NFL1000: Reviewing Conference Championship Games

If there's one thing that was accomplished in the NFC Championship Game, it was a coronation for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.         

The most prolific and consistent quarterback throughout the year, Ryan was at the top of his game against a depleted and occasionally confused Green Bay Packers defense, completing 27 of 38 passes for 392 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.

He showed why he's become the perfect quarterback for coordinator Kyle Shanahan's offense by displaying great functional mobility—not only on his 14-yard touchdown run in the first half, but also on several plays in which the defense flushed him out of the pocket. 

With Ryan on point, Julio Jones as dominant as he's ever been and Shanahan's multiplicity in play-calling at its peak, the Falcons have proved time and again that they're capable of matching any team point-for-point. And Feb. 5, they'll give New England's excellent defense a stern test in Houston at Super Bowl LI.

The NFC Championship Game also marked the end of the 2016 season for Aaron Rodgers and the tipping point for a great half-season in which he frequently transcended the travails of the players around him to throw the ball as well as he ever had. But with his pass protection breaking down and his receivers dropping pass after pass, there was no way Rodgers was going to keep up with Ryan.

It's become clear the Packers are going to have to open up the design of their offense if they're going to get back to a Super Bowl, but they'll also have to deal with some clear personnel holes on both sides of the ball. The 44-21 loss at the Georgia Dome on Sunday was an expensive education in that regard.

On the AFC side, Ben Roethlisberger's returning to form after a shaky two months was the Steelers' only hope in the conference championship against the Patriots. The signal-caller didn't deliver. He completed 31 of 47 passes for 314 yards but had just one touchdown and an interception to match. Since the beginning of December, Roethlisberger has thrown nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and considering the level of free rein Pittsburgh's pliable zone defense gave Tom Brady, there was no way that type of performance from Ben was going to work.

Heading into the championship game, the Patriots and Steelers last played in Week 7, and New England won 27-16 with a strong running game. So, of course, this time was all about the aerial attack—Brady throttled the Steelers, making former San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills castoff Chris Hogan a star in the process. Hogan caught all three of the deep passes thrown to him for 74 yards and two touchdowns. No receiver was better with the deep stuff than Hogan in either conference championship game.

How will the matchups look between the Patriots and Falcons in the Super Bowl? Our NFL1000 scouts will be discussing this quite a bit over the next two weeks, but one thing's a near-certainty—whatever the spread is, take the over.

Part of Bleacher Report's NFL1000 player-rating methodology 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.

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, Marcus Mosher, 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 based on the game action every week.

Here are the NFL1000 player grades for the conference championship round of the 2016 NFL season.

Methodology

Rob Carr/Getty Images

The NFL1000 scouts received 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 10 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. 

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

We observe and grade every NFL player with snaps in offensive and defensive roles 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 we 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 we need to graded him 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 make it as definitive as possible.

Top 25 Overall from Conference Championships

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Some less heralded players excelled for their teams in the conference championship round, and few did better than Patriots cornerbacks Malcolm Butler and Eric Rowe. Butler put the clamps on Antonio Brown, limiting him to just 13 yards in man coverage, according to our scouts' self charting, and Rowe was responsible for dealing with Pittsburgh's other deep receivers.

Ben Roethlisberger's inaccuracy helped them to a degree, but it's no mistake that Butler and Rowe are our highest-graded cornerbacks this week.

Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews has had an up-and-down season, but he was outstanding against the Packers, allowing just one hit and two hurries in 40 passing snaps. But the best outside pass protectors of the day were Patriots—Nate Solder and Marcus Cannon combined for one total pressure in 86 passing snaps, and Cannon didn’t allow any heat on Tom Brady at all. Atlanta's outside pass rush will severely test Cannon and Solder in Super Bowl LI, but they're up to the task.

Top 25 Overall from Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Pos.	Team	NFL1000 Score
1	Tom Brady	QB	NE	82
2	Matt Ryan	QB	ATL	81
3	Julio Jones	WR	ATL	80
4	Marcus Cannon	RT	NE	78
5	Aaron Rodgers	QB	GB	78
6	Jake Matthews	LT	ATL	78
7	Shaq Mason	OG	NE	78
8	Kenny Clark	DT	GB	77
9	Nate Solder	LT	NE	77
10	Eric Rowe	CB	NE	76
11	Julian Edelman	WR	NE	76
12	Bryan Bulaga	RT	GB	76
13	Chris Hogan	WR	NE	76
14	Morgan Burnett	SS	GB	75
15	David Bakhtiari	LT	GB	75
16	Ryan Schraeder	RT	ATL	75
17	Devonta Freeman	RB	ATL	74
18	Marcus Gilbert	RT	PIT	74
19	LeGarrette Blount	RB	NE	74
20	Aaron Ripkowski	FB	GB	74
21	Alejandro Villanueva	LT	PIT	74
22	Patrick DiMarco	FB	ATL	74
23	Deion Jones	ILB	ATL	73
24	Ricardo Allen	FS	ATL	73
25	David Andrews	C	NE	73

Quarterbacks

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Matt Ryan was mostly excellent as the Falcons raced out to a 24-0 lead over the Packers in the first half. Ryan consistently made plays against pressure and added in a long touchdown run despite his receivers dropping three passes they should have caught.

However, Ryan threw two interceptable passes on the same drive at the end of the second quarter. The Packers defense didn't take advantage of either play, allowing Ryan to connect with Julio Jones on a back-shoulder throw for a touchdown. Ryan opened the third quarter with a short throw to Jones after play action; Jones ran the ball in for the long touchdown and essentially ended the game. 

Aaron Rodgers played well through the first half. Besides missing a blitz-beater when he threw to the flat instead of inside the numbers, the Packers quarterback wasn't the reason for his offense's lack of production. He threw the ball accurately on the opening drive to set up a field-goal attempt that Mason Crosby missed. Rodgers performed similarly on the second drive before fullback Aaron Ripkowski fumbled the ball away.

The Packers were forced into a Hail Mary situation with two minutes left in the first half after a Jordy Nelson drop and a sack when the team's center was destroyed. Rodgers threw a pick as he heaved the ball downfield out of desperation. To open the second half, Rodgers hit Jared Cook with two accurate passes (on 1st-and-10 and 3rd-and-10). Cook dropped both, leading to a Packers punt. When Jones ran in a long touchdown on the next drive, garbage time took over.

The Steelers-Patriots matchup was all about Tom Brady. Brady carried out his typical carving exercise against head coach Mike Tomlin's defense. The Steelers got some early pressure by relying on three-man rushes, but Brady quickly adjusted and was able to repeatedly pick apart the zone coverages Pittsburgh relied on.

Chris Hogan was his favorite target throughout. Hogan caught a touchdown down the right seam when Brady moved the deep safety with his eyes. Then, Mike Mitchell bought hard on a flea-flicker to leave the receiver wide-open for another touchdown before the end of the half.

Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense couldn't keep pace once Le'Veon Bell went out. Roethlisberger's ball placement was consistently off, and his receivers couldn't make the necessary adjustments at the catch point.

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Acc	Arm	Press	Dec	Pos	Ovr
1	Tom Brady	NE	21	20	15	16	10	82
2	Matt Ryan	ATL	22	21	15	13	10	81
3	Aaron Rodgers	GB	18	21	15	14	10	78
4	Ben Roethlisberger	PIT	15	19	15	14	10	73

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Running Backs

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Championship weekend was not the finest moment for NFL running backs. Le'Veon Bell, the top-graded runner in the NFL1000, hurt his groin and played only 11 snaps. It was evident in Bell's six carries that it was going to be tough sledding for him because the Patriots defense was flying around and gang-tackling.

While Bell was a huge loss for Pittsburgh, it probably would not have changed the outcome of the game. DeAngelo Williams did a valiant job in replacing him, but the Steelers were outclassed. Without Bell, New England was able to focus its defense on Antonio Brown and make sure the star wide receiver didn't take over. 

LeGarrette Blount helped the Patriots control the clock in the second half with a big lead, playing strong in between the tackles. He also caught a ball out of the backfield, which is rare for him and added to his good season heading into free agency.

The Falcons' two star running backs might be the most dynamic pass-receiving duo in the NFL. Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman combined for seven catches, 77 yards and a touchdown Sunday. Their speed and their ability to beat linebackers and safeties in man-to-man coverage created a major mismatch. The duo's ability to do everything will make for a great Super Bowl chess match with New England head coach Bill Belichick and his defense.

The Packers running game was not a major part of their game plan Sunday. Ty Montgomery only had three carries and wasn't able to get going before he exited with an injury in the third quarter. Christine Michael had six carries but struggled to find any daylight and finished with 11 yards. The Packers were down big early and had no choice but to throw the ball—the problem was the Falcons were just better.

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	In	Out	Rec	Blk	Pos	Ovr
1	Devonta Freeman	ATL	17	17	18	16	6	74
2	LeGarrette Blount	NE	19	17	16	16	6	74
3	DeAngelo Williams	PIT	17	15	17	17	6	72
4	Tevin Coleman	ATL	16	17	17	16	6	72
5	Ty Montgomery	GB	17	15	16	16	6	70
6	Christine Michael	GB	15	15	16	16	6	68
7	Dion Lewis	NE	16	15	16	15	6	68
8	James White	NE	15	14	16	15	6	66

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Le'Veon Bell—injury

Fullbacks

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

While Aaron Ripkowski had an excellent season, Sunday will be a day he might want to forget. With the Packers down 10-0, he fumbled on a big run that led to a Falcons touchdown. Ripkowski has established himself as one of the best fullbacks in the NFL, but the fumble Sunday was a backbreaker for Green Bay and basically ended its chances in the second quarter. He was still active in the passing game with a couple of catches for 28 yards and was excellent as always in pass protection.

Patrick DiMarco was solid as always for Atlanta. Although he doesn’t get the ball much on offense, he had an explosive 31-yard catch. 

James Develin was solid again in another big win for New England. He played 25 snaps and was physical all game long as a lead blocker. With Le'Veon Bell going out early, Steelers fullback Roosevelt Nix was limited in his role on offense. In his two snaps, he was average as a lead blocker. The Patriots defenders were much more physical downhill and made it difficult on the Pittsburgh running game.

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Blk	Run	Rec	Pos	Ovr
1	Aaron Ripkowski	GB	44	16	10	4	74
2	Patrick DiMarco	ATL	44	15	11	4	74
3	James Develin	NE	43	14	10	4	71
4	Roosevelt Nix	PIT	42	15	8	4	69

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Wide Receivers

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

After battling through multiple lower-body injuries, Julio Jones had one of his best games of the season. Jones did everything versus the Packers, making unbelievable catches across the middle, fantastic plays after the catch and an incredible toe-tapping touchdown in the end zone. Jones' performance this week and throughout the season is a major reason why the Falcons will be playing in the Super Bowl in about two weeks.

Second receiver Mohamed Sanu had his way with the Packers defensive backs. He was able to get open with ease on nearly any type of route. Sanu also had one of the more impressive plays of the day: a one-handed touchdown catch on the first drive of the game.

After battling broken ribs, Jordy Nelson returned to action. Nelson still lacks explosiveness, and his hands can be questionable at times. But he is Aaron Rodgers' No. 1 weapon. The rest of the Green Bay receivers left a lot to be desired. Davante Adams had a hard time getting separation after his ankle injury. Randall Cobb had the best day of the group, but the entire unit struggled all game long. 

In the AFC Championship Game, the story was the duo of Julian Edelman and Chris Hogan. Edelman ran great routes throughout the night, including an impressive deep pivot route for a touchdown in the second half as the Patriots started to pull away.

Hogan matched the numbers Jones put up in the earlier game, catching nine passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. His first score came on a well-designed route combination where he was left open on a seam route as the coverage rotated to a vertical route on the outside from Danny Amendola. Hogan's second score came on a flea-flicker when the free safety bought the run fake, allowing Hogan to get loose deep in the secondary. Both Edelman and Hogan dropped a few passes, which depressed their numbers a bit.

For Pittsburgh, a coverage scheme that gave Malcolm Butler some dedicated safety help over the top held Antonio Brown largely in check, but the Steelers wideout did have some underneath catches that allowed him to show his ability after the reception.

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr
1	Julio Jones	ATL	21	19	18	13	9	80
2	Julian Edelman	NE	21	19	15	12	9	76
3	Chris Hogan	NE	20	19	15	13	9	76
4	Randall Cobb	GB	18	17	15	11	9	70
5	Mohamed Sanu	ATL	20	18	13	11	9	71
6	Jordy Nelson	GB	18	18	13	11	9	69
7	Taylor Gabriel	ATL	17	17	15	10	9	68
8	Antonio Brown	PIT	18	18	13	10	9	68
9	Eli Rogers	PIT	19	17	12	11	9	68
10	Davante Adams	GB	15	16	13	10	9	63
11	Geronimo Allison	GB	14	14	13	10	9	60
12	Danny Amendola	NE	14	14	12	11	9	60
13	Malcolm Mitchell	NE	13	13	10	12	9	57
14	Cobi Hamilton	PIT	13	13	10	12	9	57
15	Sammie Coates	PIT	15	12	10	11	9	57
16	Darrius Heyward-Bey	PIT	12	12	10	10	9	53
17	Justin Hardy	ATL	11	12	10	10	9	52
18	Aldrick Robinson	ATL	10	10	10	11	9	50
19	Jeff Janis	GB	10	10	10	10	9	49

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Michael Floyd—inactive
• Matthew Slater—insufficient snaps
• Demarcus Ayers—insufficient snaps
• Markus Wheaton—injury

Tight Ends

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

In the NFC, there wasn't one tight end who stood out. Levine Toilolo and Austin Hooper were secondary options in the Atlanta offense but had solid days. Green Bay tight end Jared Cook caught a touchdown, but he had a rough day. Cook struggled to get open, and when he did, he dropped multiple passes, one on third down. Cook is talented but inconsistent, and he's a big reason why the Packers offense was so up-and-down all year.

On Sunday night, Jesse James was one of the brighter spots for the Steelers offense, as the tight end caught five passes for 48 yards. James looked to have a touchdown late in the first half that would have cut the Steelers' deficit to five, but the review showed he was short of the goal line. The Patriots then held Pittsburgh to a field goal that set the tone for the rest of the game. James did have a drop later in the contest.

For the Patriots, Martellus Bennett caught all five of his targets for 32 yards and was a solid blocker on the night, including in pass protection on some big plays—like the flea-flicker from Tom Brady to Chris Hogan for a touchdown. 

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Route	Hands	YAC	Blk	Pos	Ovr
1	Levine Toilolo	ATL	13	15	12	19	6	65
2	Austin Hooper	ATL	14	15	12	18	6	65
3	Jared Cook	GB	14	15	13	17	6	65
4	Jesse James	PIT	14	16	10	19	6	65
5	Martellus Bennett	NE	13	15	10	19	6	63
6	Richard Rodgers	GB	10	12	10	17	6	55
7	David Johnson	PIT	10	12	10	16	6	54

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Jacob Tamme—injury
• Rob Gronkowski—injury
• Ladarius Green—injury
• Matt Lengel—insufficient snaps
• Xavier Grimble—insufficient snaps

Left Tackles

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Atlanta's Jake Matthews was the NFL1000's top performer at left tackle for Championship Game Weekend. He was instrumental in protecting Matt Ryan's blind side, as the Falcons shredded Green Bay's defense for 493 total yards of offense. Matthews surrendered two hurries and a quarterback hit in 71 total plays and made some impactful blocks at the point of attack in the running game.

Matthews has had a good season, and he saved one of his best performances for when his team needed it most. Atlanta will be counting on Matthews to have another outstanding performance when the Falcons take on New England in Super Bowl LI.

New England's Nate Solder claimed our No. 2 ranking. He was solid in all aspects of the game and kept the ageless James Harrison in check for the most part. The Patriots tackle gave up only one pressure in 73 snaps. What stood out about Solder's performance was his effort toward finishing, both in pass protection and in the running game. 

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	Jake Matthews	ATL	20	20	15	15	8	78
2	Nate Solder	NE	20	19	16	14	8	77
3	David Bakhtiari	GB	19	17	15	16	8	75
4	Alejandro Villanueva	PIT	19	18	14	15	8	74

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Right Tackles

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

New England's Marcus Cannon was the top right tackle for Championship Game Weekend. Cannon showed tremendous patience in pass protection yet picked his spots to be aggressive and finish. He showed great mental processing to immediately decipher and be in position to take away Pittsburgh's blitz and defensive line stunt package. As we mentioned last week, Cannon tied with Kansas City's Mitchell Schwartz as a second-team All-Pro.

Green Bay's Bryan Bulaga was our second-ranked right tackle of the week. There were not many positives for the Packers offensive line as it faced an active Atlanta defense, but Bulaga provided solid pass protection and went head-to-head with Vic Beasley for most of the game. The Packers were in an obvious passing situation early in the contest, and Bulaga did not give up a sack in 63 snaps. 

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	Marcus Cannon	NE	20	20	16	15	7	78
2	Bryan Bulaga	GB	19	19	16	15	7	76
3	Ryan Schraeder	ATL	21	18	15	14	7	75
4	Marcus Gilbert	PIT	19	18	15	15	7	74

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Offensive Guards

Joe Sargent/Getty Images

The story of the week in interior offensive line play had to be the Patriots front's dominance in pass protection. Shaq Mason, David Andrews and Marcus Cannon all had nearly perfect games in that regard, with the entire OL group giving up only four pressures all game, according to NFL1000 O-line scout Ethan Young's self charting. The impact of offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia is spoken of a lot, but he has made this underrated group a strong and cohesive unit up front. 

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	Shaq Mason	NE	19	18	18	16	7	78
2	David DeCastro	PIT	18	16	16	16	7	73
3	T.J. Lang	GB	17	16	17	15	7	72
4	Ramon Foster	PIT	19	15	17	14	7	72
5	Chris Chester	ATL	17	16	17	14	7	71
6	Lane Taylor	GB	16	14	15	16	7	68
7	Andy Levitre	ATL	16	15	16	14	7	68
8	Joe Thuney	NE	16	14	15	16	7	68
9	Don Barclay	GB	15	13	15	15	7	65
10	Jason Spriggs	GB	14	14	13	15	7	63

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Centers

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

It was an uninspiring week in center play, as teams largely struggled to establish the run and relied on the passing game. New England's David Andrews responded to that the best out of the four centers. It was interesting to see such an average week, as this group of remaining centers has had a good season overall. 

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Power	Agl	Pos	Ovr
1	David Andrews	NE	19	16	18	14	6	73
2	Alex Mack	ATL	17	15	16	16	6	70
3	Maurkice Pouncey	PIT	16	15	16	15	6	68
4	Corey Linsley	GB	16	14	16	14	6	66

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

3-4 Defensive Ends

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

The Steelers' game plan to rush only three or four and drop everyone else into coverage bit them, as the Patriots had no issues with Stephon Tuitt and the rest of the Pittsburgh front. The Steelers will need to figure out what they want to do and what type of rotation they want. Tuitt, Javon Hargrave and Cameron Heyward should be a formidable inside pass-rushing trio, but can the team add pieces to help on the edge? 

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Mike Daniels	GB	13	17	21	14	7	72
2	Stephon Tuitt	PIT	12	12	20	15	7	66
3	Dean Lowry	GB	11	16	19	13	7	66
4	L.T. Walton	PIT	11	12	19	14	7	63
5	Ricardo Mathews	PIT	10	12	17	12	7	58

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

4-3 Defensive Ends

Billie Weiss/Getty Images

One issue that has hurt the Patriots all season is their lack of a consistent pass rush, and it was evident again this past week. The mix of Trey Flowers, Jabaal Sheard and Chris Long leaves the Pats vulnerable. Their ability to apply pressure on Matt Ryan in the Super Bowl will be a big topic. 

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Snap	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Trey Flowers	NE	19	16	13	14	8	70
2	Vic Beasley	ATL	20	13	14	14	8	69
3	Brooks Reed	ATL	19	13	14	14	8	68
4	Dwight Freeney	ATL	19	12	14	14	8	67
5	Jabaal Sheard	NE	18	15	13	13	8	67
6	Chris Long	NE	19	12	13	12	8	64

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Defensive Tackles

Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Kenny Clark had a dominant performance against the run in Green Bay's loss to Atlanta. He held his own against Pro Bowl center Alex Mack more often than not and made running between the tackles difficult for the Falcons. Javon Hargrave was another rookie who had a strong performance in a playoff loss. He controlled the line of scrimmage versus the run and had a ridiculous sack where he rag-dolled Joe Thuney on his way to Tom Brady. 

Atlanta's Ra'Shede Hageman continued his strong play over the past month with a sack against the Packers. He was a load at the line of scrimmage for Green Bay, and he just might live up to be the player his athletic profile suggests he can be. Atlanta got a nice game from Joe Vellano, whom it brought up from the practice squad when Adrian Clayborn went down with a torn biceps. If Atlanta can continue to get production from Vellano, Hageman and Grady Jarrett, it just might be able to topple the Patriots in Super Bowl LI.

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Snap	Rush	Run	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Kenny Clark	GB	19	15	23	13	7	77
2	Malcom Brown	NE	17	15	19	12	7	70
3	Javon Hargrave	PIT	18	16	18	11	7	70
4	Ra'Shede Hageman	ATL	18	15	17	12	7	69
5	Vincent Valentine	NE	18	15	18	11	7	69
6	Grady Jarrett	ATL	17	17	16	11	7	68
7	Alan Branch	NE	15	16	18	11	7	67
8	Jonathan Babineaux	ATL	16	15	16	11	7	65
9	Joe Vellano	ATL	17	15	15	10	7	64
10	Tyson Jackson	ATL	14	15	16	11	7	63
11	Courtney Upshaw	ATL	16	14	14	10	7	61
12	Daniel McCullers	PIT	14	13	12	10	7	56
13	Letroy Guion	GB	14	12	12	10	7	55

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Ben Garland—insufficient snaps

3-4 Outside Linebackers

Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Both the Packers and Steelers needed to beat great quarterbacks to get to Super Bowl LI. Besting the likes of Matt Ryan and Tom Brady generally requires putting consistent pressure on the passer, but neither team was able to establish a pass rush Sunday. Both franchises are done because of it.

The Packers got next to nothing from Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, Nick Perry and Datone Jones against Ryan, while James Harrison, Bud Dupree and Jarvis Jones struggled all night to disrupt Brady. As a result, the two quarterbacks combined for 776 yards and seven passing touchdowns. 

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Rush	Run	Cvg	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Nick Perry	GB	18	13	10	16	8	65
2	James Harrison	PIT	17	13	8	18	8	64
3	Bud Dupree	PIT	15	12	8	17	8	60
4	Julius Peppers	GB	16	10	9	17	8	60
5	Clay Matthews	GB	18	10	8	16	8	60
6	Datone Jones	GB	16	10	9	16	8	59
7	Jarvis Jones	PIT	15	11	9	15	8	58

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

4-3 Outside Linebackers

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

An unlikely hero rose to the occasion for both conference championship winners this Sunday. A rookie showed up in the NFC, while a castoff veteran put the game away in the AFC.

For the Falcons, rookie De'Vondre Campbell was there when they needed him. Campbell, a fourth-round pick, had a rookie season that far exceeded any expectations. He seized a starting role from the jump, and while there were bumps, he was largely impressive.

On Sunday, Campbell gave it to the Packers. He was all over the place in coverage. He did his part to force quarterback Aaron Rodgers to scramble and create separation for his blanketed receivers. Campbell also attacked Rodgers in the pocket, and the quarterback ended up with some hurried throws. 

The Patriots' hero was even more unlikely than a fourth-round rookie. Kyle Van Noy, the No. 40 overall pick in 2014, has had an underwhelming career to this point. The Lions traded him to New England in October after he had only 16 combined tackles over his first two years.

On Sunday, though, Van Noy made the play that put the Steelers away. After Pittsburgh WR Eli Rogers caught a short pass over the middle, Van Noy sprinted toward him and punched the ball out. A fellow Patriots defender recovered the ball, allowing New England to take to the field on offense and score a touchdown to further distance themselves from the Steelers. Van Noy struggled plenty in the championship game, but he still made a game-changing play.

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	De'Vondre Campbell	ATL	20	17	10	19	6	72
2	Rob Ninkovich	NE	16	18	8	17	6	65
3	Kyle Van Noy	NE	17	14	7	19	6	63
4	Shea McClellin	NE	16	15	8	16	6	61

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Philip Wheeler—insufficient snaps

Inside Linebackers

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Atlanta's Deion Jones passed another test Sunday. Against arguably the best quarterback in the league, Jones played well in coverage, handled a lackluster Packers running game and nearly added a sack as well. He earns the top grade this week for his ability to keep up with a Green Bay offense that took advantage of a poor group of Cowboys linebackers the week before. Jones' versatility and athleticism continue to be his calling card, and his last eight weeks of the season have been some of the best from any inside 'backer all year.

The Packers, however, could've used a much better performance from their inside linebackers. Joe Thomas, primarily a coverage 'backer, had his worst week of the season. The Falcons obviously wanted to take advantage of the mismatch between their running backs and the Packers linebackers. Thomas was the target. With missed tackles, lapses in coverage and the typical poor run support, Thomas made it clear that he's far from a three-down player and will likely need extended time to develop.

In the night game, the Steelers linebackers played adequately given how the Patriots have embarrassed nearly every group of linebackers they've faced all season. As for New England, Bill Belichick flexed his genius by utilizing Dont'a Hightower and Elandon Roberts in various positions to maximize what the players can do well.

Hightower has another week to cement himself as the most versatile inside linebacker in the league. Opposite of him will be Jones, a player who has continued to rise and can cap his impressive rookie season by playing well against an offense that relishes playing inexperienced linebackers. 

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Pass	Run	Rush	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Deion Jones	ATL	19	26	11	11	6	73
2	Dont'a Hightower	NE	17	27	11	11	6	72
3	Lawrence Timmons	PIT	17	27	10	10	6	70
4	Ryan Shazier	PIT	16	25	11	10	6	68
5	Elandon Roberts	NE	16	26	9	10	6	67
6	Jake Ryan	GB	16	24	9	10	6	65
7	Blake Martinez	GB	15	25	9	10	6	65
8	Joe Thomas	GB	12	22	9	6	6	55

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Cornerbacks

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

The Patriots needed a big game from perimeter corners Logan Ryan and Malcolm Butler, and that's the performance they got. The Steelers feature four or five speedy receivers, not to mention one of the best in the league in Antonio Brown. Butler shadowed Brown all game, and up until the final drive in garbage time, Butler held him to 13 yards in man coverage.

The Patriots couldn't have been happier with that result. Butler was physical with Brown at the line of scrimmage and was able to be overly aggressive knowing he had help. It worked. 

On the other side, Rowe was the story, as he played with little to no help for the majority of the game. He limited receivers in his direction to two catches on nine targets for a total of 37 yards. He also made a nice stop in the running game, and Big Ben gifted him an interception late.

The task won't get easier, but Rowe and Butler had fantastic outings against the Steelers on Sunday night.

As for the Steelers corners, they were not up to the task of staying with the Patriots receivers. Whether they had to cover for longer periods or shuffle at the last minute, they seemed unprepared. Each of the three corners missed a tackle.

William Gay didn't play well, as he gave up four receptions on five targets, totaling 75 yards. One was a touchdown where he got juked out of his shoes. The other he just didn't have the speed to keep up across the middle. Artie Burns wasn't much better, as he gave up three first downs on four targets.

The NFC champion Falcons proved to be too fast and sticky in coverage for the Packers. Outside corners Robert Alford and Jalen Collins weren’t perfect throughout the day, allowing a touchdown each from the goal line, but they were competitive and limited big plays allowed. Aaron Rodgers often had to extend plays because of their consistent positioning to play the ball.

Looking at why the Packers lost, it's hard to say one position group failed as miserably as their corners. Damarious Randall and LaDarius Gunter have struggled badly all year long, and Matt Ryan and Company made them pay dearly on a grand stage. Gunter in particular was often matched up against Julio Jones, and he predictably hemorrhaged receptions and yardage, even allowing two touchdowns. In total, Gunter allowed seven receptions on 10 targets.

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	React	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Eric Rowe	NE	23	22	16	6	9	76
2	Malcolm Butler	NE	23	21	16	4	9	73
3	Robert Alford	ATL	20	19	17	5	9	70
4	Jalen Collins	ATL	17	18	17	5	9	66
5	Micah Hyde	GB	17	17	16	6	9	65
6	Ross Cockrell	PIT	18	18	15	4	9	64
7	Logan Ryan	NE	16	14	15	6	9	60
8	Damarious Randall	GB	15	14	14	4	9	56
9	Artie Burns	PIT	15	13	14	4	9	55
10	Brian Poole	ATL	13	13	12	4	9	51
11	Quinten Rollins	GB	13	12	12	5	9	51
12	William Gay	PIT	13	12	13	4	9	51
13	LaDarius Gunter	GB	14	12	10	4	9	49

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Free Safeties

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

The Patriots made their intentions clear early on during their matchup against the Steelers: They were not going to let Antonio Brown beat them. They kept free safeties Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon deep, with one helping to bracket Brown while the other played in the deep middle of the field.

While this often limited their impact on the game—particularly with McCourty, who would normally make more noticeable plays—it took away the deep threat of Brown, forcing the Steelers to go to other receivers. It has been a tactic the Patriots have used against many top receivers throughout the season; expect them to do the same to Julio Jones in the Super Bowl. 

Ricardo Allen had a solid outing for the Falcons against the Packers. As he normally does, Allen spent most of the game in the deep middle of the field as the last line of defense. The Packers' opportunities to take deep shots were few and far between, with Allen staying on top of the deepest receivers.

In the first quarter, the Packers managed to get Jordy Nelson behind his defender on a corner route, but Allen stayed over the top of the route and drove down on it to make the tackle and save a bigger gain. Similarly, as Aaron Rodgers looked to throw a deep shot to Nelson at the end of the half, Allen stayed on top of the route and made an easy interception on an overthrow.

Steelers safety Mike Mitchell struggled against the Patriots. In the second quarter, he was beaten on a flea-flicker for a touchdown. He was the deep safety, meaning his primary objective was to stay deep, not to fill in on run support. But Mitchell charged down toward the line of scrimmage as Chris Hogan ran past him. Tom Brady made an easy throw over the top, and Mitchell couldn't get back in time to prevent the touchdown.

Later, Mitchell looked to help run support in the red zone, filling in from deep after LeGarrette Blount burst through the line of scrimmage. Mitchell had an opportunity to make the tackle, but he instead ended up getting run over and carried nearly 10 yards before his teammates could help make the tackle just short of the end zone.

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Ricardo Allen	ATL	23	22	5	15	8	73
2	Devin McCourty	NE	23	21	5	15	8	72
3	Duron Harmon	NE	22	21	4	16	8	71
4	Marwin Evans	GB	19	21	4	16	8	68
5	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	GB	20	20	4	15	8	67
6	Mike Mitchell	PIT	18	19	5	14	8	64

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Kentrell Brice—insufficient snaps

Strong Safeties

Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

Against a high-powered Falcons offense, Packers safety Morgan Burnett had the top performance of any safety this weekend. In the Packers' nickel and dime sub-packages, Burnett shifts down from safety to linebacker. He is a strong run defender and made a number of good plays in the run game. But he stood out matching up in coverage against tight ends and running backs, who can be dangerous in Kyle Shanahan's offense.

In the first quarter, Burnett matched up in man coverage against Austin Hooper on 3rd-and-long. Hooper ran a pivot route, but Burnett stayed on top of it and took it away from Matt Ryan, who had to look elsewhere. In the second quarter, Burnett stayed on top of checkdown options to a running back and a tight end in the flat on separate plays. Like before, he took those options away from Ryan, who had to work hard to buy extra time to find receivers farther down the field. 

Burnett did struggle a few times with play-action fakes. He bit down inside on one play-action pass in the third quarter and was late to sink back to his zone. A few plays later, he bit down on a play-action fake again, leaving a tight end to run past him into the end zone on a corner route. Burnett recovered well to get in position but failed to turn and play the ball, giving up a pass-interference penalty in the process.

Falcons rookie Keanu Neal was a little out of his comfort zone at times against the Packers. He performs at his best when he plays underneath zone coverage, but he has occasionally struggled in man coverage. He had a tough battle against Packers tight end Jared Cook. Early on, Neal got the better of Cook, getting a nice jam on him on a 3rd-and-medium early in the first quarter to take him out of the play. In the second quarter, Neal made an excellent read and break on a stick route by Cook, forcing Aaron Rodgers to look elsewhere.

However, in the second half, Cook got the better of Neal. On 3rd-and-10, Neal gave up a slant by Cook. He was relatively tight to Cook but trailed by a step or two, which is enough of a window for Rodgers. Fortunately for Neal, Cook dropped the pass. On the next third down, Cook ran a slant again, beating Neal inside and making the catch this time to convert. On the next play, Neal was late to react to a flat route to Cook, giving up a first down before making the tackle. The Packers went back to the same play straight after, but Neal did a better job closing the gap and making the tackle for a minimal gain.

On a goal-line series, the Packers matched up Cook on Neal in the slot. Cook ran a corner route, but Neal landed a solid jam, forcing Cook into traffic while staying on top of the route. Rodgers predetermined his throw before the snap, and Cook was unable to get to his spot to make the catch. But the Packers came back with the same play on the next down. This time, Rodgers made an adjustment, throwing more outside than toward the back of the end zone. Neal didn't manage to get as good of a jam at the line of scrimmage and couldn't stay with Cook, who caught the 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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Cvg	Rec	Slot	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Morgan Burnett	GB	18	20	15	16	6	75
2	Sean Davis	PIT	19	18	15	15	6	73
3	Patrick Chung	NE	18	18	14	15	6	71
4	Keanu Neal	ATL	16	17	15	16	6	70

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• Robert Golden—insufficient snaps

Kickers

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

While kickers posted some of the best weeks of the season over the first two weeks of the playoffs, the conference championships this year left no kicker unscathed, with three kickers missing extra points and the fourth, Mason Crosby, missing a 41-yard field goal a week after being the hero with two 50-plus-yard makes.

The strongest kicker this week was Stephen Gostkowski, who made all three of his field-goal attempts, including a 47-yarder that he appeared to strike on a low trajectory, possibly to keep it out of a strong left-to-right breeze. But Gostkowski did miss his final extra point of the night, pushing it wide right due to lagging hips and likely rekindling questions about his performance that came up early in the season. However, this appears to be a one-off issue, as it is different from the balance problems that plagued Gostkowski earlier this year, and it is unlikely to recur, especially in a stable and likely indoor environment in Houston. 

Crosby grades out as the weakest kicker this week, primarily due to missing his only field-goal attempt and then only having one made extra point, as Green Bay repeatedly looked for two-point conversions to make up ground against the Falcons. The juxtaposition between Crosby's performance last week and this week is a key reason to remember to look at kicker stats and performance over longer time frames, with three to four games typically being the minimum needed to start smoothing out bumps in the data.

Crosby's overall talent level did not fall apart overnight, just as he did not suddenly become the second coming of Adam Vinatieri after his game-winner last week. Crosby remains a slightly above-average kicker who will have weeks like his outstanding performance against Dallas, but also somewhat clunky games such as this one where he misses makeable kicks indoors.

In the middle of the pack, Matt Bryant and Chris Boswell both missed extra points as well, though Bryant has been so consistent this year that it is tough to imagine him struggling in the Super Bowl. However, he was significantly off balance on his missed extra point, and that balance will likely be a focus area for him during practice over the next two weeks as he tries to get ready for a showdown with Gostkowski and the Patriots.

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Pwr	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Stephen Gostkowski	NE	31	27	5	3	66
2	Matt Bryant	ATL	29	24	5	3	61
3	Mason Crosby	GB	30	20	5	3	58
4	Chris Boswell	PIT	29	19	5	3	56

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

Punters

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

It was a quiet week for punters overall, with only 10 punts between the four punters playing this week. With two high-powered offenses meeting in Houston in two weeks, we could see similar utilization in the Super Bowl, as punters may see more time on the field as holders for field goals and extra points than in their primary role as masters of retreat.

That being said, Matt Bosher graded out as the strongest punter this week despite having only two punts on the day. Bosher displayed above-average traits in all aspects of his punting this week, with no errors or miscues that would have allowed Green Bay to get back in the game. 

The lowest-graded punter of the week, Jordan Berry, saw two such miscues, the first being a 36-yard punt from his own 31-yard line. Fortunately for the Steelers, their defense forced a punt from the Patriots after this error, but on his next punt, Berry dropped a 44-yarder into the New England end zone for a touchback, creating only 24 net yards and allowing the Patriots to start from their own 20-yard line en route to their first touchdown of the game.

As a bright spot, Berry did have the best punt of the weekend, a 47-yarder from the right hash to the left sideline that Julian Edelman had to fair catch, netting a full 47 yards and lengthening the field for New England.

Ryan Allen and Jacob Schum fall in the middle of the pack, as Schum had strong distance that was offset by average hang and placement, while Allen featured strong hang and average placement and distance. Neither punter had many opportunities, with just two punts each, but Allen was strong a week earlier against Houston, pinning the Texans deep on multiple occasions. With New England and Atlanta both featuring strong offenses, the battle between Bosher and Allen will be key to trying to derail Matt Ryan and Tom Brady by pinning them deep in their own territory to force longer scoring drives.

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 Conference Championships

Rank	Player	Team	Dist	Hang	Acc	Tkl	Pos	Ovr
1	Matt Bosher	ATL	16	17	31	3	3	70
2	Jacob Schum	GB	19	13	30	3	3	68
3	Ryan Allen	NE	14	16	30	3	3	66
4	Jordan Berry	PIT	11	15	31	3	3	63

Notable Omissions/Not Graded This Week

• None

All advanced stats are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.