With the 2016 NFL season officially in the books following the New England Patriots’ historic comeback in Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons, Pro Football Focus released their annual list of the top 101 players for the season, and a certain star player took umbrage with his absence from the list.
Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy rushed for 1,267 yards and 13 touchdowns during the campaign but didn’t make the cut for the top 101, and he made it known that he wasn’t exactly a fan of the decision.
Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus defended the decision to leave McCoy, and a few other marquee names off the list in a separate article.
“The single biggest thing that kept McCoy out was his performance as a blocker,” Monson writes. “This may seem like an insignificant thing for a running back, but in today’s league, backs need to be able to pass block, or their quarterbacks are in trouble.
“McCoy was kept in to block 92 times this season, and earned a pass-blocking grade of 37.1 — the worst mark of any running back in the NFL. On those 92 snaps, he allowed 13 total QB pressures.”
Other star players who were left off the list include Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson and Patriots linebacker Dont’a Hightower.
By the way, the player who got the highest grade for the 2016 season was Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
Thumbnail photo via Kevin Hoffman/USA TODAY Sport Images
