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 […]

Justin Simmons A Ballhawking Safety

Denver Broncos free safety Justin Simmons was only targeted 44 times in 2019, but he was very effective when he was the nearest defender on a target. His 34.1 percent ballhawk rate -- the percentage of targets where the nearest defender made a play on the football -- was the best among those meeting NFL.com's […]

Baker Mayfield Working On West Coast Footwork

Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has been impressed by quarterback Baker Mayfield's leadership during the offseason virtual program. “He’s done everything I’d expect from him as a starting quarterback," Van Pelt said. Mayfield also hosted a throwing session for around nine teammates in Austin, Texas. Van Pelt said that Mayfield has quickly grasped […]

J.C. Jackson Excelled When On The Field

New England Patriots defensive back J.C. Jackson posted excellent coverage numbers in 2019 despite starting only six games. His overall numbers were slightly better than teammate Stephon Gilmore, but Gilmore had almost twice as many targets (96 versus Jackson's 58). Jackson allowed the lowest passer rating (21.8) as the nearest defender in coverage among all […]

Stephon Gilmore The Best Coverage Cornerback In 2019

New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore earned the top spot as the best defensive back in coverage in 2019, according to NFL.com's Nick Shook. He was the only player who faced 85 or more targets and didn't allow a single touchdown, and he also picked off six passes. Gilmore allowed the lowest passer rating (38) […]

Chris Carson Has Tackle-Breaking Explosiveness

Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson used his explosiveness to shed defenders and turn upfield in 2019. He had 50 15-plus mph runs and averaged 4.3 yards gained after a defender closed within one yard of him last season. It helped him gain 1,230 yards on the ground despite not playing a full season because […]

Christian McCaffrey Is A Stud

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey comes in ranked ninth on NFL.com's Nick Shook's top-10 explosive runners of 2019, but he'll still be the No. 1 player selected in the vast majority of 2020 fantasy drafts. He reached 15-plus mph on 96 touches last season, which was the most in the NFL, with 52 of […]

Todd Gurley II Still Has Juice In The Tank

Atlanta Falcons running back Todd Gurley II had a down year by his standards in 2019 with the Rams, but he still placed No. 8 on NFL.com's Nick Shook's top-10 explosive runners of last season. Only one of his 10 fastest touches over the last two years came in 2019, but he still reached or […]

Marlon Mack Was Colts Most Explosive Runner In 2019

Indianapolis Colts running back Marlon Mack was the team's running game in 2019, which is why his broken hand in the second half of the season coincided with their late-season descent. He broke 15 mph on 51 runs (fourth-most among running backs) and had 28 runs of 10-plus yards. While Mack was an underrated explosive […]

Phillip Lindsay Remains An Explosive Back

Denver Broncos running back Phillip Lindsay wasn't as good in his second season as he was in his rookie campaign, but the former undrafted free agent still had 1,011 rushing yards in 2019 despite playing with three different quarterbacks. He had 48 runs of 15-plus mph last year despite defenses keying on him in the […]

Devonta Freeman Too Expensive For Bucs Taste

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been interested in free-agent running back Devonta Freeman, but head coach Bruce Arians said that Freeman is asking for more money than the team is looking to spend given their current salary cap situation. Tampa has just over $6.4 million in cap space entering the 2020 season. Freeman reportedly declined […]

Aaron Jones Succeeds Inside The Tackles

Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones saw most of his success in 2019 between the tackles, as he tied for the league lead with 10 touchdowns on inside runs and averaged 4.1 yards per rush on runs inside the tackles in the red zone, which was the most in the NFL among those with […]

Kenyan Drake Brings Legitimate Speed To Cardinals Backfield

Arizona Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake enjoyed plenty of success in the desert in 2019 after being traded from the Dolphins. He nearly doubled his 15-plus mph rush rate when he came to the Cardinals, going from 14.9 percent of rushes in Miami to 26.8 percent in Arizona. Drake rushed the ball 123 times in […]