TEXANS VS PANTHERS TNF
Panthers:
QB - Sam Darnold 74
Darnold was efficient in this one and did everything you’d ask a quarterback to do. He didn’t turn the ball over, although he did fumble twice or his grade would have been in the 80s. He was effective, particularly targeting the zone between the linebackers and the safeties, throwing intermediate passes with accuracy and anticipation. He has the skill set to play in this Joe Brady scheme very well. He was harassed by the Houston defense but the constant outlet passes led to him picking up a few tough third downs. Maybe his most impressive play in this one was with about 2 minutes left in the third and the game still in the balance, on 3rd and 9 and facing a big hit he hung in the pocket and delivered a 10 yard bullet to Terrance Marshall who beat Eric Murray on the play. It kept the drive going and showed his toughness in the face of pressure. Add 300 yards passing and two touchdown runs, and Darnold played a very effective game.
RB - Christian McCaffrey NA Injured
McCaffrey was a nightmare for Houston in the first half before his injury. It sounds like he’ll miss a few weeks and was replaced by Chuba Hubbard.
RB - Chuba Hubbard 65
Hubbard has enough juice to help mitigate SOME of the loss of CMC. That said he’s not nearly the receiver McCaffrey is and it will be a big blow to not have the consistency in the check down game that really makes this offense hum. He dropped a pass on a swing early in the contest and then didn’t run his route to the pylon later in the game leading to an incompletion on what could have been a TD, was it a great throw, no but it was good enough if Chuba had ran to the sticks. He has good speed and can break some double digit runs, but he’s not CMC.
WR - DJ Moore 82
Moore was absolutely unstoppable early in this contest, and if you take away a 7 yard drop earlier in the game he graded out with 5 big time plays and only one small drop. He is one of the more consistent players in the NFL and showed why in this game, early on causing Houston tons of problems. He has enough speed and acceleration to hurt you after the catch and he’s smart enough to feel the zones. He was arguably the best player on the field in this one.
WR - Robby Anderson 44
He hasn’t gotten a feel with Sam Darnold yet despite having played together before. Anderson had just one catch in this one and another short pass that was dropped. His lack of targets is starting to get somewhat concerning. However, the Panthers aren’t going to keep smashing bad opponents all year and Anderson’s deep route tree will start to be further utilized. He has to stay in the game as he’ll be needed later in the year. In this one though, a drop and inability to create space down the field against a bad Houston secondary is troubling.
WR - Terrance Marshall 67
Marshall is starting to develop into a really nice player as a rookie. In this one he had a really big time catch on third down that we mentioned above as well as two other plus graded plays throughout the game with zero negatively graded plays although there was one run block when he was supposed to help collapse the edge that didn’t look great. He had four catches in this one and is starting to look the part. In this offense you have to have multiple capable weapons and Marshall is going to end up being a quality piece here.
TE - Dan Arnold 66
Arnold was quietly very effective in this game and his ability to pick up first downs as a tertiary option in the passing game is underrated. He had 2 catches and also forced a PI call that got the team another 3rd down. He also had a nice block on the Darnold touchdown run and another one that sprung a 12 yard gain for Hubbard. The stat sheet was quiet but the tape was loud for Arnold who fits this offense like a glove.
TE - Ian Thomas 52
Thomas didn’t have a catch and was silent in this game although he played a large number of snaps. He did have a big lead block on the Tremble TD run though. Thomas is someone who is used primarily as a TE2 regardless of which other TE is on the field and he’s athletic and shows a willingness to block but honestly this will be Tremble’s job fully at some point in the near future.
TE - Tommy Tremble 62
I can’t give him a higher or lower grade due to the lack of snaps but let’s look at 3 huge plays in this game and his impact. He obviously had a touchdown run on the sweep, looking like someone with outstanding speed. He had a huge 30 yard catch that was the longest play of the game that I remember. He also got smoked on a wham pass protection route that gave up a strip sack fumble that luckily Carolina jumped on. He’s a better run blocker than pass protector but they need him in this style of movement offense to be able to hold up against the pass and that could have been a huge error. He’s got a ton of ability, just needs to keep developing.
T - Cam Erving 54
Erving does play a pretty important role in today’s NFL. He can play tackle guard or even center in a pinch and being able to do that will keep you in the league for a long time. He wasn’t very good in this one but he wasn’t awful either and as long as you can hold up on the edge you have a shot in the NFL. Yes he got called for a bad hold and gave up a couple late pressures, but he battled out there and gave Darnold a chance. A sack that is going to be credited officially to Ervin in this one I actually gave to Paradis as well. Below average run blocking but okay pass blocking gets him a very passable grade.
T - Taylor Moton 58
Moton is one of the better right tackles in the league but this was not one of his better games. He gave up a handful of pressures including two bad ones, he also had two really good plus run blocks including one that sprang a dozen yard run. He’s a very good player who had a very mediocre game.
G - John Miller 53
Miller is a passable guard in this league and in this one he was pretty nondescript. He gave up a couple of pressures and a handful of solid penetration plays by the Texans interior players, mainly Maliek Collins and once Ross Blacklock. While the sacks didn’t go to him he wasn’t a huge help there either.
G - Dennis Daley 56
Daley did an okay job in this one getting one big plus and one big minus in the game. He wasn’t the sore spot on the line and while they could certainly use an upgrade at guard both players performed somewhat decently. They struggled to get big push in the run game and gave up delayed pressure in this one, but didn’t get overran.
C - Matt Paradis 35
The worst game of the day for either team goes to Matt Paradis who was quite frankly dreadful in this one. Paradis gave up two sacks when he couldn’t handle the power rushers on stunts and two more pressures that were essentially immediate. While Paradis a couple of years ago was one of the better centers in the league, right now he’s very problematic for the Panthers. This line was going to be an issue this year, and that was with Paradis playing well, he was awful in this one. I had him for two positive graded run blocks, but overall this was a disaster. Maliek Collins and Ross Blacklock ate his lunch. The fact that PFF says he only has given up one sack this year and has a 67 grade shows they don’t do this job well.
DT - Derrick Brown 73
Derrick Brown is a handful. Watching him snap in and snap out this game it’s clear why he was taken so early in the draft. He at times completely dominated the line of scrimmage and was the main factor in why Houston got nothing going in the run game. He did everything you would ask of a run defender, he penetrated, he two gapped, he caused disruptions on plays away from him. It’s crazy he only ended up with 2 tackles and 1 TFL because he controlled things. He’s still working to figure it out as a pass rusher but the run stuffing ability is there already.
DE - Brian Burns 70
Burns is one of the best young players in the NFL today and he showed his versatility and added power in this one against Houston. While he’s never going to be a power rusher, he was able to set the edge in this one better than he has in the past. Burns also batted down a ball at the line, beat Laremy Tunsil to force another incompletion, and added a sack and another additional pressure on a quick win. He also dropped into coverage on a few occasions in this one. He’s an all around edge presence and looked sharp.
EDGE - Hassan Reddick 73
Reddick looked the part last year for Arizona and the deal he signed for one year with Carolina is absolute theft by the Panthers front office. Reddick laid a huge hit on a loop play where the line collapsed and he looped around to pick up the sack. His closing speed and short area quickness were on full display. He had another quick win that led to a checkdown and then he had a clean shot on the quarterback that forced an incompletion. He also picked up another half sack in the game. He was a menace. I think he had 3 obvious pass rush wins in this one and another two delayed wins.
DL - Frankie Luvu 64
I usually won’t put players who don’t play that many sacks on this list but Luvu stood out a bit in this one in limited playing time. He picked up a cleanup sack and a cleanup quarterback hurry in this game by simply playing hard. It shows the depth that Carolina has when he doesn’t play much but stays fresh and makes an impact on limited snaps.
DT - Daquan Jones 62
Jones was very quiet despite a good number of snaps in this one, he was credited with a plus run stop and was very difficult to move for the Texans weaker interior players. Again more depth for this Panthers team.
DL - Morgan Fox 64
Fox was yet another quality pickup this offseason and signed for less than I thought he deserved. He picked up half a sack in this one and also made another nice play to stop the Texans from picking up a third down by running down Davis Mills. Fox is an underrated player and his toughness and physicality with better than you’d think athleticism is a nice movement piece for the Panthers.
LB - Jermaine Carter 58
Carter is a quiet player who has a job to do and does it fairly well. He was someone who was easily lost in this one and allowed a couple of catches and missed a tackle. He wasn’t awful though and he was able to hold his own in the run game where Houston really struggled.
LB - Shaq Thompson 75
Thompson has really emerged this season and so far has looked like one of the better linebackers in the NFL. He is playing a fast and physical brand of football and his athleticism allows him to play all over the place. With Carolina mixing and matching in the slot he lined up there and felt comfortable in space on a few plays. His well timed blitz, while he didn’t pick up the sack led to another one and he had a big TFL early in the contest. I Had him for four positive plays and no major negatives throughout as he was solid once again. He’s playing at a Pro Bowl level through three weeks.
S/LB - Jeremy Chinn 71
Chinn and Thompson create serious problems when you don’t have dynamic backs. Houston is running out there some stiff players at the RB position and it wasn’t going to work against Chinn. On numerous occasions it was obvious that Chinn was a superior athlete to what Houston had as they tried to get the edge or turn the corner and Chinn was there. He had 3 big time positive graded plays and was simply too athletic for the Texans.
S - Sean Chandler 63
Seems weird to give a guy you barely noticed a better than average grade but Houston simply didn’t have time nor did they try to throw and push the ball down the field. He had zero negatively graded plays and zero big plus graded plays. That said, they held Houston to 9 points and gave up virtually nothing deep.
S- Juston Burris 60
Burris was out there a ton as well but gave up a couple of catches by not getting the exact proper depth. He was fine though and held up well enough in the secondary to earn an average grade.
CB - Jaycee Horn NA Injured
It’s tough to not give him a grade because he was clearly the Panthers best corner and one of the best young corners in the game. He looked outstanding in this one and had two plus graded plays and a PI that really wasn’t a PI called against him in about a dozen true coverage snaps before he broke his foot. This is a REALLY big blow for Carolina.
CB - Donte Jackson 60
Not his best game but he wasn’t a huge liability. I had him for three positive plays including a forced incompletion, but he also gave up 4 catches for almost 50 yards that were directly targeting him. He’s a very quality CB2 but was just okay in this one.
CB - Rashaan Melvin 40
Melvin was not good in this game and the Panthers losing Horn is going to put a lot of pressure on him to perform. With mediocre safeties Melvin is going to need to hold up in coverage and he did not do that in this one. Playing only part of the game I had im for giving up 7 completions for almost 80 yards into coverage and the Texans barely threw the ball, rough go for him. AJ Bouye coming back next week is perfect timing for the Cats.
HOUSTON TEXANS
QB - Davis Mills 58
Mills performed admirably all things considered in this game. The biggest issue he faced wasn’t the Carolina pass rush though it was his coaches not taking the shackles off of him until it was too late. He also had to deal with a team that got nothing going on the ground game, and an offense with essentially Brandin Cooks and nobody else. In watching the tape after watching the game live, it’s so clear that Carolina just has a lot better personnel than Houston does. In terms of the game though, Mills was under pretty constant pressure and faced a ton of third and long situations due to poor running game and play calling. He hung in there and fought hard though and did a decent job with what he was given. He broke three sacks to keep Houston alive, and didn’t commit a turnover, only throwing one pass that was ill advised but it was actually a wonderful throw in triple coverage that was broken up but didn’t count anyway due to an offside. He looked very comfortable in the two minute offense when the field was more spread out and did a nice job going through his reads, particularly on the trail slant touchdown to Miller. His cover two beater throw on the POCO route to Cooks before the half was a big time touch throw. He just doesn’t have other players who can get open and isn’t exactly in a position yet to elevate below average players. All things considered this should be taken as a very positive first game for the rookie.
RB - Mark Ingram 60
Ingram had absolutely zero running room in this one to operate and yet he continued to try to battle. Six carries for 21 yards is nothing to write home about but there just wasn’t anything there. He did grind out some tough push and fall forward yards but Ingram has no gas left and no acceleration, he’s going to be a guy who gets you to 2nd and 7 a lot but he’s not exactly dynamic .He did have two exceptional blitz pickups in this game though that were impressive, one in particular where he stoned a blitzing linebacker from across the formation.
RB’s - David Johnson, Rex Burkhead, and Phillip Lindsay
Going to be brutally honest here, Burkhead should be released, he’s got zero juice left in his game and the team needs to move on. Lindsay looks like a shell of himself and lacked the burst you typically see, I wonder if he’s injured. David Johnson looks okay in his role, but isn’t the same athlete that Thompson or Chinn were. This running back room is bad, really really bad.
WR - Brandin Cooks 77
Cooks is a special player and right now he’s the entire offense for Houston. The entire Carolian defense had to be tuned into what he was doing and yet he had 9 catches for over 100 yards and also forced a PI, which really wasn’t a PI. Cooks is playing at a super high level through three games and will have to continue to play at that All-Pro caliber level if Houston has any chance of scoring points. Davis Mills relied heavily on the star wideout and he delivered, but he’s going to see more and more double teams unless Houston can get someone else to step up.
WR - Chris Conley 44
Conley simply lacks the abilty to get open in the NFL. He’s a tough and physical blocker but if someone decent is covering him there is zero separation. He lacks the quickness and route running savvy to create space and it’s problematic. Conley needs to be a WR4 or a big heavy blocking WR in a run heavy or zone and move scheme instead he’s sitting as a WR2 for Houston and simply can’t produce.
WR - Anthony Miller 60
Miller looks to be a nice complementary piece in this offense and he’ll have to be in order for Houston to pick up third downs. He had a touchdown on a nice trail slant route and picked up another couple tough third downs, including one on the sideline where he got popped. With Collins out and Taylor out, he’ll have to be a big time security blanket for Mills. He has some skill and some toughness, we need to see him do a little more after the catch.
TE - Pharoah Brown 48
I missed the boat on this one after a week 1 where he really played good football Brown has come back down to earth. This week he missed two blocks pretty badly and had a hold. The Texans need a tight end to give them something in the passing game or at least be a quality blocker and Brown showed something in week one but coudln’t get anything going the last two weeks.
TE - Jordan Akins 53
Akins has some very impressive run after catch skills and had a couple nice catches in this one. He started to come on last year and has some skill in the passing game, we’ll see if he can become anything more than a seldom used piece.
LT - Laremy Tunsil 50
Whoa this was a bad game for Tunsil who hasn’t played great so far this season. He gave up multiple quick loss pressures in this game, gave up a TFL on a run play where the player cut in front of his face, and he gave up a sack. One big time run block helped his grade, but he was below average in this one, and not just for him, but in general. He has to start playing at a higher level or the Texans won’t be able to push the ball down the field at all.
LG - Tytus Howard 58
Howard showed something in week 1 and isn’t awful as a guard but he wasn’t great in this one particularlly in the run game. He gave up less pressure than the other lineman on the team though and while he gave up some push and late pressure he didn’t lose any super quickly except one and I’m putting that one on Britt. Howard didn’t get the same power movement in the run game in this one though and blocked at a lower level on that.
C - Justin Britt 47
Britt was been fairly reliable for the first two weeks but has his hands full in this one. A low snap led to a sack late in the game, he also had a false start, allowed two pressures and graded out well below average in the run game. He’s typically steady but this was not a good performance.
RG - Max Scharping 48
Scharping is someone the Texans need to replace sooner rather than later. There are very few games where he grades out in plus territory and this one was no exception. Scharping gave up another sack, two pressures, and lost a run block in a big way. He had one positive graded run block but was otherwise weak. It’s tough to run if your interior three players can’t get push.
RT - Marcus Cannon 51
Cannon has been good for Houston through the first two weeks but was not good in this one. He gave up a sack, or at least I credited him with half a sack and Mills with one, but he gave up four total pressures that were big time negatives. That paired with average at best run blocking knocks his grade back quite a bit.
DT - Maliek Collins 66
Collins has been Houston’s most consistent defender in their front 7. He is constantly causing disruption in both the pass and run games and this game was no different with 3 big plus graded plays. He also got good push in the pass game and provided solid pressure from the interior. Houston has to feel really good in what they have in Collins and should be looking to lock him up with an extension.
DT - Ross Blacklock 70
What a difference a year makes for Blacklock who looked completely lost last season and looks to be a quicker pass rushing difference maker in year two. This defense which allows him to get more one on one interior rushes has unlocked him. Supposedly he only had one sack which was a forced fumble but he was right there at the quarterback for another one which I think he deserved the most credit on. He is a pass rush specialist in this scheme but looks the part and shows some good quickness inside. He could be a building block for Houston.His grade got into the 70s because he forced a fumble, Carolina recovered it which was huge for them but Blacklock was there to force it.
DT - Jaleel Johnson 54
Johnson is a grinder on the inside but he’s nothing more than a replacement level player at DT. He’s not a liability in there in terms of against the run but he’s nothing special. He simply doesn’t have a big enough tackle radius.
DT - Roy Lopez 57
Lopez might be a solid player in a year or two for Houston. He plays with decent leverage and pop but isn’t quite there yet as a late round rookie. That said Houston has to feel like he can give them quality snaps, as he did a decent job in this one.
Edge Whitney Mercilus - 61
Mercilus is definitely not a great player anymore but still can occasionally get you something. He was credited with a sack in this one as the team all played who can get home fastest on one play. Other than that he was quiet but gives the team a guy who can occasionally win on the edge if matched up with weaker players.
Edge - Jonathan Greenard 68
Greenard was very good in this one. He had a plus four grade in this game and forced a fumble on a sack as well as getting two other good pressures and a tackle for loss on a play that was strung out. Greenard just needed more reps and the more he gets the better he becomes.
Edge - Jacob Martin 64
Martin is a good player who has a really impressive first step. He’ll flash a few plays every game and he did that again in this one. Martin had four plus graded plays including some quality pressures. He also had a bad read on the Darnold zone read touchdown earlier in the game but it’s tough to deal with those plays.
DE - Charles Omenihu 52
Omenihu looked great in the preseason but hasn’t translated that as much during Sunday’s in season. He was pretty quiet in this one although he did force a hold on a really nice dip move that was impressive. Other than that, he didn’t show up much on tape.
EDGE - Demarcus Walker 50
Walker was silent in this game. He is someone who plays a decent number of snaps but those probably need to get divied up to other players at this point.
LB - Zack Cunningham 62
Cunningham made a ton of tackles in this one, 14 to be exact, but this defense doesn’t seem to be a good fit with him. He made one really big play in this one, stuffing a 4th and 1 in the redzone early in the game and had one more stuff right at the line, but other than that other than making tackles a few yards down the field he wasn’t a factor. The linebackers inability to get depth in the passing game leads to too many throws in between the second and third level.
LB - Christian Kirksey 58
Kirksey is a lot better in this system than Cunningham but he had a huge play that really hurt the team. On what would have been a 3rd and 6 or 7 he hit a sliding Sam Darnold late and it cost them 15 yards a big first down. They ended up scoring a touchdown on that drive, those plays you just can’t make. He also isn’t as much of a factor in the passing game in this one.
LB - Joe Thomas 54
Thomas is much more of a special teams player who was pushed into service to play more reps on defense. He’s not someone who is going to stand out there and he simply blended in. Had him for a plus one and a minus one in this one.
S - Lonnie Johnson 52
Johnson looked like maybe he found something in shifting to safety last year but the difference between Justin Reid, who didn’t play in this one, and Johnson is night and day. Johnson is a 3rd or 4th safety who is still learning the position and plays a bit slow and it takes him a while to process things. In this one there were a number of plays where he made the tackle after a catch was made in his zone. The Texans really missed Reid
S - Eric Murray 47
Murray is the player on this defense that most needs to be replaced by the Texans. He simply doesn’t play fast enough or process fast enough. Murray allowed numerous catches into his zone, gave up a huge third down late in the game to Marshall, had two penalties that led to first downs, and simply isn’t an impact player yet he plays impact number of plays each week. This defense should be very friendly for safeties and yet Murray struggles day to day.
CB - Vernon Hargreaves 47
Hargreaves played decent through the first two weeks and was abused this week against Carolina. I had Hargreaves credited with one forced incompletion and 87 yards given up in coverage on 6 completions. Hargreaves plays hard out there and looks better on the outside than he did on the inside. That said he’s just a well below average starting corner in the NFL.
CB - Tremon Smith 55
Smith keeps showing up on tape. He’s a younger guy and has randomly shown up and is now playing a big time role in the Houston secondary. I had him for two solid plays in this one and while he allowed some catches into his coverage he battles and looks like he’s a viable player right now.
CB - Desmond King 58
King had a nice PBU in this one but also gave up some plays. He needs to be a playmaker for this defense for them to get where they want to go but he’s a good fit for this scheme. He tackles well and plays a physical game that works for this team.
Green Bay Vs San Francisco
GREEN BAY:
QB - Aaron Rodgers 87
Rodgers was spectacular in this game. I had him for 6 plus plus graded throws including two slot fades where he just dropped in dimes, the crazy second level throw at the end of the game to Adams, and a touchdown throw behind the corner on the side of the endzone. I’m not sure what happened in week one to the MVP but he has put that behind him with two absolutely wonderful outings back to back. He had a couple of poor throws, including one into the cover 2 beater about 20 yards down the field where there was a legit chance of a big play, but he was outstanding. He gets rid of the ball so quickly that it sets his linemen up for success. Was Aaron perfect in this game, no, but he was outstanding, and with 37 seconds left in the game and no timeouts, he led a tremendous drive that got his team to 2-1 instead of 1-2. As long as Rodgers plays like this, Green Bay can compete with anyone in the NFL.
RB - Aaron Jones 68
Jones wasn’t elite in this game, and didn’t dominate like he did the week before but he did a solid job of keeping Green Bay ahead of the sticks. He also rallied off a couple of double digit yard runs, giving them a semblance of balance. People sleep on Jones, but he’s a very quality back who can help you win in multiple ways. Tonight it was a lot more of the physical tough run inside and picking up yardage while falling forward. Running back games don’t have to be pretty, but watching him pick and prod and gain tough yards shows you that he’s more than just a space player, he’s a grinder too. Easy argument to say he’s a top 6 back in the NFL.
RB - AJ Dillon 53
Dillon is a really big body but he’s not much more than a change of pace bruiser at this point. He caught a couple of passes in this one but one he double clutched and honestly doesn’t look like a great fit for this type of offense. I think he’ll play a role for this team as a power runner and gives the defense a different look, but he’s a clear step back when Jones isn’t in the game at this point. He’s not a bad player at all, but couldn’t get much going in this one, and there is simply a limit to how effective you can be in this offense if you don’t give them much through the air.
WR - Davante Adams 86
Another game, another dominant performance by Adams. He’s not the fastest, the biggest, or the quickest, but he’s the best. He had 12 catches for over 130 yards and a touchdown and he forced a big down field PI call that gained another 30 yards. The biggest play of the game though of course came when they needed a huge chunk play with 37 seconds left and somehow inexplicably Adams wasn’t shadowed, but got behind Fred Warner and underneath the safeties for a huge play. If you’re playing Green Bay, you have to double or even triple Adams and teams that don’t pay the price. Too many times in this one, the 49ers lined up showing their cards, saying we’re playing man to man, or Man-1, come after us, and Adams lit them up like a freaking christmas tree.
WR - Marquez Valdes-Scantling 67
Scantling isn’t the most well known receiver, and I’m sure there are people lamenting the Packers not going out and getting a better number two, but this guy can play. The last couple of weeks there have been shot plays where MVS beat his man deep and Rodgers missed uncharacteristically. Even in this one, MVS got behind the corner on a play and had room and Rodgers overthrew him. He’s a big time down the field threat and while he’s not a traditional WR2 he’s better than people give him credit for. In this one he got deep on an inside over route and picked up 47 yards, he also caught a sliding touchdown and made a pretty good sized impact on this game. It wouldn’t surprise me if MVS ends the season with 800 yards or 10 touchdowns, or both.
WR - Allen Lazard 54
Lazard is having serious troubles getting open this season and he really looks like he’s not quite there as a receiver. That said he’s a damn good blocker and he fights his ass off on the edge, giving them a hybrid WR/TE essentially at this point. He also got loose on a slot fade and had a 40 yard catch. Lazard’s inability to get open though will begin to force more doubles on Adams, which is what teams should be doing anyway.
WR - Randall Cobb - 42
He played 21 snaps and essentially had zero impact, which is what he is at this point. Cobb is not going to provide you anything, he can’t get open quickly and is a very below average player. He had 1 target on 21 snaps and 0 yards, this was a stupid trade.
TE - Robert Tonyan - 54
Tonyan is a product of his situation and people need to get a firm concept on exactly what he is as a player. He had one catch in this one and did force a big time long down the field PI call on Fred Warner of all people but the touchdown rate that he had last year was completely unsustainable. Tonyan was the beneficiary of an insane season from Aaron Rodgers, huge opportunity, an unsustainable red zone rate, and this year he’s regressing to the mean. Tonyan is a below average starting caliber tight end and in this one he was just exactly that. He’s a decent blocker but nothing to write home with and he struggles to separate against quality players.
LT - Yosh Nijman 47
This could have been much worse than it was, but this dude hung in there all things considered. Essentially the Packers 3rd LT, he started the game rough with a facemask/hold penalty and then got beat on two consecutive running plays by Nick Bosa, not an easy task. He held up fairly well all things considered though throughout the contest, although Bosa gave him fits as he does every week, he wasn’t a huge liability. Rodgers got the ball out insanely quick throughout this game and did a good job protecting the young tackle. He wasn’t very good in the run game but hung in throughout and gave his team a chance, that’s all you can ask for.
LG - Jon Runyan 55
Runyan gave up the lone sack of the game for the Packers, although I’m not sure who actually got credit for giving it up, I gave it to him. He also had two plus graded run blocks and grinded it out throughout. The sack hurt the score a bit, as did the fact he wasn’t pushing around the SF defensive line but he held his own.
C - Josh Myers 63
Myers is a better player than I thought he’d been coming out of school. In this one I had him for only 1 negative graded run play, although it was a - - graded play, but he also had a number of solid pass protection reps and did a decent job, particularly on the duo blocks that led to some push up the middle. He’s not Corey Linsley but he’s far from a problem up front. Rodgers quick releases are very helpful but he was good in this one, with a QB hit given up and a couple of below average run blocks but overall was solid.
RG - Royce Newman 64
Newman as a late round pick is someone who is very capable and looks to be a gem found in the late rounds. He had a difficult matchup in this one but battled his tail off. He got a couple of big time run blocks in this one and while he gave up two late pressures, no major losses on the game. He was as solid as it can be in this one.
RT - Billy Turner 74
Turner played an absolute gem of a game in this one. He’s a decent player in general but was outstanding in this one. I had him with 4 big time plus grades and while he gave up a delayed pressure in this one, it wouldn’t/shouldn’t count as a lost rep. Turner was the best lineman on the field for Green Bay in this one and shined on tape. I watched the game twice and he jumped off the screen both times, really good week for BT.
DE - Preston Smith 76
Smith is playing wonderful football right now and his ascent from last year where he looked slow and lethargic to this season is a big time bright spot. I had him with an insane +6 graded game where he had 6 big time plays and no serious losses on the night. Smith is playing really good football, particularly against the run where he is setting a firm edge and really causing havoc. He added a sack in this one too.
DE - Rashan Gary 68
Gary flashes throughout games and this one was not different. He had a clear win for a sack that he only got half the credit for which I don’t get, and won another rep that caused a throwaway. While it’s still too inconsistent he played well in this one and those flashes are going to keep getting him playing time. If he ever puts it all together he could be a star. In this one he was schemed up some success and some of it was on a secondary rush but he was still solid and had an impact.
DT - Kenny Clark 74
Clark is a really good football player although his game was somewhat quiet in this one, he still on tape showed why he’s so difficult to block. For someone of his size to play 62 snaps is just freaking insane. There are few players on the interior who are as good as Clark is and with Alex Mack’s game clearly in serious decline, Clark made him pay. While he wasn’t dominant in terms of on the stat sheet, so you have to take his grade down a touch, he was still very effective. This is where my grades and PFF are going to differ the most. Clark was good in this one, and caused disruption, but his game was only okay until he forced the super weird Jimmy G tuck fumble that was a major play in the outcome of this game. To me that’s a sack credited to Clark even if it just goes as a team sack. That play was one of the three biggest plays in the game in terms of overall outcome and Clark was a big factor there.
DL - Kingsley Keke 53
Keke just isn’t much of a difference maker in there. He causes some pileups and occasionally eats up defenders but they could use an upgrade here, and in my opinion guys like Dean Lowry and in particular Tyler Lancaster need to get more reps.
DL - Dean Lowry 59
Lowry had a nice quarterback hit in this one and had a nice run stop as well. He plays about ⅔ of the snaps for this defense and is a quality player. While he’s not going to shine ever he’s about a replacement level starter on the interior and gives good effort. The question is whether or not he can make big time plays as he just is what he is at this point.
DL - Tyler Lancaster 63
If we were going to grade this like PFF Lancaster would have gotten a much higher grade as he was outstanding in his 17 snaps. I had him for 4plus graded plays in that few of snaps as he had two good run stops, got a pressure, and then forced a hold on another play. If it’s me, this guy starts seeing significantly more snaps based on what I saw tonight. It’s rare that someone who doesn’t play much stands out, but Lancaster was off the charts good in this one in limited reps.
LB - Devondre Campbell 67
Campbell is playing quality football for Green Bay and he gives this team a chance to make plays that maybe other teams didn’t make at the linebacker position due to his athleticism. He was good in coverage in this one and grabbed a fumble late in the contest as well. He’s going to end up well north of 100 tackles this season and could challenge for 150 as he’s playing a ton of snaps and is being productive. He gave up a tiny bit in the pass game but was above average there and had 3 plus graded plays not including the fumble recovery. He’s giving this defense some juice at the second level they haven’t had in a very long time.
LB - Ty Summers 48
Ruh roh. If Summers has to play legit snaps for this team this season they are going to struggle as he was abused in pass coverage. It didnt end up killing them as he wasn’t on the field much but he gave up numerous first downs and catches in limited reps.
S - Adrian Amos 55
Amos is an insanely underrated player at the safety position unless you follow Madden, but he had his share of troubles in this one. The San Fran passing game can cause problems with second level throws and Amos found himself out of position on a few of those in this game. He had three negatively graded passing plays, although none too big except the TD he allowed to Juscyzk at the end of the game that should have cost them the game. He also tripped Garoppolo, on tape it looked intentional, that cost them a huge play in the contest. He wasn’t awful in this one but it certainly wasn’t his best game.
S - Darnell Savage 65
Savage played a plus game in this one with a pass breakup and a tackle for loss. While he did give up a couple of plays he was otherwise impressive. Showing good closing speed. He also played closer to the line of scrimmage in this one than he traditionally did last season, showing some different looks including playing up in dime at times. He may be getting a bit more well rounded which could be a big plus for Green Bay.
CB - Jaire Alexander 64
This was not Alexander’s best day at the office. Yes people are going to get on me because his stats are going to look good. That said, he did give up a touchdown in this one to Ayiuk, and I had him for four completions given up as well as a personal foul that was a killer. His yards given up were around 40 for the game so not awful but there were some mistakes here that are hard to overlook, and again, he did give up a TD. That said, the PBU was a really nice play and the interception was outstanding. It looked like they were in a cover 3 type defense where Alexander was playing the opposite hash and as he read the defense beautifully he broke on the ball and made a pick on a play where honestly he had no right to be in the play. It was ridiculous that he was there and the instincts were impeccable. Side note as well - on the play he got the Personal Foul for roughing the quarterback he made a wonderful read on that play as well. He was supposed to be in man coverage on the tight end, and he stayed in to help pass protect, linebackers usually will rush on these plays in a “Dog” blitz type scenario, outside corners almost never do, but JA read the play perfectly and came in to hit the quarterback, he just did it too high and got flagged. He’s a special player, and deserves $20mm per season when he gets his extension.
CB - Chandon Sullivan 58
Sullivan isn’t an elite player at the positon and he gave up a couple of plays in this one, including about a 35 yard catch, and a hold that led to a first down, but he also had a PBU and was not a liability in coverage. You can’t say that about Kevin King. Sullivan should remain the slot corner for this team and Stokes should stay the starter on the outside.
CB - Eric Stokes 54
Stokes was not very good in this game but he’s significantly better than Kevin King. I had Stokes for a big endzone PI call, which was obvious and a PI call late in the game that was for 30+ yards, and while it was borderline, that gets called most of the time. He also gave up a handful of catches but he did force two incompletions toward his coverage and had PBU no matter what other analytics sites said, he did have some plays on the ball. He was far from perfect but he competed hard and he battles and his athleticism is clear on tape. Stokes can play and just needs more and more reps, but he’s a clear and obvious upgrade over that garbage corner they paid $5m this offseason.
SAN FRANCISCO
QB - Jimmy Garoppolo 55
His tape is not very impressive at this point and while he’s not doing anything inherently wrong, and did lead an impressive touchdown drive in this one, this team simply has a ceiling with him at quarterback. He missed a few throws in this one, and had a horrible fumble at a very inopportune time in the game. At the goal line he simply doesn’t have the type of arm to get that stuff done and he looks at this point to be much more comfortable in a game manager role. The team needs to go out and get a running back in a big way, ahem Marlon Mack, because Jimmy G can’t carry them. The only reason his grade wasn’t lower is that the last drive he had was big time. However, this Green Bay defense isn’t exactly dynamic and they were missing Zadarius Smith and had a linebacker go down mid game. To throw 40 times for only 250 yards and take 4 sacks, some of which were definitely on you, is not good. While I’m all for sitting Trey Lance as long as you can, the team has a ceiling with Jimmy G.
RB - Trey Sermon 48
I don’t want to get too deep into this but Trey Sermon ain’t it. He looks tentative and like he’s thinking too much out there and this offense is absurdly easy to run in and he’s not the guy. There’s a reason he was a healthy inactive earlier and it’s because he’s not the dude.
FB - Kyle Juszczyk 70
He’s the best fullback in the game and showed his versatility in this one. He’s a quality blocker, although not a mauler, but his ability to flex out or run the rock gives teams a very difficult way to match up. They have enough confidence in him that they flexed him out and threw him the ball for what should/could have been the game winning touchdown. He’s violent after the catch and looked good in this game. Great chess piece for this offense.
WR - Deebo Samuel 64
Deebo was quiet in this one but still had a solid impact on the game. He had 5 catches, but on 10 targets as some of Jimmy’s balls weren’t great and there was decent coverage. It was a bit of a quiet game for him, but he did make a ridiculous catch against Jaire Alexander on 3rd down and 10 on the game’s penultimate drive that was a huge play. He has strong hands and is a perfect fit in this offense.
WR - Brandon Aiyuk 61
Aiyuk caught a touchdown in this one and has started to show some signs of life after a very slow start to the season. That said while it would have been a good catch, he did drop a slant that should have been a touchdown early in the game. He needs to show more consistency and despite being a great athlete he has to get more refined in his route running as it’s a little too loopy or obvious where he’s going to run at this point, allowing for stickier coverage. I think he can get it figured out as he’s got tremendous quickness, he’ll probably play better as the year goes on.
WR- Mohammad Sanu 62
Sanu is a really good fit as the 3rd wide receiver in this offense as he is a tough physical player who helps move the chains. He also is a well above average blocker and part of this grade is from two plays in the contest. I’m not going to go into how he made a very good contested catch to move the chains, the two big plays were forcing PI in the endzone to get them a new set of downs that led to a TD and on an 18 yard play in the contest he absolutely pancaked a defender on a block to spring the play. Those are the types of things that he does that you LOVE to see when you put on the tape.
TE - George Kittle 75
Kittle started to get more involved in the offense this week and was very difficult to stop. He is going to be their main target on big time plays and in this one he almost had 100 yards. He is so tough to bring down after the catch and of course in this one I saw him with two more pancake blocks on runs, where he’s the best run blocker among tight ends in the league. Kittle looked like his old self in this one and they need him to be as he needs to elevate the offense, particularly with below average running backs right now.
LT - Trent Williams 74
Williams is so damn good, that it shocked me that he gave up two pressures in this one. That’s how good he is, when he has two negative graded plays in a game it drops my jaw. That said he also had a HUGE block on Trey Lances’ touchdown run and essentially only had one more rep where he didn’t win obviously. He’s as good as it gets at left tackle.
G - Laken Tomlinson 60
Tomlinson is going to get big time money from San Francisco this offseason as they really like him as a player and he does fit really well into their scheme. I’d be a bit nervous if I was a 49ers fan as he’s a solid player but he’s not special. He is aided a lot by playing next to a super star in Trent Williams. He was solid in this one but nothing great and had some negatives and positives. He wasn’t good in the run game and had him for a couple of delayed pressures given up.
C - Alex Mack 41
This is rough for Mack. I did have him with a plus graded run block as well as a huge plus grade on the Lance TD run. I also had him for 1.5 sacks given up, he forgot the snap count on a 3rd and 1 where the team didn’t get it becuase he snapped it too early, he had a bad snap late in the game that bounced to Jimmy G and he had 4 negative graded run plays. Mack hasn’t been good this year and this one was a train wreck.
G - Dane Brunskill 49
Brunskill had another forgettable night for the 49ers as he gave up a sack and had a hold as well as showing up below average in the run game. They got very little movement to that side of the formation in the running game and he had more negative graded plays than positive ones once again.
RT - Mike McGlinchey 62
McGlinchey is continuing to have mediocre games at right tackle and it might start to get a bit troubling as a 49ers fan. You expect better from him and through three games he’s been meh. PFF for some reason thinks he hasn’t given up a sack this year and they have him with solid grades but he was mediocre in the run game this week and gave up multiple delayed pressures. They need him to play better or they aren’t going to get where they need to go.
DL - Javon Kinlaw 65
Kinlaw had a couple of pass rushing wins in this one but none were super quick but he was solid and active against the run netting 6 tackles. He still hasn’t had the big time impact we’re waiting for but he’s a solid player at this point.
DL - DJ Jones 61
Jones is a quiet player but hangs in there. He battled as an interior lineman in this one but didn’t do a ton. He did get a plus graded play and while there were some times it looked like he lost reps, he took on a handful of double teams and didn’t let players get to the second level on them which is exactly his job.
DL - Arik Armstead 63
Armstead is a high quality player and he played a nice game in this one. It’s almost impossible to get to Aaron Rodgers when he’s getting the ball out that quick but Armstead did get a sack in this game. He’s a good run defender and battled in there all game.
DE - Nick Bosa 66
Bosa was outstanding on the first drive of the game, forcing a hold, and getting two impact run stops near the line of scrimmage. He also had one more hit on Rodgers throughout this game. He clearly wasn’t 100% and yet he still made a solid impact on the contest.
The 49ers used a 3 man rotation of Ebukam, Street, and Ford on the other side of the line which will help keep them fresh. None of them really had much of an impact in the game although Street did have a really nice play on a run stuff.
LB - Fred Warner 60
Warner has been hit or miss this season with some incredible play and some mediocre play for his standards. While he’s arguably the best linebacker in the NFL he wasn’t elite tonight. The big negative for him was that he didn’t get deep enough on the last drive of the game and Adams got behind him, while not entirely on him, there’s zero point in starting that play 5 yards from the line of scrimmage, which he did. Yes he made 8 tackles and a couple of nice plays against the run, but the 30 yard pass interference along with two other catches given up and that long play on the last drive gives him just an average grade in this one.
LB - Azeez al-Shaair 66
This dude can really play and paired with Warner give them an excellent 1-2 combo at linebacker. He actually reminds me a lot of Oluokon for Atlanta in that he runs all over the place and seems to be exceptionally active. I didn’t know a ton about his game but this year he flashes constantly. He had another 10 tackles in this one and had a number of them before the sticks. If he’s kept clean he is very disruptive.
S - Jimmie Ward 61
Decent game from Ward although nothing special here. He’s more of a solid if unspectacular player although his versatility in playing man, zone, near the LOS, or deep is really scheme friendly. I had him with some low end misses and gains but nothing to write home about with the excpetion of one huge play. Ward was the player who forced the incompletion on 4th and goal early in the game with good coverage and that really gave his grade a bump.
S - Jacquiski Tartt 56
Tartt wasn’t excellent in this one and was a bit late on a big play later in the game. Tartt is overall a positive player but in this one he didn’t quite get to some of the plays on time and was okay against the run. No impact plays in a big way but some moderately negative grades in the zone coverage department.
CB - Josh Norman NA/ Injured
He bruised his lungs - yikes. But he really played pretty well in this one until that point. He’s an older guy but they need him back.
CB - Dede Lenoir 44
Okay he came back to earth in this one after two really good weeks to start his season, including a great week 1. He gave up a touchdown when he didn’t get deep enough into his zone, with nobody in front of him that one really stung. He also had two PI Calls against him and gave up two other first downs on catches. This was one to forget for Lenoir.
CB - Emmanuel Mosely 50
Not much of a better performance for Mosely although he did have two PBU in this one and a forced incompletion, but he was beaten pretty badly throughout this game. I had him for 58 yards in coverage that I know about as well as a 30 yard PI on a play that 100% wouldn’t have been completed. The Red Zone PBU he had though was a big time play and the dude battled against one of the best in the league. He’s more of a CB2 though and against big time WR1’s with this style of defense in C1-man press he’s going to be in for a long season, but he won’t back down. Like the player but he got beaten up a bit in this one.
DETROIT VS BALTIMORE
DETROIT:
QB - Jared Goff 51
Goff seems to refuse to try to play quarterback in the NFL with this team and instead is perfectly content throwing the ball between the hashes and to the running backs. Granted this teams’ best offense is simply get the freaking ball to Swift and get out of his way but still, he has to start trying to make plays down the field. He went 22 of 30 for 217 yards and essentially did nothing to try to win the game. I get that he has very little weapons but he has to attempt to throw the football. In keeping track, 35 of his yards were before the half when they weren’t really trying to score, about 40 of them were on their one impressive scoring drive and most of those were to Swift on swing passes and check downs, and they got another 25 on a smoke screen. His air yards in this one were laughable. I get they’re trying to get him to be a game manager, but they have to let him throw NFL passes or they have very little chance to win and put up 20 or more points.
RB - D’andre Swift 78
Quite simply he was one of the best players in this game. Swift is a special player who needs to touch the ball and play more snaps. I know they want to have a two headed backfield, and I like Williams, but this guy is spectactular on the edges of the defense. I have no idea how many tackles he broke, but he seemed to single-handedly move the Detroit offense at points in this game. The touchdown drive in the 3rd quarter was simply him making plays all over the place. That drive would have ended early except he made Humphrey miss on the edge and picked up a big 3rd and short. He made multiple defenders miss on a swing pass, and then drug Oweh into the endzone as he was the unblocked man on the edge for the TD. He needs 25 touches a game the way this offense is currently constructed or they’ll struggle to win more than 3 games.
RB - Jamaal Williams - 53
Williams is a powerful player who fits what this team wants to do offensively. In this one though he didn’t break many tackles and pretty much only got what was there for him. His touchdown run was hard fought for a yard though and he does the dirty work. They have to let Swift get more touches though and stop this timeshare bullshit, Williams is a nice player, Swift is a potential All-Pro.
WR - Kalif Raymond 57
Raymond had some bright moments and some mistakes in this one. He couldn’t hang on to one of the rare intermediate throws in the game, that would have been a 15 yard or so completion on 2nd and long. He also dropped two shorter throws, including a quick 5 yard out early in the game and another bubble screen that looked fairly well set up. He also had a nice play down the field, and then an excellent screen and run that showed off his burst. His punt return was impressive as well as he gained about 10 extra yards. He’s a good complementary piece but in this one it looked like he was WR1 and that’s scary if you’re Detroit
WR - Quintez Cephus 44
Cephus struggled to get open at all against an excellent Baltimore secondary. The only play he had that had much impact on the game was a big forced pass interference call about 30 yards down the field. It feels like he gets one or two of those every game. Cephus is a quality player but when he goes up against superb athletes, he’s going to struggle to gain separation. The thing is, he thrives in contested catch and phone booth plays, Goff has to give him a shot occasionally.
WR - Amon Ra St Brown 48
Another player who struggled to separate. It’s not a good sign to me that he’s struggling to get anything going considering how this offense is built. The slot receivers should be a main target and yet he’s not getting open at a high enough level. Despite a quality number of snaps his only catch was a 2 yard pop pass, it’s a bad trend.
TE - TJ Hockenson 54
Not a very good game from Hockenson and his usual stud blocking only ended up with 1 plus grade there. He wasn’t used in the passing game either with just two short targets. Chuck Clark and at times corners were on him though, trying to take away the Lions main receiving threat. He may see more and more coverage like this throughout the year.
TE - Darren Fells 55
This grade would have been a bit high as he did have a couple of nice plays and showcased some blocking talent as well as an underrated catch and run play. The thing that slaughtered his grade though was on 4th and 1 from the 38 where the Lions were going to go for it early in the game, he had a false start that led to a punt. That play is almost worth a turnover and it was brutal in terms of looking at the game long term. A first down there could/would have led to a field goal attempt at worst, and maybe more.
T - Penei Sewell 56
Sewell was not at his best in this one, giving up three pressures and having a critical false start on a 4th and 1. I don’t think Detroit was actually going to go for it there but it was a mistake that you can’t make. While he didn’t give up a sack in this one he was mediocre in the run game and some of his pressures led to throw aways and early check downs. Not a terrible game but he wasn’t great in this one.
G - Jonah Jackson 47
Jackson needs to show some improvement soon. In this one I had him for 5 negative blocked plays, a hold, and a personal foul. That’s some rough stuff. He did have a couple of positively graded run blocks in this one but he isn’t great right now and even with a pass friendly check down centric offense, he gives up pressure and makes too many mistakes.
C - Frank Ragnow 60
Ragnow had some big pros including two huge run blocks, one that was essentially a pancake that led to a 12 yard run. He also had some serious negatives, with Calais Campbell getting 3 stuffs, all against Ragnow. In pass pro he was solid, only giving up one legit pressure in the game and it was even delayed but the run blocking on a number of plays constituted double negative grades. The pass pro helped this out but that was one of the worst run blocking games he’s had.
RG - Hal Vaitai 63
Vaitai hung in there in this one and played a decent game. I had him for one plus block run play and another good play on a screen and he only gave up a couple of delayed pressures and one play where the pocket got beaten up on him. That said he was above avearge in this one and although he didn’t exactly dominate, he held his own and did a better than average job in the run game.
RT - Matt Nelson 70
Nelson was really quality in this game. He gave up one pressure off the edge that really was only part his fault and part the scheme of the play. He had two positively graded run blocks and one plus on a screen and looked the part in this one. The Lions have to be really happy they found a quality swing tackle as Nelson is definitely that. He has looked like a high quality backup or even a borderline starter at times, and in this one he was the Lions best OL and scoring wise the best OL in this game.
EDGE - Romeo Okwara 72
Okwara was outstanding in this game. I had him as a plus 7 grade with a sack and a handful of legit pressures. The guy has a motor that just won’t stop and he played in every snap in this game. He was one of the better players in this one, and as he played a bit more with his hand in the dirt in this game he looked more comfortable, it was a nice little subtle tweak from Aaron Glenn.
EDGE - Charles Harris 65
Harris was quietly good in this game and then came up with a huge sack on the last drive of the game where he put a little delayed spin move on Zeitler after he got up field. He also had a handful of delayed pressures throughout the game and hung in quite well against the run.
EDGE - Julian Okwara and Austin Bryant
These guys made a serious impact in this game despite combining to play only 23 snaps. Okwara on two consecutive plays on the last drive was dynamic. The second play of the drive he dumptrucked Zeitler and forced an incompletion, and the next play he smoked his guy off th edge and while he didn’t get the sack he did help his brother get it. Bryant got a sack earlier in the game in the redzone.
DT - Nick Williams 54
Williams is an underrated player but he was essentially silent in this one. The Ravens didn’t do much straight ahead running and Williams provided little as a pass rusher. He wasn’t a liability but he was quiet and didn’t make any big plays.
DT - Michael Brockers 51
I had Brokers with zero pressures and two negatively graded run plays, not exactly lighting it up in there.
DT - Onwuzurike, McNeil
These guys weren’t very impressive in this one. They need more snaps without a doubt and jumping to playing DT in the NFL as a rookie is the second most difficult position behind QB, but this is one they should forget as they both didn’t play much and had zero impact on the game. The difference in run game and pressure when they were in vs the others was fairly noticeable, and not in a good way.
LB - Alex Anzalone 60
Anzalone was one of the worst players in the NFL the first two weeks and yet he had a nice bounce back game in this one. He wasnt picked on nearly as much in coverage in this one and actually even had a nice quick tackle in coverage. He also while he missed a couple of tackles, they didn’t lead to big plays and he did have a nice sack on a well timed up blitz.
LB - Derrick Barnes 40
Barnes has a lot of talent but damn, that was a rough start. I had him giving up 90 yards in coverage on 4 plays and other than making the tackle on 3 of those plays, he only had one other one in the game. The only reason his grade wasn’t lower was that he split snaps.
LB - Jalen Reeves-Maybin 47
Reeves-Maybin was essentially a non factor in his 50% of the snaps other than making a couple of tackles. He was better than Barnes but also gave up a long down field completion and missed a tackle on Lamar that gave him an extra half dozen yards. The Lions really wanted to go younger and I totally get and respect that, but Jamie Collins is considerably better than these two right now, for the long term it’s an obvious decision, but in the short term there is going to be major growing pains, particularly in the passing game.
S - Will Harris 45
Another week another shit performance from Harris. I had Harris with a 30 yard gain given up, he was also partially at fault for the 4th & 19 conversion as they were playing a shell coverage and he didn’t get the depth that was needed allowing the defender behind him when there was nobody in front of him to cover. He also blew a coverage on Mark Andrews who had him by 4 steps earlier in the game and Jackson missed the throw or it would have been a touchdown. Harris is good around the line of scrimmage but not out in space, him as a starting safety is problematic and he had 3 huge plays against him in this one, the only reason it didn’t look worse is Jackson missed one of the throws.
S - Dean Marlowe 53
Marlowe showed me some things in this game, although he wasn’t spectacular he was decent. Yes he got out of position on one of Andrews long catches but that was more on Barnes than him. He also could have potentially made the biggest play of the game when Duvernay fumbled his punt but a backup cornerback stepped out of bounds and cost them that fumble as Marlowe recovered it, but it was overturned.That saiid you can’t play that many snaps and not record a stat. He was quiet, but that fumble he almost recovered on special teams would have been a huge play, you can’t it away from him due to someone else being a bone-head.
S - Tracy Walker 60
Walker is their best safety but he blew a coverage in this one and allowed a touchdown. I watched the play about half a dozen times and I do think it was on Walked but just am not 100% sure. Walker is a solid tackler and decent in coverage and he’s clealry the best option back there but for some reason he played the least snaps of the 3.
CB - Bobby Price 43
Okay there is going to be a novel posted here so bare with me a bit. Price had four passes thrown his way that were either PBU’s or forced incompletions which is a tremendous number overall. He made plays and battled and shows some skill without a doubt. He also got beat twice badly for touchdowns on really long plays, they just happened to both get dropped by Holleywood Brown. If Brown catches both of those balls, or a third one that would have likely also been a touchdown this game is a complete blowout. Price is going to make his share of plays and mistakes and playing him every snap is the RIGHT thing to do without a doubt, but while he had 4 forced incompletions in this one, which is outstanding, in my book he gave up two obvious touchdowns that would have been for about 80 yards worth, as well as giving up two other completions for about 18 yards. The other big blow was obviously the Watkins catch on 4th & 19, yes Harris should have gotten more depth but all the other corners were in man and he looked like he thought it was a cover 3 type zone and didn’t follow Watkins along. Another blown coverage and this one is on Price.
CB - Amari Oruwariye 70
This was the best game I’ve ever watched him play. Oruwariye was tough, physical, and while he allowed 3 catches, none were for more than 10 yards. Technically a touchdown went over him as he didn’t get the depth, but it was a blown coverag that I’m giving to one of the safeties or to the DC as there were a bunch of blown assignments in the back end. He had a guy at the sticks so I’m going to give him a pass on that. He also made a big tackle on a run stop short of the sticks early in the game that forced a punt, and I had him for another forced incompletion as well as a very big play in the game the pick he had on a terrible pass from Jackson. The kid keeps grinding and won’t back down even throughout his bad games, this shows the talent he has.
CB - AJ Parker 58
Parker is a player I like and think that he coudl be a piece to this team moving forward. I had him with two plus graded plays in this one and not many yards or catches given up, but the big play was he had Lamar Jackson on a sack and missed the tackle even though he had a super clean look. That missed sack led to what could/would have been an Andrews TD but Jackson missed the throw, still they ended up kicking a field goal and that sack may have taken them out of range, it may have cost them 3-7 points. Overall though I thought he played a nice game. He did get beat on what would have been a long catch to Brown, but Brown’s 3rd drop meant he didn’t get credited with that catch given up, but it likely would have been about 30 yards, other than that I had Parker for only two short catches given up.
BALTIMORE RAVENS:
QB - Lamar Jackson 68
Jackson had his share of good and bad in tihs one, including a pick that was just awful and dropped his grade a full ten points. Also while he typically is one of the greatest runners I’ve ever seen, maybe the best, in this one he actually made two or three mistakes in the run game and took two sacks he absolutely shouldn’t have taken. He also missed a wide open Mark Andrews on what should have been an easy touchdown, but he shook off a sack right before that to even have that opportunity. His 4th and 19 dime to Watkins saved the game and he had three, yes you heard that correctly, three touchdowns dropped by Marquise Brown or his numbers may have looked insane. He’s one of the top half dozen quarterbacks in the NFL even if the way he does it is unconventional. Bateman is going to be a major upgrade and a huge help to this team. Stanley coming back should help in the run and pass game as well.
RB - Ty’son Williams 55
Silent game for Williams who wasn’t part of the game plan really in this one. He had 5 carries for 22 yards and didn’t play a role
RB - Latavius Murray 55
See above. The Ravens decided they wanted to attack the edges and throw in this one, didn’t make much sense to me but they stuck to the air more and Murray and Williams were inconsequential. The Ravens going out and trying to get a real running back like a Marlon Mack should be something they are jumping at doing.
TE - Mark Andrews 76
Andrews was spectacular in this one, running the deep overs and crossing routes that make him one of the toughest tight ends to defend in the NFL. He had over 100 yards and could have had close to 150 if Jackson didn’t miss him on what would have been a huge touchdown. Andrews is the perfect passing game fit in this offense and he exploded in this one against inept safeties and linebackers. Could have been a career game for him.
TE/FB - Patrick Ricard 60
Ricard had two huge blocks in this one and also was called for a hold. He played quite a few snaps but was relegated to more of a passing block role which was different. Felt like a bit different offense in this one.
WR - Marquise Brown 28
Brown dropped not one, not two, but three potential touchdowns in this game and almost lost the game for Baltimore. He's going to get the lowest score I give out this week becuase that's the shit you can't do and win in the NFL.
T- Allejandro Villanueva 49
He was the worst player on the field in week 1, looked better last week, and took a step back in week 3. He gave up 5 pressures that were clear and decisive losses and didn’t have a big time run block win in the game. He looks cooked.
OL - Bradley Bozeman 58
He had two serious run block wins including a pancake, but he also had 3 pass block losses and gave up some pressure.
OL - Patrick Mekari 61
Mekari was decent in this game, but he had no big time blocks or major losses. It was good enough to get him a slightly positive grade but there were some pressures he was able to mitigate due to Jackson’s speed.
OL - Kevin Zeitler 48
Ouch in pass pro. Zeitler is typically a very good player but the last drive of the game showcased some really poor play. He gave up a sack to Harris, then was absolutely annihilated by Julian Okware the next play as he was put flat on his ass. He got called for a hold. Then on the other end of the spectrum he was the best Ravens run blocker in this one with 3 plus graded runs. Rough game though in pass pro.
OL - Powers/Cleveland
They split reps and were both only okay. Powers had a huge run block win on one play but neither were great. Cleveland wasn’t as good if I had to pick but I’d say it was mostly a draw with Powers one big win and Cleveland a slight loss in a pass pro rep that hurt.
DE Odafe Oweh 62
Oweh didn’t have the impact that he has so far in this season but he was still good. He had two positively graded run stuffs and got pressure on another rep. He got drug into the endzone on the Swift touchdown but it’s a tough play to make. Oweh was good in this one but with Goff checking down every play it felt like, it was tough to get a big sack.
DL - Calais Campbell 84
Campbell was dominant. He had three stuffed runs and three big time pass rush wins that caused immediate pressure. I had him as a plus 7 in this game and he was arguably the best player on the field in this game.
DL - Justin Ellis 60
Ellis was solid in this one, earning a plus one grade throughout. He had a bit of interior push but nothing special, but held his own and did his job.
DL - Broderick Washington 63
Washington got a good solid pressure, and had two big time run stops at the line. It wasn’t spectacular but he was good in this one.
EDGE - Pernell McPhee 61
McPhee did what he always does, sets a solid edge and gets a bit of pressure. He had a couple of pressures in this one including one solid hit and also made two nice run plays. No longer dynamic but solid and reliable.
LB - Tyus Bowser 47
Bowser really struggled in this one but the main reason his grade was so low is that on the HB pass early in the game he simply dropped what would have been a gift pick. I had him for a 20 yard pass play given up as well as 3 big time missed tackles. He had a rough go.
LB - Patrick Queen 38
Queen is arguably the worst inside linebacker in the NFL and he was bad even for him in this one. I had him with 7 negatively graded plays and one postiively graded one as he constantly struggled to fill the right gap, get to the right spot in coverage, and missed tackles. He had as many missed opportunities as he did actual tackles in the game. Queen was highly drafted, but it’s clear this team misses LJ Fort and they need to improve at the LB spot or they are not going to be a playoff team.
LB - Malik Harrison, Josh Bynes -
Honestly these two are the better options right now, although Harrison struggles in coverage. He did a really nice job getting off a block on a swing pass though and getting a TFL in this one. Bynes didn’t play much and still ended up with 4 tackles. If it were me, Chuck Clark would play closer to the line and I’d play much more Dime with Clark kicked down and play a lot more 6 or 7 DB sets.
S - Chuck Clark 78
Clark was really really good in this game and he continues to be a very underrated player. He had 12 tackles and seemed to be absolutely everywhere in this one, and it felt like he was the only player who could actually tackle Swift. He had a sack early in the contest too and found himself matched up with Hockenson on a number of occasions and held his own. Really good player who had himself an awesome game.
S - Deshon Elliott 62
Elliott is a nice player who had a solid game. The Lions refuse to try to push the ball down the field so Elliott’s job was made easier in this one. He had two tackles and gave up no big plays.
CB - Jimmy Smith 57
Smith wasn’t at his best in this one, giving up a long catch and getting called for a 30 yard PI penalty. He’s better in short spaces at this point in his career and is going to be seen mostly in dime moving forward I think.
CB - Anthony Averett 68
Averett is getting better and better and he essentially gave up next to nothing in this one. An early 5 yard catch was dropped and he did give up a 17 yard play that was in between two defenders in zone, but other than that essentially wasn’t targeted. He’s sticky in coverage and has great quickness. The Lions have bad receivers and Averett did a nice job of not letting them escape.
CB - Tavon Young 70
Young picked on the young Lions interior players and gave up nothing. He also had a sack and looked like he had gained some juice in his legs after looking a bit slow the first two weeks.
CB - Marlon Humphrey 67
Humphrey was extremely stingy in coverage, in this one but did have two negatively graded plays getting a hold and also missing a tackle that led to a first down that could have been a 4th down. Receivers gained no separation on him throughout this game and the only catch he gave up was just one in his zone that I noticed. He’s had a bit of an up and down season but was sticky in this one.
CB - Brandon Stephens 60
Stephens battles and is going to give this team quality reps at some point for sure. He gave up a little bit here and there in this one including a 12 yard catch for a first down. Nothing egregious though again the Lions didn’t try to throw to receivers.
FALCONS VS GIANTS
FALCONS
QB - Matt Ryan 54
Ryan is refusing to throw the football down the field and it severely limiting what the Falcons are able to do offensively. In this game it was check down central once again as he didn't even attempt a single throw more than 20 yards down the field. Through 3 games he has 4 throws that have been tossed beyond twenty yards. Now the offensive line has not played well, and obviously losing Julio Jones hurts, but this is borderline ridiculous. The offense looks rudimentary. He has always been significantly worse as an NFL quarterback without Julio, but this year has taken on new dimension. I had him for 4 negatively graded plays and only one major plus throughout the game. Now they won the contest and he finished with two touchdowns and 0 interceptions but this was a below average performance without a dobut. He had 12 completions to wide receivers in this entire game for a total of 99 yards, yikes.
RB - Mike Davis 58
Davis is a grinder and did that throughout this one. Without much room to maneuver he continuously fought for yardage and picked up yards after first contact. His game isn't pretty but he's a solid player who works his tail off to keep you ahead of the sticks. He's obviously much better suited for a complementary role though and him being the bellcow is working out about as well as you could expect. He's going to probably get you around 4 yards a carry with very few double digit runs. He's what I like to call a volume back, in that he'll fall forward and get you what's there but he's not someone you fear at all coming out of the backfield.
RB - Cordarelle Patterson - 67
Patterson is going to end up being the focal point of this offense which is mind boggling to me with Calvin Ridley and Kyle Pitts on a roster, but that's where they're at with Matt Ryan playing this style of football. Patterson is very difficult to bring down in open space and I had him with 4 plus graded plays in this one. He is obviously not a true running back and he's going to struggle between the tackles but in a team that throws 95% of its passes underneath, Patterson's ability to make people miss and get upfield to gain YAC yardage is going to be HOW this team wins game. He was instrumental in that this one, picking up almost all of his yards after the catch.
WR - Calvin Ridley - 65
Ridley was solid in this game but again, he just isn't a focal point in the game plan consistently enough right now. He had 8 catches for just 61 yards including a 20 yarder, meaning he had 7 for 41, which is insanely low. I don't blame Ridley entirely for this as the offense is middle-school like right now. He had two big positive grades and two negative ones including a non-catch in traffic that you'd like to see him make.
WR - Olamide Zaccheus - 64
Seemed like a quiet day for QZ but he had a touchdown grab and a big time block that sprung a double digit yard play in this game. He's definitely a WR3 or WR4 but he's been elevated in this one to someone who is trying to grind out plays. I like his style but the fact he's getting so many snaps is troubling.
TE - Lee Smith Hayden Hurst
I'm lumping these guys together as they combined for 50 snaps but Hurst looks lost in an ill used in this offense and should be a trade candidate soon. Smith is a blocking tight end that somehow scored a TD in this one and ended up with 3 catches. I'm not quite sure how to grade this couple but neither of these guys are impact players. Smith's Td probably bumps them up a grade. Hurst should get dealt ASAP. Lee Smith scored that TD but also gave up a sack in pass protection.
TE - Kyle Pitts 53
I feel for this guy, as they simply aren't using him. When they finally figured out that they should throw him the freaking ball he made plays. He forced an incompletion and made two catches that were bigger down field plays. Playing tight end takes a bit of getting used to at this level but the fact they aren't targeting him is problematic.
LT - Jake Matthews 63
Matthews played well in pass pro but was negatively graded in run blocking. As Pass Pro is more important he got a decent grade in this one. He had a bad missed block on a 3rd and 1 that led to a punt though but other than that only gave up one delayed pressure that wasn't on him. His run blocking was well below average however.
LG - Jalen Mayfield 52
Whoa, big step up in this one for Mayfield. While it certainly wasn't a clean game, and in fact I did have him credited with a sack given up, and a couple of pressures this was his best game of the young season. I had him with two plus graded blocks as well in the run game and a nice move to pick up a stunt that gave them time for a pass. It wasn't a positive performance overall but it was a step up for the young guard.
C - Matt Hennessey 56
Hennessey simply looks like he lacks the play strength to make moves in the run game. He actually reminds me a ton of BJ Finney who played for the Steelers. He can pass pro at a decent level so he's not a liability but he can't get movement in the run game. He seems like a very odd fit for Smith's offense so it wouldn't surprise me if they brought in competition to battle for this spot at some point. I had him with one obvious pressure and one major miss in run blocking but otherwise a clean card. Quite simply he's a below average center.
RG - Chris Lindstrom 65
Lindstrom is one of the better guards I've watched throughout this season. I had him for a clean card in terms of pass blocking and he was the team's best run blocker. He's not an elite player but he's really solid and he looks like a good fit in this system. When they want to pick up tough yards, it's gotta go behind him. He didn't have any big time plus rated blocks in this game but he's the only one who generates much movement consistently in the run game.
RT - Caleb McGary 51
Quiet game for him in the run game without question but he did in the pass game give up multiple pressures and a strip sack for Ojulari. He's not a terrible player but he lacks the upside you'd look for in a right tackle long term. He's serviceable though but they need more from him in the run game and to play with more physicality.
DE - Steven Means 48
He plays a ton of snaps he just doesn't do much. My dad had a player like him when he coached basketball and he played about 24 minutes a night and typically ended up with zero stats, it was incredible, and not in a good way. Means is sorta like that guy. He played 53 snaps on defense and ended up with 3 tackles including a TFL but otherwise you had zero idea he was out there. The Falcons need a big ugprade here.
DE - Dante Fowler 67
Fowler has started to play good football for this defense and looks very comfortable out there. He made a couple of really nice plays in the run game, stacking and shedding players, as well as a PBU. His big play though came late when he had a big time sack. He was disruptive in this one and while sometimes he'll get picked up or not make some plays, he's been playing at a pretty high level so far this year.
DT - Tyeler Davison 56
Davison did a nice job of eating up blockers throughout this one and while he's not going to give you much as a pass rusher he's a serviceable interior player. The Giants had trouble moving piles in this one and usually that starts inside.
DT - Grady Jarrett 68
Jarrett played another pretty good game in this one. I had him with two pressures that were immediate wins, a sack, and forced hold, and another positive run stuff. He's one of the best players in the NFL and had a big impact in this game. He simply needs more help around him.
DL - A number of other defensive linemen rotated in in this game and none had a major factor. The issues with this team on defense are pretty large but lack of depth may be among the biggest.
LB - Deion Jones 65
Jones was pretty solid in this game but nothing spectacular. Honestly when I watch the tape of Atlanta I am caught liking Oluokon more and more and may even prefer him to Jones at this point. That said Jones is still a quality player and I had him for 3 positive graded plays in this one. He made 12 tackles and did a quality job in coverage, limiting RAC yards which is critical in this defensive scheme. He does a wonderful job in getting depth and feeling zone coverage and looked super clean there in this one.
LB - Foyesade Oluokon 68
One of my favorite underrated players in the NFL. I had Oluokon for four plus graded impact plays although he did allow a first down catch, but only for 6 yards. He had 14 tackles in this game and simply dominated the run game. He's a free agent this offseason and nobody is talking about it, but he's going to be a free agent teams should absolutely target as he's a plus player who is ascending and looks to be improving every game.
DB - Isaiah Oliver 68
Want to talk about ascending, Oliver is quietly becoming one of the best players on the Falcons. Oliver did give up a couple of catches on the inside but he also had two PBU, a forced fumble that he recovered, and a quarterback hit. He's playing at a high level all over this defense and honestly I can't call him a cornerback anymore as he lines up all over the freaking place. This role is critical in this defense and you have to give the Falcons staff a ton of credit for seeing that he can play this position. He was very good in this game and looks like he may turn into a very quality defensive back.
CB - TJ Green 33
One of the worst performances of the week by any players goes to TJ Green. The converted safety was just annihilated by the Giants. I had him for 93 yards given up in coverage DIRECTLY responsible to him. He did have one PBU but was otherwise picked on in a big way. Atlanta desperately misses Terrell who started to blossom before the concussion.
CB - Fabian Moreau 53
Moreau hasn't had the start to the year that I think he would have wanted. I thought signing him for the league minimum essentially was quietly one of the better offseason moves in the NFL but he's struggled so far. I had him for 38 yards on 3 catches directly in man coverage against him as well as two PI calls including another one in the end zone. While he certainly isn't playing awful football he's not playing as well as he has in the past. They keep sticking him out there though and while he needs to improve he's not awful.
S - Erik Harris 63
I am not a big Harris fan and think they really need an upgrade but you gotta admit when someone has a solid game and he did in this one. Yes he gave up some catches and all that, but ultimately he also broke up two passes and didn't allow much run after catch in his zone. He benefitted more than anyone from the Giants going with a passive attack offensively but he did his job in this one and gets an above average grade for it.
S - Duron Harmon 54
Harmon is someone I've always really liked and in this one he was okay but again, just not a big time performance. I could see them sliding more and more snaps to Hawkins and particularly Oliver at a primary safety role moving forward. He's been okay back there but the Falcons are going to need someone to make some plays defensively if they're going to succeed.
NEW YORK GIANTS
QB - Daniel Jones 65
Jones is playing high quality football right now and it needs to be recognized. Once again Jones played a solid game with a bad offensive line, poor play calling, and some big mistakes by other players. His two easy throw receivers got hurt and he kept slinging in, making Collin Johnson look good and continuing to put his team in position to win the game. They have to open up the offense more for him as they don't have the OL to move it up and down the field 8 yards at a time. The Giants season looks bleak, but if you're a NYG fan you have to be encourage by the way Jones has played.
RB - Saquan Barkley 53
Barkley is not the player I thought he would be coming out of Penn State. I gave him the elusive 99 grade as one of the best players I've ever watched in college but he tries so hard to hit the home run every play that he leaves too many yards on the field. Once again he ended up with under 4 yards per carry and while his TD run was an incredible leap that shows his insane athletic ability, and his offensive line is poor to say the least, he doesn't do them many favors. He's a special athlete but he has to cut the damn thing up and pick up tough yards at a much higher clip. No way in HELL do I give this guy top 5 running back money at this point. Shows yet another reason you don't spedn first round capital, especially top 5 capital on a running back in the draft.
WR - Kenny Golladay 65
Golladay was solid in this one as they worked to find him the ball a bit more. I had him for four plus graded catches and routes in this one as he finally looked like comfortable playing in this offense. They have to figure out ways to get him the ball down the field and if they can't they're going to struggle to move the ball with consistency. The fact that he had some down field plays in this one was big for the team moving the football.
WR - Kadarius Toney 57
They let him go out there and play football and damn he looks explosive in the short area. He's struggling to gain separation quickly and to watch him run routes vs Shepard is telling. Shepard gets open in three steps and Toney takes four or five and it shows up on film. That said I'd play him at running back or let him return every kick because once he has it in his hands, his explosiveness is real. He should get more and more snaps the next few weeks and the development will come.
WR - Collin Johnson 64
Johnson looked like the number one target for Jones when he was out there. He used his size and physicality to show a big target even when he wasn't necessarily wide open. He had 5 for 51 and nearly had a 6th that barely hit the ground. I'm not sure what his role on this team will be long term but again, they have to find some down field threats or at least try to push it down field here and there and Johnson's 6'6 frame could really help. With how poorly Engram is playing, maybe using him in the flexed TE role could be coming as well.
WRs - Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton
Both were injured in this one, adding insult to literal injury.
TE - Evan Engram 43
Engram has regressed to the point of wondering what his role should be on an NFL team. I feel like the hit rates on tight ends in the draft is starting to get dangerously low and Engram is a prime example. While his athleticism and speed is evident, he's so inconsistent with his hands and his blocking it's tough to keep him out there. He had two catches for 21 yards and one of them ended with a fumble, he also missed a big block that led to a tackle for loss and generally struggled in the short area to gain separation. You wonder what his market is in the NFL at this point.
TE - Kyle Rudolph 51
Rudolph is a non factor at this point and it's tough to watch. His regression from early last year to this year is telling. On 29 snaps he didn't even receive a target. While he's putting in yeoman's work as a blocker it's starting to look like his contract this offseason was overkill and there's no way at this point he's going to play year two of that two year deal. Rudolph looks slower than he has in the past the last two seasons and this year it looks like he fell off a cliff. Think Jason Witten post retirement.
TE - Kaden Smith 57
Not that Smith is dynamic or exciting but he plays quite a bit for this team on this super weird and honestly stupid offense.
LT - Andrew Thomas 65
Thomas is starting to slowly become the player the Giants thought he was when they drafted him. After a very rough first 6 weeks in the NFL he's becoming better and better each week. While the Falcons front doesn't scare many teams, Thomas looked the part this week showing good athleticism and strong hands. He wasn't great in run blocking in this one but also wasn't awful and certainly was the best Giant up front in that capacity. Everyone will remember the rough start to his career but right now that draft pick looks better each week.
G - Ben Bredeson 45
Bredeson ain't it. He's a poor run blocker by NFL standards and in this one had 3 negative run blocks, a big immediate pressure that led to a throwaway and allowed a sack. On a bad NYG offensive line he's the worst one and that's saying something.
C - Billy Price 55
Not a terrible outing for Price at all. While he really struggled in Cincinnati this was a solid outing for him. He's not a run blocker, obviously but he did well in pass pro in this game. He gave up one bad pressure but otherwise held his own. He struggled mightily in the run game though giving up 3 negative plays including a hold and a TFL.
G - Will Hernandez 55
Hernandez was up and down in this one with more negative and positve grades than any other Giant. He had 3 high quality blocks including a nice peel back block that probably saved a qb hit. He also had 3 double graded negative blocks including a game changing penalty and an illegal man downfield when he clearly took off too early. He's not a terrible lineman and is definitely better than Bredeson but you wonder if he's a viable starter in the league or just a backup.
RT - Nate Solder 48
Ugh. Why this team doesn't play Matt Peart and see what they have over the season instead of playing Solder is beyond me. Solder gave up mutliple pressures in this game and a big sack late in the contest. He's just not mobile enough and was overrated as a run blocker in New England, here it's regressed to the point of being ugly. I know you pay him a lot but let's see what Peart can do if he's not looking over his shoulder out there.
DL - Leonard Williams 68
Turns out Leonard Williams is good at football. He was extremely difficult to move in the run game getting multiple stacks and pushing into the backfield to reset the line. He also had a nice sack in this game and was overall disruptive as can be. He is darn good and his ability to slide around the line opens up a lot. He should get more credit for playing the games he does as well, stacking up linemen on stunts and pushes that frees up plays.
DL - Dexter Lawrence 72
Lawrence was good in this game as well and he's frankly extremely difficult to move in the run game. I had Lawrence with a plus 5 in this game, including a tackle for loss and a quarterback pressure that led to a throwaway.
DT - Austin Johnson 75
I had never looked at Austin Johnson that much on tape when watching a game but he was outstanding in this one. I had him as a plus 4 including plus 2 in the run game, he added a sack, and another quarterback hit in this one and realy controlled the line of scrimmage. He stood out without question on the Giants defense in this game.
DT - Danny Shelton 58
Shelton is a rotational DL who eats up blockers and occasionally can get some push. While he did get a nice push in this game that forced a throwaway he was quiet. He did a decent job against the run and had one nice pocket push but was otherwise quiet.
EDGE - Azeez Ojulari 69
Ojulari looks to be a hit coming out of the draft. His strip sack at the end of the half prevented points and was a big momentum play in the game. He had multiple pressures in this one, and while he's not tremendous at getting off blocks in the run game he also didn't get blown off the ball in this one and stacked the edge on a couple of occasions fairly well. The strip sack was a gigantic play though from someone who keeps making plays every week.
EDGE - Lorenzo Carter 43
Carter was a complete nonfactor despite a ton of snaps, other than recovering a fumble. He got beaten up in the run game and essentially did nothing on a lot of pass rush reps. He has been an underachiever this year and the team needs him to provide pressure opposite Ojulari.
LB - Tae Crowder 74
Crowder was out of his mind good in this game. Other than early in the game giving up a big completion in coverage he was incredible. I had him with a plus 5 overall grade in this one and he was everywhere on the field. I've never seen him play like that. He had 11 tackles and seemed to make every play at certain points in this one.
LB - Reggie Ragland 60
Ragland did what he does, runs downhill and tries to make run stops. He did it a few times in this one but was quiet otherwise. That said Atlanta didn't get much going in the run game and the swing catches weren't exceptionally effective.
S - Logan Ryan 61
He had an interesting and up and down down. On the negative side he missed a tackle that led to a double digit yard gain, and had PI in the endzone. On the plus side he had 9 tackles, forced an incompletion and only allowed one other catch into his zone the entire day. He was decent in this one.
S - Jabrill Peppers 63
Peppers was a bit up and down in this game as well. He had 3 positive plays defensively and looked dynamic as a returner. He also gave up a 15 yard catch, a 17 yard catch, and gave up a bit too much room in coverage. He also had two quarterback hits and looked like a real athlete out there.
S - Julian Love 60
Quality game from Love on just 20 snaps, but he forced an incompletion in coverage and quietly was solid. He doesn't let much get behind him and is generally good when he plays.
S - Xavier McKinney 63
McKinney played a ton in this one and really didn't do too much but he wasn't beaten deep and did his job every play which is seeming to become the norm for him. I like how he plays football and while he's not insanely good he's solid back there and he had Logan Ryan create a really good consistent safety tandem.
CB - Adoree Jackson 60
He was much better in coverage than Bradbury in this one but the dropped INT in the endzone killed his grade. He gave up two catches but nothing major in this one and had a PBU but the dropped pick was brutal. You can't make those mistakes and it was one of the biggest plays in this game. He was really good in this one other than that huge mistake.
CB - James Bradbury 51
Two weeks in a row JB has been beaten up. In this one I had him with two first downs given up on 3rd down including a 20 yarder and he also gave up the TD to Zaccheus when he was late to diagnose and couldnt fight through traffic. He was tremendous last season but has really been below average so far this year as quicker good route runners have given him problems.
Comments
Post a Comment