Kal

Maybe it says more for the quality of strong safeties in the AFC but there wasn't a better in the box safety than Wilson. Only really Brian Dawkins got close.

AFC Pro Bowl Squad One guy made the team, but there were a further 3 mentions for Buffalo players. Agree or disagree? Feel like we were harsh to leave any Bills out? This was a combination of the 4 main analysts getting together and having a discussion, each of whom has watched at least half of all games this year (2 of us watch and analyse every game)

Have you seen Allen Barbre play for the Packers Quite often (because there is a massive misconception to the amount of double teaming that actually goes on) tackles are left one on one with rushers ... in the middle its a little different as the center often goes where help is needed almost. Before I started doing analysis I use to quote double teams and stuff like that but I had it pointed out to me that I was wrong ... and since paying more attention I realised I was (since I don't count a chip block as an actual block) Stats for individual offensive linemen in the passing game I find particularly useful. Sacks, hits and pressures they gave up normally fall down to individual responsibility (although its important to account for things like how long the QB has held the ball/ whether he has run into the pass rusher as I've just seen Derek Anderson do despite excellent containment from Joe Thomas) I'm by no means an expert (so apologies if I'm coming across as a know-it-all, which I'm not) but just sharing some stuff I've learnt

Admire your honesty. I think sometimes people are too keen to give young players a free pass. Bell has given up 6 penalties from my memory which is a terrible ratio (first 3 games). His pass blocking is pretty poor as well and right now I don't think he's NFL ready. That said sometimes the only way to get players NFL ready is for them to take their lumps and learn from it. In the first three games I wouldn't say he faced any defender that was elite at getting at the QB which would be a worry considering there will be tougher tests.

Thanks for the reponse, interesting read. I'd certainly share a lot of sentiments on Peters. However that last point at the end ... I think he's very good, but I don't think he's ever going to be a dominant tackle like Ogden, Jones or Pace (if a player struggles with motivation in one aspect of his career I worry about it recurring). I would be even less surprised if Clady gets into that consideration (its amazing how having a QB who can get rid of a ball quickly can earn you some praise). The guy I always look out for, and he's playing for a team that won't lend himself to getting credit, is Joe Thomas. Excellent in every way, and for a masterclass of left tackle play look at how in week 1 he made Jared Allen his prison wife. He's the guy I'd turn to if I needed a franchise LT. As for the site as a general rule we never guess about anything (unlike say NFL scorers who guess everything - is why we have different tackle counts to them that are far more accurate since we do stuff retrospectively rather than in the moment. You'd be surprised how many times a scorer credits a tackle to a guy who isn't even on the field)

David Carr version 2? I thought (still think) Edwards was a complete steal for the talent he has, but if his mentality has taken such a beating like the one Carr took in Texas or Bulger took in St Louis (he's not been the same player since his line broke down) then its a worry. Big year for Edwards, physical talent alone won't get the job done.

Okay getting an official answer from our analysts (and they have this verified by talking to a former NFL offensive linemen) is that 'we grade what we see'. Our analyst remarked that offensive line play is one of the easiest aspects to judge and that a lot of people over complicate it - that just from watching tape 85% (without knowing the coaching schemes) is easily evident. If we're not sure whose fault it is we don't apportion blame to anyone, hence why around 20% of the sacks we have aren't on anyone (this accounts for overload blitzes etc) If a defender gets caught out by a stunt and loses his man, that to me would be the hardest thing to judge but our experienced analysts pick that up a mile away because they've been doing it for three years now. So I guess that would our take: don't overcomplicate apportioning blame, sometimes no individual is responsible and its a coaching thing perhaps (but we rate players, not teams so that doesn't fall into our sphere Any other questions I'm happy to answer/ relay on - or any feedback to improve the service to you guys

I'm going to get an official answer from our analysts (I work on a different aspect so wouldn't be able to give the exact wording) but sometimes we don't allocate sacks as an offensive players fault. If the QB holds onto the ball too long we'll put the sack on him, I know that ... and the way our grading works is we assign a value on the type of sack (so if its a case of a guy going straight to the QB untouched then why should he get a positive grade, or if a linemen holds his block for a long time but the QB runs out of the pocket and into a sack the linemen won't be graded down) There is a degree of subjectivity to it, but what we have is consistency throughout so we apply the same rules throughout. Pressure is a case of whenever the QB is forced from his position (where he sets himself) or if he can't step up into the pocket In regards to Peters I'll admit to not seeing a lot of him in 2007 but didn't buy into the hype quite so much ... but I'll hold my hands up to being wrong if you saw more of him (Buffalo before this season weren't a team I saw much of). No doubt the line will get better as the season goes on, though whether its enough to keep Trent upright long enough to prove himself I'm not sure.

Hi First post, stumbled across this in looking for feedback for our site. I work for Pro Football Focus (so am happy to answer any questions or queries) but this is exactly the point I was going to raise in relation to the rankings now. Its very early so great performances carry more weight than consistent production ... I'd look at the example of someone like Mario Williams who hasn't been that good until he had an incredible, out of this world game against the Raiders that jumped him up big time. Schouman didn't really have a chance to suck almost after a great week 2, while Reed is benefiting from exactly the point Thurman makes so we'll see how it plays out over the season. Peters is an interesting one. I think for the past two years he was nothing special (certainly not bad, but not Pro Bowl good) but he has started this season pretty well. The opposition he faces may have something to do with it, or he may be on his best behaviour and playing to his potential rather than his attitude. The Bills need a good offensive line to succeed in the East, unfortunately they have one of the weakest in the league right now. Anyways, happy to answer any questions regarding the site and hoping to get involved in some good discussion over here.