DeAndre Hopkins Ranked Third In Receiving First Downs

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins was NFL Network's Cynthia Frelund's highest-rated on- and off-ball receiver in 2019. He ranked third in receiving first downs with 68 (behind just Michael Thomas and Julio Jones). Half of those first downs came on second down (30), and 19 of them were earned on second-and-seven-plus yards, which was […]

Michael Thomas Can Do It At Every Level

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas set an NFL record with 149 catches in 2019, 91 of which netted the team a first down (most in the NFL), including nine touchdowns. Next Gen Stats shows that 97 of his catches came on short passes, which was 35 more than any other receiver. Thomas also […]

Christian McCaffrey Can Do It All

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey led the NFL in scrimmage yards with 2,392 last year, with the next closest player (Ezekiel Elliott) at 1,777 yards. McCaffrey played 93.4 percent of Carolina's offensive snaps, which was the highest in the league among running backs. His 1,262 scrimmage yards on first down were the most for […]

Derrick Henry Great At Picking Up First Downs, Breaking Tackles

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry earned more rushing first downs on first down (31) than any other running back in the league last season. Henry also had nine rushing touchdowns on first down (second-most in the NFL) and another on a pass. His yards per rush after contact of 4.2 was the best in […]

Lamar Jackson Successful On Play-Action, Against Blitz

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson won the 2019 NFL MVP with a blend of exceptional skills, the right play-calling and a supporting cast that helped make the most of his attributes. The second-year quarterback threw for 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions on play-action passes last season, which was the best TD-to-interception ratio in the league, […]

Brad Seely Announces Retirement

Houston Texans special teams coordinator Brad Seely announced his retirement on Friday after 31 seasons coaching in the NFL. Seely has served as a team's special teams coordinator in every season from 1989 to 2019 and has 41 years of overall coaching experience. He has appeared in nine conference championship games, won three Super Bowls […]

Matt Ryan Impressed With Todd Gurley II

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said he's done field work with running back Todd Gurley II "a handful of times" and came away "really impressed" with his new running back. The two have spent time together in recent weeks in Southern California. The Falcons are hoping Gurley, the 2017 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, […]

Daniel Jones Didn't Crumble Under Pressure

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones held up quite well under pressure behind a porous offensive line in his rookie season. His numbers under pressure were comparable to Falcons QB Matt Ryan, which is incredibly impressive. Jones had an 8:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio and nearly 1,000 passing yards while under pressure in 2019. The 23-year-old from […]

Josh Allen Making Strides As A Passer

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was the only player on NFL.com's Nick Shook's list of top-10 QBs under pressure to have a negative completion percentage above expectation in 2019, but his passer rating under pressure (80) and TD-to-interception ratio of 5:2 land him at No. 9. He took three and a half seconds on average […]

Dak Prescott Sneaky Good Under Pressure

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott completed exactly the amount of pressured passes as was expected in 2019, but he also attempted the third-most pressured passes (144) of anyone on NFL.com's Nick Shook's list of top-10 QBs under pressure. He's also one of just two passers on the list to break 1,000 passing yards under pressure. […]

Matt Ryan Nicknamed Matty Ice For A Reason

Nobody in the NFL faced more pressures last season than Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan with 216. And despite all that pressure, he still managed to post a passer rating under pressure that was more than 12 points higher than the league average of 66.2. Ryan's passer rating under pressure of 87.9 is the highest […]

Matthew Stafford Consistent Under Pressure

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford played in just eight games last season because of injury, but he remained consistent under pressure when he was on the field. His passer rating of 84.2 while under pressure and his plus-2.2 percent completion rate above expectation are impressive considering that he threw more than 30 percent of his […]

Kirk Cousins Thrives Under Pressure

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has mostly been successful in the NFL when pressured. While he doesn't face as much pressure as he once did, Cousins remains a top-five QB when under duress. His passer rating (91.5) was fifth-best in 2019, his completion percentage under pressure (58.1) was fourth-best and his completion percentage above expectation […]

Lamar Jackson Setting New Bar For Quarterbacks

Not only did Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson set a new single-season rushing record for QBs in 2019, but he also ranked No. 4 on NFL.com's Nick Shook's list of best quarterbacks under pressure. He had a touchdown-to-interception ratio under pressure of 8:3, which means almost a quarter (22 percent) of his 36 touchdown passes […]

Derek Carr Found Open Receivers Under Pressure

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr posted the third-best passer rating (103.7) while under pressure in 2019, and his completion percentage of 66.7 under pressure was the best of any qualifying signal-caller in the league last year. Carr's completion percentage above expectation of plus-5.9 had to do with the fact that he targeted open receivers […]

Drew Brees Continues To Find Success Under Pressure

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees' 105.9 passer rating under pressure in 2019 is the second-best mark in a single season since 2016, trailing only Ryan Tannehill from last season. The future Hall of Famer found success under pressure by getting rid of the ball quickly (3.01 second on average per pressured throw) to nearby […]

Ryan Tannehill The Best Under Pressure In 2019

Although Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill didn't play a full season in 2019, NFL.com's Nick Shook has him ranked No. 1 on the list of the top-10 QBs under pressure last season. The former first-round pick had the only passer rating above 110 in the league while being pressured in the pocket among those with […]

Darius Leonard Not Your Typical Linebacker

Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard comes in at No. 10 on NFL.com's Nick Shook's top-10 coverage men in 2019, and he's the only linebacker on the list. Not only does he consistently stop the run, but Leonard is expected to stay with receivers, running backs and tight ends in coverage. His five interceptions led all […]

Tyrann Mathieu Crucial To Chiefs Success

Kansas City Chiefs free safety Tyrann Mathieu's average separation yards of 3.4 leaves something to be desired in coverage, and so does his catch rate allowed below expectation (minus-7.5), but he was crucial in the Chiefs Super Bowl run from a year ago. He had a passer rating allowed of 57.6, but his ballhawk rate […]

Matt Harvey Considering Playing In Korea

Free-agent starting pitcher Matt Harvey has expressed interest in playing in Korea, according to a source. According to the New York Post's Joel Sherman, KBO teams have been in touch with Harvey's representation. The former All-Star has been throwing regular bullpen sessions as he continues to stay in shape with the MLB season suspended due […]

Bradley McDougald A Late Bloomer

Seattle Seahawks strong safety Bradley McDougald comes in at No. 8 on NFL.com's Nick Shook's top-10 coverage men from the 2019 season. His coverage success rate of 62 percent really stands out. Only three other players on Shook's list -- Justin Simmons (65.9 percent), J.C. Jackson (65.5) and Eddie Jackson (62.8) had better success rates […]

Kyle Shanahan Thinks Jimmy Garoppolo Can Be Great

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has stuck by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo through all the criticism and believes the signal-caller has the ability to become an all-time great at the position. Garoppolo does have an advantage this offseason because he's not rehabbing an injury like he was before 2019. He ranked in the top […]

Jarrett Stidham Throwing With Teammates

New England Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham and a group of six teammates recently gathered at a private football field to work out together. Stidham has been the catalyst for the throwing sessions, according to sources. Veteran QB Brian Hoyer has been at the throwing sessions, as have been wide receivers Julian Edelman, Damiere Byrd and […]

Denzel Ward Blankets Receivers Consistently

Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward faced a high target rate of 22.4 percent in 2019, and on top of that he posted a coverage success rate of 61 percent and had a ballhawk rate of 14.3 percent, all while operating in a tight-window rate of 28.6 percent. His 77 targets accounted for nearly a quarter […]

Harrison Smith Good At Forcing Tight Windows In Secondary

Minnesota Vikings free safety Harrison Smith was targeted just 40 times in pass coverage in 2019, but he comes in at No. 6 on NFL.com's Nick Shook's top-10 coverage men in the league. He forced tight windows 20 percent of the time and allowed a passer rating of just 50.3 when targeted. Fellow safety Anthony […]

Panthers Hire Luke Kuechly As Pro Scout

The Carolina Panthers hired former seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker Luke Kuechly as a pro scout on Thursday. His new role will require plenty of film watching and advance scouting. Kuechly, who was also a five-time first-team All-Pro, retired after the 2019 season mainly because of multiple head injuries suffered throughout his career. He posted 100-plus […]

William Jackson III Played With Torn Labrum Last Year

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback William Jackson III (shoulder) played with a torn labrum in his shoulder the entire season in 2019. "I don't know how I did it, but I did it. It was painful every game. I'm fully healthy and ready to go," Jackson said. The 27-year-old gutted it out through 14 games to record […]

Eddie Jackson A Nuisance When Targeted

Chicago Bears free safety Eddie Jackson wasn't targeted all that much in 2019 (43 times) and his ballhawk rate (9.3 percent) won't turn many heads, but he allowed a passer rating of just 49.9 and a catch rate allowed below expectation of minus-20.9 percent. He had only two interceptions last season, but he's demonstrated a […]

Tre'Davious White Has Emerged As A Top Cover Corner

Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White has become one of the league's best cover corners after being taken in the first round in 2017. He faced 84 targets last season and had six interceptions, 17 passes defensed, allowed a passer rating of (38.9) and a catch rate allowed below expectation (minus-8.4 percent). White had a tight-window […]

MLB Players Refuse To Take Another Pay Cut

The executive council/player representatives remained steadfast in turning down any further salary reductions during an MLB Players Union board meeting on Thursday. "The league’s demand for additional concessions was resoundingly rejected," MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said. The players' proposal of a 114-game regular season was rejected by MLB owners, who prefer to play fewer […]