NFL WEEK 1 TEAM BY TEAM REVIEWS

So I'm going to eventually do these for every game of the season but since I'm getting married next month and am not currently getting paid on this I'm only going to do my teams and my friend's favorite teams for this season. I did a few extra this time but look for Texans, 49ers, Packers, Falcons, and Lions every week moving forward. The grades are pretty simple but they are very different from a play by play rating where every play has the same value. That's not the case with NFL Games. My scoring essentially says that if you get a 60 you had no real impact on the game but you weren't a liability either. If you fumble the ball to lose your team the game with 90 seconds left, it's a bigger impact than throwing a pick down 24. All plays are not created equal. If you score in the 90s you were likely someone who was the main reason your team won that week. A score in the 40s or even the 30s could mean you were a serious contributing factor to why your team won. It doesn't matter how much your paid or how well your scores are accumulated every week the grades for those games are new. At the end of the year we should have a pretty good system for how good a player is and how they actually impact winning. The site I'm creating is about team building after all, so that's how every article is going to be focused. Enjoy week 1!!!

WEEK 1 GAME BY GAME RECAPS:
Baltimore at Las Vegas

Las Vegas

QB - Derek Carr: 82
He made a couple of mistakes in this game and he missed 4 throws that I noticed that were way off target. He also made a mediocre throw that carried too much heat in overtime that led to an interception.He also left 7 points on the field early in the game when Waller ran through the defense up the seam and he completely didn’t see him, they had to punt two plays later. Despite having some quick pressure he was decisive and did an excellent job finding gaps and taking what the defense gave him. Carr wasn’t perfect in this game but he was efficient, tough, and made two huge throws with only about 35 seconds left on the final drive to get them into field goal position, as well as an impressive ball to Bryan Edwards on the first drive of overtime that ended just one yard short of being a game winner. He got a gift touchdown in overtime on a cover 0 situation where he lofted a strike to Zay Jones. He’s a really good player, he just misses a few too many throws.

 
RB - Josh Jacobs: 62
Jacobs is a good football player. He was battling and was clearly not 100% in this game, almost every time he got hit by multiple players he struggled to get back up. If you take away an impressive 15 yard touchdown run he had 9 carries for 19 yards. The Raiders offensive line was not great in this game but he also lacked explosion and didn’t look like the normal player we’re used to seeing. He left some yards out there.

RB - Kenyan Drake: 73
Drake wasn’t very effective running the ball but he was impressive in all facets of the passing game. Drake looked explosive and in his element coming out of the backfield and even at times lining up on the wing, in the slot, or out wide. He also made a critical blitz pickup on a huge pass completion to Henry Ruggs later in the game. Drake looked like the real deal catching passes in this game and was one of the better third down passing games back that I watched this week. Only 5 carries for 10 yards pushes his grade back though.

 
WR - Hunter Renfroe: 72
Renfroe is an impressive player. He’s someone who could very well catch 100 passes this season in this type of an offense. While he’s a slot only guy, there were numerous times throughout this game where the Ravens had to use superstar Marlon Humphrey on him in big time situations. He’s the team’s number two receiving option and was efficient and effective again in this one. He ended with 6 catches on 9 targets for 70 yards.

 
WR - Bryan Edwards: 69
Edwards is going to continue to improve and he made big plays late in this game. Earlier in the game he struggled to gain any separation against a good Ravens defense. However, he shined late in the contest, coming up with two huge catches on the final drive of regulation and then making a great catch on a jump ball late in the game. He still needs to refine his route running because he’s weak there and struggles to gain any real separation. Edwards though is a big physical fast guy who is a nice complementary receiver in this offense, they need a big play guy and he might be just that. He also forced a big PI call early in the game. His plays in the games biggest times bumps his grade way up.

 
WR - Henry Ruggs:47
At this point it really feels like Ruggs is the 5th option on this offense and it’s beginning to look like another huge mistake for Mike Mayock. Other than a huge 37 yard completion where Ruggs beat a rookie on what I’m going to start calling the “Tyreek Hill route” he had 9 yards other than that. He’s not a refined enough route runner and simply lacks the strength to get off press coverage.

 
WR - Zay Jones: 60
Jones was non descript all game long but ended up with a huge catch in overtime to win the game. He gets a decent grade though because he made the biggest impact play of the night, that always bumps you up.

 
TE - Darren Waller: 84
Waller is a superstar but there was some negatives to his game tonight. Waller had two drops in the first half that were tough when the team was trying to gain some traction. He is clearly the focal point of this offense and ended up with an insane 19 targets in the game. That said the guy was still exceptional finishing with over 100 yards and a touchdown, he’s almost impossible to guard on crossing routes.

OL - Kolton Miller 66
He played a decent game, was better in pass pro than he was as a run blocker. He had some missed assignments but wasn’t bad.

 
OL - John Simpson 55
This was not a very impressive game for Simpson who had a rough penalty and struggled to generate any push in the run game.

 
OL - Andre James 58
This guy is not Rodney Hudson. He got very little push or movement in the run game and gave up a really big play when Calais Campbell smoked him on a 4th and 1 early. A delayed blitz caused him confusion and he let Queen run through for a sack, it could go on the right guard as well but he’s the center so that falls on him. Hung in and fought though throughout and wasn’t a terrible player tonight.

 
OL - Denzel Good N/A Got hurt early and he was struggling before he did. The injury is a big blow though cuz he can play all 4 non-center positions at at least a replacement level.

OL - Alex Leatherwood - 39
This was not good. Leatherwood gave up multiple hits, a sack, had a hold, and two false start penalties that I was aware of, including a horrible one at the Ravens one. He had a couple decent run blocks but he was the worst player on the Raiders offense tonight.





DE - Maxx Crosby 90

The best player in this game was Maxx Crosby. He absolutely abused the right side of the Ravens offensive line. Crosby had I think almost double digit pressures tonight. He was credited with 4 qb hits, and 2 sacks but it sure felt like he was more impactful than even that. He’s one of the most underrated players in the entire NFL and tonight might have been his coming out party to the rest of the country.

DT - Quinton Jefferson 67

Jefferson played a solid game considering what they were going up against. There wasn’t a ton of running room inside for the Ravens and he did a good job of getting fairly consistent inside push. While he’s not going to provide sacks, his job was to keep Jackson from stepping up in the pocket. It wasn’t consistent but it was okay there. His grade got a huge bump because he forced a fumble on Jackson that was a huge momentum move in the game.

DT - Darius Philon 63

He made a nice tackle for loss and battled while he was in there. He’s not a needle mover but wasn’t a liability tonight, did have a big fumble recovery.

DE - Yannick Ngakoue 66

He was a really hugely positive player when he was in there but he missed some serious snaps in this game due to a hamstring injury. When he was out there his speed move was giving the great Ronnie Stanley some serious problems. If he had finished the game his numbers would have been even better.

DE - Carl Nassib 75

Nassib is another underrated guy and he ended up making a huge play at the end of the game stripping Lamar Jackson and essentially having a knockout blow for the Raiders. He did a nice job stacking and causing problems in the run game as well. Nassib can play and the combination of Nassib, Ngakoue, and Crosby could end up being a big time positive position on this Raiders DL.




LB - Corey Littleton 65

Littleton made some plays in the run game and ran around quite a bit but he wasn’t actually a huge factor in this game. That said he ended up with a solid 10 tackles and did what he usually does. I think he’s a good player.Missed the tackle on the big first quarter run though.

LB - Nick Kwiatkowski 63

He’s in there to be a cover linebacker and he was solid there today except when he was way out of position on a big downfield throw. He had at tackle for loss and did a decent job.

LB - Denzel Perryman 69

Perryman was solid tonight, doing what he does best, causing pileups. He added 10 tackles and a fumble recovery. He’s not going to be great against the pass but he was better than normal tonight and helped close up some shorter passing lanes.

LB - KJ Wright NA

Wright didn’t get many snaps tonight but he made a huge play on a 4th and short that created turnover. He’s going to help this linebacker corps.





S - Jonathan Abram 74

Abram played like he did early in his rookie year and before his injury. While he’ll give up throws occasionally he always plays hard and downhill. He was credited with 10 tackles but damn it seemed like he was in more places than that. He also had a PBU.

S - Trevon Moehrig 57

Moehrig was okay tonight in his first NFL game but he wasn’t the eraser deep that you’d heard he might be. There wasn’t anything that stood out in terms of bad plays but it wasn’t great either and he didn’t have much of an impact.

CB - Casey Hayward 73

I thought Hayward played a nice game. He created some incompletions and battled. This more true iteration of cover 3 seems to favor his game.

CB - Trayvon Mullen 66

Mullen is a decent player but there wasn’t anything super special here tonight. There were times though where he and his coverage mates made Lamar hang on to the ball a bit longer. There were also times where he got beaten up in man coverage, including a couple dirty routes by Brown.

CB - Nate Hobbs 57

Relatively boring game here, but not a liability.




Others of note:

Foster Moreau played a lot, he’s a decent TE2.



Baltimore Ravens:




QB - Lamar Jackson 66
Jackson wasn’t the reason they lost this game and he certainly made his share of plays in this game. He also had two huge fumbles and missed two easy throws to the sideline that would have been first downs. The fumbles were the main culprit behind the low grade though. Again he certainly didn’t cost the team this game and made some incredible plays with his legs, and looked more comfortable with his arm in the pocket despite consistent pressure. Jackson was pretty good in this game but some slow decision making and two fumbles dropped his grade.




RB - Ty’son Williams 64

Williams looked good in this game and certainly has some burst. He showed a lot and ended up with really solid numbers, including a big 4th and 1 run that ended up with a 35 yard touchdown. He’s not going to help the team in pass pro, the last fumble of the game was him not even getting a piece of Nassib, and doesn’t run with traditional power you need from a Ravens back but he was good tonight. The missed block at the end of the game hurt his grade.


RB - Latavius Murray 55

Murray ended up with below average numbers but there was very little running room in this game. He is a good inside power runner for this offense but anytime you get below 3 yards per carry it’s a rough go.

WR - Sammy Watkins 73

Watkins might be the exact thing that Baltimore needs to expand this offense. He’s going to be a low completion percentage guy because he’s going to be a deep threat for them but tonight he made some big time downfield plays. The over the shoulder bomb later in the game that catch was so difficult and he made it look relatiavely easy. He wasn’t great underneath tonight, looking fairly coverable, but when he gets space and goes downfield he’s a good player.

WR - Marquise Brown 80

Brown was really good tonight. He was very efficient in his routes and did a good job of running numerous different routes. Typically he was only a downfield or screen guy, but tonight he ran a sick comeback route, caught a deeper one, ran a tough crossing route and ran after the catch, and made an extremely difficult 4 or 5 yard catch with one hand in traffic. With 6 targets against, he had 6 catches, a touchdown, and a 5 yard carry. This was one of the most complete performances and one of the few times we’ve seen Hollywood produce at all 3 levels. This was a big step forward I think in his career.

TE - Mark Andrews 53

This was one of the worst performances you’ll find from Andrews. The Raiders did a really good job of boxing him and containing him with double teams and throwing a lot of coverages his way. They didn’t blitz much all night which allowed multiple guys to cover Andrews and he struggled to gain separation. His blocking, which already isn’t great, was mediocre at best tonight. Game to forget for Andrews.

OL - Ronnie Stanley 58

Another Ravens superstar who had a rough go of it tonight. While Stanley wasn’t the big issue on the Ravens line tonight he gave up a sack early in the game, quite a few pressures, and looked rusty in his return.

OL - Tyre Phillips NA

Got injured early in the game and it looked bad.

OL - Bradley Bozeman 57

This was not a great game for Bozeman. He got not much push, if you take away the nice play on the 4th and 1 early in the game that is. He wasn’t the worst OL on the unit but the team didn’t get much going in the run game all night except Lamar Scrambles and one big run early.

OL - Kevin Zeitler 63

Zeitler was the prettiest of the burn victims in this game when it came to the Ravens OL. He was decent if unspectacular against a mediocre Raiders inside rush. He got some push but wasn’t a factor.

OL - Allejandro Villanueva 23

Villanueva was the worst player in this game. Maxx Crosby owned him play in and play out and the reason the last sack of the game happened was because Zeitler had to help him out. Villanueva was rough last season, but he’s done. They have to make a change as he was one of the worst linemen in the NFL week 1





DE - Odafe Oweh 63

He got a sack, which was a nice change of pace for him. He’s solid stacking the run already in his career. He didn’t have the impact you’d want but some flashes of good play.

DT - Brandon Williams 65

Williams did a good job in this game, creating havoc in the run game, and although there wasn’t a ton of interior pressure due to how quick the passing game happens he was good against the run which is his forte.

DL - Calais Campbell 69

Campbell made a huge play on 4th and 1 to get a stop early in the game which was his biggest impact by far. He also had a qb hit and did a nice job against the run overall. He wasn’t much of a factor in the pass game but got a nice bump in his grade due to that 4th and 1 play.

EDGE - Justin Houston 67

Houston was really good tonight, ending up with a few nice plays and showing multiple good pass rushes versus the rookie right tackle. That said, no sacks, only a couple tackles, and at the end of the game he looked a bit gassed. Houston clearly still has some in the tank. He also forced a hold on a run play.

EDGE - Pernell McPhee 71

McPhee didn’t have a huge impact in the game but he did end up with a nice sack and a couple of quality pass rush wins.




LB - Patrick Queen 55

Queen is going to rack up a ton of tackles for this team but quite honestly he just isn’t a good NFL player. He had a horrible read on a Jacobs TD run early in the game. He has a great DL in front of him and yet still struggles to get off blocks. He got a nice play on a blown assignment to get himself a sack tonight though. Queen with a 55 grade actually showed improvement from last year though. This was a small step forward.

LB - Malik Harrison 58

Harrison is not as good of a player as injured LJ Fort but he battles. Tonight he had 3 tackles and pretty much had zero impact on the game.




S - Chuck Clark 60

Clark had an impact on the game but he mixed a bunch of good plays with some seriously poor plays. He couldn’t guard Waller, not that anyone can but he got picked on there a bit. He missed a couple tackles. He also showed some big time blitzes and broke up 3 passes. This is a tough grade because there were good positives and big negatives.

S - Deshon Elliott 48

Elliot had a rough go tonight. He missed two huge tackles on Waller that led to touchdowns. He also didn’t force an incompletion and looked altogether weak. Not a good night for Elliott

CB - Anthony Averett 68

While it wasn’t an altogether great performance from Averett he had what could have been the biggest play in the game getting an interception off a deflection in the endzone in overtime. His grade would have been decent and turned into a solid grade due to the play and the timing and importance of the pick.

CB - Marlon Humphrey 65

In the exact opposite direction, Humphrey was really good tonight. He’s clearly one of the best players in the NFL, yet in arguably the biggest moment of the night Humphrey got burned by Zay Jones on a deep crossing route by about 5 yards and gave up the winning TD. While he would have been the Ravens highest graded player, you can’t just grade that play the same as some of the others. It was a big mistake in a high leverage situation. He also had two big mistakes in overtime and on the last drive of the game, he didn’t get Renfroe pushed out of bounds on a big play in overtime and he gave up the catch on Edwards at the end of regulation.

CB - Chris Westry 57

He got beat on a deep crossing route and gave up some bigger plays in this game. He fought hard all things considered and wasn’t picked on.

CB - Tavon Young 53

This was not Young’s best game, as they had to move Humphrey into the slot to guard Renfroe and Young gave up a big pass interference penalty early in the game to Edwards.











WEEK 1: Houston Vs Jacksonville

Houston:

QB - Tyrod Taylor 86

Taylor was brilliant in this game. He almost tossed an interception on an early out route that was broken up, and had a play in the 3rd quarter where he threw an incompletion where he easily could have ran for a first down but other than that there was almost no errors by Taylor. It was one of the best performances of his career. He was stellar hitting deep passes, made a big time long run, and was decisive in his reads.

RB - Mark Ingram 61

Ingram battled hard and did what Houston needed him to do, but he didn’t really push the pile and two or three times it looked like there was a bigger gain to be made and he didn’t make it happen.

WR - Brandin Cooks 84

Cooks was outstanding in this game. Cooks made two incredible deep catches and found success on some deeper routes to the outside. Not much more to say other than this was a highly impactful game.

WR - Danny Amendola 67

Amendola wasn’t spectacular in this game but he created some space as he always does and made the plays that were there. He was targeted 5 times and ended up with 7 catches, including a tough one on the sidelines and a touchdown.

TE - Pharoah Brown 70

Brown may finally be a Texans tight end who can emerge for this team. He isn’t a great blocker at this point and struggled in that capacity but he made pretty good plays down the field and looks the part. He may end up playing a big role for Houston this season.

OL - Laremy Tunsil 72

Tunsil was solid in this game, although he technically gave up part of the one sack that happened during the game. Tunsil and Howard combined on some impressive combo blocks in the run game and got some serious push. He was solid in pass pro although he gave up a bit of secondary pressure. He was good though.

OL - Tytus Howard 63

Howard was better than he was graded out by other outlets. He ended up with some impressive combo blocks, and while he gave up some pressure on secondary pushes he looked more confident at guard than tackle.

OL - Justin Britt 69

Britt was solid in this contest. He was good in pass pro and although he allowed some pressure no real huge miscues. Got some push in the run game at times.

OL - Max Scharping 65

Scharping was okay in this one. While they could use an upgrade here and he didn’t do much in run blocking, he wasn’t a liability.

OL - Marcus Cannon 70

Cannon was really damn good in this game, but he took some snaps off to Geron Christian. Him at right tackle and Howard at left guard looks to be the best combination.





DE - Whitney Mercilus 65

Mercilus wasn’t great in this game but he got a couple of pressures and ended up with the team’s only sack as he ran down Trevor Lawrence.

DT - Ross Blacklock 69

This was Blacklock’s best game by far of his career. He was getting pressure, kept fighting to get home and pushed hard into the pocket.

DT - Maliek Collins 63

This is a tough grade because Collins actually played a really nice football game, but two roughing the passer penalties, including one that led to a touchdown soon cost the team points. He also made some good plays and looked really good against the run, beating up on AJ Cann.

DE - Charles Omenihu 70

Omenihu had a great training camp and kept that up with a solid game. He looks so much better in this scheme than he did. He fought hard and set a really good edge. He showed some good pressure and got his hands and pressed into passing lanes. It wasn’t a dominant performance, but he was good in this game.

LB - Zach Cunningham 66

I know that PFF hates Cunningham, but that’s why PFF isn’t good at their job. Cunningham ended up with a solid 6 tackles, and was right around the football on a number of pass plays. He wasn’t great in this game but he played a decent game and had a PBU as well as a TFL and multiple stops right around the line.

LB - Christian Kirksey 75

Kirksey was outstanding in this contest, earning the best grade from a defensive player. He looked comfortable in coverage and got a pick that essentially ended the game. Kirksey also had two TFL’s and looked like he was built to play in this defense.

CB - Desmond King 63

King was good in this game but he gave up some catches. This defense is going to put him in positions to run around in that situation but he gave up some shorter boring catches.

CB - Vernon Hargreaves 73

I was extremely impressed by the way Hargreaves played in this game. This was his best game in a while. He looked comfortable in this cover 2 heavy system and had two PBU. They threw over the top of him once that fit between the C2 gap between him and Reid for a TD though but it was only partially on him.

CB - Terrance Mitchell 65

Mitchell was solid if unspectacular in this game, nothing to write home about but he played a decent game.

S - Justin Reid 66

Reid had a big pick and a huge return that was a big play and looked excellent on special teams. He also had some mistakes in coverage on deeper plays but they had little impact on the game - the td to end the game was against him as a slant but the game impact was essentially 0.

S - Eric Murray 66

He was fine in this game and made some tackles but he’s a low impact player. This system is much better for him though as he’s fairly protected and can sit back and make the plays that present themselves, which he did in this one.





JACKSONVILLE

QB - Trevor Lawrence 37

Lawrence showed a ton of promise in this game, making three or four throws that were just outstanding. That said he also completely whiffed on all three of his picks and you can’t throw three interceptions in the NFL and win very often. The third touchdown of the game was essentially a gift as there was no time left and they were down 4 scores, so that means little in terms of grade. The picks he threw were awful, but he had some big time throws too. Too many drops cost him in this one a bit too.

RB - James Robinson 60

This was a game Robinson would like to forget in the passing game. As a running back this dude can really run the football. He breaks tackles and ran with good vision. That said, his impact was low because they had to abandon the run, he also had two drops, both of which would have been for first downs, and those were big drops.

RB - Carlos Hyde 63

Hyde ran the ball effectively between the tackles as he typically does but his impact was low as the team had to abandon the run. He also didn’t have any big impact plays.

WR - DJ Chark 70

Chark was targeted a bunch throughout this game and there were some bad throws but there was also a big time route for a 41 yard touchdown. Chark also at times didn’t get open and did have a big drop on what would have been a 15 yard gain.

WR - Laviska Shenault 68

Shenault played a good football game and it looks like he’s the real deal for this team. He had 59 total yards but this guy is going to get a ton of touches. He’s explosive with tremendous vision with the ball in his hands.

WR - Marin Jones 65

Jones had a drop early but ended up with decent numbers thanks to garbage time. He didn’t have much of an imapct.

TE - James O’Shaughnessey 63

He caught some passes and blocked decently when asked to but low impact game.

TE - Chris Manhertz 71

Manhertz is one of the best blockers in the game and he was very good in the run game again today and paired it up with a big touchdown early when the game was still in doubt. He’s a good player.

OL - Cam Robinson 52

Robinson getting the franchise tag was one of the biggest head scratchers of this offseason. He wasn’t good again in this game, giving up multiple pressures as well as the sack in the game. Robinson played another below average game.

OL - AJ Cann 36

Cann was atrocious in this game. He didn’t get much movement in the run game, although he was better there but essentially every single time he lined up against the pass he was getting worked over. It seemed like Houston figured out how to isolate him and just went after him.

OL - Brandon Linder 65

Linder is typically one of the best centers in the NFL but this wasn’t a very good game for him. He made a big time block in the run game early on but didn’t do great there. In pass pro he ended up with a solid game but still gave up more push than you’d typically get from him. No direct pressure on him though, but they didn’t push on him much either.

OL - Andrew Norwell 62

Linder was okay in this game but wasn’t great. He gave up a couple of quick pressures and one that led to an immediate throwaway. He wasn’t bad though.

OL - Jawann Taylor 58

A big time hold and a false start hurts his grade but he gave up no sacks and only a couple of pressures. It wasn’t awful but some missteps hurt his grade.


DE - Josh Allen 75

The best player on the field for Jacksonville during this game was Josh Allen. Allen continued to put pressure on Taylor, and while Taylor showed really good pocket mobility, Allen was disruptive, getting the only sack of the game for the Jags.

DL - Duwane Smoot 65

Smoot played a really good game for the Jags as well. He battled in the run game and created some pressure against Tytus Howard and then later with a nice move against Scharping.

DT - Malcolm Brown 68

I thought Brown caused all sorts of problems for the Houston offensive line. He was maybe the best run defender on the field in this game. He ended up with 7 tackles and ate up blockers as well. He was solid.

DL - Roy Robertson-Harris 60

He had very little impact although he did end up with 5 tackles.

DE - K’Lavon Chaisson 53

He was extremely quiet, made some plays in the run game but he showed very little as a pass rusher in this one.

LB - Myles Jack 50

Jack ended up with a bunch of tackles but he had a rough game. He gave up some big plays in this game in the pass game and got caught up in coverage a couple of times, including giving up a passing touchdown to David Johnson. He was productive but gave up big plays.

LB - Damien Wilson 58

Boring game for him, didn’t have much of an impact.

CB - Tyson Campbell 49

Campbell got beaten up in this game and looked a bit overwhelmed in his debut.

CB - Shaq Griffin 53

He actually made a couple of plays in this game but his grade goes way down becuase he gave up some catches but also because on the first pass of the game he had a chance to make a pick that could have changed the entire complexion of the game and he dropped it. Dropped INT will kill your grade here on Buildthe53.

CB - CJ Henderson 55

He wasn’t targeted much throughout this game and was a bit more sticky in coverage than the others in this game, but did give up a pretty big deep pass to Cooks.

S - Rayshawn Jenkins 49

Jenkins was not good in this game. He had good coverage on Cooks but couldn’t make the play.

S - Andrew Wingard 53

Boring non descript game but caused no problems and made no plays on the ball.








GREEN BAY VS NEW ORLEANS


GREEN BAY:

QB - Aaron Rodgers 19

This has to go down as the worst game in the history of Aaron Rodgers hall of fame career. Not only did he look lethargic and slow he made two god awful decisions including one in the redzone where he missed an open crosser for a terrible pick. I can’t believe I would ever write this but through one game, Rodgers has the lowest qb grade in the NFL.

RB - Aaron Jones 51

A super quiet game for Jones, some of that was due to the gameplan and runningbacks don’t typically have that much impact but he was a complete non factor. Jones looked like he lacked burst even when he did get touches.

WR - Davante Adams 65

Adams struggled to get much separation in this game as he had some underneath coverage shadowing him as well as Marshon Lattimore most of the time. He did have a nice catch deep down the field but wasn’t much of a factor in the game.

WR - Marquez Valdes-Scantling 53

The Packers biggest problem in this game was their receivers just simply couldnt get open. MVS made what looked to be a big short yardage catch early in the game on 4th and 1 but other than that did virtually nothing. He has the H/W/S you look for but can’t run routes and relying on him to be your WR2 is a recipe for disaster.

WR - Every other WR gets a failing grade as they simply couldn’t get open in this game.

TE - Robert Tonyan 48

Tonyan didn’t generate much push when he was asked to block and he couldn’t get open against a talented Saints defense. He ended up with two catches for 8 yards on 4 targets. The Packers seem to want to rely on him to help move the sticks but against talented defenders he can’t gain separation.

OT - Elgton Jenkins 68

I actually thought Jenkins was pretty solid at left tackle in this game. He gave up a pretty obvious pressure but realistically held his own in a decent way playing outside.

OG - Lucas Patrick 63

Patrick wasn’t bad on the left side either, hanging in throughout the contest.

OC - Josh Myers 62

Myers actually was better than you’d think in his debut, as he gave Rogers tons of time to throw. He gave up one quick pressure but held his own in the passing game. In the run game he wasn’t as good.

OG - Royce Newman 52

This was a tough way to start for Newman as a rookie. A big pressure he allowed on Cam Jordan led to a red zone pick. He gave up a handful of pressures to bigger stronger DL.

OT - Billy Turner 58

Turner was okay in this game, although he allowed the sack late in the contest that was a fumble but the game was so far out of reach at that point it didn’t matter. He did give up some pressures but most were very delayed.


DE - Preston Smith 73

I thought Smith played a very good football game this week. It didn’t create much impact on winning and losing but early in the contest he got two big run stops and then created a pressure that led to a Winston flush. He stood out on tape.

DL - Kenny Clark 64

Clark made some defensive stops in this game and looked to be the only Green Bay interior lineman who could hold up and not give up too much push.

DL - Kingsley Keke 45

He got absolutely abused by the Saints OL. He couldn’t hang in there and the duo blocks he faced led him multiple yards down field.

DL - Dean Lowry 52

Lowry struggled in this game. He made some tackles but it was down the field after a solid push. He didn’t end up holding his own and got essentially zero pressures.

EDGE - Zadarius Smith 55

Smith was a non factor in this game and actually looked easy to block at times. He’s a great player but was not good in this contest. He had one tackle and hit Winston once and that was called a penalty (even though it shouldn’t have been)

EDGE - Rashan Gary 60

Gary didn’t show up on the stat sheet so you can’t say a hold lot here but he did make a really nice play on a 3rd and 1 to blow it up and looked like he got pressure a couple of times which is more than the rest of the unit.

LB - Krys Barnes 56

Barnes made quite a few tackles but he’s not an impact player and showed that in this game. Players got extra yards on him and he gave up some easy catches.

LB - De’Vondre Campbell 66

Campbell played a fairly decent football game here and typically when a stop happened it was Smith, Clark, or Campbell running up to finish off a pile up. No impact plays but he was solid in this one.

CB - Jaire Alexander 71

Alexander was rock solid in this game. He allowed a couple short catches for about a dozen yards but was very stingy. He had very little ipmact though because there was no point in throwing at him. He’s one of the best and with the other CBs on this roster he’ll never get tested.

CB - Kevin King 35

King is one of the worst starting cornerbacks in football and was torched frequently again in this game. He gave up an easy 15 yard completion early in the game and then got smoked on about a 40 yard TD later in the contest. They rarely threw outside but when they did King was in trouble.

CB - Chandon Sullivan 39

Sullivan wasn’t much better than King getting beaten on a regular basis when they actually decided to throw, he gave up a slam dunk touchdown.

S - Adrian Amos 60

Amos was not special in this game, allowing some short throws to be completed and giving up a redzone score to Johnson early in the game on 4th down and goal. He made some plays in the run game and helped stop some plays after they were caught but it wasn’t a great night for Amos.

S - Darnell Savage 53

Savage was credited with giving up a TD as well and pretty much had no impact in the game.

In a side note, Eric Stokes was only targeted once and got a PBU… think he should play more?






NEW ORLEANS

QB - Jameis Winston 86

Winston was the perfect game manager in this game and while he wasn’t perfect despite what his numbers say, he was excellent. He had a bad throw to Kamara on 3rd and 2 that AK bailed him out on, and he threw a redzone pick that was called back because of a personal foul. If that hadn’t happened that was a really bad play. Other than that though he made quick decisions, showed some athleticism, and was excellent in the red area taking that one throw away. 5 TD and 0 INT is some incredible football, even if they didn’t ask him to do much. His grade gets knocked down because of the two earlier plays and the fact that Johnson bailed him out on a wide open TD when nobody was anywhere near him.

RB - Alvin Kamara 73

Kamara didn’t have to be special tonight and instead he did yeoman’s work running on the inside. He made a couple special plays including an incredible catch on 3rd and 2 in the redzone and his touchdown “catch” showed tremendous patience and poise.

WR - Marquez Callaway 62

You might wonder why he gets a decent grade in this and it’s because of his other work than catching the ball. He wasn’t going to get away from Jaire Alexander, but he worked his tail off as a blocker and you could see him grinding for extra yards.

WR - Deonte Harris 68

Harris is going to give this team a serious extra dimension this year and he showed that with a big time down field touchdown catch. He added another 17 yard catch too, showing some big time playmaking skill. His speed can play.

TE - Jawan Johnson 74

Johnson made two big time red zone catches in this game and those are plays that get you higher grades. The 4th and 2 catch in the back of the endzone was big time and in a crucial spot when that game was still in contention. An acrobatic second TD on a bad ball from Winston. He was quiet other than that but he had a big impact in the game.

TE - Adam Trautman 63

Trautman had some serious highs and lows in this game. He had a contested drop early in the game and then a big time drop on first and ten from the 18 yard line later in the game that would’ve put them at about the 5. Two drops is rough, but he was an incredible run blocker in this game absolutely dominating when he was asked to set the edge. Two drops is rough and it hurts the grade and he didn’t give them a ton in receiving other than that, but his blocking stood out on tape.

LT- Terron Armstead 90

Armstead was absolutely spectacular in this football game. He was essentially a Zadarius Smith eraser and he did a good job setting the edge in the run game as well. The entire group was great but Armstead was special. His hands are just so damn strong.

LG - Andrus Peat 68

Peat was good in this game, he may have surrendered a late pressure a couple of times but he gave Jameis a ton of time and was better than usual in the run game.

C - Cesar Ruiz 72

Ruiz had to switch over from guard to center when McCoy was hurt and did an admirable job. A late pressure via push once was noticeable but he did a good job and showed some impressive athleticism on some inside zone runs.

RG - Calvin Throckmorton 69

Throckmorton hung in there nicely. He was lined up against Kenny Clark at times and while he didn’t get push he didn’t get domianted either. He stoned him in pass pro a couple of times too.

RT - Ryan Ramcyzk 71

RR put together a solid game in pass pro but he wasn’t as good in the run game on this night. Smith had a god game against RR in the run game but wasn’t much of a pass rushing factor.




This entire unit was really impressive and all of these guys get a bump. Ruiz wasn’t tremendous at center but kicking over there mid game and holding his own gave him a bump of 10 points.


DE - Cameron Jordan 70

Jordan gets a lot of this grade from one single play where he beat Newman and created instant pressure on Rodgers who in turn threw the redzone pick. Jordan was quiet other than that really, getting one more hurry but that was a big play in that game.

DT - Shy Tuttle 68

Tuttle looked impressive in this one, on one run play in particular on he shucked one guy and stoned the runner on a short yardage play. He’s underrated.

DL - Tanoh Kpassagnon 73

He was impressive in this one, getting a handful of hurries, setting the edge in the run game and getting a sack along with another qb hit.

DE - Marcus Davenport 66

He had a really good game going until he missed some time with injuries but he was really going. His grade probably would have paced the group if not for that.

DT - Albert Huggins 67

He never really showed much before this game but he played really well, getting a couple of run stops as well as some quick initial hurries.

DE - Carl Granderson 63

I thought Granderson quietly had a nice game as well. No counting stats but he looked solid on film.

LB - Demario Davis 77

Whoa can this dude run around and make plays. My goodness. He makes it so tough to throw the ball to backs. He’s one of the best cover linebackers in the league and was outstanding in this one. He made two ++ rated plays in coverage by closing so quick.

LB - Zack Baun 69

I thought Baun looked like a really solid player in this one. He was so strong setting the edge and kicking people back inside and was reliable and where he wa supposed to be all game long.

LB - Kwon Alexander 72

Alexander looked like he hadn’t missed any time. He looked fast and ran sideline to sideline.

CB - Marhson Lattimore 87

Lattimore was really really good in this game and was the best Saints defender. Considering the matchup he had to do what he did was extremely impressive. Rodgers throughout the game actually had a decent amount of time to throw sporadically and there was just nobody open.

CB - Paulsen Adebo 78

This guy had an incredible first game. Yes he was going against terrible offensive players but I had him credited with 4 forced incompletions. He was outstanding and was certainly among the best week 1 rookies.

DB - Chauncey-Gardner Johnson 68

Another solid performance goes to CGJ. The guy is a prick but he can really play football. He actually did give up a couple of catches but one was late in the game and had little impact.

FS - Marcus Williams 75

The interception he got was impressive even if to the layman it didn’t look so. Rodgers thought he was doubling Adams, which he was, but he understood the leverage and was able to easily peel off the coverage to get an easy pick which he ran back for 40 yards. He’s so good and should get a monster extension this next season.

SS - Malcolm Jenkins 65

Jenkins wasn’t as good in this one as his secondary mates but he was still solid. Nothing spectacular here, had a bad PI in a high leverage situation but other than that meh.






TAMPA BAY VS DALLAS

TAMPA BAY

QB - Tom Brady 86

Brady was outstanding in this football game and essentially picked up right where he left off the previous season.He ended up with two picks but this is why stats aren’t telling. One went right through Fournette’s hands and the other was a Hail Mary. He missed some throws in this one that weren’t perfect but overall he played a tremendous game and was one of the best at his positions in week 1.
RB - Leonard Fournette 54

Fournette’s big dropped pass interception really allowed Dallas to get back into the football game. He ran the ball hard considering his line gave him virtually no room to run but he wasn’t a factor. That turnover that was on him could have been a big play.

RB - Ronald Jones 45

Big fumble for Jones gave Dallas a fighting chance.

WR - Antonio Brown 77

Brown is likely going to lead this team in receiving yards this season. He’s a perfect Tom Brady weapon and still an incredible route runner. The big thing with Brown though is that he still has enough juice to make big plays down the field. He was extremely efficient and ended up with a big day.

WR - Chris Godwin 69

Godwin had a great game minus a huge fumble that could have cost his team the win. He’s an exceptional player and lined up in the slot gave the Cowboys fits. But that fumble could have cost the Bucs the win and that would have plummeted his game score. Godwin is going to get more than $20m per season this offseason though, and he deserves it.

WR - Mike Evans 58

Essentially a game where Evans is a non factor. He says all he cares about is winning, and that’s good because he’s going to be the number 3 or 4 target on this team this year. Hopefully he can make a big impact in the redzone.

TE - Rob Gronkowski 75

Gronk just knows what TB12 is thinking. On an all out blitz early in the game in the redzone, Gronk turned and opened up quickly leading to an easy touchdown. Gronk was perfect when targeted going 8 for 8 for 90 yards and 2 scores, showing he still has quite a bit left in the tank.

LT - Donovan Smith 73

This was one of the better games I’ve watched Smith play. He was solid as can be in pass protection and allowed no hits and no hurries. He didn’t do super well in the run game but he was sharp.

LG - Ali Marpet 65

Marpet wasn’t as good as he usually is in this one and gave up a couple of pressures and didn’t look good as a run blocker.

C - Ryan Jensen 67

Jensen was okay in this one. He held up well in pass pro and didn’t allow a single hit but against what should be a mediocre Dallas DL he didn’t get much movement in the run game.

RG - Alex Cappa 75

Cappa was really good in this game. It wasn’t just that he didn’t allow any real pressure. He stoned people in the pass pro game and he actually was the guy who got some movement in the run game.

RT - Tristan Wirfs 68

Wirfs had the only real tough assignment of the night against Lawrence. He didn’t put his greatest game on tape but considering who he was going against and that they barely gave him any help he held his own well. Lawrence stacked him up against the run a couple of times though.


DE - Ndamukong Suh 58

Suh was not very effective in this game. While he got one qb hit it was late in the play and he looked like he maybe has finally lost a step.

DT - Vita Vea 92

Vea was an absolute unit in this game. For someone who weighs 347 pounds, he moves with tremendous quickness. McGovern worked his tail off but there was just too many plays, even when he was doubled with Biadasz that he created havoc. Vea was the best player on the field in this one.

DE - William Gholston 58

No real impact in this one.

EDGE - Shaq Barrett 69

Barrett played a nice game although he didn’t have a huge impact pressure wise. He still was impactful and had a sack.

EDGE - Jason Pierre Paul 66

JPP was solid in this one, adding a couple of solid pass rushes and ending up with 6 tackles as well. Nothing special but he was good.

LB - Devin White 71

White was good in this one but not spectacular. He of course ended up with 10 tackles but he also gave up a bit in terms of catches and didn’t seem to quite have the burst and recognition he usually does.

LB - Lavonte David 76

David was better in this one than White and had a really good game. He’s always been great but he seems to move sideline to sideline in this one even better and looked to have more freedom to his game than even his stellar 2020 season.

CB - Carlton Davis 90

Davis was one of the best corners in the NFL in week 1. He was all over the field and had at least 3 PBU that I counted. Davis allowed a passer rating against according to my ratings of under 20. He was outstanding.

CB - Jamel Dean 36

On the other end of the spectrum is Dean who was picked on all night long. After SMBunting got injured giving up a touchdown TB12 went after Dean every single time they could isolate. It led to a rough night for Dean and multiple easy throws.

CB - Ross Cockrell 50

Cockrell wasn’t a ton better than Dean in this one and struggled to cover the slot receivers of Dallas. That’s understandable as they are elite but this was a rough one. He gave up 7 receptions and loads of yards after the catch.

S - Antoine Winfield 60

Winfield wasn’t very good in this one either, giving up some big plays but he ended up with 8 tackles and still looked the part back there.

S - Mike Edwards 62

He battles hard back there and definitely deserves some reps in a big nickel situation when Whitehead comes back. Adams was not good in this one and so getting back Whitehead will be a nice plus for this unit.






DALLAS:

QB - Dak Prescott 82
Prescott was nothing short of outstanding in this game and yet somehow he had to take the loss. He threw for over 400 yards and was special in this one. Even the pick he threw actually was a CeeDee Lamb drop. His grade would be so much higher but somehow he came out on the losing end of this. Might be the best qb performance in a loss in week 1.

RB - Ezekiel Elliott 59

Elliott didn’t look good in this one. Tampa has a tremendous front and they stop the run easily but he looked slower than he had in the preseason and less decisive with his cuts.

RB - Tony Pollard 64

Pollard looks like by far the more explosive player in the Cowboys backfield. I would expect TP to get a lot of looks in the passing game before this season is up and it wouldn't surprise me if he’s their lead back in 2022.

WR - Amari Cooper 86

Cooper was elite in this game. His route running and ability to create separation from anywhere and any route combination makes him one of the best receivers in the game today. Anyone questioning whether or not he’s worth $20m per year should put this film on.

WR - Ceedee Lamb 68

Lamb was typical Lamb in this one. A big drop early cost them some serious yardage down the sideline, he ran a route that was a bit too deep when watching the all22 and it led to an incompletion, it was one of a couple poor throws too. His big issue in this one though was Dak’s pick went right through his hands. It would have been a good catch but one you have to make if you want to take the next step. He also was dynamic as hell with the ball in his hands and is brutal to cover when he gets a free release. If he can figure out the drops, watch out.

WR - Michael Gallup NA

He looked like he was going to be a big time chain mover and then he got hurt in this one.

TE - Dalton Shultz 60

Schultz was solid with 6 catches in this one as an outlet receiver. He’s not a special player but he’s solid and dependable.

LT - Tyron Smith 67

I know that pff thinks Smith had a great game but he had a bad hold that stalled a drive and gave up some secondary pressure throughout. It was a decent game but nothing elite.

LG - Connor Williams 59

Williams had a bit of a rough go in this one but he wasn’t awful. He struggled mightily in the run game and failed ot get any push and gave up a handful of secondary pressures to players not named Vita Vea.

C - Tyler Biadaz 53

Biadasz struggled against Vea but when asked to block someone else hung in there fairly well. Vea gave him fits though and it disallowed him to get much push in the run game.

RG - Connor McGovern 48

McGovern was the one who really struggled with Vea giving up a ton of push and constantly being pushed back into the lap of Dak. He hung in there but was overmatched. He fought hard though and gave his team a chance against someone who will probalby be an All-Pro this season.

RT - La’el Collins 72

Collins I thought was the best dallas lineman in week 1 and ended up with their best grade. He was rock solid all night but now they have to be without him for 5 weeks. Really big blow


DE - Demarcus Lawrence 71

Lawrence was without a doubt the best Dallas DL throughout this game. He played a solid football game, adding pressure on a consistent basis and doing a nice job against the run.

DL - Dorance Armstrong 57

Armstrong didn’t do much to provide any value, getting little pressure and not making a big impact against the run.

DL - Osa Odigizuwa 53

Quiet game for the rookie who is going to get a lot of snaps for this team.

DE - Randy Gregory 54

Non factor game for Gregory. He has two first names but only had one tackle.

DL - Brent Urban 55

Non factor game here too.

LB - Micah Parsons 74

Parsons looked like the best player on Dallas’ defense as a rookie starting his first game. He showed pop when he blitzed, ran all over the field and made plays. It was a very strong first showing for Parsons.

LB - Keanu Neal 50

Neal struggled in this game. He got about 35 more snaps than LVE and Jaylon Smith and he struggled to match up giving up some pretty big plays.

CB - Anthony Brown 38

Anthony Brown was awful in this game. Essentially what the Boys did to Dean the Bucs did to Brown throwing at him every time they could. He was the main culprit in giving up all those points.

CB - Jourdan Lewis 47

Lewis wasn’t much better in this one. He gave up catch after catch trying to stop the slot receivers with no real success. He had a big pick at the end of the half on a hail mary but not due to great coverage.

CB - Trevon Diggs 66

I thought Diggs played a nice game and was by far the Cowboys best DB. He battled all game long and gave Evans some fits. They didn’t attack him as much as he was a solid player.

S - Damonte Kazee 63

Kazee wasn’t special in this one but he was around the football in the passing game and looked decent.

S - Donovan Wilson 60

Quite game for Wilson playing deep. He did get a good hit on the qb during a blitz though.

S - Jayron Kearse 58

Kearse played a decent game but just gave up a bit too much in the passing game. Tons of tackles which is what he’s good at but they really need a playmaker back here in this secondary. You’d have to think as soon as Hooker is more up to speed with this defense he’ll get rolling.










SAN FRANCISCO VS DETROIT

SAN FRANCISCO

QB Jimmy Garoppolo 76

Garopollo was solid as can be in this game, playing like he usually does. There wasn’t any spectacular plays but he’s steady in this offense. The opening snap was on him that he fumbled and it was a big mistake but other than that he took what the defense gave him and played a very solid football game.

RB - Elijah Mitchell 68

Mitchell is extremely quick and shifty in his running style. The 38 yard touchdown early in the game was certainly an exclamation point. He doesn’t run with much power though so I’d be surprised if with Mostert being out the rest of the season if Trey Sermon doesn’t get active and play a bunch moving forward. His power and ability to move the pile in the zone blocking scheme is going to be important.

FB/TE - Kyle Juszczyk 68

He’s one of the best versatile blockers in the game and this one was no different. He was solid moving all over the place but he wasn’t spectacular in this one. Detroit’s defense is essnetially a 52 when they’re in base and the OLB’s are gigantic. Tough to get movement against that front. He was good if not great tonight

TE - George Kittle 75

Kittle was doing Kittle things early and often in this one. While he wasn’t a dominant player in the game and didn’t handle the onside kick, as well as having a big false start on the last drive. Kittle was still very good, showing a couple of really good blocks and kickouts while having 4 catches for almost 80 yards, most of which happened after the catch. He’s one of the best in the game and showed it again tonight.

WR - Deebo Samuel 82

This grade would have been damn close to a 90 if it weren’t for the fumble at the very end of the game. He is absolutely perfect for this offense and he could very well be the focal point of that side of the ball this season. His ability to run routes at all three levels now is impressive and he’s nothing short of dynamic with the ball in his hands. That fumble at the end of the game was a big miscue though and it cost him from being the top receiver grade wise in the NFL in week 1. He played an exceptional game if you take that away though.

WR - Brandon Aiyuk 44

Aiyuk was a complete non factor in this game and despite playing 26 snaps he didn’t get a single target. This was a suprising performance and in watching the replay he just didn’t show much separation skill.

WR - Trent Sherfield 63

A nice touchdown on an slant and out on the goal line was a really solid play in this game. He wasn’t great, but he scored a TD and wasn’t a liability. The team needs Aiyuk to step up.

LT - Trent Williams 88

Williams was outstanding in this one. The only other OL I watched this week with a better game was Terron Armstead. Williams gave up nothing in the terms of pass rush and he was solid in the run game. He didn’t get quite the movement you’re used to seeing from him but there was never a time I marked him down as a big negative in the run game either. He’s the best left tackle in football and started the year off with an impressive performance.

LG - Laken Tomlinson 73

This was a really solid game by Tomlinson. He was almost never panicky or grabby with his hands on the line and he got more push than any of the other interior lineman in the run game. He looked really impressive in this one.

C - Alex Mack 64

Mack was good in this one but not spectacular. He didn’t get tremendous push and occasionally had some push back in his face on pass plays. He wasn’t a liability in the game but he was the weakest SF lineman in this game.

RG - Daniel Brunskill 77

This was one of the better games I’ve watched him play. I had him for 4 different big plus marks on running plays where he opened up big run lanes. Brunskill played with toughness and got big time movement numerous times. Great start to the season for him.

RT - Mike McGlinchey 65

McGlinchey was okay in this one but it wasn’t one of his better games. Detroit only had one sack and while it was on a nickel blitz, McGlinchey doubled inside and it wasn’t neeeded. He also struggled to get movement anytime SF tried to run power. He got stonewalled a few times and caused pileups and didn’t play with much pop. He was okay, and didn’t give up much in the passing game but he was just adequate in this one.





DE - Nick Bosa 83

Bosa was once again an excellent football player in this one. He ended up with a sack which was a good bullrush and coverage helped him out. He also was strong against the run, while he didn’t win every matchup he was productive and tough and grinded. Today was a game like a boxer where he just kept coming back out and got some productive plays. He’s one of the best players in the NFL

DL - Arik Armstead 68

Armstead was solid in this one but he didn’t really make much of an impact. He got a good quarterback hit once and caused some pileups in the run game and played a ton of snaps which was impressive. No sacks, one tackle, and one quarterback hit, he had some nice movement in the run game and got some push but not a huge game.

DE - Samson Ebukam 62

Ebukam was pretty quiet throughout this game and had a grade in the 50s until he forced Jared Goff’s last throw to land 10 yards short due to his pressure. He was nondescript in this one and didn’t have a big impact at all until that play.

DL - Kevin Givens 58

Pretty solid amount of snaps but nothing really to write home about here. He didn’t get much pressure and was just okay against the run.

DL - DJ Jones 62

PFF thinks he had this monster game with an 80+ grade, I barely even recognized he was out there. In fact I didn’t have a note on him other than to say he caused a couple of double teams due to crashing down.

DE - Arden Key 57

No pressure from him throughout this one and he was a non factor.

DE - Dee Ford 72

Ford only played half the snaps that Armstead played, 30, and yet was still clearly the second best rusher on this team. He had a sack, another quarterback hit, another hurry, and forced a hold that got nullified. I get you want him situationally in this role to help him stay healthy and all of that but only ⅓ of the snaps isnt’ going to cut it, he’s clearly your second best weapon to get after the quarterback. He was also the guy who got the big push against Nelson that forced the pick 6. He’s gotta play more.

LB - Fred Warner 63

I know he led the team in tackles and I’m sure he was good in coverage at times but honestly Warner was completely invisible in this game. He ended up with 10 tackles that I had him charted for but they were almost all in garbage time. He’s I think the best pure linebacker in football, but this tape was mediocre.

LB - Azeez al-Shaair 78

Whoa, he may have even been better than Bosa in this one. I had him for 7 ++ rated plays on my first go through of the tape. He absolutely popped out on film. He had 7 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 PBU and forced another incompletion in this game. He was outstanding.

LB - Dre Greenlaw 75

Greenlaw was up and down in this one. He made some mistakes but also some nice plays out and about in the pass and run game in this one but obviously if you end up with a pick 6 when the game is still in doubt, you get a huge bump up in grade. Greenlaw is a nice player and was going to have a positive grade anyway but it created a huge play in the game.


CB - Dede Lenoir, 79

Lenoir was spectacular in this one as his first career game he was the best 49ers DB by a mile. He played all 90 snaps and it looks like SF found another diamond in the rough at cornerback. Somehow PFF had him for a grade in the 50s.. The dude allowed 1 catch in 90 snaps. Yes he gave up a PI down the field at one point but he was one of the better corners in week 1 and he showed some physicality in the run game as well. The fact that for almost 3 quarters I hadn’t written anything down about him shows how well he played. Great debut.

CB - K’waun Williams 64

Williams was okay in this one and he’s a solid enough corner in the NFL. I thought he did a nice job overall but had little impact in the game as they weren’t trying to challenge downfield.

CB - Jason Verrett N/A Injured

How freaking bad do you feel for this guy.

S - Jimmie Ward 63

There were good and bad plays from Ward in this one. He definitely gave up some catches and he missed a couple of tackles in this one but he also had 6 tackles and at times showed some good coverage and recovery skills. Solid game but nothing to write home about.

S - Jacquiski Tartt 60

Tartt is an underrated player and he had a lot of ups and downs in this one. I had him for four nice plays and 4 negative plays. He was called for an unnecessary roughness that was horrible timing to get the call but in watching the tape was a bad call. It was an actual nice play there.






DETROIT:

QB - Jared Goff 66

Goff battled hard throughout this one, and he kept fighting. It was actually a fairly impressive effort all things considered. That said, the pick 6 at the end of the half was absolutely brutal and something that made it tough to overcome. I had him for 6 more off target throws that were essentially unforced errors. He managed this offense pretty darn well though and knew when to take a shot and when to run through what is going to be a highly check down and tight end centric offense. Overall a decent performance.




RB - D’andre Swift 65

Swift was held in check for most of the contest except for a screen pass where he looked explosive as can be. He wasn’t impressive in tight areas today and that’s something that will need to improve if he wants to be effective in this style of offense. Not sure if he was fully healthy or not but a big drop that would have been a first down hurt and he didn’t make many people miss today or move piles but a big run after catch touchdown saved his grade.

RB - Damien Williams 66

I think we can see why Williams may split touches with Swift in this offense. Williams pushes piles and will drive forward and keep them ahead of the chains. There were some open running lanes occasionally but when there wasn’t Williams battled for forward yards. He’s not dynamic but he’ll do the dirty work.




TE - TJ Hockenson 79

This dude I think is going to challenge to be in the top tight end conversation next year. Obviously the big 3 tight ends are elite but Hockenson by years’ end might be in that debate as well. He looks faster and stronger this year and some of his blocks in this game were ++ rated plays. Pair that with the fact that he read zone well in this one and showed great burst after the catch on some crossing routes. He’s a star and here’s your prop bet of the year, take Hockenson to lead the NFL in receptions this season and see if you can’t get rich, because there is a scenario where he ends up #1 in that category in 2021.

WR - Kalif Raymond 57

He had 3 for 50 in this one and showed some burst but nothing spectacular here. In 50+ snaps he did okay.

WR -Amon-ra St. Brown 56

He’s going to get some catches this season and he looks like a legit NFL player but he lacks any real burst or pop. He’s got a good feel for the game though so he could end up being fairly productive.

WR - Trinity Benson 65

He’s a really good blocker as a WR and that’s why he’ll see a bunch of snaps in this offense. He does some really good work there but he’s not much of a separator. He was impressive as a blocker in this game though.

WR - Quintez Cephus 68

Why is this guy not their WR1? This made zero sense as he is clearly their most dynamic and most difficult guy to cover. Cephus had the fewest snaps of all the Detroit receivers but it’s so clear he’s the best one. He’s a redzone threat and despite not having blazing speed is the best separator of the bunch. By years’ end he has to be leading this team in WR snaps and targets.

WR - Tyrell Williams 55

Very quiet game and he had a ball that could have been caught go through his hands.


LT - Penei Sewell 74

Sewell was really solid in his game. Yes he technically gave up a sack to Nick Bosa, but it was aided by solid coverage and Goff not being able to step up in the pocket. He gave up a couple of bull rushes as well. Other than that he was outstanding. He had some really good movement on collapse down blocks in the run game and looked like a stud out there. Decker shoudl be the one to move here, not Sewell as he looked legit week 1.

LG - Jonah Jackson 64

He gave up a sack and a couple other pressures but did a decent job overall. He had ac couple of big time power blocks as well and had a really great block on the Swift screen touchdown. There were some good things here. He’s not a great player though yet and gave up some push and a handful of pressures as well as being only okay in the run game.

C - Frank Ragnow 72

Ragnow was very good in this one although he didn’t get quite the push you’d like to see in the run game. He had some big time blocks though but he missed a couple combo blocks that you’d like to see him generate a bit more push on. Overall though quality game for the center.

RG - Hal Vaitai 61

He was okay in this one but at times failed to get much movement in the run game and looked a bit stiff in pass pro, allowing some guys to get push right into his chest. He wasn’t a liability though and hung in.

RT - Matt Nelson 53

Yes he got beat badly on a sack, gave up the pressure that led to the pick 6, and didn’t get much movement in the running game. He also had a hold that was called back. That said, for a swing tackle to jump in against a very good front he hung in there. There were a lot worse tackles that played on Sunday that are deemed starters. For a swing tackle he battled and had some pretty decent wins too.



EDGE- Trey Flowers 73

Flowers was rock solid in this game again.He’s one of the most consistent players in the league and this game was no different. Add in the fact that he stripped Samuel on the last drive that gave his team an outside shot at the game and you have another good Trey Flowers game.

EDGE - Romeo Okwara 54

Okwara was quiet in this one. In fact he recorded nothing other than one assisted tackle for the game. Yes it’s a tough team to get pressure against but when you play almost every single snap, you need to have an impact, he really didn’t.

DL - Michael Brockers 52

Okwara was quiet but Brockers was pretty damn bad in this one. I wrote down, 91 bad three times in the run game and he didn’t do a good job of holding his point of attack. He did have 5 tackles but most were deep down the field for a DT.

DL - Nick Williams 55

Williams was quiet as a church mouse as well. Not much penetration and rarely holding up and creating havoc until the game was out of reach and there was no more threat of the pass.

DL - Alim McNeill 66

I thought McNeill was by far the best interior defensive lineman for Detroit in this game. While he only played about half the snaps he showed good power and held up better than the others in the run game. He also had 4 tackles and showed more pop with his hands.

LB - Alex Anzalone 49

If you play every snap against a team that runs the ball like SF in a defense that essentially is in 52, and you end up with 3 tackles. That’s a bad bad game. I didn’t even know who the Detroit LB’s were until middle of the 3rd quarter, because he was silent.

LB - Jamie Collins 63

Up and down day for Collins. He made some plays against the run and was able to stack up some piles to keep runs to a minimum. He always shows something in the pass game as well. Solid day for him.

CB - Jeffery Okudah NA Injured

Yes he gave up the TD and another solid throw down the field but he also had a PBU and was starting to show at least a tiny bit of improvement, then blew out his achilles.

CB - Amani Oruwariye 45

Oh my this one was bad. On the bright side he did have a PBU on Kittle and he did force an incompletion during this contest. On the negative side he gave up so many catches that were deep down the field or least intermediate throws. The dude battles but this was a really rough one.

S - Tracy Walker 61

Walker had a decent game, leading the team in tackles and while he did give up a couple of catches he also had the lone sack of the game for Detroit.

S - Will Harris 39

He’s a bad bad football player. The team has to be looking for outside help because at least two and potentially depending on who you want to blame, three of the touchdowns scored were becaue Harris took a bad route or missed a tackle. He was one of the worst players from week 1.






ATLANTA FALCONS VS PHILADELPHIA EAGLES




ATLANTA FALCONS

QB =Matt Ryan: 58

It wasn’t that he was this awful player during this game he just never attempted anything. He barely threw the ball downfield and essentially was captain checkdown, even when the game was out of reach. He looked uncomfortable and rarely let the ball go with any zip. Way too conservative.

RB -Mike Davis 55

Davis grinded his way through but without a ton of success. He made a few guys miss on some runs down the field and catches but was relatively ineffective.

RB-Cordarelle Patterson 64

Patterson looked like the better back in this game but a combination of the two is going to make more sense. He looked more explosive and more decisive in this system on this day.

WR - Calvin Ridley 66

Ridley was okay in this one but after the first drive of the game was essentially a non factor. He had 5 for 51 but his big play in this one was not coming down with what would have been a huge catch along the sideline. It wasn’t a great throw but WR1’s need to make that play.

WR- Russell Gage 47

Gage is a pretty good football player and had two nice blocks I noticed but he had a hell of a time separating in this one and ended up with 0 catches on 2 targets.

TE - Kyle Pitts 60

Nothing special here from Pitts. He ended with 4 for 31 yards and played about ⅔ of the snaps. They flexed him all over and he would have had another catch had it not gotten batted down. He made a key 4th and one grab that helps his grade.

TE- Hayden Hurst 62

Hurst caught all four of his passes and made a couple solid blocks in this one but was more of a security blanket than anything else other than two planned waggles where he was given easy grabs. He’ll still get his fair share of targets in this offense.

LT - Jake Matthews 61

Matthews was okay in this one but far from his usual stellar self. He had three really nice run blocks in this game, not usually his forte, but gave up some pressure and definitely had some issues with the power rushers off the edge, getting pushed back occasionally.

LG - Jalen Mayfield 32

One of the worst performers of the week in the NFL. This guy just simply isn’t it as an NFL OL. He gave up 2 sacks, had 2 false starts, gave up another big time quarterback hit, and two TFL and that was just on the first look through the tape. Yikes.

C - Matt Hennessey 49

Hennessey struggled with power and gave up a ton of ground in the passing game. A couple of nice run blocks helped out his grade, but there were two or three plays where he absolutely got smashed and if he can’t add some power soon he’s going to have a long year. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dalman steals this job.

RG - Chris Lindstrom 64

Lindstrom was the best of a weak Falcons line in this one. He held up fairly well and most of the run game success was behind him. He gave up the fewest obvious pressure and did a solid job without much help around him. Nothing special but he was solid in this game.

RT - Kaleb McGray 56

He wasn’t awful but he definitely wasn’t good either. This is a good and ferocious Eagles front and he gave up some push and some edge pressure.


DE - Dante Fowler 48

Fowler was a non factor again in this one. He assisted on a TFL late in the game when the Eagles were trying to run out the clock, but he had limited impact on the game and provided almost zero pressure.

DE - Steven Means 57

Means at least made a couple of run stops but he’s not a pass rusher either. Low impact pass rusher but he played the run fairly well.

DL - Tyeler Davison 45

He was an absolute liability and consistently got annihilated off the ball. They have to find someone else who is strong enough to play the NT position next to Grady Jarrett or they will give up 3000 rushing yards this season.

DL - Grady Jarrett 58

Jarrett made some plays in this game with some pressures but he wasn’t special. They need him to be elite for them to get defensive stops.


LB - Foyesade Oluokon 60

He was okay in this game and ran around sideline to sideline like he does, but he didn’t play as fast and free as he did last season. It seemed like he was thinking too much instead of reacting, and his biggest asset is his play speed.

LB - Deion Jones 75

Jones was the only player out there that looked like he could stop anyone. He made a lot of short yardage plays and a TFL at the end of the game to force a punt. He’s going to have to make a ton of plays on this defense for them to have any success. He was pretty good in this one.

CB - AJ Terrell 68

I thought Terrell looked decent in this game. He had little impact on the overall game but played a nice game and wasn’t a liability in the back end. He improved as last season went on and started the year with a good solid game.

CB - Fabian Moreau 55

Moreau gave up a big touchdown early in the game and then settled in making a couple of nice plays including a PBU and a stuff on a wide receiver screen. Giving up a long touchdown is rough but after that his night was pretty good as he fought back. Any time you give up a long touchdown though, it stings.

CB - Isaiah Oliver 58

Oliver wasn’t great in this one but he did make a couple of nice plays away from the ball. He just gives up too many easy ones at this point and isn’t around at the catch point quite enough yet. Not a great game here.

S - Duron Harmon 62

Harmon was okay in this one, having 7 tackles including a TFL. He didn’t have a huge impact in this one but he also didn’t make any big plays. Kind of a typical Harmon game.

S - Erik Harris 64

Harris was pretty good in his debut for the Falcons. He’s a solid consistent player but they are going to need him to step up and make plays for them to win many games. He had a nice start to his season though. Nothing flashy but decent game.





PHILADELPHIA:

QB - Jalen Hurts 81

Hurts was in his element in this one. He didn’t have to do too much in this game due to the way his team was playing and the fact that Atlanta barely got any pressure on him, but he distributed the ball well and played point guard like they want him to there. He didn’t make many big time throws but never put the ball in harms way either. The TD to Smith early was a beauty and Goedert made a tremendous catch for another score. He looked in complete command. Very nice way to start his season.

RB - Miles Sanders 73

Sanders was outstanding in this one. The offensive line opened up big holes but Sanders quickness and short area acceleration had a chance to shine in this game. He ended up with 113 easy yards and made the game look smooth. When he gets space or a running lane he can be dangerous.

RB - Kenneth Gainwell 68

Gainwell is going to be a really nice piece in this offense and you can tell they have faith in him. He’s got really sharp quick feet and scored a TD in this one. I can see him ending this season with 200 touches or more, as the way they run this read system in both run and pass offenses he may be used a bit like Hines was in Indy.

TE  Dallas Goedert 77

Goedert is one of the best tight ends in the game and if you want to see someone bunch above his weight, watch this guy block. He and Boyle from the Ravens are the two best run blocking tight ends in the NFL and this game was a clinic. Add to that a diving touchdown grab and 42 total receiving yards. He may never put up the stats the superstars do but he’s deserving of a massive contract.

TE - Zach Ertz 64

He was good in this one. Ertz showed some blocking skills and made a couple nice grabs. He’s embracing his role as TE2 and in this offense he’s going to get a ton of snaps. They need him to be into and engaged in his role and he looked like he was tonight. He played almost 60% of the snaps and that’s where they need him for this season to work out.

WR - Devonta Smith 73

A really nice way to start a career. He had 6 catches for 71 yards and a TD to open the season on a smooth route. He showed all three levels in this one and didn’t have a drop, getting open easily against man and zone. He didn’t get to do much after the catch but he looked extremely comfortable and is clearly the WR1 in Philly.

WR - Jalen Reagor 66

He’s got some serious juice when he gets the ball. The flanker screen touchdown run just shows what the guy is capable of. He’s still a poor route runner, and he dances way too much on punt returns, costing them some yardage in this one. That said he’s going to get the ball a lot in this offense and he’s going to make some big plays.

WR - Quez Watkins 61

He had the first three quick touches of the game and he has insane quickness and speed. He wont’ be a high volume guy here but expect them to manufacture touches for him. He picked up two early first downs that helped jump start them.

LT - Jordan Mailata 73

He was pretty darn good in this game. He gave up some push and a little secondary pressure but was overall rock solid. He had some nice run blocks and his athleticism in opening up holes at hte second level is pretty rare for a left tackle. Nice start to his big new contract.

LG - Isaac Seumalo 66

This was a tale of two games for him as he was mediocre as a pass protector in this one, giving up a bit of secondary pressure and some push. Then as a run blocker though he had three big time pancake blocks that really helped drive the game. His double team duo with Kelce that sprung Gainwell was one of the better combo blocks of week 1. Couple of false starts hurts the grade too.

C - Jason Kelce 62

Not his best work in this one as he got beat a couple of times and had three really bad snaps that Hurts handled. He didn’t give up any sacks but had some meh plays and some below average snaps.

RG - Brandon Brooks 64

Decent game for Brooks although a hold and some mediocre run plays later in the game knocked it down but he was solid.

RT - Lane Johnson 65

Johnson wasn’t great in this one, allowing a pressure early in a snap and getting a penalty. He missed a couple key blocks on off tackle plays as well that didn’t help gain extra yardage. But overall he gave up no sacks and did a decent if not good job in the run game.





DE - Josh Sweat 75

Sweat was absolutely outstanding in the run game, getting 5 ++ run plays throughout this game. He set the edge hard, pushed plays back inside, stacked running lanes and ended up with 6 tackles and while he got no direct pressures he was disruptive in the passing game. He jumped out on film.

DT - Fletcher Cox 67

Cox had some incredible push pressures throughout this game. The interior of the Falcons line had an extremely difficult day of it and a piece of that was Cox just bench pressing players and resetting the line.

DT - Javon Hargrave 83

Hargrave wasn’t quite as good against the run as Sweat but he had a handful of really nice pass rushes and had a bigger overall impact on the game. From an interior perspective he was so disruptive. Hargrave had two sacks, another quarterback hit, three different pocket pushing plays and ended up with 6 tackles. Hargrave was tremendous

DE - Brandon Graham 71

Graham wasn’t as consistently good on tape as Sweat or Hargrave but he made some nice rushes and collapsed the pocket. He also had two of the biggest wow plays in the game, with a super quick pass rush win that led to a throwaway and an almost instantaneous TFL.

DE - Derek Barnett 67

Barnett was solid in this one as well. He set a strong edge, made a couple of plays, had a TFL, a QB hit, and got a really good pocket push that caused a checkdown on third and long. Nothing special but he’s a really solid player who should find some good money this offseason.

DT - Hassan Ridgeway 72

He was quiet but solid early in the game and then the last two series he just dominated and flipped the switch. He absolutely dump trucked Mayfield twice for a sack, an intentional grounding that may have well been a sack, and another big quarterbcak hit. He was quiet but made three big plays in this one.

DE - Ryan Kerrigan 61

Kerrigan was quiet in this game but did a decent job against the run. Nothing really to write home about here though, other guys got home first.

EDGE - Genard Avery 54

Quiet game for him with a QB hit and a tackle, he was invisible other than the QB hit

DL - Milton Williams 53

Quiet debut for Williams who got beat a few times but battled and showed some burst and pop. He’s going to get better and better the more he plays. Just needs a ramp up period.


LB - Eric Wilson 65

Wilson was good in this one. Not sure why PFF hated him but he kept the plays in front of him and rallied to the ball. He missed a couple tough tackles but overall had a nice solid if unspectacular game. They asked him to run and cover and keep stuff in front and I thought he did a decent job there.

LB - Alex Singleton 67

I’m not typically a fan of Singleton but he showed some stuff in this game. He seemed to understand the scheme and played fast. I liked his game in this one as he really seemed to understand the role.

LB - TJ Edwards 61

He was okay in this one, nothing special but he didn’t cause any issues either.

CB - Darius Slay 73

They went after Slay a lot in this one as I had him targeted 10 times. He battled though throughout the game and made some plays. He missed a couple tackles, one in the run game and one in the screen game but he dosen’t shy away from those things. He played a nice game.

CB - Steven Nelson 73

I thought Nelson was even better in this one than Slay was as he hardly ever got thrown at. He did get a PI later in the game that would have hurt his score except on my personal review it wasn’t a penalty. He only gave up two catches and looked physical and tough in the run game. He got knocked down a bit points wise because his line was so good and he was guarding very weak receivers opposite Slay

CB - Avonte Maddox 71

I thought Maddox was really good in this one. He’s a feisty player and he was making a lot of plays as they went after the inside due to the solid outside CB’s the Eagles have. Maddox had 9 tackles and 1 TFL along with a PBU. He looked impressive.

S - Anthony Harris 63

He did exactly what a safety is supposed to do which is kept everything in front of him. Atlanta couldn’t challenge deep. He did his job.