Tag: PFF

Broncos PFF grades: Best, worst players from loss vs. Ravens

Kwon Alexander (92.4) was the Broncos’ best defensive player against the Ravens. View more PFF grades here.

Following the Denver Broncos‘ 41-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Pro Football Focus has released grades for each player’s Week 9 performance.

PFF grades players on a 0 (worst) to 100 (best) scale. Check out the best and worst of Week 9 below.

Best Offensive Players 

  • WR Courtland Sutton: 79.0
  • OT Garett Bolles: 71.1
  • C Alex Forsyth: 67.7
  • RB Audric Estime: 66.5
  • FB Michael Burton: 66.2

Sutton threw a touchdown pass and he also had his second-straight game with 100 receiving yards. G Quinn Meinerz (64.3) and QB Bo Nix (63.2) were the sixth- and seventh-best graded players on offense.

Best Defensive Players 

  • LB Kwon Alexander: 92.4
  • OLB Nik Bonitto: 76.9
  • DL Eyioma Uwazurike: 70.9
  • DL John Franklin-Myers: 70.1
  • OLB Jonathon Cooper: 67.5

Denver made a great signing by picking up Alexander after losing Alex Singleton to a torn ACL. CB Pat Surtain (62.5) and DL Zach Allen (62.3) were sixth- and seventh-best on defense.

Worst Offensive Players 

  • TE/FB Nate Adkins: 42.0
  • OT Mike McGlinchey: 50.1
  • TE Adam Trautman: 50.1
  • TE Lucas Krull: 51.6
  • RB Jaleel McLaughlin: 52.8

Nix is getting no help from his tight ends and little help from non-Sutton receivers: Marvin Mims (53.7) and Lil’Jordan Humphrey (56.5) were the sixth- and seventh-worst players on offense.

Worst Defensive Players 

  • LB Justin Strnad: 25.6
  • DL Malcolm Roach: 27.2
  • CB Ja’Quan McMillian: 30.1
  • CB Riley Moss: 38.0
  • DL Jordan Jackson: 41.0

Strnad seems to be ceding the ILB job to Alexander. McMillian and Moss had a rough day in coverage.

Special Teams 

  • ST JL Skinner: 88.8
  • LS Mitchell Fraboni: 62.7
  • R Marvin Mims: 63.7
  • K Wil Lutz: 62.6 (FG) 60.0 (KO)
  • P Riley Dixon: 60.4

You can view grades for every player on the paid version of PFF’s website.

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Vikings offensive line tumbles in latest PFF power rankings

In the wake of a Christian Darrisaw injury and trade for Cam Robinson, the Minnesota Vikings offensive line tumbled in PFF’s power rankings.

Most media outlets these days put out power rankings after each week, evaluating how each team fared in the previous week’s matchup, and how they compare to their peers. It’s an easy way to churn out content, and a great conversation starter.

The folks at PFF; however, go a little further with power rankings than most. Not only do their weekly overall team rankings have more data than most other outlets to give you a better concept of why teams are moving up or down, but they also churn out power rankings for individual units on each team, giving a more granular look at the weekly picture.

One of those unit power rankings that PFF puts out is ranking each team’s offensive line each week. This week, the results aren’t kind to the Minnesota Vikings — and understandably so. Losing Christian Darrisaw– playing at a Pro Bowl level before the injury- is a huge blow to the team, and it makes sense that the Vikings would tumble as a result.

And tumble they did! The team’s offensive line fell six spots in this week’s rankings from PFF. That puts the Vikings in the bottom third of the league at #22, down from their #16 spot last week. That ranking may change next week, as Christian Darrisaw’s replacement, Cam Robinson, gets acclimated to the team and gets inserted into the starting lineup. For this week, however, PFF is projecting David Quessenberry getting the start in Darrisaw’s absence.

As the Vikings try to recover from their two-game skid, the offensive line is going to play a big part in just how well the team performs from here on out. Where quarterback Sam Darnold once could feel confident his blindside was protected, now there’s a lot of uncertainty — which is not good for a quarterback who has struggled the past two weeks, and has a pretty lengthy history of struggling when the pressure is on.

If there is a bright side, it’s that despite the tumble in offensive line rankings, and in spite of the two-game slide, the Vikings are still in the top 10 of PFF’s overall power rankings.

Bucs TE Cade Otton emerging from the shadows in recent weeks

The Buccaneers panicked when they lost Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for significant portions of the season.

The Buccaneers panicked when they lost Mike Evans and Chris Godwin for significant portions of the season. The question immediately surrounded who would step up, and the answer has come out of the woodwork in recent weeks.

Tight end Cade Otton has finally started to emerge as a reliable option in the passing game, and PFF has pointed out how well he has played in recent weeks.

According to PFF, in the last two weeks among tight ends, he ranks first in receptions (17), second in receiving yards (181), tied for third in first downs (9), and tied for first in missed tackles forced (4).

If he can keep this up, he will help Baker Mayfield succeed and help Rakim Jarrett and Trey Palmer as they work on the outside. The receivers aren’t going to break the door down and excite someone, but Otton is well on his way to emerging as a solidified option in this offense.

Lamar Jackson named PFF’s mid-season MVP; Derrick Henry named Offensive Player of the Year

Lamar Jackson named PFF’s mid-season MVP; Derrick Henry named Offensive Player of the Year

With eight weeks in the books for the 2024 NFL season, PFF has released its midseason awards, with the Baltimore Ravens taking home both MVP and Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson was named PFF’s midseason Most Valuable Player. It would be hard to argue against the two-time MVP quarterback being the frontrunner for this season’s award. Jackson has the best passing season of his career while maintaining his unique and electrifying rushing ability.

“Jackson has once again raised his game and could be barreling toward his third MVP award,” PFF’s Dalton Wasserman wrote. “He’s currently on pace to set career-highs in passing grade, turnover-worthy play rate, and yards per attempt while leading players in carries of 10 or more yards. Jackson’s 87.8 passing grade is the second-best in the NFL behind Joe Burrow. His dual-threat abilities are a cheat code for a team that is leading the NFL in total offense and offensive grade.”

Ravens running back Derrick Henry, Jackson’s punishing partner in the backfield, was named PFF’s Offensive Player of the Year. The 30-year-old veteran quickly squashed any fears of signing an aging running back. Henry has helped to take Baltimore’s already potent offense to another level this season with his big-play ability.

“Henry has been everything the Ravens could have possibly imagined when they signed him in the offseason,” Wasserman wrote. “He leads the NFL in rushing by nearly 200 yards. His 91.5 rushing grade paces the league as well, and the only player in the league with more explosive runs is, of course, his quarterback, Lamar Jackson. Henry and Jackson have formed one of the most formidable backfield duos the league has ever seen.”

Ravens have three players make the PFF midseason All-Pro team

Ravens Lanar Jackson, Marlon Humphrey and Derrick Henry make the PFF midseason all-Pro team

With the 2024 NFL season at the halfway mark, PFF has released its midseason All-Pro team, which features three Baltimore Ravens players.

The choice of Lamar Jackson as the mid-season All-Pro quarterback is not surprising in the least bit, as the already two-time MVP is in the middle of perhaps his best season to date and well on his way to a third MVP award if he continues at this pace. Jackson has the chance to become the first player in NFL history to pass for over 4,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 in the same season.

“This is the best version of Lamar Jackson we’ve ever seen,” PFF’s Gordon McGuinness wrote. “Most impressive through eight weeks has been his ability to avoid negative plays in the passing game, with just four turnover-worthy plays as a passer so far this season.”

First-year Raven Derrick Henry was named the midseason All-Pro running back. Pairing Henry with Jackson in the backfield has been everything anyone could have hoped for. The duo has combined to give the Ravens a seemingly unstoppable ground attack. Henry has been the ultimate closer for Baltimore this season, routinely ripping off big runs near the end of the game to stick the dagger in the heart of opposing defenses for good.

“Henry’s 91.5 PFF rushing grade leads the NFL, and his rushing yards after contact would rank 11th when compared to everyone else’s total rushing yards,” McGuinness wrote. “He has been one of the best running backs in the league at creating big plays, with his 19 runs of 10-plus yards tied for the most.”

The final Raven to make the team was cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Humphrey was in the middle of one the best seasons of his career before missing the game against the Cleveland Browns with an injury suffered during the team’s victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — a game in which Humphrey caught two interceptions from quarterback Baker Mayfield. Humphrey’s four interceptions this year are the most of any player on Baltimore’s defense.

“Humphrey is one of the stickiest cornerbacks in football through the first half of the year,” McGuinness wrote. “His 85.1 PFF coverage grade trails only Zyon McCollum among cornerbacks with 200-plus snaps this season.”

 

 

49ers rookie was NFL’s best in Week 8

The 49ers’ defensive back landed at the top of PFF’s latest set of rookie rankings for Week 8.

During their much-needed win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8, the San Francisco 49ers’ rookie class stood out. Rookies Ricky Pearsall, Isaac Guerendo, Dominic Puni, Renardo Green and Malik Mustapha all helped contribute to the 49ers’ 30-24 win over the Cowboys.

Following their impressive performance against the Cowboys, one member of the 49ers earned the top spot on Pro Football Focus’ latest ranking list. Rookie defensive back Renardo Green was the highest-graded rookie of Week 8 with a 91.3 grade. Green finished ahead of fellow rookies Jer’Zhan Newton, Brian Thomas, Ladd McConkey, Bucky Irving and first-round quarterback Bo Nix.

Via @PFF on Twitter:

However, Green was not only the highest-rated rookie, the 49ers corned was the highest-graded cornerback across the NFL of Week 8. Green was named to the PFF team of the week for Week 8. Green finished as the highest-graded 49ers, sliding in over George Kittle, Ji’Ayir Brown, Deebo Samuel and Deommodore Lenoir.

Via @PFF_49ers on Twitter:

Green finished the game with three tackles against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Titans’ Calvin Ridley named to PFF Week 8 Team of the Week

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley was named to the Week 8 Team of the Week by PFF.

Lost in the fallout from Sunday’s Motor City Massacre, the Tennessee Titans (1-6) are quietly preparing for their Week 9 battle with the 2-6 New England Patriots, a game that could have lasting effects on draft positioning. 

All was not lost in the 52-14 debacle against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, as wide receiver Calvin Ridley broke out in a big way in the loss. Most of his 10 receptions for 143 yards came before the game was completely out of reach and he finally looked like the explosive playmaker the Titans were hoping for. 

His performance not only passed the eye test and filled the stat sheet, but he was also one of the best at the position, according to PFF, which named Ridley to its Week 8 Team of the Week. 


For Ridley and the Titans, this was a huge progression in the wake of the team trading away DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs while Ridley was on the shelf battling a foot injury last week. With Ridley stretching the field and making plays, the Titans appeared to have a competent offense until the wheels fell off and Mason Rudolph and the special teams imploded. 

This week against the equally bad Patriots, Ridley will have every chance to stack performances if he is healthy. The only real question is who will be behind center, with Will Levis potentially being back after missing the past two games with a shoulder injury. The Titans’ first official injury report will be released on Wednesday. 

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PFF: Lowest-graded Bills players on defense vs. the Seahawks

PFF: Lowest-graded Bills players on defense vs. the Seahawks

The Buffalo Bills defeated the Seattle Seahawks on the road in Week 8, 31-10.

Statistics might help determine who played well or not, and so may the eye test. But, let’s take it a step further with some help from the analytics folks at Pro Football Focus.

Using PFF grades from Week 8, here are the five lowest-graded players from the Bills (6-2) defense against the Seahawks (4-4).

PFF grade: 60.9.

PFF grade: 57.7.

PFF grade: 53.8.

PFF grade: 46.4.

PFF grade: 28.6.

Duke linebacker Tre Freeman named to Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week

Duke linebacker Tre Freeman made the PFF National Team of the Week on Sunday after he finished with six tackles and an interception.

Duke fell to the SMU Mustangs 28-27 in overtime during Week 9 of the college football season, but several Blue Devils shined to help the team come within a play of the upset. Most notably, linebacker Tre Freeman was named to the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week on Sunday.

The junior recorded six total tackles, two solo and four assisted, against the Mustangs. He contributed to Duke’s six turnovers twice, forcing a fumble near the end of the first half before intercepting a cross-body throw from SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings in the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter. The latter takeaway set up the offense in Mustangs territory, and if not for a missed 42-yard field goal, it would have provided Duke with the winning margin.

Freeman joined Liberty’s Joseph Carter as one of two linebackers on the national team. Freeman also, inherently, made the ACC Team of the Week for the same position. North Carolina Tar Heels edge rusher Kaimon Rucker was the only other ACC defensive player to make the national list.

Through eight games this season, Freeman has recorded 50 tackles (25 solo, 25 assisted), 3.0 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, two interceptions, one pass deflection, and one forced fumble.

Chargers PFF grades: Best, worst performers in Week 8 win over Saints

Spotlighting Pro Football Focus’ highest and lowest-graded Chargers players from the win over the Saints.

In Week 8, the Chargers defeated the Saints, 26-8.

En route to victory, there were some standout performers and others who did not contribute as much.

That said, here are the best and worst performers from Sunday’s contest, according to Pro Football Focus’ player grades.

Top 5 Offense

QB Justin Herbert — 95.3

WR Ladd McConkey — 87.9

OT Rashawn Slater — 87.6

WR Jalen Reagor — 80.3

OT Joe Alt — 70.3

Top 5 Defense

EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu — 86.4

CB Ja’Sir Taylor — 85.2

LB Denzel Perryman — 84.2

DT Teair Tart — 77.7

S Elijah Molden — 75.3

Bottom 5 Offense

TE Eric Tomlinson — 44.2

WR Simi Fehoko — 49.4

OL Bradley Bozeman — 51.6

OL Zion Johnson — 55.9

WR Josh Palmer — 57.4

Bottom 5 Defense

DT Otito Ogbonnia — 43.2

S Alohi Gilman — 46.4

S Derwin James — 48.9

EDGE Bud Dupree — 51.7

LB Daiyan Henley — 54.1