[Note by Ed Valentine, 10/05/11 1:49 PM EDT: Apparently, PFF has tweeted that these stats are incorrect. I will try to post a corrected version whenever the right ones come out.]
Here is your Week 4 look at the Pro Football Focus grades for the New York Giants. I wonder if you guys are going to be as mystified when you see these as I was.
Offense
OK, I use these grades for discussion purposes every week and I often remind you that they are not gospel, that they are simply for reference. That said, I have to tell you I am completely stumped by the offensive grades PFF assigned to the Giants this week.
The top six grades on offense went to offensive linemen, and are as follows: Will Beatty and Kareem McKenzie (+2.9), Chris Snee and David Diehl (+1.8), Kevin Boothe (+0.9) and David Baas (+0.8).
So, after watching the Giants average 2.2 yards per running play how on earth does the offensive line grade that well?
Eli Manning, by the way, earned a paltry +0.1. I guess a 108.4 passer rating doesn't equate to much by PFF standards.
As for poor grades, try these: Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham (-1.2), Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Jacobs (-1.5), Ahmad Bradshaw (-1.6)
I don't get the poor grades for Cruz and Nicks, either. Aside from Cruz's brain cramp on the game-winning drive both receivers were absolutely terrific.
Defense
Man, PFF and I are not getting along at all this week. One look at the defensive grades handed out after the Arizona game and I am shaking my head -- maybe even more than while I was looking at the offensive grades.
Here are overall numbers that have me completely stumped. The Giants were, by most accounts, excellent in pass defense and horrid in run defense against Arizona. How is it, then, that PFF has the Giants graded at +3.4 vs. the run and -12.9 against the pass vs. the Cardinals? I have no idea what film PFF's graders were watching this week, to be honest. They were not watching the same game I was, though.
Here are some individual numbers for you:
On the positive side, Michael Boley (+1.5), Corey Webster (+1.3) and Aaron Ross (+1.1).
On the negative side, Linval Joseph and Chris Canty (-1.2), Osi Umenyiora (-2.1), Dave Tollefson (-2.2) and Jason Pierre-Paul (-2.5). Most amazingly, each of those players scored far worse in the pass rush department than they did in run defense.
To say the least, I don't get this week's grades at all.
Special teams grades were not available. Just as well -- I probably would not have liked those, either.