Former NFL Players Critique PFF Rankings
A couple of ex-NFL stars are making their feelings known about the player rankings from Pro Football Focus (PFF). JJ Watt, a former five-time All-Pro defensive end now working as an analyst for CBS, and Chris Long, who had a solid 11-season career in the league, have spoken candidly about their frustrations with the popular analytics site.
This discussion was sparked on Wednesday when “Sunday Night Football” aired PFF’s rankings during NBC’s coverage of the Chiefs’ victory over the Lions.
On the podcast “Greenlight with Chris Long,” Long exclaimed, “Get Mahomes, ranked 13th out of 32 quarterbacks, off the screen.” He further elaborated on how discussions around inappropriate viewing content deserve just as much focus as the football rankings. “We want political ads off TV, just like we want PFF scores gone,” he added.
Long firmly believes that everyone watching the game should recognize Patrick Mahomes as the top quarterback. He expressed this passionately, saying, “If it were me ranked below Mahomes, I would sue. I wouldn’t allow anyone to be misled by that.” His rich commentary stirred quite a few reactions.
Collinsworth, an analyst for NBC, owns a stake in PFF, and the platform has grown considerably, branching out even into college football.
Watt, while appreciating some elements of PFF, agreed with Long’s criticisms. He described the ranking system as “sucks,” asserting that these ratings are essentially “a completely fabricated number.”
During a segment on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Watt shared an observation he had about how some players mentioned an Uber driver claiming to critique PFF’s analyses based solely on televised games. “You can’t just watch a TV copy of a game and accurately grade a performance,” he pointed out. Without understanding the specific assignments a player had, it’s tough to judge their performance fairly. Watt emphasized this idea by saying it’s impossible to give a solid score without speaking to the player, the coach, or knowing the game strategy. He recognizes that while PFF does provide valuable insights, “The players’ scores are the worst. Stop publishing them.”
