By Moses Joshua 
Detroit’s defensive stars call out Pro Football Focus for grading without context or understanding of their schemes
Lions Locker Room Unites Against PFF’s “Guesswork”
The Detroit Lions have built their identity on precision, preparation, and pride — values that don’t seem to align with what they believe is a flawed evaluation system from Pro Football Focus (PFF). This week, several Lions defenders didn’t mince words when addressing what they see as serious problems with how PFF assigns player grades.
Cornerback Terrion Arnold led the charge, expressing deep frustration with the analytics site’s methods. “I stopped checking when there was a play where I was in Cover 2 and it said I was actually in man-to-man,” Arnold said via Lions OnSI. “They don’t really know the scheme. Then I saw another one where I supposedly gave up a touchdown — but I wasn’t even the guy in coverage. They just see who’s closest to the ball.”
Arnold’s remarks reflect a growing sentiment across NFL locker rooms — that while PFF’s grades have become a staple of sports broadcasts and social media debates, they often lack the nuance that only those inside the playbook can understand.
“They Don’t Even Know the Defense”
Fellow cornerback Amik Robertson didn’t hold back either. The veteran defender revealed that he stopped paying attention to PFF early in his career after realizing how disconnected the grades were from actual on-field execution.
“PFF is just guys who never played the game. They don’t even know what defense we’re in,” Robertson said bluntly. “I don’t care about rankings. The eye in the sky don’t lie.”
Robertson’s comments echo what many players have been saying quietly for years — that PFF’s reliance on surface-level data often fails to capture what really happens between the whistles. Defensive assignments, coverage rotations, and play disguises can be misread by outsiders who don’t have access to team film or coaching calls.
Analytics vs. Reality: The Debate Continues
The clash between analytics-based grading and player perspective is nothing new, but Detroit’s pushback has reignited the conversation. PFF has long defended its process, stating that their analysts use consistent criteria across all teams to produce “objective” assessments. But to players like Arnold and Robertson, objectivity means little without context.
While fans and analysts will continue to cite PFF scores in debates and fantasy projections, the Lions are keeping their focus where it counts — on the field. As one team source noted privately, “You can’t quantify trust, effort, and execution on a spreadsheet.”
And in Detroit’s locker room, that’s the only grade that matters.