GREEN BAY VS CHICAGO (24-14 GREEN BAY WIN)
CHICAGO:
QB - Justin Fields 47
Fields wasn't horrible in this game and in fact had two drives that truly showed off his long term capabilities. He has a chance to be a good player down the road as his tools are absolutely off the charts. That said at this point he is an absurdly slow processor of plays and really struggles to get off his first read and to discern defenses. He puts his head down at times when he's pressured and in this one it cost him a layup touchdown to Allen Robinson in this one on a blown coverage where he didn't see him and tucked it and ran instead. His athleticism was on display numerous times and he has incredible speed. That said he has poor pocket presence and ran himself into two of the four sacks he took, and held the ball too long on another one. One of them took them out of field goal range as well. The Interception he threw was on what he thought was a free play, but even then, there was no one in the area. He threw another one that should have been a pick but Adrian Amos was ruled out of bounds (he wasn't). He had 4 plus graded plyas in this one though, showing what he's capable of, but he ended the game with a 6.4 YPA average through the air, and led his team to only 2 touchdowns, despite playing a GB defense without its best pass rusher, and two of three staring corners. He's got a ways to go.
RB - Khalil Herbert 80
Herbert was outstanding in his first career start. I had him for a top tier grade as he finished the game with an insane 6 plus graded plays and the only negative against him was a drop that probably would have resulted in a TFL. He showed tremendous vision, good burst, and created a lot from nothing numerous times. With Herbert, Montgomery, and an eventually healthy Cohen, this could be one of the best backfields in the NFL. He was crazy good in this game and looks the part.
TE - Cole Kmet 66
Kmet is starting to get better and better and it wouldn't surprise me if he takes a big leap in the next few weeks and particularly next season. He looks massive out there and he has shown an ability to be a big and reliable target in the middle of the field. It takes tight ends a while to learn the NFL game but he was impressive in this game.
WR - Allen Robinson 64
This grade would have been a lot better had Fields just seen him on what would have been a 50+ yard touchdown early in the game. They aren't utilizing him well though and I would bet A-Rob won't come back unless the team franchise tags him. He's one of the best in the game and could desperately use a change of scenery. He still had a fairly productive game despite a quarterback who struggled to move on from read one.
WR - Darnell Mooney 63
Mooney is a shifty, extremely difficult to guard receiver, but he isn't targeted too often in this offense even though it sure looks like he could be a viable WR2. He had 5 catches for 45 yards and caught a TD on a blown coverage.
WR - Marquise Goodwin 56
Quietly Goodwin is making things happen and could end up being a big piece if Chicago makes a run at a playoff berth. He forced a big PI early in the game in the endzone for a 35 yard play, and even though he had only one other catch for 12 yards his speed could help this team as Fields started to try to push the ball down field in this game.
LT - Jason Peters 77
Peters was a rock star in this game and although he has been up and down for the Bears so far he looked like a stud in this game. I had him for 3 plus graded run blocks including one that sprung the big Herbert run early in the game as he collapsed his side of the line. I had him for zero quick pressures given up as he looked like the Jason Peters of old.
LG - Cody Whitehair 39
Ugh. If the Bears want to improve their offense they need better interior line play immediately and this was the biggest culprit against the Packers. Whitehair gave up two sacks and two TFL on plays that were directly over him.
C - Sam Mustipher 54
Mustipher had a terrible snap early in the game but battled throughout. While he finished with a below average grade there were positives in the game as well, occasionally getting good push and creating some space in the run game. He gave up zero sacks and only one pressure tied to him as well. He just didn't wow with zero plus graded run plays.
RG - James Daniels 60
Daniels was decent in this game although he lost some run play reps and gave up a pressure as well as a questionable hold that called back a TD run. I think it was like half a hold as I wouldn't have called it. He did get some movement in the run game and did an overall decent job.
RT - Elijah Wilkinson 50
Wilkinson wasn't great in this one as he gave up multiple pressures. He also had a big time run block that sprung a big one and a couple of nice run blocks. Two of the pressures he gave up were on losses and the other two that I had him for were mostly delayed or on Fields. He might get a bad grade in the stat column for pressures but only two were directly pass block losses.
DE - Khalil Mack 76
Mack was outstanding in this game, particularly against the run. Mack had a plus 5 grade including a sack, a TFL, and a pressure that led to a throwaway. He was constantly in the backfield or moving down the line.
DE - Robert Quinn 83
Quinn was the best player on the field in this one for Chicago. He had three pressures, a sack, and a plus seven grade with zero negatively graded plays on the day. Quinn looks like the player they went out to get and he looked elite in this game. His sack he got bending the edge against a really good player in Jenkins was special stuff.
DE - Trevis Gipson 62
Gipson is playing really good football right now for Chicago, but with the other two ends out there playing as well as they are, it's tough to get him on the field for too many snaps. He flashed once hard in this game though, setting the edge on a pop pass and creating a TFL. He also had another tackle just down the line. He's beginning to develop.
DL - Eddie Goldman 54
Quiet day at the office for a typically pretty good player. The Packers ran pretty damn easily against Chicago and 3 tackles and none that showed up on the impact tracker isn't a good sign. He wasn't awful, just mostly invisible against an inexperienced interior line.
DT - Akiem Hicks 63
Hicks may get traded at some point by Chicago this season but he showed up again in this one. He was working his way back so only got about 40% of the snaps but made his presence felt with a big sack toward the end of the game. He also had a nice stack early in the game creating a stuff run. He was fairly quiet other than that but he's a good player who would see a lot of interest if he becomes available soon.
DL - Angelo Blackson 48
He played half the teams snaps and I had zero idea he was on the field. He's essentially a replacement level player at best and was silent in this one per usual.
DL - Bilal Nichols 55
A bit more activity for Nichols as he did get a run stop on the day and make a couple of tackles. He was pretty quiet though and didn't create enough havoc against an undermanned Green Bay line.
LB - Roquon Smith 71
Smith was really good in this game but his lack of impact plays were the only thing keeping his score down. He also gave up a catch that hurt his numbers but was a plus player in this one, making a ton of stops and at times looking like the only player at the second level for the Bears.
LB - Alec Ogeltree 46
Ogeltree played a ton of snaps and other than forcing an incompletion with a PBU, he had four negatively graded plays and in 44 snaps had only two tackles in a game with 48 run and completion attempts.. that's not good.
S - Tashaun Gipson 44
Gipson was worse than Ogeltree in this game, as I had him with 5 negatively graded plyas, and although he only gave up a few catches, his biggest play of the game was the missed tackle on a dump off to Aaron Jones that let Jones score on what should have been a tackle at the LOS.
S - Eddie Jackson 56
Jackson wasn't exactly stellar in this game either. He had two plus graded plays but was late on a variety of plays, including getting over late on the late Davante Adams catch in the fourth quarter. He made some tackles though and was decent in terms of making play as Ogeltree obviously wasn't going to make them. He was such a playmaker early in his career though and that has slowed way down the past couple of seasons, he kind of looks more like just a guy now and that's problematic considering his paycheck.
DB -Deandre Houston-Carson 64
DHC was pretty darn solid in this game, earning a plus one grade on an early short pass and giving up virtually nothing in the pass game including forcing an incompletion toward his coverage. He didnt' make many plays but he wasn't targeted often as he had generally good coverage.
CB - Kindle Victor 66
Victor was pretty good against bad competition in this game. He gave up a 13 yarder against him but was rarely targeted with Green Bay's weak receiving corps. He played every snap and the 13 yards were all I credited directly against him.
CB - Jaylon Johnson 60
All things considered this wasn't a bad outing for Johnson. He traveled with Adams all game, and yes he gave up a big one for 29 early in the game, and had a PI on a 3rd down. I had him for 39 yards against him directly and then he and Jackson looked like they were supposed to double him on the long 41 yarder late in the game, and they both get credited with half of that play, although I'm giving more credence to Jackson as he was way too deep. If you give up essentially three first downs in an entire game to Davante Adams, that's pretty good play. Johnson is turning into a stud and is clearly a CB1 in the NFL.
DB - Xavier Crawford 61
Crawford played pretty good football all things considered, giving up an early 14 yard catch and then very little else in this game. He was picked off on an Amari Rodgers catch late in the game but it looked like OPI to me but wasn't called, not much you can do with that one.
GREEN BAY:
QB - Aaron Rodgers 66
A quiet day for Rodgers who mostly managed the game and played point guard on his way to victory. Rodgers had 4 plus graded plays in the game and 3 of them were runs, including a big touchdown run late in the game with a slick pump fake that froze Alec Ogeltree. He does in fact OWN Chicago. It was quiet as he rarely pushed the ball downfield and yet he was efficient as can be and had only one negatively graded play throughout the game. Quiet and plenty to get the win. His two touchdowns were schemed up on a beautiful shovel pass play call and a checkdown to Jones who made a man miss and beat everyone to the endzone. If you ask Aaron, he'll play like this all year, managed the game wonderfully.
RB - Aaron Jones 76
He's the perfect player for this Green Bay offense and he showed why again. He's exceptionally efficient and was outstanding in this game. He can get you the tough yards but he also has excellent quickness and short area burst and used it to destroy Tashaun Gipson for a touchdown on a checkdown that should have been a tackle at the LOS. Jones had 17 touches for 110 yards and showed why he is in the argument as a top 5 NFL back.
RB - AJ Dillon 66
Dillon is a perfect complement to Jones as he powers his way and thunders his way to stay ahead of the chains. He's getting more and more comfortable and people don't realize he's a reliable pass catcher as well. In this one he used great vision and an excellent cutback to shred the Bears defense, including powering his way to tough first downs to finish the game, the recipe the Packers will take all year.
TE - Robert Tonyan 49
Tonyan had two catches for 10 yards but was owned as a run blocker in this one, getting destroyed on two TFL and then losing another rep leading to a stuff. He didn't fumble or give up a sack or anything but his run blocking was atrocious. He may see his snaps start to drop more and more to a bigger veteran Marcedes Lewis as it's tough to trust him to make the blocks at this point, and it's clear his crazy efficiency in the red zone last year was an aberration.
TE - Marcedes Lewis 62
Lewis led the teams in snaps from a TE and I think that's going to be the norm. He is a wonderful run blocker and had two plus graded blocks in this game in the run game, including one pancake that was a "oh damn" block. He is a reliable pass catcher and doesn't dance but gets his ass upfield and picks up yardage after the catch. I think Lewis to me is the clear better player and it woudln't surprise me at all to see him outsnap Tonyan the rest of the season.
WR - Davante Adams 69
Adams was solid again in this one, as he's cemented his place as the NFL's WR1. It tells you a lot when 89 yards seems to be a game where he's held in check. He had four catches including two over 29 yards and also forced a PI on a 3rd down play early in the game. He had to work hard in this one as Jaylon Johnson shadowed him and really only allowed him to get loose twice. Still, Adams had a big impact with his two long catches leading to Packers TD's.
WR - Allen Lazard 61
Lazard caught a TD on the shovel pass and also started the game with a slant for a first down. The Packers didn't throw the ball much in this game but it's clear Lazard is their WR2. Lazard had 50 snaps and caught three passes including the TD, he doesn't get separation but his size and blocking ability show up in this game when the team wants to not run 22 or 12 personnel they can use him as a third tight end or an F move type player.
No Other Packers receiver had more than 23 snaps and Randall Cobb had those and wasn't targeted. He looks completely done to me and this will likely be his last season in the NFL.
LT - Elgton Jenkins 55
Jenkins is a really good player and I'm not sure what he's going to get paid after 2022 but it should be an obscene amount. In this one he did give up a sack to Quinn and was beaten as a run blocker on a few occasions as well as giving up another pressure. He was pretty good in the run game though and was overall fairly clean considering who he was going against.
LG - Jon Runyan 80
This was one of the better games I've watched a guard play in terms of impact score. I had Runyan with a positive four run blocking grade and zero pressures given up. You don't see interior linemen have games like Runyan very often when watching the tape as he had a clean game in terms of pass pro, which is very hard to do, and then three of his blocks sprung big runs and he also created another big pile push that led to a first down. Watch this tape, it was impressive to say the least.
C - Lucas Patrick 63
The Packers OL coach is arguably the best in the NFL and despite tons of turnover they play well almost every week. Patrick did give up a pressure and got beaten for a stuff on a run play but was otherwise very solid and did a nice job run blocking and in pass pro. Two negatively graded plays against that interior and an offense that generally controlled tempo gives him big time props. He's a handy guy to have on your bench without a doubt.
RG - Royce Newman 50
Newman I believe was mostly responsible for two of the sacks on Aaron Rodgers where on the first one he waited while it was clear that Turner was excpecting inside help. On the other one he turned someone loose while he was looking for work and it led to another sack. I can't say 100% they were both him but I watched both plays 5 times each and it sure looked like they were his fault. He had a positively graded run block and one other pressure but those two plays were rough ones. He's been damn good as a rookie though and he only lost one rep the entire game when he was in the right spot.
RT - Billy Turner 54
Turner gave up that half sack that I'm pretty sure was Newman's, so I'm going to give him 1/4 of a sack on that one, and he gave up another pressure on a pass rush loss. He struggled to contain Khalil Mack over there against the run but did have a plus run block that led to a long gain on the Dillon cutback. He handled himself pretty well considering he was going against one of the best in the NFL over there.
DL - Kenny Clark 74
Kenny Clark is one of the best players in the NFL and he showed it again in this one. He finished the game with two sacks, two other pressures, and three tackles. Yes he got beat early in the game on a long Herbert run as he was pushed inside, but it looked like he may have gotten hurt on the play. His run defense in this one wasn't up to his usual standards but his impact was definitely felt
DL - Dean Lowry 69
Lowry is one of my favorite unheralded players in this league. He was really good again in this game with a sack, a pressure on a win, and two other plus graded plays. He finished with 5 tackles as well. At times he got washed with the Bears inside zone attack so his grade didn't get quite as high as it could, but he is clearly a talented guy who seems to make a handful of nice plays each week.
DL - Kingsley Keke 46
Yes he had three tackles but he has to be someone who can help this team stop the run and he wasn't today. The Packers probably have to look for someone else to come in here and help them stop the run as it could end up being their achilles heel. Keke got pushed around in this one in the run game by a very poor Bears O Line.
EDGE - Rashan Gary 60
PFF says Gary had 4 pressures in this game but Fields flat out ran into two of those and one of the other ones was a designed rollout to his side. He had a nice stack play against the run and did have another pressure in the game that led to an incompletion. He's quietly playing pretty well for Green Bay.
EDGE - Jonathan Garvin 62
Garvin had to play for Preston Smith and responded with a couple nice plays. He got a sack when Fields hung onto the ball too much and for some reason didn't throw it away and added another pressure later in the game. The worry here would be that Preston Smith has been playing great football and if he's out, it could spell trouble for the Packers.
LB - De'Vondre Campbell 64
Solid if boring game for Campbell who had 6 tackles and was quiet. He didnt play the run as well as he has the past few weeks but didn't give much up other than a short gain to Kmet where he got bulldozed over. He's been playing great for the Packers and was pretty good in this one.
LB - Jaylon Smith 44
Not a great start for Smith. He struggled against the run, and literally had zero tackles in 17 snaps and missed two tackles including an open one in space. He did get a pressure but this was a poor first outing.
LB - Burks & Barnes
The Packers better hope that Smith plays better cuz they are weak at the other linebacker spot opposite Campbell. It surprises me they didn't look for Benardrick McKinney as he could have been the other run stuffer in that unit.
S - Adrian Amos 65
Amos hasn't been as good this season as he was last but he was steady as can be in this one, earning 3 plus grades and looking more active. He was a bit late on a pass along the sideline into the cover 2 beater but other than that looked solid although he did miss a tackle that led to a first down.
S - Darnell Savage 68
Savage got beaten for a 15 yard gain on the first drive of the game and then responded with a pick before he got knocked out with a concussion.
S - Henry Black 58
Black wasn't bad in this game but he's not Darnell Savage as he did give up two back to back completions on the Bears second scoring drive as he got too deep into his zone and wasn't in a lurk position despite clearly having help behind him. They totaled 33 yards, he did force an incompletion as well though and generally was okay back there.
CB - Eric Stokes 66
Stokes gave up two completions for 20 yards into his coverage and forced an incompletion. The Packers found a partner for Jaire Alexander it sure looks like. He'll give up some stuff and his technique is still growing but he's been playing overall pretty darn well and had another good performance in this one.
CB - Chandon Sullivan 68
Sullivan was damn good in this game as he gave up one catch for 5 yards and forced two incompletions. Big game for him to step up and he covered well.
CB - Isaac Yiadom 30
I don't usually put people who only play 9 snaps on this report but Yiadom gave up a 19 yard completion on a 3rd down, and then got called for a 35 yard pass interference penalty in the endzone getting him benched after the first drive.
CB - Rasul Douglas 55
Dougles is going to work his ass off and battle out there and he did that in this one. He got put into a tough position and was challenged throughout the game but hung in there. A personal foul was a big negative for the grade and he gave up two other catches and missed a tackle, but he also forced an incompletion and was a huge step up immediately from Yiadom. His physicality is obvious as he also ended with 5 tackles in the game.
INDIANAPOLIS VS HOUSTON (INDY WINS A LOT TO A LITTLE)
INDY
QB - Carson Wentz 75
Wentz was at his best in this one, finding the open players, controlling the tempo and the game and despite throwing the football only 20 times he put up 223 yards, for over 11 yards per attempt. Typically over 8 is a nice game. He tossed two long touchdown passes, and ended up with 5 big time throws against only one bad play. Wentz wasn't asked to do too much here but played a rock solid game and made the big plays when they were there.
RB - Jonathan Taylor 84
At some point the Colts are going to just give in and give this dude 25 touches. They didn't need to in this one though as Taylor rumbled for an incredible 10 yards per carry including an 80 plus yard scamper and two touchdowns. The only blemish on the card for Taylor was a dropped pass on a short checkdown that was dead into the sun. His 145 yards on 14 carries showcased the kind of impact he can have, his speed and size combination is rare.
RB - Nyheim Hines 55
I keep waiting for Indy to start utilizing Hines like they used to but it just doesn't seem to be happening. He was okay in this one but just hasn't been getting the opportunities that you would expect. Hines only had a combined 4 rushes and targets in the game.
TE - Mo Alie Cox 60
Cox played 50% of the snaps in this game and did come down with a nice 28 yard touchdown grab along the sideline. Other than that he was super quiet other than getting smoked and allowing a sack on a one one one situation with Jonathan Greenard. 1 catch on three targets and a sack allowed, not a great game typically but for impact, a 28 yard touchdown kind of trumps all.
TE - Jack Doyle 54
Doyle didn't have a catch in this one but is a really good run blocke rand did a solid job pushing piles in this one as he typically does. Still a ton of snaps and no box score stats is troubling. He gets a below average, but not poor grade.
WR - TY Hilton 68
Hilton only had four catches for 80 yards but if you watched the game you saw him simply light up Houston. He owns that team and looked rock solid again from the outset, taking an easy pitch and catch and breaking a tackle for a first down. He was targeted 4 times and averaged 20 yards per target, he was super efficient and controlled the air space in this one against the Texans.
WR - Zach Pascal 48
Pascal is a quietly solid player but against a ghastly Houston defense to play almost every snap and not have a catch and only one target is not a good stat line.
WR - Michael Pittman 53
Only two catches for 35 yards isn't great, but again the Colts didn't need to throw much in this one. Campbell had a low impact in the game but he's looking the part and by year 3 will likely be the obvious WR1 in Indy.
WR - Parris Campbell INC INJURED
Gahhhhh it's awful this dude keeps getting hurt because his upside is just insane. He showed it in this one where he just simply ran by EVERYONE for a long TD. I want to see what he can actually do when healthy.
LT - Eric Fisher 65
Fisher had his share of bad plays in this one including two false starts, and had a pressure allowed that led directly to an incompletion. He also had two big time run blocks that led to big gains and was a big part of the long Taylor TD run. Fisher is a solid dependable player.
LG - Mark Glowisnki 68
Glowinski and the entire Colts line really was pretty outstanding in this one, but he had zero pressures given up directly againts him and had 3 positive graded plays. He had two big run blocks as well.
C - Ryan Kelly 72
Kelly is a superb player and was very god in this one as well, giving up zero sacks and very little push or pressure. He got movement in the run game and quite honestly just played solid football.
RG - Chris Reed 66
Reed is someone I didn't know much about and he did allow a pretty obvious pressure in this one, but other than that was good in the run game and held up fairly well in the pass game. The team is much better with Nelson obviously, but Reed held his own in this one.
RT - Matt Pryor 62
Pryor isn't going to wow you over there but he did more than enough in this one. He allowed a pressure or two but no sacks directly tied to him and he battled. He handled Jacob Martin mostly with power and it looked pretty easy for him. He's not a tremendous over the top player but he was pretty good in this game and as a swing tackle that's all you can hope for.
DT - Deforest Buckner 70
Turns out Buckner is pretty good at football. He had a sack in this one and a pressure that led directly to a throwaway and he looked solid against the run. The Texans rarely went into a pure drop back passing situation and when they did Buckner was good at pushing the pocket.
DT - Ty'quan Lewis 57
Lewis was okay in this one occsassionally getting some stacks and making a couple of tackles but he wasn't great. Houston was playing with 3 backup linemen and one of the worst interior run blocking lines in the NFL and still managed to put up 125 on the ground. Lewis was just okay here.
DE - Al'quadin Muhammad 64
Quietly this guy is a pretty good football player. He had at least two pressures that I remember and played pretty tough against the run, collecting four tackles. He flashes on tape pretty consistently and looked good, particularly early in this one.
DE - Kwity Paye 57
Paye had a couple of good pas srushes including one real quick win that led to a throwaway. He was quiet other than that though and was ineffective for the most part against the run, only tallying one tackle in more than half the snaps.
DT - Grover Stewart 68
He played a really solid game and was by far the Colts best linemen against the run. He had 7 tackles with most of them right around the line of scrimmage. I had him for one really good pocket push that forced a bad throw as well and while it might not go down as a pressure it was impactful. He didn't have any sacks but 7 tackles for a DT is impressive any way you slice it.
LB - Bobby Okereke 71
Okereke is a good player and looked really solid in this game as well. The dude is just consistently around the football and he doesn't miss often, collecting 14 tackles in this one.He finished with two plus graded plays and while he did allow two catches for 26 yards, he was overall a plus graded player.
LB - Darius Leonard 82
My lord what a player. I had him for 7 plus graded plays in one game, including an interception (maybe the easiest one he'll ever get), a forced fumble, a pressure that led to a throwaway and he also ended up with 7 tackles. He allowed some very short catches but for virtually zero gain. He's one of the best in the NFL.
SS - Khari Willis 75
Not sure what this guy has to do to get more respect on his name but I think he could be in the conversation to be one of the top 10-15 safeties in the NFL. Maybe I'm insane, or whatever, but every single time I put the tape on, Willis is making plays. He recovered a fumble, got a sack, picked up 9 tackles and gave up virtually nothing in the passing game of substance. At some point people are going to understand how good he is, and if I were an NFL GM and this guy got to free agency he would be among my top 5 targets.
S - Julian Blackmon 66
Blackmon flashes every game and he did it again in this one. He made a splash tackle for loss on what was an outstanding play and ALMOST forced another fumble. He had 5 tackles and played high quality football as Houston wouldn't even attempt a throw deep into his area.
CB - Kenny Moore 66
Moore is a really good player. He's perfect for this system and fiesty. He gets targeted a lot but he makes more plays than he misses as in thi sone I had him for 2 forced incompletions into his coverage and despite giving up a half dozen or more catches, the longest one he gave up was 13 yards on a 3rd down. He plays that C2 zone as well as you can and he'll give up short ones, but it's a problem trying to get a deep route completed on him with regularity. He's also a top tier tackler for the position, as he ended up with 10 in this game and one for loss.
CB - Xavier Rhodes 68
Rhodes gave up a little bit here and there in this game but nothing too deep down the field and did force an incompletion. He gave up I had him for 38 yards and two first down conversions on third down but nothing of any real substance.
CB - Roc Ya-Sin 56
He was okay but he's clearly not as good as the other two DB's. He gave up a few catches and seems to lack the quick twitch and fire mentality of the other two corners. I had him for four catches given up in a little over half the snaps.
CB - Isaiah Rogers 66
He gets a higher impact grade because he ended up with an interception and also had a PBU. While he only played about a third of the snaps he was targeted often only giving up 2 catches for 14 total yards. He looks like the guy who should be getting more snaps than Ya Sin. His impact grade would have been light years ahead if he had played more snaps.
HOUSTON -
QB - Davis Mills 45
I know people might think this grade is way too high for Mills considering the team only put up three points but honestly he played a pretty decent football game when you take everything into consideration. The team was down 3 linemen, including by far their two best players. That said he completed 29 of 43 passes and delivered numerous strikes on third down and the guy throws darts out there. The first pick he threw to Leonard was awful, just didn't see him lurking underneath, and the second one was when the game was obviously already in hand and he tried to squeeze a ball into the Cover 2 Hole along the sideline and just underthrew it a bit trying to make a play. The Texans didn't give him an opportunity to throw it deep down field at all in this game. They have to figure out how to dial up some max protect deep balls because this team isn't talented enough to drive it up and down the field. A lack of offensive line play and some mediocre play calling that is designed more to protect Mills than let him play was more to blame here. He looks like there is enough to build around that he could develop into a low end starter in the NFL. He made a couple of really nice plays and showed above average pocket awareness on a couple of occasions. It wasn't great by any stretch at all, but the team didn't do him many favors.
RB - Mark Ingram 68
Ingram played his best game as a Texan on Sunday and broke a couple of tackles, earning 4 plus graded plays in the game. He only had one negative play when he cut inside for a 3 yard gain when it sure looked like Heck had opened up a lane on the right side for what could have been a much bigger gain. He looked solid in this one though and the line in front of him did a pretty good job opening up holes all things considered Ingram ended with 81 yards from scrimmage.
RB - David Johnson 30
On the other end of the running back spectrum is David Johnson who is clearly the most talented of the Houston runners but had a rough outing in this one. He had a beautiful angle route catch that should be a staple of what Houston does, but they don't run the play enough. He had only two other carries including losing a fumble and NEARLY having another fumble on a dropped pass. On top of that he also missed a block that led to a sack. He played 32 snaps and 31 of them were not good. For impact score he had a really negative game for Houston.
TE - Anthony Auclair 48
He just is a replacement level player that Houston is relying on for some reason. The Texans need to upgrade at the tight end position is critical for any quarterback development or improvements in the run game. He wasn't a liability blocking which is his main role but he's rarely a factor.
TE - Pharaoh Brown 50
Brown had a false start but also made a key block in this game and caught a couple short passes. I had some hopes for him to flash but he's another player Houston needs to get improvement out of soon.
TE - Jordan Akins 63
Akins is really good with the ball in his hands and Houston is starting to figure that out. He had a hold in this game on a rough block but had four catches and almost twenty yards after catch in this game. If he gets an option to catch a ball in the flat he gets upfield quickly and breaks through arm tackles well. I think he's someone who could be a decent piece to this offense moving forward.
WR - Brandin Cooks 68
Cooks is just a damn good player. People think he's just a deep guy because of his blazing speed but he is a complete receiver and in this one with the short passing game clearly the team's primary MO Cooks made first down chain moving plays over and over again. He IS the Texans offense, which is why there is ZERO reason to consider trading him in my opinion. He's arguably your best player right now, and you just can't deal him. Another game, another 9 catches for 89 yards for someone who should be in the top 10 WR in the NFL category and as one of the game's most consistent players.
WR - Nico Collins 64
Collins can play. I think the Texans found a good WR2 or WR3 in this draft as Collins impact coming back from injury was pretty obvious. His H/W/S is evident on tape. He had four catches for 44 yards and sure looks like he could end up being a quality WR in the NFL. In a year where the Texans look like they're clearly headed for a top 5 pick, they may have found a piece to their future in Collins.
WR - Chris Moore 52
Moore should stay up on the active roster for the remainder of the season. He has some juice after the catch, and is clearly someone who can take the top off the defense. He was super quiet in this one, Houston electing to use him on screens and bubbles. He was ineffective and didn't force enough YAC and missed tackles.
WR - Chris Conley 46
The team likes Conley, and I do too. That said, if they aren't going to throw the ball deep down the field he isn't going to be a factor. One catch for 10 yards on 32 snaps is rough.
LT - Geron Christian 69
Christian was pretty damn good in this game and didn't have a pass rush loss that was clear on tape. He also had a nice run block and earned a plus two overall grade. For someone who likely wasn't in the Texans plans, he actually probably played better than Tunsil has this year.
LG - Tytus Howard 63
Howard had some troubles in this one, giving up a sack to Deforrest Buckner. He hasn't been great this year but he's honestly probably been the best of the three interior linemen. Considering the position switch there's some optimism here. I had him for two plus graded run blocks and the sack to a tremendous player in Buckner. He was pretty good in this game, with just that one serious blip on the radar.
C - Justin McCray 68
So kind of a weird game here for McCray but he was better than Justin Britt has been for the Texans. He had two serious pass block losses in this one and gave up a run stuff but he also had 5 plus graded run blocks and looked like he was arguably the Texans best interior run blocker in this game. The pass rush losses were a bit rough but he looked to be an upgrade over Britt.
RG - Max Scharping 54
A tough one here for Scharping again as he wasn't awful and held up okay overall, but did give up two psas rush losses and four run losses in the game, which unfortunately is a typical Scharping game. On the positive note hedid have two plus graded run plays and didn't allow a sack (although he WOULD have allowed one if Buckner hadn't beaten him there). He wasn't a liability though and if he can be that it's a big sigh of relief for Houston.
RT - Charlie Heck 52
Heck wasn't as good in this one as he has been the past couple of times he's been out there but he also wasn't awful. Despite giving up three pressures and having two run block losses he didn't give up a sack and had a couple of nice run blocks including one great one that Ingram missed the cut on. He's not a top tier player out there but Cannon and Tunsil injuries are allowing the Texans to work on their long term depth and they have to be pleased so far in how the backup tackles have played, combined it was a pretty good effort.
The Texans only gave up two sacks and 5 legit QB hits in the game. I had them for really only 6 pass rush losses for the entire afternoon. The second sack given up was a blitz where David Johnson failed to pick up Willis. They were above average in the running game too. They lose their supposedly three best linemen and have a really quality game. It wasn't dominating or anything but they looked like a decent unit. The game script was the main culprit to the team not scoring points.
DT - Maliek Collins 54
Collins has been the Texans best interior player and it wouldn't shock me to see some team looking for DL depth to throw the Texans a late round pick for him, he's probably worth the pickup. Collins was relatively quiet in this game though, although he did have a QB hit on a pass rush win. He's had some quick wins in the pass and run game this year and wins about 3 good reps per week.
DE - Jordan Jenkins 50
Jenkins was quiet again for Houston in this game. He only had one tackle and two delayed "pressures" that I didn't count either as an actual pass rush win. They want to get him more PT and with the release of Mercilus he'll likely get more, but he has to produce at a higher level when he's out there. He had 22 snaps and just one tackle and two delayed pressurs... not high productivity.
DE - Jacob Martin 48
Martin had no stats in this game and honestly it was the first time where I watched him and thought he didn't have some juice. He usually gets one or two nice plays in a game where he flashes but in this one he was far too far from the quarterback too often. He got an assisted pressure that helped Greenard get a coverage sack in this one but this was a below average performance from a guy who typically has a couple nice plays.
DE - Demarcus Walker 53
Walker had a couple of nice plays including a pressure and a tackle for loss but wasn't overly effective. Felt like he had quite a few pass rushes from inside and that's probably not his best role.
DE - Jonathan Greenard 74
Greenard is Houston's best defensive player and he's definitely a building block at this point. Greenard had two more sacks in this game, including a massive pass rush win where inexplicably they tried to block him with a tight end. The only thing holding Greenard back is lack of snaps. Cutting Mercilus was a big time decision because this guy needs to get 75% or more of the plays. He also had another pressure and three plus graded run plays during the game for a crazy plus 8 grade. His impact score if he had played 75-80% of the snaps would have been in the upper 80s. Turns out he's a stud.
DT - Roy Lopez 50
He's played some decent ball but he didn't play well in this one, no pressures and no tackles on 20+ snaps is problematic.
LB - Christian Kirksey 53
He only had four tackles despite playing every snap, and while they didn't give up much in coverage, there were only 22 passing plays in the entire game. I had him for a plus three grade but his lack of impact seemed pretty telling considering how efficient Indy was.
LB - Kamu Grugier-Hill 55
KGH is a good fit for this defense and played a decent game in this one. He has been a bit up and down this year but he was solid in this game with a plus two overall grade with 3 ups and one down. He led the team with 7 tackles and didn't give up much in the passing game. Again lack of impact though lowers his score.
LB - Zach Cunningham 63
His score isn't low because of his play, as he actually looked like a good player in this game. Houston just clearly has fallen out of favor with him and it's likely despite cap ramifications he's either going to get released or traded before the deadline. It makes absolutely no sense to me though. On 14 snaps only, he had four tackles, a TFL and a PBU in this game. He's by far their best player at the position, he could really add something to a contender looking to improve at the second level. On 14 snaps though his impact grade is lower than most.
S - Terrance Brooks 36
Brooks only played 11 snaps but why he was playing instead of Lonnie Johnson was insanity to me. He gave up a long touchdown of 50+ yards and also gave up an easy double digit yard completion before he was injured. Him playing instead of Johnson is bizarre.
S - Lonnie Johnson 48
Johnson wasn't a ton better than Brooks but he's a clear upgrade. He had 5 tackles and offers the team some versatility on the back end. Sounds like Houston is entertaining trade offers for him too but he has been pretty valuable so far. In this one he gave up a 28 yard completion though and looked delayed on a lot of his queues.
S - Justin Reid 50
Reid is one of Houston's best players and he did manage to make some plays in this game, getting credited with two PBU's by me. He also took a terrible angle on Taylor's 80 yard run and missed a tackle around the line of scrimmage that led to a double digit yard run. His angles in this weren't as good as usual either and it led to bigger passing lanes.
DB - Tavierre Thomas 70
The Texans DB's didn't look great in this game but Thomas is showing some improvement week to week. He had 6 tackles and I only had him for one catch given up short of the sticks for the entire game which for him was 34 snaps. That's a good contest.
CB - Terrance Mitchell 56
Mitchell has quietly been solid for Houston this season. However, in this one he gave up three first downs as he had a bit of trouble covering TY Hilton and company. It wasn't an awful game, but not his best either, overall though he's been a clear positive for Houston.
CB - Vernon Hargreaves 66
Hargreaves was pretty good in this game. I think the zone system is going to help him a bit. He got a forced incompletion and I didn't have him give up a single big play in the game, again Houston was only targetted 22 times and 2 times there was a sack so not a lot of opportunities but he was a clear upgrade over Desmond King.
CB - Desmond King 35
King played 8 snaps on the outside and promptly gave up a 28 yard touchdown to Cox. Why Houston insists on playing him on the outside is beyond me, he's not good in that role and has been abused while out there. The Houston corners actually played pretty solidly in this game, but King and the safeties were the main culprits on why the defense lost this game.
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