- Patrick Surtain II's run continues against Garrett Wilson: The two stars should face off plenty when the Jets battle the Broncos in London.
- Two great wars on the interior: Four of the NFL's highest-graded interior players make the list, in Poona Ford vs. Tyler Linderbaum and Teair Tart vs. Aaron Brewer.
- Unlock your edge with PFF+: Access Premium Stats, dominate fantasy with in-season tools and projections and make smarter bets with the new PFF Player Prop Tool.
Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
What made NFL Week 4 so exciting is true of every fresh slate of action: Watching individual star matchups. The ability to analyze some of the NFL’s brightest and most burgeoning stars clash with one another nearly every snap shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Indeed, while one play can alter an entire game flow, the victor of Week 4’s top individual wars swayed the arrow of victory in their team’s direction. Consider Nik Bonitto’s three pressures and a sack against Jordan Mailata to help the Broncos upset the Eagles.
Below are 10 head-to-head collisions to circle as you determine which games to prioritize watching and/or following this weekend.
New York Jets WR Garrett Wilson vs. Denver Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II
Surtain has been featured heavily on this list over the last few weeks. Now, he’ll get one more test in the form of another stud receiver.
The Jets may not be off to an auspicious start under Aaron Glenn, but Wilson’s play hasn’t diminished one bit. His 77.0 PFF receiving grade is the 10th-best among qualified wideouts, and his 121.6 passer rating when targeted slots eighth.
Surtain has been through the ringer the last two weeks in facing Ja’Marr Chase and A.J. Brown, and Week 5 was generally more on par with what we expect from the NFL’s best cornerback. Against Brown, Surtain permitted four catches for 40 yards and three first downs. Still, the Broncos star broke up his other two targets and finished with a 66.2 PFF coverage grade.
Over the last two games, Surtain has matched up with Chase and Brown at least 13 times each, including 29 instances against Brown last week. Considering the Jets’ rather limited receiving corps, these two standouts should clash regularly in London. Their rematch will come after playing in Week 4 of last season, when Wilson caught three of four targets for 23 yards on 24 matchups against Surtain.
Jacksonville Jaguars EDGE Josh Hines-Allen vs. Seattle Seahawks T Charles Cross
Seahawks-Jaguars offers an insightful glimpse into two of the NFL’s up-and-coming teams during the 2025 season. In particular, circle this war when the Seahawks have the ball.
Jacksonville’s defense has played at a remarkably high level, and Hines-Allen is a usual suspect as to why. His 84.9 overall PFF grade ranks 14th among qualified edge defenders, and his 26 pressures are tied for the fifth-most at the position. Meanwhile, Cross has somehow bettered his elite play from last season, generating an 84.0 PFF pass-blocking grade through four games while permitting only seven pressures on 143 opportunities.
Seattle’s high-powered offense against a stingy Jaguars defense is a tremendous holistic matchup in and of itself. If Hines-Allen can get Sam Darnold off his spot, then it could help the Jaguars move to 5-1. But if Darnold — the NFL’s third-highest-graded quarterback when kept clean — has time to work, he could gain an edge against Jacksonville’s secondary.
Los Angeles Rams Dl Poona Ford vs. Baltimore Ravens C Tyler Linderbaum
Rams-Ravens would have been a barnburner if not for the Ravens’ laundry list of injuries. Still, a chess match will occur on the interior.
Despite switching Los Angeles allegiances this offseason, Ford has continued playing like one of the best interior defenders in football. His 87.8 overall PFF grade is fourth among qualifiers, and his 86.7 PFF run-defense grade is third. Likewise, Linderbaum’s 77.6 overall grade places third among qualified centers, with his 88.3 run-blocking mark the highest at the position.
As the Ravens look to re-establish their signature ground attack with Derrick Henry, Linderbaum’s ability to clear lanes up the middle against Ford will prove portentous for Baltimore’s ability to notch its second win.
Pittsburgh Steelers WR D.K. Metcalf vs. Cleveland Browns CB Denzel Ward
Browns-Steelers projects as a defensive slugfest between two units on the upswing. Expect that tenacity to continue when Metcalf and Ward square off.
Metcalf’s initial four games in Pittsburgh have gone according to plan. His 78.7 PFF receiving grade is the 11th-best among receivers with 20-plus targets, and his 12.5 yards after the catch are easily the most at the position. On the other hand, Ward has been a bit lackluster so far in 2025, posting only a 50.7 PFF coverage grade with a 92.7 passer rating when targeted.
Cleveland’s 45.8% man coverage rate is easily tops in the league, which means that Metcalf and Ward could line up across from one another 20 or more times on Sunday. Considering Ward’s 26.3% missed tackle rate — the ninth-highest among qualified corners — he’ll need to prevent the ball from getting in Metcalf’s hands if the Browns want to pull off an upset.
New Orleans Saints WR Chris Olave vs. New England Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez
Patriots-Saints may not be the most compelling game on the Week 6 slate, but it does present this showdown between two young dynamos at their respective positions.
Working with Spencer Rattler as his quarterback hasn’t been quite as fruitful for Chris Olave. This season, he’s recorded only a 70.1 PFF receiving grade with 1.30 yards per route run, both of which are career lows. Still, he garnered an 82.9 PFF receiving grade or better in each of his first three campaigns.
On the other hand, Gonzalez has played at a strong clip after recovering from a nagging hamstring injury. Through two games, the 23-year-old sports a 68.3 PFF coverage grade. In New England’s signature win against the Bills, Gonzalez permitted only one catch on four targets, good for a 72.2 PFF coverage mark.
With Olave playing 63.1% of his snaps out wide and the Patriots playing the sixth-highest rate of man coverage this year, these two top-17 selections will likely duel on a regular basis in New Orleans (assuming Gonzalez, who has been limited in practice, plays).
Atlanta Falcons WR Drake London vs. Buffalo Bills CB Christian Benford
The first leg of a loaded Monday Night Football doubleheader should feature a laser show between Josh Allen and Michael Penix Jr. Indeed, Penix’s top target will likely be shadowed by one of the sport’s better cornerbacks.
Falcons star Drake London has extended his tremendous play into another young season. His 77.8 PFF receiving grade is tied for ninth among qualified wideouts, and he’s yet to drop a pass on 35 targets. However, Benford has languished a bit in 2025, finishing below a 60.5 PFF coverage grade in four of his five outings this season. Altogether, his 45.4 PFF coverage grade is the 12th-lowest among corners to play 100 or more snaps.
London’s ability to win contested targets against Benford will be especially critical. This season, London has secured four of his seven 50-50 targets, while Benford has surrendered a catch across all three such targets he’s faced.
San Francisco 49ers EDGE Bryce Huff vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers T Tristan Wirfs
49ers-Buccaneers may showcase two injury-riddled teams, but each is 4-1 and in prime position to make noise in the NFC playoff picture. With each side fielding depleted trench units, this matchup very well may dictate the game flow.
With Nick Bosa suffering a torn ACL, Huff has assumed the role of San Francisco’s top pass rusher. He’s exceeded what was expected of him, posting an 84.7 PFF pass-rushing grade with 17 pressures and a 22.1% pass-rush win rate — good for sixth among qualified edge rushers.
Since returning to the lineup in Week 4, Wirfs has been a steadying force along a motley offensive line group. The All-Pro has yielded only three pressures through those two games, scoring a 98.2 pass-blocking efficiency score.
Since Bosa went down, the 49ers have dropped from 12th to 29th in pressure rate over the last three weeks. San Francisco will need Huff — who’s played 63 of 114 (55.3%) of snaps along the defense’s right side since Week 3 — to get after Baker Mayfield.
Los Angeles Chargers Dl Teair Tart vs. Miami Dolphins C Aaron Brewer
On the surface, Chargers-Dolphins isn’t the most stupendous showing in Week 6. Still, it positions two of the NFL’s best interior players this year against one another.
The NFL’s highest-graded interior defender so far isn’t Cameron Heyward, Chris Jones or Dexter Lawrence — it’s Tart and his 90.8 overall PFF grade. The Chargers stud owns a stellar 91.4 PFF run-defense grade alongside a 75.1 PFF pass-rushing grade.
Similarly, Brewer’s 78.8 overall PFF grade is the second-best among all centers. Brewer, too, has been elite in the run game, securing an 87.8 PFF run-blocking grade. Yet, Brewer boasts only a 57.4 PFF pass-blocking grade, with all four of his pressures given up turning into hurries.
Brewer’s ability to control Tart up the middle will be critical if the Dolphins want to best a Chargers defense that sits 10th in rushing EPA per play.
Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase vs. Green Bay Packers CB Keisean Nixon
The Bengals’ quest to stop their seemingly uncontainable slide continues in Green Bay, where Joe Flacco’s team debut will take center stage. Attention should stick on this war when Cincinnati possesses the ball.
While catching passes from Jake Browning for much of the 2025 season, Chase’s play has been variable. He’s finished with a 77.5-plus PFF receiving grade in two of his five games this year but has attained an average of 2.19 yards per route run, not far off from his 2.41-yard mark last season.
Green Bay’s improved defense has featured the third-best PFF coverage grade, and Nixon’s better play is a huge contributing reason. Nixon’s 76.5 PFF coverage grade is the ninth-best among qualified cornerbacks.
Whether in man or zone, Nixon figures to see lots of both Chase and Tee Higgins. Green Bay’s top corner owns a 64.8 PFF coverage grade in man and a 66.0 mark in zone, reflecting his well-rounded efforts.
Arizona Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. vs. Indianapolis Colts CB Charvarius Ward
As the Cardinals look to stop their three-game skid in Indianapolis, they face questions about Kyler Murray’s availability. Regardless of who takes snaps under center, Harrison will endure a matchup with one of the NFL’s best corners this year.
Harrison’s second season has featured highs and lows. While his 62.1 PFF receiving grade is well below his 77.2 mark from 2024, his average yards per route run (1.64 vs. 1.63) is actually higher this year. Many of his issues have stemmed from a 13% drop rate, the eighth-highest among receivers with 20 or more targets.
Ward’s initial year with the Colts has turned back the clock to his heyday. His 83.0 PFF coverage grade is the fourth-best among qualifiers at the position, and he’s allowed only 67 yards into his coverage all year long. More specifically, Ward sits in the 97th percentile in single-coverage grade and in the 84th percentile in forced incompletion rate.
As Harrison plays his first NFL game in the city in which his father dominated for 13 seasons, he’ll need to flash his high ceiling and find ways to get the better of the veteran Ward.
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