Donovan Smith: NFL’s 67th Best Tackle?
October 3rd, 2015
The stat geeks seem to be laughing at the Buccaneers when they break from their spreadsheets and stop pretending they know what they’re grading.
While studying all things Panthers at the superior BlackandBlueReview.com, Joe found a piece that wondered aloud about the NFL’s active sacks leader, new Panthers defensive end Jared Allen, facing Bucs rookie left tackle Donovan Smith tomorrow.
They shared this nugget that included the latest offensive tackle analysis from everybody’s favorite misdirection play, ProFootballFocus.com.
Rivera on Wednesday put Allen’s potential playing time at 35-40 snaps. Those could come against rookie Donovan Smith, who started at left tackle in the Bucs’ first three games. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith has allowed eight quarterback hurries, a sack and taken three penalties. Of 70 tackles, he’s rated 67th.
So Bucs fans, do you believe Smith is that bad, 67th in the league?
Keep in mind this famous stats geek outfit told us following the 2013 season that Anthony Collins was a superstar and Donald Penn was hot garbage.
Collins is home. Penn is a standout on the NFL’s sixth-ranked offense, owned by the Oakland Raiders.
October 3rd, 2015 at 8:12 pm
This coming from the same website that proclaimed that Aaron Rodgers’ performance on Monday Night Football this week graded out at 16th out of 32 quarterbacks. I’ll give any statistician a chance, if 23/35 for 335 yards and FIVE touchdowns puts you at -0.2, then your model is hopelessly flawed.
October 3rd, 2015 at 8:34 pm
Well stats are for losers, who said that????
October 3rd, 2015 at 9:22 pm
Really doesn’t matter where Donovan Smith is ranked. Every game stands on its own merit. With a great game, Donovan could be rated in the top-50 by next week and in the top-5 by end-of-year.
And where he ranks as a Tackle really won’t matter when the Bucs switch him to Guard next year.
October 3rd, 2015 at 9:40 pm
I clicked on that pro Panthers site. That led me to Panthers vs Bucs prediction videos on youtube. Nearly everybody I watched thinks the division game will be a close game with the Panthers winning. Two picked the Bucs plus the 3 points. A close game will be watchable, a Bucs win will be special. Who am I kidding, I watch until the end no matter the score like most every Bucs fan does.
October 3rd, 2015 at 10:01 pm
Buccfan37 … Have a good feeling about tomorrow’s game for the first time in a long time. Bucs will win their first home game in the Lovie era.
I’m tired of going to home games and watching them lose. Enough is enough.
October 3rd, 2015 at 10:43 pm
This is the same website that rated Jameis Winston 7th overall for the Saints game and 10th overall for the Texan game. I just do not understand why some people have such resentment for a statistical website? If you have a problem with where a player is rated I think you would understand that every player, in each position, against each other, is rated the same way. In Donovan Smith’s case he did not play well in the first two games. If you watch game film replays Smith was getting beat, tripping over players, falling down, missing an assigned gap and was not staying engaged to the whistle. Not to mention the penalties, sacks, hits and hurries. Do you prefer Pro Football Outsiders or Advanced Football Analytics or NFL.com? These sites provide a comprehensive statistical analyst for an individual and team performance. Does not everyone consider Jacquies Smith as performing very well because he has four sacks or Jameis Winston not playing well because of his completion percentage? The NFL is a game of statistical information. Ignoring Pro Football Focus information just gives that person less intellect into discussions about football.
October 3rd, 2015 at 11:13 pm
I’m a stats guy but when you overanalyze stats, they become meaningless. 8 Qb hurries and 1 sack allowed through 3 games is just fine with me. Forget the rest of what you read in the article. It’s overanalyzed and meaningless.
October 3rd, 2015 at 11:23 pm
Good Lord… Who are the three he is better than? And is it tough for the RB to turn the corner and get around their wheelchair?
October 3rd, 2015 at 11:25 pm
Not a stats guy and proud of it!
October 3rd, 2015 at 11:28 pm
I don’t know,…it’s too early to tell. We are only 3 games in. I can tell you we got him in the 2nd round. Stats guys also say if he was to stay in college and come out next year he would be a 1st round pick. Go figure.
October 4th, 2015 at 12:48 am
Peyton Manning stats are great and only one ring to show for, Trent Dilfer sucked and has the same amount of rings as Payto…..1. Enough said
October 4th, 2015 at 12:59 am
Analytics have no place in football! Numbers can’t measure a player’s heart, drive and determination! Let the geeks analize baseball! Numbers there actually have some validity.
October 4th, 2015 at 1:26 am
If there were a better option than this rookie, the Bucs would be using them. He’s not good, let’s leave it at that.
Stats matter, but the eye test matters more. He needs to get a lot better to be good enough.
October 4th, 2015 at 2:03 am
Yea he might be 68th or 69th best. He’s not the absolute worst but he’s darn close. He’s so slow and his feet look like they weight 50 pounds a piece.
October 4th, 2015 at 2:21 am
PFT is one of the worst websites for football
October 4th, 2015 at 2:38 am
Age of the STAT geeks…
PFF, trying to act like that fat kid in ‘Moneyball’.. All these dudes, killin the game…
Fantasy Football? direct link to the fall of the NFL Defense, and rise in running up the score….
Once FF expands, and includes Defensive player performance & stats, this game will balance out again… till then??? Keep throwin those jump balls to VJ & ME13!!! Odds are on our side!
October 4th, 2015 at 3:36 am
A rookie starting developmental LT only allowing 1 sack in 3 games, in one of those games he faced Clowney and Watt, and did not allow a sack. That should put him ahead of the guys who have given up sacks to those two. Get off Smith, kid is going to be good, he is raw, he needs to play and develop, and he is getting better each game.
October 4th, 2015 at 6:12 am
Wait until the Glazers figure out they have the 33rd best head coach in the NFL……
October 4th, 2015 at 9:16 am
D. Smith will make a great guard when we draft a top franchise LT
October 4th, 2015 at 10:45 am
Smith is getting beat way too often… Doesn’t matter what his rank is… Allowing 8 hurries a sack and three penalties is not getting it done… Let’s hope he can improve as the year progresses…