Snap crunches the numbers, PFF grades after Tigers loss at Alabama

Yeah, otherwise you wouldn’t be here because of Missouri’s upset, shall we say, upset that happened in Saturday’s game against Alabama.

Win, lose or lose, Pro Football Focus evaluates them all, which means there are several statistics to analyze that go beyond the lopsided final score.

PFF’s grades are based on NFL standards: 90-100 is elite, 85-89 is Pro Bowl caliber, 70-84 is starter, 60-69 is reserve, and anything between 0-59 is replaceable. But you can still give out as many fours as you want.

• LT Marcus Bryant, 63 snaps, 63.8
• RG Cam’Ron Johnson, 63 snaps, 68.2
• RT Armand Membu, 63.8
• C Connor Tollison, 62 snaps, 59.4.
• LG Mitchell Walters, 58 snaps, 64.1
• LG Cayden Green, 6 shots, 55.5
• OL Tristan Wilson, 1 snap, 60.0.
• C Drake Heismeyer, 1 snap, 60.0

Walters took on most of the load at left back after Green sat down. They split snaps against UMass a few weeks ago, but Green kept his job against Auburn. After a week spent on injury reports, Green’s day was short as United played Walters, the visitors’ second-best offensive lineman.

Walters, Tollison and Membu were the only linemen accused of allowing pressure, one each. No linesmen were called for any penalties.

• Drew Pyne, 40 shots, 40.8
• Brady Cook, 21 shots, 43.9
• JR Blood, 2 shots, 59.2

Well, if you combine Pyne’s and Cook’s estimates, you get… something that’s wrong. Cook didn’t show much before leaving with a hand injury, and Pyne threw three interceptions that, oddly enough, grade out about the same in PFF’s eyes—another reason why grades aren’t everything.

Both quarterbacks attempted throws at similar depths, with Cook’s average target depth of 8.5 yards and Pine’s 8.2. Pine released the ball about half a second faster than Cook’s average.

Cook struggled under pressure, which occurred in four of his 13 relief appearances. In those situations, he completed just one pass for one yard. Pyne was under pressure only twice but failed to complete a pass in those dropbacks, making one of his interceptions while being chased by a defender.

Alabama hit Pyne fewer times than Cook – 30.8% of Pyne’s dropbacks compared to Cook’s 46.2%. What this meant is partly up to interpretation: perhaps the Tide wanted to force Cook to scramble on an injured ankle, perhaps they didn’t need to chase Pyne after they had established a lead, perhaps they were content to let him throw recklessly – there was not a single blitz in any of his three picks.

• Jamal Roberts, 36 snaps, 74.7
• Marcus Carroll, 25 snaps, 64.3
• Tavorus Jones, 2 snaps, 59.8

With starting quarterback Nate Noel sidelined again, the committee expanded its efforts for this rushed effort. Roberts and Carroll both handled this task well. And while the former was on the field for more snaps—largely due to his pass protection abilities—they had the same number of carries.

The duo each ran the ball 17 times, with Roberts gaining 71 yards and Carroll earning 80. That’s more than 4 yards per carry for each, with nearly 2 yards apiece after contact.

Mizzou, as usual, ran twice as many zone plays as breakaway runs.

The Tigers’ runs came almost exclusively between the tackles. Carroll only had one carry to the edge. Roberts carried the ball to either side of the center nine times, but to the other gaps and to the edge only eight times combined.

• WR Luther Bearden III, 42 snaps, 60.3
• WR Joshua Manning, 39 snaps, 55.4
• WR Theo Weese Jr., 36 snaps, 59.4.
• WR Marquis Johnson, 28 snaps, 55.8
• TE Jordon Harris, 28 snaps, 51.3
• TE Brett Norfleet, 22 snaps, 69.3.
• WR Mehki Miller, 21 snaps, 47.7
• WR Daniel Blood, 17 snaps, 54.5
• TE Tyler Stevens, 17 snaps, 56.0

With only 72 receiving yards left to go, 15 of which went to the running backs, there wasn’t much to note from those two position groups.

Manning, as expected, was the primary substitute, while Mookie Cooper was sidelined from the game.

Harris was on the field more often than Norfleet, which was not surprising since the latter was listed on the injury report in the days leading up to the game.

• DE Zion Young, 42 snaps, 55.2
• DE Johnnie Walker Jr., 42 snaps, 63.3
• DT Christian Williams, 39 snaps, 46.7
• DT Chris McCellan, 37 snaps, 50.7
• DT Sterling Webb, 26 snaps, 69.9
• DE Jakai Lang, 24 snaps, 60.6
• DE Eddie Kelly Jr., 18 snaps, 54.6
• DT Jalen Marshall, 18 snaps, 45.0.
• DT Marquis Gracial, 14 shots, 45.7
• DE Jaylen Brown, 4 snaps, 40.5
• DT Sam Williams, 4 snaps, 34.4

Mizzou returned to its “rhino pack,” or five players on the bottom line, at times, and Marquis Gracial stepped away from special teams duties to play nose tackle. The Tigers made active changes on defense.

Notable who didn’t take the field: five-star freshman Williams Nwaneri, who is still on track to redshirt.

Walker led the team with two pressures. Lang and Webb were also in a hurry.

• Corey Flagg Jr., 50 snaps, 69.5
• Triston Newson, 33 snaps, 53.8
• Chuck Hicks, 30 snaps, 55.8
• Nicholas Rodriguez, 9 shots, 68.9
• Jeremiah Beasley, 4 snaps, 65.3

Flagg continues to get more work at middle linebacker than Hicks, who was the starter at that position earlier in the season. He finished second on the team in tackles.

• S Marvin Burks Jr., 59 snaps, 59.4
• CB Toriano Pride Jr., 48 shots, 56.8
• STAR Daylan Carnell, 47 shots, 55.2
• CB Nicholas DeLoach Jr., 40 snaps, 73.1
• Joseph Charleston, 35 shots, 56.0
• With Tre’Vez Johnson, 26 snaps, 54.7
• STAR Sydney Williams Sr., 59.2
• CB Marcus Clark, 21 snaps, 41.0
• CB Drayden Norwood, 19 snaps, 67.0
• CB Shamar McNeil, 4 snaps, 64.1
• CB Ja’Marion Wayne, 4 snaps, 60.3
• S Caleb Flagg, 2 snaps, 60.5.
• S. Traen Greco, 1 snap, 60.0

The cornerback usage looked different, with Pride taking on a larger role after Norwood left the game with injury, although Pride and DeLoach continued to rotate early in the game. DeLoach finished the day as Missouri’s top defensive player. The Pride made no tackles but missed three. He was targeted seven times, allowing three catches on one pass.

Carnell and Williams, in the hybrid safety position, were the only defenders to rush the passer.