• Steelers The defense did well in blocking deep passing attacks: Pittsburgh has a passer rating of just 42.2 on throws of 20 yards or more downfield, the second-lowest in the NFL this season.
• Drake Maye finds a way: Since he took office Patriots‘ starting quarterback in week six, Drake Maye has established himself as one of the league’s top threats. His 14 first downs and touchdowns from scrimmages since Week 6 are four more than any other quarterback.
• Stay ahead of the competition: Register with PFF+ to access PFF Betting Dashboards, Fantasy Football Starting Position Optimizer, Weekly Fantasy Rankings and more!
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Over 17 years, PFF has built the most comprehensive football database in the world, analyzing every player in every game in the NFL, college football and beyond. Trusted by all 32 NFL teams and countless others, PFF provides data that helps uncover… real history of each game.
Ahead of Week 12 of the NFL, our media team dug into the numbers to provide key information for every NFL matchup, highlighting the hidden storylines and standout performances that define every game.
For even more information on the NFL and college games, register for PFF+ and dive into Premium statistics 2.0.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE GAME:
YAMA@KLE | TEN@HOU | NOT@MY | DET@IND | MIN@CHI | KS@KAR
TB@New York | DAL@BAS | DEN@LV | ARI@SEA | SF@GB
FI@LAR | BAL@LAK
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns
SteelersThe defense has excelled at blocking deep passing attacks, allowing just a 42.2 passer rating on throws of 20 yards or more downfield, the second-lowest in the NFL this season. This unit will face a serious challenge against Jameis Winstonwhose five touchdowns of 20-plus yards since Week 8 rank second in the league.
Since coming off the bench, Winston has been constantly testing the downfield defense. His average depth of target of 10.7 since Week 8 is the second-highest in the NFL, and 48% of his attempts go beyond the first mark, which is the third-highest over the last four weeks.
Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans
TitansThe defense was exceptional in third place, holding opponents’ conversion rate to 33%, the second-lowest rate in the league. Vice versa, C.J. Stroud used heavily in third place, leading all players with 134 tackles and 108 pass attempts. He completed 63% of those attempts for a 92.0 passer rating.
Besides, TexansThe offense is allowing pressure on 41% of third down plays, which ranks 10th in the NFL this season.
New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins
Since he took office Patriots‘ starting quarterback in week six, Drake Maye has established himself as one of the league’s top threats. His 14 first downs and touchdowns from scrimmages since Week 6 are four more than any other quarterback, and his 13 scrambles of 10-plus yards are six more than the next closest player.
John Smith has become a reliable option for receiving in difficult times for Dolphins this season. His 10 receptions of 15-plus yards are tied for fourth among tight ends, and his 115.7 passer rating on targets ranks ninth among tight ends with at least 25 targets.
Detroit Lions @ Indianapolis Colts
Jared Goff he’s made 57% of his throws under center this season, the highest in the league, and his 1,318 passing yards are also the most of any quarterback in those situations. Goff’s 132.7 passer rating under center ranks third at the position, and he’ll have to Colts a defense that has allowed quarterbacks under center to produce an 80% completion rate and a 112.9 passer rating this season.
Josh Downes continues to be a reliable receiving threat, especially from the slot. His 471 receiving yards from the slot rank third in the NFL, and his 24 first-down conversions are tied for second among all players.
Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears
Sam DarnoldHis 11 play-action touchdown passes lead all players this season and are the most in a single season of his career. Before this year, Darnold had only thrown 10 touchdowns from the field of play in his entire career.
Last week, after losing third place, Caleb Williams posted a passing grade of 82.6, the highest single-game mark of his rookie season. He completed 8 of 10 pass attempts for a 101.3 passer rating, also his best mark on third downs this year. This game was also the first time Williams was not sacked on third down.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Carolina Panthers
Last week in Buffalo Managersdefense struggled with an uncharacteristic number of missed tackles against Accounts‘ resentment. Their 19 missed tackles were not only a season high, but also the most in a game during Steve Spagnuolo’s tenure as defensive coordinator, which began in 2019.
Xavier Legette has shown outstanding results on contested targets this season. He secured nine catches on 11 contested opportunities, giving him an 82% contested catch rate – second highest among receivers with at least five contested targets.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New York Giants
Mike Evans tends to play this Sunday against Giantsbut his pursuit of another 1,000-yard receiving season seems daunting. Even before the injury, his 12.9 yards per reception was a career high.
Tommy DeVito is going to take on the role Giants‘ starting quarterback. During his tenure as GiantsAs a starter last season from Weeks 9-15, he ranked 11th in passer rating (94.5) and 8th in completion percentage (66.0%).
Dallas Cowboys @ Washington commanders
Micah Parsons has been nothing short of elite, boasting a 94.1 pass rush rating since entering the league. Since 2021, he has been one of four cornerbacks with a winning percentage above 20%, and his 226 total pressures rank seventh at the position.
Washington is applying pressure through deep rotation of defense participants. Commanders The lineup includes eight players with a total pressure of 10 or more, led by Dante Fowler Jr.we are 31.
Denver Broncos @ Las Vegas Raiders
Denver’s defense is tied for the league lead with 79 tackles for no loss or gain. Broncos recorded 63 such tackles in well-thought-out plays, the most of any team. Zach Allen leads with 11 tackles for loss or no gain against the run, anchoring a defensive unit that collaborates effectively to stifle opposing offenses.
Raiders have shown reliable hands this season, posting the second-highest strikeout rate in the league at 2.4%. This marks a significant improvement from the 7.6% decline in 2023, which ranked fourth.
Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks
Marvin Harrison Jr. dominated in one-on-one matchups this season, earning a 92.8 single-coverage grade, fourth-best in the NFL. He also had four receiving touchdowns in those situations, ranking third most. Meanwhile, Seahawks The secondary excelled in single coverage, allowing just 6.7 yards per target, the sixth-lowest rate among defenses.
Geno Smith was strong late in the half, leading the league with 779 passing yards and five touchdown passes during the two-minute drill. On the other side, CardinalsThe defense has yet to allow a pass in a two-minute drill, and their 64.4 passer rating allowed in those situations ranks seventh.
San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers
Brock Purdy has become a real threat this season. His 258 scrimmage yards rank third in the league, and his 37 attempts in 2024 have already topped his total of 24 yards last season, including the playoffs. Conversely, Green Bay had effectively limited quarterbacks until last week, when they allowed 49 rushing yards. Caleb Williams.
Against Chicago last week, Green Bay shot 36 percent, its highest single-game shooting percentage this season. Since entering the league in 2021, including postseason play, Jordan Love recorded a 116.0 passer rating in the game, third-best in the NFL. This week, colleague Love, Brock Purdyleads all passers in that span with a 127.3 outside pass rating.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Los Angeles Rams
Defenders know what will happen when they encounter Eagles in short-range situations, but that didn’t make them any easier to stop. Jalen Hurts leads the NFL with eight rushing touchdowns and 23 rushing conversions on plays with one yard or less to play. Against, Rams The defense struggled in short-yardage scenarios, allowing a league-high 79% conversion rate on plays of one yard or less.
Matthew Stafford excelled while working out of the pocket, earning a passing grade of 86.6 and throwing six touchdowns—both second best among qualifying quarterbacks. However Eagles The defense has effectively limited such opportunities, facing just 49 players thrown out of the pocket, the third-highest rate in the league. When quarterbacks get away, however, Philadelphia struggles, with a passer rating of 136.5, fourth-worst in the NFL.
Baltimore Ravens @ Los Angeles Chargers
At 56% Chargers have one of the lowest passing rates in the league, seventh lowest in the NFL. However, when they do pass, they create a lot of big plays as they rank fourth in the league in passes that gain 15 or more yards (17%). This week they will face Crows a defense that allowed 87 explosive passes, 14 more than any other team.
Lamar Jackson excelled from a clean pocket, leading qualifying quarterbacks in yards per attempt (10.1) and passer rating (125.7).
And vice versa, Chargers The defense was effective even without generating pressure, allowing just 6.3 yards per play when quarterbacks were kept clean, second-best in the league.
Leave a comment