NFL1000: Ranking the Top 1,000 Players from Week 16

When we set up the Scouting Manual for the first year of the NFL1000 project, we made one thing clear: If you’re going to give any player a perfect score in any attribute category, that player had better earn it. We wanted to save those types of scores for the performances you’d be talking about 30 years from now, and that’s why you’ve seen so few perfect scores in any positional category all season.

We’re not sure if Aaron Rodgers’ performance against the Vikings’ struggling defense will be talked about in 30 years, but it’s hard to imagine any quarterback playing any better than Rodgers did in Green Bay’s 38-25 victory.

While the news surrounded whether Minnesota’s cornerbacks were going rogue in coverage or not, we conveniently forgot that one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history may have had his best day from an efficiency standpoint. Rodgers completed 28 of 38 passes for 347 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions against a defense that was one of the NFL’s best in the first half of the season, and it’s when you look inside the stats that you get an idea how great Rodgers was.

Rodgers was sacked four times, hurried 17 more times and had two throwaways. Of his 10 incompletions, three were dropped passes. Two of those drops were on deep passes, where Rodgers still completed three of seven passes over 20 yards in the air. He completed seven of his 10 passes under pressure and was 21 of 28 when kept clean with an 85.7 accuracy percentage when you take away the drops.

When you go to the tape of this game, you see Rodgers making as many impossible throws as he ever has in a single afternoon. It was a bravura performance for a player who’s taken his lumps this season, and that’s why Cian Fahey, our Quarterbacks Scout, gave Rodgers perfect scores of 25 in the Accuracy and Arm Strength categories. Rodgers’ overall score of 96 is the highest we’ve given to any player this season, and it’s deserved. If you haven’t seen what Rodgers did, check it out, and then you’ll know how Mozart is supposed to be played.

Part of Bleacher Report's NFL1000 player rating methodology that matters is the ability to look at our grades from week to week (as you, dear reader, can) and suss out which patterns are turning into trends and which are flukes in the relatively small sample size of an NFL season.

There are many ways to dissect and learn from what the NFL presents on the field every week, and the NFL1000 goes as deep as any to tell you just what's going on out there.

With a 17-person crew of experienced evaluators, we'll comb through the game tape each week to bring you concise, clear evaluations of every player in the NFL. We'll tell you which rookies are rising and which undrafted players are coming out of nowhere to make an impact. We'll tell you which players are rising and falling in performance and why.

There is no predetermined narrative with these grades. No mysterious "clutch factor." No tweaked-out quarterback ratings that defy explanation. Our grades are based on pure scouting, and lots of it. We grade the key criteria for each position based on a series of attributes and add in a score for positional importance.

In the case of a tie, our scouts ask, "Which player would I want on my team?" and adjust accordingly.

Is it a subjective process? Of course—that's what scouting is, and as we like to say, ties are no fun.

Each player is evaluated and graded by our crack team of scouts, who possess more than 100 combined years of experience in playing, front-office work, coaching and media. Cian Fahey, John Middlekauff, Alex Kirby, Mark Schofield, Duke Manyweather, Ethan Young, Joe Goodberry, Justis Mosqueda, Charles McDonald, Zach Kruse, Derrik Klassen, Jerod Brown, Ian Wharton, Kyle Posey, Mark Bullock, Chuck Zodda and Doug Farrar have watched tape for months to bring you these grades, and we'll be bringing you player grades based on the game action every week.

Here are the NFL1000 player grades for Week 16 of the 2016 NFL season.

All advanced stats are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.

Methodology

Billie Weiss/Getty Images

The NFL1000 team of scouts is given a series of important attributes to grade for every player in their positional reviews. Using a grading scale starting at zero and going up to anywhere from five to 50 based on the position and the attribute, our scouts have graded each player based on their own expertise and countless hours of tape review over the years. Our evaluators are given specific positional assignments based on their proven fields of expertise. 

• Doug Farrar: Lead scout
• Cian Fahey: Quarterbacks
• John Middlekauff: Running backs/fullbacks
• Marcus Mosher: Wide receivers/tight ends
• Mark Schofield: Wide receivers/tight ends
• Duke Manyweather: Offensive tackles
• Ethan Young: Offensive guards/centers
• Joe Goodberry: AFC defensive ends
• Justis Mosqueda: NFC defensive ends
• Charles McDonald: Defensive tackles
• Zach Kruse: 3-4 outside linebackers
• Derrik Klassen: 4-3 outside linebackers
• Jerod Brown: Inside linebackers
• Kyle Posey: Cornerbacks
• Ian Wharton: Cornerbacks
• Mark Bullock: Safeties
• Chuck Zodda: Special teams

Every NFL player with snaps in offensive and defensive roles is observed and graded based on a multitiered process that marks specific attributes per position. As we're combing through All-22 footage to assess each performance, there are additional factors to consider.

We adjust for opponent based on the obvious notion that the cornerback we're grading is doing a better job if he's shutting down Antonio Brown than if he's negating the efforts of a seventh-round rookie receiver.

We also adjust for players with multiple responsibilities in the course of a game and over the course of time. Think of guys like Mike Daniels and Michael Bennett on the defensive line—how they seamlessly switch from gap to gap. Or how cornerbacks such as Chris Harris Jr. and Tyrann Mathieu dominate outside and in the slot. Or how receivers such as Doug Baldwin and Larry Fitzgerald bedevil those cornerbacks from multiple field positions.

That's more important than ever in today's NFL, and we pay attention to it.

We do not adjust for injuries. If a player is underperforming because of an injury, that's part of his performance, fair or unfair, and it needs to be graded accordingly.

Grading any player is a subjective process, but with a series of attributes per position and a specific direction as to what to grade and how, we'll work to make it as definitive as possible.

Top 50 Overall from Week 16

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

The Steelers are resting Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell in their regular-season finale against the Browns, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. It's a shame Bell’s regular season is over, because what he’s done in a limited space of time is historically remarkable.

Our top-ranked running back gained 122 yards and scored a rushing touchdown on 20 carries against the Ravens in a win that clinched the AFC North. According to Bob Holtzman of ESPN.com:

"

If you extrapolate his numbers over 16 games he would have 2,512 scrimmage yards which would break Chris Johnson's NFL record.” … As Holtzman further notes, Bell has been a total force during the six-game winning streak that took the Steelers from 4-5 to a division title—rushing for 835 yards, catching 30 passes for 256 yards and scoring seven touchdowns.

"

In a season that hasn’t always seen the Pittsburgh passing attack on point, Bell has a legitimate case for the NFL Most Valuable Player award. As Bob Holtzman of ESPN.com notes, Bell has been a total force during the six-game winning streak that took the Steelers from 4-5 to a division title—rushing for 835 yards, catching 30 passes for 256 yards and scoring seven touchdowns.

Another recent force on a playoff team is Kansas City Chiefs right tackle Mitchell Schwartz, who takes the top spot for his position this week. The Chiefs went after the former Cleveland blocker hard in free agency, and Schwartz is doing a lot to validate his five-year, $33 million contract. Kansas City’s offense is based on a lot of screen blocking, and few are better protecting the quarterback’s front side than Schwartz. He was a big part of tight end Travis Kelce’s 80-yard touchdown against the Broncos on Sunday, and he’s been a rock in the run game.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were punted out of playoff contention a long time ago, but cornerback Jalen Ramsey has been playing recently as if the Super Bowl is on the line every week. Our top-graded cornerback was great against the Texans on Dec. 18, but he really showed out against the Titans on Saturday.

Ramsey was targeted eight times and gave up just two receptions for 16 yards. He also picked up an interception and allowed an opposing quarterback rating of 0.0. Ramsey was a bit too aggressive at times early in his rookie campaign, but he’s smoothed things out, and he has the potential to become the best cover cornerback in the league.

Top 50 Overall from Week 16

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	NFL1000 Score	LW	Moving
1	Aaron Rodgers	QB	GB	96	3	↑
2	Carson Palmer	QB	ARI	85	2	↔
3	Tom Brady	QB	NE	84	366	↑
4	Trent Williams	LT	WAS	82	5	↑
5	Mitchell Schwartz	RT	KC	81	28	↑
6	Aaron Donald	DT	LA	80	15	↑
7	Clay Matthews	3-4 OLB	GB	80	823	↑
8	Travis Kelce	TE	KC	80	87	↑
9	Le'Veon Bell	RB	PIT	80	25	↑
10	Jairus Byrd	FS	NO	80	492	↑
11	David Bakhtiari	LT	GB	80	9	↓
12	Lane Johnson	RT	PHI	80	NR	↑
13	Jalen Ramsey	CB	JAX	79	64	↑
14	Malcolm Jenkins	SS	PHI	79	495	↑
15	Kyle Juszczyk	FB	BAL	79	48	↑
16	Richard Sherman	CB	SEA	79	65	↑
17	Joe Thomas	LT	CLE	79	26	↑
18	Sam Bradford	QB	MIN	79	365	↑
19	Marcus Gilbert	RT	PIT	79	40	↑
20	Dak Prescott	QB	DAL	79	97	↑
21	Odell Beckham Jr.	WR	NYG	78	192	↑
22	Geno Atkins	DT	CIN	78	88	↑
23	Jadeveon Clowney	3-4 OLB	HOU	78	4	↓
24	Ezekiel Elliott	RB	DAL	78	18	↓
25	Tyron Smith	LT	DAL	78	17	↓
26	Sammy Watkins	WR	BUF	77	688	↑
27	Eric Kendricks	ILB	MIN	77	968	↑
28	Ron Parker	FS	KC	77	20	↓
29	Jay Ajayi	RB	MIA	77	436	↑
30	Adam Thielen	WR	MIN	77	1012	↑
31	Ndamukong Suh	DT	MIA	77	10	↓
32	Whitney Mercilus	3-4 OLB	HOU	77	NR	↑
33	David Johnson	RB	ARI	77	53	↑
34	Robert Alford	CB	ATL	77	833	↑
35	Russell Wilson	QB	SEA	77	96	↑
36	Matt Bryant	K	ATL	77	43	↑
37	Joe Berger	OG	MIN	76	265	↑
38	Rodney Hudson	C	OAK	76	270	↑
39	Dez Bryant	WR	DAL	76	254	↑
40	Ronnie Stanley	LT	BAL	76	78	↑
41	Bryan Bulaga	RT	GB	76	14	↓
42	Damion Square	DT	SD	76	966	↑
43	Mike Mitchell	FS	PIT	76	172	↑
44	John Cyprien	SS	JAX	76	93	↑
45	Drew Brees	QB	NO	76	24	↓
46	Landon Collins	SS	NYG	76	70	↑
47	LeSean McCoy	RB	BUF	76	11	↓
48	Allen Robinson	WR	JAX	76	628	↑
49	Matt Ryan	QB	ATL	76	74	↑
50	Antonio Brown	WR	PIT	76	450	↑

Quarterbacks

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Aaron Rodgers deserves to be the MVP this year. He has comfortably been the best quarterback in the league while playing in an offense that makes nothing easy. In Week 16, Rodgers had the best performance of the season and one of the best performances you're likely to ever see.

Rodgers played brilliantly the previous week when he cut apart the Chicago Bears and won the game at the death with a perfect deep pass to Jordy Nelson. He only had one major negative in that game when he forced a pass across his body that should have been intercepted in the Bears' end zone. Against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday, Rodgers didn't have a significant negative. He continued to make sensational plays but made them more often and did it against a better defense. 

Midway through the first quarter, Rodgers had completed all of his first eight attempts. On 3rd-and-4 deep in Vikings territory, Rodgers immediately recognized a coverage bust underneath between Eric Kendricks and Harrison Smith. He hit Nelson down the seam, allowing the receiver to continue into the end zone for the touchdown.

Nelson was Rodgers' target for a huge play on the following drive when he connected with his veteran receiver for a 48-yard gain. This time, Rodgers had to make a throw deep down the left sideline while leaning backward against pressure in his face. That play led to a perfect pass on a back-shoulder throw to Davante Adams for a touchdown. Adams didn't need to create any separation; Rodgers threw him open with timing and precision. Adams would go on to later drop an even more impressive play from Rodgers that would have resulted in a touchdown.

Despite Rodgers' incredible numbers, the Packers receivers still let him down by failing at the catch point downfield on accurate passes.

Rodgers displayed cyborg-like arm strength with unbelievable trajectory control, precision and the ability to throw from unnatural platforms. He always found the open receiver, never put the ball at risk and stayed aware and poised both in and out of the pocket. It was the quintessential example of great quarterback play.

Grading Scale

Acc: Accuracy (Graded out of 25)

Arm: Arm Strength (Graded out of 25)

Press: Pressure/run threat (Graded out of 20) (Pressure weighted at 15, run threat at 5)

Dec: Decision-Making (Graded out of 20)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Quarterback Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Acc	Arm	Press	Dec	Pos	Ovr
1	Aaron Rodgers	GB	25	25	17	19	10	96
2	Carson Palmer	ARI	20	23	18	14	10	85
3	Tom Brady	NE	22	20	15	17	10	84
4	Sam Bradford	MIN	19	21	14	15	10	79
5	Dak Prescott	DAL	19	20	15	15	10	79
6	Russell Wilson	SEA	16	21	15	15	10	77
7	Drew Brees	NO	17	20	15	14	10	76
8	Matt Ryan	ATL	17	20	14	15	10	76
9	Tyrod Taylor	BUF	15	21	15	14	10	75
10	Blake Bortles	JAX	16	20	14	14	10	74
11	Kirk Cousins	WAS	16	20	15	13	10	74
12	Colin Kaepernick	SF	14	19	15	14	10	72
13	Cam Newton	CAR	17	21	14	10	10	72
14	Derek Carr	OAK	16	20	13	13	10	72
15	Andrew Luck	IND	16	21	15	10	10	72
16	Philip Rivers	SD	16	17	14	14	10	71
17	Robert Griffin III	CLE	14	19	14	13	10	70
18	Marcus Mariota	TEN	15	19	13	13	10	70
19	Joe Flacco	BAL	15	19	12	13	10	69
20	Alex Smith	KC	16	17	14	12	10	69
21	Tom Savage	HOU	15	18	13	11	10	67
22	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	15	18	13	11	10	67
23	Andy Dalton	CIN	14	18	12	12	10	66
24	Ryan Fitzpatrick	NYJ	16	17	11	11	10	65
25	Eli Manning	NYG	14	18	12	11	10	65
26	Carson Wentz	PHI	13	17	13	11	10	64
27	Cody Kessler	CLE	14	18	11	11	10	64
28	Jameis Winston	TB	13	18	13	10	10	64
29	Matthew Stafford	DET	15	18	11	10	10	64
30	Trevor Siemian	DEN	13	17	12	11	10	63
31	Matt Moore	MIA	13	17	11	11	10	62
32	Matt McGloin	OAK	14	17	10	10	10	61
33	Matt Cassel	TEN	13	16	11	10	10	60
34	Bryce Petty	NYJ	12	18	10	9	10	59
35	Jared Goff	LA	10	17	11	10	10	58
36	Matt Barkley	CHI	10	17	11	8	10	56

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Running Backs

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Steelers star running back Le’Veon Bell helped bring home the AFC North with an excellent performance against a good run defense. Bell was great on the ground, running patiently as usual and helping the Steelers push around one of the stronger fronts in the NFL. He also added a touchdown as a receiver, because he is easily one of the hardest backs in the league for any linebacker or safety to cover in space.

Jay Ajayi had his third 200-plus-yard game, helping the Dolphins lock down a playoff berth in a big win against the Bills. Ajayi continues to be one of the better runners after contact in the NFL, and he basically made sure Rex Ryan would not coach Week 17 in Buffalo. 

David Johnson and LeSean McCoy both added to their fantastic seasons Saturday. Johnson ran hard and was productive against a top defense in Seattle, and he destroyed them as a receiver on the game's final drive. He had a 29-yard catch that basically wrapped up the game with under a minute to go. McCoy shredded a solid Miami front, making guys miss all game, and he was a major threat in the air. McCoy added his 13th touchdown on the ground in 2016 and did everything he could to keep the Bills alive before kicker Dan Carpenter let him down.

The Atlanta running game was dominant against the Panthers, with Tevin Coleman busting off a 55-yard touchdown run. Devonta Freeman was also solid in limited action, playing fast and adding eight catches in an easy win. Spencer Ware helped end the defending champs' playoff hopes with a solid game at Arrowhead on Sunday night. Ware is one of the most consistent inside runners in the NFL and was physical against the Broncos.

Grading Scale

In: Inside Running (Graded out of 25)

Out: Outside Running (Graded out of 25)

Rec: Receiving (Graded out of 20)

Blk: Blocking (Graded out of 20)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Running Back Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	In	Out	Rec	Blk	Pos	Ovr
1	Le'Veon Bell	PIT	21	19	17	17	6	80
2	Ezekiel Elliott	DAL	21	18	16	17	6	78
3	Jay Ajayi	MIA	20	19	16	16	6	77
4	David Johnson	ARI	18	18	18	17	6	77
5	LeSean McCoy	BUF	19	19	16	16	6	76
6	Jordan Howard	CHI	19	18	16	17	6	76
7	Tevin Coleman	ATL	19	17	17	16	6	75
8	Devonta Freeman	ATL	18	17	17	17	6	75
9	Spencer Ware	KC	18	17	16	17	6	74
10	Bilal Powell	NYJ	18	17	16	17	6	74
11	DeAndre Washington	OAK	19	17	16	16	6	74
12	Alfred Blue	HOU	19	17	16	16	6	74
13	Fozzy Whittaker	CAR	17	18	16	16	6	73
14	Zach Zenner	DET	19	16	16	16	6	73
15	Chris Ivory	JAX	18	16	17	16	6	73
16	Dion Lewis	NE	18	18	16	15	6	73
17	Jalen Richard	OAK	18	17	17	15	6	73
18	Carlos Hyde	SF	18	16	17	16	6	73
19	Mark Ingram	NO	18	17	16	16	6	73
20	Mike Gillislee	BUF	17	19	15	15	6	72
21	Isaiah Crowell	CLE	18	16	16	16	6	72
22	Frank Gore	IND	18	15	16	17	6	72
23	Jerick McKinnon	MIN	17	17	17	15	6	72
24	Darren Sproles	PHI	18	16	16	16	6	72
25	Chris Thompson	WAS	17	18	16	15	6	72
26	Terrance West	BAL	17	17	17	15	6	72
27	Jonathan Stewart	CAR	18	15	15	17	6	71
28	Matt Asiata	MIN	17	15	16	17	6	71
29	LeGarrette Blount	NE	18	16	15	16	6	71
30	Rashad Jennings	NYG	17	16	16	16	6	71
31	Paul Perkins	NYG	18	17	16	14	6	71
32	Latavius Murray	OAK	17	16	16	16	6	71
33	Ryan Mathews	PHI	17	16	16	16	6	71
34	DeMarco Murray	TEN	17	15	16	17	6	71
35	Robert Kelley	WAS	18	16	15	16	6	71
36	Kenneth Dixon	BAL	18	17	15	15	6	71
37	Alex Collins	SEA	18	15	16	16	6	71
38	Jacquizz Rodgers	TB	18	16	16	15	6	71
39	Dwayne Washington	DET	17	15	16	16	6	70
40	Robert Turbin	IND	16	15	17	16	6	70
41	Tim Hightower	NO	17	16	16	15	6	70
42	Mack Brown	WAS	19	15	15	15	6	70
43	Rex Burkhead	CIN	17	15	16	16	6	70
44	Darren McFadden	DAL	17	16	15	16	6	70
45	Duke Johnson	CLE	16	16	16	15	6	69
46	Kenyan Drake	MIA	16	18	14	15	6	69
47	Shaun Draughn	SF	16	15	16	16	6	69
48	Derrick Henry	TEN	16	15	16	16	6	69
49	Charles Sims	TB	16	14	17	16	6	69
50	Ty Montgomery	GB	15	15	16	16	6	68
51	Charcandrick West	KC	15	16	16	15	6	68
52	Todd Gurley	LA	16	15	16	15	6	68
53	James White	NE	15	14	17	16	6	68
54	Kenneth Farrow	SD	16	15	16	15	6	68
55	Jeremy Langford	CHI	16	15	15	16	6	68
56	Devontae Booker	DEN	16	15	15	15	6	67
57	Damien Williams	MIA	14	15	17	15	6	67
58	Thomas Rawls	SEA	15	14	15	17	6	67
59	Justin Forsett	DEN	15	14	16	15	6	66
60	Christine Michael	GB	15	14	15	16	6	66
61	Corey Grant	JAX	16	14	15	15	6	66
62	Travaris Cadet	NO	14	15	16	15	6	66
63	Bobby Rainey	NYG	14	15	16	14	6	65
64	Jeremy Hill	CIN	15	14	15	15	6	65
65	Khiry Robinson	NYJ	15	14	14	15	6	64
66	Juwan Thompson	DEN	15	14	15	14	6	64
67	Jonathan Grimes	HOU	15	14	14	15	6	64
68	Ronnie Hillman	SD	15	14	14	14	6	63

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Giovani Bernard—injury
• C.J. Anderson—injury
• Ameer Abdullah—injury
• Theo Riddick—injury
• James Starks—injury
• Eddie Lacy—injury
• Lamar Miller—injury
• Melvin Gordon—injury
• Jamaal Charles—injury
• Ben Cunningham—injury
• Adrian Peterson—injury
• Matt Forte—injury

Fullbacks

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

Kyle Juszczyk did everything he could to keep the Ravens in the game Sunday against the Steelers. Juszczyk arguably had the best run of his career—running over a defender, keeping his balance and scoring what looked to be the deciding score. While it wasn’t enough, he was still fantastic both as a runner and blocker in what turned out to be a playoff elimination game for the Ravens. Juszczyk is easily the most complete fullback in the NFL and might be one of the better ones in recent memory.

Jerome Felton and Patrick DiMarco were both good as lead blockers Saturday. They cleared holes and contributed to productive backfields and were physical on contact. Both DiMarco and Felton have established themselves as two of the best lead blockers in the NFL. 

Jay Prosch had a good game against the Bengals, clearing holes without his star running back, Lamar Miller, who was inactive. Prosch continues to be one of the more underrated players in the league and is someone head coach Bill O’Brien has routinely singled out as being a key role player throughout the year.

Grading Scale

Blk: Blocking (Graded out of 50)

Run: Running (Graded out of 25)

Rec: Receiving (Graded out of 15)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Fullback Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Blk	Run	Rec	Pos	Ovr
1	Kyle Juszczyk	BAL	45	20	10	4	79
2	Jerome Felton	BUF	44	16	10	4	74
3	Patrick DiMarco	ATL	45	15	9	4	73
4	Jay Prosch	HOU	45	15	9	4	73
5	Mike Tolbert	CAR	43	16	9	4	72
6	Anthony Sherman	KC	43	16	9	4	72
7	James Develin	NE	44	15	9	4	72
8	Jamize Olawale	OAK	44	15	9	4	72
9	Marcel Reece	SEA	40	16	12	4	72
10	Dan Vitale	CLE	43	15	8	4	70
11	Roosevelt Nix	PIT	44	14	8	4	70
12	Aaron Ripkowski	GB	42	15	8	4	69
13	John Kuhn	NO	43	14	8	4	69
14	Derek Watt	SD	42	14	8	4	68

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Jalston Fowler—insufficient snaps
• Michael Burton—insufficient snaps
• Zach Line—injury

Wide Receivers

Corey Perrine/Getty Images

Odell Beckham Jr. put on a show Thursday night versus the Eagles. He destroyed both man and zone coverage, made numerous plays after the catch and was doubled all night. His best play came on a critical fourth down where he was doubled and caught a ball outside of the framework of his body on a dig route.

Minnesota's Adam Thielen went off, exploding for 202 yards receiving and two scores. He showed body control on numerous plays that required him to drag his feet in play before going out of bounds, and his most impressive play was a 77-yard touchdown on a stutter-and-go where he blew by two Green Bay defenders.

Dez Bryant caught two touchdowns and threw for another. He only saw five targets, but he was able to convert four of them for catches. Another resulted in a defensive pass interference.

Sammy Watkins posted seven receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown in the Bills' overtime loss to the Dolphins. His biggest catch came on a 53-yard play in the third quarter where he made a great adjustment to an underthrown pass.

On Christmas night, Antonio Brown started slowly but ended the game with a flourish against the Ravens in the Steelers' big victory. On a play that will become known as "The Reach," Brown showed tremendous play strength after the catch to stay upright and extend the football across the goal line for the game-winning touchdown.

Allen Robinson posted nine receptions for 147 yards. He was effective against both man and zone coverage, and he was strong at the catch point in a number of contested-throw situations.

Grading Scale

Route: Route Running (Graded out of 25)

Hands: Hands (Graded out of 25)

YAC: Yards After Catch (Graded out of 20)

Blk: Blocking (Graded out of 20)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Wide Receiver Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr
1	Odell Beckham Jr.	NYG	22	19	17	11	9	78
2	Sammy Watkins	BUF	21	22	13	12	9	77
3	Adam Thielen	MIN	22	20	15	11	9	77
4	Dez Bryant	DAL	20	21	13	13	9	76
5	Allen Robinson	JAX	21	19	14	13	9	76
6	Antonio Brown	PIT	21	19	15	12	9	76
7	Brandon LaFell	CIN	19	19	15	12	9	74
8	Jordy Nelson	GB	21	18	14	12	9	74
9	Doug Baldwin	SEA	20	19	15	11	9	74
10	DeSean Jackson	WAS	19	18	17	11	9	74
11	J.J. Nelson	ARI	18	18	17	11	9	73
12	T.Y. Hilton	IND	20	20	13	11	9	73
13	Cameron Meredith	CHI	19	18	14	12	9	72
14	Mike Evans	TB	19	19	13	12	9	72
15	Julio Jones	ATL	18	18	14	12	9	71
16	DeVante Parker	MIA	18	19	13	12	9	71
17	Michael Crabtree	OAK	19	19	12	12	9	71
18	Steve Smith Sr.	BAL	18	18	13	12	9	70
19	Alshon Jeffery	CHI	18	18	13	12	9	70
20	Julian Edelman	NE	19	19	12	11	9	70
21	Michael Thomas	NO	18	18	14	11	9	70
22	Amari Cooper	OAK	18	20	11	12	9	70
23	Eli Rogers	PIT	18	19	12	12	9	70
24	Pierre Garcon	WAS	18	18	14	11	9	70
25	Davante Adams	GB	19	17	13	11	9	69
26	Marqise Lee	JAX	18	19	11	12	9	69
27	Brandin Cooks	NO	19	16	14	11	9	69
28	Mohamed Sanu	ATL	17	17	14	11	9	68
29	Robert Woods	BUF	18	18	11	12	9	68
30	Ted Ginn Jr.	CAR	18	17	14	10	9	68
31	Stefon Diggs	MIN	17	17	13	12	9	68
32	Malcolm Mitchell	NE	17	18	11	13	9	68
33	Sterling Shepard	NYG	17	17	14	11	9	68
34	Larry Fitzgerald	ARI	17	17	12	12	9	67
35	Deonte Thompson	CHI	16	16	15	11	9	67
36	Geronimo Allison	GB	17	17	13	11	9	67
37	Will Fuller V	HOU	17	17	12	12	9	67
38	Chris Hogan	NE	17	17	11	13	9	67
39	Travis Benjamin	SD	18	17	11	12	9	67
40	Rod Streater	SF	17	17	13	11	9	67
41	Harry Douglas	TEN	17	18	11	12	9	67
42	Cody Core	CIN	17	17	11	12	9	66
43	Demaryius Thomas	DEN	17	16	11	13	9	66
44	DeAndre Hopkins	HOU	17	16	12	12	9	66
45	Victor Cruz	NYG	16	17	13	11	9	66
46	Tyrell Williams	SD	17	17	11	12	9	66
47	Tyler Lockett	SEA	17	17	13	10	9	66
48	Paul Richardson	SEA	17	17	13	10	9	66
49	Russell Shepard	TB	16	16	14	11	9	66
50	Rishard Matthews	TEN	17	17	11	12	9	66
51	Taylor Gabriel	ATL	16	16	14	10	9	65
52	Mike Wallace	BAL	17	16	12	11	9	65
53	Marquise Goodwin	BUF	17	16	11	12	9	65
54	Kelvin Benjamin	CAR	16	17	12	11	9	65
55	Terrelle Pryor Sr.	CLE	16	16	11	13	9	65
56	Cole Beasley	DAL	17	16	13	10	9	65
57	Golden Tate	DET	17	16	12	11	9	65
58	Bryan Walters	JAX	17	16	11	12	9	65
59	Kenny Britt	LA	17	16	12	11	9	65
60	Jarvis Landry	MIA	16	16	12	12	9	65
61	Brandon Marshall	NYJ	17	16	11	12	9	65
62	Andre Holmes	OAK	16	15	11	14	9	65
63	Jeremy Kerley	SF	16	16	13	11	9	65
64	Tajae Sharpe	TEN	17	16	11	12	9	65
65	Aldrick Robinson	ATL	16	15	13	11	9	64
66	Breshad Perriman	BAL	16	16	11	12	9	64
67	Brice Butler	DAL	16	18	11	10	9	64
68	Anquan Boldin	DET	15	17	11	12	9	64
69	Chris Conley	KC	16	15	11	13	9	64
70	Tavon Austin	LA	15	16	14	10	9	64
71	Kenny Stills	MIA	16	16	11	12	9	64
72	Willie Snead	NO	17	16	12	10	9	64
73	Dontrelle Inman	SD	17	15	11	12	9	64
74	Jermaine Kearse	SEA	16	16	12	11	9	64
75	Devin Funchess	CAR	16	16	11	11	9	63
76	Corey Coleman	CLE	16	15	11	12	9	63
77	Andrew Hawkins	CLE	16	15	11	12	9	63
78	Terrance Williams	DAL	15	16	12	11	9	63
79	Emmanuel Sanders	DEN	17	15	11	11	9	63
80	Donte Moncrief	IND	16	15	11	12	9	63
81	Jeremy Maclin	KC	16	15	11	12	9	63
82	Cordarrelle Patterson	MIN	15	15	13	11	9	63
83	Quincy Enunwa	NYJ	16	15	11	12	9	63
84	Seth Roberts	OAK	14	14	11	15	9	63
85	Nelson Agholor	PHI	16	16	12	10	9	63
86	Cobi Hamilton	PIT	15	14	11	14	9	63
87	Kendall Wright	TEN	16	16	11	11	9	63
88	Tyler Boyd	CIN	16	14	11	12	9	62
89	Jordan Taylor	DEN	16	15	11	11	9	62
90	Keith Mumphery	HOU	15	15	11	12	9	62
91	Michael Floyd	NE	15	15	11	12	9	62
92	Charone Peake	NYJ	16	15	11	11	9	62
93	Jordan Matthews	PHI	15	15	11	12	9	62
94	James Wright	CIN	15	15	11	11	9	61
95	Demarcus Ayers	PIT	15	15	11	11	9	61
96	Philly Brown	CAR	14	14	13	10	9	60
97	Josh Bellamy	CHI	14	14	12	11	9	60
98	Alex Erickson	CIN	14	14	11	12	9	60
99	Bennie Fowler	DEN	14	14	11	12	9	60
100	Cody Latimer	DEN	15	14	11	11	9	60
101	Jordan Norwood	DEN	15	14	11	11	9	60
102	Chester Rogers	IND	14	14	11	12	9	60
103	Phillip Dorsett	IND	15	14	11	11	9	60
104	Tony Washington	JAX	14	14	11	12	9	60
105	Albert Wilson	KC	14	14	11	12	9	60
106	Tyreek Hill	KC	15	14	11	11	9	60
107	Charles Johnson	MIN	15	15	11	10	9	60
108	Geremy Davis	SD	14	14	11	12	9	60
109	Ryan Grant	WAS	14	14	12	11	9	60
110	Michael Campanaro	BAL	14	14	11	11	9	59
111	Brandon Tate	BUF	14	14	11	11	9	59
112	Rashard Higgins	CLE	14	14	11	11	9	59
113	Kalif Raymond	DEN	14	14	11	11	9	59
114	Robby Anderson	NYJ	14	14	11	11	9	59
115	Dorial Green-Beckham	PHI	14	14	11	11	9	59
116	Aaron Burbridge	SF	14	14	11	11	9	59
117	Kamar Aiken	BAL	14	13	11	11	9	58
118	Marvin Jones	DET	13	15	11	10	9	58
119	Devin Smith	NYJ	14	13	11	11	9	58
120	Andre Roberts	DET	13	14	11	10	9	57
121	Adam Humphries	TB	13	13	11	11	9	57
122	Jamison Crowder	WAS	13	13	12	10	9	57
123	John Brown	ARI	13	13	11	10	9	56
124	DeAndre Smelter	SF	12	12	10	12	9	55
125	Justin Hardy	ATL	13	12	10	10	9	54
126	Lucky Whitehead	DAL	12	12	10	11	9	54
127	Brian Quick	LA	12	12	10	11	9	54
128	Pharoh Cooper	LA	12	12	10	10	9	53

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• A.J. Green—injury
• Eddie Royal—injury
• Randall Cobb—injury
• Braxton Miller—injury
• Danny Amendola—injury
• Jalin Marshall—injury
• Eric Decker—injury
• Keenan Allen—injury
• Torrey Smith—injury

Tight Ends

Reed Hoffmann/Getty Images

Travis Kelce was dominant Sunday night against the Broncos, catching 11 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown. He ran great routes, flashed an impressive catch radius, was masterful after the catch and was a critical component of the Chiefs' blocking schemes. On two of Kansas City's rushing touchdowns (Tyreek Hill's long counter and Alex Smith's option keeper), Kelce was the lead blocker. Demetrius Harris earns a mention this week as well, as he enters the record books on the receiving end of a touchdown pass from Dontari Poe.

Charles Clay was a bright spot for the Bills in their overtime loss to the Dolphins, catching eight passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns. On one of the scores, he showed great play strength after the reception, fighting off two tacklers at the goal line.

In the NFC, Eric Ebron had one of his better days against the Cowboys on Monday night. He was open all game, and what was impressive was his ability to make plays after the catch. Ebron ran with power and bullied the Cowboys secondary on his way to an eight-catch, 93-yard night.

Jason Witten caught a touchdown via Dez Bryant on Monday night, but his performance this week was not one of his best. He had a false start and missed a pass over the seam that likely would've scored. He's still a great player, but his impact on the Cowboys offense seems to decrease each week. 

Grading Scale

Route: Route Running (Graded out of 20)

Hands: Hands (Graded out of 25)

YAC: Yards After Catch (Graded out of 20)

Blk: Blocking (Graded out of 25)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Tight End Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr
1	Travis Kelce	KC	17	21	16	20	6	80
2	Charles Clay	BUF	15	20	12	20	6	73
3	Eric Ebron	DET	16	18	15	17	6	72
4	Jimmy Graham	SEA	16	18	14	17	6	71
5	Greg Olsen	CAR	16	18	13	17	6	70
6	Kyle Rudolph	MIN	15	17	13	19	6	70
7	Antonio Gates	SD	14	18	13	18	6	69
8	Brent Celek	PHI	15	17	13	17	6	68
9	Jared Cook	GB	14	16	14	17	6	67
10	Demetrius Harris	KC	14	17	12	18	6	67
11	Zach Ertz	PHI	15	17	13	16	6	67
12	Dennis Pitta	BAL	13	16	12	19	6	66
13	Jason Witten	DAL	14	17	11	18	6	66
14	C.J. Fiedorowicz	HOU	13	17	11	19	6	66
15	Jack Doyle	IND	13	16	12	19	6	66
16	Lance Kendricks	LA	14	16	13	17	6	66
17	Martellus Bennett	NE	13	17	11	19	6	66
18	John Phillips	NO	14	16	12	18	6	66
19	Coby Fleener	NO	14	17	12	17	6	66
20	Cameron Brate	TB	13	17	13	17	6	66
21	Vernon Davis	WAS	14	15	13	18	6	66
22	Jermaine Gresham	ARI	13	16	12	18	6	65
23	Daniel Brown	CHI	14	15	13	17	6	65
24	Jeff Heuerman	DEN	13	16	11	19	6	65
25	Richard Rodgers	GB	14	14	14	17	6	65
26	Will Tye	NYG	14	16	12	17	6	65
27	Garrett Celek	SF	14	16	12	17	6	65
28	Jerell Adams	NYG	14	15	12	17	6	64
29	Delanie Walker	TEN	13	17	11	17	6	64
30	C.J. Uzomah	CIN	13	17	11	16	6	63
31	Gary Barnidge	CLE	13	15	11	18	6	63
32	Dwayne Allen	IND	13	15	11	18	6	63
33	Alex Ellis	JAX	12	15	11	19	6	63
34	Matt Lengel	NE	12	16	11	18	6	63
35	Clive Walford	OAK	12	15	11	19	6	63
36	Levine Toilolo	ATL	11	14	12	19	6	62
37	Ben Koyack	JAX	12	15	11	18	6	62
38	Xavier Grimble	PIT	12	15	11	18	6	62
39	Anthony Fasano	TEN	11	14	11	20	6	62
40	Ed Dickson	CAR	14	14	11	16	6	61
41	Ryan Hewitt	CIN	11	14	11	19	6	61
42	Seth DeValve	CLE	12	16	11	16	6	61
43	Erik Swoope	IND	12	15	11	17	6	61
44	Dion Sims	MIA	12	14	11	18	6	61
45	Nick O'Leary	BUF	11	14	11	18	6	60
46	Randall Telfer	CLE	11	14	11	18	6	60
47	Henry Krieger-Coble	DEN	12	14	11	17	6	60
48	Tyler Higbee	LA	12	14	12	16	6	60
49	MarQueis Gray	MIA	12	14	11	17	6	60
50	Eric Tomlinson	NYJ	11	14	11	18	6	60
51	Mychal Rivera	OAK	11	14	11	18	6	60
52	David Johnson	PIT	11	14	11	18	6	60
53	Hunter Henry	SD	11	14	11	18	6	60
54	Phillip Supernaw	TEN	11	14	11	18	6	60
55	Darren Waller	BAL	11	14	11	17	6	59
56	Ryan Griffin	HOU	11	14	11	17	6	59
57	James O'Shaughnessy	KC	11	14	11	17	6	59
58	Sean McGrath	SD	11	14	11	17	6	59
59	Nick Boyle	BAL	11	14	11	16	6	58
60	Stephen Anderson	HOU	12	14	11	15	6	58
61	Brandon Myers	TB	12	13	11	16	6	58
62	Rhett Ellison	MIN	11	13	10	17	6	57
63	Brandon Bostick	NYJ	11	14	11	15	6	57
64	Darren Fells	ARI	10	12	10	18	6	56
65	Trey Burton	PHI	12	12	10	16	6	56
66	Jesse James	PIT	13	6	12	19	6	56
67	Luke Willson	SEA	10	12	10	17	6	55
68	Gavin Escobar	DAL	10	11	10	15	6	52

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Austin Seferian-Jenkins—insufficient snaps
• Nick Vannett—insufficient snaps
• Jacob Tamme—injury
• Crockett Gillmore—injury
• Maxx Williams—injury
• Zach Miller—injury
• Tyler Eifert—injury
• Marcedes Lewis—injury
• Julius Thomas—injury
• Jordan Cameron—injury
• Rob Gronkowski—injury
• Josh Hill—injury
• Ladarius Green—injury
• Jordan Reed—injury

Left Tackles

Rob Leiter/Getty Images

Trent Williams' performance against Chicago earned him our top ranking among left tackles in Week 16. Williams has played monster football in every aspect of the game and showed no rust even after a four-game suspension. He has an ideal combination of explosion, physicality and body control.

Green Bay's David Bakhtiari was excellent anchoring Aaron Rodgers' blind side against the explosive Minnesota defense. Bakhtiari may not have come into the 2016 season well-known, but he has established himself as an elite pass protector.

Joe Thomas continues to be as consistent as they come, and his performance against San Diego has him ranked as our third-best left tackle in Week 16. Thomas was faced with many different rushers, including rookie Joey Bosa, and the crafty veteran handled them all.

Cincinnati's Andrew Whitworth did not record a grade at left tackle in Week 16. The 11-year pro started at left guard in place of regular starter Clint Boling, whom the Bengals placed on injured reserve.

Grading Scale

Pass: Pass Protection (Graded out of 25)

Run: Run Blocking (Graded out of 25)

Power: Power (Graded out of 20)

Agl: Agility (Graded out of 20)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Left Tackle Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	Trent Williams	WAS	21	20	16	17	8	82
2	David Bakhtiari	GB	21	19	15	17	8	80
3	Joe Thomas	CLE	19	19	15	18	8	79
4	Tyron Smith	DAL	18	20	16	16	8	78
5	Ronnie Stanley	BAL	19	19	15	15	8	76
6	Nate Solder	NE	19	19	15	15	8	76
7	Jason Peters	PHI	18	18	16	16	8	76
8	Alejandro Villanueva	PIT	21	18	14	14	8	75
9	Donald Penn	OAK	19	19	15	14	8	75
10	Cyrus Kouandjio	BUF	19	18	14	16	8	75
11	Duane Brown	HOU	18	20	15	14	8	75
12	Eric Fisher	KC	18	18	16	15	8	75
13	Donovan Smith	TB	18	19	16	14	8	75
14	Taylor Decker	DET	17	18	16	15	8	74
15	Andrus Peat	NO	18	18	15	15	8	74
16	Trenton Brown	SF	18	18	15	15	8	74
17	Mike Remmers	CAR	18	18	15	14	8	73
18	Rodger Saffold	LA	18	18	15	14	8	73
19	Branden Albert	MIA	18	18	14	15	8	73
20	Jake Matthews	ATL	17	19	15	14	8	73
21	Cedric Ogbuehi	CIN	18	17	14	16	8	73
22	Taylor Lewan	TEN	17	19	15	14	8	73
23	Russell Okung	DEN	17	17	15	15	8	72
24	Anthony Castonzo	IND	18	18	14	14	8	72
25	Ereck Flowers	NYG	16	18	16	14	8	72
26	Emmett Cleary	DAL	18	18	13	14	8	71
27	Kelvin Beachum	JAX	18	17	15	13	8	71
28	Charles Leno Jr.	CHI	16	18	14	14	8	70
29	Ben Ijalana	NYJ	17	17	14	13	8	69
30	T.J. Clemmings	MIN	15	18	15	12	8	68
31	Chris Hairston	SD	16	17	15	12	8	68
32	John Wetzel	ARI	16	16	14	13	8	67
33	George Fant	SEA	14	15	13	14	8	64

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• DJ Humphries—injury
• Jared Veldheer—injury
• Cordy Glenn—injury
• Michael Oher—injury
• Luke Joeckel—injury
• Matt Kalil—injury
• Ryan Clady—injury
• Terron Armstead—injury
• King Dunlap—injury
• Joe Staley—injury
• Greg Robinson—inactive
• Andrew Whitworth—graded at OG

Right Tackles

Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

Kansas City's Mitchell Schwartz is our top performer after an outstanding performance against Denver. It is no secret that Kansas City went after Schwartz last spring in free agency and one must presume the success he had when matched up against Von Miller and Khalil Mack played a role in that. Sunday night, Schwartz once again proved his worth when he faced Miller most of the game.

Lane Johnson returned to Philadelphia's starting lineup against the Giants after serving a 10-game suspension. He showed no rust and was flat-out impressive, especially in the running game, whether in-line blocking or out in space.

Pittsburgh's Marcus Gilbert continues to be a consistent piece of the Steelers offense and is developing into an upper-echelon offensive tackle. Down the stretch in those "got to have it" moments versus Baltimore, Gilbert was a brick wall in pass protection. Pittsburgh ran 58 plays, and based on film study, Gilbert surrendered only two avoidable pressures. 

Grading Scale

Pass: Pass Protection (Graded out of 25)

Run: Run Blocking (Graded out of 25)

Power: Power (Graded out of 20)

Agl: Agility (Graded out of 20)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Right Tackle Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	Mitchell Schwartz	KC	22	20	16	16	7	81
2	Lane Johnson	PHI	20	20	15	18	7	80
3	Marcus Gilbert	PIT	20	19	16	17	7	79
4	Bryan Bulaga	GB	18	20	16	15	7	76
5	Marcus Cannon	NE	20	19	15	15	7	76
6	Ryan Schraeder	ATL	19	20	15	14	7	75
7	Morgan Moses	WAS	19	19	15	15	7	75
8	Zach Strief	NO	19	19	15	15	7	75
9	Ja'Wuan James	MIA	19	19	15	14	7	74
10	Bobby Massie	CHI	19	19	15	14	7	74
11	Riley Reiff	DET	17	19	16	15	7	74
12	Doug Free	DAL	17	20	16	14	7	74
13	Jake Fisher	CIN	18	18	15	15	7	73
14	Jermey Parnell	JAX	18	19	15	14	7	73
15	Rob Havenstein	LA	18	20	14	14	7	73
16	Jack Conklin	TEN	17	20	15	14	7	73
17	Menelik Watson	OAK	18	19	14	14	7	72
18	Earl Watford	ARI	18	18	15	13	7	71
19	Ricky Wagner	BAL	18	17	15	14	7	71
20	Le'Raven Clark	IND	16	18	15	15	7	71
21	Brandon Shell	NYJ	18	17	13	15	7	70
22	Joe Barksdale	SD	17	18	14	14	7	70
23	Daryl Williams	CAR	16	19	15	13	7	70
24	James Hurst	BAL	16	18	14	14	7	69
25	Austin Pasztor	CLE	16	18	14	14	7	69
26	Chris Clark	HOU	16	18	14	13	7	68
27	Jordan Mills	BUF	16	18	15	12	7	68
28	Kevin Pamphile	TB	16	18	14	13	7	68
29	Donald Stephenson	DEN	15	16	15	14	7	67
30	Jeremiah Sirles	MIN	16	17	14	13	7	67
31	Garry Gilliam	SEA	15	16	14	14	7	66
32	John Theus	SF	16	16	13	13	7	65
33	Bobby Hart	NYG	15	15	13	14	7	64

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Derek Newton—injury
• Andre Smith—injury
• Breno Giacomini—injury
• Halapoulivaati Vaitai—injury
• Austin Howard—injury
• Demar Dotson—injury

Offensive Guards

Tom Dahlin/Getty Images

Joe Berger, a late bloomer, is one of the most underappreciated players in the league.

He's hidden by a poor offensive line in Minnesota, but whether the Vikings put him at guard or center, he shows impressive anchor in pass protection, good leg drive and natural timing on kicks to the second level.

He doesn't have the smoothest feet, but he's a technician who doesn't waste steps and keeps his hips square.

Grading Scale

Pass: Pass Protection (Graded out of 25)

Run: Run Blocking (Graded out of 25)

Power: Power (Graded out of 20)

Agl: Agility (Graded out of 20)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Offensive Guard Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	Joe Berger	MIN	20	17	17	15	7	76
2	T.J. Lang	GB	19	16	18	15	7	75
3	Laurent Duvernay-Tardif	KC	19	16	15	18	7	75
4	David DeCastro	PIT	16	19	16	16	7	74
5	Marshal Yanda	BAL	17	17	18	15	7	74
6	Trai Turner	CAR	16	17	18	15	7	73
7	Senio Kelemete	NO	17	18	18	13	7	73
8	Laremy Tunsil	MIA	16	18	16	16	7	73
9	Vladimir Ducasse	BAL	19	17	17	13	7	73
10	Zach Fulton	KC	18	17	17	14	7	73
11	Laken Tomlinson	DET	18	15	16	16	7	72
12	Zack Martin	DAL	16	17	18	14	7	72
13	Shaq Mason	NE	16	17	17	15	7	72
14	Ramon Foster	PIT	18	17	16	14	7	72
15	Joe Haeg	IND	16	17	15	17	7	72
16	John Miller	BUF	17	16	17	15	7	72
17	Dakota Dozier	NYJ	18	16	17	14	7	72
18	Max Garcia	DEN	18	16	17	14	7	72
19	Shawn Lauvao	WAS	18	17	17	13	7	72
20	Larry Warford	DET	16	18	17	14	7	72
21	Gabe Jackson	OAK	16	18	17	14	7	72
22	Andrew Donnal	LA	16	17	18	13	7	71
23	Chris Chester	ATL	16	17	17	14	7	71
24	Brandon Brooks	PHI	16	16	17	15	7	71
25	Jahri Evans	NO	17	16	17	14	7	71
26	Evan Smith	TB	18	15	15	16	7	71
27	Andrew Norwell	CAR	15	17	17	14	7	70
28	Evan Boehm	ARI	17	16	15	15	7	70
29	Richie Incognito	BUF	16	17	17	13	7	70
30	James Carpenter	NYJ	18	16	17	12	7	70
31	Ali Marpet	TB	15	17	17	14	7	70
32	Brandon Scherff	WAS	15	17	16	15	7	70
33	Kelechi Osemele	OAK	15	17	17	14	7	70
34	Stefen Wisniewski	PHI	17	15	16	14	7	69
35	Lane Taylor	GB	16	15	15	16	7	69
36	Josh Sitton	CHI	16	16	17	13	7	69
37	Spencer Drango	CLE	15	17	16	14	7	69
38	Alex Boone	MIN	15	17	16	13	7	68
39	Andrew Whitworth	CIN	16	15	16	14	7	68
40	Mike Iupati	ARI	16	15	17	13	7	68
41	Jermon Bushrod	MIA	16	15	16	14	7	68
42	Ben Garland	ATL	17	15	15	14	7	68
43	Jonathan Cooper	CLE	14	17	17	13	7	68
44	Brent Qvale	NYJ	17	14	15	14	7	67
45	Ronald Leary	DAL	16	15	16	13	7	67
46	Xavier Su'a-Filo	HOU	13	16	16	15	7	67
47	Josh Kline	TEN	17	13	15	15	7	67
48	Mark Glowinski	SEA	13	16	16	15	7	67
49	Tyler Shatley	JAX	15	16	14	15	7	67
50	Andrew Tiller	SF	14	17	17	12	7	67
51	Kevin Zeitler	CIN	15	14	17	13	7	66
52	Jamon Brown	LA	14	16	16	13	7	66
53	Orlando Franklin	SD	15	15	17	12	7	66
54	Quinton Spain	TEN	13	16	17	13	7	66
55	Ted Larsen	CHI	15	15	16	13	7	66
56	A.J. Cann	JAX	16	14	17	12	7	66
57	Michael Schofield	DEN	14	15	14	15	7	65
58	Jonotthan Harrison	IND	13	15	18	12	7	65
59	John Jerry	NYG	15	16	16	11	7	65
60	Andy Levitre	ATL	13	16	16	13	7	65
61	D.J. Fluker	SD	14	15	16	13	7	65
62	Justin Pugh	NYG	14	16	13	14	7	64
63	Joe Thuney	NE	13	15	13	16	7	64
64	Joshua Garnett	SF	12	15	16	13	7	63
65	Kenny Wiggins	SD	14	13	14	14	7	62
66	Jeff Allen	HOU	12	15	16	11	7	61
67	Germain Ifedi	SEA	13	14	15	12	7	61

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Jeremiah Poutasi—injury
• Clint Boling—injury
• Brian Winters—injury
• Taylor Boggs—injury
• Jack Mewhort—injury
• John Greco—injury
• Kyle Long—injury
• Chris Reed—injury
• Joel Bitonio—injury
• Evan Mathis—injury
• Luke Joeckel—injury
• Oday Aboushi—inactive
• Andrus Peat—insufficient snaps
• Marshall Newhouse—insufficient snaps
• Brandon Fusco—injury
• Denver Kirkland—inactive
• Alvin Bailey—suspension
• La'el Collins—injury

Centers

Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

Ryan Groy has done an excellent job filling in for the injured Eric Wood. He is a nice fit in Buffalo's power scheme, where his strength at the point of attack is well-utilized.

Groy is free agent at the end of this season, and several teams will be interested based on what he has put on tape. He's largely scheme-dependent, but he could be a great value going forward with the right power-scheme team. 

Grading Scale:

Pass: Pass Protection (Graded out of 25)

Run: Run Blocking (Graded out of 25)

Power: Power (Graded out of 20)

Agl: Agility (Graded out of 20)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Center Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	Rodney Hudson	OAK	17	19	18	16	6	76
2	Ryan Groy	BUF	19	19	17	14	6	75
3	Weston Richburg	NYG	19	18	17	15	6	75
4	Max Unger	NO	19	17	16	16	6	74
5	A.Q. Shipley	ARI	19	17	15	16	6	73
6	Cody Whitehair	CHI	16	19	15	17	6	73
7	Matt Paradis	DEN	17	18	18	14	6	73
8	Travis Frederick	DAL	19	16	17	14	6	72
9	Ryan Kelly	IND	15	18	17	16	6	72
10	Brandon Linder	JAX	19	15	17	15	6	72
11	Justin Britt	SEA	18	15	17	16	6	72
12	Mitch Morse	KC	16	17	15	17	6	71
13	Maurkice Pouncey	PIT	17	16	17	15	6	71
14	Corey Linsley	GB	18	16	17	14	6	71
15	David Andrews	NE	18	17	17	13	6	71
16	Spencer Long	WAS	17	18	16	13	6	70
17	Jason Kelce	PHI	15	17	15	17	6	70
18	Jeremy Zuttah	BAL	18	15	17	13	6	69
19	Cameron Erving	CLE	16	17	14	16	6	69
20	Wesley Johnson	NYJ	18	15	16	14	6	69
21	Greg Mancz	HOU	15	17	16	15	6	69
22	Kraig Urbik	MIA	16	17	16	13	6	68
23	Alex Mack	ATL	15	17	15	15	6	68
24	Tyler Larsen	CAR	17	15	16	14	6	68
25	Ben Jones	TEN	18	14	14	15	6	67
26	Nick Easton	MIN	15	17	13	16	6	67
27	Matt Slauson	SD	16	15	15	14	6	66
28	Joe Hawley	TB	15	16	16	12	6	65
29	Zane Beadles	SF	17	12	15	15	6	65
30	Graham Glasgow	DET	11	17	16	14	6	64
31	Spencer Pulley	SD	15	13	16	14	6	64
32	Tim Barnes	LA	15	14	14	14	6	63
33	Russell Bodine	CIN	15	13	15	13	6	62

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• John Greco—injury
• Daniel Kilgore—injury
• Nick Mangold—injury
• Travis Swanson—injury
• Mike Pouncey—injury
• Ryan Kalil—injury
• Eric Wood—injury

3-4 Defensive Ends

Al Pereira/Getty Images

Sheldon Richardson of the Jets put together one of the better performances of the season, and not just for himself but for 3-4 defensive ends league-wide. Though it wasn't enough to make a difference in a 41-3 loss to New England, Richardson recorded eight total tackles on Christmas Eve.

Arizona's Calais Campbell, who might be the best 3-4 defensive end in the league, recovered a fumble to set up his team's first touchdown versus Seattle. San Diego's Joey Bosa, meanwhile, has recorded five sacks in the last four games.

After that, the usual names of rookie DeForest Buckner, Akiem Hicks, Mike Daniels, Emmanuel Ogbah, Muhammad Wilkerson and Chris Baker tie the bow for the top players this week. Also, Buffalo's Leger Douzable recorded his first pass deflection this season along with five tackles. 

Grading Scale

Snap: Snap Explosion (Graded out of 15)

Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)

Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 30)

Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

3-4 Defensive End Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Sheldon Richardson	NYJ	12	15	23	18	7	75
2	Calais Campbell	ARI	12	17	21	16	7	73
3	Joey Bosa	SD	14	17	20	15	7	73
4	Leger Douzable	BUF	12	14	22	16	7	71
5	DeForest Buckner	SF	11	17	22	14	7	71
6	Akiem Hicks	CHI	12	17	21	13	7	70
7	Mike Daniels	GB	12	17	20	14	7	70
8	Emmanuel Ogbah	CLE	13	13	21	15	7	69
9	Muhammad Wilkerson	NYJ	12	16	20	14	7	69
10	Chris L. Baker	WAS	11	17	21	13	7	69
11	Frostee Rucker	ARI	10	17	20	14	7	68
12	Robert Nkemdiche	ARI	11	16	20	14	7	68
13	Dean Lowry	GB	11	16	20	14	7	68
14	Ricky Jean-Francois	WAS	11	16	20	14	7	68
15	Carl Nassib	CLE	13	13	19	15	7	67
16	Jared Crick	DEN	12	14	20	14	7	67
17	Corey Liuget	SD	12	13	20	15	7	67
18	Jonathan Bullard	CHI	11	16	19	14	7	67
19	Cornelius Washington	CHI	10	16	20	14	7	67
20	Ronald Blair	SF	10	16	20	14	7	67
21	Quinton Dial	SF	10	16	21	13	7	67
22	Ziggy Hood	WAS	10	16	20	14	7	67
23	Chris Jones	KC	13	16	19	11	7	66
24	Mitch Unrein	CHI	10	15	20	14	7	66
25	Derek Wolfe	DEN	12	14	20	12	7	65
26	Henry Anderson	IND	11	13	21	13	7	65
27	LT Walton	PIT	11	12	20	14	7	64
28	Josh Mauro	ARI	9	15	19	14	7	64
29	Lawrence Guy	BAL	11	13	19	13	7	63
30	Jamie Meder	CLE	9	14	18	14	7	62
31	Christian Covington	HOU	9	12	21	13	7	62
32	Xavier Cooper	CLE	11	14	17	12	7	61
33	Antonio Smith	HOU	10	13	18	13	7	61
34	Ricardo Mathews	PIT	10	12	19	13	7	61
35	Mario Edwards	OAK	11	12	18	13	7	61
36	Adolphus Washington	BUF	11	13	17	12	7	60
37	Denico Autry	OAK	11	12	18	12	7	60
38	Brent Urban	BAL	10	12	17	13	7	59
39	Timmy Jernigan	BAL	10	12	17	12	7	58
40	Billy Winn	DEN	10	12	17	12	7	58
41	Joel Heath	HOU	9	12	18	12	7	58
42	Kendall Reyes	KC	10	12	17	12	7	58

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Karl Klug—inactive
• Stephon Tuitt—inactive
• Arik Armstead—injury

4-3 Defensive Ends

Eric Espada/Getty Images

Andre Branch graded out as our top 4-3 defensive end, and he earned it. While he didn't record a sack, he applied pressure and chased down Tyrod Taylor at critical points in the game. His tackling stood out, as Branch gave full effort and defended the run with a nice closing burst.

Some Jaguars fans may wonder why Dante Fowler Jr. didn't score higher after he recorded his first sack since the first quarter of the season. But most of those came on stunt and loops back inside, as Fowler wasn't always able to win around the arc at Florida. He's shown the same issues in Jacksonville.

Despite his first step, Fowler doesn't have the hand work and agility to turn the corner, but on stunts and inside moves, he can be an effective rusher. It's funny the Jags didn't use Fowler in these ways more until Gus Bradley was fired.

Grading Scale

Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)

Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 25)

Snap: Snap Explosion (Graded out of 20)

Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

4-3 Defensive End Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Snap	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Andre Branch	MIA	19	16	14	16	8	73
2	Danielle Hunter	MIN	20	13	16	16	8	73
3	Cameron Jordan	NO	21	13	16	15	8	73
4	Vic Beasley	ATL	21	13	16	14	8	72
5	Mario Addison	CAR	21	14	14	15	8	72
6	David Irving	DAL	21	14	16	13	8	72
7	William Hayes	LA	21	13	15	14	8	71
8	Cliff Avril	SEA	20	13	16	14	8	71
9	Adrian Clayborn	ATL	20	13	15	14	8	70
10	Kerry Hyder	DET	20	14	14	14	8	70
11	Ezekiel Ansah	DET	19	13	15	15	8	70
12	Brandon Graham	PHI	21	13	15	13	8	70
13	Michael Bennett	SEA	20	14	14	14	8	70
14	Frank Clark	SEA	20	13	16	13	8	70
15	Robert Ayers	TB	20	14	14	14	8	70
16	Carlos Dunlap	CIN	22	14	14	11	8	69
17	Cameron Wake	MIA	20	12	15	14	8	69
18	Khalil Mack	OAK	20	13	15	13	8	69
19	Benson Mayowa	DAL	19	13	15	14	8	69
20	Everson Griffen	MIN	19	13	16	13	8	69
21	Marcus Smith	PHI	19	14	14	14	8	69
22	Michael Johnson	CIN	19	14	13	14	8	68
23	Dante Fowler	JAX	21	13	14	12	8	68
24	Trey Flowers	NE	18	15	12	15	8	68
25	Wallace Gilberry	CIN	22	12	13	13	8	68
26	Dwight Freeney	ATL	19	13	14	14	8	68
27	Jack Crawford	DAL	19	13	14	14	8	68
28	Devin Taylor	DET	19	13	15	13	8	68
29	Ethan Westbrooks	LA	19	13	14	14	8	68
30	Brian Robison	MIN	19	13	14	14	8	68
31	Kasim Edebali	NO	19	13	14	14	8	68
32	Olivier Vernon	NYG	20	13	13	14	8	68
33	Vinny Curry	PHI	19	13	14	14	8	68
34	Cassius Marsh	SEA	19	13	14	14	8	68
35	Ryan Russell	TB	19	13	14	14	8	68
36	Jabaal Sheard	NE	20	13	13	13	8	67
37	Brooks Reed	ATL	19	13	14	13	8	67
38	Wes Horton	CAR	19	13	13	14	8	67
39	Anthony Zettel	DET	19	13	13	14	8	67
40	Eugene Sims	LA	19	13	13	14	8	67
41	Morgan Fox	LA	19	13	13	14	8	67
42	Noah Spence	TB	19	12	14	14	8	67
43	Will Clarke	CIN	19	13	13	13	8	66
44	Yannick Ngakoue	JAX	19	13	14	12	8	66
45	Kony Ealy	CAR	18	13	13	14	8	66
46	Charles Johnson	CAR	18	12	14	14	8	66
47	Darryl Tapp	NO	19	13	13	13	8	66
48	Romeo Okwara	NYG	19	12	14	13	8	66
49	Connor Barwin	PHI	18	13	13	14	8	66
50	DaVonte Lambert	TB	18	13	14	13	8	66
51	Margus Hunt	CIN	19	15	12	11	8	65
52	Paul Kruger	NO	18	13	13	13	8	65
53	Tyson Alualu	JAX	17	15	11	13	8	64
54	Jason Jones	MIA	18	13	12	13	8	64
55	Randy Gregory	DAL	18	11	15	12	8	64
56	Chris Long	NE	19	12	12	12	8	63
57	Mario Williams	MIA	16	12	10	11	8	57

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Jared Odrick—inactive
• Jason Pierre-Paul—injury
• Robert Quinn—injury

Defensive Tackles

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

San Diego's Damion Square had his best game of the season against the Cleveland Browns. Many defensive linemen have had great performances against the Browns, and Square continued that trend. He showed off fabulous technique, awareness and a nose for the ball for a dominant performance in Saturday's loss.  

The Colts defensive line didn't fare as well against the Raiders. The Raiders offensive line stampeded right over it, as Rodney Hudson, Gabe Jackson and Kelechi Osemele delivered pancake after pancake.

The Colts desperately need to use this offseason to find some bullies for their front seven. No one is intimidating outside of rookie linebacker Antonio Morrison, who has his own athletic limitations as a player. Hassan Ridgeway has had his moments this year, but Indianapolis needs to upgrade David Parry and Zach Kerr.

New Orleans is forming a dangerous defensive tackle duo with Nick Fairley and rookie Sheldon Rankins. Rankins is still developing consistency as a pass-rusher, but he's already a force against the run. Even with his inconsistencies rushing the passer, he racked up his fourth sack in eight games since returning from injury.

Everyone knows how talented Fairley is and that, when the switch is on, he's easily a top-10 defensive tackle.

Grading Scale

Snap: Snap Explosion (Graded out of 25)

Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)

Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 25)

Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 15)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Defensive Tackle Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Aaron Donald	LA	20	19	20	14	7	80
2	Geno Atkins	CIN	19	19	20	13	7	78
3	Ndamukong Suh	MIA	19	18	19	14	7	77
4	Damion Square	SD	17	19	20	13	7	76
5	Fletcher Cox	PHI	18	17	19	12	7	73
6	Kawann Short	CAR	18	18	17	12	7	72
7	Grady Jarrett	ATL	18	16	18	12	7	71
8	Sheldon Rankins	NO	16	17	18	13	7	71
9	Malcom Brown	NE	17	16	18	12	7	70
10	Damon Harrison	NYG	17	15	19	12	7	70
11	Javon Hargrave	PIT	17	15	19	12	7	70
12	Maliek Collins	DAL	16	17	16	12	7	68
13	Malik Jackson	JAX	16	17	17	11	7	68
14	Dontari Poe	KC	16	15	18	12	7	68
15	Gerald McCoy	TB	18	16	16	11	7	68
16	Kenny Clark	GB	16	15	18	11	7	67
17	Nick Fairley	NO	19	15	15	11	7	67
18	Corey Peters	ARI	16	14	17	12	7	66
19	Courtney Upshaw	ATL	16	15	17	11	7	66
20	D.J. Reader	HOU	16	13	19	11	7	66
21	Sheldon Day	JAX	18	17	14	10	7	66
22	Darius Latham	OAK	16	15	17	11	7	66
23	Michael Brockers	LA	15	15	16	12	7	65
24	Dominique Easley	LA	17	16	15	10	7	65
25	Vincent Valentine	NE	16	14	17	11	7	65
26	Jarran Reed	SEA	16	14	17	11	7	65
27	Ra'Shede Hageman	ATL	16	15	15	11	7	64
28	Johnathan Hankins	NYG	16	14	16	11	7	64
29	Leonard Williams	NYJ	17	16	14	10	7	64
30	Tony McDaniel	SEA	15	16	16	10	7	64
31	Marcell Dareus	BUF	16	14	15	11	7	63
32	Star Lotulelei	CAR	15	14	16	11	7	63
33	Sylvester Williams	DEN	14	15	17	10	7	63
34	Vince Wilfork	HOU	15	11	18	12	7	63
35	Abry Jones	JAX	14	13	18	11	7	63
36	Rakeem Nunez-Roches	KC	16	13	16	11	7	63
37	Linval Joseph	MIN	16	13	16	11	7	63
38	Alan Branch	NE	14	15	17	10	7	63
39	Rodney Gunter	ARI	13	14	17	11	7	62
40	Terrell McClain	DAL	14	15	16	10	7	62
41	Sen'Derrick Marks	JAX	17	14	14	10	7	62
42	Earl Mitchell	MIA	16	15	14	10	7	62
43	Ahtyba Rubin	SEA	15	13	15	12	7	62
44	Mike Purcell	SF	15	14	16	10	7	62
45	Domata Peko	CIN	14	11	18	11	7	61
46	Danny Shelton	CLE	14	13	16	11	7	61
47	Cullen Jenkins	WAS	13	14	16	11	7	61
48	Tyson Jackson	ATL	13	13	17	10	7	60
49	Kyle Williams	BUF	15	13	15	10	7	60
50	Deshawn Williams	CIN	15	13	15	10	7	60
51	Tom Johnson	MIN	16	14	13	10	7	60
52	Justin Ellis	OAK	14	13	15	11	7	60
53	Bennie Logan	PHI	14	13	15	11	7	60
54	Akeem Spence	TB	15	13	15	10	7	60
55	Tyeler Davison	NO	13	13	16	10	7	59
56	Deon Simon	NYJ	14	15	13	10	7	59
57	Dan Williams	OAK	13	15	14	10	7	59
58	Destiny Vaeao	PHI	14	13	15	10	7	59
59	Jonathan Babineaux	ATL	14	13	14	10	7	58
60	Vernon Butler	CAR	14	13	14	10	7	58
61	David Onyemata	NO	14	13	14	10	7	58
62	Jay Bromley	NYG	14	13	14	10	7	58
63	Beau Allen	PHI	13	14	14	10	7	58
64	Al Woods	TEN	14	13	13	11	7	58
65	Brandon Williams	BAL	14	13	13	10	7	57
66	Haloti Ngata	DET	13	15	12	10	7	57
67	Letroy Guion	GB	14	13	13	10	7	57
68	T.J. Barnes	KC	14	13	13	10	7	57
69	Austin Johnson	TEN	14	12	14	10	7	57
70	Michael Pierce	BAL	13	12	14	10	7	56
71	Paul Soliai	CAR	12	12	15	10	7	56
72	Pat Sims	CIN	12	10	17	10	7	56
73	Tyrunn Walker	DET	13	14	13	9	7	56
74	Hassan Ridgeway	IND	16	12	11	10	7	56
75	Cam Thomas	LA	13	12	13	11	7	56
76	Jordan Phillips	MIA	13	12	13	10	7	55
77	Daniel McCullers	PIT	13	12	14	9	7	55
78	Clinton McDonald	TB	13	12	13	10	7	55
79	Shamar Stephens	MIN	13	12	12	10	7	54
80	A'Shawn Robinson	DET	12	12	11	10	7	52
81	Zach Kerr	IND	14	11	11	9	7	52
82	Nick Williams	MIA	13	12	10	9	7	51
83	T.Y McGill	IND	13	10	10	10	7	50
84	Jihad Ward	OAK	12	10	11	9	7	49
85	David Parry	IND	12	9	10	9	7	47

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Steve McLendon—injury
• Stacy McGee—injury
• Kyle Love—inactive
• Stephen Paea—inactive
• Glenn Dorsey—inactive

3-4 Outside Linebackers

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews picked a good week to produce the best game of his 2016 season. Finally able to shake off a nagging shoulder injury, Matthews produced a strip-sack, two quarterback hits, three hurries and two batted passes in the Packers' victory over the Vikings at Lambeau Field. He finished with the top overall grade at the position for Week 16. 

The Texans defense largely powered Houston's division-clinching win over the Bengals on Saturday, with Jadeveon Clowney and Whitney Mercilus leading the way on the edges. Both were disruptive against the pass and the run, and the Texans held quarterback Andy Dalton and the Bengals to just 10 points. The pair finished at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, this week.

Other standouts in Week 16 include Kansas City's Dee Ford, who terrorized the Broncos with three quarterback hits and five hurries, and Arizona's Chandler Jones, who produced 1.5 sacks against Russell Wilson.

The Ravens suffered through the worst of the week at 3-4 outside linebacker. In a loss to the Steelers that ended its playoff hopes, Baltimore got next to nothing from Terrell Suggs, Elvis Dumervil, Matt Judon, Za'Darius Smith and Albert McClellan—all of whom finished in the bottom half at the position for the week.

Grading Scale

Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 25)

Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 25)

Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 15)

Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 25)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

3-4 Outside Linebacker Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Cvg	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Clay Matthews	GB	26	14	12	20	8	80
2	Jadeveon Clowney	HOU	24	17	9	20	8	78
3	Whitney Mercilus	HOU	26	14	10	19	8	77
4	Dee Ford	KC	26	13	9	19	8	75
5	Chandler Jones	ARI	25	13	9	19	8	74
6	Jamie Collins	CLE	20	14	10	22	8	74
7	Preston Smith	WAS	27	10	10	18	8	73
8	Melvin Ingram	SD	25	12	10	18	8	73
9	James Harrison	PIT	20	13	11	21	8	73
10	Von Miller	DEN	19	14	9	22	8	72
11	Bud Dupree	PIT	22	12	10	19	8	71
12	Datone Jones	GB	20	15	10	18	8	71
13	Markus Golden	ARI	24	12	9	17	8	70
14	Lorenzo Alexander	BUF	20	13	10	19	8	70
15	Brian Orakpo	TEN	22	12	8	20	8	70
16	Nick Perry	GB	22	12	9	18	8	69
17	Derrick Morgan	TEN	21	13	9	18	8	69
18	Kyle Emanuel	SD	19	12	10	19	8	68
19	Ahmad Brooks	SF	19	13	10	18	8	68
20	Pernell McPhee	CHI	19	13	9	18	8	67
21	Shane Ray	DEN	19	13	9	18	8	67
22	Shaquil Barrett	DEN	18	12	10	19	8	67
23	Julius Peppers	GB	19	12	9	19	8	67
24	Trent Cole	IND	21	10	9	19	8	67
25	Aaron Wallace	TEN	19	13	9	18	8	67
26	Eli Harold	SF	21	12	9	17	8	67
27	Trent Murphy	WAS	20	12	10	16	8	66
28	John Simon	HOU	19	13	9	17	8	66
29	DeMarcus Ware	DEN	20	12	8	18	8	66
30	Alex Okafor	ARI	19	12	9	17	8	65
31	Jerry Hughes	BUF	20	11	9	17	8	65
32	Tamba Hali	KC	20	11	9	17	8	65
33	Cam Johnson	CLE	20	10	9	18	8	65
34	Willie Young	CHI	19	12	9	17	8	65
35	Chris Landrum	SD	18	13	9	17	8	65
36	Ryan Kerrigan	WAS	20	11	9	16	8	64
37	Frank Zombo	KC	17	13	8	18	8	64
38	Matt Judon	BAL	19	11	9	16	8	63
39	Akeem Ayers	IND	17	11	10	17	8	63
40	Erik Walden	IND	18	11	9	17	8	63
41	Elvis Dumervil	BAL	19	10	9	16	8	62
42	Aaron Lynch	SF	19	10	9	16	8	62
43	Leonard Floyd	CHI	18	11	9	16	8	62
44	Sam Acho	CHI	17	12	10	15	8	62
45	Shaq Lawson	BUF	19	10	9	15	8	61
46	Terrell Suggs	BAL	17	11	9	16	8	61
47	Za'Darius Smith	BAL	17	11	9	16	8	61
48	Robert Mathis	IND	19	10	9	15	8	61
49	Kyler Fackrell	GB	17	11	9	16	8	61
50	Dadi Nicolas	KC	18	10	9	16	8	61
51	Albert McClellan	BAL	17	11	7	17	8	60

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Jayrone Elliott—injury
• Justin Houston—injury
• David Bass—injury
• Tank Carradine—inactive
• Jarvis Jones—insufficient snaps
• Anthony Chickillo—insufficient snaps
• Arthur Moats—insufficient snaps
• Kevin Dodd—insufficient snaps

4-3 Outside Linebackers

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

The NFL season is coming to a close, and most of the teams have been eliminated from the playoffs. Elimination did not stop some of the league's best linebackers from playing their hearts out, though.

Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham is once again atop the rankings. In the Eagles' win over the Giants, he was a major defensive factor. He was a stud in the running game. Though he did not make any highlight plays as a run defender, Bradham was always playing his assignment correctly and was plugging up running lanes before they could fully develop.

As a pass defender, Bradham did a good job of locking down his assignments and flowing around the field smoothly in zone coverage. His presence constantly deterred Giants quarterback Eli Manning. 

Shaq Thompson of the Panthers and Vincent Rey of the Bengals had surprisingly impressive weeks. Normally, they hover around the "average" range, but by playing fast, confident football and making sure to finish tackles, both of them made this week's top five.

Rey is an older veteran (29), so this type of performance is likely more of an outlier than anything else, but this could be shades of what is to come for Thompson. The 22-year-old is athletic linebacker with boatloads of potential. This week was one of his best of the season, and hopefully, he can build on it in 2017.

Grading Scale

Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 25)

Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 25)

Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 15)

Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 25)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

4-3 Outside Linebacker Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Nigel Bradham	PHI	20	22	7	20	6	75
2	Sean Lee	DAL	19	19	7	20	6	71
3	Shaq Thompson	CAR	18	19	7	20	6	70
4	Vincent Rey	CIN	20	18	7	19	6	70
5	K.J. Wright	SEA	19	19	7	19	6	70
6	Telvin Smith	JAX	16	19	7	21	6	69
7	Thomas Davis	CAR	14	21	7	20	6	68
8	Dannell Ellerbe	NO	16	18	7	20	6	67
9	Shea McClellin	NE	16	17	10	18	6	67
10	Darron Lee	NYJ	16	18	8	19	6	67
11	Karlos Dansby	CIN	16	18	7	19	6	66
12	Mark Barron	LA	18	18	7	17	6	66
13	Anthony Barr	MIN	17	16	9	18	6	66
14	Devon Kennard	NYG	16	18	7	19	6	66
15	Bruce Irvin	OAK	15	18	10	17	6	66
16	Lavonte David	TB	18	17	7	18	6	66
17	Jordan Jenkins	NYJ	16	17	9	17	6	65
18	Mychal Kendricks	PHI	16	18	7	18	6	65
19	Myles Jack	JAX	18	17	7	16	6	64
20	Philip Wheeler	ATL	16	17	8	17	6	64
21	Jonathan Casillas	NYG	15	17	7	19	6	64
22	Keenan Robinson	NYG	17	16	7	18	6	64
23	Damien Wilson	DAL	16	16	7	17	6	62
24	DeAndre Levy	DET	17	15	7	17	6	62
25	Chad Greenway	MIN	16	16	7	17	6	62
26	Rob Ninkovich	NE	15	17	8	16	6	62
27	Michael Morgan	SEA	16	16	7	17	6	62
28	Spencer Paysinger	MIA	15	16	7	17	6	61
29	Neville Hewitt	MIA	16	16	7	16	6	61
30	Josh Bynes	DET	15	15	7	17	6	60
31	Cory Littleton	LA	15	16	7	16	6	60
32	Craig Robertson	NO	14	16	7	17	6	60
33	Freddie Bishop	NYJ	15	16	8	15	6	60
34	Daryl Smith	TB	14	14	7	17	6	58
35	Donald Butler	MIA	15	12	7	17	6	57
36	Malcolm Smith	OAK	14	14	7	16	6	57
37	Kyle Van Noy	NE	14	14	7	15	6	56
38	Paul Worrilow	ATL	15	13	7	14	6	55

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• De'Vondre Campbell—injury
• Vontaze Burfict—injury
• Jaylon Smith—injury
• Josh Forrest—injury
• Stephone Anthony—injury
• Sean Weatherspoon—insufficient snaps
• Justin Durant—insufficient snaps
• Kyle Wilber—insufficient snaps
• Andrew Gachkar—insufficient snaps
• Antwione Williams—insufficient snaps
• Thurston Armbrister—insufficient snaps
• Zaviar Gooden—insufficient snaps
• Dan Skuta—insufficient snaps
• Arthur Brown—insufficient snaps
• Koa Misi—insufficient snaps
• Jelani Jenkins—insufficient snaps
• Jonathan Freeny—insufficient snaps
• Michael Mauti—insufficient snaps
• Mike Catapano—insufficient snaps

Inside Linebackers

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

A week after playing his worst game of the season and earning one of the lowest grades at the position, Minnesota Vikings inside linebacker Eric Kendricks is the top-graded man inside for Week 16. With two-and-a-half sacks and 11 combined tackles, Kendricks made his presence felt against one of the hottest offenses in the league in Green Bay. 

Kendricks' ability to beat the interior of the Packers offensive line is tied directly to his athleticism. He didn't show any elite pass-rushing moves, but he relied on hustle and effort to disrupt Aaron Rodgers in the pocket.

The Vikings' season has been one of disappointment, but Kendricks is in the top tier of inside linebackers throughout the league. On his good days, he makes a case to be just behind Panthers stud Luke Kuechly.

Paul Posluszny might be one of the most underrated players in the league. He's in his 10th year—his first four were with the Bills, the last six with the Jaguars—and it seems all he's done is make plays.

He'll likely never get the recognition he deserves because he's in Jacksonville, but he's one of the remaining run-thumping linebackers who can hold his own in coverage. He'll quietly stack up over 100 tackles a year and is the veteran presence the Jaguars need on their defense.

With only a week remaining in the regular season and most of the playoff spots having been secured, next week's rankings could look significantly different if teams rest their starters for the playoff run in January.

Grading Scale

Pass: Pass Defense (Graded out of 25)

Run: Run Defense (Graded out of 35)

Rush: Pass Rush (Graded out of 15)

Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 15)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Inside Linebacker Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Eric Kendricks	MIN	20	26	13	12	6	77
2	Paul Posluszny	JAX	18	28	10	12	6	74
3	Deion Jones	ATL	20	27	10	11	6	74
4	Kwon Alexander	TB	20	28	10	8	6	72
5	Sio Moore	ARI	17	28	10	11	6	72
6	Benardrick McKinney	HOU	16	28	10	11	6	71
7	Edwin Jackson	IND	17	27	10	11	6	71
8	Jerrell Freeman	CHI	19	25	10	11	6	71
9	Jordan Hicks	PHI	20	25	9	10	6	70
10	Brian Cushing	HOU	17	26	10	11	6	70
11	Avery Williamson	TEN	18	26	9	11	6	70
12	Jake Ryan	GB	17	26	10	11	6	70
13	Todd Davis	DEN	16	26	10	11	6	69
14	Denzel Perryman	SD	17	25	11	10	6	69
15	Bobby Wagner	SEA	16	25	11	11	6	69
16	Kevin Minter	ARI	17	25	10	11	6	69
17	Anthony Hitchens	DAL	16	26	9	11	6	68
18	Jatavis Brown	SD	17	24	11	10	6	68
19	Joe Thomas	GB	18	24	10	10	6	68
20	Gerald Hodges	SF	17	27	9	9	6	68
21	Antonio Morrison	IND	16	25	10	10	6	67
22	C.J. Mosley	BAL	18	25	9	9	6	67
23	Chris Kirksey	CLE	15	25	10	11	6	67
24	Elandon Roberts	NE	17	25	9	10	6	67
25	Perry Riley Jr.	OAK	17	24	9	10	6	66
26	Nick Vigil	CIN	18	22	10	10	6	66
27	Lawrence Timmons	PIT	16	24	10	10	6	66
28	Will Compton	WAS	17	23	10	10	6	66
29	Rey Maualuga	CIN	17	23	9	11	6	66
30	Michael Wilhoite	SF	16	25	8	10	6	65
31	Wesley Woodyard	TEN	16	24	10	9	6	65
32	Ramik Wilson	KC	18	21	10	10	6	65
33	Blake Martinez	GB	17	23	9	10	6	65
34	Zach Orr	BAL	16	24	9	9	6	64
35	Corey Nelson	DEN	15	23	10	10	6	64
36	Kelvin Sheppard	NYG	15	23	10	10	6	64
37	Sean Spence	TEN	15	21	11	10	6	63
38	Mason Foster	WAS	15	22	9	11	6	63
39	Nathan Stupar	NO	15	22	10	10	6	63
40	A.J. Klein	CAR	15	21	10	11	6	63
41	Ryan Shazier	PIT	15	24	10	7	6	62
42	Nick Kwiatkoski	CHI	14	23	9	10	6	62
43	Kiko Alonso	MIA	17	20	10	9	6	62
44	Martrell Spaight	WAS	16	20	9	10	6	61
45	Preston Brown	BUF	16	21	9	8	6	60
46	Demario Davis	CLE	13	21	10	10	6	60
47	Tahir Whitehead	DET	15	21	9	9	6	60
48	Zach Brown	BUF	13	21	9	10	6	59
49	David Harris	NYJ	12	20	11	10	6	59
50	Alec Ogletree	LA	14	19	10	8	6	57

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Deone Bucannon—injury
• Luke Kuechly—injury
• Danny Trevathan—injury
• Brandon M. Marshall—injury
• Derrick O. Johnson—injury
• Dont'a Hightower—injury
• Nick Bellore—injury
• Su'a Cravens—injury
• D'Qwell Jackson—suspension
• John Timu—insufficient snaps
• Zaire Anderson—insufficient snaps
• Max Bullough—insufficient snaps
• Mike Hull—insufficient snaps
• Korey Toomer—insufficient snaps

Cornerbacks

Rob Foldy/Getty Images

The second-to-last week of the regular season resulted in a unique group of cornerbacks with the highest grades. Stars such as Jacksonville's Jalen Ramsey and Seattle's Richard Sherman have become consistent names near the top of the position grades, but others are making some noise. Atlanta's Robert Alford, Cleveland's Tramon Williams and San Francisco's Rashard Robinson are newcomers to their respective places in the NFL1000 this season. 

In their NFC South-clinching game against the Carolina Panthers, the Atlanta Falcons shut down quarterback Cam Newton to one of his worst passing games in years (18-of-43).

Alford was a major part of that, allowing just two completions on six targets and breaking up two passes. The 28-year-old is one of the better No. 2 corners in the league, boasting great closing speed and the ability to switch between press-man and off coverage. Alford signed a contract extension recently, which was well-earned. He's played at a high level since the Falcons named him a starter.

It's hard to imagine why the Eagles let go of Patriots corner Eric Rowe. It's understandable a team would want to get rid of its former coach's draft picks, but talent at a premier position is hard to come by.

This week, Rowe gave up only one catch in five targets and had an interception. He was tremendous and will be a vital part for New England heading into the playoffs.

His counterpart was even more impressive. Malcolm Butler was only targeted once, and he picked that pass off. He also had an interception off a deflection. Butler is so good in zone coverage, where he can bait the quarterback. In press, he's physical and can disrupt routes. It'll be interesting to see if he shadows receivers in the playoffs.

Veteran Adam Jones is usually about as even keel as it gets. Saturday night against the Texans, not so much. The Bengals corner was flagged for three penalties. He also gave up five catches on seven targets for 52 yards. He surrendered two first downs and missed a big tackle on a third down that turned into a first down.

The light bulb has come on for the rookie out of Jacksonville. Ramsey, this week's highest-graded corner, had a fantastic game that could’ve been even better had he not dropped two interceptions. He gave up two catches on eight targets and had an interception where he broke on the ball nicely and took it back for a touchdown.

He finished with four passes defensed. He showed off his physicality on one, jarring the ball loose on a big hit. In a down year for the Jaguars (3-12), Ramsey seems like a gem for the team.

The Bills' Stephon Gilmore is scheduled to be a free agent and will likely demand a lot of money on the market. His counterpart, Ronald Darby, had a strong performance last Saturday. He surrendered four catches on 10 targets and also had two pass breakups. The speedy Darby (4.38 40-yard dash) can recover with the best of them. His issue is staying healthy.

Grading Scale

Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 30)

React: Reaction/Recovery (Graded out of 30)

Slot: Slot (Graded out of 20)

Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 10)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Cornerback Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	React	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Jalen Ramsey	JAX	25	23	16	6	9	79
2	Richard Sherman	SEA	22	23	19	6	9	79
3	Robert Alford	ATL	22	22	18	6	9	77
4	Tramon Williams	CLE	22	20	17	7	9	75
5	Malcolm Butler	NE	23	22	16	5	9	75
6	Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie	NYG	21	22	18	5	9	75
7	Chris Harris Jr.	DEN	22	21	16	5	9	73
8	Ronald Darby	BUF	21	21	16	5	9	72
9	Brandon Carr	DAL	19	20	18	6	9	72
10	Marcus Peters	KC	21	20	16	6	9	72
11	Rashard Robinson	SF	20	19	18	6	9	72
12	AJ Bouye	HOU	20	22	15	5	9	71
13	Johnathan Joseph	HOU	21	21	15	5	9	71
14	Trumaine Johnson	LA	19	19	18	6	9	71
15	Eric Rowe	NE	21	21	15	5	9	71
16	Justin Burris	NYJ	21	20	16	5	9	71
17	Terrance Mitchell	KC	19	20	16	6	9	70
18	Tony Lippett	MIA	19	21	16	5	9	70
19	LeShaun Sims	TEN	21	20	15	5	9	70
20	Micah Hyde	GB	18	19	17	6	9	69
21	Kareem Jackson	HOU	19	19	16	6	9	69
22	Logan Ryan	NE	20	19	16	5	9	69
23	Eli Apple	NYG	19	17	18	6	9	69
24	Buster Skrine	NYJ	19	20	16	5	9	69
25	Josh Norman	WAS	17	19	18	6	9	69
26	Jamar Taylor	CLE	18	18	16	7	9	68
27	Orlando Scandrick	DAL	18	17	18	6	9	68
28	Aqib Talib	DEN	20	19	15	5	9	68
29	Nolan Carroll	PHI	18	19	17	5	9	68
30	Jalen Collins	ATL	17	19	16	6	9	67
31	Tavon Young	BAL	18	19	16	5	9	67
32	Damarious Randall	GB	19	17	17	5	9	67
33	Bashaud Breeland	WAS	18	18	17	5	9	67
34	Bryce Callahan	CHI	17	16	18	6	9	66
35	Xavier Rhodes	MIN	16	18	17	6	9	66
36	Justin Bethel	ARI	16	16	18	6	9	65
37	Keyvon Semour	BUF	17	17	16	6	9	65
38	William Gay	PIT	17	17	16	6	9	65
39	Keith Reaser	SF	16	17	18	5	9	65
40	Brian Poole	ATL	16	16	18	5	9	64
41	James Bradberry	CAR	16	17	16	6	9	64
42	Darrelle Revis	NYJ	18	17	15	5	9	64
43	Artie Burns	PIT	18	16	15	6	9	64
44	Casey Hayward	SD	18	17	15	5	9	64
45	DeShawn Shead	SEA	16	17	16	6	9	64
46	Tramaine Brock	SF	18	16	16	5	9	64
47	Joe Haden	CLE	17	16	16	5	9	63
48	Bradley Roby	DEN	17	17	15	5	9	63
49	Darryl Morris	IND	17	16	16	5	9	63
50	Kalen Reed	TEN	15	14	15	5	9	63
51	Stephon Gilmore	BUF	17	18	14	4	9	62
52	Dre Kirkpatrick	CIN	17	16	15	5	9	62
53	Steven Nelson	KC	17	16	15	5	9	62
54	Patrick Peterson	ARI	16	17	14	6	9	62
55	Trevin Wade	NYG	16	15	17	5	9	62
56	Daryl Worley	CAR	15	16	15	6	9	61
57	Bobby McCain	MIA	16	15	16	5	9	61
58	B.W. Webb	NO	16	15	16	5	9	61
59	Ross Cockrell	PIT	16	16	15	5	9	61
60	Brice McCain	TEN	17	15	15	5	9	61
61	Nickell Robey-Coleman	BUF	16	15	15	5	9	60
62	Blake Countess	LA	15	14	17	5	9	60
63	David Amerson	OAK	16	15	15	5	9	60
64	Trevor Williams	SD	16	15	15	5	9	60
65	Brent Grimes	TB	15	16	16	4	9	60
66	Josh Shaw	CIN	15	15	15	5	9	59
67	Johnthan Banks	CHI	15	14	15	5	9	58
68	Trovon Reed	SD	15	15	14	5	9	58
69	Javien Elliott	TB	15	14	15	5	9	58
70	Kendall Fuller	WAS	14	15	15	5	9	58
71	Leonard Johnson	CAR	14	14	15	5	9	57
72	Briean Boddy-Calhoun	CLE	15	14	14	5	9	57
73	Vontae Davis	IND	15	14	14	5	9	57
74	Terence Newman	MIN	14	14	15	5	9	57
75	Nevin Lawson	DET	13	15	14	5	9	56
76	Leodis McKelvin	PHI	14	15	14	4	9	56
77	Vernon Hargreaves	TB	14	13	14	6	9	56
78	Xavien Howard	MIA	14	13	14	5	9	55
79	Trae Waynes	MIN	13	14	14	5	9	55
80	Sean Smith	OAK	14	13	14	5	9	55
81	Jerraud Powers	BAL	14	13	14	4	9	54
82	Adam Jones	CIN	14	13	14	4	9	54
83	Quinten Rollins	GB	13	14	13	5	9	54
84	Rashaan Melvin	IND	13	13	14	5	9	54
85	Prince Amukamara	JAX	14	12	14	5	9	54
86	Ken Crawley	NO	14	13	13	5	9	54
87	TJ Carrie	OAK	13	13	13	6	9	54
88	Shareece Wright	BAL	13	12	14	5	9	53
89	Ladarius Gunter	GB	12	13	13	6	9	53
90	Tracy Porter	CHI	13	12	13	4	9	51
91	EJ Gaines	LA	13	12	12	5	9	51
92	Jeremy Lane	SEA	12	12	13	5	9	51
93	Brandon Williams	ARI	12	11	13	5	9	50
94	Johnson Bademosi	DET	12	11	13	5	9	50
95	Captain Munnerlyn	MIN	12	12	12	5	9	50
96	Jalen Mills	PHI	13	12	11	5	9	50
97	Antwon Blake	TEN	11	12	13	5	9	50
98	Greg Toler	WAS	11	12	12	5	9	49
99	Sterling Moore	NO	11	12	11	4	9	47
100	Asa Jackson	DET	11	10	10	5	9	45

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Aaron Colvin—injury
• Jason McCourty—injury
• Darly Roberts—injury
• Desmond Trufant—injury
• Janoris Jenkins—injury
• Morris Claiborne—injury
• Jason Verrett—injury
• Brandon Flowers—injury
• Craig Mager—injury
• Anthony Brown—injury
• Darius Slay—injury
• DJ Hayden—injury
• Patrick Robinson—injury
• Jimmy Smith—injury
• Frankie Williams—insufficient snaps
• Darqueze Dennard—insufficient snaps

Free Safeties

Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Saints safety Jairus Byrd had his best performance of the season against the Buccaneers. He spent most of the game as the single deep safety and was a consistent safety blanket for the rest of the defense, staying on top of anything deep. He had two interceptions, both in the second half.

On the first, Byrd worked from the middle of the field to the sideline to stay on top of a deep shot to Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans. Tampa Bay signal-caller Jameis Winston overthrew the ball, and Byrd did a good job of adjusting his angle to make the interception.

His second interception was an impressive play. He was in the middle of the field again, staying on top of routes as he read a receiver from the outside breaking in on a dig route. Byrd jumped the route before he even looked back inside, knowing that was where the ball was going. He secured the interception as he arrived in front of the receiver to make the play. 

Darian Stewart had played well this season and earned the contract extension the Broncos gave him at the end of November. However, he's failed to live up to that contract since signing it.

This week, Stewart was near bottom of the list of free safeties for overall grade. Without T.J. Ward, Stewart played closer to the line of scrimmage, which doesn't suit his game. On Tyreek Hill's 70-yard touchdown, Stewart attempted to set the edge and force the run back inside. But Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce ran him over and cleared the path for Hill to get to the edge.

On the next series, Steward was isolated outside against Kelce in man coverage. The Chiefs ran a screen to Kelce, who took a few steps up the field to get Stewart into his backpedal before breaking back down to receive the screen pass. That was enough to get Stewart out of position and allow for a blocker to work outside and pin Stewart to the sideline as Kelce ran past on his way to a 80-yard touchdown.

Grading Scale

Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 30)

Rec: Recovery (Graded out of 30)

Slot: Slot/LB (Graded out of 10)

Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Free Safety Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Jairus Byrd	NO	25	25	6	16	8	80
2	Ron Parker	KC	24	23	6	16	8	77
3	Mike Mitchell	PIT	24	23	6	15	8	76
4	Devin McCourty	NE	23	23	6	15	8	75
5	Ricardo Allen	ATL	23	21	6	16	8	74
6	Byron Jones	DAL	22	23	6	15	8	74
7	Reggie Nelson	OAK	23	23	5	15	8	74
8	Lardarius Webb	BAL	24	22	5	14	8	73
9	Tre Boston	CAR	24	23	4	14	8	73
10	George Iloka	CIN	23	22	5	15	8	73
11	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	GB	23	21	6	15	8	73
12	Corey Graham	BUF	21	22	6	15	8	72
13	Kentrell Brice	GB	22	21	5	16	8	72
14	Darius Butler	IND	22	22	5	15	8	72
15	Tashaun Gipson	JAX	23	22	4	15	8	72
16	Harrison Smith	MIN	22	22	5	15	8	72
17	Rodney McLeod	PHI	22	22	5	15	8	72
18	Dwight Lowery	SD	22	21	6	15	8	72
19	Justin Simmons	DEN	21	22	6	14	8	71
20	Bradley McDougald	TB	22	21	5	15	8	71
21	Rashad Johnson	TEN	21	20	6	16	8	71
22	Duron Harmon	NE	20	21	5	16	8	70
23	Harlan Miller	ARI	21	22	4	14	8	69
24	Ed Reynolds	CLE	21	20	6	14	8	69
25	Antoine Bethea	SF	20	20	5	16	8	69
26	Kevin Byard	TEN	20	19	6	16	8	69
27	Will Blackmon	WAS	22	20	4	15	8	69
28	Jeff Heath	DAL	20	21	4	15	8	68
29	Andre Hal	HOU	21	20	4	15	8	68
30	Michael Thomas	MIA	20	20	5	15	8	68
31	Steven Terrell	SEA	20	21	4	15	8	68
32	Deshazor Everett	WAS	20	21	4	15	8	68
33	Adrian Amos	CHI	20	20	4	15	8	67
34	Cody Davis	LA	21	19	4	15	8	67
35	Isa Abdul-Quddus	MIA	19	20	5	15	8	67
36	Vonn Bell	NO	19	20	5	15	8	67
37	Leon Hall	NYG	19	20	5	15	8	67
38	Glover Quin	DET	19	20	4	15	8	66
39	Doug Middleton	NYJ	19	18	6	15	8	66
40	Corey Moore	HOU	19	19	4	15	8	65
41	Darian Stewart	DEN	18	19	5	14	8	64
42	Andrew Adams	NYG	19	19	4	14	8	64
43	T.J. Green	IND	19	18	4	13	8	62

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Maurice Alexander—inactive
• Nat Berhe—inactive
• Ibraheim Campbell—insufficient snaps

Strong Safeties

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

Injuries in the Eagles secondary have forced Malcolm Jenkins to play more in the slot than the strong safety position recently. He had excelled earlier in the season at safety but had struggled at times in the slot.

But against the Giants, Jenkins reverted back to his role at safety and had a fantastic outing. One of his interceptions did come from the slot, though. The Eagles ran a pattern-matching scheme, and Jenkins passed the slot receiver off to another defender inside before working back deeper to a tight end dig route. He undercut the route, jumping the throw and getting the interception, which he took all the way back for a touchdown.

His second interception came in the fourth quarter. Jenkins had a deep half of the field in zone coverage and stayed over the top of a go route from Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard down the sideline. He read the throw the whole way, breaking down on the route and nabbing the interception in front of Shepard.

The Jets couldn't find a role in which safety Calvin Pryor didn't struggle this week. They tried to use him as part of their blitz packages, but he was often ineffective. In the first quarter, he was easily picked up by the running back in protection. He came free of the edge on a blitz in the second quarter but couldn't get to Tom Brady before he made his throw. Pryor tried lining up in the slot, but Patriots receiver Julian Edelman beat him a couple of times. 

In the second quarter, Pryor was part of a coverage miscommunication that caused a breakdown. Fellow safety Rontez Miles rotated down from deep toward the line of scrimmage as the Patriots sent a receiver in motion to his side of the field. Normally, the other safety would rotate back to take the deep assignment, but Pryor kept his original position.

After the snap, Pryor worked to the flat, which a linebacker was already covering. Brady quickly found a receiver wide-open in the middle of the field for a touchdown.

Grading Scale

Cvg: Coverage (Graded out of 25)

Rec: Recovery (Graded out of 25)

Slot: Slot/LB (Graded out of 20)

Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 20)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Strong Safety Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Malcolm Jenkins	PHI	22	21	15	15	6	79
2	John Cyprien	JAX	19	19	16	16	6	76
3	Landon Collins	NYG	18	19	17	16	6	76
4	Kurt Coleman	CAR	19	18	15	16	6	74
5	Morgan Burnett	GB	19	18	15	16	6	74
6	Eric Berry	KC	19	18	15	16	6	74
7	Bacarri Rambo	MIA	18	19	15	16	6	74
8	Patrick Chung	NE	18	19	15	16	6	74
9	D.J. Swearinger	ARI	17	19	15	16	6	73
10	Harold Jones-Quartey	CHI	18	18	15	16	6	73
11	Tramon Williams	CLE	18	18	16	15	6	73
12	Barry Church	DAL	17	18	17	15	6	73
13	Daniel Sorensen	KC	18	18	16	15	6	73
14	Jaylen Watkins	PHI	18	19	15	15	6	73
15	Keanu Neal	ATL	18	19	14	15	6	72
16	J.J. Wilcox	DAL	19	18	14	15	6	72
17	Sean Davis	PIT	18	19	14	15	6	72
18	Kam Chancellor	SEA	17	18	15	16	6	72
19	Shawn Williams	CIN	16	18	15	16	6	71
20	Tavon Wilson	DET	17	17	16	15	6	71
21	Roman Harper	NO	17	18	15	15	6	71
22	Keith Tandy	TB	18	18	14	15	6	71
23	Eric Weddle	BAL	18	17	14	15	6	70
24	Andrew Sendejo	MIN	17	18	14	15	6	70
25	Nate Allen	OAK	17	17	15	15	6	70
26	Jahleel Addae	SD	17	17	15	15	6	70
27	Xavier Howard	CLE	17	16	14	16	6	69
28	Rontez Miles	NYJ	16	16	16	15	6	69
29	Jaquiski Tartt	SF	16	18	14	15	6	69
30	Da'Norris Searcy	TEN	17	17	14	15	6	69
31	Quintin Demps	HOU	17	15	14	16	6	68
32	Eddie Pleasant	HOU	17	16	14	15	6	68
33	Corey White	BUF	17	16	14	14	6	67
34	Deon Bush	CHI	15	17	14	15	6	67
35	Mike C Adams	IND	16	16	14	15	6	67
36	Adrian Phillips	SD	16	16	14	15	6	67
37	Jeron Johnson	SEA	16	16	14	15	6	67
38	Chris Conte	TB	16	16	14	15	6	67
39	Daimion Stafford	TEN	16	16	14	15	6	67
40	T.J. McDonald	LA	16	15	14	15	6	66
41	Donte Whitner	WAS	15	15	15	15	6	66
42	Duke Ihenacho	WAS	16	16	14	14	6	66
43	Calvin Pryor	NYJ	15	16	14	14	6	65
44	Will Parks	DEN	14	15	14	15	6	64

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• T.J. Ward—inactive
• Karl Joseph—inactive
• Tony Jefferson—insufficient snaps
• Rafael Bush—insufficient snaps
• Robert Golden—insufficient snaps

Kickers

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

The weirdest play of Week 16 gave the Cleveland Browns their first win of the 2016 season—and added another disappointment to a trying season for the San Diego Chargers. With time running out and the Chargers out of timeouts, they tried running kicker Josh Lambo out onto the field in a big hurry to try a 45-yard field goal that would have sent the game into overtime.

Instead, Lambo, who had a 32-yard attempt blocked on the previous drive, hooked it to the right, and that was that. Defensive lineman Jamie Meder blew right through San Diego’s iffy field-goal blocking and got just enough of a finger on the errant try.

Special teams has been a problem for the Chargers all season, and the team may want to consider a new option at kicker. Sunday’s disaster wasn’t all Lambo’s fault, but it’s hard to make excuses for a guy who’s blown four extra points and missed on all three of his attempts from 50 yards or more this season.

On the other side of the table, there’s the continuing brilliance of Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, who was perfect in his four field-goal attempts against the Steelers on Christmas Day, including two from more than 40 yards out.

In a season where the Ravens have enjoyed an underrated defense just as their offense has regressed, it's not hyperbole to suggest that Tucker is the team's MVP. He has missed on just one of his 38 field-goal attempts and nailed all 26 of his extra points. Tucker is the best kicker in the game overall. 

Still, he doesn’t get the highest grade in Week 16. That honor goes to Atlanta's Matt Bryant.

Bryant hit field goals of 48, 50 and 51 yards against the Panthers. Not that Atlanta needed them in its 33-16 thrashing of Carolina at Bank of America Stadium, but Bryant's continued excellence—he was second behind Pittsburgh's Chris Boswell last week—gives his team a mental edge heading into the postseason.

Bryant has made 33 of his 36 field goals and, just as importantly, has missed just one of his 52 extra-point attempts. That's a big deal. Do we debit the 15-year veteran because he's been off only once this season, leaving Matt Bosher as the primary man for that job? Not in this case.

Jacksonville's Jason Myers also made three long tries, and all nine of his kickoffs against the Tennessee Titans resulted in touchbacks. His debit comes from two missed extra points, which is why he's third overall this week.

And if you don't think extra points can have a marked effect on a team's season, the Seattle Seahawks beg to differ. It wasn't the main reason they lost a heartbreaker to the Cardinals at home on Saturday, but Steven Hauschka's missed extra point near the end of regulation kept the score tied at 31 and allowed Arizona's Chandler Catanzaro—who's had more than his share of problems this season—to bang a 43-yard game-winner as time ran out.

It was the fifth extra point Hauschka has missed this season, and none have had more of an impact. It dropped Seattle to 9-5-1 on the season and could help cost them an extra home playoff game. He also had a field goal blocked in Week 16.

But the Goat of the Week award has to go to Buffalo's Dan Carpenter, who missed a 45-yarder and a 46-yarder in the 34-31 loss to Miami. Carpenter had one attempt veer too far right at the end of the first quarter, and another ball did the same in overtime, which set up Dolphins kicker Andrew Franks for the game-winner with 51 seconds left in the extra frame.

There's nobody lonelier on a football field than a kicker who just flubbed a chance for his team to win, and we saw quite a few of those dramas with one week left in the regular season.

Grading Scale

Pwr: Kick Power (Graded out of 40)

Acc: Kick Accuracy (Graded out of 40)

Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 10)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Kicker Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Pwr	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Matt Bryant	ATL	36	35	3	3	77
2	Justin Tucker	BAL	35	35	3	3	76
3	Jason Myers	JAX	39	30	3	3	75
4	Cody Parkey	CLE	36	32	3	3	74
5	Brandon McManus	DEN	35	33	3	3	74
6	Wil Lutz	NO	32	35	3	3	73
7	Ryan Succop	TEN	33	34	3	3	73
8	Robbie Gould	NYG	33	34	3	3	73
9	Roberto Aguayo	TB	32	34	3	3	72
10	Graham Gano	CAR	34	32	3	3	72
11	Dan Bailey	DAL	33	33	3	3	72
12	Mason Crosby	GB	33	32	3	3	71
13	Sam Martin	DET	32	32	3	3	70
14	Nick Novak	HOU	31	33	3	3	70
15	Dustin Hopkins	WAS	32	32	3	3	70
16	Andrew Franks	MIA	31	33	3	3	70
17	Adam Vinatieri	IND	33	31	3	3	70
18	Matt Prater	DET	30	33	3	3	69
19	Chandler Catanzaro	ARI	30	32	3	3	68
20	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	29	31	3	3	66
21	Phil Dawson	SF	30	30	3	3	66
22	Matt Bosher	ATL	30	30	3	3	66
23	Kai Forbath	MIN	27	33	3	3	66
24	Chris Boswell	PIT	28	32	3	3	66
25	Sebastian Janikowski	OAK	28	30	3	3	64
26	Randy Bullock	CIN	30	28	3	3	64
27	Caleb Sturgis	PHI	27	31	3	3	64
28	Cairo Santos	KC	28	29	3	3	63
29	Steven Hauschka	SEA	30	26	3	3	62
30	Greg Zuerlein	LA	27	28	3	3	61
31	Connor Barth	CHI	27	28	3	3	61
32	Nick Folk	NYJ	28	26	3	3	60
33	Josh Lambo	SD	25	25	3	3	56
34	Dan Carpenter	BUF	25	20	3	3	51

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Punters

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Rams have one of the worst offenses in the NFL, one fact among many that led to Jeff Fisher's recent firing as head coach. And if you're going to have one of the worst offenses in the NFL, it makes sense to have the best punter, right?

In this case, the Rams got it right. Johnny Hekker, our lead dog in the Week 16 punter rankings, set an interesting record that his team's ongoing issues obscured.

Last Sunday, in L.A.'s 22-21 loss to the 49ers, Hekker set the single-season mark for punts inside the opposition's 20-yard line, exceeding the 46 by Dave Zastudil in 2012 for the Arizona Cardinals.

Yes, it's appropriate to joke about a punter being more effective than any of the Rams' offensive players, but let's not go too far and fail to appreciate just how good Hekker has been this season. He has 52 punts inside the opposing 20-yard line, and Kansas City's Dustin Colquitt is the closest punter near that with 37. 

Of course, that's not the only reason Hekker is the top punter for Week 16. Of his eight punts against San Francisco, four were fair catches. The two returned (two were punted out of bounds) were taken back for nine total yards.

Grading Scale

Dist: Kick Distance (Graded out of 20)

Hang: Kick Hang Time (Graded out of 20)

Acc: Kick Accuracy (Graded out of 45)

Tkl: Tackling (Graded out of 5)

Pos: Positional Value (Graded out of 10)

Ovr: Top Possible Score of 100

Punter Rankings Week 16

Rank	Player	Team	Dist	Hang	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Johnny Hekker	LA	15	15	40	3	3	76
2	Brad Wing	NYG	16	14	38	3	3	74
3	Matt Bosher	ATL	14	15	38	3	3	73
4	Shane Lechler	HOU	14	15	38	3	3	73
5	Bryan Anger	TB	16	14	37	3	3	73
6	Chris Jones	DAL	16	15	32	7	3	73
7	Marquette King	OAK	15	17	35	3	3	73
8	Donnie Jones	PHI	15	14	36	3	3	71
9	Sam Martin	DET	15	16	35	3	3	72
10	Sam Koch	BAL	12	13	40	3	3	71
11	Matt Palardy	CAR	14	15	36	3	3	71
12	Kevin Huber	CIN	16	14	35	3	3	71
13	Pat McAfee	IND	16	14	35	3	3	71
14	Dustin Colquitt	KC	13	16	36	3	3	71
15	Ryan Allen	NE	16	12	37	3	3	71
16	Drew Kaser	SD	17	13	35	3	3	71
17	Brett Kern	TEN	15	14	36	3	3	71
18	Tress Way	WAS	14	15	36	3	3	71
19	Jon Ryan	SEA	15	16	33	3	3	70
20	Matt Wile	ARI	14	14	35	3	3	69
21	Pat O'Donnell	CHI	14	14	35	3	3	69
22	Riley Dixon	DEN	15	14	34	3	3	69
23	Britton Colquitt	CLE	15	14	33	3	3	68
24	Jacob Schum	GB	13	14	35	3	3	68
25	Brad Nortman	JAX	14	13	35	3	3	68
26	Lachlan Edwards	NYJ	15	14	33	3	3	68
27	Matt Darr	MIA	13	13	34	3	3	66
28	Colton Schmidt	BUF	13	12	34	3	3	65
29	Thomas Morstead	NO	12	12	33	3	3	63
30	Jordan Berry	PIT	13	11	33	3	3	63
31	Bradley Pinion	SF	12	13	32	3	3	63
32	Jeff Locke	MIN	11	12	32	3	3	61

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Drew Butler—injury
• Andy Lee—injury