The NFL is back and so is the PFF Live Reaction Blog!
Our analysts have been working around the clock to get the week's games to you and here's where you'll get your first glimpse of the results.
All through the day we’ll be dropping PFF Premium-style nuggets designed to give you information you simply can’t get anywhere else. Naturally you won’t get all of the info you’d get from a Premium subscription, but you’ll still see:
• The highest-graded players from every game – any make it to the PFF Page of Fame?
• Unique Signature Stats that offer more context than any box score number ever could.
• Snap numbers including routes run, pressured passes, slot coverage, and more.
• Analysis with a PFF twist on all the breaking news.
So bookmark the page and check back every half hour to be in the know.
16.00: Lions at Cardinals Game Notes
– The three highest graded players were Dominic Raiola (+4.5), Ndamukong Suh (+3.9) and Reilly Reiff (+3.3).
– The three lowest graded players were Jim Dray (-4.0), Paul Fanaika (-3.3) and Dwight Bentley (-2.6).
– Big game for Ezekiel Ansah who made the most of his 53 snaps with a +2.8 grade. What's most impressive? Positive grades against the run and rushing the passer where he picked up two hits and a hurry.
– The Lions running backs took a step backwards. Reggie Bush broke three tackles on his 10 carries but had little room to work as he was, on average, met behind the line of scrimmage. Joique Bell (one missed tackle on eight carries) struggled as well but did average two yards per carry more than Bush.
– Don't let it be said Carson Palmer is afraid of throwing deep. 20 of his 38 aimed passes were thrown 10 yards or more.
15.30: Saints @ Bucs Game Notes
– The three highest graded players were Cameron Jordan (+5.1), Zach Strief (+3.7) and Lavonte David (+3.5)
– The three lowest graded players were Adrian Clayborn (-4.7) and Derek Landri, Da'Quan Bowers and Dashon Goldson (-2.4).
– That grade from Jordan pushed him to number two in our 3-4 defensive ends rankings and he seems to be the big benefactor of the Saints schematic switch on defense.
– Another solid outing from Darrelle Revis (+1.9) who featured on 71 of 74 defensive snaps. He was targeted five times, allowing three receptions but none for longer than 8 yards.
– On defense the Saints used 11 4-3 defensive fronts compared to 8 3-4 looks. Their primary nickel saw them have four down linemen, two linebackers and five defensive backs though they did use a dime defense on 10 occasions.
15.00: Jaguars @ Raiders Game Notes
– The three highest graded players were Mike Jenkins (+3.7), Khalif Barnes (+3.3) and Lamarr Houston (+3.0).
– The three lowest graded players were Lucas Nix (-5.1), Jordan Todman (-3.5) and Denarius Moore (-3.4).
– How did Terrelle Pryor fare this week? He may have completed 15-of-20 aimed passes (with three throwaways and one spike) but he completed just two passes over 10 yards in the air.
– The future isn't always better than the past. Former Jaguars tackles Barnes and Tony Pashos combined for a +5.6 grade. Eugene Monroe and Luke Joeckel were at -3.5.
– Denard Robinson managed just two snaps. 33 fewer than Todman who himself was woeful in pass protection.
14:30 Browns at Ravens Game Notes
-The three highest graded players were Elvis Dumervil (+5.2), Jabaal Sheard (+3.0), and Terrell Suggs (+2.9)
-The three lowest graded players are Oniel Cousins (-6.7), Ray Rice (-3.4), and Bryant McKinnie (-2.9)
–Joe Flacco completed 16-of-21 for 165 yards with a QB Rating of 114.2 in a clean pocket compared to 6-of-12 for 46 yards and a QB Rating of 59.7 while under pressure.
-The only Ravens offensive lineman to grade “in the green” was right guard Marshal Yanda at +0.9.
-Browns rookie Barkevious Mingo made his debut playing 30 total snaps. He notched a sack, hurry, and a batted pass on his 12 pass rushes to finish with a +2.4 grade in that department.
-Ravens rookie Matt Elam got the start at safety in place of Michael Huff, playing all 66 defensive snaps.
13.30: Cowboys @ Chiefs Game Notes
– The three highest graded players were Jason Hatcher (+3.6), Doug Free (+3.5) and Dez Bryant (+2.1)
– The three lowest graded players were Brandon Flowers (-3.8), Travis Federick (-3.2) and Bruce Carter (-2.6)
– The efficient Alex Smith completed 18 passes thrown under 10 yards in the air, and just three over 10 yards.
– Rookie first round pick Eric Fisher had a tough time of it. He gave up a sack, hit and three hurries on 44 pass blocks, was flagged for a penalty and earned a negative run block grade.
– The Cowboys offense utilized 23 three receiver sets, 33 12 personnel looks and six 21 personnel.
13.00 49ers @ Seahawks Game Notes
– The three highest grades went to Aldon Smith (+4.5), Cliff Avril (+3.7) and Michael Bennett (+3.7)
– The three lowest grades went to Mike Iupati (-6.3), Colin Kaepernick (-5.3) and Nnamdi Asomugha (-4.3)
– The tough day for Kaepnerick is really highlighted by how he performed when the Seahawks didn’t blitz him. There he earned a -5.4 grade and completed just 41.7% of his passes at 3.4 yards per attempt. When he was blitzed he completed 3-of-4 attempts and averaged 11.3 yards per attempt.
– Seattle debutant Avril played 28 snaps. From there he rushed the passer 21 times, registering a sack, batted pass and three hurries.
– A tough day for the 49ers receivers. Anquan Boldin ran 35 routes but was targeted only once, while Kyle Williams saw 33 routes and six targets. Preseason starter Marlon Moore picked up nine routes, which was one less than Quinton Patton.
12.30: Chargers @ Eagles Game Notes
– The three highest grades went to Philip Rivers (+5.2), Evan Mathis (+4.5) and LeSean McCoy (+4.5)
– The three lowest grades went to Mychael Kendricks (-6.5), Shareece Wright (-4.8) and both Cary Williams and Corey Liuget (-4.4).
– The quarterback rating for Rivers when throwing to Eddie Royal? 153.1 this week. Not far behind is the connection between Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson at 131.5.
– The Eagles base defense consisted of six 4-3 looks and 29 3-4 fronts. Their nickel was largely (29 occasions) a 3-3-5 with 12 instances of a 4-2-5 defense.
– Another solid effort from Dwight Freeney who picked up a hit and five hurries on 28 pass rushing snaps.
12.00: Titans @ Texans Game Notes
– The three highest grades went to Duane Brown (+5.5), Chris Myers (+4.7) and J.J. Watt (+4.7)
– The three lowest grades went to Moise Fokou (-4.8), Wade Smith (-4.4) and Andy Levitre (-3.1)
– The Texans blitzed on 40% of all of the Titans passing plays. Down from the 55.9% they managed in Week 1, but still above the league average of 32.8%.
– Jake Locker was 0-of-4 when throwing outside the left hash marks and deep. He completed just four passes all game longer over 10 yards in the air.
– Brian Cushing finished the game with 10 defensive stops as extra attention paid to J.J. Watt freed him up.
11.30: Vikings @ Bears Game Notes
Disclaimer: Much like you the loss of broadcast footage means we’ll be waiting on All 22 footage before finishing every player with the detail you’ve become accustomed to.
– The three highest grades went to Brian Robison and Lance Briggs (+3.6) and Brandon Fusco (+3.4)
– The three lowest grades went to Jermon Bushrod (-2.9) and Jordan Mills, Shea McClellin and Henry Melton (-2.4).
– Th Bears had only three receivers run routes in this game. Brandon Marshall averaged a team best 2.05 yards per route run, but both Alshon Jeffrey (0.28) and Earl Bennett (0.13) failed to make much of an impression.
– Adrian Peterson broke nine tackles (including one from a reception) as he broke the 100 mark for the first time this year.
– The Bears pressured Christian Ponder on 29.7% of his dropbacks. The outcome of these plays was a 30% completion percentage and a sack.
11.00: Panthers @ Bills Game Notes
– The three highest graded performances were by Star Lotulelei (+4.3), Cordy Glenn (+4.2), and Stevie Johnson and Kyle Williams (+3.6)
– The three lowest graded performances were by Colin Brown (-8.3), Byron Bell (-4.6) and Jon Beason (-3.6)
– A week after they went ultra conservative and attempted just six passes longer than 10 yards in the air, the Panthers this time threw 15 passes over the same distance. Unfortunately the accuracy wasn't quite there and they only completed six of these attempts.
– Five sack displays don't come along all that often, but Mario Williams delivered one. He also added a hit and five hurries as Byron Bell got taught a lesson by him. The only downside, and why his grade wasn't in the top three, was his work in the run game where outside of missing a tackle he drew a blank.
– The Bills laugh at the notion of “Receiver Rotation”. Their top three guys combined for 119 of the pass routes their receivers run. Chris Hogan filled in the blanks with two routes.
10.30: Flying In
And why you should get premium is because nine of the games from yesterday are already up. That's slowed the blog down for a bit but stay tuned for nuggets from them all.
10.00: PFF Premium – Be Good to Yourself
If you're like us and want more than just a few grades and numbers here and there, then there really is only one thing to do. Sign up today for a PFF Premium package for just $26.99 and you'll get access for a full 365 days. That gives you all the grades, all the snaps and all the stats in an easy to follow way. What are you waiting for?
09.30: Redskins @ Packers Game Notes
– The three highest graded players were Trent Williams (+6.1), T.J. Lang (+4.8) and Aaron Rodgers (+4.6)
– The three lowest graded players were David Amerson (-5.5), Bacarri Rambo (-4.0) and Clay Matthews (-3.0)
– Forget tackling yeah? It's bad enough that the Packers missed nine tackles which is never good, but Washington missed an astonishing 16. Players like Reed Doughty (5) and Josh Wilson (4) will not look forward to the dissection of this game.
– While Rodgers was ruthlessly efficient in throwing for 475 yards. it's worth noting that 280 of those yards came after the catch and the team only dropped one pass between them (a tricky one thrown behind Jordy Nelson). The receivers were on form.
– At least Robert Griffin III took a step forward in this game. He looks like he's getting back to something approaching his best but will be looking to test defenses more. He only attempted one pass over 20 yards and that wasn't completed.
09.00: Dolphins @ Colts Game Notes
– The three highest graded players were Brent Grimes (+4.9), Anthony Castonzo (+4.6) and Randy Starks (+4.4)
– The three lowest graded players were Olivier Vernon (-6.0) and Cameron Wake, Mike McGlynn and Samson Satele (-3.1).
– A tough day for Andrew Luck who could only complete 7-of-19 passes aimed over 10 yards in the air. His biggest struggles came when pressured however where he scored a 30.2 NFL quarterback rating.
– This is why you pay Mike Wallace. 9-of-11 balls thrown his way caught for 115 yards as he went to work on Greg Toler. He averaged 16.2 yards per catch on the five receptions he had in Toler's coverage.
– Rookie Dion Jordan got on the field folong enough to rush the passer five times and pick up a hit and hurry for his troubles.
08.30: Broncos @ Giants Game Notes
– The three highest graded players were Knowshon Moreno (+3.5), Peyton Manning (+2.7) and both Rahim Moore and Malik Jackson (+2.2).
– The three lowest graded players were Montee Ball (-2.9), Zane Beadles (-2.8) and Mathis Kiwanuka (-2.6).
– How are the Broncos fairing without Von Miller? The team ended the day with a -4.9 pass rushing grade, with Eli Manning facing pressure on a healthy 40% of dropbacks? Why the low grade then? They had to blitz 22 times to ensure they got pressure.
– On the subject of pressure the Giants didn't have much joy getting to Peyton Manning did they? He was pressured on just six of 43 dropbacks.
– Shaun Phillips came back down to earth after beating up on Ricky Wagner last week. 33 pass rushes and just the two hurries is more in keeping with the player we saw last year.
08.00: Rams @ Falcons Game Notes
– The three highest graded players in this game were Robert Quinn (+7.4), Jake Long (+3.7) and Harvey Dahl (+3.3).
– The lowest graded players in this game were Sam Baker (-4.8) and Malicah Goodman, Cortland Finnegan and Jared Cook (-3.3).
– Not one for those who like seeing deep bombs. The two quarterbacks combined to attempt just six passes beyond 20 yards in the air with just two of them complete.
– After getting killed with pressure last week the Falcons (52.4% of plays), it was a little better for Matt Ryan this week with only 31.1% of dropbacks resulting in pressure.
– How did the Rams weapons on offense do? Well as they chased the game Chris Givens led the team with 3.09 yards per route run. That was more than Tavon Austin (1), Austin Pettis (1.53) and Jared Cook (0.24). Back to Earth we come.
07.30 – Under way for the Day
And so it begins. After a frantic feast of football yesterday our team of analysts are busy bringing you all the grades, stats and snaps from the games that matter. That's all of them by the way. As ever the blog will be here with half hourly updates to run down the games and all the breaking news. For premium members you can already enjoy four of the games from yesterday up on the site with the rest to follow today!
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