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Pro Football Focus grades every game and every player. I dig their raw number totals and have other opinions on their ability to grade individual plays like this. You may feel differently. No matter how you feel, there’s always something to learn from the work they do. This is what PFF had to say about the Texans’ win against the Bills.
OFFENSE
—Deshaun Watson was getting hit left and right, but regardless of the pressure, Watson put up easily his worst showing of the season. His overall grade of 32.4 ranked dead last among all quarterbacks this week. On 18 pressured-dropbacks, Watson was 5 for 10 for 57 yards and an interception, good for a 20.5 overall grade when under pressure. 6 of the 7 sacks Watson sustained came when the defense only rushed four or fewer defenders.
—Julie’n Davenport is single-handedly trying to wreck the offensive line, or at least it appears that way. Davenport earned a pass-blocking grade of just 21.8 for his efforts on Sunday, which resulted in three sacks and three QB hits. He allowed two times as many pressures (9) as the rest of his offensive line combined (5). The Texans really don’t have any choice but to stick it out with what they have, but an offensive line is only as good as its weakest link. Because of Davenport’s poor performance, decent pass-blocking from players like Nick Martin (84.3) and Senio Kelemete (76.3) is irrelevant.
DEFENSE
—Zach Cunningham has had a putrid start to the season, as evidenced by his 38.9 overall grade through the first five weeks of the season, which ranked 78th out of 78 qualifying linebackers. Cunningham turned it around in a major way against the Bills, generating an overall grade of 90.7 (1st), an 83.7 run-defense grade (1st) and an 85.5 pass-rushing grade (1st). If Cunningham can sustain just half of that level of play, the Texans defense will be much better off for it.
—Johnathan Joseph followed up his highest-graded game of the season against the Cowboys with an even higher-graded game against the Bills. Joseph’s 92.3 overall grade ranks 2nd among cornerbacks in Week 6, and his 92.4 coverage grade ranks 2nd as well. Joseph has now turned in his two best outings of the season, and the Texans desperately need him to continue his elevated level of play going forward.