Statistical Look from PFF at Packers vs. Lions
Pro Football Focus helps us break down some of the key statistics from the Green Bay Packers 24-20 win over the Detroit Lions in Week 11.
By Zach Kruse
With thanks to Bryan Hall and our good friends at Pro Football Focus, here’s a closer look at some of the key statistics from the Green Bay Packers’ 24-20 win over the Detroit Lions during Week 11 Sunday:
- The Lions only blitzed quarterback Aaron Rodgers four times Sunday. They got home for a sack once, but Rodgers completed two of three passes for 41 yards and a score against the other blitz looks. His passer rating against the blitz was 149.3.
- Evan Dietrich-Smith, T.J. Lang and Josh Sitton were credited with the team's three sacks. The trio were actually responsible for each of the 11 quarterback disruptions: Dietrich-Smith (sack, hit, two hurries), Lang (sack, hit, hurry) and Sitton (sack, three hurries). All three graded out negatively, with Dietrich-Smith receiving the worst of the three grades. Shaky start for the new-look offensive line.
- Left tackle Marshall Newhouse graded out at a +2.4, improving his team-best pass protection grade to +10.7 this season. He allowed zero pressures over 35 pass-blocking snaps against the Lions, his fourth game this season with one or less disruptions allowed in 2012.
- James Jones led the receivers in snaps (64). Jordy Nelson was in on 54, with Randall Cobb a close third with 48. Donald Driver played 17 after back-to-back weeks with 20 or more.
- Nelson was charged with the team's only drop. He now has seven this season.
- Of the 74 yards James Starks rushed for Sunday, 54 came after first contact. He also broke two tackles. Alex Green received zero carries and played on only seven total snaps. Starks was in on 44 snaps, which doesn't exactly scream platoon at the running back position.
- Cobb led the team in targets with 12. He caught nine for 74 yards, but 48 of those yards came after the catch. Rodgers had just an 83.3 passer rating when targeting Cobb, but that was due to a terrible throw he made in Cobb's direction during the third quarter.
- Tight end Jermichael Finley (36 snaps) received his highest grade of the season. Other tight end snaps: Tom Crabtree (23), D.J. Williams (14), Ryan Taylor (two).
- Ryan Pickett had a season-high three quarterback hurries. He had just one quarterback disruption coming into Sunday. B.J. Raji also had a season-high five hurries.
- Of A.J. Hawk's nine tackles, six were considered "stops," or tackles that constitute a failure for the offense. He played just 48 snaps, compared to 72 for Brad Jones.
- Dezman Moses, starting for Clay Matthews, had one sack, two quarterback hits and one hurry over 35 pass-rushing snaps. He played a season-high 58 snaps overall.
- The Packers totalled 23 quarterback disruptions on 46 drop backs for Matthew Stafford. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers brought 11 blitzes, and Stafford had just a 25.0 passer rating when he was blitzed.
- The Lions targeted Casey Hayward seven times and completed just one pass for six yards. Hayward also intercepted a pass and defensed three others. He's second in picks and third in passes defensed this season.
- Davon House was just as good Sunday. Detroit targeted him five times but completed just one for eight yards. Both House and Hayward received overall grades above +4.0.
- Sean Richardson played a season-high 14 snaps after M.D. Jennings (56 snaps) was forced out of the game in the second half.
- Jamari Lattimore led the team with two special teams tackles.
Comments (13)
November 19, 2012 at 03:35 pm
Wow. ARod rating vs the blitz = 149.3. Stafford = 25.0. that is amazing. Stafford was pretty awful yesterday, fortunately.
November 19, 2012 at 03:41 pm
He had like 5 or 6 horrible overthrows. If he connects on those, I feel like the outcome would have been much different.
November 19, 2012 at 03:42 pm
Both QBs seemed rattled at times due to regular pressure.
Rodgers' unique ability to not let being rattled affect him as much as most others is much needed with this underperforming O-line. His floor is sooo much higher than every other QB in the league...even Manning and Brady.
November 19, 2012 at 04:16 pm
I don't agree with this. He gets rattled as much. He tends to get happy feet and hold the ball too long, specially with pressure up the middle.
His floor being better than everyone else is mostly due to the fact that he forces throws much less often than everyone else, and as a result doesn't turn the ball over as much (which is in part why he holds the ball too long).
November 19, 2012 at 05:03 pm
You completely missed the point (surprise).
I DID NOT say he didn't get rattled or even that he didn't get rattled as much.
I DID say his play, and will add specifically his decision making and accuracy, is not AS affected WHEN he is rattled. Most QBs play falls dramatically when rattled, even Brady and Manning. Rodgers' play does fall, but not nearly as much as the rest in the league.
That is why we really rarely/never see blow-up games, with 3-4-5 INTs.
November 20, 2012 at 11:15 am
Saying he gets happy feet is talking about HOW he gets affected. So, no, the point was quite clear.
What you're talking about is highly subjective and you bring no data whatsoever to support your argument.
You say he doesn't throw as many ints because he doesn't let pressure affect as much as other QBs. Whereas I say it's all (his "floor" being higher, him not blowing up games) consequence of his overall carefulness with the ball.
That it's not that Rodgers plays better when he's rattled than the others. It's simply because of the unique characteristics of his game (and I include his mobility in it, but mainly his reluctance in forcing balls, which leads to more sacks per pass than the others).
And here's the data to support my point:
Rodgers' career int% of 1.8 is the best ever. Brady is close with 2.1%, and Manning has 2.7%
But Rodgers' sack% is 7.8, much higher than Brady's 4.8 and Manning's 3.1.
And before you attribute that to the OL, I'll point to Favre's 2007 sack% of 2.7 to discredit that line of thought.
That is why we rarely/never see him blow up games. Because he rather take the sack than force balls. Sometimes he kills drives with his unwillingness to let it fly, and stalls the offense by himself. But IMO it's the lesser of the evils.
November 19, 2012 at 07:12 pm
Historically, Rodgers has always graded great against the blitz. Nothing new. But, I've noticed his philosophy has changed this year. In the past he purposely spread the ball around more. This year, he's been staying with his primary target more. That interception, a very un-Rodgers play was forced into double coverage with at least two open receivers. Against Arizona, it was Cobb, Cobb, Cobb. Until yesterday, Finley has hardly been targeted. We've needed him in the middle,but he hasn't been used. I have no clue as to what the thinking is.
November 19, 2012 at 03:37 pm
Raji with 5 hurries...I'll take it. I thought he was in the backfield quite a bit.
Hawk with another solid/very good performance. Made a nice play on the perimeter, stopping Leshoure for a loss, and made immediate tackles on a couple of short passes over the middle. Otherwise was solid.
November 19, 2012 at 03:56 pm
Nothing better than watching Ryan Pickett in hot pursuit through open space. Absolutely love the effort, but damn the image was funny!
November 19, 2012 at 03:56 pm
I feel like everyone should cut EDS a little slack for quality of opposition. I'm a little surprised Lang is not playing better. Sitton, you're supposed to be a Pro Bowler, what's up??? Get it together. This line needs you to be a rock.
November 19, 2012 at 04:03 pm
Huh, Newhouse quietly developing into a solid LT? I'll take it.
November 20, 2012 at 12:22 am
Why mess with Newhouse when the guy next to him is struggling? Not sold just yet.
November 19, 2012 at 07:06 pm
The performance of the offensive line isn't unlike a ballet. Considering EDS was starting for the first time against a monster, what could anyone expect. It's only natural to believe that the line will improve with more snaps.