The analytics landscape
Pro Football Focus has become a cornerstone of modern NFL analysis, offering a data‑driven lens through which players are measured.
Foundations of the grading system
The organization was launched in 2006 by Neil Hornsby, a British football enthusiast who began manually charting NFL games. PFF assigns a grade to every snap, using a zero baseline that represents expected performance, with positive and negative increments reflecting deviation from that baseline.
Coaches push back
Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians has argued that PFF grades do not capture the nuances of on‑field action, preferring the traditional eye test. Sam Wiglusz, a former NFL wide receiver, notes that analytics can highlight trends but cannot replace the mentality and physicality required in football. Veteran coach Herman Edwards likens reliance on algorithmic scores to a robot, emphasizing instinct and situational awareness.
Broadcast confusion
PFF grades are displayed during NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcasts, often leading to confusion among fans due to a lack of context about what the grades represent. Bill Rees, a former NFL scout, highlights that grades can vary significantly based on the caliber of the opponent, making them context‑dependent.
Analyst Matthew Coller defends the system, stating that offensive and defensive lines are among the easiest positions to grade because their assignments are straightforward. J.J. Watt, a former defensive end, publicly criticized NBC for broadcasting PFF grades without explaining the underlying assignments, arguing that such oversimplification misleads viewers.
Despite the criticism, teams continue to use PFF data as a supplementary tool, cross‑checking internal evaluations and informing contract decisions. The methodology, developed with input from longtime offensive line coach Paul Alexander, focuses on a player’s contribution to production rather than abstract traits.