion prior to the snap.

Once the ball is snapped, you’ll see Goff spin out of some pressure before resetting his feet and throwing a pass to WR Allen Robinson. Despite the pass being broken up, one thing worth watching is LG Graham Glasgow. You’ll see him slide to his right and in the process, he picks up the defensive tackle that is aligned as a zero shade over the center.

In the process, Glasgow hits the defender and as he looks to reset his hands, he executes a snatch-trap technique. This pulls the defender to the ground and it helps keep an additional defender away from the quarterback.

Bills DT Ed Oliver generated a season-high 10 pressures on 42 pass rush snaps against the Lions. That’s the most pressures in a game by a defensive tackle this season, per Next Gen Stats. Additionally, Oliver generated 7 of those pressures against Glasgow.

Overall, there’s no need to hit the panic button with Glasgow, but I would proceed with caution, especially since he’s popped up on the injury report with a knee injury this week. Certainly, he’s allowed a bad day at the office but his performance against the Bills is concerning.

Meanwhile, there’s been growing concern over the last month as Glasgow has been playing his worst football of the season. That’s significant as the Lions enter the most important 3-game stretch of their season. With him being a veteran player, there are reasons to believe he can turn it around. Unfortunately, if there aren’t improvements soon, the Lions could be turning to a new left guard sooner rather than later.

 

Jameson Williams clocked the fastest speed in the NFL in Week 14

Lions WR Jameson Williams clocked the fastest speed in the NFL in Week 14 against the Packers

It’s not breaking news to anyone that Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams is fast. Speed is “Jamo’s” calling card, after all. But sometimes it’s still fun to get the reminder during a game.

That happened during Detroit’s Week 14 win over the Green Bay Packers. Williams hit a top speed of 20.45 MPH on a catch-and-run early in the game, as measured by chip technology via Next Gen Stats. According to Zebra Technologies, the company behind the tracking, that was the fastest speed recorded by any ball carrier in Week 14.

From their weekly newsletter:

  • On a 28-yard, 1st-quarter catch, Jameson Williams reached 20.45 mph. It was the fastest top speed reached by a ball carrier in Week 14.

Williams has gone faster, hitting 21.48 MPH on a play last season, but his burst against the Packers still qualifies as elite.

NFL Next Gen Stats shared concerning factoid about Chiefs OL Wanya Morris

NFL Next Gen Stats shared a concerning fact about #Chiefs OL Wanya Morris’ performance against the #Raiders in Week 13.

The Kansas City Chiefs punched their ticket to the playoffs last night with a 19-17 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, but not all is going well for the defending Super Bowl champions.

The Chiefs’ offensive line has underperformed this season, and Patrick Mahomes has taken a beating in Kansas City’s last two games.

Mahomes was sacked five times in the Chiefs’ win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 12, and Las Vegas managed to bring him down four times on Black Friday.

Left tackle Wanya Morris has borne the brunt of criticisms from fans and pundits, and an NFL Next Gen Stats graphic from last night’s broadcast on Amazon Prime highlighted just how poorly he performed against the Raiders:

 

Given Morris’ struggle to effectively block for Mahomes against Las Vegas, fans can expect newly-signed offensive lineman D.J. Humphries to take over the former Sooner’s starting spot when Kansas City faces off against the Las Angeles Chargers on December 8.

Titans’ Chig Okonkwo shows off a hidden second gear on critical touchdown

Tennessee Titans tight end Chig Okonkwo showed off a hidden second gear on the biggest (and fastest) play of his young career.

In a moment that would have spelled doom for the Tennessee Titans in previous games, the team got a huge play from an unexpected source: tight end Chig Okonkwo. 

After falling behind, the Titans needed a play to change momentum and get the offense back on track. Then, quarterback Will Levis hit Okonkwo in stride, and the often-overlooked receiver did the rest, racing 70 yards for a game-changing touchdown that would put Tennessee back on top to stay. 

Okonkwo would not be denied, showing off his athleticism and a second gear that has not been on display for much of the season. In fact, according to NextGenStats, his top speed of 20.03 miles per hour during his 70-yard touchdown reception was the fastest in the league for a tight end in 2024. 


Used more in the running game, Okonkwo is an old-school tight end who can excel both as an in-line blocker and on the outside as a receiver. The former fourth-round selection in the 2022 NFL draft has developed into the top tight end on the Titans roster and a reliable target for Levis. 

Lewis and Okonkwo will be back in action on Sunday when the 3-8 Titans head to Landover, MD, to take on the Washington Commanders in Week 13 action. 

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Saints’ playoff chances remain slim entering the bye week

The Saints have won back-to-back games and made ground in the NFC South title race, but their playoff probability still remains beneath 5%:

A path for the New Orleans Saints to the playoffs has come into clearer view but it hasn’t become more likely.

Next Gen Stats is used by NFL.com to project playoff probability. It gives current probability and what changes with a win or a loss this week. Because New Orleans is currently on their bye week, they have no opportunity to improve or lessen their 4% chance at making the playoffs.

Darren Rizzi has led the Saints in consecutive wins, and he’d likely punch his ticket as the team’s long-term head coach if he beats those odds.

Why is it in the single digits? The Atlanta Falcons have a 72% chance at making the playoffs. Seeing that neither team have a record good enough to be a wild card team, a percentage that high would suggest belief in Atlanta to win the division.

The Saints’ path to the playoffs is through the division. Despite making ground on Atlanta and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the analytics say completing the comeback isn’t likely.

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Jared Goff blowing away the NFL QB field in passing under pressure

Detroit’s Jared Goff blowing away the NFL QB field in passing under pressure according to data from Next Gen Stats

Jared Goff has played his way into the NFL most valuable player conversation in leading the Lions to a 5-1 start. One of the reasons why is how well the Detroit quarterback is performing when pressured by the opposing defense.

That was on serious display in the Lions’ Week 7 win in Minnesota. Goff carved up the Vikings defensive pressure. No. 16 completed 10 of his 11 pass attempts under pressure, netting 180 yards and two touchdowns. That outstanding pressure management against the previously unbeaten Vikings adds more evidence that no quarterback is playing better under pressure in 2024 than Jared Goff.

From the Next Gen Stats newsletter,

Goff is averaging a league-high 11.6 YPA under pressure this season; no other QB is over 9.0. He leads all qualified QBs in yards per attempt (11.6), completion percentage (71.6%), CPOE (+9.6%) and passer rating (125.7) under pressure this season.

Goff’s poise and command of the offense, even when under pressure, are the envy of the league through Week 7.

Saints have to prioritize getting Spencer Rattler out of the pocket

Spencer Rattler was effective throwing outside of the pocket, until the Buccaneers adjusted. Klint Kubiak must make his own changes this week:

New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler showed potential in his NFL debut, especially in the first half. Things began to go downhill in the second half after Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles adjusted his pressure packages to send more exotic blitzes after the first-year pro. But the connection between Rattler’s success and struggles is his ability to work outside of the pocket.

Rattler completed 7 of 12 attempts for 111 yards when he was throwing from outside the pocket, per Next Gen Stats.

Against the Denver Broncos, Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has to come up with a better plan to get Rattler on the move and outside of the pocket more consistently. Vance Joseph is a good defensive coordinator and he’ll likely use some of the principles Bowles and the Buccaneers used to keep Rattler in the pocket.

In the first half, Rattler looked in control of the offense. He rolled out on the first play of the game and delivered a 27-yard pass to Juwan Johnson. The formula of rolling out and allowing Rattler to read multiple levels of the field was effective until Tampa Bay adjusted.

They began flaring their defensive ends out to stop Rattler’s ability to get outside. It’s no coincidence the offense stalled because that was New Orleans’ best offensive strategy.

The injuries on the offensive line make it difficult to run and consistently keep a clean pocket. Moving the pocket was clearly effective. Kubiak has to find a way to adjust and keep that as a positive aspect in the offense.

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Jared Goff set NFL season passing mark while under pressure vs. Cowboys

Goff isn’t known for his passing under pressure, but he lit up the Cowboys in Week 6 when Dallas pressured him

One of the persistent knocks on Jared Goff throughout his lengthy NFL career has been his decline in play when under pressure. It’s dogged Goff back to his days as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, and it’s followed him to his successful renaissance in Detroit.

So when Goff does handle pressure with aplomb, it’s noteworthy. And that’s exactly what Goff did in Detroit’s 47-9 blowout win in Dallas in Week 6.

The Cowboys brought some pressure on Goff, including some heavy blitzes. They did get home for two sacks on No. 16, but Goff largely played great while under pressure in Dallas.

Per Next Gen Stats, Goff completed six of his seven pass attempts while under pressure in the game. The six completions netted 178 yards and two touchdowns. It was Goff’s best performance under pressure in the last five years, and it was also the most passing yards under pressure by any NFL quarterback in 2024.

For the full game, Goff completed 18-of-25 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

Derek Carr connects with Rashid Shaheed for another deep TD

It’s been a while since Derek Carr and Rashid Shaheed connected on a deep shot. Shaheed continues to show why he’s an elite threat downfield:


The New Orleans Saints are on the board. Derek Carr connected with Rashid Shaheed streaking down the middle of the field for a 43-yard touchdown. This is the first time the two have connected for a deep touchdown since Week 2.

This is Shaheed’s 9th touchdown reception of 30 or more yards since entering the league. That ties him with Hypothetical Future Saint Davante Adams for the most touchdown catches of that distance in the timeframe. Nevermind, this isn’t time for that.

This throw from Carr traveled 50.6 yards in the air. If you remove the touchdown caveat, this is Shaheed’s 9th catch of his career that traveled more than 50 yards in the air. That’s the most in the NFL since 2022. Shaheed holds that title all by himself, per Next Gen Stats.

The Saints hadn’t utilized Chris Olave much to start the game. He’d only seen one targe, while Carr threw to Shaheed five times in the first half. This was the first big connection.

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NFL Next Gen Stats: Falcons defense had a season-high pressure rate vs. Saints

NFL Next Gen Stats found the Falcons defense had a season-high pressure rate against the Saints, even though Derek Carr had his fastest windup to throw this year:

Everyone knew the New Orleans Saints offensive line was going to be at a disadvantage against the Atlanta Falcons. They were working without two injured starters in Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz, and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak tried to coach around those absences by speeding up Derek Carr’s windup. It worked, for a time, but ultimately the backups blocking for him fell apart.

Here’s what Week 4’s newsletter from NFL Next Gen Stats and Zebra Technologies had to say about the game:

“The Falcons defense generated a season-high 28.9% pressure rate despite Derek Carr averaging just 2.39 seconds to throw. Entering Sunday, the Falcons generated pressure on only 20.0% of dropbacks, the lowest rate in the NFL.”

Carr averaged 2.64 seconds to throw in Week 3, 2.81 seconds in Week 2, and 2.83 seconds in Week 1. So he was taking the snap, dropping back, reading the field and winding up to throw almost half a second faster in Week 4 than in the season opener. No wonder he wasn’t able to get off his first or second read very often.

Everyone’s hands are dirty here. Carr needs to both make better decisions with the ball and throw better passes, even if he’s facing more pressure than usual. That’s why he’s paid the big bucks. At the same time his offensive line needs to do a better job keeping him clean, even if guys like Shane Lemieux and Landon Young are normally spectators on gameday, not starters. And inexperienced starters like Trevor Penning must keep improving, too. The unit did some things well as a whole on Sunday. Connecting those positive moments and sustaining success is going to be their challenge moving forward.

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