Tag: top 101

PFF names Drew Brees a top-3 NFL player of the 2010’s

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees named the third-best player of the 2010’s on the NFL All-Decade Top 101 from Pro Football Focus.

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The New Orleans Saints were represented well on the All-Decade Top 101 list from Pro Football Focus, with quarterback Drew Brees joining several teammates on their ranking of the best NFL players over the last ten years. Terron Armstead and Cameron Jordan were each featured in previous updates to the list, as were a few other faces familiar to Saints fans.

But Brees ranked higher than any of them. In fact, he was selected as the third-best player to take the field since 2010. PFF analyst Sam Monson wrote of the high placement:

3. QB DREW BREES

Drew Brees has been the most accurate passer in league history and is closing in on being the most prolific in pretty much every passing category. Brees owns two of the top three seasons in the decade in terms of adjusted completion rate, and for the decade as a whole is more than two percentage points clear of the field. Brees had three seasons in the decade with a PFF grade above 90.0 and two more above 89.0. He has been a model of consistency and production despite rarely having consistent receivers or the depth of some of the other top quarterbacks.

What’s even more impressive is that Brees trails just one other quarterback, who is now his newest division rival in the NFC South: Tom Brady, at the number-one spot. Green Bay Packers signal-caller Aaron Rodgers is the next-best quarterback (at No. 6), but you’ll have to scroll pretty far down PFF’s list to find Peyton Manning (fittingly, at No. 18). How’s that for a gulf between their talents?

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Ex-Chiefs Eric Berry, Jamaal Charles, Tamba Hali listed in PFF’s All-Decade Top-101

Some of the greatest former Kansas City Chiefs players are ranked in PFF’s All-Decade Top-101 list.

Pro Football Focus has begun to unveil its top-101 players from the 2010s decade on Monday. PFF sought to look at the production, efficiency and performance of players during the 2010s decade and narrow them down to a list of 101. They began with players 74-101 and will continue counting down throughout the week to the No. 1 player which will be revealed on Thursday.

Thus far, the list has featured a number of Chiefs players, both current and former. Some of the most exciting and productive former Chiefs players have made the list including Eric Berry, Jamaal Charles and Tamba Hali. Let’s take a closer look specifically at those former players and see where PFF has them ranked on the list.

No. 101 – DB Eric Berry

“Much of Eric Berry’s legacy will revolve around beating cancer to return to play at an extremely high level. In addition to that incredible achievement, Berry was one of the best players of the past decade. He showed incredible versatility within the Kansas City Chiefs‘ defense, excelling as a deep-lying free safety as well as an in-the-box joker on defense. It speaks to his skill set that his best seasons in terms of overall PFF grade (both well above 85.0) came in completely different roles and responsibilities within the defense.“

For a while, Berry was one of the most exciting defenders on the Chiefs’ defense. Like PFF says, he was a versatile playmaker, with the ability to line up in a variety of different spots. He could act as a ball-hawking deep safety. You could put him in the box against the run. He was a great one-on-one cover guy against tight ends. If you look at his two best seasons in Kansas City, 2010 and 2016, they’re nearly identical from a statistical standpoint with four interceptions, nine passes defended and at least one defensive touchdown in each season.

Unfortunately, Berry’s current legacy with the Chiefs is the $8 million in dead cap space for the 2020 season. While Berry is rumored to be looking for opportunities to continue his playing career, he’s at a bit of a disadvantage due to the COVID-19 pandemic and team doctors being unable to conduct a physical and examine the heel injury which marked his demise in Kansas City.

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Justin Simmons ranked No. 17 on PFF’s Top 101 players list

Broncos safety Justin Simmons is among the 20 best players in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.

Pro Football Focus, a website that tracks advanced NFL stats and grades players on a 0-to-100 scale, has been rolling out their Top 101 players list from the 2019 NFL season. Broncos safety Justin Simmons is ranked No. 17 on the list.

“He was particularly impactful in coverage, where he had four interceptions and 11 pass breakups, the most combined forced incompletions of any safety this season,” PFF’s Sam Monson wrote.

Simmons is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March and Denver hopes to re-sign him to a multi-year contract.

Simmons is the third and final Broncos player on the list, joining inside linebacker Alexander Johnson (No. 46) and wide receiver Courtland Sutton (No. 69). Last year, outside linebacker Von Miller (No. 11) and cornerback Chris Harris (No. 23) were Denver’s only players on PFF’s Top 50 list. Miller and Harris did not make the Top 101 list this year.

To view PFF’s complete list of Top 101 NFL players, click here.

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Alexander Johnson ranked No. 46 on PFF’s Top 101 players list

Broncos inside linebacker Alexander Johnson has been named one of the Top 101 players in the NFL by Pro Football Focus.

Pro Football Focus, a website that tracks advanced NFL stats and grades players on a 0-to-100 scale, has been rolling out their Top 101 players list from the 2019 NFL season. Broncos inside linebacker Alexander Johnson is ranked No. 46 on the list.

“He didn’t start until Week 5, but from that point onward, his grade ranked among the All-Pro players at his position, and he was the best-graded linebacker of them all against the run,” PFF’s Sam Monson wrote.

Johnson (6-2, 255 pounds) totaled 93 tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception in 15 games last season (12 starts). He is poised to remain a starter going into the 2020 season.

Alexander is the second Broncos player to make the list, joining wide receiver Courtland Sutton (No. 69). Last year, outside linebacker Von Miller (No. 11) and cornerback Chris Harris (No. 23) were Denver’s only players on PFF’s Top 50 list. Miller and Harris did not make the Top 101 list this year.

To view PFF’s complete list of the Top 101 NFL players, click here.

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Courtland Sutton ranked No. 69 on PFF’s Top 101 players list

Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton is ranked No. 69 on PFF’s list of the top 101 players in the NFL.

Pro Football Focus, a website that tracks advanced NFL stats and grades players on a 0-to-100 scale, has been rolling out their Top 101 players list from the 2019 NFL season. Players Nos. 101-50 have been revealed so far.

Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton is ranked No. 69 on the list.

“Sutton caught 72 passes, broke 16 tackles after the catch and did significant work to bail his quarterback out of some ugly passes over the year,” PFF’s Sam Monson wrote. “Few players did more with less.”

Sutton played with three different QBs last year — Joe Flacco, Brandon Allen and Drew Lock — and earned a Pro Bowl nod after catching 72 passes for 1,112 yards and six touchdowns. This marks the first time he has made PFF’s Top 101 list.

Entering the 2019 season, Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller (No. 11) and cornerback Chris Harris (No. 23) made PFF’s top players list. If they are on the list again this year, they will be among the top-50 players.

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