2023 PFF Team Grades

[RiverDog]

Since I'm still paying for premium access to PFF, I thought it would be interesting to share with you guys how they ranked various aspects of our 2023 team, where our strengths and weaknesses lay. Here's how we ranked against the other 31 teams in the league:

Offense: Passing: 11th. Pass blocking: 28th. Receiving: 7th. Running: 11th. Run blocking: 15th. Overall offense: 12th.

Defense: Run Defense: 23rd. Tackling: 31st. Pass rush: 9th. Coverage: 10th. Overall defense: 15th.

Special teams: 3rd.

Team overall: 10th.

If anything sticks out like a sore thumb, it's our tackling, and at least in my opinion, that sure meets with my eye test. The other weakness is our pass blocking, and injuries to our tackles and lack of depth all across the OL is something that a lot of us complained about.

This likely isn't that applicable to our future as we're going to have a new coaching philosophy on both offense as well as defense, and there's already been some roster churning. Plus, as we've discussed, PFF is by no means the ultimate authority, but they are the best at what they do. In any event, I thought it interesting for us to see where Mac and his staff are starting out with.

[Old but Slow]

It is not surprising that the only numbers less than average reflect on the middle of the defense. LW was our best DL in the middle and it makes his signing so important. It gives MM a head start on improving the unit. I wonder how much effect Abe Lucas' injury had on the pass pro numbers. He is mainly a run blocker, but his protection is pretty good, too. I wonder if they may shift Bradford to the left side and draft a rookie for RG. Our OL is quite young now, which is good news for a team that is looking at the long picture.

On defense, I have been a fan of Mone as reserve run stopper. If he is healthy again, I'd like to see him resigned on a vet minimum. Gotel, on the practice squad is another that MM may coach up.

[RiverDog]

It is not surprising that the only numbers less than average reflect on the middle of the defense. LW was our best DL in the middle and it makes his signing so important. It gives MM a head start on improving the unit. I wonder how much effect Abe Lucas' injury had on the pass pro numbers. He is mainly a run blocker, but his protection is pretty good, too. I wonder if they may shift Bradford to the left side and draft a rookie for RG. Our OL is quite young now, which is good news for a team that is looking at the long picture.

On defense, I have been a fan of Mone as reserve run stopper. If he is healthy again, I'd like to see him resigned on a vet minimum. Gotel, on the practice squad is another that MM may coach up.

Although he's far from being a bust, Charles Cross has not performed up to the expectations of a top 10 draft pick. One of the reasons why I wanted to keep Dissly was to supplement our two tackles as once we get past the starters, we're very weak there. Plus, there's a concern that Lucas' knee might be a chronic problem and that his career may be a short one.

But the real weakness in these rankings is our tackling, and anyone who is even a halfway fan knows from watching our defense that our tackling over the past few seasons has been horrid. Hopefully, purging ourselves of Adams and Diggs will help improve that aspect of our D as those two were the worst ranked pair of safeties in the league. The other thing that tackling number shows is that the poor play of our front 4 is exposing our secondary and overly relying on them to make tackles. They need to take a good, hard look at Tariq Woolen. This is going to be his sophomore season, and he needs to up his game. He took a step backwards last season.

[NorthHawk]

The tackling went downhill real fast. It seems that it wasn't emphasized the last 5 or so years and it showed.
Woolen is a player that I think was influenced by some of the veterans who were making 'business decisions' far too often. Why would a young player risk injury when the leaders aren't?