PFF Picks Zay Flowers, T.J. Watt for NFL Week 1 Team After 94.0 Grade, 2 Sacks

Q: What hidden metric propelled Trevor Lawrence to Quarterback of the Week over other high-scoring passers?

The key metric was Trevor Lawrence’s league-best Completion Percentage Over Expectation, or CPOE. PFF cited Lawrence’s +22.0% CPOE as the main separator in naming him Week 1 Quarterback of the Week. That stat measures how often a quarterback completes passes relative to how difficult those throws were expected to be, making it a stronger accuracy indicator than raw touchdown totals or passer rating alone. Lawrence also posted a +3.0% Accuracy Over Expectation, which reinforced how precise he was even beyond the box score. That helped Lawrence stand out over other productive passers who may have posted bigger volume or flashy counting stats. In Jacksonville’s win over Cleveland, he completed 18 of 23 passes for 245 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions, good for a 150.6 passer rating. But PFF’s grading leaned on the idea that he was not just efficient — he was outperforming the expected difficulty of his throws at the best rate in the league. Additional Week 1 context strengthened his case. Jacksonville’s passing game generated +0.82 EPA per pass play, and outside observers also pointed to Lawrence finishing near the top of the league in EPA per dropback. Still, the “hidden” edge in PFF’s evaluation was the advanced accuracy data, especially that NFL-leading +22.0% CPOE.

Q: How did the Panthers' offensive line claim top honors while their team suffered a brutal Week 1 defeat?

The Panthers’ offensive line won the honor because PFF graded the unit on its own performance, not on the game result, and Carolina’s blockers were strong even in a 59-37 loss to Chicago. PFF said all five Panthers starters posted pass-blocking grades above 62.0, with three above 75.0. Left tackle Rasheed Walker and left guard Damien Lewis led the group, both finishing above 80.0 overall. Walker, in particular, stood out in his Carolina debut: he earned an 82.1 overall grade, an 88.6 pass-blocking grade and an 81.8 run-blocking grade, while allowing just one pressure over 46 pass-blocking snaps and winning 97.7% of his pass-protection reps. The broader game numbers support that evaluation. Carolina’s offense produced 37 points and 478 total yards, including 361 passing yards from Bryce Young and 125 rushing yards. That level of production is difficult without competent line play, especially against an NFL defense in Week 1. The disconnect came because the Panthers lost for reasons largely outside the offensive line’s control. Chicago scored 59 points, ran for nearly 300 yards and repeatedly broke through Carolina’s defense. So while the team was beaten badly on the scoreboard, PFF’s view was that the offensive front still did its job well enough to merit weekly recognition.

Q: Will Zay Flowers' historic Week 1 performance be overshadowed by the lingering hamstring injury he suffered?

Probably not, unless the injury lingers beyond the short term. Flowers’ Week 1 was too dominant to be ignored. He posted a 94.0 PFF receiving grade, averaged an extraordinary 13.64 yards per route run, and finished with five catches for 150 yards and a touchdown despite exiting early. That production was historic-level for an opener and was central to Baltimore’s win. The injury does put a cloud over it because this was not an isolated issue. Flowers had already missed time in training camp with a hamstring problem, then aggravated the same area in the opener. Hamstring injuries are notable for recurrence, especially for a receiver whose game depends on burst and sudden cuts. If he misses games or is limited over the next few weeks, attention will shift quickly from his breakout to Baltimore’s concern about durability and receiver depth. But the reporting so far points the other way. Multiple outlets described the injury as minor, “not considered serious,” and day-to-day. One report said he likely could have returned if it had been a playoff game, suggesting the Ravens were cautious with a big halftime lead rather than reacting to a major setback. So at this stage, the performance is not being overshadowed so much as slightly tempered. If Flowers returns soon, Week 1 will stand as a statement game. If the hamstring becomes a recurring problem, then the injury narrative could overtake what should have been remembered simply as one of the NFL’s best opening-week performances.

3 articles · Updated · Pro Football Focus · Sep 14

PFF’s Week 1 Team of the Week put Baltimore receiver Zay Flowers and Pittsburgh edge rusher T.J. Watt at the top after standout opening-game performances.
Flowers earned a league-best 94.0 receiving grade and averaged 13.64 yards per route run in the Ravens’ win over Indianapolis, despite not finishing the first half.
Watt added a pick-six to two sacks and two hurries on 22 pass-rush snaps against Atlanta, even while facing double teams on 50.0% of those rushes.
Trevor Lawrence was named quarterback of the week after posting an NFL-best +22.0% completion percentage over expectation in Jacksonville’s opener against Cleveland.
The full Week 1 lineup also included players from across the league on offense, defense and special teams, with Carolina’s offensive line singled out as the top unit.