On a day where the Indianapolis Colts’ defense as a whole put together an abysmal performance, which defenders stood out and received the highest grades from Pro Football Focus?
But first, before we dive into that, it’s important to note that PFF’s grading system, while helpful, is not the be-all-end-all. Instead, it is one metric out of many that are out there when it comes to player evaluation and should be treated as such.
However, with that said, generally speaking, if a player performs well, their PFF grade does reflect that.
Here is a look at PFF’s grading system to provide some context behind the numbers:
90.0+: Elite
80-89.9: High quality
70-79.9: Good
60-69.9: Above average
50-59.9: Average
40-49.9: Below average
39.9 or less: Poor
DE Tyquan Lewis
PFF grade: 81.1
Lewis didn’t fill the stat sheet with one pressure and two tackles, but the Colts run defense did hold up well in this game, and oftentimes a key contributor to that success is the defensive ends setting a strong edge and not letting the ball carriers get to the boundary.
LB EJ Speed
PFF grade: 78.7
In coverage, Speed allowed four completions on five targets for 36 yards, but what really bolstered his overall grade was his performance against the run, according to PFF. Speed was in on five tackles and recorded one stop.
DT DeForest Buckner
PFF grade: 78.4
Buckner had just one pressure but played a key role in muddying things up in the middle of the field for the Giants’ run game. By PFF’s metrics, he recorded five tackles and three stops in the run game.
Honorable Mentions
DT Grover Stewart: 76.7
LB Zaire Franklin: 75.2
DE Kwity Paye: 69.5
