At the coverage level, the PFF grading system is target-driven, rewarding or subtracting from all players engaged either at the catch point or after the catch. Away from the catch point, players will be graded based on down and distance, as well as other situational expectations. For example, a receiver not getting any yards after the catch in an outside run situation would get a lower grade than one who finds a way to get positive yardage after the catch.
At the position level, each player is given a grade between 0 and 100 based on their performance this season with higher numbers representing better play. A player's grade can change due to varying levels of experience at the pro level. As more games are played, the quality of film available to us increases which allows us to make better evaluations of talent.
Players are graded on offense and defense separately but there are some common themes across positions: toughness, ability in space, ability after the catch, ball skills, and maturity. There are also several context-specific factors that are taken into account when assigning a grade including competition level, role on team, experience, health, and many others.
For example, a rookie receiver coming into his first season would likely get a higher grade than an experienced player who was being used in a backup role because he doesn't make mistakes per se, just less impressive ones compared to the former player.
At PFF, we track every offensive and defensive player's position at the snap. Then, we display how many targets, routes, catches, yards, touchdowns, and drops a receiver has from the slot to indicate which receivers function best from the inside alignment. We also measure a player's toughness by determining whether they play with an injury that may cost them time in a game. Finally, we score players based on their performance over the last season and the overall quality of players at their position.
As you can see, it's very much a numbers-based system. But it's not just about the stats themselves; it's also about how those stats compare to other players at the same position. For example, a wide receiver who has more receptions than any other receiver in the league but who also plays in less than half the games would be considered below average because there are clearly better options out there. A running back who scores nearly as often as he loses yards would be considered average because there are several players around the NFL who fit this description. At the end of the day, talent will always win out, but the tools are available for everyone to follow their dreams no matter what position they play.
PFF EDGE grants you access to the most popular Player Grades features, as well as many more. Position rankings, player grades, and snap counts for the current season On a 0-100 scale, grades are assigned to each aspect of a player's game (receiving, run blocking, coverage, etc.). Those grades are then combined to create a score. The higher your grade is within its category, the higher your score will be. There are also special badges that can be earned throughout your Edge account.
Some examples of these grades include: Run Block Grade, which measures how successful a player is at keeping his offensive line clean of debris while running their routes; Coverage Grade, which looks at how effective a player was in coverage; and Overall Grade, which combines the other grades together.
These numbers are updated daily following NFL games. They look at both sides of the ball so you know where players are ranked across the board. These numbers are designed to help guide your decision making process when it comes to free agency and the draft. For example, if you want to know who has the highest chance of success being brought back by their team this year, those players are the ones who will have higher overall grades. Also, if you want to see who might be worth trading for, those will be the guys with high trade value.
Check out the best players at each position here on ESPN+.
PF stands for "Points For" in fantasy football. The point scorer for each team in a standard NFL game will typically be given credit for three points, with some exceptions such as turnovers and sacks. If there are no scorers during the course of the game, then these points are awarded to the team that was winning before the shutout.
In other words, if you are playing in a league that awards points for touchdowns, field goals, and extra points, then the person scoring the most points wins. Otherwise, you can just think of it as picking first place versus second place.
There are several ways to score in football including rushing, passing, punt returns, and kickoffs. Most games feature many opportunities to score throughout the course of the contest, which is why players such as running backs and wide receivers are essential for success. However, there are also certain periods of time when teams need to focus on scoring rather than preventing others from doing so, which is where the quarterback comes in. A great quarterback can lead their team down the field for a game-winning touchdown with minutes left on the clock, while an average one will leave themselves vulnerable to being scored on at any moment.