PFF grades for the Panthers against Syracuse

Let’s dive into how PFF graded the Panthers performance

Let’s review how Pro Football Focus scored the Pittsburgh Panthers in their 19-9 win over Syracuse.

Offense

Based on how the game went, it comes as no surprise that two of the three top-graded players on offense were running backs. Rodney Hammond Jr jumps out compiling a 71.5 grade and the higher of rushing grades between himself and Flemister. The thing that truly holds Hammond back from having a stellar grade on the day seems to be the 28.5 pass block grade. At 5’9 and 200 pounds, it’s a tall ask to expect him to have elite-level performance in that category.

For how well the running game went it was a surprise to see so many offensive linemen graded so poorly. The thing that really stands out here is that every single offensive lineman has a better pass block grade than a run block grade. The PFF scores continue to be a mystery and this seems to show that the running backs were having success despite some poor blocking up front.

Tight end Gavin Bartholomew’s down year continues not only on the stat sheet but also in PFF grading. Bartholomew has the third-lowest grade on offense and the surprisingly worst part of his game was in the passing offense. The 31.8 grade is by far the worst on the team in the passing offense according to PFF.

Defense

It comes as very little surprise that the defensive grading on the day was significantly better than the offense. This was spearheaded by three players with over an 80 grade in John Morgan III, Deslin Alexandre, and Calijah Kancey.

The highest pass-rush grade against Syracuse went to John Morgan III with a 79.3 grade. Morgan was credited with the most hurries on the day with three. Deslin Alexandre had the most complete grades on the day so it was a bit surprising that he finished the day second at an 81 grade overall. It was Alexandre’s best game of the year credited with three sacks including the game-sealing safety.

With all the recognition on the season, cornerback Erick Hallett II had the second-lowest grade on the day at 56.8. The 55.4 grade in coverage was the lowest coverage grade on the team with any overall stout performance from the team in