Tag: PFF

Broncos guard Dalton Risner named to PFF’s All-Rookie Team

Broncos guard Dalton Risner was named to Pro Football Focus’ All-Rookie Team this week.

After an excellent first season in the NFL, Denver Broncos guard Dalton Risner was named to Pro Football Focus’ All-Rookie Team this week. PFF, a website that tracks advanced NFL stats and grades players on a 0-to-100 scale, gave Risner a 63.5 overall grade for the 2019 season.

“We haven’t seen the same elite-level play that we saw from him in college, but Risner’s play at guard was solid as a rookie this season,” PFF’s Ben Lindsey wrote alongside Risner’s ranking.

Risner was selected by Denver in the second round of last year’s NFL draft and quickly emerged as one of the Broncos’ best offensive linemen. He was penalized three times and allowed 2.5 sacks during the 2019 season, according to STATS LLC.

Risner isn’t the only Denver player who has been recognized by PFF this offseason. Safety Justin Simmons was named to the website’s All-Pro Team and defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones and edge defender Malik Reed made PFF’s list of top-50 graded rookies.

With a young core of talented players that includes Simmons, Risner, Jones, Reed and others, the Broncos appear to have a bright future.

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Broncos safety Justin Simmons named to PFF’s All-Pro Team

Broncos safety Justin Simmons made the All-Pro Team put together by Pro Football Focus.

Broncos safety Justin Simmons might have been snubbed by Pro Bowl voters but he hasn’t been snubbed by Pro Football Focus. PFF, a website that tracks advanced NFL stats and grades players on a 0-100 scale, announced their All-Pro Team earlier this week and Simmons made the cut.

“The best-graded safety in the NFL this season, Denver’s Justin Simmons has been a stellar performer in all areas,” PFF’s Sam Monson wrote. “Simmons wasn’t in primary coverage for any touchdowns given up in coverage but had four interceptions and 11 pass breakups.”

Earning accolades from PFF isn’t much of a consolation for Simmons after missing out on the NFL’s All-Star game but earning a big contract extension would be. Simmons is expected to receive an extension from the Broncos this offseason. A one-year franchise tag remains a possibility but Denver hopes to give the safety a multi-year extension.

Simmons, 26, had a breakout year this season, totaling 93 tackles and a career-high four interceptions. He owns 11 career interceptions.

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Eagles finish 2019 season as the highest graded O-Line in NFL

Eagles finish 2019 NFL season as highest-rated OL according to PFF

The Philadelphia Eagles rode a solid running game and the star power of Carson Wentz to the NFC East title. The accolades will continue to roll in on Tuesday, with the New Year set to begin, Pro Football Focus has deemed the Eagles offensive line the best in the NFL.

1. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
When fully healthy, the Eagles’ offensive line didn’t have a single weak link, and that is invaluable in a league where weak links are quickly exposed. All five starters — Jason Peters, Isaac Seumalo, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks and Lane Johnson — graded among the top-10 players at their respective positions. Seumalo was the only one who graded outside the top-two players at his position. The most impressive performance on the line belongs to Brooks, who had the highest overall grade of any guard in the NFL after tearing his Achilles last postseason. His season was cut short by injury again last week, but his performance as the top player on the league’s top offensive line has been one of the better stories this season.

The Eagles landed in front of the Baltimore Ravens vaunted offense, which led the NFL in rushing and will have several award winners.

The Colts, Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints. The Packers, Buccaneers, Titans, Steelers, and Patriots all landed in the top-10.

 

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Jamarco Jones’ struggles could force change at left tackle in Week 17

Jamarco Jones struggled filling in for Duane Brown at left tackle for the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, which could force a change in Week 17.

Among the many things that didn’t go well on Sunday for the Seattle Seahawks in their loss to the Arizona Cardinals was the pass protection all across the offensive line.

Cardinals defensive end Chandler Jones, who has been a thorn in Seattle’s side for years, absolutely dominated on Sunday, racking up four sacks, six quarterback hits and two forced fumbles. Jones did most of his damage against fill-in starter Jamarco Jones, who was making his first NFL start at left tackle in place of Duane Brown, who was out after having surgery on his arm.

“It was hard,” Pete Carroll said of Jones’ performance. “He went against a great guy and it worked him the whole day. He did a lot of things that were really good. The sacks that his guy had weren’t all on him. It didn’t all happen because of his protection and all. He was tested. That was a real test. Chandler [Jones] is an amazing player.”

Jones earned a pass protection grade from Pro Football Focus of 17.4, one of the worst marks of the week across the league.

It’s a bit unfair to judge Jones on this one performance, particularly against a strong opponent, but it has given Carroll pause for how they plan to handle a similarly strong pass rush attack from San Francisco in Week 17.

Carroll wouldn’t commit to Jones starting in place of Brown again this week, and it would make sense for Seattle to try George Fant, who has played much more left tackle in his career, in that spot instead.

The team likes keeping Fant in that role as an extra run blocker, but perhaps trying Jordan Roos, or Jones, in that role will be the game plan on Sunday.

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Eagles’ TE Dallas Goedert lands on PFF NFL Week 16 Team of the Week

Eagles’ TE Dallas Goedert lands on PFF NFL Week 16 Team of the Week

Dallas Goedert is really starting to hit his strides as a player after some early season whispers about a possible sophomore slump.

The Eagles tight end made several huge catches against the Redskins, and on Sunday with Zach Ertz ailing, Goedert had his best game as a pro. Against a Cowboys defense looking to eliminate the Eagles top weapons, Goedert had 9 catches for 91 yards and a touchdown.

His efforts earned him a place on Pro Football Focus’s Week 16 NFL Team of the Week.

TE DALLAS GOEDERT, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
A depleted receiving corps needed a huge game from Goedert, and they got it in the form of nine catches for 91 yards and a score. He ran a crisp route for his red-zone touchdown, and he converted five other first downs, including a downfield back-shoulder throw and a flat route to help seal the game for the Eagles in the fourth quarter.

Goedert was the only Eagles player named to the team this week and could be in for an even bigger role in the season finale, with Zach Ertz nursing broken ribs.

3 Eagles land in the top-10 of ranking of the NFL’s top-25 offensive linemen

Brandon Brooks is NFL’s top offensive linemen according to PFF

Two of the NFL’s top offensive lines will be on display Sunday when the Philadelphia Eagles host the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field.

Both teams boast some of the top players at their position and annually are in the rankings for the top five skill groups in football.

Pro Football Focus recently released their top-25 offensive linemen in the NFL, and the Eagles landed three players in the top-10.

Eagles left guard is currently the highest-graded offensive linemen in all of football, his running mate Lane Johnson is No. 5 and the future Hall of Famer, Jason Peters landed at No. 10.

The Cowboys had two players in the top-10, with Zach Martin landing at No. 3 and right tackle, La’el Collins at No. 8.

Jason Kelce landed at No. 14, as the top center in all of football.

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Packers PR/KR Tyler Ervin makes PFF’s Team of the Week for Week 15

Tyler Ervin was recognized as the top-graded kick and punt returner by Pro Football Focus for Week 15.

Punt and kick returner Tyler Ervin was one of four members of the Green Bay Packers to make Pro Football Focus’ “Team of the Week” for Week 15.

Ervin, who was claimed off of waivers on Dec. 2, has helped revive the Packers’ return game over the last two games. He earned PFF’s highest grade among NFL returners in Week 15 after returning one punt for 12 yards and two kickoffs for 71 yards on Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

Since arriving in Green Bay, Ervin has returned five punts for 63 yards – with all five gaining 10 or more yards – and he produced the team’s season-long kickoff return when he broke contain to the outside and picked up 45 yards on Sunday.

On his 12-yard punt return, Ervin made a man miss right after catching the punt and then side-stepped another tackler.

His kickoff return with under two minutes to go in the first half was also impressive. He pushed upfield, sensed an opening to his left and burst outside, breaking contain and accelerating past the 45-yard line.

Ervin briefly left the game with a hand injury but returned.

Left tackle David Bakhtiari, right tackle Bryan Bulaga and defensive tackle Kenny Clark also made the “Team of the Week.”

Bakhtiari allowed just one total pressure over 36 pass-blocking snaps, moistly against former first-round pick Leonard Floyd, while Bulaga pitched a shutout on the right side against All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack. Together, they held Floyd and Mack to just one total pressure.

Clark continued his dominant stretch of games by leading the Packers in pressures with seven. He finished Sunday’s win with two sacks, three quarterback hits and three tackles for losses. According to PFF, Clark has 27 pressures over the last five games.

All four players were included in this week’s “studs and duds” column at Packers Wire.

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Notre Dame Football: PFF Ranks Irish In Top 10

Notre Dame checks in just ahead of Wisconsin and Penn State who come in at nine and ten respectively while the same Michigan team who beat Notre Dame 45-14 in late October checks in at 11.

Notre Dame football fans have been a bit frustrated and upset that despite going 5-0 in the month of November, their Fighting Irish squad only moved up to the fifteenth spot in this week’s College Football Playoff rankings, two whole spots higher than they were rated five games ago at the start of November.

It won’t get them out of the Camping World Bowl and into the Cotton or Orange Bowls, but there was one place that does see them as a top-ten team in the nation.

Pro Football Focus released their latest PFFELO rankings following Week 14 of the college season and threw some significant praise Notre Dame’s way, ranking them seventh.

In their summary of the 10-2 Fighting Irish, Pro Football Focus offered the following:

It was back to a below-average passing grade for Ian Book, who had previously strung together three quality performances in an otherwise up-and-down 2019 campaign. The Fighting Irish still covered on Saturday thanks to a defensive touchdown with under a minute to go. The Fighting Irish defense didn’t quite live up to lofty preseason expectations, though, as we had them ranked as the top overall defensive unit in the country in the preseason. They have dropped to third in our opponent-adjusted unit ranking and are only represented by one honorable mention on the PFF All-American team. – Pro Football Focus on Notre Dame

I hadn’t previously seen that PFF had Notre Dame ranked as the best defensive unit in the country before the season started but that’s a bit surprising.  Not that the unit wasn’t still very good outside of one awful night, but as we saw replacing the likes of Jerry Tillery, Drue Tranquill and Julian Love was a lot to ask, especially early on.

Notre Dame checks in just ahead of Wisconsin and Penn State who come in at nine and ten respectively while the same Michigan team who beat Notre Dame 45-14 in late October checks in at 11.

I won’t spoil the whole poll, you should check out their site for the full rankings but I will share that their lack of Baylor support at 17 is more than a bit surprising.

 

Quandre Diggs named to PFF Week 12 Team of the Week

Quandre Diggs is making a difference in the Seattle Seahawks secondary in his short time, and was named to PFF’s Week 12 Team of the Week.

Trade and wait isn’t the greatest strategy, but for Quandre Diggs and the Seattle Seahawks, there wasn’t much of a choice. Diggs is finally on the field after missing two weeks of action, and he’s proving he is worthy of the fifth round pick Seattle dealt for him, after making the Pro Football Focus Week 12 Team of the Week.

This honor comes after Diggs forced a fumble in the Seahawks win over the Eagles on Sunday. He was given a coverage grade of 89.1 by PFF in his performance and 88.4 grade for his overall performance – which was tops on the team.

Diggs’ presence in the Seahawks secondary is apparent already. Not bad for a player that had some questions about the severity of the hamstring injury that held him out of competition since the trade.

Since his return, Diggs has been involved with two turnovers, an interception and Sunday’s forced fumble.

There is a chance for Diggs to get three takeaways in as many games in Seattle’s Week 13 contest against a tough Vikings team, led by Kirk Cousins.

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Taylor Decker has been the NFL’s beet Left Tackle in 3 of the last 4 weeks, per PFF

Detroit Lions left tackle Taylor Decker has landed on Pro Football Focus’ Team of the Week for the third time in the last four weeks.

As a team, the Detroit Lions have been struggling, but over the last month, Taylor Decker has been dominant.

Decker has been recognized by Pro Football Focus’ for the third time in the last four weeks. In Week 9, Week 10, and now Week 12, Decker has been PFF’s highest-graded left tackle in the league and earned a spot on their team of the week.

“Decker earned an impressive 82.7 overall grade along with an 81.4 pass-blocking grade and a 79.7 run-blocking grade against the Redskins in Week 12,” the PFF team said. “He allowed zero total pressures across 45 pass-blocking snaps in the contest, as well. He enters Week 13 ranked inside the top-15 in overall grade among qualifying offensive tackles.”

There aren’t currently a lot of bright spots for the Lions, but right now Decker is shining.

On the season, Decker joins several other Lions who have earned a spot on PFF’s team of the week, including: