Tag: PFF

Notre Dame Football: Hamilton Earns National Honors Again

Another week has come and gone and more hardware is headed towards freshman safety Kyle Hamilton.

Another week has come and gone and more hardware is headed towards freshman safety Kyle Hamilton.

After recording his fourth interception of the season and three tackles versus Boston College, Hamilton was named to the Pro Football Focus College Football Week 13 Eckrich Team of the Week.

Pro Football Focus summed up Hamilton’s week with the following:

The Fighting Irish have a bright future with Hamilton roaming the backend of their defense. He recorded four total tackles against bost College and saw three passes come his way as the primary coverage defender. Allowing just one reception for seven yards, Hamilton broke up another and intercepted the third pass his way to see just a 2.8 passer rating into his coverage.

Hamilton’s four interceptions are tied for the most by any freshman in the nation, unfortunately that target he allowed after his interception evened up his totals for the year between personal interceptions and receptions allowed – an absurd stat to consider.

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With Isaiah Pryor committed to play in the secondary next year you can’t help but feel good about the future of Notre Dame’s secondary as Hamilton appears to be one of the schools all-time greats in the making.

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.

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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.

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PFF recognizes WR Mecole Hardman as Chiefs’ underrated player

A rookie is being recognized by PFF as an underrated player on the Kansas City Chiefs roster.

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Pro Football Focus recently recognized some of the underrated players on each NFL team that have popped up using their advanced data and grading system.

The Kansas City Chiefs probably had a few players in consideration, but none stood out more than rookie wide receiver Mecole Hardman. Here’s what PFF’s Anthony Treash had to say about Hardman:

The 5’10” speedster, Mecole Hardman, has been exactly what we expected during his rookie campaign: a guy who can create after the catch better than most in the league. On his 32 targets, Hardman has generated a league-best passer rating of 153.6; he’s also broken the seventh-most broken tackles (8) and produced a yards-after-the-catch average that’s two yards higher than any other wide receiver.

Everyone saw Hardman’s game-breaking speed early in the season once Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins went down with injuries. As the receiver group has returned to health, there have been calls for more touches for the Chiefs’ young receiver. Hardman has broken tackles at a crazy rate, generated the league-best passer rating on his limited opportunities and has the best yards-after-the-catch average of any receiver in the NFL. If that’s not an argument for more opportunities on offense, well, what is? Hopefully, Andy Reid can find ways to get Hardman the football down the stretch.

Do you think there are any other underrated players on the Chiefs who haven’t been getting their due? Lets us know on Facebook and Twitter.

PFF names DJ Chark Jags’ most underrated player

Just as the fans do, PFF seems to believe DJ Chark is one of the league’s most underrated players.

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There haven’t been a lot of positives to smile about surrounding the Jacksonville Jaguars but all fans of the team tend to agree that receiver DJ Chark Jr. has been impressive to watch all season. The good people over at Pro Football Focus would agree with those sentiments as they have him down with an overall grade of 81.8.

The database also took a league-wide view at each respective team’s most underrated players recently and the second-year receiver was the player to make the list for the Jags.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: WR D.J. CHARK JR.

To say D.J. Chark Jr. is the most improved wide receiver in the NFL from 2018 to 2019 isn’t enough — he may very well be the most improved player regardless of position. After finishing the 2018 season ranked 112th out of 114 wide receivers in PFF receiving grade—and dead last among that group in drop rate—Chark is currently 14th in PFF receiving grade and has the ninth-lowest drop rate in 2019. More specifically, his deep receiving in 2019 has been excellent, as he is currently PFF’s fourth-highest-graded receiver on targets of 20-plus yards — he has the third-most deep catches and fourth-most deep yards so far this year.

Just as we’ve said in the past, PFF seems to believe Chark is one of the most improved players in football. Of course, part of that is because the bar was set kind of low during Chark’s rookie season where it felt like he could do no right between drops, penalties and injuries.

Chark will head into Week 12’s game with just under 800 yards while leading the league in receiving touchdowns with eight. He’s also found himself in Pro Bowl discussions, and if he became the Jags’ first receiver since Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns (2016) to accumulate 1,000 yards, he’ll have strong support from the Jacksonville community as far as votes go.

Jarrad Davis earns PFF TOTW honors for his Week 11 performance

Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis earns Pro Football Focus’ team of the week honors for his Week 11 performance against the Dallas Cowboys.

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Detroit Lions linebacker Jarrad Davis earns Pro Football Focus’ team of the week honors for his Week 11 performance against the Dallas Cowboys.

Here’s their reasoning on why Davis was deserving of this week’s recognition:

“Davis was dominant in run defense against Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys on Sunday,” Pro Football Focus said. “He recorded three defensive stops, zero missed tackles, and a 94.9 run-defense grade.”

Elliott was held to 45 yards on 16 carries, for a well below his typical average of only 2.8 yards per attempt — he is averaging 4.3 yards per carry this season and 4.6 over his career.

Davis is coming off the best two-game stretch of his career, according to PFF-Detroit, “has earned an 89.7 overall, led by a strong presence in run defense. His 94.4 run defense grade is the best in the NFL in that span”

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

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

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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.

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Russell Wilson continues to excel when facing pressure

Despite facing pressure at the third highest rate in the NFL, Russell Wilson has the league’s second best passer rating against pressure.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has always handled being under pressure well, and the 2019 season is no different.

So far this season, Wilson has a passer rating of 108.7 when under pressure, which ranks second in the NFL behind Derek Carr of the Oakland Raiders (109.2).

The key difference, however, is that Wilson has still seen the third highest rate of pressure (41.8 percent of dropbacks) this season – despite clear evidence that he succeeds when faced with it.

Of course, Wilson’s passer rating without pressure is still much better, so teams may just be taking the lesser of two evils by applying pressure. Wilson does end up getting sacked quite a bit, as a veteran offensive line has battled injuries and ineffectiveness for much of the season, which has forced Wilson to use his legs more than in years past.

The Seahawks are 8-2 thanks almost exclusively to Wilson’s heroics throughout the season, and the MVP candidate will take a much deserved break this weekend before heading to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in Week 12.

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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.

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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?

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PFF Week 10 TOTW: Taylor Decker is NFL’s best LT in consecutive weeks

Pro Football Focus released their Week 10 Team of the Week and the Detroit Lions Taylor Decker repeats as the top left tackle in NFL.

The Detroit Lions were without Matthew Stafford in Week 10, turning to Jeff Driskel in Chicago. One of the main reasons Driskel had time to put together a solid outing was because of the performance of left tackle Taylor Decker.

Decker had a terrific outing in pass protection and gave the young quarterback plenty of opportunities to sit comfortably in the pocket and examine the field.

Decker’s performance didn’t go unnoticed and Pro Football Focus (PFF) named him as the week’s top left tackle in the NFL, placing him on their Week 10 Team of the Week. This is the second week in a row that Decker has been recognized by PFF on their TOTW.

“Decker earned a 74.3 overall grade and an 82.9 pass-blocking grade against Chicago on Sunday,” PFF’s Austin Gayle said, “allowing zero total pressures across 59 pass-blocking snaps in the process.”

Zero total pressures are a surefire way to help settle a young quarterback and Decker did all he could.

While Decker was the Lions’ highest-graded player on offense by PFF, Jarrad Davis was the team’s highest-graded defender.

Davis accomplished this by producing one of the best games of his career, on his lowest snap counts of the season. It appeared the Lions took some responsibilities off Davis’ plate — rookie Jahlani Tavai was relaying the defensive calls at times — and let him focus on just playing football and it paid dividends.

Two Rams make PFF’s Team of the Week despite ugly loss to Steelers

Aaron Donald and Cory Littleton stood out as two of the best players in Week 10.

As poorly as the Los Angeles Rams played against the Steelers, there were a few standouts on the defensive side of the ball. Aaron Donald played particularly well, as did Cory Littleton, Clay Matthews and Taylor Rapp.

Donald had five tackles, a half-sack, three QB hits, two tackles for loss and a safety forced, helping limit the Steelers offense to just 273 yards. Littleton led all players with 14 tackles, also forcing and recovering a fumble, and making one tackle for loss.

He and Donald made Pro Football Focus’ Team of the Week for Week 10, despite the Rams losing in ugly fashion.

Donald earned an overall grade of 92.0, which was the best of any interior defender in Week 10, also generating five pressures and three defensive stops. Littleton was even better in PFF’s eyes, receiving a grade of 92.3, second-best among all inside linebackers.

Littleton continues to fly under the radar as one of the NFL’s best coverage linebackers. He recorded five defensive stops, a forced fumble and allowed just three receptions for 16 yards.

Donald and Littleton have been studs for the Rams all season and are a big reason the defense has played as well as it has. The offense simply hasn’t done its part in many of the Rams’ other losses, which is a big reason they’re just 5-4 after nine games.

Los Angeles needs better play from Jared Goff and the offensive line if a playoff push is going to be made.