Team of the Week – Page 4 – Syndication Server

Kendall Fuller named to PFF team of the week after performance vs. Ravens

Kendall Fuller made good on his return to Washington in Week 4 with two interceptions, showing his value as a leader of the secondary.

Washington fans rejoiced earlier this offseason when free-agent CB Kendall Fuller was brought back to the team via a four-year, $40 million contract that secured his future with the squad that drafted him back in 2016. Finally, their once-promising cornerback had come back home where he could help turn around a secondary in Washington that was in desperation mode. Spirits were high, and then…nothing.

Fuller was forced to sit out the first two weeks of the 2020 season due to an injury, but he finally returned in Week 3 with a solid performance, which precluded his Week 4 outing against the Baltimore Ravens, where he hauled in two interceptions down the stretch.

This performance from Fuller not only was a welcome sight to any and all Washington fans, but it also got him named to the Pro Football Focus Team of the Week.

With 100% of defensive snaps played, it’s clear that Fuller is the No. 1 CB in Washington, and they will likely lean on him to cover the opposing team’s first option going forward. If he can continue this run of good play and help shore up Washington’s secondary, he will be of great value to this team, and that hefty contract won’t look so bad anymore.

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CJ Henderson only rookie to make PFF’s Week 1 team of the week

Week 1 of the National Football League’s 2020 schedule came to a successful conclusion after two Monday Night Football games wrapped up the weekend schedule. With all of the stats and highlights now officially in the books, the media has turned its …

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PFF offered its assessment of the best players from the NFL’s opening games on Monday, with many familiar names mentioned. However, one particular name stands out to Gators fans — Jacksonville Jaguars rookie cornerback CJ Henderson, who had a heck of a professional debut on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

Former Florida Gators in the NFL 2020: Week 1

Even more notable is the fact that Henderson was the only rookie selected to PFF’s team of the week. Disappointingly, he was not joined by former Gators defensive back Janoris Jenkins, who had eight solo tackles with an assist and a pass defended to go along with his pick-six for the New Orleans Saints, did not get a mention.

Here is what PFF had to say about Henderson.

With the impact of COVID-19 on the offseason and the cancellation of preseason games, expectations for rookies — regardless of position — were relatively low. For cornerbacks specifically, no one was really expected to have a great game right away. Even in a normal year, teams can’t really rely on rookies starting on the outside to be difference-makers right away. Yesterday, however, we saw two defy those odds and put together impressive performances.

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie C.J. Henderson being one of the highest-graded outside corners of Week 1 is even a bigger surprise, given how his 2019 at Florida fared. The year before that, Henderson legitimately locked down his side of the field, allowing just 18 catches in 13 games. In 2019, Henderson didn’t play horribly, but he had some concerning reps on tape — he gave up five catches that resulted in a 40-plus-yard gain, which accounted for 233 of his 389 yards allowed on the year.

Injury could have influenced that to a certain degree, but with that in mind, it seemed like there might be a learning curve to at least start the year. But that clearly wasn’t the case. When lined up on the outside yesterday against Indianapolis (34 cover snaps), Henderson allowed a 25.5 passer rating on targets thrown his way, recording an interception and four forced incompletions. He’s a remarkable athlete with elite-level man-coverage traits, and he put that on display yesterday.

Below is PFF’s full Week 1 team of the week selections.

PFF TEAM OF THE WEEK

Offense:

QB: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
RB: Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
WR: Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings
WR: Calvin Ridley, Atlanta Falcons
TE: Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
FLEX: Anthony Miller, Chicago Bears
T: Andrew Whitworth, Los Angeles Rams
G: Wyatt Teller, Cleveland Browns
C: Corey Linsley, Green Bay Packers
G: Shaq Mason, New England Patriots
T: Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers

Defense:

DI: Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams
DI: Larry Ogunjobi, Cleveland Browns
EDGE: Josh Sweat, Philadelphia Eagles
EDGE: T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
LB: Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks
LB: Dre Greenlaw, San Francisco 49ers
CB: Fabian Moreau, Washington Football Team
CB: CJ Henderson, Jacksonville Jaguars
S: Jessie Bates III, Cincinnati Bengals
S: Jordan Poyer, Buffalo Bills
FLEX: Jamal Adams, Seattle Seahawks

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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:

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: