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- junkman
My usual caveat with PFF stats, I know, you love them or hate them. That said...
Ethan Westbrooks AGAIN showed up at the top of the PFF lists against Cleveland (both as the top Rams player for the third consecutive week and one of the best in the NFL), impressing our frenemies at PFF with standout play. This is especially impressive to me because game 3 is the "dress rehearsal" game, and Westbrooks saw a LOT of 1st Qtr action against Cleveland, lining up again pretty much everywhere, taking what I believe to be every snap that the absent William Hayes would have taken. PFF had Westbrooks bucketed in as LDE, but #62 saw plenty of time over the RG, including on the famous Michael Sam sack of Manziel where #62 was double teamed from the B gap. (the A gap DT, Harlan, was singled up).
So OK, numbers. Westbrooks PFF number for the Cleveland game was +3.5 on 40 snaps (out of 56), mostly based on a +3.1 on pass rush. Add that on to the previous games, and Westbrooks is now +11.3 on the 3 preseason games in 113 snaps, including +6.8 on pass rush and +4.2 on run D. His penalty grade of +0.3 simply means that he didn't have any penaties on him at all. That is, he's not guessing the snap count and getting off-sides calls, he's patiently waiting for the snap and dominating post snap.
How good is this +11.3 number? Well, Westbrook's score of +11.3 is #1 for all 4-3 DEs where the #2 player is +6.5.
Looking at all other positions, the only player Westbrooks trails is Gerald McCoy who has an unreal curve-busting +16.5 in only 67 snaps.
Once you get past McCoy and Westbrooks... I see one score in the 8s, a few 7s...
~~~
So, what does this mean? Well, if you put any value whatsoever in PFFs ability to recognize players who are having an impact on the game, this is PFFs way of saying that Westbrooks is having a tremendous snap-in snap-out impact on the game. This is PFF's quantified effort to say that Westbrooks has been nigh unblockable in a way that stands out from almost every other player who has put on pads this pre-season.
For those that don't believe in PFF, watch the game again. What I saw, #62 was never blocked for long, even when double teamed. He shed his single blocks and influenced the plays, even if he didn't make the play himself. Westbrooks just does not look like a rookie to me.
Westbrook's competition?
- PFF only credited Sam with one sack. He was otherwise quiet in 20 snaps, and only got a +0.1 grade overall.
- Westbrook's possible other main competition, Alex Carrington, was -0.6 on the day, -4.4 on the pre-season
- Conrath didn't even play against Cleveland. My presumption is that he'll be gone on Saturday unless he does something amazing against Miami. And even then.... unlikely.
Ethan Westbrooks AGAIN showed up at the top of the PFF lists against Cleveland (both as the top Rams player for the third consecutive week and one of the best in the NFL), impressing our frenemies at PFF with standout play. This is especially impressive to me because game 3 is the "dress rehearsal" game, and Westbrooks saw a LOT of 1st Qtr action against Cleveland, lining up again pretty much everywhere, taking what I believe to be every snap that the absent William Hayes would have taken. PFF had Westbrooks bucketed in as LDE, but #62 saw plenty of time over the RG, including on the famous Michael Sam sack of Manziel where #62 was double teamed from the B gap. (the A gap DT, Harlan, was singled up).
So OK, numbers. Westbrooks PFF number for the Cleveland game was +3.5 on 40 snaps (out of 56), mostly based on a +3.1 on pass rush. Add that on to the previous games, and Westbrooks is now +11.3 on the 3 preseason games in 113 snaps, including +6.8 on pass rush and +4.2 on run D. His penalty grade of +0.3 simply means that he didn't have any penaties on him at all. That is, he's not guessing the snap count and getting off-sides calls, he's patiently waiting for the snap and dominating post snap.
How good is this +11.3 number? Well, Westbrook's score of +11.3 is #1 for all 4-3 DEs where the #2 player is +6.5.
Looking at all other positions, the only player Westbrooks trails is Gerald McCoy who has an unreal curve-busting +16.5 in only 67 snaps.
Once you get past McCoy and Westbrooks... I see one score in the 8s, a few 7s...
~~~
So, what does this mean? Well, if you put any value whatsoever in PFFs ability to recognize players who are having an impact on the game, this is PFFs way of saying that Westbrooks is having a tremendous snap-in snap-out impact on the game. This is PFF's quantified effort to say that Westbrooks has been nigh unblockable in a way that stands out from almost every other player who has put on pads this pre-season.
For those that don't believe in PFF, watch the game again. What I saw, #62 was never blocked for long, even when double teamed. He shed his single blocks and influenced the plays, even if he didn't make the play himself. Westbrooks just does not look like a rookie to me.
Westbrook's competition?
- PFF only credited Sam with one sack. He was otherwise quiet in 20 snaps, and only got a +0.1 grade overall.
- Westbrook's possible other main competition, Alex Carrington, was -0.6 on the day, -4.4 on the pre-season
- Conrath didn't even play against Cleveland. My presumption is that he'll be gone on Saturday unless he does something amazing against Miami. And even then.... unlikely.