Rams PFF Grades vs Patriots

[fearsomefour]

Spoon is interesting. He had such a feast or famine season last year. He was always right on the edge of being beat but would luck out most of the time. He did have some ints but he also had some points put up on him.
He honestly looks a little outta shape And slow. I mean who tf knows what he was doing when the rams called him.

It is interesting Durant has been getting higher snap counts that Witherspoon.
Thats fine with me as he is part of the puzzle.

 

[PARAM]

Lots of young defenders looking good. Maybe that offensive shitshow in 7 of our 10 games accelerated the learning curve for the young D? Should pay dividends once the O finds their mojo consistently.

 

[TexasRam]

Durant/Witherspoon is our biggest weakness IMO.

A #1 CB is our biggest need.

Hoecht is really excelling in his role in this defense. Created a sack for Fiske and makes several plays every week including blocking FG's.

We don't hear his name weekly on the losing contain issue any more. Most likely due to his role in this scheme.

 

[HitStick]

Durant/Witherspoon is our biggest weakness IMO.

A #1 CB is our biggest need.

Hoecht is really excelling in his role in this defense. Created a sack for Fiske and makes several plays every week including blocking FG's.

We don't hear his name weekly on the losing contain issue any more. Most likely due to his role in this scheme.

Hoecht seems like a completely different player from years past. He’s a beast right now.

 

[fanotodd]

Hoecht seems like a completely different player from years past. He’s a beast right now.

He’s always gonna give you the max effort. His problem last season was being played (out of necessity?) in a way he was unsuited for. Anytime we see him trailing a receiver downfield in coverage…that’s just asking too much. OTOH, get him playing downhill and he’s a handful.

Another solid player found late.

 

[shovelpass]

He’s always gonna give you the max effort. His problem last season was being played (out of necessity?) in a way he was unsuited for. Anytime we see him trailing a receiver downfield in coverage…that’s just asking too much. OTOH, get him playing downhill and he’s a handful.

Another solid player found late.

He's still playing a good amount of coverage snaps. It seems like less vertical zones, seems like more flats. Usually covering an RB.

 

[fanotodd]

He's still playing a good amount of coverage snaps. It seems like less vertical zones, seems like more flats. Usually covering an RB.

Right. They’re trying to keep him from having to turn his hips and chase (at least that’s the way it looks to me).

 

[Tano]

He's still playing a good amount of coverage snaps. It seems like less vertical zones, seems like more flats. Usually covering an RB.

Which is fine with me. I always said Hoecht is a good player as long as he doesn't cover someone more than 10 yards downfield.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Durant/Witherspoon is our biggest weakness IMO.

A #1 CB is our biggest need.

Hoecht is really excelling in his role in this defense. Created a sack for Fiske and makes several plays every week including blocking FG's.

We don't hear his name weekly on the losing contain issue any more. Most likely due to his role in this scheme.

I agree, at this point in the season cornerback is starting to look like the most glaring need. If White could have returned to form then this defense would be very good.

Cornerback is looking to me like a draft priority.

 

[Faceplant]

Once again Hoecht proving the haters wrong. Atta boy.

 

[jjab360]

McClendon isn't in these PFF top, bottom or notables but I read somewhere that he didn't allow any pressures or sacks so probably his run blocking was low, but since his overall isn't bottom 5 low he's somewhere between 64 and 70. I'll take no pressures or sacks from him any time.

I like to check PFF grades each week and I know they're not always accurate, but here's an interesting story regarding an NFL coach disputing the grades.



https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2024...dave-fipp-tears-down-pff-dvoa-grading-system/

After noting how the special teams DVOA metrics overvalues return yards, (Lions ST coach) Fipp turned his attention to Pro Football Focus, or PFF. It’s probably best to just let you read it…(as transcribed by the Lions media relations):

“So, the next one is PFF, and I’ve got two good stories for you on PFF, and it’s the PFF grades. And this came up this week again because somebody in the building came to me and said, ‘Hey, there is this player, he’s playing really well for you guys.’ And I’m like, ‘Who said that?’ They said, ‘Well, PFF.’ And I was like, ‘OK.’ Well, here’s two stories for you on PFF. Number one is, I get on a plane, I think I was going to the Combine, this is years ago, and when I sit down, this guy sitting next to me says, ‘Hey, are you a coach for – ‘ I think I was with Philly at the time. I’m like, ‘Yeah,’ And he’s like, ‘Ah, I’m a grader of PFF.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, OK.’ He was a young guy, I’m like, ‘Tell me about yourself.’ The guy had never coached football, never played football and he’s grading our players on who played good and who played bad.

So, I’m like, ‘Wow.’ So, the PFF grade, like, OK. And the next thing on that is, we play a game at the Giants and the special teams coach at the time or assistant there at the time was a good friend of mine, and he came up to me before the game and he said, ‘Hey man, just so you know, this player –‘ I can’t say his name, he’s actually in the media nowadays, but he said, ‘This player, he’s the best rated front-line blocker on kickoff return in the National Football League.’ And I was like, ‘Who said that?’ And he was like, ‘PFF.’ And then I was like, ‘PFF?’

I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ I’m like, ‘Number one, this guy’s like the worst blocker on our team.’ But number two, we put him on these matchups on the backside of the return every week where he’s blocking basically a guy that doesn’t need to be blocked, but we kind of have to block him just in case. So, he wins the matchup, so he got a good PFF grade, and he’s really the worst player on our team at this job description, but he’s really the best with PFF.

That's a hilarious anecdote and completely spot on about PFF. It's impossible to take these grades seriously when they're so incredibly subjective and they have no idea what the responsibilities are supposed to be on any given play, especially when it comes to OL/DL.

I think a grading system like this has a role to play but as a consumer it's hard to buy in when they won't even say what the criteria is for the score. I thought they were more interesting when they used a bulk system for their subjective idea of good/bad plays before they turned it into this silly Madden score for the casuals.

 

[JonRam99]

Limmer is our C for the next decade. Calling it now.

Seriously -- we've hit on a blue-chip C.... I'm ECSTATIC about his potential. This position is the lynch pin of the OL, and for years (since Sullivan, really) we've been very weak up the middle.
With Limmer & two pro-bowl G's on either side of him, I am very, very optimistic about the O-line.
....now, if we can just get the TE position squared up... here's hoping Higbee returns to Higbeast form.

 

[Merlin]

Once again Hoecht proving the haters wrong. Atta boy.

"Sonofa!"
~ @OldSchool

 

[PARAM]

I agree, at this point in the season cornerback is starting to look like the most glaring need. If White could have returned to form then this defense would be very good.

Cornerback is looking to me like a draft priority.

Similar to the years we went often and/or high with OLB (1st & 5th in 2024; 3rd, 5th and 6th in 2023), OL (first pick <2nd> and 5th in 2023; first pick -<3rd> and 7th in 2022) and WR (2nd and 4th in 2021; 2nd in 2020)....we could see CB a high priority. Maybe in the first and 3rd or 4th next April.

 

[Jacobarch]

He's still playing a good amount of coverage snaps. It seems like less vertical zones, seems like more flats. Usually covering an RB.

I saw him covering Hill in the Dolphins game. Made me angry lol

 

[OldSchool]

"Sonofa!"
~ @OldSchool

He's been better in rotational snaps. I've said before that's his role. Depending on him as a main pass rusher isn't his strong suit.

 

[Jacobarch]

Seriously -- we've hit on a blue-chip C.... I'm ECSTATIC about his potential. This position is the lynch pin of the OL, and for years (since Sullivan, really) we've been very weak up the middle.
With Limmer & two pro-bowl G's on either side of him, I am very, very optimistic about the O-line.
....now, if we can just get the TE position squared up... here's hoping Higbee returns to Higbeast form.

I'm thinking, with the emergence of Limmer @ center, and being that we're probably going to cut Boom at the end of the season.
Would it be a good idea to restructure J Jacksons contract and have him be the swing backup Guard/Center? I'm sure a full offseason cross training at center and guard would pay dividends for him if he's needed. Plus I think at this point the Rams have a ton of leverage this offseason with J Jackson. He's been injury prone and hasn't played well when given opportunities. We obviously overpaid for him, but I would try to salvage something that gives us some real good depth @ our interior Oline. Dedich/Jackson would be great backups.

 

[Memento]

Seriously -- we've hit on a blue-chip C.... I'm ECSTATIC about his potential. This position is the lynch pin of the OL, and for years (since Sullivan, really) we've been very weak up the middle.
With Limmer & two pro-bowl G's on either side of him, I am very, very optimistic about the O-line.
....now, if we can just get the TE position squared up... here's hoping Higbee returns to Higbeast form.

"YOU BASTARD!!"

Creed Humphrey.

@Loyal

 

[JonRam99]

"YOU BASTARD!!"

Creed Humphrey.

@Loyal

ya I was soooo mad when we passed on Creed. Pounded the table for him, got excited when our bid rolled around & he was available & we're finally gonna fix that gaping hole at Center, and then...
TUTU ATWELL???
...but hey, we finally got it fixed (knock on wood)