We’ll be back later this week with a look at PFF’s cumulative grades for the season, but for now here are our observations from their grades for the Pats against the Rams.
Best Offensive Grade: Gronk 6.7
Worst Offensive Grade: Branch -1.2
Best Defensive Grade: Brandon Spikes 2.6
Worst Defensive Grade: Justin Francis -1.5
Spikes tied for his best coverage game of the season with a 1.5 (also got a 1.5 vs. Titans) and a pass defended. Though he didn’t get credit for a single stop in the run game. That’s a first.
Alfonzo Dennard had the best defensive back score with a 1.2 in coverage. He only allowed one catch on three targets.
No Patriots defender was in the red for coverage. Wow, let’s all take a breath and enjoy that one for a moment.
Off the edges and behind the right guard were the two most deadly running holes for the Pats running backs.
The Pats were credited here with 9 blitzes on 33 plays, good for 27%. This doesn’t seem as high as I expected to be, perhaps it was just the complexity of the blitzes that drew the attention. Double A gap and double edge blitzes were run a couple times.
Dan Connolly was a dominant 3.1 in run blocking and looks like he’s starting to find his groove at RG. His pass blocking was a -1.8 though.
Ryan Wendell had his best pass blocking game of the season with a 1.1.
Spikes was a surprise as the third ranked pass rusher on the day with a 1.2.
Vince Wilfork had his second best score of the season, and it was just a -0.1. More on this coming later in the week, because through half of the season Wilfork is the worst graded Patriots defender and I don’t agree with it.
Solid game for Kyle Love with a 1.3, his best score since week two. He was especially good in the run game. Positive sign for Love, we need him to start elevating his play.
Chandler Jones got his best pass rush grade of the season with a 2.8, but his 4 stops are almost more impressive.
Marquice Cole had an impressive 1.2 on the day. Hope he’s not hurt and gets more of a shot at slot corner, he really flashed some promise there.
Rams blitzed on 11 of 35 snaps and Brady ate them up when they did for 107 yards and two touchdowns.
See our full season of PFF notes here.