Big Blue Huddle

Hi all. I worked this week to get the reports out earlier. Here is #1, on the Browns offense. I hope you enjoy it!

Cleveland Browns Offense

Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski is in his sixth season in Cleveland. Prior to his hire, Stefanski spent 14 years as a Vikings' assistant, mostly as a quarterbacks coach. His offensive coordinator is Ken Dorsey, a former NFL backup who played sparingly for seven seasons, 2003-2009. Once his playing days were over, Dorsey began his coaching career in Carolina, primarily as quarterbacks coach. In 2019, he moved on to the Bills as their QB coach. In 2022, he was promoted to Bills' offensive coordinator. Halfway through 2023, with the offense floundering and the Bills record at 5-5, Dorsey was fired, replaced by QB coach Joe Brady. In January, 2024, Dorsey was hired as Cleveland OC, replacing the fired Alex van Pelt.

The Browns offense is presently in a state of stutter. Two games into the season, they are 27th in yards (263.5 Y/G) and tied for 22nd in points (17.5 PPG). They have run the ball with moderate success, averaging 109.0 yards/game, with an average yards/carry of 4.5 and two touchdowns. The pass game has been quite unproductive, averaging just 154,5 yards/game (25th), one touchdown, and two interceptions. They have yielded 8 sacks (4th most in the league) for minus 46 yards (6th most).

Scheme and execution are killing the Browns offense. Year to date, they are just 4/29 on third down, a terrible 13.8% conversion rate, second worst in the NFL. They have 24 offensive penalties, worst in the league, for 164 penalty yards, 4th worst. Despite a run game that has been more effective that the pass attack, their run/pass ratio is just 35.5%.

In the Week 1 loss to Dallas, Cleveland had no answer to a ferocious Cowboy pass rush that had six sacks and disrupted pretty much every Browns pass attempt. The Browns best receiving option against Dallas, tight end David Njoku, suffered a high ankle sprain on a 29-yard catch and run in the third quarter. The Browns did have some success running the ball against Dallas, gaining 93 yards on 19 carries. Heading into Week 2 against Jacksonville, with Njoku still out injured, Dorsey came up with what could be considered an "old school" game plan. Placing emphasis on the run, he inserted a sixth offensive lineman on 24 offensive snaps, doing so almost exclusively on run downs. The offense upped its run carries to 29, a respectable 44.6% run/pass ratio, and gained 125 yards on the ground. That said, the Browns still scored but 18 points and required a late game safety by the defense to ice the win.

By my mind's eye, the Browns sputtering offense results from several root causes. Among these:

1)   The ineffectiveness of Deshaun Watson. To me, Watson's issues are threefold. First, it appears he has not fully recovered from a season-ending shoulder injury suffered last season. His passes are weak; they lack "zip" and depth. I wonder whether the injury will be chronic. Second, the anemic Browns pass protection has given Watson a case of the yips. Opposing pass rushers are in his face on an almost continuous basis, causing him to move his feet much too soon, preventing him from properly reading the defense. Third, it is my belief that Watson's off-field issues, now mixed with a loud, vicious, and constant on-field malevolence among football fans, is distracting Watson to the point that he can no longer properly focus on the football field.
2)   The Browns offensive line, particularly the now-starting backup tackles and the starting center, has performed so poorly that the Browns passing game never has a chance to develop a proper rhythm. The eventual return to play by injured starters Jedrick Wills or Jack Conklin should eventually go a long way to improve the line play. That said, at this point, it is uncertain if either will be able play Sunday against the Giants.
3)   The play calling, particularly on pass plays, has been odd in the extreme. The Browns almost never run a pattern of more than 7-8 yards downfield. They are averaging an almost ridiculously low 4.5 yards/pass attempt. In fact, it is the pass play calling by Dorsey that leads me to suspect that Watson's shoulder remains damaged, limiting his throwing ability.

The keys for the Giants defense against the Browns are, in my estimation:

1)   Stop the run. The Giants run defense against Washington was awful. Make it better. I expect the Browns will not significantly alter the game plan they utilized against Jacksonville. Expect a run/pass ratio of about 50%.
2)   Zone off and keep the receivers in front of the coverage. A roll up zone should work well against the short routes the Browns used against the Jaguars.
3)   Provide a hard pass rush off the edge. Year-to-date, the Browns have had little success protecting the rush off the edge. Mix in some A gap blitzes, a second recent vulnerable point.

Let's dive into the Browns offensive personnel.

Quarterback

No need to rehash Deshaun Watson's off-field issues other than to state that, in my opinion, the reaction of NFL fans, both for and against the Browns, is affecting Watson's concentration and thus hurting his on-field performance. Such was not always the case. Watson came out of Clemson in 2017 as the Houston Texans first-round pick (#12 overall). By 2018, he made the Pro Bowl, repeating against in 2019 and 2020. It was around this point that his off-field issues exploded. Prior to 2021, Watson demanded a trade out of Houston. The Texan management refused to grant this wish, causing Watson to sit out the entire 2021 season. In the subsequent off-season, Watson was traded to the Browns for a package of draft picks that included three first-rounders. Meanwhile, his off-field issues resulted in an eleven game suspension and $5 million. He did play the final six games of 2022 and then started six games in 2023. In both seasons, his play was sub-par, earning respective PFF grades of 54.7 and 64.3. Midway through 2023, Watson suffered a shoulder injury that placed him on season-ending IR.

I have reviewed both Browns games. To me, it appears that Watson's previous shoulder injury is affecting his throwing motion. Over two games, I recall just one downfield throw, directed to Amari Cooper. In fact, Watson has thrown few intermediate range passes. Most attempts have been of the dink-n-dunk variety. Even these short passes are falling incomplete much too often. On the season, Watson has completed just 46 of 79 pass attempts, a completion rate of just 58.2% (#27 in the NFL) and a paltry 4.5 yards/attempt. He has 355 passing yards, been sacked 8 times for minus 46 yards, has 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions, and 1 fumble. Watson has rushed 10 times for 59 yards (5.9 Y/C) and 1 touchdown.

If Watson continues to flounder, the Browns do have Jameis Winston on the bench. Winston, the 2017 #1 overall pick, has been, and likely will remain, a career flop. Still, he does remain a potential option. Winston took three snaps against the Jags, running twice (successfully) on short yardage situations and handing off once. Otherwise, 2023 fifth-round pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson is a developmental project.

Offensive Line

George Young once stated, show me a football team that is struggling, and I'll show you a bad offensive line. This year's Cleveland Browns are a provable version of that statement. Deshaun Watson is rightly given much blame for the Browns offensive woes, but Watson' struggles are in large part due to bad line play. Middling or better PFF grades aside, my observation of the Browns line yields a unit that cannot stop an opposing pass rush. The Cowboys, especially their edge rushers, flat out embarrassed the Browns line in their home opener. Statistically, the line played better against Jacksonville, allowing just 2 sacks for minus 14 yards, but, still, Watson was for the most part running for his life on most every pass down. Rarely did he have a clean pocket in which to throw.

A large part of the O line woes is the result of both starting tackles being injured. Jedrick Wills Jr, the left tackle, and Jack Conklin, the right tackle, are each working themselves into game shape over knee injuries each suffered in 2023. When on the field, Wills, to date, has been a disappointment. The 10th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Wills has struggled to be any better than mediocre. His injury-plagued 2023 season was his worst, posting an overall PFF grade of 54.0. In many ways, Wills is the Browns version of fellow Alabama alum Evan Neal. The same cannot be said for injured right tackle Jack Conklin. Also a high draft pick (#8 overall in 2016, Michigan), Conklin has to-date had an excellent career, twice being named All Pro. Injured in the 2023 season opener, Conklin has not since taken a snap. As of this writing, his status for Sunday, as well as that of Wills, is uncertain.

Wills' replacement at left tackle is at present James Hudson III. A 2021 fourth-round pick from Cincinnati, Hudson has struggled, particularly in pass protection. To date, Hudson has 16 career starts. He has yet to earn a PFF grade higher than 57.4. 2023 was his worst year: in 16 games and 7 starts, he recorded just a 44.7 overall grade. This year, having taken all 148 offensive snaps, he shows PFF scores of 60.6(run), 41.3(pass protection, 52.9(overall), ranking #59 of 67 qualifying tackles. Starting opposite to Hudson has been 2023 fourth-round pick Dawand Jones. PFF-wise, Jones scores middling: 68.4/73.0/63.7, ranking #38 of 67. Not sure who at PFF was watching his pass blocking; I saw Jones getting consistently beat off the edge. Apparently Kevin Stefanski believed so also, pulling Jones from the Jacksonville game in favor of Germain Ifedi. Yet another former first-round pick (2016, #31 overall), Ifedi has not been a good pro, consistently scoring PFF grades in the 40s and 50s. The Ifedi experiment lasted just 11 plays as he was considerably worse than Jones. Ifedi's 2024 PFF grades, including 2 snaps against Dallas, are 48.2/47.6/49.3.

Left guard Joel Bitonio is a long-time terrific player. A Browns 2nd round pick in 2014 (Nevada),  Bitonio has made six Pro Bowls and has twice been named All Pro. For three consecutive seasons, 2020-2022, PFF ranked him 2nd, 1st, and 5th among all qualifying guards. Though still solid, Bitonio's recent play has not been quite impressive; to date, PFF grades him 74.2(run), 51.1(pass protection), 68.5(overall) ranking #27 of 68 qualifying guards. Starting opposite Bitonio is the equally impressive Wyatt Teller. A 2018 fifth-round pick from Va Tech, Teller has made the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons. So far in 2024, he grades 66.9/78.7/73.5, ranking #20 of 68.

Despite playing between solid guards, center Ethan Pocic has been a bit shaky this season, particularly in pass protection. A 2017 second-round pick of Seattle, he came to Cleveland in 2021 and had since been an O-line mainstay. This year, admittedly over just two games, he grades a poor 46.6 for pass protection. Coupled with a solid 74.5 in run blocking, he grades 61.0 overall, #22 of 33.

As stated, Cleveland adjusted its offense against the Jags by inserting a sixth offensive lineman, mostly on run downs. In total, the Browns had a sixth lineman on 24 of the 72 offensive snaps. All but a few of the six-man fronts were utilized on run plays, although there were a few misdirection screen passes.14 of these snaps went to rookie guard Zak Zinter; 10 snaps went to fifth-year backup center Nick Harris. Zinter, a third-round pick from Michigan, graded 44.2/75.7/45.5. Harris, originally a fifth-round pick from Washington, received a run grade of 58.1, no pass block grade, and an overall of 66.5.

Running Backs

The Browns have a fine young back in third-year player Jerome Ford. A 2022 fifth-round pick from Cincinnati, Ford became the Browns starter in 2023. He subsequently ran for 813 yards on 204 carries (4.0 T/C) and 4 touchdowns. He also caught 44 passes on 63 targets for 319 yards, 7.3 Y/C, and 5 touchdowns. Year-to-date, Ford has 108 rushing yards on 19 carries, 5.7 Y/C, and one touchdown, and 7 catches on 9 targets for 25 yards, 3.6 Y/C. He grades 66.2 (run), 56.1 (receiving), 62.5 (overall), ranking # 35 of 53 qualifying backs.

Solid journeyman D'onta Foreman joins Ford in the Cleveland backfield. Originally a Houston 2017 third-round pick, Foreman is now on his fifth NFL team. A bruising power runner, Foreman is pretty much a one-way runner who is not often utilized in the passing game. His best season was 2022 in Carolina, where he ran for 914 yards on 203 carries and 5 touchdowns. Unused in Week 1 against Dallas, he took 27 snaps in the power game against the Jags, with 10 carries for 59 yards (5.9 Y/C), 1 touchdown, and 1 fumble (not lost). He did catch one pass for 9 yards.

Backup Pierre Strong Jr. injured a hamstring last week and is "questionable" for Sunday. A New England 2022 fourth-round pick (S. Dakota State), Strong is a solid ST player who does get offensive snaps as a change-of-pace pass-catching back. On the season, Strong has 3 carries for 5 yards (1.7 Y/C) and has 3 receptions on 5 targets for 30 yards (10.0 Y/C).

Tight End

Starting tight end David Njoku suffered a high ankle sprain against Dallas and did not play last week against Jacksonville. Prior to the injury, Njoku caught 4 passes against the Cowboys on 5 targets for 44 yards (11.0 Y/C). In 2023, Njoku, a 2017 first-round pick from Miami, had his best pro season, earning his first Pro Bowl, with 81 receptions on 123 targets for 882 yards (10.9 Y/C) and 6 touchdowns. Njoku is more of a receiving tight end than a blocker. A security blanket receiver for Dashaun Watson, Njoku's absence from the Jacksonville game likely played a large part in the reinvented game plan. As of this writing (Wednesday), Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski reports that Njoku is "unlikely to play."

#2 tight end is 32-year-old Jordan Akins. Originally a 2018 second-round pick of Houston, Akins is, like Njoku, more of a receiving tight end than a blocker. His best season was 2022, when he caught 37 passes on 53 targets for 495 yards and five touchdowns. Year-to-date, Akins has 4 catches on 5 targets for 37 yards (9.3 Y/C). Elevated from the practice squad last week was Blake Whiteheart, a 2023 UDFA signing from Wake Forest. Whiteheart played 24 snaps against the Jaguars but had no targets or catches. He earned a PFF grade of 62.4.

Wide Receiver

Amari Cooper was originally drafted #4 overall in 2015. He has since played up to the high draft billing, having caught 672 passes for 9513 yards, 14.2 Y/C, 60 touchdowns, and five Pro Bowls. In 2023 Cooper, had perhaps his finest season, catching 72 passes for 1250 yards, 17.5 Y/C, and 5 touchdowns. That said, this season he does not look right. Although he has played 135 out of 148 offensive snaps, he has just 5 catches on 17 targets for a paltry 27 yards, 5.4 Y/C, and zero touchdowns. Against the Jags, in a rare 2024 throw downfield, Watson targeted Cooper on a deep sideline throw. Cooper was open but only made a half-assed attempt at a catch, and the ball fell incomplete. I'm not sure what, if anything, is up with Cooper. Season-to-date, he shows a PFF grade of 48.5, ranking #98 of 104 qualifying wideouts. As best I can tell, he is not injured. Is his poor play just a two-game blip, will he return to form, or has the air finally emptied out of his balloon, ala Kenny Golliday? Don't know.

Eljah Moore was a 2021 second-round pick out of Ole Miss.  His career to date has been so-so at best. In 2023, his best season, he caught 59 passes on 104 targets for 640 yards, 10.8 Y/C, and 2 touchdowns. This season, Moore has caught 9 passes on 14 targets for 53 yards, 5.9 Y/C, and zero touchdowns. Going into 2024, the Browns rightly decided that they needed a better #2 receiver and engineered a trade to bring Jerry Jeudy over from Denver. That deal has proven astute as Jeudy has been the lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal pass attack. In his four years in Denver, Jeudy caught 219 passes on 370 targets for 3151 yards, 12.3 Y/C, and 12 touchdowns. This season, he has 8 catches on 14 targets for 98 yards and one touchdown. He has a PFF receiving grade of 70.5, ranking #28 of 104.

Elsewise, David Bell, 2022 second-round pick from Purdue, took nine snaps against Jacksonville, making three catches on three targets for 27 yards. He has since gone to the IR with a season-ending hip injury. Cedric Tillman, a 2023 third-round pick, has not been good. In 52 offensive snaps, he has but two catches on 3 targets for just 5 yards. His PFF grade of 44.6 gives him the Blutarski award among wideouts: a perfect ranking of #104 of 104.

Up Next: Browns Defense and Special Teams

Washington Defense

The pedigree of Washington head coach Dan Quinn is on defense. He began his career in 1994, coaching defensive line at William and Mary, VMI, and Hofstra. In 2000, he moved into the NFL, again as a D line coach, having stints in Miami, the Jets, and Seattle.  In 2011/2012, he was DC at the University of Florida. In 2013, Pete Carroll hired him to be his DC in Seattle. Two Super Bowl seasons followed, with Seattle finishing each season 1st in the NFL in both PPG and yardage. His success in Seattle led to a 2014 hire as head coach in Atlanta. He spent the next six years in Atlanta, a stint that included a trip to the 2016 Super Bowl LI (a 34-28 loss to New England, the game in which the Falcons blew at 28-3 lead). Fired after 2020, Quinn was subsequently hired by Dallas as DC. Quinn turned what had been a mediocre Dallas defense into a team strength. In 2021-2023, Dallas finished 19th, 12th, and 5th in yardage and 7th, 5th, and 5th in points.

Quinn's background is along the defensive line. In fact, prior to his DC hire in Seattle, he had exclusively coached D line. Quinn prioritizes fast, tough two-way edge DEs built in the 6'4"/265 range. In Dallas, Quinn's defenses finished 14th, 3rd, and 13th in sacks. His Dallas defense was excellent against the pass, finishing 20th, 8th, and 5th in yardage defense and 1st, 7th, and 8th in interceptions.

Quinn brought in Joe Whitt, his Dallas defensive backs/defensive passing game coordinator, to be his defensive coordinator in DC. Whitt began his career in 2003 at Louisville. He moved into the NFL in 2008, coaching cornerbacks at Green Bay. Whitt spent ten seasons in Grenn Bay. After one-year stints in Cleveland and Atlanta, he was brought into Dallas by Quinn to whip into shape a lethargic secondary. As noted above, his secondaries jumped into the upper echelon of the league in both pass defense and interceptions. It has yet to be seen how Whitt, a career defensive backs coach, applies the defensive precepts of Quinn, a career defensive line coach, to the Washington defense.

The Quinn/Whitt defensive duo have their work cut out in DC. In 2023, the Washington defense finished dead last in both points/game (30.5) and yardage (389 yards/game). This defense should not look bereft of defensive talent. It's current roster sports 7 players who were first-round picks and five who were second-round picks. It will be up to Quinn/Whitt to utilize this talent to it's supposed potential, something the previous regime, itself a defensive-minded group, could not do.

The defense did not get off to a good start in the Week 1 opener against Tampa. The team gave up 392 yards, 7th worst for the week. They were particularly bad against the pass. Tampa QB Baker Mayfield completed 24 of 30 passes, a completion rate of 80%, dead last, while giving up 280 net yards, 4th worst. Dan Quinn was particularly irked by the 3rd down defense, which repeatedly failed, often on third-and-long situations. For the game, the defense allowed 9 of 13 3rd down conversions, a conversion rate of 69.2%, which again was worst in the NFL.

Positionally, Quinn/Whitt have installed what is effectively a fulltime 4-2-5 front. Players such as Clelin Ferrell and Dante Fowler, once considered "outside linebackers," are now three-point-stance hand-in-the-dirt defensive ends. Against Tampa, I saw more of an under front, especially by the tackles. One of the more common alignments had a three-tech tackle to the weak side and the nose tackle in a 2i position off the inside shoulder of the strong side guard. The defense had two linebackers on the field every play: Bobby Wagner took all 64 snaps; Frankie Luvu 59 snaps, subbed out by Mykal Walker on 5 plays. The joker in this defense is the slot corner, presently played by rookie Mike Sainristil. This position moves quite a bit along the strong side of the offense, often positioning as a stack over the LDE or even a four-tech directly over the offensive right tackle. This positioning often gives the front a false traditional 4-3 look and allows the slot corner to give up-tight run support on run downs and to either play man coverage, drop into zone, or blitz on pass downs.

As for coverages, I saw mixture Cover 2, Cover 1, and occasional Cover 3, with Cover 2 predominating. Washington played a mixture of zone and m-2-m; by my observation, a bit more zone than man. Washington had but one sack for minus 9 yards, but it was not for a lack of trying. Washington blitzed 24 times, with inside linebackers Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner blitzing 10 and 6 times respectively, slot corner Mike Sainristil 4 times, and safety Jeremy Chinn 2. Edge rushers dropped into coverage just 3 times total.

Defensive Tackle

Ground zero of a defense is its line, and Washington has invested heavily in this area. Against Tampa, this unit was hardly heard from all game. The DTs will simply have to play better in the future in order for Washington to develop a solid defense.

The Commanders defense presently carries five defensive tackles, four of which were high draft picks. Daron Payne was a first-round selection (#13 overall/Alabama) in 2018. Payne has since developed into a solid, if unspectacular, player. In 2023, Payne registered 53 tackles (32 solo). 13 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, 11 QB hits, 4 blocked passes, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries. He earned PFF grades of 58.7 (run), 57.1 (pass rush), 61.2 (overall), rating #57 of 130 qualifying DTs. Against Tampa, in 40 defensive snaps, Payne recorded a single tackle, earning PFF grades of 48.5/73.3/63.1. Starting along side Payne is fellow Alabama alum Jonathan Allen, a 2017 fist round pick (#17 overall). Like Payne, Allen is a good-but-not-great player. Last season, he also recorded 53 tackles (30/23), with 10 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 19 QB hits, and one blocked pass. His PFF grades were an awful 37.9 against the run, a solid 77.6 for pass rush, and 59.7 overall (#65 of 130). Against Tampa, Allen took 41 defensive snaps, recording 2 solo tackles and a QB hit, earning PFF grades of 60.5/50.5/54.2.

At present, Washington carries three DT backups. Phidarian Mathis was a 2022 second pick from Alabama. (Washington really likes those Alabama DTs, don't they?) Mathis played sparingly in 2023, recording 203 defensive snaps. He recorded 8 tackles (2/6), 1 QB hit, and had one fumble recovery. His PFF grades were a terrible 32.2 against the run, 66.5 for pass rush, and just 42.7 overall. Against Tampa, he took 23 snaps, recording 1 solo tackle and earning PFF grades of 55.9/60.5/66.1. 30-year-old Sheldon Day, a journeyman now on his sixth NFL team, comes to Washington after spending 2023 in Minnesota. In six games and 127 defensive snaps for the Vikings, he recorded 8 tackles (7/1), with an overall PFF of 61.4. Against Tampa, he had 23 defensive snaps and record 1 solo tackle. He earned PFF grades of 53.4/52.1/49.2. The fifth and final DT is Jer'zhan Newton, a rookie second-round pick from Illinois. Newton has been nursing a foot injury he suffered in camp and did not play against Tampa. His status for Sunday is unknown.

Defensive End

It is no secret that the highlight of the Dan Quinn defense is a ferocious pass rush off the edge. Quinn favors strong tough, fast, somewhat light defensive ends who can both play the run and rush the passer. Quinn's problem is that the previous regime disassembled what had been a pretty decent group of edge players and now he and the front office must rebuild the unit from scratch. Quinn did bring Dorance Armstrong with him over from Dallas.  Armstrong, who played six seasons in Big D, was a 2018 fourth-round pick from Kansas. In 2023, he played 446 defensive snaps, recording 38 tackles (20/18), 7 TFL, 7.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, and 1 blocked pass. His PFF grades were 69.7/72.4/69.6, ranking #49 of 112. Against Tampa, he took 37 defensive snaps, recording a one tackle assist and one QB hit. His PFF grades were 56.5/73.5/62.5.

Starting opposite Armstrong is Clelin Ferrell, originally drafted #4 overall in 2019 by the Raiders. Ferrell, who has overall been a disappointment, played 2023 in San Francisco. In 471 defensive snaps, he recorded 28 tackles (15/13), 7 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 13 QB hits, 1 blocked pass, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. His PFF grades were 47.4/60.4/60.7, ranking #82/112.

Joining the above two on the edge is Dante Fowler, drafted in 2015 by Jacksonville with the #3 overall pick (Florida). Like Ferrell, Fowler's career has been a bit of a disappointment. His best year was 2019, when he recorded 11.5 sacks for the Raiders. Like Armstrong, Fowler comes to Washington after playing 2023 in Dallas. Originally an outside linebacker, Quinn has since converted Fowler to a three-point-stance hand-in-the-dirt defensive end. Last season, he took 270 defensive snaps for the Cowboys, recording 13 tackles (8/5), 5 TFL, 4.0 sacks, 7 QB hits, and 1 forced fumble. His PFF scores were 62.0/69.9/63.8. Fowler took 21 defensive snaps against Tampa, recording two tackles (1/1), with 1 TFL. His PFF grades were 71.7/46.1/59.1.

Moved to the edge this season is former first-round pick Jamin Davis. The 2021 #17 overall pick from Kentucky, Davis, at 6'3"/234, is undersized for an edge/DE yet, at least against Tampa, that was where he played. Davis is very quick and has definite big-play capability. In 2023, as more of a traditional outside linebacker, he took 743 defensive snaps, recording 89 tackles (50/39), 8 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 3 QB hits, 4 passes defended, and two forced fumbles. His 2023 PFF grades were 76.1(run), 76.1(pass rush), 56.5(coverage), 67.6(overall), ranking #37 of 82 qualifying LBs. Against Tampa, he took just 13 defensive snaps, recording 3 tackles (2/1) and 1 TFL, with excellent PFF grades of 83.8/52.0/78.8.

Washington's fifth-and-final edge rusher is Javontae Jean-Baptiste, a rookie seventh-round pick from Notre Dame. Jean-Baptiste took 20 defensive snaps last Sunday with straight zeroes across the stat sheet. His PFF scores were 65.1/46.1/58.6.

Linebackers

As stated, Washington plays a 4-2-5 set, with two inside linebackers on the field most every play. To quarterback the defense Dan Quinn brought in the venerable Bobby Wagner, his old friend from his days in Seattle. Originally a 2012 second pick from Utah State, the now 34-year-old Wagner had a terrific 2023 season, recording 183 tackles (96/87), 11 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 6 QB hits, 3 passes defended, and 1 fumble recovery. Always an iron man, Wagner played 1170 (98%) of the Seattle defensive snaps. His 2023 PFF grades were 91.5(run), 75.1(coverage), 60.0(pass rush), 82.4(overall), ranking #7 of 82 qualifying linebackers. Against Tampa, Wagner had 10 tackles (5/5) and 3 TFL, grading 72.8/43.0/72.8/56.4. Wagner played all 64 of the defensive snaps.

Washington brought former Carolina Panther Frankie Luvu to play alongside Wagner.  IN 2023, the somewhat slightly built (6'3"/235) Luvu took 990 (94%) of the Panther defensive snaps. He recorded 125 tackles (66/59), 10 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 11 QB hits, 5 passes defended, and two forced fumbles. Luvu had excellent 2023 PFF scores of 74.0/90.1/67.7/80.0, ranking #10 of 82. Against Tampa, Luvu took 59 of the defensive snaps. He recorded 5 tackles (1/4), receiving PFF grades of 76.1/50.7/47.7/50.7. Subbing in for Luvu on five defensive snaps was Mykal Walker, a fifth-year player from Fresno State. Walker recorded two tackles (1/1) with PFF grades of 60.0(run), 62.7(coverage), 65.9(overall).

Cornerbacks

Starting left corner Emmanuel Forbes suffered a thumb injury against Tampa and is out for Sunday's Giants game. Forbes, a 2023 first-round pick (#16 overall) from Mississippi State, has, to-date, been a big-time disappointment. In 2023, with 482 defensive snaps, he recorded 38 tackles (35/3), 2 TFL, 11 passes defended, and 1 interception. His 2023 PFF grades were downright terrible. Forbes had a poor 57.6 grade for coverage, an astronomically bad 28.4 in run support, and an overall grade of 50.9, ranking him #112 of 127 qualifying quarterbacks. Starting in Forbes' place will likely be Noah Igbinoghene. A 2020 Miami Dolphins' first-round pick, Igbinoghene has had a very disappointing career.  After three seasons in Miami, he spent 2023 in Dallas, suiting up for just five games and 25 defensive snaps. Against Tampa, he did take 28 defensive snaps, recording a tackle assist and one pass defended. He earned a terrific coverage grade of 81.1, a mediocre run support grade of 44.3, and a solid overall grade of 72.3.

Starting opposite will be Benjamin Saint-Juste, a 2021 third-round pick from Minnesota. A solid-if-unspectacular player, the 2023 Saint-Juste took 1064 (91%) defensive snaps. He recorded 67 tackles (52/15), 1 TFL, 1,0 sacks, 1 QB hit, 17 passes defended, 1 interception, and 2 forced fumbles. His PFF scores were 56.4(coverage), 75.1 (run support), 59.9(overall) ranking #82 of 127. Against Tampa, Saint-Juste played all 64 of the defensive snaps, recording 5 solo tackles and one pass defended. His PFF grades for the game were 59.1/67.9/61.4.

The starting slot corner is rookie second-round pick Mike Sainristil. A 2023 National Champion at Michigan, Sainristil seems slated for big responsibilities in the Washington defense. As noted above, Sainristil often plays up quite close to the line and near or even over the offensive tackle, giving the Washington 4-2 set a more traditional, but false, 4-3 look. Sainristil is also utilized to blitz. Against Tampa, he took 61 of the 64 defensive snaps, recording 6 tackles (5/1) and 4 pass rushes. By my eye, he had a poor game; the PFF scorekeepers apparently agree. He graded just 40.8 for coverage, 49.6 in run support, 52.4 for pass rush, and 40.7 overall, which, for the week, ranked him #92 of 94 qualifying corners.

Likely to see snaps at corner this week is former Charger Michael Davis. A 2017 UDFA from BYU, Davis played seven seasons with the Chargers, with 74 starts. In 2023, he started 12 games and took 885 defensive snaps. He recorded 62 tackles (52/10), 3 TFL, 10 passes defended, and one interception. He earned PFF grades of 54.3/64.1/56.5, ranking #96 of 127. Davis did not play against Tampa.

Safeties

This off-season, Washington brought in Jeremy Chinn from Carolina to play strong safety. A 2020 second-round pick from S. Illinois, the big (6'3"/220), tough Chinn took just 286 snaps for the Panthers in 2023 as he was hobbled with hamstring issues. He did record 30 tackles (18/12), 2 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 1 QB hit, and 1 pass defended. His PFF grades were 51.6(coverage), 68.1(run support), 58.4(Pass rush), and 57.7(overall). Chinn took 51 snaps against Tampa, recording 3 tackles (2/1). His PFF grades were 53.1/65.4/57.1/56.1.

Starting free safety Quan Martin is a late addition to the Washington injury report after having suffered a hamstring injury during Friday's practice. A 2023 second-round pick from Illinois, Martin had a decent rookie season, recording 46 tackles (28/18), 1 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 4 passes defended, and two interceptions. He earned PFF grades of 66.4/58.8/90.7/65.4, ranking #55 of 95 qualifying safeties. Martin took 59 snaps against Tampa, recording 9 tackles (8/1), but had difficulties in coverage. His awful PFF cover grade of 36.0 was somewhat offset by a solid run support grade of 80.7, yielding mediocre 46.0 overall.

If Martin is unable to go, Percy Butler is his likely replacement. Butler, a 2022 fourth-round pick from Louisiana-Lafayette, was a 2023 starter, taking 836 defensive snaps. He recorded 64 tackles (35/29), 2 TFL, 8 passes defended, and 1 forced fumble. His 2023 PFF grades were 58.0/71.2/62.5/62.7, ranking #65 of 95. Sixth year vet Jeremy Reaves and rookie UDFA Tyler Owens are both carried on the roster as safeties but both are, essentially, specialty teams only players. Both took 14 ST snaps against Tampa but neither took a defensive snap.

Special Teams

Kicker Cade York was 0/2 on field goals against Tampa and was subsequently released earlier this week. In his place, Washington brought in journeyman Austin Seibert. Originally a Browns' 2019 fifth-round pick, Seibert kicked in just 15 games in the past four seasons. Career-wise he is 45/53 on field goals (19 of 30 on kicks of 40+) and 56/62 on extra points.

Returning as punter is the venerable 34-year-old Tress Way. In 2023, Way had a gross average of 46.0 (#26), a net of 41.2 (#26), 30 punts inside the 20 (#10), 25 fair catches, only 2 touchbacks, with a return average of 8.0 (11th best). Last week against Tampa, he had three punts for a 46.3 gross, 41.3 net, 1 punt inside the 20, and 1 return for 15 yards.

Austin Ekeler returned two kick offs against Tampa for 48 total yards (24.0/return). Jamison Crowder is the punt returner, but did not return a punt against Tampa.

Washington Offense

With a 100% new regime in town and but a single regular season game in hand, there is not much game film to review on the Washington offense. I did spend quite a bit of time reviewing last weekend's 37-20 loss to Tampa Bay. To put it mildly, the game call I witnessed was a bit odd, almost zany, like a Three Stooges skit. Why, one might ask, the strange play calling? Kliff Kingsbury.

Kingsbury has a reputation as a first-class offensive mind, which is certainly true. Problem is, his offense is more styled to the college RPO/read option game. Kingsbury began his coaching career at the University of Houston, where he served first as an Offensive Quality Control coordinator and then as QB Coach/OC. In 2013, Texas Tech hired him as Head Coach, where he ultimately coached Kyler Murray. As the 2019 draft approached, Murray was considered one of the top QB prospects. Problem was, Murray, an excellent baseball player, began to hint that he might forego a career in the NFL in order to play baseball. It was reported that the Cardinals, who were highly interested in drafting Murray, hired Kingsbury in part as an enticement to Murray to eschew baseball and instead play football for Arizona. Whether this was true or not, Arizona did hire Kingsbury and Murray did end up with the Cardinals. After a four-year stint in Arizona, with a 28-37-1 record, Kingsbury was fired following the 2022 season.  He spent 2023 as an offensive assistant at USC, where he helped coach up Caleb Williams. When Dan Quinn was hired by Washington, he brought in Kingsbury to be his offensive coordinator.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels is the future of the Washington offense. The #2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, I had Daniels as the top quarterback in this year's class (still do). Despite playing five years in college, Daniels, who has a relatively clean injury history, is still but 23 years-of-age. Very fast and elusive, Daniels has a strong an accurate arm; at LSU in 2023, PFF gave him an adjusted completion percentage of 69.1% on throws of 20+ yards. Daniels is listed as 6'4"/2210, but he looks a bit undersized. As a pocket passer who occasionally runs the ball, he could well have a long and productive career. My question is whether Kilff Kingsbury is trying to turn Daniels into the second coming of Kyler Murray. Or, from a Washington perspective, the new RG III. Consider the following:

In the Tampa game, Daniels had 16 carries for 88 yards, 5.5 Y/C, and two touchdowns. The 16 carries were two more than the two running backs, Brian Robinson (12) and Austin Eleker (2), had combined. Of those 16 carries, about half were obvious designed quarterback runs. That number, in of itself, is much too high. The remainder of the carries came off pass plays. Thing is, it appeared to me that most, if not all, of those carries were also by design. In each case, Daniels dropped into the pocket, made a single read, and, not seeing the primary receiver open, tucked the ball, looked for a crease through the line, and, without looking downfield for a checkdown receiver, immediately took off running. I went back and looked at the Washington preseason game against Miami, the only preseason game in which Daniels played. In 18 snaps, Daniels had two designed runs but did not once tuck the ball and take off on a drop back. Clearly Kingsbury installed this tweak as a type of RPO for Daniels, an insert into the regular season playbook that was not shown in the vanilla preseason offense. Against Tampa, Daniels scored two rushing touchdowns. Neither run was a QB sneak; both were read/option style runs where he took a hit. And an odd thing about Daniels:  at the end of an open field run, he will tumble/summersault forward instead of taking a slide.

Against Tampa, Daniels was 17/24 for 184 yards, 10.8 yards/completion, 7.7 yards/attempt, zero touchdowns, zero interceptions. Sacked twice for -23 yards, he had three fumbles, none of which was lost. One fumble was actually an errant swing pass that Daniels threw behind Brian Robinson which ended up as a seventeen-yard loss. In my review of the game, I found Kingsbury's pass play calling a bit odd. Of 24 pass attempts, 8  (33%) targeted running backs, 5 (21%) tight ends, and 11 (45%) wide receivers. In all, running backs caught 7 pass on 8 attempts for 101 yards, tight ends 3 catches on 5 targets for 28 yards, and wide receivers 7 catches on 11 targets for only 55 yards. Daniels only threw one deep ball, overthrowing Terry McLaurin on a fly pattern down the left side line. For the game, the Pro Bowler McLaurin, who has four seasons of 1000+ receiving yards, was targeted 4 times for two catches and only 15 receiving yards. #2 receiver Dyami Brown did not have a single target.

Against Tampa, Washington had 59 total offensive snaps. They had 299 yards total offense, 22 first downs, were 2/8 on third down, and had a run/pass ratio of 51%. They had 7 offensive penalties for minus 51 yards and zero turnovers. Positionally, they had one back personnel on 54 plays and two back personnel on 5 plays. They averaged 1.41 tight ends/snap and 2.47 wide receivers/snap.

Outside of Daniels and Kingsbury, let's take a look at the Washington offensive personnel.

Offensive Line

Much like the Giants, Washington is in the midst of an offensive line rebuild. 2023 starting left tackle Charles Leno Jr. was released last off-season. Washington had quite optimistically hoped that rookie Brandon Coleman, a third-round pick from TCU, could step right in as the starter. That hope was quashed when Coleman injured a pec in camp, keeping him out the preseason. He has since returned, but Washington is taking it slowly with Coleman. He did sub in last week, taking 14 snaps at left tackle. The game starter at left tackle was Washington's veteran swing tackle, Corneilius Lucas. Both Lucas and Coleman graded out tolerably well against Tampa, with respective overall PFF grades of 69.9 and 65.1. At the writing of this report, Washington has not announced which of the two will start against the Giants. The right tackle with no doubt will be veteran Andrew Wylie. A solid, if unspectacular, performer, Wylie earned a 2023 PFF overall grade of 69.2, ranking #33 of 81 qualifying tackles. Against Tampa, Wylie's PFF grade was 63.1.

Washington did make several moves to solidify the interior of the line. To start at left guard they signed Nick Allegretti, who had played the previous six seasons in Kansas City. Washington also signed Tyler Biadasz away from Dallas as center, of late a positional weak spot. Then, most recently, they extended the contract of right guard Sam Cosmi, one of the finest guards in the NFL. All three players grade well with PFF. In 2023, Allegretti received an overall PFF grade of 65.8; Biadasz a grade of 69.2, and Cosmi an outstanding grade of 80.2 (#4 of 79 qualifying guards). Last week, against Tampa, Allegretti graded 63.0 (run)/ 72.2 (pass blocking)/ and 69.9 (overall); Biadasz 61.0/73.7/64.9; Cosmi 81.6/67.6/81.6.

Outside of swing tackle Corneilius Lukas, Washington carries three O line backups. Returning at #4 tackle is Trent Scott, a 2018 UDFA from Grambling. In 2023, Scott, in 138 tackle snaps, earned PFF grades of 77.3/55.2/59.8. At this point, it appears that Scott will be Washington's "tackle eligible," having served in that role on two plays against Tampa. Chris Paul, who started ten games at right guard last season, returns as a backup. In 2023, with 439 snaps, he graded very poorly: 45.1/27.8/38.8, ranking #77 of 79. Washington also signed former Houston Texan Michael Deiter to be the backup center. A 2019 third-round pick of the Dolphins, Deiter started ten games last year in Houston, earning an overall PFF grade of 57.1.

Running Back

Last off-season, Washington declined to re-sign former 2020 third-round pick Antonio Gibson, who is now on New England. Gibson's departure solidified former Alabama RB Brian Robinson Jr. as Washington's #1 running back. Robinson, a 2022 third-round pick, had terrific 2023 season, running for 733 yards on 178 carries (4.1 Y/C) and five touchdowns. He also caught 36 passes on 43 targets for 368 yards (10.2 Y/C) and four touchdowns. Robinson did have four fumbles last season, an issue that he needs to clean up. Against Tampa, Robinson ran for 40 yards on 112 carries (3.3 Y/C) and one touchdown. He also caught 3 passes on four targets 49 yards, including a beautiful 32 yard catch and run that he took to the one yard line, setting up a Jayden Daniels one-yard touchdown run.

Splitting time with Robinson is former Charger Austin Ekeler, a 2016 UDFA from Western State. In 2023, Ekeler ran for 628 yards on 178 carries (3.5 Y/C) and five touchdowns. He also caught 51 passes on 74 targets for 436 yards (8.5 Y/C) and one touchdown. Like Robinson, Ekeler has a bit of a ball security issue, fumbling five times. Ekeler is a big motor guy who plays hard. To give an example, on the above described Robinson 32 yard reception, Ekeler threw a beautiful downfield block that added 20 yards to the end of the catch. That play occurred off 20 personnel, one of only five two-back sets by Washington last week.

Washington presently carries just three running backs. #3 is veteran RB Jeremy McNichols, a career journeyman who most recently played in San Francisco. Against Tampa, he took 16 snaps on special teams but had zero plays on offense.

Tight End

Against Tampa, as indicated above, Washington ran either 12 or 22 personnel on 41% of the offensive snaps. Starting tight end is the venerable Zach Ertz, a long-time scourge of the Giants from his time Philadelphia. Now in his 12th season, the 33-year-old Ertz, a 2013 second-round pick from Stanford, is likely nearing the end of his career. Ertz, who most recently played in Arizona, missed 17 games the past two seasons due to injury. In 2023, in 7 games, he caught 27 passes on 43 targets for 187 yards, 6.1 Y/C, and one touchdown. Career-wise, the three-time Pro Bowler has 712 receptions for 7462 yards and 46 touchdowns. Ertz went to the Kliff Kingsbury-coached Arizona Cardinals from the Eagles in a 2021 mid-season 2021 trade, a fact which likely played into his off-season acquisition by Washington. Against Tampa, Ertz took 42 offensive snaps, catching 3 passes on 4 targets for 28 yards.

Washington's backup tight end is 2021 fourth-round pick John Bates. Now in his fourth season, Washington still awaits his development into an everyday starter. In 2023, he did start four games, catching 19 passes on 28 attempts for 151 yards. Washington's #3 tight end (they only have three) is rookie Ben Sinnott. A highly regarded second-round pick from Kansas State, Washington drafted Sinnott in the hopes that he will develop into the #1 starter, He took 13 offensive snaps against Tampa but was not targeted with a pass.

Wide Receiver

Former Ohio State Buckeye Terry McLaurin is a terrific #1 receiver. Now in his sixth season, McLaurin has 380 career catches for 5300 yards, 25 touchdowns, and a 13.1 yards/catch average. That's why I found it a bit odd that he was not targeted more often last Sunday against Tampa. On 48 offensive snaps, McLaurin was targeted just 4 times for two catches and just 17 yards. #2 receiver Dyami Brown was even less utilized: in 33 offensive snaps, he was not targeted with a single pass. Brown, a 2021 third-round pick from North Carolina, has yet to develop into a true starter. In 2023, with 253 offensive snaps, he caught 12 passes on 23 targets for 168 yards, 14.0 Y/C, and one touchdown. The #3 starter is rookie Luke McCaffrey, a third-round pick from Rice. McCaffrey took 36 offensive snaps last week, catching 3 passes on 3 targets for 18 yards.

Pushing Dyami Brown for a starting role is Olamide Zaccheaus, a 2019 UDFA from Virginia. Zaccheaus, who in 2023 was in Philadelphia, played his first four seasons in Atlanta. Basically a one-trick-pony deep threat, Zaccheaus caught 10 passes last year on 20 targets for 164 yards, a 16.4 Y/C average. Against Tampa, he had 1 catch for 15 yards. Journeyman Jamison Crowder, originally a 2015 fourth-round pick of Washington, is a backup slot. He had 5 offensive snaps last week, catching one pass on one target for five yards. An excellent punt return man, he will no doubt play a part in the Washington return game.

Washington does have a sixth wide receiver: former Cowboy Noah Brown. He did not suit up against Tampa. It should also be noted that, just prior to the end of camp, Washington traded 2022 first-round pick Jahan Dotson to the Eagles for what was essentially a 2025 third-round pick. In Washington, Dotson had never developed into an offensive weapon. Additionally, he was beginning gain a pain-in-the-ass reputation. Essentially, Washington traded Dotson in a cap-saving move. His game and that of Olamide Zaccheaus are pretty much the same, but Zaccheaus costs much less. Zaccheaus has a one year $1,1 million contract, while Dotson is guaranteed $4.8 million through 2025.

Next up: the Washington Defense

Hi all. Here is the Vikings defense, with just a touch on their specials. Sorry for the late release. I hope to have these out sooner in the upcoming weeks.

Vikings Defense

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is a first-class defensive mind. Flores comes from the Bill Belichick coaching tree, having served in New England as a defensive assistant 2004-2018. In 2019, Flores was hired as head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Flores served as Dolphins head coach for the next three seasons, earning an overall record of 24-25. Following the 2021 season, Flores was let go by Miami under murky circumstances, the outcome of which is still being decided in the court system. He spent 2022 in Pittsburgh as a defensive assistant under Mike Tomlin. In 2023, he was hired by the Vikings as defensive coordinator.

The 2023 Viking defense was middle of the pack, finishing 16th in yards allowed (333.2 Y/G) and tied for 13th in points (21.2 PPG). They Vikings were quite stout against the run, finishing #8 in rush yardage allowed (98.7 Y/G) and 4th in yards/carry (3.8). They were less efficient against the pass, finishing #24 in pass yards/game at 234.5. The Vikings allowed the most completions in the NFL (426) with the worst completion percentage against (70.3%). They were tied for #19 in sacks (43) and 16th in sack yardage (302). The Vikings tied for 19th with 22 total defensive takeaways (11/11). They were tied at 26th in third down efficiency (41.4%) and dead last in 4th down efficiency (72.0%). The Vikings had the second most defensive penalties (31) for the 4th most penalty yardage (916).

A multiple look guy, Flores utilizes two basic fronts from which he variates. On run downs, Flores uses a 3/4 front that aligns as 5/2. A nose tackle lines up over the center in a zero tech and two defensive ends directly over the tackles in a four tech. Two edge/DEs align up on the line in 5 or 7 tech, responsible for the outside D gaps. Two inside linebackers cover the inside A gaps. The concept is for the three D linemen to keep the inside linebackers "clean" by tying up the offensive linemen, allowing the ILBs to roam free and into the run gaps. On pass downs, Flores uses a variant of a 4/2/5 front. Two defensive linemen align as three techs in the guard/tackle B gap; two edge rushers align outside the tackles as 5/7 techs. One ILB is replaced by a sixth defensive back, leaving one inside linebacker to cover the middle of the field. Flores prefers a third safety over an extra corner; what is given up in coverage ability is gained in run stop and blitz packages. In fact, the 2023 Vikings averaged 3.07 safeties per play as opposed to 2.14 corners. As such, the pre-snap alignment might begin as a Cover 3 look, but shift into a Cover 1 or Cover 2, with one safety assuming slot corner coverage and a second either dropping deep or blitzing off the edge. Flores much prefers m-2-m coverage over zone as this opens up multiple blitz packages. Flores is as blitz happy a DC as exists, sending an extra man 40+ percent of the snaps. His favorites are the A gap blitz by either an inside linebacker or safety and an off-tackle blitz by a safety coming clean off the edge. In 2023, safety Josh Metellus blitzed 116 times, safety Harrison Smith 99 times, and ILB Ivan Pace 109 times.

The keys to beating the Brian Flores Defense

1)   North/South Power Run Game. The Vikings play seven men tight to the line, with inside backers between the tackles. Running east/west plays into the strength of the defensive front. The Vikings defensive line is a bit undersized (see below) making them vulnerable to single and double power blocking schemes.
2)   Read the A gap and off tackle safety blitzes. Blitz pickup is crucial against a team that may send an extra upwards of 50% of the plays. Proper blitz pickup will create openings in the defense's coverage schemes.
3)   Seam passes to the tight ends. The Vikings scheme likely allows no help in covering the tight ends on seam passes. Both Viking inside linebackers, Ivan Pace and Blake Cashman, are undersized; Pace is only 5'10". Efficient execution of the TE seam pass should create mismatches in coverage.
4)   Giants wideouts win the one-on-one battles against the defensive backs. The Vikings DBs will likely often have little help in their coverages. If the Giants wideouts can win the one-on-ones, the Giants pass attack should work well. 

This off-season, the Vikings made several changes to their defensive personnel. Let's take a look at the 2024 personnel, unit by unit.

Defensive Line

The Vikings' defensive line is anchored in the middle by 28-year-old nose tackle Harrison Phillips, a 2018 3rd round pick from Stanford. At 6'3"/307, Phillips is a bit undersized for a nose tackle, a deficiency for which he makes up with a quickness off the ball. In 2018, Phillips recorded 92 tackles (44 solo/48 assists), 2 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, 6 QB hits, and two blocked passes. Phillips earned PFF grades of 65.6(run)/53.6(pass rush)/59.7(overall), ranking #65 of 130 qualifying defensive linemen. Starting next at left defensive end is the newly-acquired Jerry Tillery. A 2019 first-round pick from Notre Dame, Tillery, 6'6"/295, comes over from the Raiders on a one-year, $2.75 million deal. His 2023 stats for the Raiders were 31 tackles (11/20), 2 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 6 QB hits, and one forced fumble. He earned PFF grades of 63.1/67.5/67.7, ranking #40 among D linemen. Opposite Tillery will be 30-Year-old right DE Jonathan Bullard, 6'3"/290, a 2016 third-round pick from Florida. A returnee from 2023, Bullard recorded 44 tackles (24/20), 3 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 2 QB hits, and one forced fumble. His PFF scores of 53.7/46.9/46.3 ranked him #115 of 130.

At present, the Vikings lack any NFL experience among the backup D linemen. Nose tackle Taki Taiman (6'3"/330) is a rookie UDFA from Oregon. DE Levi Drake Rodrieguez (6'2/300) is a 2024 seventh round rookie from Texas A & M. DE Jalen Redmond (6'2"/290) is a 2023 UDFA with no NFL experience.

Edge/OLB

The Vikings shook up their edge rusher unit this off-season. Gone are starters D.J. Wonnum, who is now on the Panthers, and four-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter, who signed a two-year, $49 million contract with Houston. In their place are newcomers Jonathan Greenard, who comes over from the Texans, and Andrew van Ginkel, who played for Brian Flores in Miami. Greenard, who signed a big-time four-year deal for $76 million, was originally a 2020 third-round pick from Florida. He comes off of an outstanding 2023 season: 52 tackles (36/16), 15 TFL, 12.5 sacks, 22 QB hits, and 2 passes defended. He earned PFF grades of 69.7/72.9/76.7, ranking #0 of 112 qualified edge rushers. Van Ginkel also had a fine 2023 season. The 2019 fifth-round pick from Wisconsin had 69 tackles (42/27), 8 TFL, 6.0 sacks, 19 QB hits, 8 passes defended, and one interception. He received PFF grades of 76.3/90.6/91.1, he ranked #7 of 112.

The likely #1 backup will be rookie Dallas Turner, a 2024 first-round pick (#17 overall) from Alabama. The Vikings have big hopes for Turner, but.for the moment, he remains a clean sheet. Hopefully such remains this Sunday. Also backing up is 2021 third-round pick Pat Jones II. In 2023, Jones, who played 56% of the defensive snaps, recorded 32 tackles (22/10), 5 TFL, 1.0 sacks, and 8 QB hits. Jones earned grades PFF grades of 39.8/45.6/37.5, finishing a Blutarski-like worst at #112 of 112 qualifying edge rushers. Not far behind him is the Vikings final edge rusher, former Giant Jihad Ward. Last season, Ward, who took 59% of the Giants' defensive snaps, earned PFF grades of 40.4/53.9/42.4, finishing at #109 of 112.

Inside Linebackers

The Vikings inside linebackers tend to be quick and undersized, designed for quickness over power. Ivan Pace, a 2023 UDFA from Cincinnati, returns as one starter. Pace had a fine rookie season, recording 102 tackles (63/39), 2 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 9 QB hits, 2 passes defended, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. Pace earned PFF grades of 61.2(run)/77.7(coverage)/78.0(pass rush)/77.1(overall), ranking #16 among 82 qualifying ILBs. At 5'10"/231, Pace is a bit undersized. Starting alongside Pace will be Blake Cashman, newly acquired from the Houston Texans. Cashman, also diminutive at 6'1"/237, was a 2017 fifth-round pick from Minnesota. Cashman had a terrific 2023 season in Houston, recording 106 tackles (56/50), 9 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 5 QB hits, 5 passes defended, 1 interception, and 1 fumble recovery. He earned PFF grades of 82.3/75.3/71.5/82.1, rating #8 of 82.

The backup ILBs are Kamu Grugier-Hill and Brian Asamoah. Grugier-Hill, 6'2"/220, played for Carolina in 2023. A 2016 sixth-round pick from E. Illinois, he took 403 defensive snaps, recording 56 tackles (31/25), 2 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 1 QB hit, 2 PDs, and 1 interception. He earned poor PFF scores of 40.0/59.7/70.2/48.6, ranking #78 of 82. Asamoah, 6'0"/220, was a Vikings third-round pick in 2022 (Oklahoma). He has, to date, been a disappointment, having never challenged for a starting role. In 2023, he took just 36 defensive snaps, recording 7 tackles.

Cornerbacks

The Vikings made a semi-big splash this off-season by signing five-time Pro Bowl corner Stephon Gilmore to a one-year/$7 million contract. The 34-year-old Gilmore, now a journeyman on his fifth team in five years, most recently played in Dallas. He did have a productive 2023 with the 'Pokes, recording 13 passes defended and 2 picks, with 68 tackles ((53/14) and one forced fumble. Gilmore earned PFF grades of 69.3(cover)/72.9(run)/71.2(overall), finishing #35 of 127 qualifying corners.

Opposite Gilmore is returning starter Byron Murphy, a 2019 second-round pick from Washington. Stat-wise, Murphy had a solid 2023, recording 57 tackles (43/14), 4 TFL, 13 passes defended, 3 interceptions, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. That said, Murphy struggled in coverage, earning a PFF coverage grade of just 58.2. His overall grade of 58.0 ranked him at #87 of 127. The Vikings do have two backup options if Murphy stumbles. Akayleb Evans was a 2023 starter, a role which he has since lost to Gilmore. In 2023, Akeyleb took 855 snaps at corner, recording 65 tackles (49/16), 7 passes defended, one pick, and 3 forced fumbles. He earned poor PFF scores 52.6 for coverage and 60.2 in run support. His overall score of 54.9 ranked him #99 out of 127. As a backup insurance, the Vikings signed a pair of veterans. 30-year-old Fabian Moreau comes from Denver after signing a one-year vet minimum contract. In 2023, Moreau took 740 defensive snaps, recording 46 tackles (33/13), 7 passes defended, 1 interception, and 1 TFL. He earned PFF grades of 62.9 (coverage)/55.5 (run support)/62.4 Overall), ranking #73 of 127. 29-year-old Shaquil Griffin split 2023 between Carolina and Houston. In 459 combined defensive snaps, he recorded 39 tackles (29/10), 5 passes defended, and one interception. He received an overall PFF score of 67.0, ranking #53 of 127.

Safeties

Brian Flores prefers a three-safety set on defense. This includes a strong safety who plays up tight to the line in a linebacker-type role, a deep safety most often used in a Cover 1 set, and a slot cover safety. Both the strong safety and slot safety blitz, and blitz often, both through the A gap and off the edge. Returning at strong safety is the venerable 35-year-old Harrison Smith. A 2012 first-round pick from Notre Dame, the 6'2"/211 Smith is indeed linebacker-like. A six-time Pro Bowler and one-time All Pro, the 2023 always ironman-like Smith took 1113 (98%) of the defensive snaps. He recorded 93 tackles (60/33), 2 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 6 QB hits, 3 passes defended, and 3 forced fumbles. Smith earned PFF grades of 69.5 (cover)/66.2 (run support)/58.6 (pass rush)/68.9 (overall), ranking #33 of 95.

Cam Bynum returns as the starting free safety.  A 2021 fourth-round pick from Cal, Bynum, who took 1122 (99%) of the defensive snaps, had a terrific 2023. He recorded 137 total tackles (94/43), had 9 passes defended, 2 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, 2 TFL, 0.5 sacks, and 1 QB hit. He scored PFF grades of 69.7/79.1/56.1/73.2, ranking #21 of 95. Returning at slot safety is Josh Metellus, a 2020 sixth round pick from Michigan. Powerful at 5'11"/207, Metellus took 1065 (94%) defensive snaps in 2023. Metellus recorded 166 tackles (78/38), 7 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 10 QB hits, 5 passes defended, 1 interception, 4 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery. He earned PFF grades of 64.5/67.8/75.8/69.2, ranking #33 of 95.

Backing up at safety are Theo Jackson and Jay Ward. In 2023, both players primarily contributed on special teams. Jackson, a 2022 sixth-round pick from Tennessee, did take 126 defensive snaps. He recorded 21 overall tackles (14/7) and had 1 pass defended, 1 interception, and 1 QB hit. He received an overall PFF grade of 67.8. Ward, a 2023 fourth-round pick from LSU, took just 35 defensive snaps. He recorded 8 overall tackles and one fumble recovery, receiving an overall PFF score of 67.8.

Special Teams

Ryan Wright returns as the Vikings punter. In 2023, he ranked 12th in the NFL in gross yardage (48.7) and 16th in net yardage (41.9). He had 16 punts inside the 20, 16 fair catches, 7 touchbacks, and allowed 9.6 yards/return. The place kicker is rookie Will Reichard, a sixth-round pick from Alabama. Reichard comes to the Vikings as the all-time NCAA Division I FBS scoring leader.

Return duties are scheduled to be split between backup wide receiver Brandon Powell, RB Ty Chandler, and WR Jailen Nailor. In 2023, Powell returned 37 punts for an average of 7.8; Chandler returned 4 kickoffs for an average of 24.3, and Nailor did not have a return. The Vikings did not have a return for a touchdown in 2023.

Hi folks. I hoped to have this out earlier this week but got a bit too busy. God willing I'll have the Vikings' defense report ready by tomorrow. My plan is for future reports to out by mid-week. I hope you enjoy it and find it informative.

Minnesota Vikings Offense

Much like Brian Daboll, Viking Head Coach Kevin O'Connell is an offensive coach. His pedigree is of the Mike Shanahan/Sean McVay school of offense. O'Connell served as Rams' offensive coordinator in 2020 and 2021 before becoming to the Vikings HC in 2022. His offensive coordinator, Wes Phillips, served under O'Connell with the Rams, first as tight ends coach, then as TE coach/passing game coordinator. He is the son of Wade Phillips.

The Kevin O'Connell offense deemphasizes the importance of the run game, even more so than other run/light versions of the Shanahan/McVay offense. In 2023, the Vikings were 28th in the NFL with just 393 run plays, good for only 91.2 rush yards/game (29th) and an NFL worst 7 rushing touchdowns.  The Vikings ran the ball on only 36.7% of the offensive snaps. It is in the passing game where the Vikings offense excels. Despite losing Kick Cousins for nine games, replaced first by Josh Dobbs, then Nick Mullens, the 2023 Vikings still managed to finish 5th in passing yardage (256.4 Y/G), 2nd in completions (424), 4th in attempts (631), 6th in completion percentage (67.2%), and 4th in touchdowns (30). The Vikings were tied for 10th best in sacks given up (47) and 9th best in sack yardage lost (341). Overall, they had the 10th most first downs (340), were 18th best in 3rd down efficiency (38.1%) and 6th best in 4th down efficiency (58.6%). The Vikings' offense tied for 8th with the least offensive penalties (89) and were 4th least in penalty yards (670). The 2023 Vikings were flat out bad in turning the ball over. The Vikings lost 15 fumbles (3rd worst), threw 19 interceptions (4th worst) for a total of 34 turnovers (2nd worst). Given a middling 22 takeaways by the defense (tied for 19), the Vikings' minus 12 turnover ratio was third worst in the NFL.

Note: following is based upon 2023 statistics. The 2023 Vikings ran 11 personnel approximately 50% of the snaps, 12 personnel 23% of the snaps, 21 personnel 12%, 22 personnel 5%, and 4 wideouts 10%. The Vikings played two or more tight ends on about 1/3 of the offensive snaps and averaged about 2.5 wideouts per snap. In the passing game, running backs were targeted about 15%, tight ends 30%, and wideouts 55%. The pass completion rate to running backs was about 77%, with a yards/catch average of 6.5 and a yards/attempt of 5.0. Completion rate to tight ends was 75%, with 10.1 Y/C and 7.6 Y/A. The wideout completion rate was 65% with a Y/C average of 13.1 and a Y/A of 8.6.

In my opinion, the keys to the Giants defense stopping the Vikings offense are as follows:

1)   On run plays, maintain proper gap responsibilities so as to limit the effect of a weak run game. Doing so should force the Vikings into a one-dimensional pass-only offense.
2)   Create a hard outside pass rush by the Giants excellent edge rushers against the Vikings excellent tackles, Such pressure should force the Vikings' backs & TEs to assist with pass pro on the edge.
3)   Create a strong insider pass rush by Dexter Lawrence, who should be able to overwhelm center Garrett Bradbury.  Mix in A-gap blitzes by inside linebackers take advantage of guard help against Dex.
4)   Above all, create pressure against Sam Darnold, forcing him into poor decision making, something he excels at.
5)   Limit the damage done by the Vikings' wideouts, particularly Justin Jefferson. The injury status of Jordan Addison (ankle) and Jailen Nailor (ankle) plays big in this equation. See below. 

Quarterback

The Vikings decided to part ways last off-season with quarterback Kirk Cousins, who left via free agency for Atlanta. On March 13, they signed Sam Darnold to a one-year, $10 million dollar contract as a short-term fix. They subsequently drafted Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the #10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The original plan in place was for Darnold to begin the season as the starter with McCarthy waiting in the wings as the backup. In Preseason Game 1, McCarthy suffered a knee injury which placed him on season-ending IR. The Vikings now have Darnold solidly slotted in as starter, backed up by Nick Mullins and Brett Ripien.

Since the 2018 NFL Draft, when he was selected #3 by the Jets, Darnold has suffered through an up and down, mostly down career. Things never clicked properly for Darnold with the Jets. In three seasons with 38 starts, he threw for just 8,097 yards with 43 touchdowns, 39 picks, and a won/lost record of 13-25. After three seasons, the Jets gave up on Darnold and shipped him off to Carolina in exchange for three draft picks. He then spent two mediocre seasons in Carolina, being edged out as starter in 2022 by Baker Mayfield. A free agent following 2022, Darnold signed a 2023 one-year deal as the backup quarterback in San Francisco. Playing sparingly for the 49ers, he left at season's end and signed the one-year deal with the Vikings.

Other than experience as a starter, Darnold brings little in the way of positive attributes to the quarterback table. He is not a particularly accurate thrower, does not have a cannon for an arm, and is not mobile on his feet. Perhaps most importantly, Darnold is a turnover machine. In 56 NFL starts, he has 63 touchdowns, 56 picks, and 38 fumbles.

The #2 backup, Nick Mullens, shows many of the same proclivities as Darnold. Playing five games in 2023 (three starts), Mullens completed 100 of 148 pass attempts for 1306 yards and an impressive 13.1 yards/completion. That said, he balanced 7 touchdowns with 8 interceptions and two fumbles, losing all three of his starts. Like Darnold, Mullens is not mobile, rushing for just 25 yards on 10 carries. #3 quarterback Brett Ripien comes over from the Rams, where, in 2023, he took just 78 snaps. He completed just 18 of 38 passes for 172 yards, zero touchdowns, one pick, and two fumbles.

Like it or not, the success of the 2024 Vikings will sink or swim on the arm (and experience) of Sam Darnold.

Offensive Line

Many pundits, regularly joined by hopeful Vikings' fans, consider Minnesota's offensive line to be a top ten unit. I don't see it, and neither does PFF, which ranks it at #13. That ranking, to me, remains a bit high. PFF does, indeed, rate the starting tackles as first rate, but somewhat over-values a questionable interior. In addition, the depth is more than a bit suspect. Let's delve in.
Minnesota certainly does have a fine set of bookend tackles. LT Christian Darrishaw, at 2021 first round pick (#23 overall) from Virginia Tech, has developed into one of the top left tackles in the NFL.  In 2023, PFF ranked Darrishaw #8 overall among 81 graded tackles, earning scores of 73.9 for run blocking, 85.3 in pass protection, and an overall score of 82.4. Starting opposite Darrishaw is 29-year-old Brian O'Neill, a 2018 second-round pick from Pitt. O'Neill, ranked #24 overall, earning grades of 71.7(run)/73.4(pass pro)/74.5(overall).

Tackles aside, I see the interior of the line suspect and, in fact, a bit subpar. Center Garrett Bradbury, a 2019 first round pick (#18 overall), is now 29 years old. Somewhat undersized at 6'3"/300, Bradbury has never developed into the player hoped for by the Vikings. Coaching staff and team pundits alike speak of him in terms of "improved play," "something to build on," "hopes for the future." Sound familiar, Giants fans, vis-à-vis high O line draft picks that did not pan out? Truth is, Bradbury is and will be an undersized slightly mediocre center who, when facing powerful nose tackles, will lose the battle time and again. The left guard spot opened up last spring when the Vikings traded 2023 starter Ezra Cleveland to Jacksonville for a sixth-round pick. A camp battle then emerged between former Denver second-round pick Dalton Risner, whom the Vikings re-signed to a one-year deal in April, and Blake Brandel, a 2020 sixth-round pick from Oregon. Brandel seemed to have the upper-hand in this battle, playing with the 1s throughout camp.  Then, in late August, Risner went on the short-term IR with a back injury and will miss at least the Vikings' first four games. Brandel, a 2023 backup, did take 163 snaps, earning PFF grades of 63.8/52.2/55.1. At right guard is returning starter Ed Ingram, a 2022 second-round pick. Ingram, who missed two games in 2023, has started all 32 games in which he has played. Like Bradbury, Ingram is a bit undersized at 6'3"/307. PFF rated him #38 of 79 qualifying guards in 2023, with grades of 59.1/60.9/59.5.

The O line backup unit is thin. This is an important consideration as all 2023 starting positions missed considerable time in 2023. Returning at swing tackle is 34-year-old career backup David Quessenberry. As a 2023 fill-in, Quessenberry took 332 snaps, earning PFF grades of 57.2/68.3/64.8. The #4 tackle, Walter Rouse, is a rookie sixth-round pick from Oklahoma. Rookie guard Michael Jurgens is a former seventh-round pick from Wake Forest. Backing up at center and guard is 30-year-old journeyman Dan Feeney. The one-time third-round pick from Indiana has bounced around from the Chargers, Jets, and, most recently, Chicago. As a 2023 backup for the Bears, Feeney took 91 snaps, earning quite bad grades of 45.7/44.8/44.8.

Running Backs

As stated, the Kevin O'Connell/Wes Phillips offense has a downgraded attitude towards the running game. The Vikings just ran the ball 393 times in 2023, fourth-lowest in the NFL; their run-to-pass ratio was just 36.7%. The Vikings utilize a north/south zone/blocking run game utilized just often enough to keep the opposing defense honest. The Vikings see the RB position as multi-functional. They look for quick, solid, if not brutal downhill runners who are also both solid as pass receivers and pass protectors. The typical Vikings runner is about 5'10''-6'0"/205-215.

The Vikings have opted to keep just two running backs on the 53-man roster. Back in the spring, they decided to not re-sign free agent RB Alexander Mattison, a 2023 starter who ultimately inked a one-year $2 million contract with the Raiders. In his place, they signed one-time Packer Aaron Jones to a one-year/$7 million contract. Similar in both size and game, Jones is a mild upgrade over Mattison. That said, at 29 years old,Jones is three years older than Mattison and is no longer the 1,000-yard threat he once was. Still, he was productive in 2023 for the Packers. In 11 games, he gained 656 yards on 142 carries, 4.6 Y/C while also catching 30 passes on 43 targets for 233 yards, 7.8 yards/catch. Hopefully a lighter carry load will help to limit the injury time from which he has recently suffered. Ty Chandler returns as the oft-used backup. In 2023, The 26-year-old Chandler ran for 461 yards on 102 carries, 4.5 Y/C, and three touchdowns while catching 21 passes on 25 targets for 159 yards, 7.6 yards/catch. The Vikings do carry a fullback: 31-year-old C.J. Ham. Used almost exclusively as a blocker, Ham is rarely utilized otherwise: in 2023, he had just one carry for 7 yards and had 7 catches on 9 targets for 25 yards.

Tight Ends

Tight end is an important position in the Vikings' offense. In 2023, the Vikings played either 12 or 22 personnel on 32% of the offensive snaps, targeting the tight end on 29.6% of the pass attempts, with a completion percentage of 75.4%, 1367receiving yards, and eight touchdowns. As noted, two-time Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson is presently on the Vikings PUP list and is unlikely to play until at least mid-October. That said, #2 tight end Josh Oliver is a very solid player. A 2019 third-round pick from San Jose State, the 2023 Oliver took 466 offensive snaps (42%). He caught 22 passes on 28 targets for 213 yards, 9.7 Y/C, and 2 touchdowns. The #3 tight end, 29-year-old Johnny Mundt, is, at 6'4"/233, primarily utilized as a pass catcher. Targeted 23 times in 2023, he caught 17 passes for 172 yards, 10.1 Y/C, and one touchdown. Returning #4 tight end, Johnny Muse, played quite extensively this preseason. He was used little in 2023 but did catch one pass for 22 yards.

Wide Receiver

Justin Jefferson = All World. Period. 2020 first-round pick (#23 overall) from LSU. As a rookie, he made the Pro Bowl; in every subsequent season, he has gotten better. 2020: 88 catches/1400 yards. 2021: 188 catches/1616 yards. 2022: 128 catches/1809 yards. 2024, in ten games, 68 catches/1071 yards. Three- time Pro Bowler, one time All Pro, 2022 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Barring a mid-season hamstring injury that cost him seven games, the 2023 Jefferson could likely have set the NFL single season yardage record now held by Megatron. Does it all: deep, middle, short. Great routes, great YAC. Must be double teamed every play. Forget about Cover 1; Jefferson will eat that up. Cover 2 or better, with tight coverage underneath.

#2 receiver Jordan Addison is pretty darn good in his own right. The Vikings 2023 first-round pick (#24 overall), he had a quite credible rookie season, catching 70 passes on 108 targets for 911 yards, 13.0 yards/catch, and ten touchdowns. Addison suffered an ankle injury in training camp that has since kept him out of both practice and preseason games. Although witnessed on the field for practice this week, it does not appear that he is participating in team drills. When asked about Addison's availability, Head Coach Kevin O'Connell has used the terminology, "he is improving . . . I hope he will be ready . . . I expect him to be able to play." All this is standard coach speak for a player who will likely NOT be ready to go. We will see.

The Vikings opted to allow 2023 #3 wide receiver K.J Osborn to leave for free agency; he is now on New England. They did so in part because they have been impressed with 2022 sixth-round pick Jailen Nailor, who they hope can step into the #3 role. The problem with Nailor, going back to his college days at Michigan State, is the injury bug. After a decent rookie season in 2022 (9 catches, 179 yards, 19.9 Y/C), he missed 11 games in 2023, catching only six passes for 29 yards. This preseason, he suffered an ankle injury of the "day-to-day" variety that has carried on for several weeks. This week, he has not participated in practice, with HC Kevin O'Connell describing him with the usual "improving day by day . . . hope him to be ready . . ." Again, the usual coach speak. Does not sound promising for him to play against the Giants.

The Vikings do have some talent among the backups. Brandon Powell, who also serves as a punt and kickoff return man, took 407 snaps at wide receiver in 2023. He caught 29 passes on 44 targets for 324 yards, 11.2 Y/C, and one touchdown. The Vikings rarely employ a wide receiver reverse, but, when they do, it is likely Powell that carries the ball. In 2023, he had 5 carries for 17 yards (3.4 Y/C). Trent Sherfield, a 2018 UDFA from Vanderbilt, came to the Vikings from Buffalo. In 2023, Sherfield caught 11 passes for the Bills on 22 targets for 86 yards, 7.8 Y/C, and one touchdown. Finally, Trishton Jackson, a 2020 UDFA from Syracuse, had one of those All- Pro preseasons: 9 catches on 11 targets for 154 yards, 17.1 Y/C, and 3 touchdowns. In fact, Jackson scored in each of the three preseason games. His previous NFL stats, all from 2023, were 2 catches on 4 targets for 9 yards.

Next Up: Vikings Defense

Hey all. Rich, Ceri, and I cut this podcast yesterday, when the roster cut down numbered 12. Since then, we are correct on one move (Isaiah Hodgins) and wrong on another (Jakob Johnson). Interesting to track our calls as the day progresses. Total run time is 45:54. Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/user-826565332/2024-preseason-wrap-up-with-ceri-and-rich-session-mixdown-1

Hi all! Post-draft show with Richie/Mighty Giants and Ceri/UKgiantsfan. Rich, Ceri, and I discuss the six members of the Giants' 2024 draft class. Total run time 29:40. Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/user-826565332/2024-post-draft-rich-and-ceri-mixdown-1

Ceri and I take a look at the Giants' Round 1 pick, Malik Nabers, plus where the front office might go from here. A quick hit podcast of 8:45 in length. Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/user-826565332/2024-draft-round-1-ceri-vo-mixdown-1

Hi all. In this episode, Ceri and discuss the defensive prospects in the upcoming draft who might fit with the Giants. Total run time of the podcast is 24:54.

https://soundcloud.com/user-826565332/2024-pre-draft-ceri-defense-mixdown-1

Included in the podcast is a PSA for a Fund the First fundraiser for Syracuse Police Officer Mike Jensen and Onondaga County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant Michael Hoosock. Both officers of were killed in a shootout April 14 in Liverpool, New York. For those who don't know, I am a former Syracuse Police Sergeant, having retired in 2015 after 30 years with the department. As such, this for me hits close to home. 100% of contributions go directly to the families.

For those who would like to contribute:

https://fundthefirst.com/campaign/supporting-the-family-of-sergeant-michael-hoosock-kfkxle?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0pLFsEqiQ_qXqAQMMEXfB_hRzR0Sfvf1RT8eJoWbFGfwn7yxfKF4cik_M_aem_AS5V7K5TOUZaAnBmQYBXRUSpWd1ZQB9p69VNwnGIjJ2pFQlfjBptLXSGg6QSfVDpMZTQ5TwlvKV0z1N5pEdi6990

Hi All! Just finished recording my latest podcast, featuring BBH Draft Analyst Ceri Dovey, AKA UKGiantsfan. In this podcast, Ceri and I discuss the offensive prospects in the upcoming draft and how they might be fit with the Giants. Total run time is 30:50. Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/user-826565332/2024-pre-draft-ceri-offense-mixdown-1

Hi all. In this podcast, Ceri and I discuss the Giants' free agency moves since the market officially opened up on Monday (March 11). Run time is 26:44. Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/user-826565332/2024-off-season-fa-ceri-session-mixdown-1

Hi all. In this podcast, Ceri and I examine the state of the Giants roster and discuss potential fixes, both in free agency and the draft. Run time is 33:11. Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/user-826565332/off-season-2024-ceri-mixdown-1

Hi all. I've got a podcast scheduled with Ceri that we intend to record Monday afternoon. Subject matter will include the Giants' off-season to date, the on-going combine, and early thoughts on free agency and the upcoming draft. I'd like to include a Q & A block consisting of questions submitted by members of the BBH community. If possible, we might even be able to take a few live phone call questions. Interested BBH members can post their questions here or can shoot me a PM. Thanks to all, and hope to talk to you soon.

Brian/Big Hitter

Hi All. Ceri and I cut an accelerated scouting report on the 49ers. I'll be back a bit later with some additional bullet points. Total run time is 34:48. Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/user-826565332/49ers-session-mixdown-1

Hi Everybody. Ceri and I just finished recording a podcast that looks at all that occurred during the Giants off-season. Points covered include the front office, coaching staff, players retained and not retained, free agent signings, and draft picks. With quite a bit of subject matter, the show runs 44:24, but it does move along quite briskly. Technical issues caused it to be recorded over Wednesday and Thursday, with the final mixdown just completed this afternoon. I hope that you enjoy it.

https://soundcloud.com/user-826565332/2023-off-season-wrap-up-session-mixdown-1

Hi everybody. Here is our post-draft podcast with Ceri Dovey, our very own UKGiantsFans, BBH draft analyst. This podcast includes an approximately 15 minute Q & A block with questions directed from the BBH membership. As always, Ceri was terrific. Total run time of 43:29. Hope you all enjoy it!

https://soundcloud.com/user-826565332/2023-post-draft-podcast-with-ceri-dovey-session-mixdown-1

Hi all. Here, in Part 2 of our look at the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft, Ceri and I discuss the defensive prospects and how they might fit with the the Giants. Total run time is 37.16. Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/user-826565332/2023-nfl-draft-defense-session-mixdown-1

Hi All. Brian here. The NFL Draft is just two weeks from today. In this podcast, Ceri and I discuss the offensive draft prospects and their potential fit with the Giants. We will look at the defensive prospects early next week. The total run time of today's podcast is 26:34. Hope you find it fun and informative.

https://soundcloud.com/user-826565332/2023-draft-ceri-offense-session-mixdown-2

Washington Defense

Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio was a smash-mouth linebacker who played 11 seasons in the NFL. Now a 26-year veteran coach, Del Rio brings his rough-and-tumble attitude to the Washington defense. Del Rio most always utilizes four down linemen, averaging 1.97 defensive tackles and 2.19 DE/edge players per snap. An old school 4-3 coach, Del Rio now runs a modified 4-2-5 set that replaces the third linebacker with a third safety. As such, Washington averages just 1.72 linebackers/snap but 2.59 safeties/snap (and 2.53 CBs/snap). Del Rio likes to pass rush with a four man front and drop seven into a zone Cover 2 shell. That said, Washington will attack the quarterbacks from multiple angles. Year-to-date, linebackers have rushed the passer 82 snaps, led by Jamin Davis with 48. Safeties have pass rushed 21 times and corners 14, yielding a back seven pass rush rate of 29%. Subtract out the 45 instances where D linemen dropped back into zone coverage, and the result is a 5+ man blitz average of 18%.

Statistically, Washington's defense is 8th in yards/game (310.0 Y/G) and 10th in points (19.7 PPG). They have the 8th best run defense (108.4 Y/G), allowing 4.4 yards/carry (tied for 15th). Washington has the 10th best pass defense (201.1 Y/G) and the 4th best completion against percentage (60.1 %). Washington has allowed 17 touchdown passes, tied for 27th worst, and has 7 interceptions (tied 19th). They have 30 sacks (tied 11 best) for minus 221 yards (8th best). They have allowed the eighth least first downs, 207, a number more impressive given that they have played one more game than most teams. Their third-down defense, an impressive 33.3%, is the league's 4th best; the fourth-down defense is 8/17. Washington's defense has committed 63 penalties (20th) for 524 yards (21st). The opposition shows a run/pass ratio of 42.5%.

Defensive Line

Much like the Giants, the strength of the Washington defense begins at defensive tackle. Starters Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne are both former first-round picks from Alabama. Allen, the #17 overall pick in 2017, was a 2021 Pro Bowl selection. Give his year-to-date play, I would expect a return trip. Allen, a 3-tech who has taken 614 of a possible 739 defensive snaps (83%), has recorded 45 tackles (32 solo), 14 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 3 passes defended, 1 interception, 16 quarterback hits, and 1 forced fumble. Allen earns PFF grades of 62.6 in run defense, 87.4 in pass rush, 61.8 in coverage (five drop backs), and 82.3 overall, ranking #10 of 125 qualifying defensive tackles. Payne, the #13 overall pick in 2018, is more of a nose tackle. A durable player, Payne has played 633 (86%) of the defensive snaps. Year-to-date, Payne has 47 tackles (20 solo), 13 TFL, 6.5 sacks, 5 PDs, 14 QB hits, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 safety. Payne, strong in pass rush, has been a bit soft against the run. He shows PFF grades of 43.0(run)/70.3(pass rush), 57.4(overall), ranking 68 of 125. Rookie John Ridgeway, a fifth-round pick from Arkansas, has not played particularly well. With 185 defensive snaps, Ridgeway has 12 tackles (4 solo) with 1 pass defended. He grades a terrible 29.9 against the run, 50.5 in pass rush, 41.3 overall, ranking 109 out of 125.

All-World defensive end/edge rusher Chase Young suffered a devastating ACL injury in 2021 and has yet to play in 2022. Young, designated to return on November 02, did practice this week, with his participation listed as "limited." Although it is possible that Young sees action this Sunday, it seems more likely he will sit this game out, work though the upcoming bye week, and play two weeks hence vs the Giants in Washington. Montez Sweat, who would start opposite Young, is having a terrific year. The 2019 first-round pick from Mississippi State has played 528 (71%) of the defensive snaps, registering 35 tackles (22 solo), 11 TFL, 7.0 sacks, and 2 passes defended. Sweat grades 81.2(run defense)/81.1(pass rush)/88.2(overall), ranking 6th out of 120 qualifying DE/edge rushers. James Smith-Williams has been the primary starter opposite Sweat. A 2020 seventh-round pick from N.C. State, Smith-Williams has played 414 (56%) of the defensive snaps. Year-to-date, Smith-Williams has 22 tackles (11 solo), 4 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 PD, and 13 QB hits. He grades 61.2(run)/57.4(pass rush)/60.5(overall), ranking 81 out of 120.

The primary backup DEs are Casey Toohill, a 2020 seventh-round pick from Stanford, and Efe Obada, a 2015 UDFA (no college). Toohill, who has played 233 (32%) of the defensive snaps, has 15 tackles (6 solo), 2 TFL, 5 QB hits, and 2 fumble recoveries. Toohill grades 61.9(run)/56.4(pass rush)/73.4(coverage, on 11 drop backs)/65.6(overall) ranking 59 of 120. Obada, with 265 (36%) of the snaps, has 17 tackles (8 solo), 3 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 1 PD, and 7 QB hits. Obada grades 53.3(run)/60.1(pass rush)/56.9(overall), ranking 88 of 120. Third-tier backup Daniel Wise, a 2019 UDFA from Kansas, has played 92 defensive snaps. Wise has 1 solo tackle while grading 44.9(run)/56.7(pass rush)/46.8(overall). Shaka Toney, a 2021 seventh-round pick from Penn State, is a specialty teams ace who has taken 51 defensive snaps. At 6'2"/238, Toney is more sized as an outside linebacker but is listed as an edge on the Washington depth chart. Toney currently has 6 tackles (4 solo), with 1 TFL, with PFF defensive grades pf 74.8(run)/56.5(pass rush)/72.2(overall). 

Linebackers

Middle linebacker Cole Holcomb was having a solid season before suffering a Week 8 foot injury. He has since been placed on IR. Prior to the injury, Holcomb, a "cleanup artist" type linebacker, had 69 tackles (37 solo), 1 TFL 1 PD, and 1 QB hit. Holcomb earned PFF grades of 69.4(run defense)/67.0(coverage)/45.2(pass rush)/66.6(overall), ranking #34 of 83 qualifying inside linebackers. Holcomb's replacement has been 31-year-old veteran (and former second round pick) Jon Bostic. Bostic, who had previously been used primarily on special teams, has been, as a defensive starter, at best mediocre. To date, in 179 snaps, Bostic has 18 tackles (8 solo) while grading 50.7(run)/55.4(coverage)/51.7(pass rush)/50.9(overall). The SAM linebacker, 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis, is solid and improving. Davis, who has played 596 (81%) of the defensive snaps, has 68 tackles (44 solo), 6 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 1 PD, 5 QB hits, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. Davis grades 64.6(run)/45.2(coverage)/70.4(pass rush)/55.9(overall), ranking #57 of 83 qualifying linebackers. Davis is by far Washington's top blitzer, having rushed the quarterback 48 times.

The remaining backup linebackers are all primarily specialty team players. Former Giant David Mayo has 177 ST and 45 defensive snaps. He has 6 tackles (2 solo) while earning an overall defensive grade of 52.3. Milo Eifler, who has missed time with a hamstring injury, has played 88 ST snaps but only 6 defensive snaps. Kaleke Hudson, who has 169 ST snaps, has only 2 defensive snaps. Both Eifler and Hudson have 2 tackles apiece.

Cornerbacks

Kendall Fuller, a 2016 third-round pick from Virginia Tech, has developed into a solid edge corner. The 27-year-old Fuller, who has played 732 of a possible 739 snaps, has 41 tackles (31 solo), 1 TFL, 11 passes defended, and 2 interceptions. Fuller's PFF grades are 64.4(coverage)/69.9(run defense)/32.8(pass rush)/66.3(overall), ranking #45 of 121 qualifying cornerbacks. Fuller's fellow starter, Benjamin St-Juste, missed last week's Atlanta game with an ankle injury and has been ruled OUT for Sunday's Giants game. Prior to injury, St-Juste, a 2021 third-round pick from Minnesota, had 38 tackles (31 solo), 1 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 7 PDs, 2 QB hits, and 1 forced fumble. St-Juste's PFF grades are 63.3(coverage)/48.2(run defense)/85.1(pass rush)/59.8(overall), ranking #68 of 121. Playing in St-Juste's spot last week was rookie Christian Holmes, a seventh-round pick from Oklahoma State. Holmes, who had just 6 previous defensive snaps, played reasonably well against Atlanta, playing 55 of 57 defensive snaps. On the season, including STs, Holmes has 7 tackles (3 solo) and 1 fumble recovery. His PFF defensive grades are 63.2(coverage)/39.3(run defense)/51.6(overall).

Outside of Holmes, Washington has limited options at cornerback. In early November, they traded the disappointing William Jackson III, a former #1 of the Texans, to the Steelers for a seventh-round draft pick. Jackson, who in 2021 signed a three-year/$40.5 million dollar free agent contract, had played poorly this year. Following his poor play in the Week 5 loss to Tennessee, Williams was benched, resulting in his demand for a trade. Following the trade, second-year corner Rachad Wildgoose, a sixth-round pick from Wisconsin, benefitted the most from Jackson's demise. Wildgoose saw his playing time through Week 10 increase to 193 defensive snaps. That said, Wildgoose did not play well and has not taken a defensive snap in either of the past 2 games. On the season, Wildgoose has 15 tackles (11 solo) with 3 PDs. He grades 53.4(coverage)/40.3(run defense)/54.5(pass rush)/50.1(overall). One more CB option is Danny Johnson, a 2018 UDFA from Sothern U. Year-to-date, Johnson, with 63 defensive snaps, has 5 tackles (3 solo) and one PD. He grades 62.1/67.1/51.0/62.5.

Safeties

Kamren Curl, a third-year player out of Arkansas, is the starting strong safety. Just a seventh-round pick, Curl has developed into a pleasant surprise. Curl is capable both up tight to the line-of-scrimmage and deep off the line in Cover 2. When Washington stacks the LOS against the Giants' run game, expect Curl to he the eighth man in the box. On the season, Curl, with 598 (81%) of the defensive snaps, has 65 tackles (46 solo), 5 TFL, and 1.0 sacks. Probably a bit over-graded by PFF, Curl earns scores of 81.7(coverage)/82.6(run support)/63.9(pass rush)/84.8(overall), ranking #3 of 88 qualifying safeties. Starting at free safety is second year player Darrick Forrest. Much like Curl, Forrest, a fifth-round pick from Cincinnati, was a great find; also, like Curl, I find Forrest's PFF grades a bit high. On the season, in 545 (74%) defensive snaps, Forrest has 61 tackles (41 solo), 1 TFL, 6 PDs, 3 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery. His PFF grades are 81.4(coverage)/63.3(run support)/49.9(pass rush)/77.1(overall), ranking #7 of 88.

Washington DC Jack Del Rio prefers a safety, rather than a corner, to play the nickel back spot. This season, that role has been filled by veteran Bobby McClain. Somewhat the WFT's version of Julian Love, McClain fills multiple roles in the secondary, playing both slot corner and deep safety in Covers 2 and 3.  Expect to see McClain aligned deep when Curl moves into the box as run support. Originally a 2015 fifth-round pick of the Dolphins, McClain rarely comes off the field, having played 707 (96%) of the defensive snaps. On the season, McClain has 55 tackles (38 solo), 2 TFL, 4 PDs, and 1 QB hit. He grades 63.4(coverage)/34.0(run support)/57.9(pass rush)/56.2(overall), ranking 67 of 88 qualifying safeties. Elsewise, Washington has a second corner/safety hybrid in rookie Percy Butler. A seventh-round pick from Louisiana-Lafayette, Butler, with 39 defensive snaps, has 3 tackles (2 solo) and 1 fumble recovery. Butler grades 57.2(coverage)/44.6(run support)/50.9(overall). Jeremy Reeves, a 2018 UDFA from S. Alabama, did take 25 early season defensive snaps but has since played only on special teams. Clearly an ST ace, Reeves has 13 tackles (10 solo). His defensive grades are 64.9/63.8/68.7.

Special Teams

Washington's primary return man, Dax Milne, missed last week's Atlanta game with a foot injury and has been RULED OUT for Sunday. On the season, Milne, who has split kickoff duties with Antonio Gibson, has returned 12 kickoffs for 246 yards, 20.5 Y/R, with a long of 33 yards. Milne had been the sole punt returner, returning 30 punts for 233 yards, 7.8 Y/R, with a long of 19 and 14 fair catches. With Milne out, Gibson will handle all kickoff duties. On the year, Gibson has 13 returns for 327 yards, 25.2 Y/R, with a long of 45 yards. To return punts, Washington elevated Alex Erickson from the practice squad. The veteran Erickson, a long-time Bengal,  Erickson took over PR duties vs Atlanta but did not return a punt.

Joey Slye, a veteran journeyman, is Washington's kicker. Year-to-date, Slye is 18/20 on field goals, including 3/3 on 50+, and is 17/19 on extra points. Veteran Tress Way remains Washington's punter. Year-to-date, Way has 60 punts for a 47.3 gross average, a 43.7 net average, with 20 fair catches, 26 kicks inside the 20, and a return average of 6.1 Y/R.

Washington Offense

The Washington Football Team, who began the season 1-3, have since won six their last seven games and now sits at 7-4. The turn-around began in a Week 6 Thursday night victory over the Bears, a game in which starting quarterback Carson Wentz suffered a finger injury that landed him on the IR. In the six games since that injury, under replacement quarterback Taylor Heinicke, Washington is 5-1. It's easy to attribute this recent success to the QB switch, an assumption which may in part be correct but which in fact is a bit more complex. It is likely more correct to say that the QB switch necessitated a change in the offensive system, a switch that has shown solid success. In six games with Wentz at quarterback, Washington averaged 39 passes per game; in the six games under Heinicke, the offense has averaged just 28 passes/game. The updated Washington offense is committed to a ball control style of play, a commitment that has produced results. Washington's average time of possession, 32:45, currently sits #1 in the NFL; in the past three games, their TOP has been a very impressive 36:09.

Ron Rivera coached at Carolina from 2011-2019. Fired after 2019 by the Panthers, Rivera was subsequently hired by Washington. Rivera hired Scott Turner, his QB coach/interim OC at Carolina, to be his new offensive coordinator. Like Rivera, Turner brings an old-school attitude to the game. Unfortunately for Washington, the strong arm of Carson Wentz combined with an impressive array of wide receivers tempted Turner into an early-season level of passing that was quite unacceptable. Wentz' injury resulted in a course adjustment back towards the power run/ball control offense that both Turner and Rivera instinctively prefer.  A side effect of this change has been a statistically impressive improvement in pass protection: in six games, Wentz was sacked 23 times for minus 140 yards; in the six games since, Heinicke has been sacked just nine times for minus 72 yards. Combine the recent success of this ball-control offense with a defense that that has allowed the 8th fewest first downs and whose 33% third down efficiency is the league's 4th best, the result is a team that is able to control the game through clock management and which thereby limits the offensive possessions of the opposition.

Outside of time of possession, Washington's offense, from a statistical point of view, is unimpressive. They are 23rd in yards/game (324.9 Y/G) and 24th in points (19.4 PPG). They average 121.1 rushing yards/game (15th). They have the 4th most rushing attempts (365) but are 26th in yards/carry at 4.0. Washington averages 203.8 passing yards/game (24th) with a completion rate 61.5 (28th). They are averaging 6.1 yards/attempt and 9.9 yards/completion, both low numbers. They are tied for 10th in touchdown passes with 17 but also have 11 interceptions. Overall, they have allowed 32 sacks for minus 212 yards, 8th and 9th best in the league. They have a season-long run/pass ratio of 45.6. Washington's third-down efficiency is a mediocre 36.8% (26th), while they are presently 8/16 on 4th down attempts. The Washington offense has committed 66 penalties (13th most) for 625 penalty yards (6th most). The team is an even zero in plus/minus turnover ratio: 3 fumbles lost/11 interception thrown by the offense vs 7 fumble recoveries and 7 interceptions by the defense.

Washington runs 12 personnel about 30%, 11 personnel about 70%. Washington very rarely runs 20 personnel, having featured two backs on only 12 out of 834 offensive snaps. The team averages 1.29 tight ends/snap and 2.69 wide receivers/snap. "Tackle eligible" is almost non-existent, having occurred only twice all season. Running backs have been targeted with 24.5% of the passing attempts. The completion rate to the backs is 77.7%, with an average of 6.9 yards/completion and 5.4 yards/attempt. Tight ends have been targeted with 19% of the attempts, with a completion rate of just 57.5%. Passes to the TE average 9.2 yards/completion and 5.3 yards/attempt. Wide receivers have been targeted with 56.5% of the passes, with a completion rate of 61.3. Wide receivers average 13.3 yards/completion and 8.1 yards/attempt. Of Washington's 17 touchdown passes, 3 have gone to running backs, 2 to tight ends, and 12 to wide outs. Despite its run-heavy offense, Washington has just 7 rushing touchdowns on the season.

Offensive Line

Offensive line, always a strength of the Washington Football Team, has been in a bit of a flux the past few seasons. All-World left tackle Trent Williams left in 2020 for San Francisco, where he is currently the top-rated tackle in the NFL. Right tackle Morgan Moses left in 2021, spending a year with the Jets before signing on this season with Baltimore, where he continues to somehow get away with holding on every pass play. Five-time Pro Bowl right guard Brandon Scherff left last spring for Jacksonville. Combine these losses with several key 2022 injuries, and one gets a WFT that has scrambled to put together a competent offensive line. This they have done, creating a winnable if unspectacular line that currently ranks 16th in run blocking and 25th in pass blocking. Let's take a look.

Left tackle Charles Leno Jr has been a pleasant surprise. A 2014 seventh-round draft pick of the Bears, the 31-year-old Boise State grad spent seven years in Chicago before joining Washington in 2021. Leno, who has played all 834 offensive snaps, has earned year-to-date PFF grades of 57.6 run blocking, 83.7 pass blocking, and 74.2 overall, ranking #17 out of 77 qualifying tackles. Samuel Cosmi began the season as the WFT's right tackle. Cosmi, a second-year former second-round pick from Texas, started the first four games of the season, playing well. He subsequently suffered a right thumb injury that caused him to miss Weeks 5-7. Since his return, Cosmi has split time at RT with Cornelius Lucas. Cosmi, who has played 398 (48%) of the offensive snaps, continues to grade well, scoring PFF grades of 83.8(run)/70.0(pass pro)/78.8(overall), ranking #12 of 77. Lucas, a journeyman tackle who was a 2014 UDFA out of Kansas State, has played moderately well. In 438 (52%) of the snaps, he grades 69.9(run)/58.0(pass pro)/64.9(overall), ranking #50 of 77.

Veteran Chase Roullier began the season as the starting center. Roullier subsequently suffered a knee injury at the end of the Week 2 loss to the Lions and has since been placed on season-ending IR. In 150 snaps, the 2017 sixth-round pick from Wyoming scored 52.6(run)/60.4(pass)/56.3(overall). Roullier's initial replacement was veteran Wes Schweitzer. Schweitzer, who had 20 snaps in Week1, played all 77 Week 3 snaps but suffered a severe concussion which landed him on IR. In 97 snaps, the 29-year-old Schweitzer graded 64.0/32.1/50.2. Schweitzer was designated to return this week but whether he is active Sunday is highly questionable. Schweitzer replacement for Weeks 4 & 5 was veteran Nick Martin. Originally the Texans' 2017 second-round pick from Notre Dame, Martin played poorly: in 137 snaps, he graded 58.3(run)/30.1(pass pro)/44.3 (overall). Following Week 5, Martin was replaced as starter by 31-year-old veteran Tyler Larsen. A 2014 UDFA signing by the Panthers, Larsen has played every snap at center since taking over from Martin. In 469 snaps, he grades 61.7/33.7/56.4, ranking #27 out of 38 qualifying centers.

Left guard Andrew Norwell, late of the Jacksonville Jaguars, was a solid 2022 FA acquisition. A 2014 UDFA signing by the Jags, the former Ohio State Buceye has been decent, if not spectacular. In 831 (out a possible 834) offensive snaps, Norwell grades 60.2(run)/55.9(pass)/57.5(overall), ranking #54 out of 81 qualifying guards. Right guard Trai Turner, a former 2014 third-round pick from LSU, began the season as the starter. Turner played every down before injuring his ankle/knee early in the Week 4 loss to Dallas. Turner missed the next three games, then returned as starter in Week 8. Turner played every down Weeks 8-11, then re-injured his knee last week vs Atlanta. He has not participated in practice this week and is, at best, questionable for Sunday. If Turner is unable to play, his likely replacement is 2020 fourth-round pick Sahhdiq Charles. Charles, who started earlier in Turner's absence, has played 290 snaps. He grades 49.7/29.7/42.3, ranking #75 out of 81 qualifying guards.

Running Backs

Washington is solid at running back. Starter Antonio Gibson, a third-year/former third-round pick from Memphis, is a productive player in both the run and pass games. Year to date, in 388 offensive snaps, Gibson has 476 rushing yards on 130 carries, 3.7 yards/carry, and three rushing touchdowns, and has 40 catches on 47 targets for 306 yards, 7.7 yards/catch, and 2 receiving touchdowns. Gibson, who had six fumbles in 2021, has cleaned up that issue: he has zero fumbles in 2022. Gibson grades 71.2(run)/82.3(receiving)/76.9(overall), ranking 14 out of 63 qualifying running backs. Rookie Brian Robinson, a third-round pick from Alabama, was victim to a robbery/shooting on August 28, an incident that left him with gunshot wounds to his knee and glute. Robinson missed the season's first four games but has since returned to full-time duty. A productive player, Robinson, in 218 snaps, has 126 carries for 467 rushing yards, 3.7 Y/C, and 2 touchdowns, and has caught 6 passes on 7 targets for 27 yards, 4.5 Y/C, and 1 touchdown. Robinson grades 83.5(run)/53.8(receiving)/83.0(0verall), ranking #8 of 63. 29-year-old J.D. McKissic remains Washington's third-down "change of pace" back. A 2016 UDFA from Arkansas State, McKissic, in 221 snaps, has 22 carries for 95 yards, 4.3 Y/C, and 27 catches on 40 targets for 173 yards, 6.4 Y/C. McKissic grades 53.8/54.4/54.2, earning a rank of 59/63. The #4 back, Jonathan Williams, has just 14 offensive snaps. Williams does 76 yards on 10 carries, an average of 7.6 Y/C.

Tight Ends

31-year-old journeyman Logan Thomas lists as Washington's starting tight end. A college quarterback at Virginia Tech, Thomas, a 2014 fourth-round pick, played his first three years in the NFL as a backup QB before switching to tight end. In 2022, in 438 snaps, Thomas has 21 catches on 36 targets for 190 yards, 9.0 Y/C, and 1 touchdown. Thomas earns PFF grades pf 58.6(receiving)/52.4(run blocking)56.8(overall), ranking #50 out of 69 qualifying tight ends. Thomas was listed as "limited" in Wednesday's injury report with a rib injury. #2 tight end John Bates is a 2021 fourth-round pick from Boise State. In 333 snaps, Bates has 14 catches on 22 targets for 108 yards, 7.7 Y/C, and 1 touchdown. Rookies Cole Turner, a fifth-round pick from Nevada, and Armani Rogers, a UDFA from Ohio, have been used primarily as a blockers. On the season, Turner, in 158 snaps, has 2 catches on 9 targets for 23 yards, 11.5 Y/C. Turner grades 47.6(receiving)/73.2(run blocking)/55.1(overall). Rogers, in 147 snaps, has 5 catches on 6 targets for 64 yards, 12.8 Y/C. Rogers also has one carry for 24 yards. Rogers grades 65.3/53.3/61.2.

Wide Receivers

Fourth-year wide out Terry McLaurin is solid as both a possession receiver and as a deep threat. Pretty much an every down player, and hence an every down threat, McLaurin has played 754, or 90%, of the 834 offensive snaps. To date, he has 54 catches on 86 targets for 840 yards, 15.6 yards/catch, and 2 touchdowns. McLaurin also has 6 carries for 17 yards; he does have one fumble. McLaurin grades 77.8(receiving)/37.7(run)/77.0(overall), ranking 19 out of 119 qualifying wideouts. The #2 receiver is fellow Ohio State Buckeye and former Carolina Panther Curtis Samuel. Signed as a free agent in 2021, Samuel's initial season in Washington was injury-plagued, but he has healthy throughout 2022. Year-to-date, in 630 snaps, Samuel has 48 catches on 72 targets for 493 yards, 10.3 Y/C, and 3 touchdowns. A bit of a gimmick player, Samuel has 28 carries for 165 yards, 5.9 Y/C, a long run of 49 yards, 1 rushing touchdown, and 1 fumble. Samuel's PFF grades are 69.7(receiving)/73.2(rushing)/71.1(overall), ranking #41 of 119. The #3 receiver is rookie first-round pick Jahan Dotson. The 2022 #16 overall pick from Penn State, Dotson has come along slowly. In 369 snaps, Dotson has 14 catches on 26 targets for 179 yards, 12.8 Y/C, and 4 touchdowns. To date not a threat on the reverse, Dotson has just 2 carries for minus 7 yards. Dotson grades 63.6(receiving)/50.5(run)/61.9(overall), ranking #85 of 119.

Washington does have three additional receivers that have received significant playing time. Cam Sims, a 2018 UDFA from Alabama, has played 287 snaps. Year-to-date, he has 6 catches on 14 targets for 75 yards, 12.5 Y/C. Sims earns PFF grades of 52.0(receiving)/49.0(overall), ranking 116 of 119 qualifying wide outs. Dyami Brown, a 2021 third-round pick from North Carolina, has played 116 snaps. Brown, a legitimate deep threat, has 5 catches on 14 targets for 143 yards, 28.3 yards/catch, and 2 touchdowns. Brown grades 72.0(receiving)/69.5(overall). Dax Milne was a 2021 seventh-round pick from BYU. In 80 offensive snaps, Milne has 6 catches on 7 targets for 37 yards, 6.2 Y/C, and 1 touchdown. Milne is also Washington's primary kick returner, averaging 20.5 yards on 12 kickoff returns and 7.8 yards on 30 punt returns.

Quarterbacks

As discussed above, the Week 6 injury to Carson Wentz resulted in him being placed on IR, replaced by Taylor Heinicke. This switch forced changes to the offense that has resulted in overall better team play. Individually, Heinicke has not been much of an improvement over Wentz. In six games, Heineke has completed 104 of 171 pass attempts for 1169 yards, 194.8 yards/game, 11.2 yards/completion, 6.8 yards/attempt, and a completion percentage of 60.8%. Heinicke has 7 touchdown passes, 5 interceptions, and has been sacked 9 times for minus 72 yards. Never a run threat, Heinicke has 6 carries for 21 yards, 3.5 Y/C, 1 touchdown, and 2 fumbles. Heinicke has a quarterback rating of 82.7 and a QBR of 47.0. He earns PFF grades of 49.5 passing, 56.2 rushing, and 50.7 overall, ranking #38 out of 39 qualifying quarterbacks. In contrast, also in six games, Wentz completed 144 of 232 pass attempts for 1489 yards, 248.2 yards/game, 10.3 yards/completion, 6.4 yards/attempt, and a completion rate of 62.1%. Wentz had 10 touchdown passes, threw 6 interceptions, and was sacked 23 times for minus 140 yards. Wentz did have 19 carries for 79 yards, an average of 4.2 yards/carry. Always poor with ball security, Wentz had 6 fumbles (compared to Heinicke's 2). Wentz had a quarterback rating of 84.1 and a QBR of 33.0. He earned PFF grades of 61.3 passing, 64.1 rushing, and 63.1 overall, ranking 29 out of 39 qualifying quarterbacks.

The Detroit Lions Defense

No way to sugarcoat it, the Detroit defense is just plain bad. More to the point, they are the league's worst, sitting dead last at both yards/game (416.2) and points/game (29.3), In fact, they are on pace to have the 8th worst yardage defense EVER. The Lions are 31st in run defense (160.9 Y/G) and 27th in pass defense (255.3 Y/G). The Lions yield 5.3 yards/carry and have given up 15 rushing touchdowns, both 30th in the league. They have given up 15 touchdown passes (30th) and have 6 interceptions (tied 21st). They have yielded 213 first downs (tied for 29th) and are dead last in third down efficiency (51.4%). In a pick-your-poison choice, opponents have shown a balanced 46.7 run/pass ratio.

50-year-old Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn played fifteen years in the NFL. Glenn, a terrific three-time Pro Bowl cornerback, played 1994-2001 for the Jets, then 2002-2008 for the Texans, Cowboys, Jacksonville, and Saints. He later served as DB coach for the Browns (2014-2015) and the Saints (2016-2020) before Dan Campbell hired him in 2021 as the Lions DC. Glenn runs a 4-3-4/4-2-5 defense with elements of a 3-4-4/3-3-5. Glenn's scheme is blitz-happy: by my count, the Lions have sent 5 or more pass rushers on 29.1% of the passing downs. In fact, the Lions have rushed a back-seven defender 171 times, or 55% of the pass plays, while they have dropped a DE/edge into coverage 80 times, or 26% of the pass plays. None of this has helped an anemic pass rush: the Lions have just 15 sacks for minus 97 yards, both 28th in the NFL. The Lions began the season with quite a bit of man coverages, but a prodigious number of huge pass plays resulted in a switch to an almost exclusively zone scheme. This switch couldn't save the job of defensive backs/defensive passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant, who was let go on October 31.

Defensive Line

The who/what/where of the Detroit defensive line can be quite confusing. The Lions have a 3-to-4 player rotation at defensive tackle, but they also include a rotation of defensive ends to DT alignments and edge/outside linebackers to defensive end. Most of the D linemen are bad-to-awful in run defense but are also poor in pass rush. Add in a healthy dose of dropping DE/edge rushers into coverage and you get an ineffective if confusing mish-mash of WTF-is-going-on stew.

Alim McNeill is the Lions starting nose tackle. A 2021 third-round pick from North Carolina, McNeill has played 460 (74%) of 619 total defensive snaps. To date, he has 13 tackles (7 solo), three tackles for loss, and 2 QB hits. He earns PFF grades of 57.8 in run defense, 57.6 in pass rush, and 61.7 overall, ranking #46 of 124 qualifying tackles. The starting 3-tech is Isaiah Buggs, a 2019 sixth-round pick from Alabama. Buggs has to date played 440 (71%) of the defensive snaps. To Date, Buggs has 21 tackles (12 solo), 1 pass defended, and three QB hits. Buggs grades 40.9(run)/56.2(pass rush)/43.1(overall), ranking #104 out of 124. The primary backup DT is Benito Jones, a 2020 UDFA signing from Ole Miss. In 140 snaps, Jones has 5 tackles (3 solo) and one pass defended. Jones grades 39.2(run)/55.6(pass)/40.0(overall), ranking 109/124. The venerable 35-year-old Michael Brockers began the season as the starting 3-tech, but has since entered the coaches' doghouse and has not played since Week 5. A 2012 first-round pick of the Rams, Brokers, in 113 defensive snaps, has 4 tackles (1 solo), 1 PD, and 1 QB hit. Brockers grades 48.4(run)/55.8(pass rush)/50.1(overall). Rookie UDFA Demetrious Taylor has just 13 defensive snaps, all in the Week 5 blowout loss to New England. Taylor has since been waived.

Rookie first-round pick Aiden Hutchinson has been all that was expected and more. The #2 overall pick from Michigan, Hutchinson has played 533, or 86%, of the defensive snaps. To date he has 28 tackles (19 solo), 4 TFL, 5.5 sacks, 1 PD, 1 interception, and 10 QB hits. Hutchinson grades 61.6(run defense)/61.7(pass rush)/75.6(coverage)/66.8(overall), ranking #49 out of 119 qualifying DE/edge rushers. Starting opposite Hutchinson is co-rookie Josh Paschal. A second-round pick from Kentucky, Paschal has played 195 (32%) of the defensive snaps. Paschal presently has 7 tackles (4 solo) and 2 QB hits. He grades 63.4(run)/55.5(pass rush)/61.1(coverage)/61.5(overall), ranking 74/119. Paschal has been nursing a knee injury and has been ruled OUT FOR SUNDAY. Backup DE/Edge Charles Harris, a 2017 first-round pick from Missouri, has played 261 (42%) of the snaps. Harris has 14 tackles (10 solo), 2 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 1 PD, 4 QB hits, and one forced fumble. He grades 45.3/56.5/64.4/56.4, for an overall rank of 93/119. Harris suffered a groin injury this week during practice and has been ruled OUT FOR SUNDAY. Backup DE John Cominsky, a 2019 fourth-round pick from West Virginia-Charleston, has played well. With 154 (25%) defensive snaps, Cominsky has 8 tackles (4 solo), 1 TFL, 1.0 sacks, and 2 QB hits. He grades 73.1/57.9/60.3/67.6. Austin Bryant, a 2019 fourth-round pick from Clemson, has played 126 (20%) of the defensive snaps. YTD he has 6 tackles (5 solo), 1 TFL, and 1 PD. He grades 61.8/56.2/55.9/58.1. Bryant did not play the past two games but, given the injuries to Paschal and Harris, will likely see extended playing time against the Giants.

Linebackers

Alex Anzalone is Detroit's starting middle linebacker. Anzalone rarely comes off the field, having played 584 (94%) of 619 defensive snaps. A 2017 third-round pick from Florida, Anzalone is, at best, below average. Year-to-date, Anzalone has 72 tackles (44 solo), 3 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 4 PDs, and three QB hits. He earns PFF grades of 57.2(run defense)/49.5(coverage)/67.5(pass rush)/51.9(overall), ranking #70 out of 82 qualifying inside linebackers. The Lions do carry two backup ILBs. Jarrad Davis was the Lions 2017 first-round pick (Florida). Davis spent a disappointing four seasons in Detroit. When the Lions did not pick up his option, Davis left and played 2021 for the Jets. Released by the Jets after just one season, Davis was signed back by Detroit to their practice squad. Due to linebacker injuries, he was promoted to the active roster for last week's game against the Bears. Davis played 12 defensive snaps, registering 2 tackles (1 solo) and 1 PD, with a PFF overall grades of 82.2. Elsewise, ILB Josh Woods is a specialty teams ace who has registered six ST tackles. He has just two defensive snaps.

Starting WLB Malcolm Rodriguez injured his elbow in the Week 9 win over Green Bay and missed last week's Bears game. He practiced all this week but is listed as QUESTIONABLE for Sunday. A rookie sixth-round pick from Oklahoma State, Rodriguez has taken 371 defensive snaps. Year-to-date, Rodriguez has 54 tackles (41 solo), 5 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 1 PD, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries. He earns PFF grades of 57.2(run)/59.1(coverage)/76.7(pass rush)/61.6(overall), ranking 45 of 82 qualifying linebackers. SAM/swing linebacker Derrick Barnes is a second-year fourth-round pick from Purdue. With 187 defensive snaps, Barnes has 27 tackles (15 solo), 2 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 1 PD, and 1 QB hit. He grades 59.9(run)/39.7(coverage)/73.8(pass rush)/56.4(overall), ranking #55 of 82. Chris Board began the year as the nominal starting SAM but his defensive playing time severely dropped after suffering a Week 4 knee injury. Board has played just 13 defensive snaps over the past five games. On the season, the 2018 UDFA signing from North Dakota State has played 91 defensive snaps, registering 14 tackles (11 solo), 1 QB hit, and 1 forced fumble. Board grades 59.7(run)/90.6(coverage)/76.5(pass rush)/90.3(overall). Julian Okwara, the brother of injured DE Romeo Okwara, splits time at OLB and at edge. A 2020 third-round pick from Notre Dame, Okwara has played 169 defensive snaps. On the year, Okwara has 16 tackles (9 solo), 3 TFL, 2.0 sacks, and 3 QB hits. He grades 59.5/31.0/56.2/43.1. Listed as an edge by PFF (I disagree), Okwara ranks a very poor 115/119. Finally, Anthony Pittman, a 2019 UDFA OLB from Wayne State, is used mostly as a specialty teams player. He has taken 26 defensive snaps, earning an overall linebacker grade of 58.4.

Cornerbacks

By far Detroit's biggest defensive disappointment has been left corner Amani Oruwariye. Following a solid 2021 season, outlets such as Bleacher Report projected Oruwariye as a potential 2022 Pro Bowl candidate. Instead, the 2019 fifth-round pick from Penn State has completely tanked, ranking dead last in PFF's list of 114 qualifying corners. His play has been so bad that he was a healthy scratch twice this season and played just a single defensive snap in each of the past two games. Year-to-date, Oruwariye has played 342 defensive snaps, registering 32 tackles (26 solo), 1 TFL, 2 PD, and 1 fumble recovery. He posts atrocious PFF grades of 29.1 (coverage)/30.0(run defense)/28.2(overall). Will Harris, who has played several positions along the defensive backfield, has taken over at Oruwariye's corner spot. A 2019 third-round pick from Boston College, Harris has 261 total defensive snaps. To date, Harris has 31 tackles (25 solo), 2 TFL, 2 PDs, and 1 interception.

Starting at right corner is former Ohio State Buckeye Jeff Okudah. Taken by the Lions with the 2020 #3 overall pick, the "can't miss" Okudah disappointed his first two seasons. This year, his play has been quite solid and he is now one of the league's better corners. Having played 569 (91%) of the defensive snaps, Okudah has 50 tackles (42 solo), 2 TFL, 5 PDs, 1 interception, and 1 forced fumble. He grades 63.3 for coverage, 75.7 in run support, and 67.1 overall, ranking #44 of 114 qualifying corners. The Lions slot corner is former Vikings first-round pick Mike Hughes. Drafted in 2019, Hughes has been an overall disappointment. He played three years in Minnesota and one year in Kansas City before signing with Detroit last spring on a one-year, $3.5 million dollar contract. In 261 (42%) of the snaps, Hughes has 26 tackles (18 solo)m with 1 TFL and 2 QB hits. His PFF grades are 46.2(coverage)/69.9(run support)/74.3(pass rush)/53.1(overall), ranking 87/114.

Elsewhere, corner Jerry Jacobs, promoted off the PUP list in October, has played 77 defensive snaps the past two games and is in the mix as a potential starter. On the season, the 2021 UDFA from Arkansas has 7 tackles (6 solo), 2 TFL, and 1 PD, scoring solid PFF grades of 68.9(coverage)/58.5(run support)/67.2(overall). AJ Parker, who had 113 defensive snaps, did not play the past two games and was waived November 11. On the season, he had 11 tackles, with an overall PFF grade of 39.9. Bobby Price, a 2021 UDFA from Norfolk State, was placed on season-ending IR last October 23. In 38 defensive snaps, Price had 4 tackles and a PFF overall grade of 44.2. Chase Lucas, a rookie seventh-round pick from Arizona State, has mostly played on special teams. He has taken 5 defensive snaps with a 29.8 overall grade. Saivon Smith, a 2019 UDFA signing from Alabama, is on the roster but has suited up just once, taking 2 defensive snaps.

Safeties

The Lions starting free safety, Deshon Elliott, was a 2018 sixth-round pick from Texas. Year-to-date, Elliott has 57 tackles (44 solo), 4 TFL, 2 PDs, 1 interception, 2 QB hits, and 1 fumble recovery. Elliott is a solid player who grades 63.4 in coverage, 65.0 in run support, 72.2 in pass rush, and 66.4 overall, ranking #39 out 85 qualifying safeties. Elliott left last week's Bears game with a concussion and has been limited in practice all week. Still in concussion protocol, Elliott is listed as QUESTIONABLE for Sunday. The Lions lost starting strong safety Tracy Walker in the Week 3 loss to the Vikings. Prior to the injury, Walker, in 140 snaps, had 20 tackles (11 solo), 1 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 1 PD, and 1 QB hit. A solid player, the 2018 third-round pick from Louisiana-Lafayette has PFF scores of 75.4(coverage)/58.5(run support)/77.6(pass rush)/74.3(overall). Walker's primary replacement has been rookie Kerby Joseph, a third-round pick from Illinois. Over 366 defensive snaps, Joseph has 38 tackles (21 solo), 4 PDs, 2 interceptions, 1 QB hit, and 2 forced fumbles. He grades 73.3/41.7/57.9/67.0, ranking 38/85.

Strong safety Juju Hughes, a 2020 UDFA signing from Fresno State, has taken defensive 165 snaps. To date, Hughes has 18 tackles (14 solo), 2 TFL, 1.0 sacks, and 1 QB hit. Hughes shows PFF grades of 55.0/51.1/58.0/52.3.  Although healthy, Hughes has not taken a defensive snap the past two games, having lost his playing time to second-year player CJ Moore. (As I write this, Patti Traina is reporting that Hughes was just released by the Lions.) A 2021 UDFA from Ole Miss, Moore, who previously had 2 defensive snaps all year, logged 55 combined snaps the past 2 games. Moore, with 3 tackles and 1 PD, earns grades of 71.8(coverage)/28.3(run support)/58.1(overall).  Ifeatu Melifonwu, a 2021 third-round pick from Syracuse, has been hobbled with an ankle injury and has played just 5 defensive snaps all year.

Special Teams

Running back Justin Jackson is the primary kickoff returner. Jackson has 7 returns for 179 yards, an average of 25.6 yards/return, with a long of 39 yards. Recently released wide receiver Maurice Alexander returned 6 kickoffs for 146 yards, 24.2 yards/return, with a long of 47 yards. Wide receiver Kalif Raymond is the punt returner. Raymond has returned 10 punts for 79 yards, 7.9 yards/return, with a long of 13 yards and 9 fair catches. Raymond also has one kickoff return for 52 yards. Jack Fox is the Lions' punter. With 28 punts, Fox has a 48.7 gross and a 39.8 net, with 6 punts inside the 20 and 5 fair catches. The Lions punt coverage has been atrocious: over 17 returns, the Lions have allowed 229 return yards, an average of 13.5 yards/return. The Lions have run a carousel at place kicker. They started the season with Austin Seibert. Seibert was released three weeks in after missing two of five field goal attempts. Dominick Eberle came in for one game, missed two of four extra points, and was himself released. The Lions then brought in Michael Badgley, who had just been cut by the Bears. Badgley, still on the Lions' roster, has hit 5/5 on field goals, including 1/1 on 50+, and is 8/8 on extra points.

Detroit Lions Offense

Year-to-date, the story of the Detroit Lions is a tale of two teams. The offense is strong, ranking solidly top ten in points and yardage. The defense is awful, dead last in points and yardage, close to the bottom in both run and pass defense. So, what is the deal with the Lions? Let us take a look, starting with the offense.

Detroit Head Coach Dan Campbell, the Giants third-round pick in 1999, played ten years in the NFL. A tight end by trade, Campbell, now 46-years-of-age, played four years in New York, three years in Dallas, and three years in Detroit. Following his retirement, Campbell was hired by Miami as their tight ends coach. Campbell held this position from 2010-2015. Four games into 2015, Miami fired then-head coach Joe Philbin and promoted Campbell to interim Head Coach. Campbell steered the Dolphins to a 5-7 finish. Following the season, Miami let Campbell go in favor of Adam Gase. Campbell then hired on in New Orleans, where he spent five seasons under Sean Payton as tight ends/assistant head coach. In 2021, Detroit hired Campbell as head coach. Campbell's first-year tenure with Detroit was rocky at best, with the team finishing a disappointing 3-13-1. Expectations were higher for 2022, but, to date, the product doesn't look to be greatly improved. To date, the Lions are 3-6, projecting to a 5-7 win season.

The Lions offensive coordinator is 36-year-old Ben Johnson. Johnson began his coaching career in 2009 at Boston College, where he spent three years as an offensive assistant/tight ends coach. He then moved on to Miami, where he coached alongside Dan Campbell. Over seven seasons with Miami, Johnson coached quarterbacks, tight ends, and wide receivers. In 2019, he moved on to Detroit, where, from 2019-2021, he served as offensive quality control/tight ends coach. In 2022, Campbell named Johnson as his offensive coordinator, replacing Johnny Lynn.

The offense under Johnson has greatly improved. After finishing 2021 at 22nd in yards and 25th in points, the to-date 2022 Lions are 6th in yards and 9th in points, averaging 371.2 yards/game and 24.3 points/game. Detroit is 11th in rushing, averaging 129.8 Y/G. They are 17th in rushing attempts (245), tied for 9th in yards/carry at 4.8, and are 5th in rushing touchdowns with 11. The Lions have the 9th best passing offense at 241.4 yards/game. Quarterback Jared Goff, who has taken all 591 offensive snaps, ranks 19th in completion percentage (63.9%). Goff has 15 touchdown passes (tied 9) and 7 interceptions (tied 12). The Lions have allowed 15 sacks for minus 110 yards, ranking respectively 4th and 8th best in the league. Goff's quarterback rating of 93.7 is 8th best. The Lions show a balanced run/pass ratio of 43.6%. They are 28th in the NFL in time of possession (28:45) and are 14th in first downs (191). The Lions are 19th in third own conversion rate (40.0 %) and 20th in 4th down conversion rate (43.5%). The Lions offense is 14th in both penalties (53) and penalty yardage (436).

The Lions run an efficient West Coast style offense. They almost never have more than one back on the field, averaging 1.00 RB/play. The Lions do favor the tight end position: they average 1.31 tight ends/play, an average that has not changed since the trade of TJ Hockenson. 12 personnel are utilized on about 31% of the snaps; 11 personnel on 67% of the snaps, and 22 personnel only about 2% of the snaps. Jamaal Williams is the work horse ball carrier, with 58% of the carries. In the pass game, running backs are targeted at 18%, tight ends at 19.7%, and wide receivers 61.9%. The completion rate to running backs is 75% at 8.7 yards/completion, tight ends at 66.7% at 13.5 yards/completion, and wide receivers 64.2% at 12.4 yards/completion. (I know, these last completion averages don't exactly add up; blame Pro Football Reference.) At minus 2, the Lions are middle of the road in turnover ratio: 10 takeaways (4 fumbles/6 interceptions) vs 12 giveaways (5 fumbles/7 takeaways).

Offensive Line

Former Giants General Manager George Young once famously stated, show me a team that is struggling, and I'll show you a bad offensive line. If that statement is true, then the 2022 Detroit Lions are the exception to the rule. The Lions, with all starters intact, have an excellent offensive line. Left tackle Taylor Decker, a 2016 first-round (#16 overall) pick from Ohio State, has started all 591 offensive snaps. A very solid player, Decker shows PFF scores of 69.0 run blocking/64.1 pass blocking/66.7 overall, ranking 39 out of 80 qualifying tackles. Second-year right tackle Penei Sewell, a 2021 first-round (#7 overall) pick from Oregon, has been nothing short of terrific. Sewell, who has also played all 591 snaps, grades 83.1(run)/74.5(pass pro)/79.2(overall), ranking 9th out of 80. Left guard Jonah Jackson missed Weeks 2-4 with a finger injury but has otherwise played 100% (378) of the offensive snaps. Jackson, a 2020 third-round pick from Ohio State, has played very well. He grades 75.7(run)/63.0(pass pro)/73.7(overall), ranking #10 out of 81 qualifying guards. Right guard Evan Brown had some early season ankle issues that cost him all or parts of Weeks 1, 4, and 5, but he has otherwise played 487 offensive snaps. A 2019 Giants' UDFA signing from SMU, Brown, a Lions reclamation project, has played very well. He scores 71.2(run)/56.6(pass pro)/69.6(overall), ranking #21 of 81 guards. Originally a center, Brown filled in at that position in the Week 2 victory over the Washington Football Team. Starting center Frank Ragnow missed that game with a groin injury but has otherwise played 100% of the offensive snaps. Ragnow's play has been outstanding. The Lions 2018 first-round (#20 overall) pick from Arkansas, Ragnow grades 80.0(run)/64.7(pass pro)/76.8(overall), ranking #4 out of 38 qualifying centers. Ragnow, who has been in a walking boot since last Sunday's game against the Bears, has not practiced this week and is questionable/doubtful for Sunday.

2017 UDFA Dan Skipper is the Lions' primary backup tackle/guard. With Jonah Jackson out in Weeks 2-4, Skipper started and played all 213 snaps at left guard. He has since played sparingly, taking just 22 snaps as a "tackle eligible." As a guard, Skipper grades 51.5(run)/31.4(pass pro)/45.7(overall), ranking #71 out of 81. Logan Sternberg started at right guard in Weeks 1 & 2, then was demoted to backup prior to Week 3. He has since taken just 29 offensive snaps, all of which were in the Week 5 blowout loss to New England. In 158 snaps, the 2020 fourth-round pick from Kentucky grades 61.3(run)/00.7(pass pro)/34.6(overall), ranking #80 out of 81. Guard Matt Nelson took a total of 40 snaps over Weeks 1-4, suffering a calf injury against the Patriots. He has not played since. He was listed as a full participant in Wednesday's practice and might be available for the Giants. On the year, Nelson grades 45.1(run)/55.8(pass pro)/45.6(overall). Guard Kavode Awosika has taken just 7 total snaps. The 2019 UDFA from Buffalo grades 55.2 overall.

Running Backs

The Lions have a fine set of running backs. Jamaal Williams, a 2017 fourth-round pick BYU, is the primary starter. A rugged runner, the 6'0"/224 lb. Williams has taken 248 (42%) of the offensive snaps. Year-to-date, he has 142 carries for 604 yards, 4.3 Y/C, 9 rushing touchdowns, with 2 fumbles. Williams has also caught 9 passes on 12 targets for 57 yards (6.3 Y/C). He earns PFF grades of 76.4(run)/36.9(receiving)/71.6(overall), ranking #23 out of 62 qualifying backs. The #2/change-of-pace back is D'Andre Swift, a 2021 second-round pick from Georgia. To date, Swift has 40 carries for 253 yards, 6.3 Y/C, and two rushing touchdowns, and 17 catches on 24 targets for 150 yards, 8.8 Y/C, and two receiving touchdowns. Swift grades #31 out of 62 backs. Last Friday, Craig Reynolds, the #3 back, was placed on the IR with a rib injury. Reynolds, a 2019 UDFA signing from Kutztown State, had been playing well. In 103 snaps, Reynolds had 23 carries for 102 yards, 4.4 Y/C, and 9 catches on 10 targets for 116 yards, an average of 12.9 Y/C. Reynolds graded 71.1/70.1/68.5. Moving into Reynolds' #3 slot is 2018 seventh-round pick Justin Jackson. Year-to-date, in 66 snaps, Jackson has 16 carries for 60 yards, 4.4 Y/C, and 4 catches on 6 targets for 18 yards, 4.5 Y/C, and one touchdown. He grades 70.0/47.2/60.4. The Lions activated fullback Jason Cabinda for last Sunday's Bears' game. Cabinda had zero carries and zero targets in 13 snaps.

Tight Ends

The trade deadline deal that sent TJ Hockenson to Minnesota was, to me, a head-scratching WTF. Hockenson, from the University of Iowa, had developed into everything the Lions might have expected when they drafted him in 2019 with the #8 overall pick. Prior to the trade, through 7 games, Hockenson had 26 catches on 43 targets for 395 yards, 15.2 Y/C, and 3 touchdowns, earning an overall PFF Grade of 71.5, #13 of 69 qualifying tight ends. For some reason, the Lions, concerned with signing Hockenson to a big contract, IN 2024, felt the need to move him now. As such, in a trade with Minnesota, A DIVISIONAL RIVAL, they traded Hockenson, plus 2023 and 2024 fourth-round picks, to the Vikings for a 2023 second rounder and a 2024 third rounder. CBS Sports graded the trade an A for the Vikings and a D+ for Detroit; I grade it an A+ for the Vkings and an F minus for Detroit.

Without Hockenson, The Lions' tight end unit is underwhelming, garnering a season-long total of just 12 catches on 14 targets for 117 yards, 9.8 Y/C, and three touchdowns. The new starter, Brock Wright, is a 2021 UDFA signing from Notre Dame. In 277 snaps, he has 7 catches on 8 targets for 90 yards, 12.9 Y/C, and 1 touchdown. Wright earns PFF grades of 64.1(receiving)/43.4(run blocking)/53.5(overall), ranking 42nd out of 69. James Mitchell, a fifth-round rookie from Virginia Tech, has played 49 snaps. To date, Mitchell has 4 catches on 4 targets for 26 yards, 6.5 Y/C, and 1 touchdown. He grades 79.0/43.1/68.6. Shane Zylstra, a second-year UDFA from Minnesota, is primarily a blocking TE. In 48 snaps, he has 1 catch on 2 targets for a one-yard touchdown catch. He grades 50.2/47.9/48.0.

Wide Receivers

Across the board, the Lions are solid at wide receiver. Amon-Ra St. Brown, a second-year former fourth-round pick from USC, has blossomed into a terrific player. As a rookie, the 6'1"/195 lb. St. Brown had 90 catches for 912 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns. This season, in 368 snaps (62%), he has 49 catches on 70 targets for 518 yards, 10.6 Y/C, and 3 touchdowns. St. Brown is also a threat on the reverse. In 2021, he had 7 carries for 61 yards, long of 26, and one touchdown; this season, he has three carries for 70 yards, including a long of 58 yards. St. Brown grades 82.8(receiving)/65.6(running)/83.2(overall), ranking 8 out of 117 qualifying wide receivers. Veteran Kalif Raymond, the slot receiver, is a former 2016 UDFA signing of the Broncos. In 338 snaps, Raymond has 23 catches on 31 targets for 302 yards (13.1 Y/C) and has three carries for 23 yards. He has one fumble. Raymond grades 66.1/63.1/64.8, ranking 60 of 117. Z receiver Josh Reynolds has missed the past two games with a back injury. He has not practiced this week and is questionable for Sunday. On the year, the former Texas A & M standout, a 2017 fourth-round pick, has 26 catches on 42 targets for 357 yards, 13.7 Y/C, and 2 touchdowns. He earns a 68.0 PFF grade, ranking 48 out of 117.

DJ Chark, a season-opening starter, suffered an ankle injury in Week 3 and has since been on the IR. This week, Chark has been designated for return and is back at practice. At this point, his return for Sunday's game against the Giants is unknown. Prior to his injury, Chark, in 158 snaps, had 7 catches on 18 targets for 98 yards, 14.0 Y/C, and one touchdown. The 2018 second-round pick from LSU holds an overall PFF grade of 61.1. Tom Kennedy, a 2019 UDFA signing from Bryant University, was promoted to the active roster for Game 4 and has since played 204 snaps. Kennedy has 7 catches on 14 targets for 128 yards, 18.3 Y/C, with a long of 44 yards. Quintez Cephus, a 2020 fifth-round pick from Wisconsin, took 51 snaps through Week 4 before a foot injury forced him to the IR. Prior to the injury, Cephus caught 2 passes on 3 targets for 15 yards, earning an overall PFF grade of 68.0. Maurice Alexander, a rookie UDFA from Florida International, was promoted to the active roster for Game 4 and has 8 total offensive snaps that are scattered over 4 games. He has 1 catch for 7 yards and has zero snaps the past two games. Stanley Berryhill was promoted to the active roster for last week's Bears game. He had 3 offensive snaps but did not make the stat sheet.

Quarterback

Jared Goff, the 2016 #1 overall pick, is having a solid season, perhaps his best season since 2018, when he led the Rams to a Super Bowl LIII loss to New England. Goff, who has played all 591 offensive snaps, has completed 192 of 301 passes for 2277 yards, a 63.8 completion percentage, 11.9 yards/completion, 7.6 yards/attempt, with 15 touchdown passes and 7 interceptions. Goff has been sacked 15 times for -110 yards, ranked 4th and 8th best in the league. Never much of a run threat, Goff has 17 carries for 43 yards, 2.5 Y/C, with five fumbles. He even has a single five-yard pass reception, thrown by punter Jack Fox of all people.  He holds a 93.7 quarterback rating and a 54.5 QBR. He receives PFF grades of 62.2(pass)/54.5(run)/62.8(overall), ranking 29th of 39 qualifying quarterbacks.

Houston Texans Defense

Lovie Smith is a proponent of the Tampa 2 defense, a defense he helped develop in the late '90s under Tony Dungy and Monte Kiffen. The Tampa 2 was designed to counteract the West Coast Offense, a system designed by the Bill Walsh for the 1980s Forty Niners which by the 1990s had spread throughout the NFL. Given that most (if not all) modern offenses are variations of the West Coast, the Tampa 2 remains pertinent in today's NFL. In its base, the Tampa 2 is a 4-3 read-run-first zone concept tweaked from the historical 4-3. It plays a four-man "under" front consisting of a 1/2i tech nose tackle, a 3-tech defensive tackle, and two five-tech defensive ends. The middle linebacker sets up about five yards deep, aligned with the A gap opposite the nose tackle (usually the strong side). The outside linebackers sit 1-2 yards closer to the line of scrimmage, aligned with the B gaps shaded to the strong side. The OLBs have run responsibilities for the B and C gaps. The corners play tight to the wideouts, usually shaded to the outside shoulder of the receiver in an "outside technique." The corners' run game responsibility is to turn any wide run back inside towards the middle of the field, preventing the runner from a "clean get" to the sideline. Safeties are responsible to clean up run plays all along the front, but with a specific responsibility for the D gap area between the tackle/tight end and the wideout.

As stated, the Tampa 2 is a "read-run-first" zone-style defense. Pre-snap, eleven sets of eyes look are looking into the offensive backfield. If the defense reads run, the players execute their run assignments as described above. If it reads pass, the four defensive linemen rush the passer in a predetermined pattern while the back seven drop off into a Cover 3 zone. The corners look to chuck the receivers towards the middle of the field, then drop back into a middle outside zone. The outside linebackers move outside and are expected to cover the under zones from tackle to the sidelines. The middle linebacker sprints backwards 15 yards deep, setting up in a middle zone. The safeties, already fifteen yards deep, split wider towards the outside. Together, the safeties and MLB create a Cover 3 shell. It should be noted that, given its basic simplicity, the Tampa 2 requires constant twerking in order to confuse offensive adjustments. Wrinkles in the zone coverage, particularly by the middle linebacker, are a necessity and blitz packages from every angle are a must.

With partial adjustments, Lovie Smith adheres faithfully to the principles of the Tampa 2. He averages almost exactly four (3.96) true defensive linemen/snap, divided almost equally between defensive tackles (1.85/snap) and defensive ends (2.11/snap). His defense has a middle linebacker every play and a WILL on most every down. Given the modern defensive needs to play sub packages, the SAM backer spot is filled less than 40% of the snaps. The Texans average 2.64 defensive backs/snap; the extra back is almost exclusively a slot corner. Depending on the offensive formation, this 3rd DB will often align in the WILL position, with the true WILL moving to over to the strong side. The Texans rarely play more than two safeties/snap, averaging just 2.01 safeties per play. Lovie does like to blitz: on 267 pass plays, the Texans have sent an extra player 74 times, an average of 27.7% blitzes/pass play. These blitzes come from every angle. Cornerbacks have blitzed 12 times (4.5%), with Desmond King leading with 10; safeties 7 times (2.6%), all by Jalen Pitre; inside linebackers 33 times (12.4%), almost exclusively by Christian Kirksey (31); and OLBs 22 times, led by Blake Cashman with 13. And the Texans blitzes are true blitzes of five or more players: defensive linemen have dropped back into coverage only seven times total.

An overall lack of talent has cost the Texan defense all year. To date, they rank 30th in yardage (398.1 Y/G) and 19th in points (22.9 PPG). The Texans run defense has been brutal: they have allowed 180.6 rushing yards/game, dead last in the NFL. They have the 5th most carries against (265) while allowing 5.5 yards/carry, 30th overall. The Texans allow 217.5 passing yards/game, 19th overall. This middling rank likely has less to do with good pass defense than it does with the opponents' preference to run on the Texans' porous run defense. To date, the opposition has completed just 154 passes on 248 attempts, both third least in the NFL. The completion percentage against, 62.1%, is 10th best overall. The Texans have given up 7 touchdown passes and have 7 interceptions. The Texans have 19 sacks (T17) for minus 102 yards (T24). Overall, the Texans' defense has allowed 179 first downs (23rd), with a third down conversion rate of 41.2% (19) and a fourth down conversion rate 55% (23). The Texans' have committed 53 defensive penalties (17) for 440 penalty yards (T22).

Defensive Line

Former Cowboys third-round pick Maliek Collins is, at least depth chart-wise, the Texans' starting nose tackle. The 27-year-old Collins suffered a chest injury in the Week 7 loss to the Raiders and has not played since. On the year, in 229 snaps, Collins has 12 tackles (6 solo), 1 pass defended, and 3 QB hits. His PFF grades are 52.3 against the run and 75.4 in pass rush, yielding an overall score of 62.3 , ranking him 46 out of 116 qualifying defensive tackles. Collins has been listed as "limited" in practice this week and is questionable for Sunday. Following Collins injury, the Texans signed NT Jaleel Johnson off the Falcons' practice squad. In two games/69 snaps, Johnson has 4 tackles (3 solo), 1.0 sacks, 1 QB hit, and one fumble recovery. He grades an awful 28.5 in run defense, 62.9 for pass rush, and 30.2 overall. DT Roy Lopez, a second year former sixth round pick from Arizona, has played 267 snaps. To-date he has 13 tackles (7 solo), 2 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, 1 PD, and 3 QB hits. His PFF grades are 59.0 (run)/54.3 (pass rush)/60.0 (coverage)/56.5 (overall), ranking #69 out of 116. DT Kurt Hinish is a rookie UDFA from Notre Dame. In 218 snaps, he has 10 tackles (5 solo), 2 TFL, 1.0 sacks, and 1 QB hit. Hinish ranks #88/116. Backup nose tackle Thomas Booker is a fifth-round rookie from Stanford. In 127 snaps, Booker has 9 tackles (6 solo), 0.5 sacks, and 1 QB hit. He grades 35.1 (run)/53.0 (pass rush)/64.2 (coverage)/37.0 (overall). Second-year DT Michael Dwumfour, a 2021 UDFA from Rutgers, was placed on the IR back in October for reasons undisclosed. In four games/112 snaps, Dwumfour had 2 solo tackles and 1 QB hit. His PFF scores were a terrible 28.5 run defense, 55.6 pass rush, and 31.0 overall.

Veteran defensive end Jerry Hughs remains a terrific player. Now 34-years-of-age, the 2010 first-round pick from TCU has played 337 out of a possible 551 defensive snaps. To date he has 19 tackles (13 solo), 7 TFL, 7.0 sacks, 1 PD, 1 interception, 7 QB hits, and 1 forced fumble. He grades 63.9 in run defense, 70.2 for pass rush, 68.2 coverage, and 76.3 overall, ranking him #27 out of 110 qualifying defensive ends. Rasheem Green, a 2018 third-round pick from USC, starts opposite Hughs. With 277 snaps, Green has 22 tackles (16 solo), 4 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 2 PDs, and 6 QB hits. His PFF grades are 56.2 (run)/59.1 (pass rush)/60.0 (coverage)/59.5 (overall), ranking him 78/110. The #1 backup DE, Ogbonna Okoronkwo, is an all-around solid player. A 2018 fifth-round pick from Oklahoma, Okoronkwo, in 190 defensive snaps, has 12 tackles (8 solo) and 3 QB hits. He grades a very good 73.6 in run defense, 65.4 in pass rush, 60.0 coverage, and 72.7 overall, ranking 36/110. Backup DE Jonathan Greenard was placed on the IR back on October 22 due to a calf injury. Prior to that, Greenard, who was also hobbled by an ankle injury, had played in four games with 178 snaps. Greenard's season totals are 9 tackles (6 solo), 5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, and 3 QB hits. He graded 64.9 (run)/57.7 (pass rush)/60.0 (coverage)/60.9 (overall), ranking 70/110. 35-year-old DE Mario Addison, who began the season on the IR, was cleared and reinstated to the active roster on October 08. In 119 snaps, he has three tackles (2 solo), posting PFF grades of 53.1/53.9/64.1/55.8. Backup DE Demone Harris, a 2018 UDFA from the U of Buffalo, was recently released, then re-signed to the practice squad. In 62 snaps over three games, Harris has 4 solo tackles, 1 PD, and 1 QB hit, grading 52.0/56.4/60.0/49.5.

Linebackers

30-year-old Christian Kirksey is Texans' middle linebacker. A 2014 third-round pick of the Browns, the undersized Kirksey, never better than average, has lost a step the past few years. In fact, on three separate occasions this season, Lovie Smith has pulled Kirksey for a series or two in favor of a younger player. That said, Kirksey is an experienced and savvy veteran who knows how to quarterback the defense. Kirksey has played a total of 521 out of a possible 551 snaps. Kirskey blitzes quite a bit; to date, he has 31 pass rushes. Look for him to come on several A gap blitzes against the Giants. To date, he has 57 tackles (36 solo), 3 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 2 PDs, 1 interception, 3 QB hits, and 1 fumble recovery. Kirksey's PFF grades are 54.7 (run)/58.8 (coverage)/65.3 (pass rush)/57.8 (overall), ranking 52/80.

Neither of the Week 1 starting outside linebackers remain on the active roster. Former Patriot Kamu Grugier-Hill started the first six games at WILL. Over 363 snaps, Grugier-Hill recorded 40 tackles (30 solo), with 1 TFL and 1 PD. Overall, Grugier-Hill's play was terrible, receiving PFF grades of 28.2 in run defense, 42.1 coverage, 61.6 pass rush, and 30.0 overall, grading #79 out of 80 qualifying outside linebackers. Following the Week 7 loss to the Raiders, the Texans, having witnessed enough, released Grugier-Hill. He has since been signed by Arizona. Lovie replaced Grugier-Hill as starter with Christian Harris, a rookie third-round pick from Alabama. If anything, Harris has been worse. In 153 defensive snaps, Harris has 13 tackles (11 solo), with 1 TFL and 1 PD. He grades 26.2 in run defense, 30.1 in coverage, 54.2 in pass rush, and 26.2 overall. Kevin Pierre-Louis was the opening day SAM backer. Pierre-Louis was injured in the Week 2 loss to Denver and was subsequently placed on the IR. In 42 snaps, Pierre Lewis had 4 tackles (1 solo) and 1 PD, grading 29.5 (run)/68.5 (coverage)/68.0 (pass rush)/45.8 (overall). His replacement as starter is second-year player Garret Wallow, a 2021 fifth-round pick from TCU. In 118 snaps, Wallow has 13 tackles (6 solo), 1 TFL, and 1 PD. He grades 31.8 (run)/64.1 (coverage)/56.4 (pass rush)/43.2 (overall).

Several other players have had defensive snaps at linebacker. Blake Cashman, a 2019 fifth-round pick from Minnesota, is a bit of a third-down specialist. Although he has played in seven games, Cashman has taken only 51 total snaps. To date, he has 8 tackles (5 solo), 2 TFL, 1 PD, and 1 QB hit. Cashman grades 56.8 (run)/75.9 (coverage)/60.8 (pass rush)/68.0 (overall). Cashman leads all outside linebackers with 13 blitz rushes. 2015 UDFA Neville Hewitt has 22 total snaps, all of which were subbing at MAC for Christian Kirksey. Hewitt, who has 6 tackles (5 solo), 1 TFL, and 1 QB hit, has a a run-stuffing grade of 78.5 and an overall of 67,2. He is listed as OUT for Sunday with a hamstring injury. Jaylen Reeves-Maybin, a 2017 fourth-round pick from Tennessee, has 36 snaps. Normally an outside linebacker, Reeves-Maybin did sub in at MAC last week against the Eagles. In fact, Lovie pulled both Christian Kirksey and Christian Harris for eight plays in favor of Reeves-Maybin and Jake Hansen. On the year, Reeves Maybin has 6 tackles (2 solo) and 1 fumble recovery. He grades 36.1/57.1/56.5/42.3. Hansen, a rookie UDFA from Illinois, has played only 11 defensive snaps. He has three solo tackles and an overall grade of 48.8.

Cornerbacks

29-year-old left corner Steve Nelson is having a fine season. The 2015 third-round pick from Oregon State has played 547 out of 551 possible snaps. To date, Nelson has 36 tackles (28 solo), 1 TFL, 5 PD, 1 interception, 1 QB hit, and 1 forced fumble. Nelson grades 79.4 in coverage, 29.8 in run support, 91.1 in limited pass rush, and 70.1 overall, ranking #32 out of 114 qualifying corners. Rookie right corner Derek Stingley has been, to date, a disappointment. Much was expected of Stingley, the LSU alum who was the #3 overall pick in the 2022 draft. Critics have complained that Lovie Smith's "dated" Tampa 2 defense does not take full advantage of Stingley's attributes. No matter, Stingley should be playing better. Stingley, who had injury concerns going back to his college days, has been very durable, playing 538 out a possible 551 defensive snaps. He currently has 41 tackles (33 solo), 1.0 sacks, 5 PD, and 1 interception. His grades are not good: 49.1 coverage, 46.1 run defense, 63.6 pass rush, and 49.0 overall, ranking him 99th out of 114 corners. As much as Stingley has been underwhelming, slot corner Desmond King has been excellent. The 2017 fifth-round pick from Iowa has played 355 snaps (64%). King has 37 tackles (30 solo), 5 TFL, 7 PD, 1 interception, and 1 QB hit. He grades 75.4 coverage, 73.8 run support, 73.1 pass rush, 77.6 overall, ranking 13th of 114. Isaac Yiadom, the former Giant, is the only other corner to get any playing time, with just 2 total defensive snaps.

Safeties

Strong safety Jonathan Owens is a solid, durable, if middling, talent. The 27-year-old Owens, a 2018 UDFA from West Missouri State, has played 496 out a possible 551 defensive snaps. To date, Owens has 68 tackles (48 solo) and has 2 PD. Owens grades 58.7 coverage, 57.9 run support, and 59.0 overall, ranking 61 out of 84 qualifying safeties. Rookie safety Jalen Pitre, a second-round pick from Baylor, has played 524 defensive snaps. Thrown directly into the fire at free safety, he has shown flashes, but overall his play has been a struggle. To date, he has 57 tackles (36 solo), 5 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 2 PD, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. Pitre grades 43.9 in coverage, 40.0 in run support, 71.2 in pass rush, and 39.9 overall, ranking him 82nd out of a possible 84 safeties. Two other players have taken snaps at safety. Strong Safety MJ Stewart, a 2018 second-round pick from North Carolina, has played 33 snaps. He has 16 tackles (10 solo) and 1 forced fumble. He grades 55.7 coverage, 76.0 run support, and 69.8 overall. Free Safety Eric Murray, a 2016 fourth-round pick from Minnesota, has played 53 snaps. Murray has 14 tackles (10 solo), with PFF grades of 65.0 coverage, 61.8 run support, 65.9 pass rush, and 67.3 overall.

Specialty Teams

The kickoff return man is Tremon Smith. A special teams ace, the 2018 sixth-round pick from Central Arkansas has 9 kickoff returns for 187 yards, 20.8 yards/return, with a long of 25 yards. Starting slot corner Desmond King serves duty as the punt returner. Year-to-date, he has returned 9 punts for 73 yards, 7.3 yards/return, with a long of 31 yards, and 11 fair catches. 28-year-old Ka'imi Fairburn is in his sixth year as the Texans' place kicker. To date, he has made 14/16 field goals, including 3/3 on kicks of 50+ yards, and 13/13 extra points. 30-year-old Cameron Johnson is the punter. Year-to-date he has 39 punts, with a gross average of 49.1 yards, a net average of 42.7, with 19 punts inside the 20, 10 fair catches, and an average return of 8.9 yards.

Houston Texans Offense

Texans Head Coach Lovie Smith is a long-time NFL coach with a record of success. Highly respected in his profession, Smith's coaching pedigree is on the defensive side of the ball. The 64-year-old Smith began his coaching career in 1980, serving as either linebacker or defensive back coach at several major college programs. In 1996, he joined the NFL ranks as the Tampa Bay Bucs' linebacker coach. Under the tutelage of Head Coach Tony Dungy, Smith was an integral part in the development of the Tampa 2 4-3 defense. In 2001, he became the defensive coordinator in St. Louis, turning what had been a mediocre Rams' defense into a league powerhouse. In 2004, Smith was hired as the Bears head coach. Over nine seasons, Smith's Bears posted an 81-63 regular season record. His Bears won three NFC North titles and included a 2006 trip to Super Bowl XLI, a 29-17 loss to the Colts. Following the 2012 season, despite a 10-6 record, Smith was fired by the Bears. After sitting out a year, Smith was hired in 2014 as Tampa Bay's head coach. Smith lasted just two seasons with Tampa, being fired in 2015 after posting a 2-14 record. Smith moved on to coach at the University of Illinois, leading the Fighting Illini through five lackluster campaigns before getting fired in 2020. In 2021, the Texans  hired Smith as their defensive coordinator. In 2022, Smith was hired as the Texans' head coach, replacing David Culley, who was fired following a tumultuous and unsuccessful 2021 season.

48-year-old Pep Hamilton is the Texans' offensive coordinator. Hamilton played his college ball at Howard University, 1993-1996. A quarterback, Hamilton won the school's scholar athlete award in both 1995 and 1996. In his senior year, Hamilton led the Bison, coached by Steve Wilson, to the Black College National Championship. Following graduation, Hamilton was hired by Howard as an offensive assistant. He served two years as quarterbacks coach, then two years as offensive coordinator. In 2003, Hamilton moved on to the NFL, spending 2003-2006 as an offensive QC/quarterbacks coach with both the Jets and the Forty Niners. From 2007-2009, Hamilton was quarterbacks coach in Chicago, serving under Head Coach Lovie Smith. Following the Bears' firing of Smith, Hamilton left Chicago to become the head coach of the Stanford Cardinal. After three seasons at Stanford, he returned to the NFL as the offensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts. Hamilton spent 2013-2015 in Indy. He then spent 2016 as an offensive assistant in Cleveland. After a single season, Hamilton left the Browns for Michigan, where he served 2017 & 2018 as passing game coordinator. In 2020 he returned to the NFL as the Chargers quarterbacks coach. In 2021 he was hired by Houston as QB Coach/Passing Game Coordinator. In 2022, new head coach Lovis Smith named Hamilton as his offensive coordinator.

Both Hamilton and Smith, who serves as his own defensive coordinator, have their work cut out for them. Years of lousy drafts, bad trades, the Deshawn Watson debacle, and poor cap management have resulted in a roster that is sprinkled with a handful of good players but which is otherwise bereft of talent. Going into the season, the Houston front office decided to make 2022 a sacrificial year in which the team would eat almost $75 million in dead cap. The real rebuild will come in 2023, when the Texans will have less than one million in dead cap. At present, positional units mix 1-2 decent players with groupings of veteran castoffs and street free agents. This is not to say that the Texans don't play hard; they do. Much like the Giants, they have been able to play tough against stronger opponents; unlike the Giants, they have lacked the extra punch required to win competitive games. The present Brandin Cooks drama notwithstanding, the team seems to be buying into the direction of Smith and his staff. That said, the return to playoff contention remains off into the future.

Pep Hamilton, a quarterback guru by trade, runs a balanced, if somewhat conservative, offense. The Texans average 1.00 running backs/snap and 1.41 tight ends/snap. They utilize a true fullback on 22% of the snaps. Their average of 2.33 wide receivers/snap is somewhat low by today's standards. Given these numbers, 12, 21, and 22/23 personnel packages are common. The Texans have a balanced run/pass ratio of 40.3%. On run plays, a single back, Damien Pierce, accounts for 79% of the carries. On pass plays, running backs account for 27.2% of targets (5.5 yards/catch), tight ends 23.3% (11.2 Y/C), and wide outs only 49.4% 13.4 (Y/C). The Texans are not big on trick plays. To date they show zero reverse carries by tight ends or wide receivers. Halfback Rex Burkhead has tried one option pass (it was incomplete). To date they have used a sixth offensive lineman a total of 18 times.

Statistically, the Houston offense sits 29th in total yardage (290.5 Y/G) and 28th in points (16.6 PPG). They average 101.9 rush yards/game (25th) on 188 rushing attempts (tied 27th) for an average of 4.3 yards/carry (tied for 20th). They average 188.6 passing yards/game (27th) and are 23rd in each of attempts (259), completions (162), and completion percentage (62.5%). Quarterback Davis Mills has 10 touchdown passes (T18) and 8 interceptions (T 23). He has been sacked 19 times (T15) for minus 147 yards (22). The Texans have just 134 first downs (30th) with a TOP of 28:16 (28th). They have an abysmally low third down conversion average of 31.1% (30th). Indicative of a well-coached team, Houston is one of the least penalized teams in the league, with just 43 total penalties (tied for 5th best) for 338 yards (7th best). They are +3 in turnover ratio (T5), with 10 takeaways (3 fumbles/7 interceptions) vs 7 giveaways (1 fumble/6 interceptions).

Offensive Line

The Houston offensive line is anchored by two fine tackles. Left Tackle Laremy Tunsil was a 2016 first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins. He came to Houston following a blockbuster trade that occurred just prior to the start of the 2019 season. Tunsil has since made two Pro Bowls and has developed in one of the best left tackles in the NFL. Season-to-date, he has earned PFF grades of 78.3 (run)/90.9 (pass pro)/86.4 (overall), ranking him #4 among 79 qualifying tackles. Tunsil has played all 486 offensive snaps. Right tackle Tytus Howard was Houston's 2019 first-round pick (#23 overall) from Alabama State. Howard, who has played all but four offensive snaps, grades 66.3 (run)/71.5 (pass pro)/69.9 (overall), ranking #30 out of 79. Rookie left guard Kenyon Green, a first-round pick from Texas A & M, is hobbled by a shoulder injury suffered in the Week 7 loss to the Raiders. Green, who has taken 438 snaps (90%), has struggled to date. He earns PFF grades of 56.6 for run blocking, a very poor 27.6 in pass protection, with an overall grade of 45.0 (#70 out of 79 qualifying guards). Veteran right guard AJ Cann is a solid performer. He missed the Week 8 game against Tennessee with an illness, but has otherwise played 100% of the offensive snaps. The 31-year-old Cann grades 65.2 (run)/60.8 (pass pro)/66.6 (overall), ranking #26 out of 79. At center, the Texans had expected Justin Britt to be their 2022 starter, but Britt, for undisclosed reasons, landed on the non-football injury reserve list after playing in the Texans' opening week tie with the Colts. Britt's replacement, veteran Scott Quessenberry, has struggled mightily. Quessenberry, a 2018 fifth-round pick from UCLA, grades 50.9 in run blocking, a terrible 29.9 in pass protection, with an overall grade 45.4, ranking 35 out of 37 qualifying centers. Since taking over for Britt, Quessenberry has missed just one offensive snap.

Justin McCray is the primary backup guard, having taken 83 total snaps while filling in for Kenyon Green and AJ Cann. A 2014 UDFA from UCF, the 30-year-old McCray posts PFF grades of 55.2 (run)/29.4 (pass pro)/42.2 (overall). 2020 fourth-round pick Charlie Heck (North Carolina) is the primary backup tackle. He is also often used as a "tackle eligible." In 22 total snaps, Heck grades 47.5/78.2/48.8. KC McDermott, a 2018 UDFA from U of Miami, backs up at both tackle and guard. In 19 snaps, he grades 79.1 (run)/a Blutarski-like 0.0 in pass pro/and an overall grade of 21.6. Backup center Jimmy Morrissey has taken a single offensive snap.

Running Backs

Rookie Damien Pierce, a fourth-round pick from Florida, is developing into a terrific young player. In 302 offensive snaps, he has 148 carries for 678 yards (6th in the NFL), an average of 4.6 yards/carry, 3 touchdowns, and two fumbles. He has also caught 20 passes on 24 targets for 98 yards, 4.9 yards/catch, and 1 touchdown. His PFF grades of 90.4 (run)/59.5 (receiving)/89.0 (overall) ranks him #6 of 59 qualifying backs. Backup Rex Burkhead is more of a "change-of-pace" third-down specialist. In 173 total snaps, the 32-year-old Burkhead has 23 carries for 81 yards (3.5 Y/C) and has caught 25 passes on 33 targets for 131 yards, 5.2 yards/catch, and one touchdown. Burkhead does have one pass attempt (incomplete). His grades of 59.5 (run)/60.6 (pass)/60.4 (overall) rank him #50 out of 59. The #3 back, 28-year-old veteran Dare Ogunbowale, rarely gets on the field, but when he does, he makes the most of it. In just 13 snaps, he has 1 carry for 8 yards plus 6 catches on 8 targets for 54 yards (9.0 Y/C). Rookie fullback Troy Hairston has played 105 snaps (22%). Hairston has yet to carry the ball but does have 3 catches on 3 targets for 12 yards.

Tight Ends

Tight ends are a big part of the Houston offense. In fact, the Texans average 1.41 tight ends per snap and have targeted the tight ends with 23.3% of their pass attempts. As such, each tight end is expected to both run block and serve as an effective receiver. Unfortunately, the TE run blocking has been at best mediocre while the targeted completion rate is only 60%. The nominal starter is a second-year player Brevin Jordan, a 2021 fifth-round pick from Miami. In 163 offensive snaps, Jordan has just 6 completions on 17 targets for 32 yards, an average of 5.3 yards/completion and 1.9 yards/target. Jordan grades 53.1 receiving, 47.8 in run blocking, with an overall grade of 51.2, ranking him #62 of 69 qualifying tight ends. OJ Howard, a 2017 first-round pick from Alabama, has played 219 snaps. Howard has 8 catches on 15 targets for 110 yards, 13.8 Y/C, and 2 touchdowns. He grades 64.3 receiving, 50.8 run blocking, and 59.5 overall, ranking #40 out of 59. Pharoah Brown, who started the season #3 on the depth chart, was released in early October and is now on the Browns. In three games, Brown had 7 catches on 10 targets for 72 yards (10.3 Y/C). Jordan Akins, a 2018 third-round pick from UCF, is the Texans best receiving tight end. To date, in 103 offensive snaps, he has 11 catches on 15 targets for 159 yards, 14.5 Y/C, and one touchdown. Akins grades a very good 72.6 as a receiver, a poor 42.9 as a run blocker, with an overall score of 69.6. Mason Schreck, a 2017 seventh-round pick, has played 43 snaps. To date he has 2 catches on 2 targets for 6 yards, earning an overall grade of 53.0. Prior to last week's Eagles' game, the Texans promoted rookie fifth-round pick Teagan Quatoriano to the active roster. In 18 snaps, Quatoriano caught one pass, a two-yard touchdown reception.

Wide Receivers

No strangers to in-house drama, the Texans found their latest iteration in the person of #1 wide receiver Brandin Cooks. Despite signing a two-year/$36-million-dollar contract last spring, Cooks has been unhappy with the Texans of late and strongly pushed for a trade prior to the November 1st deadline. Likely due to his huge cap hit, no suitable trade partner could be found and Cooks stayed put. Cooks subsequently pouted and left the team facility, resulting in Lovie Smith leaving him off the active roster for last Thursday's Eagles game. Cooks returned to the team facility on Friday and did show up for today's (Wednesday's) practice, although reports state that he did not participate in team activities and was in fact an all-around ass. His status for the Giants is questionable. Year-to-date, Cooks has played 303 offensive snaps. He presently has 32 catches on 53 targets for 354 yards, 11.1 Y/C, and one touchdown. He earns an overall grade of 65.5, ranking him 57th out of 110 qualifying wide outs.

#2 wide receiver Nico Collins has missed the past two games due to a groin injury suffered in the Week 7 loss to the Raiders. As of the writing of this report, his status for Sunday is questionable. Prior to the injury, Collins, a 2021 third-round pick from Michigan, was having a solid season. In six games/250 snaps, he has 18 catches on 30 targets for 305 yards, an average of 16.9 Y/C. His overall PFF grade is 73.4, ranking him #27 out of 110. The #3 wide receiver, Chris Moore, is a former 2016 fourth-round pick from Cincinnati. With 252 snaps, Moore has 14 catches on 21 targets for 171 yards, 12.2 Y/C, and 2 touchdowns. He grades #91 of 110. The #4 receiver is 29-year-old Phil Dorsett. A 2015 first-round pick of the Colts from the U of Miami, Dorsett has never really developed into anything more than an average receiver. Year to date, with 165 offensive snaps, he has 7 catches on 17 targets for 135 yards, an impressive 19.3 Y/C, and one touchdown, with an overall PFF grade of 62.3. Otherwise, wide receivers Chris Conley, Tyron Johnson, and Tyler Johnson have all had 29-30 offensive snaps. None has caught a pass. Tyron Johnson is now on the practice squad while Tyler Johnson and Conley have been released.

Quarterback

Second-year quarterback Davis Mills was a 2021 third-round pick from Stanford. As a rookie, he was thrown directly into the fire, playing in 13 games and starting 11. Under the circumstances, he played moderately well, throwing for 2664 yards, 14 touchdowns, and ten interceptions while earning a quarterback rating of 88.8 and a QBR of 35.5. This season Mills has looked pretty much the same. He has started all eight games and has played 481 out of a possible 486 offensive snaps. He has completed 162 of 258 passes for 1656 yards, a 62.8% completion rate, 10 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. To date he earns an 81.2 quarterback rating and a 32.8 QBR. Mills has an average arm and at times will throw soft "I hope it gets there without being intercepted" style passes.  Mills is fairly protective when holding the ball: over 21 games, he has 9 total fumbles. Opponents have sacked Mills 19 times for minus 147 yards, both stats of which are middle of the pack. Mills is not particularly mobile and will not beat you with his legs. In 2021, he had 18 total carries for 44 yards; this season, 12 carries for 28 yards. His current PFF grades are 66.6 passing, 54.4 running, and 66.5 overall, ranking him 22nd out of 39 qualifying quarterbacks.

Jeff Driskel is the Texans' backup quarterback. He had 5 total snaps between Weeks 1 & 2, running twice for 15 yards. If the Texans' intent was to utilize Driskel as a Taysom Hill type change of pace quarterback, that plan has been junked as Driskel has yet to take another snap.

Seattle Seahawks Defense

Clint Hurtt is in his first season as defensive coordinator. He replaced long time Seahawks DC Ken Norton Jr. Norton, a close friend of Pete Carroll, was let go due to three straight years of subpar defense. In 2019-2021, the Seahawks' D finished, respectively, 26th, 22nd, and 28th in total yardage. In 2021, the Seahawks yielded 379.1 yards/game and had only 32 sacks (tied for 23). They also had only 18 takeaways, the team's lowest yearly total in the Pete Carroll era. The 43-year-old Hurtt, who had served the previous four years as the Seahawks defensive line/assistant head coach, was charged with installing a 3-4 defense designed to lower the yards/game average while increasing the sack and turnover numbers.

The transition did not go smoothly. Norton had run a traditional 4-3 defense with a Cover 3 shell, a defense that Seattle had used since Pete Carroll's arrival in 2010. As such, the Seattle defensive personnel were neither used to playing nor best suited to a 3-4. To complicate matters, Hurtt installed a traditional two-gap 3-4 system that was foreign to the one-gap assignments to which the players were accustomed. Leaks sprung big and often, culminating in Weeks 4 and 5 debacles against Detroit and New Orleans where the defense gave up a combined 84 points and 958 yards. Through five games, the Seattle defense, particularly the run defense, was in a shambles. Hurtt, with the help of a closed-door players meeting, made wide-scale adjustments. He dumped most of the two-gap "read-and-react" assignments in favor of the more familiar one gap responsibilities. On run downs, he re-installed the "Bear" defensive front, setting the nose tackle and defensive ends in a "3-0-3" alignment with the edge/OLBs as five or seven techs. He replaced starting weakside edge/OLB Darrell Taylor, who was getting destroyed on run downs and also couldn't cover anybody, with the sturdier and more reliable Boye Mafe. Hurtt relegated Taylor to his better suited role as a situational pass rusher. Hurtt also replaced starting strong safety Josh Jones with Ryan Neal. Jones, who had assumed the starting role after All-World SS Jamaal Adams suffered a Week 1 season-ending knee injury, simply hadn't been up to the task, playing poorly in both run and pass defense. Neal, on the other hand, has played very well in both capacities. Overall, the defense has responded to these changes. In the past two weeks, they have yielded a total of 30 points with an average of 322 yards/game, with 9 sacks for minus 68 yards and four turnovers.

This doesn't mean the Seahawks have junked the 3-4; they have not. Positionally, they average 2.4 defensive lineman/play (0.68 nose tackles, 1.72 DT/DEs), 1.97 edge/OLBs, 1.77 ILBs, 2.70 corners, and 2.17 safeties. They are now playing a more aggressive five-man front on run downs, with the two inside linebackers covering inside gaps, usually assisted by the strong safety and/or slot corner. Pressure is usually generated by a four-man rush. ILB and DB pressures total 73 snaps, while edge drop backs total 81. D linemen do not drop in to coverage (only once all year). The back blitzes mostly come from the inside linebackers (46 total, with Brooks with 28 and Barton 16), while the safeties have blitzed 16 times (Neal 10) and the corners 11 (Bryant 8). Coverage-wise, I see the corners mostly off the line in zone coverage with not much m2m, safeties in a Cover 1 mixed with Cover 3, but also with some Cover 2, particularly on passing downs. Overall, I see a roll up zone with either a five-man under shell and a Cover 2 deep or a four-man under shell with a Cover 3 deep shell.

Defensive Line

The Seahawks rotate two nose tackles who split playing time 50/50. The listed starter is 35-year-old Al Woods, a 2010 fourth-round pick from LSU. In 165 snaps, Woods has 20 tackles (14 solo), 4 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, one pass defended, and three QB hits. He earns PFF grades of 64.0 (run)/63.4 (pass rush)/64.3 (overall), ranking him 46 out of 117 qualifying defensive tackles. Woods rotates Bryan Mone, a 2019 UDFA from Michigan. In 168 snaps, Mone has 16 tackles (9 solo), 1 TFL, and one QB hit. He scores 55.7 (run)/65.0 (pass rush)/57.7 (overall), for a ranking of 63/117. Poona Ford, a 2018 UDFA from Texas, rotates along the line in zero, three, and four tech alignments. Bowling ball-shaped at 5'11"/310, Ford is nonetheless a useful and versatile player in both run and pass situations. Year-to-date, he has 16 tackles (12 solo), 3 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 2 PDs, and 2 QB hits. He shows PFF grades of 54.1/61.8/56.5.

The Seahawks rotate three players at three tech DT/five tech DE. 31-year-old Shelby Harris came to Seattle as part of the Russell Wilson trade. Originally a 2014 seventh-round pick of the Raiders, Harris played five seasons in Denver, recording 6 sacks in 2021. Year-to-date, in 214 snaps, Harris has 16 tackles (8 solo), 3 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 2 PDs, and 2 QB hits. His PFF grades are 67.0 (run)/66.6 (pass rush)/71.5 (overall), ranking 26 out of 117. Quinton Jefferson, who played his first four seasons for the Seahawks, returned this season to Seattle after a two-year hiatus split between Buffalo and Las Vegas. In 270 snaps, Jefferson has 16 tackles (9 solo), 3 TFL, 3.0 sacks, and 6 QB hits. He grades poorly against the run (40.9), middling as a pass rusher (59.2), with an overall grade of 50.5 (88/117). Myles Adams, a 2020 UDFA from Rice, has played 85 snaps, including 30 snaps last week against the Chargers. He has 4 tackle assists and one QB hit, with PFF grades of 55.8/71/5/66.7.

Edge/Outside Linebackers

Seattle began the year with Darrell Taylor, a 2020 second-round pick from Tennessee, starting at weakside edge/OLB. Taylor proved to be awful in both run defense and in pass coverage.  His poor play in these areas caused him to lose the starting job to rookie Boye Mafe. Taylor is now utilized as a situational pass rusher, a position in which he has played well. Year-to-date, Taylor, in 291 snaps, has 13 tackles (all solo), with 3 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 4 QB hits, 3 forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Taylor grades 36.6 (run), 70.2 (pass rush) 33.7 (coverage), with an overall grade of 48.1.  Mafe, a second-round pick from Minnesota, plays predominantly, but not exclusively, on run downs. In 192 snaps, Mafe has 23 tackles (17 solo), 1 TFL, 1.0 sacks, and 2 QB hits. He grades 69.9 (run)/54.1 (pass rush)/51.6 (coverage)/61.7 (overall). Strong side edge/OLB Uchenna Nwosu has been solid in all phases. With 392 snaps, he has 29 tackles (16 solo), with 4 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 3 PDs, 10 QB hits, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He grades 73.3 (run)/69.0 (pass rush)/61.5 (coverage)/69.5 (overall).

Lower on the depth chart is 31-year-old veteran Christian Jones. Active for the past two games, he has registered 2 tackles on 20 defensive snaps. Backup edge Darryl Johnson suffered a Week 4 ankle injury that landed him on the IR. Prior to the injury, in 52 snaps, Johnson had 4 tackles (2 solo), one TFL, and one QB hit, with an overall PFF grade of 57.5. To replace Johnson, the Seahawks signed 35-year-old veteran Bruce Irvin. An integral member of the Seahawks early 2010s' "Legion of Doom," Irvin is in his third go-around with Seattle. Elevated to the active roster for last week's Chargers game, Irvin played 24 snaps, registering 2 tackles. If nothing else, Irvin brings experience and direction to what is clearly a young and evolving defense.

Inside Linebackers

Left inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks, a 2020 first-round pick from Texas Tech, is a solid all-around backer. Brooks almost never comes off the field, having played 490 out of a possible 492 defensive snaps. A tackling machine, he has to-date 73 tacklers (48 solo), 1 pass defended, 2 QB hits, 1 forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. His PFF grades are 69.3 in run defense, 64.0 for pass rush, 50.8 in coverage, and 59.8 overall, ranking him 42nd of 78 qualifying ILBs. Starting at right inside linebacker is Cody Barton, a 2019 third-round pick from Utah. Barton has played 370 (75%) of the defensive snaps. He currently has 53 tackles (32 solo), 2 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 1 PD, and one QB hit. Barton, whose play was not good early in the season, is playing better of late. He grades 55.1 in run defense, 62.4 in pass rush, 47.5 in coverage, and 59.8 overall (ranked 66 of 78). Nick Bellore is the top back up. Primarily a specialty teams ace (144 snaps on STs), he has 9 defensive snaps, earning an obviously bloated overall grade of 80.8. Bellore is on concussion protocol and has been ruled out for Sunday.

Cornerbacks

Starting left cornerback is fourth-year player Michael Jackson. A 2019 fifth-round pick by Dallas, the U of Miami alum bounced around for three seasons on the practice squads of Detroit, New England and Seattle, playing in only four games total. Jackson, who came close to not making this season's 53-man cutdown, has, mostly by default, emerged as a starting edge corner. He has started all seven games, playing 432 defensive snaps. Jackson has 27 tackles (26 solo), 2 TFL, 4 PDs, and one fumble recovery. He grades 55.0 in coverage, a fine 78.4 against the run, 57.7 pass rush (only 2 pass rushes to date), and an overall grade of 59.7. He ranks 64 out of 105 qualifying corners. Starting opposite Jackson is rookie Tariq Woolen, a fifth-round pick from UT-San Antonio. Woolen, who has played 473 out of a possible 492 snaps, has been a very pleasant surprise. To date, Woolen, a big corner at 6'4"/205, has 24 tackles (20 solo), 2 TFL, 6 passes defended, 3 QB hits, and 4 interceptions, including one 40-yard interception return for a touchdown. He grades 72.3 in coverage/63.3 run defense/72.0 overall, ranking 23rd of 105. Starting at slot corner is the electric rookie Coby Bryant, a fourth-round pick from Cincinnati. A dynamic if improving playmaker, Bryant, who plays all over the defensive front, has played 306 total defensive snaps. He has 28 tackles (19 solo), 2 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 1 PD, 2 QB hits, and 4 forced fumbles. He grades 60.9 coverage/48.6 run support/57.5 pass rush/ and 57.0 overall, ranking 70 out of 105.

Seattle has several backup corners who have seen playing time. Artie Burns, a 2016 first-round pick of the Steelers, was likely the original plan as starter until he suffered a groin injury during camp. That injury has limited him to a season total of just 16 snaps, all in Week 5 against New Orleans. Burns, whose health has improved each week, did have a full practice Thursday and may see action against the Giants. Justin Coleman, a 2015 UDFA from Tennessee, played 51 snaps in Week 1 against Denver. He has since played in only 2 games, all on special teams. Against the Broncos, he earned a 54.3 cover grade/57.2 overall. To date, he has six total tackles (3 solo). Former Eagle Sidney Jones, a 2017 second-round pick from Washington, has, career-wise, been a disappointment. This season, he has played 45 defensive snaps over three games, recording 5 tackles (four solo), with an overall grade of 58.3.

Safeties

Seattle's defense took a huge hit when All Pro strong safety Jamaal Adams suffered a season-ending knee/quad injury just 15 plays into the Week 1 win over Denver. Josh Jones, a 2017 second-round pick from North Carolina State, took Adams spot at SS. Jones started Weeks 1-5, recording stats of 22 tackles (18 solo), 1 PD, and 1 QB hit. Jones' overall play was poor. To date, over 298 snaps, he posts PFF grades of 49.5 for coverage, 51.4 in run defense, and 64.9 in pass rush. His overall grade of 48.8 ranks him 75 out of 85 qualifying safeties. After the Week 5 debacle against New Orleans, DC Clint Hurtt decided to bench Jones in favor of Ryan Neal. The change has been dramatic. Now with 261 snaps, Neal has 23 tackles (16 solo), 1 TFL, 6 PDs, 1 interception, and 1 QB hit. His PFF scores of 78.6 (coverage), 57.0 (run defense), and 58.6 (pass rush) yields an overall grade of 75.5, ranking 16th out of 85 qualifying safeties. Free safety Quandre Diggs, a 2015 sixth-round pick from Texas, has played all 492 defensive snaps. Diggs' play has been solid, scoring grades of 60.6 (coverage)/65.5 (run support) and 61.7 (overall). To date he has 33 tackles (22 solo), 1 TFL, and 1 forced fumble. He ranks 53 out of 85 qualifying safeties.

Special Teams

T.J. Lockett was once an All-Pro kick returner, but in recent years his role in that capacity has diminished. Lockett, who has three career touchdown returns, now splits punt return duties with Xavier Crawford. Lockett has a single return for 7 yards; Crawford one return for zero yards. Dee Jay Dallas is the primary kickoff returner. He has 9 returns for 196 yards, a 21.8 average, with a long of 30 yards. D'wayne Eskridge has 2 kickoff returns for 45 yards, a 22.5 average, with a long of 25 yards. 31-year-old veteran Jason Myers is the kicker. To date, Myers has hit 15/16 field goals (3/3 on kicks of 50+) and has made 18/19 extra points. 26-year-old punter Michael Dickson has 21 punts. He has a gross average 48.8 and a net average of 44.4. He has had 7 punts inside the 20, 1 touchback, and 6 fair catches, with a return average of 7.2 Y/R.

Seattle Seahawks Offense

71-year-old Pete Carroll began his coaching career in 1973 as a grad assistant at Pacific University. After spending a decade coaching in the lower ranks, in 1984 he signed as a defensive backfield coach with the Bills. After one season, he moved to Minnesota, where he spent five years as a secondary coach, studying under the legendary Bud Grant. In 1990, Jets' head coach Bruce Coslett hired Carroll as his defensive coordinator. Carroll remained in that capacity through 1993. In 1994, the Jets "kicked" Carroll "upstairs" to be their head coach. After a single lackluster 6-10 season, the Jets let him go. Carroll then coached as DC in San Francisco for two seasons before a 1997 hire as New England's head coach. He remained with the Patriots for three seasons, making the playoffs twice. Carroll was fired after the 1999 season and spent a year out of coaching. In 2001, he was hired as head coach of the USC Trojans. He remained at USC for nine seasons, earning National Championships in 2003 and 2004. In 2010, under the cloud of an NCAA investigation, he left USC to become head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. Now in his 13th season in Seattle, he holds a 123-76-1 regular season record and a 10-8 playoff record. His Seahawks have twice been to the Super Bowl: a 2013 Superbowl XLVIII 43-8 victory over Denver, and a 2014 Super Bowl XLIX 28-24 loss to the Patriots. His Seahawks have made the playoffs in all but two seasons: 2017 and 2021.

Shane Waldron is the Seahawks offensive coordinator. The 43-year-old Waldron began his coaching career in 2005 as a Notre Dame grad assistant. In 2008, Bill Belichick hired Waldron as an offensive quality control/tight ends coach. After two seasons, he moved back into the college ranks, coaching tight ends and offensive line at UMass from 2012-2015. He then spent the 2016 season with the Washington Football Team as an offensive quality control coach. He joined the Rams in 2017 as their tight ends/passing game coordinator. He remained with the Rams for four seasons. In 2021, the Seahawks hired Waldron to be their offensive coordinator.

Seattle entered 2022 without quarterback Russell Wilson, who had been the team's starting quarterback since 2012. During the 2021/2022 offseason, the Seahawks had traded the disgruntled Wilson, plus a 4th round pick, to Denver in exchange for two first-round picks, two second- round picks, a fifth-round pick, the talented young tight end Noah Fant, starting defensive end Shelby Harris, and backup QB Drew Luck. A preseason QB battle between Luck and holdover backup Geno Smith resulted in a hands-down win for the 32-year-old Smith. Once the QB situation was settled, Waldron opted to utilize Smith in the same manner as he had used Wilson in 2021. To the surprise of most, myself included, Smith has been terrific. To date, his 107.7 quarterback rating ranks 3rd in the NFL; Pro Football Focus ranks him at #4 with an overall PFF grade of 83.6. In addition to Smith, the Seahawks feature a solid run game. In fact, Seattle maintains a balanced attack, with a 45.3% run/pass ratio. Personnel-wise, they average 1.06 running backs/snap, 1.60 tight ends/snap, and 2.32 wide receivers/snap. 12 and 13 personnel are predominant; 11 personnel packages are less common than most teams, and two back sets are rare. Year-to-date, running backs have been targeted with 11.4% of the pass attempts, tight ends 26.7%, and wideouts 61.9%. Waldron likes to use his backs and tight ends on high percentage shorter pass routes. To date, the running backs have caught 21 passes on 24 targets, an 88% completion rate, for 105 yards, a modest average of 5.0 yards/catch. The talented trio of Seahawk tight ends has been more productive: 48 catches on 56 targets, an 86% completion rate, for 505 yards (10.5 yards/catch). Wide receivers have 89 catches on 130 targets, a 68.4% completion rate, for 1102 yards (12.4 yards/catch). On a smaller note, Seattle is averaging exactly 5.0 offensive linemen/snap, indicating that they have not utilized a short-yardage "tackle eligible" all year.

Statistically, Seattle ranks 12 in total yardage (355 yards/game) and 5th in points (26.1 PPG). They average 137.1 rushing yards/game (10th), have 174 rushing attempts (17th), and average a league-best 5.5 yards/carry. They have 7 rushing touchdowns (T9). The Seahawks have fumbled 11 times, second-most in the league, but, oddly, have lost only one to the opposition. In the pass game (all Geno Smith), they are 16th in yards (225.7 Y/G), 20th in pass attempts (216), and 14th in completions (158). Geno Smith's completion rate of 73.1% ranks #1 in the NFL. He has 11 touchdowns (T9) and 4 interceptions (T6). Of his 11 touchdown passes, 6 have been to wide receivers, 5 to tight ends, and zero to running backs. Smith has been sacked 16 times (tied for 11th most) for minus 131 sack yardage (7th worst).

Offensive Line

Much like the Giants, the 2021 Seattle offensive line was an absolute train wreck. Offseason, the Seahawk front office spent much effort and capital to address the issue. They drafted two tackles, both of whom are starters, signed a free agent center, and pieced together a trio of guards from the 2021 roster that are showing at least a competent level of play. Rookie left tackle Charles Cross, the #7 overall pick from Mississippi State, has played 100% of the offensive snaps. A textbook "pure left tackle," Cross has been solid, if not spectacular. To date, his Pro Football Focus scores are 55.2 run blocking/66.1 pass blocking. His overall score of 60.0 ranks him 58 of 77 qualifying tackles. Right tackle Abraham Lucas, a rookie from Washington State, was a third-round pick (#72 overall). Like Cross, Lucas has started and played all 436 snaps. His PFF grades are 64.3 (run)/71.7 (pass pro)/65.9 (overall), ranking him #44 of 77 qualifying tackles. The Seahawks signed former Ram starting center Austin Blythe to a one-year, $4 million dollar contract. Blythe too has played all 436 snaps. His play has been subpar, grading 52.6 (run)/62.6 (pass pro)/50.8 (overall), a ranking of 33 out of 37. Third year left guard Damien Lewis, who made the 2020 All-Rookie Team, missed Week 1 with a nagging ankle issue, then missed part of Week 2 with a quad injury. He has since played 100% of the snaps. The LSU alum grades 58.0 (run)/69.9 (pass pro)/63.4 (overall), ranking #31 out of 77. The starting right guard is veteran Gabe Jackson, a 2014 third-round pick from Mississippi State. Jackson, who played 100% of the snaps in Weeks 1-4, suffered a hip flexor injury in the Week 5 loss to New Orleans and has not played since. Prior to the injury, he graded 56.9/49.9/56.5, ranking 52 out of 77. He was listed as "limited" with hip/knee issues in the Wednesday Seahawks injury report. Phil Haynes, who filled in for Damien Lewis at LG early in the season, subbed in at right guard for Jackson in Weeks 5-7. In 221 total snaps, Haynes, a 2019 fourth-round pick from Wake Forest, has PFF grades of 60.8/57.5/55.5. Haynes left last week's win over the Chargers with a concussion. He was listed as "did not participate" on Wednesday's injury report due to concussion protocol. If neither Jackson nor Haynes is a go on Sunday, Jake Curhan, who took the final 24 snaps against the Chargers, will likely start. Over those 24 plays, Curhan earned PFF grades of 50.1 in run blocking, a Blutarski-like perfect 0.0 score in pass blocking, with an overall of 30.1. A 2021 UDFA from Cal, Curhan started five games last year at right tackle, scoring a PFF grade of 50.1.  Another possible option is Kyle Fuller, a fifth-year player who started nine game last year at center. 

Running Backs and Tight Ends

Rashaad Penny, Seattle's #1 running back, is on IR due to a fibula fracture + ankle injury suffered in the Week 5 loss to New Orleans. Prior to the injury, Penny, a 2018 first-round pick, had rushed for 346 yards on 57 carries (6.1 Y/C) and two touchdowns, with a PFF overall of 70.2 (20th of 61). Kenneth Walker III, who was already getting significant playing time as the #2 back, is now starting in Penny's place. Walker, a rookie second-round pick from Michigan State, has 67 carries for 411 rushing yards (6.1 Y/C) and four touchdowns. Walker hasn't been much of a force in the pass game, catching 8 passes on 10 targets for 27 yards (3.4 Y/C). Despite a weak pass catching score of 52.6, his A+ PFF run grade of 86.2 boosts his overall score to 77.5, ranking him 11th out of 61 qualifying backs. Moving into the #2 RB slot is 2020 fourth-round pick Dee Jay Dallas. The U of Miami alum, with 75 snaps from scrimmage, has 12 carries for 61 yards (5.1 Y/C) and has caught 5 passes on 5 targets for 29 yards (5.8 Y/C). He is also they only Seahawk other than Geno Smith to attempt a forward pass (it was incomplete). Third in the hole is 2019 sixth-round pick Travis Homer. Also from Miami, Homer, in 43 snaps, has 4 carries for 18 yards (4.5 Y/C) and has 4 catches on 4 targets for 33 yards (8.3 Y/C).

The Seahawks have a terrific trio of tight ends. #1 is Will Dissley, a 2018 fourth-round pick from the Washington Huskies. To date, in 285 snaps, he has 19 catches on 20 targets for 194 yards (10.2 Y/C) and three touchdowns. He scores grades of 73.6 in receiving/65.6 in run blocking/74.6 overall, ranking him 6th among qualifying tight ends. #2 tight end, Noah Fant, was a 2019 first-round pick of Denver. He came to Seattle this offseason in the Russell Wilson trade. In 263 snaps, Fant has 20 catches on 26 targets for 157 yards (7.9 Y/C) and one touchdown. He scores 67.7 (receiving)/58.7 (run blocking)/65.8 (overall), ranking 16th of 72. Colby Parkinson, a 2020 fourth-round pick from Stanford, is another good TE option. A downfield threat, Parkinson, in 151 snaps, has 9 catches on 10 targets for 154 yards (17.1 Y/C). He grades 71.8/57.7/68.5, ranking 12th of 72.

Wide Receivers

No question that D.K. Metcalf is one of the NFL's top big-man wide receivers. Now in his fourth season, the 2019 second-round pick from Ole Miss has had 900+ reception yards in each of his first three seasons. In his best season, 2020, Metcalf caught 83 passes for 1303 yards and 10 touchdowns, earning a spot in the Pro Bowl. Year-to-date, on 334 snaps, Metcalf has 31 catches on 52 targets for 418 yards (13.5 Y/C) and two touchdowns, with a PFF receiving grade of 73.0. Metcalf suffered a knee injury last week against the Chargers and had to be carted off the field. He has not practiced all week and is doubtful for Sunday against the Giants. #2 wide receiver Tyler Lockett was limited in practice Wednesday. He has been hampered in recent weeks by a hamstring injury but has been able to play on Sundays. Last week, against the Chargers, he played 46 snaps (65%) and caught 7 passes on 8 targets for 45 yards. Year-to-date, Lockett, with 353 snaps, has 41 catches on 53 targets for 468 yards (11.4 Y/C) and 2 touchdowns, with a PFF grade of 77.2 (16th of 110). The #3/slot receiver is 31-year-old Marquise Goodwin. A 2013 third-round pick from Texas, Goodwin has played 182 snaps, catching 10 passes on 15 targets for 146 yards (14.6 Y/C) and two touchdowns, with a PFF grade of 60.5.

Seattle has three additional receivers who have taken offensive snaps. 2021 second-round pick Dwayne Eskridge (W. Michigan) has been gaining more playing time of late. In 110 snaps (30 last week against the Chargers), Eskridge has 6 catches on 9 targets for 55 yards (9.2 Y/C). He also has two carries on reverses for ten yards. Eskridge scores a 57.9 overall grade. Elsewise, 2019 UDFA Penny Hart has played 10 offensive snaps. He has one catch for 15 yards. Dareke Young, a rookie seventh-round pick from Lenoir-Rhyne, has played 24 snaps, including 17 last week against the Chargers. He has zero catches on zero targets.

Quarterback

Geno Smith has surprised and thrived in the 2022 Seattle offense. Although it seems that the 32-year-old Smith has been around forever, he is actually a year younger than Russell Wilson. Now in his ninth season, Geno is playing like the Jets hoped he would when they picked him in the second-round of the 2013 draft. Always mobile, Smith has smoothly transitioned into the Russell Wilson role in the Shane Waldron Seattle offense. To date, Smith has completed a league-leading 73.5% of his passes (158/215) for 1712 yards and 11 touchdowns. He does have 4 interceptions (T6) and has been sacked 16 times (T11) for minus 131 yards (7th worst). Unleashed in the run game for the first time since his second season with the Jets, he has responded: 26 carries, 125 yards, 4.8 yards/carry, and one touchdown. He shows PFF grades of 79.9 passing and 82.0 running. As mentioned above, his 83.6 overall grade ranks him 4th of 36 qualifying quarterbacks, while his quarterback rating of 107.7 ranks 3rd.

Next: The Seattle Seahawks Defense and Specialty Teams

Our final up-close look at the Giants 2022 draft. In this Part 2 of the post-draft analysis, we look at the Day 3 selections as well as several UDFAs. 29:00 run time. I hope all enjoy it!


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Ceri and I examine the Giants picks on Days 1 & 2. Podcast covering Day 3 + UDFAs will be out a little later this week. Run time is 28:12.

Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/user-826565332/ceri-post-draft-1-mixdown-1

Ceri returns to discuss the defensive prospects.

Edge: Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan), Travon Walker (Georgia), Kayvon Thibodeaux (Oregon), Jermaine Johnson II (Florida State), Boye Mafe (Minnesota), George Karlaftis (Purdue), Arnold Ebikettie (Penn State), Nick Bonitto (Oklahoma), Seangelo Malone (W Kentucky), Dominic Robinson (Miami Ohio), Myjai Sanders (Cincinnati), Kingsley Enagbare (S Carolina), Drake Jackson (USC), Josh Paschal (Kentucky), Cam Thomas (San Diego State)

Corner: Sauce Gardner (Cincinnati), Derek Stingley (LSU), Trent McDuffy (Washington), Tyler Gordon (Washington) Andrew Booth (Clemson) Kaiir Elam (Florida), Roger McCreary (Auburn), Cam Taylor Britt (Nebraska), Joshua Williams (Fayetteville State), Alontae Taylor (Tennessee)

Safety: Kyle Hamilton (Notre Dame), Saxton Hill (Michigan), Jalen Pitre (Baylor), Lewis Cine (Georgia), Marquis Bell (Florida A & M), Smoke Monday (Arkansas), Bryan Cook (Cincinnati), Nick Cross (Maryland)

Defensive Line: Logan Hall (Houston) Jordan Davis (Georgia), Devonte Wyatt (Georgia), Phidarian Mattis (Alabama), Neil Farrell (LSU), Zack Carter (Florida), Matthew Butler (Tennessee), Eyioma Uwazurike (Iowa State), John Ridgeway (Arkansas), Travis Jones (UConn), Perrion Winfrey (Oklahoma), Demarvin Leal (Texas A & M)

Inside Linebacker: Devin Lloyd (Utah), Nakobe Dean (Georgia), Quay Walker (Georgia), Leo Chanel (Wisconsin), Chad Muma (Wyoming), Channing Tindall (Georgia), Brian Asamoah (Oklahoma), Christian Harris (Alabama), Troy Anderson (Montana State), Damone Clark (LSU), Brandon Smith (Penn State), Darian Beavers (Cincinnati), Joe Joe Dolman (Nebraska), Sterling Weatherford (Miami Ohio)

Run time is 43:31, broken into three blocks, A Block: Edge, B Block: Corners/Safeties, C Block: Dline/Inside Linebacker/Draft Prognosis

Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/user-826565332/ceri-2022-nfl-draft-2-defense-mixdown-1

Part 1, as Ceri and I look at the offensive prospects as relates to the Giants. Excellent work, as always, by Ceri. Players discussed, by position, in order:

Tackle: Evan Neal (Alabama), Ikem Ewonku (North Carolina State), Charles Cross (Mississippi State), Abraham Lucas (Washington State), Bernard Raimann (Central Michigan), Trevor Penning (Northern Illinois)

Interior Line: Zion Johnson (Boston College), Kenyon Green (Texas A & M), Cole Strange (Tennessee-Chattanoga), Luke Fortner (Kentucky), Dylan Parnham (Memphis), Luke Goedeke (Central Michigan), Jamaree Salyer (Georgia), Cam Jergens (Nebraska), Spenser Burford (Texas-San Antonio)

Wide Receiver: Jaylen Tolbert (South Alabama), Romeo Doubs (Nevada), Alec Pierce (Cincinnati), Calvin Austin III (Memphis), Bo Melton (Rutgers), Charleston Rambo (Miami Fla), Jahan Dotson (Penn State), Garrett Wilson (Ohio State)

Tight End: Trey McBride (Colorado State), Jelani Woods (Virginia), Jeremy Ruckert (Ohio State), Daniel Bellinger (San Diego State), Charlie Kolar (Iowa State), Jake Ferguson (Wisconsin), Austin Allen (Nebraska), Cole Turner (Nevada)

Running Back: James Cook (Georgia), Pierre Strong (S. Dakota State), Rachaad White (Arizona State), Brian Robinson Jr (Alabama), Dameon Pierce (Florida), Abram Smith (Baylor), Tyler Allgeier (BYU)

We'll have Part 2/Defensive Prospects out by next weekend. Enjoy!

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