• Philadelphia Eagles denying the deep ball: The Eagles protection has yielded adverse outcomes for opposing offenses trying deep passes in 2024.
• The Detroit Lions’ excel at focusing on their gifted working backs: The Lions have had probably the most success focusing on working backs on cross performs this season; nonetheless, it isn’t Jahmyr Gibbs, however David Montgomery who put up the very best numbers if we take a look at the superior metrics.
• 2025 NFL Draft season is right here: Strive PFF’s best-in-class Mock Draft Simulator and study 2025’s prime prospects whereas buying and selling and drafting to your favourite NFL staff.
Estimated studying time: 8 minutes
Going into what is usually known as “the very best weekend of the NFL season,” we’ll watch arguably the very best eight groups face one another within the divisional spherical of the NFL playoffs.
These eight groups clearly do plenty of issues very nicely; nonetheless, wanting on the scenario by a complicated stats lens, we examined what the remaining eight groups are the very best at.
Kansas Metropolis Chiefs: Inside cross safety
The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs‘ inside offensive line – left guard Joe Thuney, middle Creed Humphrey and proper guard Trey Smith – has been arguably the very best in all the NFL during the last couple of seasons, and so they proved themselves once more in 2024.
how nicely the gamers taking part in at these positions performed — for some weeks it contains Mike Caliendo as a substitute of Thuney because the latter additionally performed left deal with — exhibits an enormous hole between this group and the remainder of the NFL. Excluding Week 18 when backups have been taking part in, the Chiefs’ inside offensive line didn’t enable a single sack. The Payments’ inside offensive line is the one different grouping within the NFL that may say the identical.
General, the Chiefs’ inside offensive line recorded a 96.1 PFF pass-blocking effectivity ranking rating, which additionally led all the NFL, permitting solely 55 whole pressures – 12 quarterback hits and 43 hurries – on 707 snaps. Lastly, the cumulative PFF pass-blocking grade of gamers taking part in at these positions was 85.4, the best within the NFL by a major margin.
Houston Texans: Move rush from the sting
The Houston Texans have an elite pass-rushing duo in edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Anderson has earned an 87.4 PFF general grade thus far this season, tenth amongst edge defenders, whereas Hunter’s 83.2 PFF general grade ranks 13th on the place.
The Texans are additionally one among simply 4 groups – the Denver Broncos, Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings being the opposite three – to have had two completely different edge rushers document at the very least 10 sacks within the common season, as Hunter completed with 11.5 whereas Anderson Jr. registered 11 sacks.
General, all Texans edge defenders sacked opposing quarterbacks 32 occasions — tied for the third most amongst all groups, however it’s really the best determine among the many remaining eight groups. Lastly, Houston’s 29.6% pass-rush win fee by its edge defenders ranked second to solely the Cleveland Browns in the course of the common season.
Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels within the purple zone
Jayden Daniels burst onto the scene as a rookie and was one among simply 5 quarterbacks to earn an elite PFF general grade over 90.0, as his 90.1 PFF general grade ranks fifth on the place thus far this season. Daniels’ efficiency primarily introduced the Commanders from a top-two draft choose final 12 months to play within the divisional spherical of the playoffs this weekend.
The LSU product does many issues nicely, but when there may be one factor we will pinpoint in his rookie marketing campaign, it’s how good he has been in clutch conditions, specifically within the purple zone. On performs from contained in the opponent’s 20-yard line, Daniels has earned an 86.2 PFF general grade this season, second to solely Lamar Jackson.
Moreover, his 90.1 PFF passing grade within the purple zone additionally solely trails Jackson. Daniels has thrown 21 landing passes within the purple zone to just one interception, resulting in a 102.8 passer ranking in these conditions, which ranks eighth amongst all quarterbacks within the NFL.
Detroit Lions: Operating backs within the passing sport
The Detroit Lions have many strengths, particularly on the offensive facet of the ball; nonetheless, one which may not get sufficient recognition is how harmful their working backs are out of the backfield.
Throughout the common season, Detroit’s working backs earned 945 receiving yards, which led the NFL and have been greater than 50 greater than the second-placed Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Moreover, it isn’t simply on account of a excessive quantity of performs, as Detroit backs have additionally been probably the most environment friendly. They averaged 1.89 yards per route run, probably the most within the NFL by a major margin. As well as, their 10.8 receiving yards per reception ranked second to solely Baltimore’s working backs.
Presumably, many considered Jahmyr Gibbs after studying the above passage; nonetheless, teammate David Montgomery has been simply pretty much as good as a receiver, if not higher.
Admittedly, Montgomery ran fewer routes than Gibbs (156 to 319), however he nonetheless had a big impact. Montgomery’s 2.21 receiving yards per route run led 64 qualifying working backs within the common season, whereas Gibbs’s 1.62 ranked fourth within the league. Lastly, Montgomery’s 91.0 PFF receiving grade was the best amongst all working backs, whereas Gibbs’s 74.4 – harm by a fumble and a drop whereas Montgomery had neither – ranked 12th on the place. Detroit was the one staff to have two working backs within the 15 highest-graded gamers on the place, apart from Baltimore.
Philadelphia Eagles: Protection towards deep passes
It will be tempting to focus on the Philadelphia offensive line as soon as once more — as we did right here — nonetheless, the protection deserves to additionally get credit score for its spectacular play underneath defensive coordinator Vic Fangio this season.
Many particular person performances may very well be highlighted, together with this season’s breakout participant Zack Baun, rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell or inside defender Jalen Carter. Nevertheless, probably the most spectacular is how nicely this unit has defended towards the deep cross.
Making an attempt a deep throw – an try thrown greater than 20 yards downfield – towards every other protection has yielded a optimistic consequence, on common, thus far this season. The second-best protection towards deep passes was the New England Patriots, who allowed 0.08 EPA per play on these performs. Nevertheless, opponents trying a deep cross towards the Eagles have really misplaced EPA on common, as these performs resulted in -0.24 EPA per play. The hole between the Eagles and the Patriots (0.32 EPA per play) is equal to the hole between the Patriots and the Twentieth-ranked Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Philadelphia’s protection compelled an incompletion on 31.1 p.c of deep makes an attempt, the very best fee within the NFL, as they allowed 4 touchdowns however recorded 10 interceptions. Consequently, they allowed a 43.1 passer ranking on deep passes, which is the bottom amongst all defenses within the NFL.
Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford utilizing play-action
Partially because of the non permanent absence of large receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua and the accidents on the offensive line, quarterback Matthew Stafford didn’t play at his finest in 2024. Actually, his 76.0 PFF general grade ranks solely 20th amongst quarterbacks thus far this season.
However, the Rams signal-caller has nonetheless been among the many finest within the league this season on play-action passes. Stafford accomplished 71.3% of his play-action cross makes an attempt within the common season for 1,444 passing yards, the fourth most amongst 44 qualifying quarterbacks.
Moreover, he recorded 9 landing passes on these performs however didn’t throw a single interception, resulting in a 119.2 passer ranking, fifth within the league.
As well as, Stafford earned a 91.5 PFF passing grade on these performs, which ranked third within the NFL and leads all eight quarterbacks of the groups which can be nonetheless alive.
Buffalo Payments: Josh Allen not taking sacks
This Buffalo Payments revolve round Josh Allen, so they may go so far as Allen takes them. PFF’s third-highest-graded quarterback this season, Allen does many issues nicely, which can be confirmed by the truth that his 94.5 PFF dashing grade leads all quarterbacks this season.
Nevertheless, Allen’s means to keep away from adverse performs deserves to be highlighted. Throughout the common season, the Payments offensive line allowed the fourth-fewest pressures with 134; nonetheless, there have been solely 4 occasions within the common season that Allen was sacked and it was charged to an offensive lineman — as soon as once more proving how a quarterback can personal his sack fee. Moreover, of the 176 occasions that Allen confronted strain (which incorporates pressures not charged to the offensive line as nicely), he was sacked on solely 14 performs, or 8.0% of the time, the very best within the NFL in the course of the common season.
Baltimore Ravens: Utilizing the learn choice
The Baltimore Ravens including Derrick Henry over the last offseason was one of the vital intriguing strikes of the summer season; nonetheless, it additionally led to some query marks surrounding how Henry’s working type would mesh with Baltimore’s run-game philosophy.
After the final 19 weeks, it’s in all probability honest to conclude that issues turned out to be OK for the Ravens’ working sport and Henry. The specter of quarterback Lamar Jackson working completely enhances what Henry brings to the desk and truly opens up wider dashing lanes for the previous Tennessee Titans working again, which was showcased in Baltimore’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers within the wild-card spherical. That is particularly evident on read-option runs when each Jackson and Henry may very well be the first ball service. The Ravens ran learn choices on 171 performs thus far this season, the second most within the NFL.
Among the many 11 groups which have used learn choices at the very least 40 occasions, the Ravens rank second in yards per try (5.8), first right down to landing fee (31.0 p.c), however they lead the pack with 0.184 EPA per play on these runs.
