Pro Football Focus grades after 2 games

[408Cowboy]

Who's the number 1 DB and how are there that many ahead of Chidobe?

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Find me 17 DEs playing better than D-Law right now. It'd be tough for me to find 5.

Keep in mind there is very little separating many of these players at this point. As of now Lawrence is graded at 74.2. The 12th rated edge-rusher is rated at 77.5 and the 30th rated edge rusher is rated at 70.2. Not a wide range.

Also I used PFF's terminology– Edge rusher.

This isn't just about DE's, it's also about OLB in the 3-4.

Finally the PFF ratings are derived from every play– not just the sacks and pressures so take that into consideration.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Some people take the term "running back", too literally.

That's it exactly.

PFF isn't just grading on the plays where the back gets a hand off and runs the ball... They're grading every snap.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Who's the number 1 DB and how are there that many ahead of Chidobe?

Dunbar of the Commanders.

Keep in mind the CB's grades are very much bunched together at this point.

 

[Sydla]

That's it exactly.

PFF isn't just grading on the plays where the back gets a hand off and runs the ball... They're grading every snap.

And in that, they are supposed to account for things out of the running back's control - OL blocking for example.

PFF is an interesting idea/concept and has some value. But there is no real consistency in their gradings and often times, the bonafides of those grading these players is questionable.

 

[Roadtrip635]

Who's the number 1 DB and how are there that many ahead of Chidobe?

There's already quite a few DBs with a couple pics and several pass defensed already. It also helps that some QBs like Stafford that 1st week were passing out INTs like Halloween candy. The Browns rookie DB, Ward looks real good so far.

 

[Rockport]

Worthless information.

 

[Roadtrip635]

And in that, they are supposed to account for things out of the running back's control - OL blocking for example.

PFF is an interesting idea/concept and has some value. But there is no real consistency in their gradings and often times, the bonafides of those grading these players is questionable.

Any type of real grading system is going to be tough and imperfect. Fans always look at them through homer glasses and most fans aren't looking at all the other players and games. The overall better player doesn't always grade out higher, especially in limited sample sizes, partly because of level of competition. Weather was bad on the east coast the 1st week, which limited some offensive production, teams like the Dolphins faced a backup QB most of their 1st game and a rookie QB their 2nd game. The grades are far from perfect, but they are grading from what happened in that particular game and not potential for future ability and only graded on their use, some with low use may grade higher. The grades still won't be perfect, but should settle out more with more games played. Zeke isn't that bad a RB, but yeah there were many other RBs that have performed better in the 1st 2 weeks.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Any type of real grading system is going to be tough and imperfect. Fans always look at them through homer glasses and most fans aren't looking at all the other players and games. The overall better player doesn't always grade out higher, especially in limited sample sizes, partly because of level of competition. Weather was bad on the east coast the 1st week, which limited some offensive production, teams like the Dolphins faced a backup QB most of their 1st game and a rookie QB their 2nd game. The grades are far from perfect, but they are grading from what happened in that particular game and not potential for future ability and only graded on their use, some with low use may grade higher. The grades still won't be perfect, but should settle out more with more games played. Zeke isn't that bad a RB, but yeah there were many other RBs that have performed better in the 1st 2 weeks.

That's exactly right.

 

[Sydla]

Any type of real grading system is going to be tough and imperfect. Fans always look at them through homer glasses and most fans aren't looking at all the other players and games. The overall better player doesn't always grade out higher, especially in limited sample sizes, partly because of level of competition. Weather was bad on the east coast the 1st week, which limited some offensive production, teams like the Dolphins faced a backup QB most of their 1st game and a rookie QB their 2nd game. The grades are far from perfect, but they are grading from what happened in that particular game and not potential for future ability and only graded on their use, some with low use may grade higher. The grades still won't be perfect, but should settle out more with more games played. Zeke isn't that bad a RB, but yeah there were many other RBs that have performed better in the 1st 2 weeks.

All true but there have also been examples pointed out where PFF has gotten something way wrong.

It's why I don't put a ton of value in their ratings and grades. Interesting? Sure. I'll read what they have to say from time to time, etc. But having real value? Not really IMO.

 

[Roadtrip635]

All true but there have also been examples pointed out where PFF has gotten something way wrong.

It's why I don't put a ton of value in their ratings and grades. Interesting? Sure. I'll read what they have to say from time to time, etc. But having real value? Not really IMO.

For sure, it's far from perfect, but it does have some value in certain situations. Like they explain on their sight, people tend to remember the very good or very bad and can make it hard to be objective. People, especially any one teams fans can be overly critical or praising over one play and overlook the rest of a performance. It's lived out on this board daily. Dak's miss to Rico will be remembered by some for years and use that to discredit him regardless of how he does from here on out. Romo's botched hold, remains forever proof that he was a choker, regardless of what he did over his career, by many and the number of come back wins he had over his career. Those grades while imperfect, do tend to show people that, objectively many players are much closer in their actual performance than they want to believe.

 

[DFWJC]

It's been a weird start to the season. The passing leader is FitzMagic and the leading rusher is Brieda and leading WR is DJax. Not many people would have picked those 3 to be leading 2 weeks in.

The top 5 leading rushers are more who's that than who's who.

1. Brieda
2. Mixon
3. Lindsay
4. Miller
5. Conner

I hear you, but it's so early
right after them are Gurley and Elliott.

 

[xwalker]

Granted, I tend to look at PFF rankings with skepticism because there is no consistency in how they grade, who does the grading, etc. There was an article on a Colts site that analyzed what PFF said about Quenton Nelson and pointed out the mistakes PFF made in their grades (for example, they apparently knocked Nelson for giving up a pressure but it wasn't his fault, the OT screwed up).

Nevertheless, here are our current rankings after two games:

OT - Smith (#25 OT)
OG - Williams (#24 OG)
C - Looney (#27 C)
OG - Martin (#13 OG)
OT - Collins (#55 OT)
TE - Jarwin (#55 TE)
TE - Swaim (U/R)
TB - Elliott (#38 HB)
QB - Prescott (#22 QB)
WR - Beasley (#22 WR)
WR - Hurns (#69 WR)
WR - Austin (U/R)
WR - Gallup (#105 WR)
WR - Thompson (#21 WR)
WR - Williams (U/R)

DE - Lawrence (#18 ED)
DT - Crawford (#96 ID)
DT - Woods (#55 ID)
DE - Charlton (#28 ED)
SLB - Wilson (U/R)
MLB - Smith (#33 LB)
WLB - Lee (#53 LB)
LB - LVE (#12 LB)
CB - Jones (#2 CB)
CB - Awuzie (#42 CB)
CB - Brown (#14 CB)
FS - Heath (#64 S)
SS - Frazier (#54 S)

Some make sense. Some are laughable. That's all I have to say.

Grades are a great concept but the PFF implementation is a big Fail.

Why is Swaim U/R ? He has played more snaps than Jarwin.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Granted, I tend to look at PFF rankings with skepticism because there is no consistency in how they grade, who does the grading, etc. There was an article on a Colts site that analyzed what PFF said about Quenton Nelson and pointed out the mistakes PFF made in their grades (for example, they apparently knocked Nelson for giving up a pressure but it wasn't his fault, the OT screwed up).

Nevertheless, here are our current rankings after two games:

OT - Smith (#25 OT)
OG - Williams (#24 OG)
C - Looney (#27 C)
OG - Martin (#13 OG)
OT - Collins (#55 OT)
TE - Jarwin (#55 TE)
TE - Swaim (U/R)
TB - Elliott (#38 HB)
QB - Prescott (#22 QB)
WR - Beasley (#22 WR)
WR - Hurns (#69 WR)
WR - Austin (U/R)
WR - Gallup (#105 WR)
WR - Thompson (#21 WR)
WR - Williams (U/R)

DE - Lawrence (#18 ED)
DT - Crawford (#96 ID)
DT - Woods (#55 ID)
DE - Charlton (#28 ED)
SLB - Wilson (U/R)
MLB - Smith (#33 LB)
WLB - Lee (#53 LB)
LB - LVE (#12 LB)
CB - Jones (#2 CB)
CB - Awuzie (#42 CB)
CB - Brown (#14 CB)
FS - Heath (#64 S)
SS - Frazier (#54 S)

Some make sense. Some are laughable. That's all I have to say.

there is a lot of guess work in their analysis...take it with a grain of salt...probably a few grains...

 

[Roadtrip635]

I hear you, but it's so early
right after them are Gurley and Elliott.

That's the point, it's two games, so the grades are gonna look especially strange, eventually the cream rises to the top....... hopefully

 

[JW82]

That's usually the way with PFF. I've never bought into the hype about them..

Agreed. They can sell the heck out of their product that's for sure, but it has little to no value IMO. Stopped taking them seriously a few years back when we had the human Turnstile at guard, Nate Livings and PFF declared him, after the season...a Stud! LOL

 

[glimmerman]

Look out B. Jones in #2.

 

[ESisback]

These constant “rankings” mean very little. So predictable, because they’re designed to stimulate blog hit$. From the spitting, sputtering Jesse Jackson impersonation of Steven A. Smith, and the arrogant screaming of Horseface Shannon Sharpe (both big time Dallashaters), to the ridiculously wrong and obviously biased #26 ranking by the irrelevant idiots at USA Today, the most annoying thing to me is that so many people feel validated by this crap.

 

[T-RO]

Too early to be taking any rankings into consideration. One freak game by a player will boost their ranking only to see them fall back down to their usual levels.

LVE has played in what, 20-25 snaps?

Yeah, let’s see what the rankings are after 8 or 10 games.

 

[CWR]

It's far from silly when you consider that running backs can also catch the ball and get yardage. This ain't the 1950's 3yds and a cloud of dust days, good RBs should be running and catching the ball especially ones that are top 5 picks.

Thanks for clarifying this isnt the 50s. I get that Zeke hasnt had an impact receiving as well. Hopefully he will actually be afforded those opportunities. Regardless its early and by any means he will be much higher on that list by seasons end. At this point in the season the list is indeed limited and its quite obvious there are not 37 other rbs who have had a larger impact on their respective teams, which is why I find it a tad silly.