In this series, I'm enlightening the masses, forcing my stats-driven and homerific opinions on anyone who cares to read them. And let's be honest, you know you want to read them!
Like a box of oatmeal creme pies after several adult beverages: our CB1 - the esteemed, freakishly athletic, and recently franchise-tagged Brent Grimes - is clutch. Nobody knows how his contract situation will play out, but he's certainly a valuable cog in the figurative wheel. Give this a read.
Grimes had the 8th best success rate among NFL cornerbacks last year. Here's a short and simple explanation of success rate:
Success Rate, to remind everyone, is the percentage of passes that don't manage to get at least 45 percent of needed yards on first down, 60 percent of needed yards on second down, or 100 percent of needed yards on third down.
Grimes had a 63 percent success rate, holding opposing WRs to just 6.1 yards/reception. His success rate shows where he thrives. He makes the plays we need him to make, usually when we need him to make them.
He's by no means perfect, allowing an average of 4.7 yards after each catch last year - the 68th best average in the league. That's not a surprise really, given his stature. He did have a top five yards after catch average in 2010, but that did and still does seem a little fluky. NFL WRs are not easy to tackle, especially when they're 5 to 6 inches taller than you and 30 or more pounds heavier than you. But if you can't catch the ball, then you can't get any yards after the catch. And that's why Grimes is so valuable. You'll never confuse him for a run stopping cornerback, as his career stop rate is horrible, but that's okay in my mind.
It's important to note that Grimes was targeted at a significantly lower clip this year, still managing to deflect 23 passes. He has a ton of potential, and I dare say that he hasn't peaked, as his success rate did improve between 2010 and last year.
Discuss!