Cardinals’ PFF Grades Through 5 Games

Team Rankings:

Points Scored: 128 (12th)

Points Against: 102 (12th)

Overall Team Grade PFF: 27th

Offense Team Grade: 21st

Defense Team Grade: 28th

Special Teams Grade: 9th

Passing Offense Grade: 10th

Pass Blocking Grade: 17th

Receiving Grade: 16th

Run Offense Grade: 13th

Run Blocking Grade: 29th

Run Defense Grade: 26th

Tackling Grade: 14th

Pass Rush Grade: 29th

Pass Coverage Grade: 27th

Player Grades: Offense

QB Murray—-78.3 (11th/34)

WR Hopkins—-89.8 (2nd/117)

WR Isabella—-66.3 (67th/117)

WR Kirk—-61.7 (92nd/117)

WR Fitzgerald—-56.1 (109th/117)

RB Drake—-61.5 (42nd/50)

RB Edmonds—-63.6 (35th/50)

TE Arnold—-54.8 (50th/62)

TE Daniels—-65.0 (33rd/62)

C Gaillard—-45.7 (33rd/35)

C Cole—-67.2 (19th/35)

G Sweezy—-54.9 (58th/75)

G Pugh—-59.2 (50th/75)

T Beachum—-68.0 (40th/72)

T Humphries—-73.9 (25th/72)

Player Grades: Defense

CB Kirkpatrick—-38.6 (109th/113)

CB Murphy—-58.5 (59th/113)

CB Peterson—-46.5 (91st/113)

S Banjo—-71.5 (12th/82)

S Baker—-63.5 (27th/82)

S D. Thompson—-56.2 (51st/82)

LB Hicks—-49.7 (45th/74)

LB Campbell—-53.4 (36th/74)

DI Blackson—-54.9 (81st/116)

DI Lawrence—-44.3 (103rd/116)

DI Peters—-63.0 (61st/116)

ED Allen—-57.9 (73rd/113)

ED Reddick—-57.2 (75th/113)

ED Kennard—-73.4 (13th/113)

ED Jones—-62.6 (53rd/113)

Player Grades: Special Teams (players with 40+ snaps)

Turner—-85.4

Daniels—-79.0

Gardeck—-74.2

Vallejo—-67.1

Fitts—-66.8

K. Peterson—-64.8

Sherfield—-60.0

Washington—-59.1

Game Grades: Overall—-Offense—-Defense—-Special Teams

1. @SF (24-20 W): 62.8—-64.3—-56.4—-78.3
2. WFT (30-15 W): 62.0—-62,6—-59.0—-64.0
3. DET (23-26 L): 64.9—-75.7—-48.9—-62.6
4. @CAR (21-31 L): 59.7—-62.0—-55.0—-73.0
5. @NYJ (30-10 W): 68.6—-81.2—-47.4—-68.0

Notes:

1. What is dragging the Team Offense Grade down (21st) is being 29th in Run Blocking. Good news—-the Passing Game is Top 10 (10th).
2. What is dragging the Team Defense Grade down (28th) are Run Defense (26th), Pass Rush (27th) and Pass Coverage (29th). Good news is Team Tackling grade (16th).
3. Most Encouraging Player Grades: 1—-Hopkins (#2 WR); 2—-Murray (#11 QB); 3—-Kennard (#13 ED); 4—-Humphries (#25 T); 5—-Cole (#19th C); 6—-Daniels (#33 TE)
4. Most Disappointing Player Grades: 1—-Kirkpatrick (#109 CB); 2—-Peterson (#91 CB); 3—-Hicks (#45 LB); 4—-Fitzgerald (#109 WR); 5—-Drake (#42 RB); 6—-Sweezy (#58 G)

If you have any questions about a player’s grade, I would be happy to answer them. Often times, a low grade in one area of a player’s performance can take the grade down. For example, check out this line:

S Budda Baker

Overall Grade: 63.5; Run Defense: 72.6; Tackling: 66.8; Pass Rush: 74.4; Coverage: 55.8

Now, I would have thought Budda’s tackling grade would be higher, but they have him making 31 solo tackles, 6 assists, with 5 missed tackles.

The highest graded tackler on the team is LB De’Vondre Campbell (80.3), whom they have as making 36 tackles, 7 assists, with only 2 missed tackles.

As for Budda’s low pass coverage grade, he’s been solid in man coverage giving up 7 catches on 10 targets for 62 yards (8.8 ave.), but, as we know, the Cardinals have struggled in zone coverage.

There is no question that the Cardinals low run blocking grades are dragging the overall players’ grades down, because look at the starters’ pass block grades:

LT Humphries (67.1); LG Pugh: 79.3; C Cole (80.2); RG Sweezy (45.9); RT Beachum (72.1)

The good pass blocking grades is one of the reasons why the Cardinals have only taken 8 sacks in 5 games thus far. And it’s no wonder based on the one poor grade on the OL that the coaches are working Justin Murray in at RG. Thus far, Justin Murray’s pass blocking grade is 73.5 on 30 pass play snaps.