For 17 years, PFF has constructed probably the most detailed soccer database on the earth, analyzing each participant on each play throughout the NFL, school soccer and past. Trusted by all 32 NFL groups and numerous others, PFF supplies the information that helps uncover the actual story behind each recreation.
Ahead of NFL Week 17, our media crew has dived deep into the numbers to ship key insights for each NFL matchup, highlighting the hidden storylines and standout performances that form every recreation.
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DAL@PHI | NYJ@BUF | TEN@JAX | CAR@TB | LV@NO | IND@NYG | MIA@CLE | GB@MIN | ATL@WAS | DET@SF
Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles
Micah Parsons stays a standout performer on protection. His 19.8% pass-rush win charge and 18.5% stress charge this season each rank third amongst all defenders. Since his NFL debut in 2021, solely Maxx Crosby has surpassed Parsons’ whole of 320 pressures.
Should Jalen Hurts be unavailable for the Eagles this week, Kenny Pickett will probably step in below middle. During his tenure because the Steelers’ beginning quarterback from 2022-2023, Pickett earned a 73.0 PFF passing grade, rating twentieth amongst 32 qualifying quarterbacks. He posted a 4.1% big-time throw charge (nineteenth) and a 2.2% turnover-worthy play charge, the fourth lowest, trailing solely Justin Herbert, Joe Burrow, and Jalen Hurts.
New York Jets @ Buffalo Bills
The inside of the Jets’ offensive line has considerably improved in go safety this season. Among crew inside traces, the Jets rank second in stress charge allowed (9.0%) and grade because the fifth-best inside unit in go safety, with a 72.1 PFF pass-blocking grade. This is a considerable enchancment from final season after they ranked twenty eighth in PFF pass-blocking grade (49.9) and twenty fifth in stress charge allowed (17.3%).
Christian Benford has been among the best cornerbacks at locking down go catchers lined up out large this season. Among gamers with 300 or extra protection snaps in such conditions, his 0.51 yards allowed per protection snap is the bottom within the league.
Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Rookie left deal with JC Latham has struggled to guard Titans quarterbacks this season. Among offensive linemen lined up at left deal with, Latham has allowed 38 whole pressures, the third-most within the league, trailing solely Charles Cross and Cam Robinson. His 2.9% QB knockdown charge (hits and sacks) is the second highest on the place, behind Wanya Morris. The Jaguars’ protection has been among the many worst within the league at limiting yards after the catch. Only the Dallas Cowboys have allowed extra YAC per reception than the Jaguars’ 6.2. Compounding their struggles, Jacksonville has allowed a league-high 106.4 passer score in protection this season.
Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Panthers’ pass-catchers have struggled with consistency on deeper throws all through the season. On passes touring 10 or extra yards downfield, the crew leads the NFL in each dropped passes (13) and drop charge (13.0%).
Meanwhile, the Buccaneers make the most of screens at a 17.4% charge, the second-highest within the league behind the Dolphins. This method might exploit a Panthers protection that ranks final in permitting explosive performs (15+ yards) on display passes, with a 17.2% explosive go charge. In their Week 13 matchup, the Buccaneers tallied 41 yards on display passes in opposition to Carolina.
Las Vegas Raiders @ New Orleans Saints
Brock Bowers is their major goal when the Raiders must get the ball out shortly within the passing recreation. On go makes an attempt launched in 2.5 seconds or much less, Bowers ranks third within the NFL with 69 receptions for 676 yards, and his 35 receiving conversions are tied for fifth. However, the Saints have excelled in go protection in opposition to fast throws, permitting the second-lowest passer score at 84.8.
Tight ends play a big function within the Saints’ passing recreation, but it surely’s a collective effort. The Saints are the one crew with three tight ends who’ve seen 30 or extra targets this season. They’ve been significantly efficient at transferring the chains, rating within the high six amongst tight finish teams with 31 catches and 522 receiving yards on targets past the sticks. The Raiders, however, have struggled on this space, permitting a league-high 52 receiving conversions to tight ends, together with 32 on targets past the sticks.
Indianapolis Colts @ New York Giants
Jonathan Taylor recorded his second profession 200-yard dashing efficiency in Week 16, amassing 218 yards, with 135 of these approaching two explosive carries of 70 and 65 yards every. Since getting into the league in 2020, Taylor has registered 15 carries of 40-plus yards, trailing solely Derrick Henry in that class. The Giants have struggled to stop massive performs on the bottom this season, permitting the second-most carries of 20-plus yards (18) and a league-high 5 carries of 40-plus yards.
The Giants have tried to make the most of Malik Nabers as a deep risk, however inconsistent quarterback play has hindered his effectiveness. Nabers is tied for third with 26 deep targets (20-plus yards downfield), but solely 9 of these have been deemed catchable, leading to 5 completions. He and Rome Odunze are the one gamers with 20 or extra deep targets and 5 or fewer catches. Nabers might discover extra success this week in opposition to a Colts protection that has allowed the seventh-highest catch charge (42%) to large receivers on deep targets.
Miami Dolphins @ Cleveland Browns
De’Von Achane has thrived within the display recreation this season, main the NFL in receiving yards (290), yards after the catch (423), and touchdowns (6) on display passes. This week, he faces a Cleveland protection that ranks twentieth in yards after the catch per completion (10.6) in opposition to display performs, presenting a good matchup.
Cleveland’s struggles lengthen to defending outdoors zone runs, the place they rank twenty third in yards per try allowed (4.5) and twenty eighth in explosive run charge (13.2%). This week, they’ll be examined by a Miami Dolphins offense that makes use of outdoors zone runs on 41.6% of their makes an attempt, the seventh-highest charge within the NFL.
Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings
The Packers protection might want to keep vigilant in opposition to the Vikings’ potent play-action assault. Sam Darnold boasts a 136.4 passer score on play-action passes, the second-best mark within the league. He incessantly seems deep, with 22 go makes an attempt of 20-plus yards downfield off play fakes, tied for probably the most amongst quarterbacks. Jordan Addison, a favourite goal on these performs, leads all go catchers with 10 such targets.
Meanwhile, Minnesota’s blitz-heavy method might backfire in opposition to Jordan Love, who has been distinctive below stress within the season’s second half. From Weeks 11-16, Love has posted a 118.1 passer score below stress, with a league-best 9.9 yards per try. This marks a big turnaround from Weeks 1-9 when Love struggled with a 51.2 passer score (twenty ninth) and a 42% completion charge below stress (thirtieth).
Atlanta Falcons @ Washington Commanders
From Weeks 1-15, with Kirk Cousins below middle, the Falcons had the league’s lowest play-action charge (13%) and a fifth-worst play-action success charge (36%). However, the arrival of Michael Penix Jr. has sparked a shift. In Week 16, the Falcons boosted their play-action go charge to 19% and their success charge to 50%. Penix Jr., who led all FBS quarterbacks in 2023 with a 93.0 passing grade on play-action, is already proving to be a game-changer. He’ll face a stiff check in opposition to a Commanders protection that’s one among solely 4 within the NFL to generate unfavourable EPA per play in opposition to play-action passes.
On the opposite aspect, the Commanders have dominated with their read-option floor assault, main the league with a 43% read-option run play charge. Their working backs have thrived, amassing 142 carries for 698 dashing yards and 9 touchdowns on such performs. Impressively, 4 completely different Commanders backs have at the least 15 carries and are averaging 4.5 yards per try. However, they’ll be examined by a Falcons protection that excels on this space, permitting simply 3.4 yards per keep on read-option runs, the fifth-best mark within the NFL.
Detroit Lions @ San Francisco 49ers
Both of the Lions’ high wideouts have posed important challenges for defenses over the center. Amon-Ra St. Brown leads the NFL with 580 receiving yards on in-breaking routes, whereas Jameson Williams ranks fourth with 513 yards. However, it is a energy of the 49ers’ protection, which has allowed simply 775 yards on in-breaking routes this season—the fifth-fewest within the league.
George Kittle has been practically flawless within the purple zone, hauling in 17 of 18 targets for 124 yards and eight touchdowns, tied for the third-most within the NFL. His 92.3 purple zone receiving grade leads all pass-catchers. However, breaking by means of the Lions’ purple zone protection can be a tricky process. Detroit permits a league-best 46% completion charge and simply 10 receiving touchdowns within the purple zone, which is the second-fewest within the NFL.