Detroit Lions Players Finally Fire Back at PFF — And Fans Are Loving It

Detroit Lions Players Fire Back at PFF’s Controversial Player Grades

If you’ve ever watched an NFL game and noticed those flashy Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades next to a player’s name, you’re not the only one — and neither are the players rolling their eyes at them.

This week, that ongoing debate over PFF’s grading system has taken the spotlight in Detroit, where several Lions defenders voiced frustration over what they believe are misleading and inaccurate evaluations from the analytics website.

“They Don’t Even Know the Scheme” — Lions Players Sound Off

Inside the Lions’ locker room, the sentiment was nearly unanimous: players don’t trust the grades. Cornerback Terrion Arnold didn’t mince words when asked about it, saying he’s long stopped taking PFF’s analysis seriously.

> “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 frustration echoes a common complaint among players who feel PFF’s grading doesn’t account for play design or assignment — key parts of what determines success or failure on any given snap.

Cornerback Amik Robertson backed up Arnold’s point, saying he stopped paying attention to the site years ago.

> “PFF is just guys who never played the game. They don’t even know what defense we’re in,” Robertson said. “I don’t care about rankings. The eye in the sky don’t lie.”

Linebacker Grant Stuard took a lighter approach but agreed that PFF’s grades don’t always match reality.

> “I can understand why fans look at it,” Stuard said. “But they don’t really know what we’re running. Nobody does but us.”

The Bottom Line

Love it or hate it, PFF’s influence across the NFL landscape is undeniable — but for players, the grades often miss the bigger picture. Context, schemes, and assignments matter far more than the numbers on a chart.

As Robertson summed it up perfectly:

> “The eye in the sky don’t lie.”