Everybody loves player grades courtesy of Pro Football Focus, right?
Though it’s become commonplace for some people in NFL circles to criticize Pro Football Focus for its process, the player grades offer some easily digestible insight into who played well and who played poorly in a game.
Here’s a look at the player grades from the Vikings’ 27-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens:
Top 3 on offense (minimum 20 snaps)
Jalen Nailor … 87.5
Brian O’Neill … 66.2
Christian Darrisaw … 65.5
Analysis: This makes sense for Nailor considering he had a breakout game with five catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. Though it might seem surprising that O’Neill scored as well as he did considering he had three false start penalties, he held up well in pass protection, and was a big part of establishing the run. The same goes for Darrisaw on the other side of the offensive line.
Bottom 3 on offense (minimum 20 snaps)
T.J. Hockenson … 46.5
Blake Brandel … 53.3
J.J. McCarthy … 53.4
Analysis: The lack of production from Hockenson is starting to become a concerning trend. He only logged two catches in the game. Some of the falls on Hockenson for not making himself more available. Some of that falls on the shoulders on the McCarthy for not finding him underneath. The latter is a part of a bigger issue as McCarthy’s inaccuracy has significantly hindered the offense as a whole.
Top 3 on defense (minimum 20 snaps)
Jalen Redmond … 74.5
Dallas Turner … 71.0
Javon Hargrave … 69.8
Analysis: It was another impressive performance from Redmond as he continues to establish himself as a force in the trenches. He finished with eight combine tackles in the game. That effort from Redmond was instrumental in slowing down running back Derrick Henry. As for Turner, he made the most of his 27 snaps, and likely would have scored even higher had his sack not be nullified due to a roughing the passer penalty.
Bottom 3 on defense (minimum 20 snaps)
Jonathan Greenard … 36.2
Josh Metellus … 37.2
Harrison Smith … 38.1
Analysis: The impact of Greenard was felt in his absence as the defense slowly waned in its ability to stop the run. That said, Greenard got docked points even before he left the game with a shoulder injury, namely because of his tackling at the point of attack. Meanwhile, Metellus was deemed to have struggled in coverage, while Smith was deemed to have struggled in tackling, as well.
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