Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed has had a career season in 2023 — and yet he just narrowly missed out on getting selected for the Pro Bowl and both the first and second team All-Pro.
That lack of recognition appears to fuel the versatile DB to this day. “I’ve been facing challenges all my life,” Sneed told reporters on January 18. “It’s always been like this for me. Always had to prove myself. Always been the underdog.” He also noted that people are “steady sleeping on me,” and that he “still has a point to prove.”
Among those potentially “sleeping on” Sneed is the NFL grading site Pro Football Focus. In 16 regular season games, PFF credited the star defender with a 71.1 overall and a 71.9 in coverage. Not bad, but those numbers don’t really do Sneed’s performance justice.
By their metrics, he was the sixth best player on the Kansas City defense this year behind defensive lineman Chris Jones, cornerback Trent McDuffie, linebacker Leo Chenal, cornerback Joshua Williams and safety Chamarri Conner. In actuality, he’s probably been No. 1 or 2 along with Jones.
KC media asked Sneed what he thought about his PFF grade later in the press conference and his answer was very blunt.
“They suck,” the shutdown corner replied with a smile, reiterating that opinion two more times. He did not elaborate on his response.
Chiefs Safety Justin Reid Joins L’Jarius Sneed & J.J. Watt in War on PFF
The January 18 Pro Football Focus conversation stemmed from a J.J. Watt appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.
"I've literally sat in a meeting room with coaches and put the grades side by side..
A coaches grade and a PFF grade and they're not even close" ~ @JJWatt #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/NzqZy5JObb
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 17, 2024
“[PFF] comes from a very high and mighty place, and they speak like they know everything there is to know about football,” Watt expressed to McAfee and company. “And they tell all these players and these coaches that they’re so much smarter, and that they’re so much better, and that they have these ways of figuring things out that are so much superior.”
Continuing: “As somebody who’s done it and who’s been in those trenches and who knows what it’s like to have somebody telling you how good you’re doing — I mean, I’ve literally sat in a meeting room with coaches and put the grades side by side. From a coach’s grade and from a PFF grade — I’ve done it — and it’s not even remotely close.”
Chiefs safety Justin Reid joined the discussion later on — after Sneed and Watt said their piece.
“And people swear by PFF 😂 I love that he said this,” Reid voiced, quoting Watt. “PFF is useful for stats/analytics on targets, formation alignments and the percentages of those. ‘Grades’ 😂 they have ZERO clue what the actual calls and responsibilities are. And [by the way], I happen to grade very well inside our building. Could care less about PFF. Argue with a wall…”
As you can see, NFL players do not appear to have much respect for Pro Football Focus and their grading system.
Chiefs’ L’Jarius Sneed Could Shadow Stefon Diggs in Divisional Round vs. Bills
As the Chiefs prepare to face off against the Buffalo Bills once again, Sneed is getting himself ready for his likely matchup with superstar wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
“He’s a great receiver. Smart. Great route runner… hard worker,” Sneed told reporters regarding Diggs. “That’s why he’s been one of the top receivers in the league.”
The CB added that Diggs likes to talk trash during the game before also acknowledging that he enjoys that too.
During the first Chiefs-Bills matchup this season, Sneed got the better of Diggs.
“In Week 14, Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed lined up against Bills WR Stefon Diggs on 24 routes (basically 65% of the time),” A-to-Z Sports KC media member Charles Goldman relayed on X. “He allowed one reception for three yards. Diggs’ remaining three receptions for 21 yards came against other KC defenders.”
Sneed has been locking up opposing WR1s all year long. We’ll see if he can do so again versus Buffalo on Sunday evening.
