The PFF Top 101 is now out in its entirety, but as always happens with these things, some excellent players missed the list.
With over 3,000 players suiting up in any given season, it takes a special year to be ranked among the best 101, and sometimes a good year just isn’t quite good enough.
The other issue at play is that often numbers can mislead, and guys who posted impressive statistics didn’t quite match them with their production when the context of play-by-play grading is applied, and you start to break down how those statistics were achieved. So, here are 10 well-known players that didn’t make the list:
1. Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings
Argument for Top 101 inclusion:
Adrian Peterson was the league’s rushing champion with 1,485 yards, 83 more than any other running back. He broke 50 tackles and scored 11 touchdowns, averaging 4.5 yards per carry, and may still be the best pure runner in the league with the ball in his hands.
Why he isn't in the Top 101:
Peterson also fumbled the ball six times, regressing back to his early-career struggles in that area. He gained 4.5 yards per carry, but his 2.3 yards per carry after contact was bettered by 28 other runners. 25 other RBs broke tackles at a higher rate than Peterson, and of course he is bad enough as a blocker and receiver that he effectively is only a two-down player that doesn’t even see the field in the most critical situations for the Vikings.
2. Ezekiel Ansah, DE, Detroit Lions
Argument for Top 101 inclusion:
Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah had his best season to date in 2015, notching 66 total pressures and 14.5 official sacks by the NFL’s count—14 by our measure—as well as earning positive grades against the run. He forced four fumbles over the season, and was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise underperforming Lions' roster.
Why he isn't in the Top 101:
Of his 14 sacks, six of them were clean-up plays, and another three of them were entirely unblocked. Olivier Vernon managed 57 total pressures in the final eight games of the season alone, so Ansah’s 66 over 16 games isn’t that impressive for an edge rusher, and in grading terms, there were 20 edge rushers with a higher grade thanks largely to the kind of pressure they were applying. Sacks are important, but they are not a good measure of pass-rush.
3. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
Argument for Top 101 inclusion:
Rodgers lost his best receiving options over the season and at times had no open receivers, yet was still extending plays for seemingly endless periods of time. He also made some of the most impressive plays of the entire seasons in terms of Hail Mary passes to keep the Packers alive, including forcing overtime in the playoffs as the clock dwindled. Rodgers threw four touchdowns across two playoff games and just one pick.
Why he isn't in the Top 101:
There was just too much bad. Rodgers had three games graded in the red (-1.0 or lower in PFF's cumulative grading scale) and five passing performances that earned that distinction, which is three more than a year ago. His completion percentage dropped almost five percent from the 2014 season, and as much as his receivers became a problem, Rodgers lost faith in them too, bailing on plays too early and not even trusting that they would come open before they had a chance.
4. Marcus Peters, CB, Kansas City Chiefs
Argument for Top 101 inclusion:
As a rookie, Peters led the NFL in interceptions with eight, tied with Bengals (now Raiders) safety Reggie Nelson. He allowed just 50.4 percent of passes thrown into his coverage to be caught, the best among all rookie corners, and had an additional 17 passes defensed over the season, meaning he was beaten for a passer rating of just 67.7 when targeted. He also scored two defensive touchdowns.
Why he isn't in the Top 101:
His play wasn’t all good; Peters was also beaten for eight touchdowns, most among rookies and tied for second among all corners. He was the most-targeted CB in football by 25 clear passes, and surrendered 939 yards in coverage at an average of 13.6 per reception. He was also flagged nine times. The interceptions stand out, but the negative play the other direction goes largely unnoticed or unremarked upon.
5. NaVorro Bowman, LB, San Francisco 49ers
Argument for Top 101 inclusion:
NaVorro Bowman led the league in tackles with 129 solo tackles and 22 assists by PFF’s more accurate, retrospective count. He was a force against the run and an extremely active presence in the heart of the 49ers' defense, playing without Patrick Willis beside him. His 73 defensive stops also led the NFL (nine clear of the next best defender).
Why he isn't in the Top 101:
Bowman also missed 19 tackles, allowed 90.3 percent of the passes thrown his way to be caught, surrendered 604 yards through the air and two touchdowns, being beaten for a passer rating of 110.9 over the season. He had one of the worst coverage grades among all linebackers in a league that has become ever-more pass-oriented.
6. Cordy Glenn, LT, Buffalo Bills
Argument for Top 101 inclusion:
Cordy Glenn allowed just two sacks all season, despite pass-blocking for a quarterback that holds the ball (on average) longer than any other QB in the league (3.22 seconds per dropback). He had a perfect game in pass protection against the Houston Texans, making a total of five games over the season in which he allowed no pressure at all and was only responsible for his quarterback being knocked down four times in total.
Why he isn't in the Top 101:
Glenn’s run-blocking was average at best, and disastrous in a couple of games over the season. He allowed 27 total pressures, and his pass-blocking efficiency was only good enough for 11th overall among tackles, behind players like Taylor Lewan and Austin Howard.
7. Todd Gurley, RB, St. Louis Rams
Argument for Top 101 inclusion:
Todd Gurley ended the season with 1,106 rushing yards, behind only Adrian Peterson and Doug Martin in that regard. He broke 42 tackles on 229 attempts and was a big-play waiting to happen for a Rams' team that has been without one for too long. He also scored 10 touchdowns.
Why he isn't in the Top 101:
Gurley only played 469 snaps over the season, less than third-down back Theo Riddick managed in Detroit or Danny Woodhead in San Diego. He was barely used in obvious passing situations, and fumbled the ball three times. If we had seen a full season from Gurley, he may well have made the list, but he simply wasn’t on the field enough in 2015.
8. Ryan Kalil, C, Carolina Panthers
Argument for Top 101 inclusion:
Ryan Kalil had the third-highest run-blocking grade of any center last season, and the two players above him both made the list. He was the anchor of a surprise unit in the Carolina offensive line that performed much better than expected, and helped the team get to a 15-1 regular season record (and all the way to the Super Bowl).
Why he isn't in the Top 101:
Khalil surrendered three sacks and 18 total pressures, a mark bettered by nine other players at his position, and had his three worst games of the season during the playoff run, adding 12 pressures to his résumé and culminating in the Super Bowl in which he allowed five hurries.
9. Gary Barnidge, TE, Cleveland Browns
Argument for Top 101 inclusion:
Gary Barnidge was the Browns' best receiving weapon for most of the season, and made some spectacular catches on his way to 1,043 receiving yards on 79 catches and nine touchdowns. He was the fifth-highest graded receiver at the position, and the four players above him all made the list.
Why he isn't in the Top 101:
Barnidge also dropped more passes than the four TEs in the Top 101, and his blocking was worse than all of them except Greg Olsen. Unlike Olsen, whose poor blocking only extended to the run-game, Barnidge was also poor as a pass-blocker, surrendering a sack and four more pressures from the 47 plays he was asked to block.
10. DeMarcus Ware, OLB, Denver Broncos
Argument for Top 101 inclusion:
Ware came up big when it mattered, notching four sacks and 23 total pressures over three playoff games to start and end his season on fire, and was a legitimate factor in the Denver Broncos overcoming poor quarterback play to win a championship. At his best, he was the vintage All-Pro we remember from his time in Dallas.
Why he isn't in the Top 101:
Despite the end and beginning of his season, Ware’s 2015 campaign was one of peaks and not consistency, and he totaled 66 defensive pressures over nineteen games. There were two games in which he was blanked entirely as a rusher, and he managed just 18 defensive stops over the season, including the playoffs—36 fewer than Khalil Mack managed over just sixteen games of the regular season.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.