It’s the bye week so we’re taking a look at the best and worst Pro Football Focus grades for the Chargers.
Who has been performing well enough to be in the top five? Which players have gotten themselves
stuck in the bottom five with their underwhelming play?
Let’s go ahead and find out.
Offense
Best (min. 20 snaps)
QB Justin Herbert – 85.7
WR Keenan Allen – 79.8
OT Joe Alt – 79.0
RB Kimani Vidal – 73.5
RB Omarion Hampton – 73.0
Herbert is unsurprisingly the Chargers’ best player on the team by PFF grade. He’s been the crutch this team has leaned on all year. Allen has the team’s best receiving grade at an 80.0.
Before he went down with an injury, Alt was one of the team’s highest-graded players (to no one’s surprise). He had the team’s best run (70.8) and pass block grades (82.3).
Both Vidal and Hampton have been solid when healthy and/or playing. Hampton has better grades as a receiver and rusher, but Vidal has been the better player in pass protection this year (56.8 vs. 20.0).
Worst
OT Austin Deculus – 36.7
OG Mekhi Becton – 40.5
TE/FB Tucker Fisk – 47.3
C Bradley Bozeman – 47.6
OT Trey Pipkins – 49.7
To no one’s surprise, the bottom five players for the Chargers offense consists of four offensive lineman and Fisk.
Deculus and Becton are the worst two players for the offense by a good bit. Deculus leads the team with 27 pressures allowed and four sacks. Becton has 19 pressures allowed with one sack. Becton’s run block grade is the worst among all qualifying offensive linemen (41.4) while Deculus has the team’s second-worst pass block grade (34.7).
Bozeman is second in pressures allowed with 24 while letting up two sacks. He’s below 50.0 in both run and pass block. Pipkins’ 42.2 in run block is second-worst to Becton while his 61.1 in pass block is third among qualifying linemen. He’s still let up 21 pressures which is third on the team.
Defense
Best
DT Teair Tart – 79.3
CB Benjamin St-Juste – 75.6
S Derwin James – 75.0
CB Donte Jackson – 73.1
EDGE Khalil Mack – 70.4
Despite a very bad tackling grade (44.8), Tart has been the team’s highest-graded defender this season. He’s been great in run defense with a 83.2 and that’s on top of a solid 70.7 in pass rush, as well.
St-Juste owns the team’s best tackling grade at 86.2. His coverage grade of 76.2 is also best among all qualifying cornerbacks on the team. James has had a rough year tackling (47.8) but has otherwise been very good in pass rush (78.1) and coverage (77.2).
Jackson’s season grade has been held up by a coverage grade of 75.0 on top of his team-leading three interceptions. He’s otherwise had a very bad tackling grade (28.9) and a fine 52.1 in run defense.
Mack is best in run defense at 77.7 which is the second-highest mark behind Tart. Unfortunately his pass rush grade is the worst outside of his coverage mark at 65.9.
Worst
LB Denzel Perryman – 45.7
LB Daiyan Henley – 49.7
EDGE Bud Dupree – 53.0
DT Da’Shawn Hand – 53.5
S Elijah Molden – 55.2
Both starting middle linebackers for the Chargers have been heavily dinged for their disastrous coverage grades this season. Outside of the edge rushers (who should not be dropping into coverage all that much anyway), Henley has the worst coverage grade at 42.7. Perryman’s is almost exactly the same at 42.8. Perryman’s 55.2 in run defense is also the worst among all linebackers.
Dupree has been below average across the board with none of his grades reaching above 60.0. His worst grades are in tackling and pass rush (both 50.4).
Hand has one grade above 60.0 but that comes in the irrelevant coverage category. His worst grade is in run defense with a 53.7.
Molden’s worst grade is a 51.8 in coverage. Not great when you’re the team’s starting free safety. He’s got a solid grade at 66.3.
