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Pro Football Focus is everyone's favorite site that grades NFL player performances. Let's take a look at what they had to say about the performances from the Philadelphia Eagles 26-21 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. [Recap]
PFF offers explanation on their grading system on their website. Read more about that here.
OFFENSE
Best
Jason Peters +1.7
Analysis
Jason Peters was the only offensive player to grade above 1.0. Peters graded out well in pass protection. The next highest graded players on offense were left guard Matt Tobin, wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, and slot receiver Jordan Matthews all at 0.7.
Worst
Riley Cooper -4.2
Zach Ertz -3.4
LeSean McCoy -2.2
David Molk -2.0
Nick Foles -1.8
Dennis Kelly -1.8
Brent Celek -1.5
Analysis
Lots of bad here, to no surprise. Riley Cooper was the worst. He caught 6 passes on 8 targets for 54 yards but fumbled at one point and dropped a touchdown pass near the end of the game. Zach Ertz fumbled at a key moment and also graded out poorly as a run blocker. LeSean McCoy only managed to gain 17 yards on 10 carries. David Molk graded poorly in pass protection. He was marked down for one hurry but he also had a holding penalty. Dennis Kelly allowed 4 hurries. Brent Celek struggled as a run blocker.
Nick Foles was obviously not good. Not all of the blame can be shifted on the offensive line. Even when Foles had time, he didn't execute. Take a look at his stats from plays where he wasn't pressured: 17/30 (56.7%), 153 yards, 5.1 y/a, 0 TD, 1 INT, 56.7 rating. Bad.
Taking it a step further, Foles currently ranks 35th out of 36 eligible quarterback in PFF's "Accuracy Percentage" stat. This stat is like regular completion percentage except it adjusts for "dropped passes, throw aways, spiked balls, batted passes, and passes where the quarterback was hit while they threw the ball - factors that hurt the quarterback's completion percentage but don't help show how accurate they are." So even when Foles' completion percentage is adjusted for errors that aren't his fault, the result is still really bad.
DEFENSE
Best
Cedric Thornton +3.7
Trent Cole +3.6
Malcolm Jenkins +3.3
Emmanuel Acho +3.2
Beau Allen +2.4
Bradley Fletcher +1.8
Analysis
Some defensive players really stepped up against the 49ers. Cedric Thornton recorded 6 tackles and 3 stops in run defense. Trent Cole came alive as a pass rusher and recorded 1 sack, 1 QB hit, and 4 QB hurries. Malcolm Jenkins came up big with 7 tackles, 4 stops, and an interception returned to the house for a touchdown. Emmanuel Acho made 4 tackles and 4 stops as well as recording 1 QB hurry. Rookie nose tackle Beau Allen recorded 2 hurries in limited playing time. Bradley Fletcher was in on 5 solo tackles and only allowed 3 catches for 33 yards on 8 targets.
One more note on Jenkins: he's currently PFF's third highest graded safety overall. Supposed top free agent signing Jarius Byrd ranks 65th out of 77 safeties.
Worst
DeMeco Ryans -3.5
Brandon Bair -3.2
Cary Williams -2.1
Vinny Curry -1.5
Casey Matthews -1.3
Analysis
DeMeco Ryans missed 2 tackles and allowed 2 catches on 2 targets for 22 yards. Brandon Bair did not record a tackle but did miss 1 tackle in limited playing time. Cary Williams was assigned blame for 5 receptions on 7 targets for 52 yards and 1 touchdown. He also committed defensive holding at a critical part in the game where the Eagles otherwise would have made a stop. In Williams' defense, the call was tacky. Vinny Curry did not grade out positively in run defense or pass rush. Casey Matthews struggled against the run and missed a tackle.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Bryan Braman +1.5
Trey Burton +1.5
Darren Sproles +1.2
Bryan Braman was credited for a special teams tackle and also had a hand in getting pressure on punt that the Eagles blocked. Speaking of the blocked punt, it was Trey Burton who got his hands on the ball. Darren Sproles came up big with a 82-yard punt return for a touchdown.