• Rookie CBs continue to show up: Sauce Gardner and Tariq Woolen, among other first-year defensive backs, shined in Week 6.
• First-year offensive linemen struggle: Bernhard Raimann and Luke Goedeke were among the young linemen to falter in Week 6, with each posting poor pass-blocking grades.
• Patriots QB Bailey Zappe leads another win: The rookie earned a 70.0-plus passing grade and made no turnover-worthy plays in Week 6.
Estimated Reading Time: 12 mins
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ARZ | ATL | BLT | BUF | CAR | CIN | CHI | CLE | DEN | DAL | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAX | KC | LVR | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF | SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
ARIZONA CARDINALS
One up: CB Marco Wilson
The second-year pro put together his highest-graded game of the season with a 68.9 mark. He faced a tough test against quarterback Geno Smith and the Seahawks’ passing attack and let up three catches on four targets for 15 yards with a forced incompletion.
One down: C Sean Harlow
Harlow started in place of an injured Rodney Hudson. He allowed six pressures, including two sacks and a quarterback hit, while earning a 33.8 pass-blocking grade.
ATLANTA FALCONS
One up: EDGE Arnold Ebiketie
The 2022 second-round pick earned the highest PFF grade of his career (81.2). He registered five pressures, including two quarterback hits, in a win over the 49ers.
One down: RG Chris Lindstrom
Lindstrom is one of PFF’s highest-graded guards, but he earned just a 31.4 pass-blocking grade and allowed a sack in Sunday’s win over the 49ers.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
One up: RB Kenyan Drake
Drake turned back the clock to 2020 with a vintage 10-carry, 119-yard performance that included a rushing touchdown and an eight-yard catch. His 69.1 rushing grade in Sunday’s loss to the Giants was his highest mark since Week 11 of the 2021 season.
One down: CB Damarion Williams
The rookie cornerback was on the field for just 11 coverage snaps but allowed three catches on four targets for 40 yards with a touchdown and three first downs en route to a 29.7 coverage grade.
BUFFALO BILLS
One up: CB Kaiir Elam
The 2022 first-round pick earned a career-high 75.5 overall PFF grade. He let up three catches on three targets for 24 yards and a touchdown, but he also picked off Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in Sunday’s win.
One down: CB Siran Neal
Neal was flagged three times for holding on just 12 coverage snaps. He earned a 22.6 overall PFF grade coming off a Week 5 performance in which he picked up a 92.7 PFF grade.
CAROLINA PANTHERS
One up: RB Christian McCaffrey
McCaffrey, who’s been involved in trade rumors since head coach Matt Rhule was fired last Monday, picked up 50 of his 69 rushing yards after contact and forced two missed tackles on 13 carries. He earned a 91.6 receiving grade in Sunday’s loss to the Rams while catching seven passes on eight targets for 89 yards with three more forced missed tackles.
One down: WR Robbie Anderson
Anderson played just 23 snaps before being sent to the locker room by interim head coach Steve Wilks after a sideline altercation. He earned a 53.3 overall PFF grade.
CHICAGO BEARS
One up: CB Kyler Gordon
Gordon earned the highest mark of his young career with a 77.8 overall PFF grade and an 80.0 coverage grade. He let up just three catches on four targets for 13 yards with a pass breakup.
One down: LG Lucas Patrick
Patrick earned just a 7.5 (out of 100) PFF pass-blocking grade on Thursday night, allowing a sack, a quarterback hit and four hurries. His 51.6 overall PFF grade was the second-lowest mark of his season.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
One up: WR Ja’Marr Chase
This was the Ja’Marr Chase we were promised entering the 2022 season. The 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year caught seven passes for 132 yards with two touchdowns. He did drop a pass in Sunday’s win over the Saints, but he also made two contested catches and forced three missed tackles while earning an 83.5 PFF grade.
One down: LT Jonah Williams
Williams was playing through a knee injury but earned a 46.1 PFF grade while letting up four pressures — including two sacks. He was beaten by a defender another six times.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
One up: EDGE Myles Garrett
Garrett was banged up but sacked Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe twice and generated six hurries. He finished with a game-high 36.7% pass-rush win rate and earned a 93.9 PFF grade in Sunday’s loss.
One down: LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Owusu-Koramoah struggled in coverage on Patriots tight end Jonnu Smith, losing track of him on two catches for 61 yards on two targets. He also allowed a five-yard catch to tight end Hunter Henry and registered a 52.2 coverage grade.
DALLAS COWBOYS
One up: TE Jake Ferguson
Ferguson saw more action with Dalton Schultz out and caught four catches for 40 yards with a touchdown while registering an 85.3 PFF grade.
One down: QB Cooper Rush
Rush made things interesting, going 5-0 as a starter to begin his NFL career before the Cowboys dropped Sunday night's game to the Eagles. It was Rush's lowest-graded performance as a starter, as he earned a 42.0 grade with no big-time throws and three turnover-worthy plays.
DENVER BRONCOS
One up: RG Quinn Meinerz
The Broncos' right guard missed four weeks with a hamstring injury and came back Monday night like nothing happened with an 81.0 overall grade. He didn’t allow a single pressure and was only beaten by his defender once in 36 pass-blocking snaps.
One down: CB Damarri Mathis
The 2022 fourth-rounder earned his first career start and was flagged for pass interference four times in Monday night’s loss to the Chargers. Take out the penalties, and he was pretty good! He allowed six catches on nine targets for 58 yards with three forced incompletions. But you can’t take out the penalties, and he wound up with a 50.7 defensive grade.
DETROIT LIONS: Bye
GREEN BAY PACKERS
One up: LT David Bakhtiari
Bakhtiari looked all the way back from injury troubles in Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets. He allowed just one hurry while producing an 86.7 PFF grade.
One down: RB A.J. Dillon
Dillon dropped two passes and earned just a 58.1 rushing grade.
HOUSTON TEXANS: Bye
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
One up: WR Michael Pittman Jr.
The Colts' top receiver had a monster performance, catching 13 passes on 16 targets for 134 yards while picking up a 77.2 PFF grade. He made two contested catches and forced three missed tackles on the way to five explosive plays.
One down: LT Bernhard Raimann
The Colts rotated in Dennis Kelly for Raimann early in Sunday’s win over the Jaguars, and the rookie never made his way back on the field. Raimann finished with a 35.8 pass-blocking grade while allowing a hurry on 10 snaps.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
One up: CB Tyson Campbell
Colts quarterback Matt Ryan threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns against Jacksonville on Sunday, but Campbell allowed just three catches on six targets for eight yards with two forced incompletions while earning a 91.3 coverage grade.
One down: CB Shaquill Griffin
Griffin, meanwhile, finished with a 48.9 coverage grade in Sunday’s loss, letting up nine catches on 13 targets for 108 yards and a touchdown.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
One up: DT Chris Jones
Jones was dominant in Sunday’s loss to the Bills, registering four pressures — including a sack — and beating his blocker another eight times. He earned a 93.2 overall PFF grade.
One down: CB Joshua Williams
Williams asserted himself well as a run defender, but covering against Bills quarterback Josh Allen and wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis is a tough task for any defender. He let up five catches — all first downs — on seven targets for 93 yards and allowed two touchdowns for a 53.6 PFF grade.
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: Bye
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
One up: LB Drue Tranquill
Tranquill registered two sacks and a QB hit on just 10 pass-rush snaps. One of his sacks was among the quickest this season. He earned an 85.8 overall grade.
One down: RG Zion Johnson
The rookie right guard was flagged for holding three times in Monday night’s win over the Broncos. He allowed four pressures, including a sack and two QB hits, and he was beaten by his defender another three times while earning a 27.9 pass-blocking grade.
LOS ANGELES RAMS
One up: WR Allen Robinson II
The Rams remembered they signed Robinson as a free agent this offseason, and he broke out with a team-high 83.6 PFF offensive grade while catching five passes for 63 yards and a score. He brought in two contested targets and made two explosive plays in the win over Carolina.
One down: C Jeremiah Kolone
It feels wrong to be too critical of any Rams offensive line performance since the unit has been obliterated by injuries. Still, Kolone picked up an 18.0 pass-blocking grade while letting up four pressures, including two quarterback hits, in Sunday’s win over the Panthers.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
One up: EDGE Jaelan Phillips
The 2021 first-round pick was a bright spot in Sunday’s loss to the Vikings with a sack, two quarterback hits and three hurries en route to an 89.2 pass-rush grade.
One down: LT Greg Little
Little filled in for Terron Armstead and earned just a 1.5 grade in pass protection. On 60 snaps, he allowed nine pressures, including three sacks, and was beaten by his defender on another 10 snaps.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
One up: EDGE Za’Darius Smith
Smith registered 11 total pressures, including two sacks and two quarterback hits, in Sunday’s win over Miami. He earned a 92.0 overall PFF grade.
One down: CB Chandon Sullivan
Covering Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle is difficult no matter who is at quarterback. Sullivan let up six catches on eight targets for 113 yards and earned a 37.1 coverage grade.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
One up: QB Bailey Zappe
The rookie fourth-rounder didn’t produce many spectacular plays in Sunday’s win over the Browns, but he earned a 75.7 passing grade while completing 24-of-34 passes for 309 yards with two touchdowns. He didn’t make any big-time throws or turnover-worthy plays. His adjusted completion rate was 80.6%.
One down: RT Isaiah Wynn
Wynn was spelled by Marcus Cannon for a stretch in the third consecutive game as he registered a 24.3 PFF grade. He allowed a strip sack to Myles Garrett plus three other hurries and was penalized for a false start before getting pulled. At this point, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Wynn replaced by Cannon for the starting role before long.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
One up: LB Demario Davis
Davis earned an 80.1 PFF grade thanks in large part to two sacks on just seven pass-rush snaps in Sunday’s loss to the Bengals.
One down: CB Paulson Adebo
The Saints starting cornerback had another tough game, registering a 41.8 coverage grade while allowing eight catches on 11 targets for 74 yards with a touchdown.
NEW YORK GIANTS
One up: DT Dexter Lawrence
The Dave Gettleman era produced a lot of frustration for Giants fans, but at least they got Lawrence out of it. The 2019 first-round pick has been a wrecking ball in the middle of Wink Martindale’s defense. He registered five pressures, including a sack and a quarterback hit, while earning an 89.5 overall PFF grade in Sunday’s win over the Ravens.
One down: LB Jaylon Smith
The former Cowboys star put forth solid efforts in his first two games of the season in Weeks 4 and 5, but he earned just a 27.1 PFF grade Sunday while letting up four catches — all first downs — on four targets for 60 yards.
NEW YORK JETS
One up: CB Sauce Gardner
The 2022 fourth overall pick’s 80.0 PFF grade and 83.3 coverage grade were career highs. He allowed one eight-yard catch on six targets with three forced incompletions.
One down: WR Garrett Wilson
The rookie wideout caught just an eight-yard pass on five targets and registered a 57.0 receiving grade.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
One up: CB Darius Slay
It was inadvisable for Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush to target Slay in Sunday night's Eagles win. Slay picked up an 89.4 coverage grade and didn't allow a single catch on two targets while intercepting one pass and breaking up another.
One down: RT Jack Driscoll
After Lane Johnson left Sunday's win over the Cowboys with a concussion, Driscoll registered a 38.6 pass-blocking grade and allowed a quick hurry in a difficult assignment against Cowboys pass-rush maven Micah Parsons.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
One up: WR Chase Claypool
Claypool finally had his breakout performance this season. He earned an 86.7 overall PFF grade while catching seven passes on seven targets for 96 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's win over the Buccaneers with both Kenny Pickett and Mitchell Trubisky throwing passes. Among Claypool's seven receptions were two contested catches and three explosive plays.
One down: LB Robert Spillane
Spillane had a tough time in coverage, earning a 29.8 grade while letting up six catches on seven targets for 80 yards with a touchdown and five first downs. He did force one incompletion.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
One up: WR Brandon Aiyuk
Aiyuk caught two touchdown passes in Sunday’s surprise loss to the Falcons. He hauled in eight passes overall for 83 yards while earning an 86.9 overall PFF grade.
One down: TE Charlie Woerner
Woerner (38.1 overall grade) and wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud both had costly downfield drops on throws from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Woerner’s appeared to be an easier play to make.
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
One up: CB Tariq Woolen
The rookie fifth-rounder earned an 84.6 coverage grade while allowing four catches on seven targets for just 40 yards. He also recovered a fumble and made what was essentially the game-clinching interception on a throw from Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray to Marquise Brown. It was his fourth pick in just six NFL games.
One down: QB Geno Smith
This, of course, is all relative, and Smith came into Week 6 with an 87.9 passing grade and a 90.2 overall mark. In Sunday's 19-9 win over the Cardinals, however, Smith earned a 55.4 passing grade and a 60.3 overall mark. He didn't complete any big-time throws, and he made one turnover-worthy play when he was nearly picked off by Marco Wilson on a third-down pass down the seam to wide receiver Tyler Lockett.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
One up: CB Carlton Davis
Davis let up four catches on seven targets for 32 yards but allowed only two first downs and forced two incompletions, earning an 80.7 coverage grade.
One down: LG Luke Goedeke
Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady lit into his offensive line during Sunday's shocking loss to the Steelers. Goedeke, a rookie, had the lowest grade in the unit (29.9). He allowed four pressures, including a sack and a quarterback hit.
TENNESSEE TITANS: Bye
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
One up: EDGE Montez Sweat
Already having a monster season, Sweat set new career highs with a 92.5 overall PFF grade, 92.9 pass-rush grade, eight total pressures and six defensive stops.
One down: WR Curtis Samuel
Samuel was having a nice bounce-back season after appearing in just five games in an injury-shortened 2021 season. But he dropped two of four targets on Thursday and caught just two passes for six yards. He has 34 catches for 287 yards with two scores this season.
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