• A down day for Marshon Lattimore: In the wild-card round, Lattimore earned the lowest grade by any player who played at least five snaps. Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans took full advantage of the bad-blood matchup, securing six of eight targets for 84 yards and a score when Lattimore was in coverage, with Lattimore earning just a 25.9 coverage grade.
• A.J. Brown eyeing a big day: Brown had an uncharacteristically quiet game, managing just one reception for 10 yards and averaging 0.42 yards per route run. He earned his lowest receiving grade of the season (57.8), a stark contrast to his dominant regular-season performance that saw him post the third-highest receiving grade among wide receivers (91.6).
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Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes
The NFL playoffs are all about rising to the occasion, but not every star shines in the spotlight.
As we head into the divisional round, several key players will look to rebound after underwhelming performances in the wild-card round. Let’s look at who’s under pressure to bounce back this weekend after earning disappointing PFF grades in the first week of playoff action.
CB Marshon Lattimore, Washington Commanders: 26.5
When Washington traded for Lattimore, it was with the expectation that the talented veteran corner would boost a struggling secondary. However, that hasn’t quite been the case, with Lattimore dealing with a nagging hamstring injury that has limited his appearances and production.
In the wild-card round, Lattimore earned the lowest grade by any player who played at least five snaps. Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans took full advantage of the bad-blood matchup, securing six of eight targets for 84 yards and a score when Lattimore was in coverage, with Lattimore earning just a 25.9 coverage grade.
The eighth-year cornerback ultimately surrendered 4.42 yards per coverage snap — the worst mark by any starting corner this past week.
CB Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia Eagles: 34.9
The Eagles' first-year corner has had a tremendous rookie campaign to this point, but he stumbled drastically in his first postseason appearance. Tasked with holding down the slot, DeJean posted a career-low 34.2 coverage grade in the wild-card round, allowing 1.85 yards per coverage snap and a 100% open target rate. It starkly contrasted his regular-season performance, where his 77.7 slot coverage grade ranked 11th among qualifying slot defenders.
CB Christian Benford, Buffalo Bills: 41.4
The former sixth-rounder has emerged as one of the league’s top coverage defenders over the past two seasons and notably finished the regular season with the fourth-highest coverage grade (82.8) among qualifying cornerbacks. That’s what made his struggles in the wild-card round so surprising. He earned a 38.6 coverage grade — his lowest in two seasons — while allowing 2.21 yards per coverage target and a 118.3 passer rating on throws into his coverage.
G Mekhi Becton, Philadelphia Eagles: 45.3
Becton has flashed potential on the interior of this Eagles offensive line, but consistency has been hard to come by. His 45.3 overall grade in the wild-card round reflected those struggles. Against the Packers, he earned sub-50.0 grades as both a run- and pass-blocker — the first time he’s fallen below that threshold in both areas since joining the Eagles. With the Rams’ front seven coming off an impressive performance last week, Becton must step up to help Philadelphia advance.
TE Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills: 47.7
After earning a 70.0-plus receiving grade for the second consecutive season, it was a surprise to see Kincaid struggle to find separation in the wild-card round. Kincaid posted his lowest receiving grade of the year (52.4), largely due to the Broncos' coverage strategy, which frequently saw Patrick Surtain II matched up against the talented tight end.
EDGE Josh Sweat, Philadelphia Eagles: 52.3
The Eagles’ pass rush dominated the Packers' front, posting an impressive 58.3% pass-rush win rate. However, Sweat was uncharacteristically quiet on the edge, generating just two pressures with a 6.9% win rate. His 52.3 pass-rush grade was the lowest among Eagles defenders in the game.
Philadelphia relies heavily on its front four to pressure the passer, so Sweat will need to step up as the quality of opposing quarterbacks ramps up in the divisional round.
QB C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans: 58.4
No quarterback threw for more yards than C.J. Stroud on wild-card weekend (282), but the Texans quarterback left some plays on the field that could have swung the game in the Chargers’ favor. Los Angeles pressured the rookie quarterback relentlessly, generating 21 pressures and forcing him into four turnover-worthy plays. Stroud struggled under duress, earning just a 32.8 passing grade under pressure — the lowest of the weekend. In the divisional round, expect Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to dial up a similar game plan to keep Stroud uncomfortable.
LT Alaric Jackson, Los Angeles Rams: 58.6
The Rams' offensive line somewhat held its own against a Vikings pass rush that generated the sixth-most pressures (314) during the regular season. The unit still allowed 17 pressures, though, with Jackson being responsible for three. His 10.0% pressure rate was the highest among Rams offensive linemen. That performance will undoubtedly need to pick up with the Eagles pass rush on the schedule.
WR A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles: 60.6
Brown had an uncharacteristically quiet game, managing just one reception for 10 yards and averaging 0.42 yards per route run. He earned his lowest receiving grade of the season (57.8), a stark contrast to his dominant regular-season performance that saw him post the third-highest receiving grade among wide receivers (91.6) — a career-best mark.
S Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens: 61.6
Hamilton’s importance to the Ravens' defense is undeniable, with his transition from slot defender to deep safety driving significant improvements in the unit's efficiency. However, his performance in the wild-card round fell short of expectations.
In coverage, Hamilton appeared a step behind on several plays, allowing Russell Wilson to exploit openings, including a 30-yard touchdown pass to Van Jefferson over his head. With Josh Allen and the high-powered Bills offense up next, Baltimore will need Hamilton to return to form as one of their key defensive anchors.
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