- Messages
- 79,278
- Reaction score
- 45,634
Tait deserves more praise
By KC Joyner
ESPN Insider
(Archive)
Updated: July 18, 2007
Pass-blocking is the latest subject in the series identifying the most overrated and underrated players in the NFL. The primary metric I use in grading pass-blockers is sacks allowed. The total number of sacks allowed is important, but I also place a lot of weight on the types of sacks the pass blocker is allowing. Coverage sacks are not as harmful to the player's grade as individual effort or blown block sacks.
In addition to sacks allowed, I also track the number of holding penalties called against an offensive lineman. Holding penalties are not quite as costly as sacks, as the offense loses the yardage but still gets to replay the down, but their negative value cannot be ignored.
As usual, the overrated and underrated rankings are based on how each player's 2006 metrics compare with his reputation. Pro Bowl berths are given a lot of weight in determining the perception of a player. The list is made up solely of tackles because the reputation of guards and centers is driven more by their run-blocking skills than pass-blocking.
Overrated pass-blockers
Walter Jones
Jones is widely regarded as the greatest pass-blocking left tackle in the league, but he gave up eight sacks last year -- the highest sack total allowed by any of the nine tackles either voted into the Pro Bowl or chosen as injury replacements. Jones also allowed one offensive holding penalty as well. He is still one of the better offensive linemen in the NFL, but his 2006 performance was well below his typical standard.
Flozell Adams
Adams was chosen as an injury replacement for the Pro Bowl, but his metrics were also mediocre. Adams allowed seven sacks, including four individual effort sacks. Adams also was called for one offensive holding penalty, and a crackback block penalty as well.
Others:
D'Brickashaw Ferguson: Ferguson might not be thought of as a great pass-blocker, but his metrics indicate he might not even be a good one right now. Ferguson allowed 11 sacks and had one holding penalty called on him. Given that five of the sacks were allowed during the Jets' last four games, Ferguson also wasn't showing much progress in this area.
Bryant McKinnie: McKinnie allowed six sacks. He also had five penalties called against him (four offensive holding and one tripping).
Underrated pass-blockers
Jason Peters
Peters is the most underrated offensive lineman in the league. He allowed only 1.5 sacks last season, and none were individual effort sacks. Peters also had zero offensive holding penalties called on him. The Bills thought so much of his play at right tackle last year, they moved Peters to left tackle in Week 9. If Peters plays as well in a full season at left tackle as he did in the last half of 2006, he will be a strong Pro Bowl candidate this year.
John Tait
Olin Kreutz gets the most press of any Bears' lineman, but Tait deserves some praise as well. He allowed only three sacks and had zero penalties called on him in 14 games last year. Tait's performance was especially good when you consider the verticality of the Bears' passing game. Chicago quarterbacks threw 82 deep/bomb passes in 2006, the fifth-highest total of any team in the league.
Others:
William Thomas: Thomas allowed only two total sacks and had zero penalties called on him in 16 starts last year. Philadelphia quarterbacks threw 79 deep/bomb passes, so Thomas was put through the pass-blocking fires and came through nearly unscathed.
Chad Clifton: Clifton allowed merely 2.5 sacks in his 15 starts last year. Only one was an individual effort sack. He also was called for just one offensive holding penalty. Green Bay quarterbacks threw 92 deep/bomb passes, so Clifton's pass-blocking skills were certainly tested quite frequently.
July 18 Glossary
Coverage sack: A sack that occurs in the pocket, three seconds or more after the snap.
Individual effort sack: This is a sack when a defender beats an offensive blocker in a one-on-one blocking situation.
Depth level: A measurement of how far downfield a receiver was on a pass attempt. It is measured from the point at which the receiver touched the ball. Short passes are 1-10 yards downfield, medium 11-19, deep 20-29 and bombs are 30+ yards downfield.
KC Joyner, aka The Football Scientist, is a regular contributor to ESPN Insider. His core passing metrics can be found in the ESPN Fantasy Football Magazine, which hits newsstands on June 19. A free sample of his latest release ("Scientific Football 2007") is available at his Web site.
By KC Joyner
ESPN Insider
(Archive)
Updated: July 18, 2007
Pass-blocking is the latest subject in the series identifying the most overrated and underrated players in the NFL. The primary metric I use in grading pass-blockers is sacks allowed. The total number of sacks allowed is important, but I also place a lot of weight on the types of sacks the pass blocker is allowing. Coverage sacks are not as harmful to the player's grade as individual effort or blown block sacks.
In addition to sacks allowed, I also track the number of holding penalties called against an offensive lineman. Holding penalties are not quite as costly as sacks, as the offense loses the yardage but still gets to replay the down, but their negative value cannot be ignored.
As usual, the overrated and underrated rankings are based on how each player's 2006 metrics compare with his reputation. Pro Bowl berths are given a lot of weight in determining the perception of a player. The list is made up solely of tackles because the reputation of guards and centers is driven more by their run-blocking skills than pass-blocking.
Overrated pass-blockers
Walter Jones
Jones is widely regarded as the greatest pass-blocking left tackle in the league, but he gave up eight sacks last year -- the highest sack total allowed by any of the nine tackles either voted into the Pro Bowl or chosen as injury replacements. Jones also allowed one offensive holding penalty as well. He is still one of the better offensive linemen in the NFL, but his 2006 performance was well below his typical standard.
Flozell Adams
Adams was chosen as an injury replacement for the Pro Bowl, but his metrics were also mediocre. Adams allowed seven sacks, including four individual effort sacks. Adams also was called for one offensive holding penalty, and a crackback block penalty as well.
Others:
D'Brickashaw Ferguson: Ferguson might not be thought of as a great pass-blocker, but his metrics indicate he might not even be a good one right now. Ferguson allowed 11 sacks and had one holding penalty called on him. Given that five of the sacks were allowed during the Jets' last four games, Ferguson also wasn't showing much progress in this area.
Bryant McKinnie: McKinnie allowed six sacks. He also had five penalties called against him (four offensive holding and one tripping).
Underrated pass-blockers
Jason Peters
Peters is the most underrated offensive lineman in the league. He allowed only 1.5 sacks last season, and none were individual effort sacks. Peters also had zero offensive holding penalties called on him. The Bills thought so much of his play at right tackle last year, they moved Peters to left tackle in Week 9. If Peters plays as well in a full season at left tackle as he did in the last half of 2006, he will be a strong Pro Bowl candidate this year.
John Tait
Olin Kreutz gets the most press of any Bears' lineman, but Tait deserves some praise as well. He allowed only three sacks and had zero penalties called on him in 14 games last year. Tait's performance was especially good when you consider the verticality of the Bears' passing game. Chicago quarterbacks threw 82 deep/bomb passes in 2006, the fifth-highest total of any team in the league.
Others:
William Thomas: Thomas allowed only two total sacks and had zero penalties called on him in 16 starts last year. Philadelphia quarterbacks threw 79 deep/bomb passes, so Thomas was put through the pass-blocking fires and came through nearly unscathed.
Chad Clifton: Clifton allowed merely 2.5 sacks in his 15 starts last year. Only one was an individual effort sack. He also was called for just one offensive holding penalty. Green Bay quarterbacks threw 92 deep/bomb passes, so Clifton's pass-blocking skills were certainly tested quite frequently.
July 18 Glossary
Coverage sack: A sack that occurs in the pocket, three seconds or more after the snap.
Individual effort sack: This is a sack when a defender beats an offensive blocker in a one-on-one blocking situation.
Depth level: A measurement of how far downfield a receiver was on a pass attempt. It is measured from the point at which the receiver touched the ball. Short passes are 1-10 yards downfield, medium 11-19, deep 20-29 and bombs are 30+ yards downfield.
KC Joyner, aka The Football Scientist, is a regular contributor to ESPN Insider. His core passing metrics can be found in the ESPN Fantasy Football Magazine, which hits newsstands on June 19. A free sample of his latest release ("Scientific Football 2007") is available at his Web site.
