• Eagles' Landon Dickerson was dominant: Dickerson allowed just one hurry on 30 pass-blocking snaps to earn an 81.4 pass-blocking grade, the second-best mark of the week. He shined even brighter in the run game, earning a 90.1 grade on zone runs and finishing with a 91.7 overall run-blocking grade.
• Five Lions make the list: Brian Branch, Christian Mahogany, Penei Sewell, Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown all played exceptional football in the divisional round.
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Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
The NFL’s divisional round brought out the best in the league’s top stars, with game-changing performances across the board.
From dominant displays in the trenches to highlight-reel moments in the passing game, here are the 10 highest-graded players from an action-packed weekend of postseason football. To ensure the most accurate reflection of standout play, we focused on players who logged 50 or more snaps, ensuring that grades weren’t overly influenced by one or two big plays across a limited sample.
1. G Landon Dickerson, Philadelphia Eagles (94.0)
Dickerson allowed just one hurry on 30 pass-blocking snaps to earn an 81.4 pass-blocking grade, the second-best mark of the week. He shined even brighter in the run game, earning a 90.1 grade on zone runs and finishing with a 91.7 overall run-blocking grade.
Heading into Championship Sunday, Dickerson stands as the highest-graded guard in the postseason (90.4), and he’s the only guard with a run-blocking grade above 80.0 (89.4).
2. S Brian Branch, Detroit Lions (92.9)
Branch delivered an elite all-around performance in the divisional round, leading all safeties with a 93.3 coverage grade and an 85.6 run-defense grade. He allowed just five completions for 34 yards while also recording two run stops and two quarterback hurries. Notably, Branch is the only safety this postseason to earn 90.0-plus coverage grades in both single coverage (90.2) and zone coverage schemes (93.4).
3. G Christian Mahogany, Detroit Lions (92.3)
In just his second start of the season filling in for Kevin Zeitler, Mahogany shined as a run blocker, earning a position-leading 91.9 run-blocking grade in the divisional round. While he allowed three pressures on 47 pass-blocking snaps, his 78.6 pass-blocking grade was solid. Across his two starts, Mahogany has earned an impressive overall grade of 88.1, fueled by his dominant 88.0 run-blocking grade.
4. DI Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles (90.3)
Los Angeles had no answer for Carter, who consistently disrupted the backfield with seven total pressures, including two sacks, a quarterback hit and a forced fumble early in the fourth quarter.
Carter’s postseason dominance is reflected in his 81.1 PFF grade, the second-highest among interior defenders.
5. T Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions (90.2)
Sewell dominated in the run game, leading all tackles with a 91.9 run-blocking grade. He was equally impressive in pass protection, allowing just one pressure on 26 true pass sets. Through the postseason, Sewell is the highest-graded tackle and the only one to earn 80.0-plus grades in both pass and run blocking.
6. WR Nico Collins, Houston Texans (85.5)
Collins hauled in five of eight targets for 81 yards against Kansas City, with every reception resulting in a first down. Two of his catches went for 15-plus yards in the fourth quarter, and he thrived in the intermediate range, securing four catches for 57 yards.
Over his playoff run, Collins earned an impressive 89.9 receiving grade, finishing with 12 receptions for 203 yards, one touchdown and 11 first downs.
7. QB C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans (85.3)
Stroud suffered a knee injury on the game's opening drive but battled until the end, finishing 19-of-28 for 245 yards. He moved the chains 15 times but was under duress all day, as Kansas City was able to sack him eight times.
When kept clean from pressure, the Texans signal-caller completed 13-of-17 passes for 166 yards and two big-time throws, earning a 94.6 passing grade.
Despite his injury, he was still able to rush six times for 42 yards and three first downs, gaining 20 yards after contact.
Stroud wraps up the playoffs ranked fourth at the position in PFF grade (74.0). He completed 41 passes for 527 yards, threw one touchdown against one interception and finished top two in both big-time throws (4) and turnover-worthy plays (5).
8. QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (83.9)
Jackson completed 18-of-25 passes for 254 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the divisional round. He earned a 92.1 passing grade from a clean pocket, completing 14 of 16 such attempts.
On the ground, Jackson rushed six times for 39 yards, forced two missed tackles and picked up three first downs, including 38 yards after contact and two runs of 10-plus yards in the second quarter.
Through the divisional round, Jackson is the highest-graded quarterback (92.3). He completed 34 passes for 429 yards and four touchdowns, producing five big-time throws against two turnover-worthy plays. Additionally, he led all quarterbacks with 120 rushing yards and eight first downs.
9. RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions (81.4)
Gibbs was electric against Washington, rushing 14 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns. He forced five missed tackles, gained six first downs, and led all running backs with five carries of 10-plus yards, including a 33-yard burst. In the passing game, Gibbs caught six of 10 targets for a position-leading 70 yards.
Gibbs’ 88.2 rushing grade is tied for the highest among running backs through the divisional round.
10. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions (80.4)
St. Brown caught eight passes for 137 yards and moved the chains seven times. He recorded four explosive gains of 15 or more yards, including three catches of 20-plus yards, and averaged 7.8 yards after the catch per reception.
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