Category: NFL

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Week Five- Saints Vs Seahawks Preview 

If a game in week five is a must-win it’s usually because things are not going well. That’s definitely the case for the 2022-2023 New Orleans Saints. This is a must-win game Vs the Seattle Seahawks. Let’s see how the Saints stack up.

The Saints chose not to have their bye week as usual after a London game. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a post-London hangover with all the travel and time changes. The Sants have got to prove the organisation was right to make that choice this week and not let that be the reason for another week of sloppy play, ending in a loss.

Saints Offense Vs Seahawks Defense

This has to be a get-right game for the again Andy Dalton-led Saints offense. Last week was a good start for Dalton and the offense, in their attempt to right the offensive ship. However, they were still plagued by a very slow start on offense, turnovers, fumbles especially and penalties.

The first 6 drives of the game for the Saints; Three of those drives were three-play, three-and-out drives. One was a 60-yard touchdown after the Tyrann Mathieu interception, the last play before the half was a one-play drive where Dalton lost a fumble.

The Saints went three and out again to start the second half before going. Touchdown, touchdown, field goal and missed field goal to end the game. The second half showed promise, but they can’t keep getting off to such slow starts, this team has barely played with a lead all season. This team is not built to win from behind.

This week on paper looks to be a good matchup for the New Orleans offense.

In the picture above are Seattle’s top seven players in terms of coverage snaps (Picture from PFF). Four of those seven players have allowed a 130+ passer rating when targeted (NFL column). Specifically, I want to highlight Jordyn Brooks (PR 149.0) and Coby Bryant (136.9). 

Brooks struggled against Alvin Kamara last season, (four receptions for 49 yards and 2 first downs) given up against Kamara in coverage last season (per PFF) this should be a matchup the Saints target again, with Kamara set to return this week.

Bryant has been manning the slot since regular starter Justin Coleman got injured in Week One and he’s struggled. Whilst in coverage he’s allowing 71.4% of the passes thrown his way to be completed and those receptions on average go for 17.3 yards per catch. He also hasn’t forced any incompletions whilst in coverage so far this year.

This should be an advantageous matchup for Jarvis Landry; the Saints’ main slot receiver. This seems like a good game to put Olave and/or Harty in the slot for some slot plays to try and take advantage. 

Seattle could have Coleman back, he’s been out with a calf injury but there’s no guarantee that he immediately be pushed back into the starting line-up, we saw this with starting CB Paulson Adebo in his first game back from his ankle injury.

Rookie CB, Tariq Woolen has impressed in the Seattle secondary as has Saints rookie WR Chris Olave. This is a matchup I’m fascinated to watch on Sunday. More on that here (Analysing Three Key Matchups For The Saints In Week Five Vs Seattle – Full10Yards)

Per Pro-Football-Reference (PFR) Seattle’s defense on average is giving up 8.2 yards per pass play. This ranks dead last in the league in this metric.

 2022 Seattle Seahawks Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Also, per PFR Seattle’s defense is giving up 5.1 yards-per-carry which ranks as the fourth worst in the NFL. This is another sign of hope for the Saints’ offense. It’s clear that New Orleans wants to establish the run and the offense has looked its best when they’ve been able to run the ball, especially on early downs. With Kamara back, Ingram not on the injury report and Taysom seeming to be back to full health. This should be a good matchup for them to dominate on the ground.

The Saints’ o-line should be able to hold up well against the Seattle pass rush. They had a very solid game last week against a stronger rush. Although Minnesota only blitzed Dalton six times last week, which is surprising considering the Saints’ issues against the blitz, expect that to be tested early this week.

Saints Defense Vs Seahawks Offense 

At the start of the season, I would have said this was one of the easiest matchups for the Saints’ defense. After four weeks of the NFL season that isn’t the case.

Geno Smith has been great, he’s played exactly how the Saints would have wanted their QBs to play so far. 

He’s been efficient completing a league-best 77.3% of his passes. With only two turnovers (two interceptions) he’s playing a perfect point guard role at QB distributing the ball to his playmakers with minimal fuss.

Expect star WR D.K Metcalf to be matched up with Saints star CB Marshon Lattimore for most of the day, this is always a blockbuster matchup and one the Saints need to win, more on that here (Analysing Three Key Matchups For The Saints In Week Five Vs Seattle – Full10Yards).

Despite Metcalf’s star power, he’s not the Seahawks leading WR so far this season. That title goes to Tyler Lockett, who has more catches and yards so far this season. He plays 44.9% of his snaps in the slot. This means Bradly Roby will be under a microscope in this matchup, the Saints could even shade some help his way.

Seattle also possesses one of the league’s most potent ground games. Rashaad Penny, who once looked like a first-round bust. Now looks like one of the most explosive runners in the league.

Per PFF, he averages 4.57 rushing yards after contact per rush, which leads all RBs in the NFL. He’s also averaging six yards-per-carry (YPC) so far this season after an incredibly impressive, 17 carry 157-yard performance last week @ Detroit.

The Saints’ defense needs to show up against the run like it did last week when it bottled up another elite RB (Dalvin Cook) for 3.6 YPC on 20 attempts. 

The final piece to the puzzle for the New Orleans defense? Putting Geno under pressure. When under pressure Smith’s PFF passing grade is 62.0, compared to 87.3 when not under pressure. They need big games from Cam Jordan and Marcus Davenport Vs two rookie tackles. More on that matchup here- Analysing Three Key Matchups For The Saints In Week Five Vs Seattle – Full10Yards

State Of The Rosters

Saints

The Saints will be without QB1 and WR1 again this week as Jameis Winston and Michael Thomas are both OUT for this weekend.

On the plus side, the Saints will have star RB Alvin Kamara, starting safety Marcus Maye and starting LG back for this game.

Seahawks 

Fairly clean bill of health for Seattle. There was a scare earlier in the week when star RB Rashaad Penny didn’t practice, he practised fully since then.

The Main miss for Seattle is last week’s starting EDGE Darrell Johnson is OUT after being put on injured reserve with an ankle injury. This will give Seattle a chance to give second-round rookie Boye Mafe an extended look in Taylor’s absence.

For more information on the injuries click here- https://whodathype.com/2022/10/07/week-five-injury-updates-saints-seahawks/

Score Prediction 

If the Saints offense doesn’t get back firmly on the tracks this week then honestly, I don’t expect them to and this has to be the week for an Alvin Kamara game.

Unless the pass rush goes ballistic (which it could) then I think Seattle will still score points. 

The Saints win 31-24 with a late Seattle touchdown bringing the score closer.

For more Saints articles New Orleans Saints – Full10Yards 

Please let me know your feedback on this article and the others throughout the season, I’m always looking to improve and add things that people want to read about!

Follow me on Twitter @SaintsReportUK, for much more Saints content and discussion.

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Analysing Three Key Matchups For The Saints In Week Five Vs Seattle

In what is now a must-win game for the New Orleans Saints, there are three key matchups I think the Saints need to win on Sunday, to get back to 2-3 and bring their season back from the brink.

Marshon Lattimore vs D.K. Metcalf

This was always going to be a blockbuster matchup. After last week there’s now a lot more of a spotlight on the Saints’ CB.

Lattimore has made a name for himself by shadowing the other team’s number 1 WR. For the most part, he’s done that very well. Traditionally he’s fared worse against the smaller more shift WRs (Stefon Diggs, Antonio Brown etc..) and excelled against the bigger-bodied WRs (Mike Evans, Davante Adams etc..).

Metcalf definitely falls within the bigger-bodied WR category. Therefore, this matchup should be in Lattimore’s wheelhouse.  

There is a pause for concern from the Saints’ side. Lattimore did not have his best game against Justin Jefferson and gave up a huge play at the end of the game which led to the Vikings’ game-clinching field goal.

On paper, the last meeting between the Saints’ star CB and Seahawks’ star WR also, should make you pause. In week Seven of last season, the Saints squared off with Seattle @ Lumen Field.  Metcalf’s final figures against Lattimore? Two receptions of 3 targets for 96 yards and a TD.

Context is required here, 84 of those yards came on one play. A play which could have been called OPI (I think it was right it wasn’t called but it was close). This play happened early in the first quarter, from then on Lattimore locked him down only allowing one reception from two targets for 12 yards.

The final nugget that makes this battle a must-watch? Shenanigans after the whistle. Last season Metcalf played the role the ‘Sean Avery’ role to perfection (if you get this reference then respect!) he wound Marshon up at every convivence, with shoves and shots. Once Lattimore retaliated that flags were thrown (flags are always thrown on the second guy, especially if they play the Saints).

Lattimore has already been thrown out of a game this season (wrongly) for unnecessary roughness. That cant happen again, the Saints need their lockdown CB on the field and Lattimore needs to try as best he can to keep his head as I’m sure Metcalf will test him early with some stuff after the whistle.

DK METCALF vs MARSHON LATTIMORE FIGHT+HIGHLIGHTS (2021) – YouTube 

Chris Olave Vs Tariq Woolen

It’s looking unlikely that Michael Thomas will not play again this week. Jarvis Landry has struggled to get involved in the offense since his Week One heroics and sustaining a foot injury in Week Three.

That leaves rookie standout Chris Olave as the Saints’ main target at WR.  Olave leads all rookie WRs in receiving yards (335) and receptions (21) Olave’s 335 receiving yards are also the eighth most in the entire NFL.

Seattle has their own impressive rookie, Tariq Woolen. His story is slightly different to Olave’s. A converted WR now 6’ 4” 205 lbs CB who ran a 4.26 40-yard dash at the combine. An athletic freak might not give his athletic profile enough credit.

He entered the NFL as a raw prospect with need or refinement after being drafted in the fifth round last May. 

Well, he’s transitioned well into the NFL, he’s tied for first in the NFL with two interceptions and is only allowing a 40.4 passer rating when targeted. 

 It doesn’t appear that Seattle uses him to match up against the team’s best WR, its rare for a rookie to do this and traditionally how Seattle likes to play defense under Pete Carrol, even when Richard Sherman was at his height on the Legion of Boom defences, he didn’t always travel. Seattle generally prefers to put their CBs on respective sides of the field and keep them there. 

However no doubt they will match up plenty and despite the good, I’ve highlighted above about Woolen’s play it does look like a matchup the Saints can still attack. Woolen has given up nine receptions for 138 yards so far, so when he does give up a catch it can be for big yardage, he’s also committed five penalties so far this season of those penalties, two have been defensive pass interference and two have been defensive holding.

With Olave’s silky route-running ability this could be a matchup, the Saints choose to attack. If they choose to they had better be careful and any sniff of a wayward pass, Woolen’s ball skills have already shown he will have no problem picking it off.

Cameron Jordan And Marcus Davenport Vs Seahawks Rookie Tackles 

Cam Jordan and Marcus Davenport had their best game of the season so far this week in London. They had ten total pressures including a shared sack, three other QB hits and multiple throwaways due to their pressure. This week they get an enticing matchup against two rookie tackles.

Charles Cross (the ninth overall pick from this year’s draft) is starting at LT for Seattle. With the 72nd overall pick Abraham Lucas starting at RT. Lucas has yet to allow a sack in four starts, he has allowed nine total pressures (six hurries and three QB hits per PFF). Cross on the other hand has given up three sacks and 6 further pressures. 

Seattle has played two teams that you would classify as having elite pass rushes (Broncos and 49ers).  Lucas held up well in pass protection in both games, and Cross held up well against the 49ers but struggled against Denver (two sacks and two hurries). Lucas held up fairly well overall.

Seahawks QB Geno Smith has been one of the surprises of the season. Keeping him under pressure is imperative to the Saints’ success. Being dominant on the edge is the path to that. As the interior d-line has not been producing so far this season from a pass rush perspective (having camp stand-out Malcolm Roach back could help this area). 

The Saints need to give the rookie tackles a ‘welcome to the NFL’ game and if Jordan and Davenport play how they did in Week Four again this week, then I think they will achieve that.

For more Saints articles New Orleans Saints – Full10Yards I will have a full preview on Sunday’s game up on there on Saturday.

Please let me know your feedback on this article and the others throughout the season, I’m always looking to improve and add things that people want to read about!

I want to try and create as much of a UK Saints community as possible, so follow me on Twitter @SaintsReportUK, for much more Saints content and discussion.

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Week 4: Rookie Standouts

With the injury bug taking hold across multiple teams, there is a plethora of rookies making significant contributions to their teams. Let’s take a look at three that shone this week, including a couple that did so on their first ever starts

Jamaree Salyer, Tackle – Los Angeles Chargers

The pressure on Salyer must have been immense as he was thrust into his first NFL game to protect Justin Herbert’s blindside due to All-Pro Rashawn Slaters’ injury. Salyer had predominantly been transitioning to guard in the offseason, but despite only having a week to reacquaint himself with his position at Georgia, he dominated on his side.

During the game, the sixth-round pick had a pass block grade of 90.4 and allowed 0 sacks, 0 pressures, and 0 hurries across 41 pass blocking snaps. The Chargers will likely have to rely on Salyer for the foreseeable future as the current timeline for Slaters’ return isn’t until late 2022 at the earliest.

Dameon Pierce, Running Back – Houston Texans

Despite ending up on the losing side of the game against the aforementioned Salyer’s Chargers, Pierce himself also had a career day after sparking the fast fading Texans into life halfway through the second quarter.

With the Chargers up 21-0, the Texans looked down and out, but Pierce had other ideas. He took the handoff from Davis Mills and breezed past the Chargers’ defensive front for a 75-yard touchdown, and hauled them back into the game. The 113 rushing yards from the game took his total for the season to 313, enough to crack the top 10 above players like Derrick Henry and Dalvin Cook.

Jack Jones, Cornerback – New England Patriots

Jack Jones had been eyeing up a pick all season on underneath passes, and finally his aggressive nature paid off. With the team down 3-7 just before the half, Jones jumped in front of Aaron Rogers’ pass intended for Allen Lazard and took it the 40 yards for the pick-six. Amazingly, this is only the second pick-6 Rogers has ever thrown at Lambeau Field.

Jones, who was starting due to a hamstring injury suffered by Jalen Mills, also caused a forced fumble and recovery earlier in the game as he punched the ball out of fellow rookie Romeo Dobbs’ hands.

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Better Than Advertised: Two players proving us wrong

After roughly a quarter of the regular NFL season, let’s look at a couple of players who were vastly underestimated before a ball was thrown in anger. The $72 million that Jacksonville coughed up for Christian Kirk was widely ridiculed as a massive overpayment for an underwhelming choice. Meanwhile, the Seahawks took a lot of flak when they settled for a QB room populated by Drew Lock and Geno Smith rather than filling their Russell-Wilson-shaped hole with a bigger name. But as we’ve seen, Kirk and Smith are making us rethink our initial judgements.

Christian Kirk, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Having cashed in their #1 overall draft pick for a franchise quarterback last offseason, it was clear from Trevor Lawrence’s shaky rookie campaign that he needed better offensive weapons around him. Cue the arrival of Arizona Cardinals wideout Christian Kirk in a deal inked literally hours into the legal tampering period.

It wasn’t Kirk’s name than made the deal one of the most questioned of the 2021 offseason. After all, the former second-round pick from Texas A&M was coming off his best year, having snared 77 targets for 982 yards and five TDs. It was more about the money.

Kirk got an absolute bag: $72 million over four years, with $37 million guaranteed – and with incentives, it could reach $84 million. Even for a franchise swimming in cap space, an average annual salary of $18 million was widely considered to be crazy money for a WR2. Kirk has largely played second or even third fiddle to the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, DeAndre Hopkins and AJ Green during his career. Furthermore, he is yet to have 1,000 receiving yards in any of his four seasons as a pro.

You could argue that, given their limited success over the years, Jacksonville needed to pay top dollar to attract talent. They needed someone young enough to develop alongside Lawrence (Kirk is 25). They needed someone with speed and separation (he has both). And they needed someone who’s been relatively healthy (he’s only had a couple of short-term foot and ankle injuries, and missed one game through COVID).

Deebo Samuel, Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams were going to break the bank, and Amari Cooper has a poor injury record. As for the draft, the Jags were selecting #1 and #33, leaving them out of the mid-Round 1 sweet spot for WRs. So of all the viable receivers available to them, Kirk seemed to fit the bill. But even then, the deal seemed like a massive – and expensive – gamble for someone with still so much to prove. 

Yet a month into the regular season, maybe the Jags knew something we didn’t. Sure, General Manager Trent Baalke paid through the nose but so far, it seems that Kirk is holding up his side of the bargain.

Kirk’s season so far:

Week 1 v Commanders: 6 catches, 117 yards
Week 2 v Colts: 6 catches, 78 yards, 2 TDs
Week 3 v Chargers: 6 catches, 72 yards, 1 TD
Week 4 v Eagles: 2 catches, 60 yards

Unlike in the desert, he’s now the No.1 target for a QB that gets the ball out quickly, leading an attack that also features Zay Jones, Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault and Jamal Agnew. Mainly lining up in the slot, but also popping up out wide and in the backfield, how is he doing?

  • #9 in the NFL with 327 receiving yards from just 20 receptions.
  • #2 in yards per reception at 16.4 (among those with an average of 5+ catches per game), trailing only Jaylen Waddle.
  • Only Tyreek Hill (8) and Justin Jefferson (7) have had more 20-plus-yard receptions than Kirk’s six.
  • His three receiving touchdowns, while tied with a dozen others, is bettered only by Stefon Diggs and Jahan Dotson (4).

The trick now is to keep up the pace for the rest of the year and make sure this isn’t a flash in the pan. Sure, Kirk’s numbers to date might not yet have convinced you that he was worth the investment. But if he maintains this trajectory, a few critics will have to get the cutlery and crockery out, ready to eat a big slice of humble pie.

Geno Smith, QB, Seattle Seahawks

In contrast to the sniggers that greeted Christian Kirk’s move to the Jaguars, the offseason move with the biggest fanfare was arguably Denver’s acquisition of long-time Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson. As part of the blockbuster trade for Dange’Russ, a boatload of picks and players – including QB Drew Lock – went in the other direction.

Lock was widely considered to be a makeweight in the deal so in the weeks after Wilson signed his five-year, $245 million deal with the Broncos, speculation was rife about who would replace him in the Pacific North West. Deshaun? Matty Ice? Jimmy G? Baker? Nope. In the end, Seattle sat tight and let Lock battle it out with their existing QB2, one Eugene Cyril ‘Geno’ Smith III. And against the odds, the 10-year backup won the starting job.

I don’t think it’s a hot take to say that nothing much was expected of Smith who, between 2015 and 2020, made only two starts. In short, the guy hasn’t played a lot of football and Seattle fans braced themselves for a tough season. And although the 2-2 ‘Hawks aren’t exactly setting the world on fire yet, Geno Smith is more than holding his own.

Smith’s season so far:

Week 1 v Broncos: 23 of 28 (82.1%), 195 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Week 2 v 49ers: 24 of 30 (80%), 197 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT
Week 3 v Falcons: 32 of 44 (72.7%), 325 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
Week 4 v Lions: 23 of 30 (76.7%), 320 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT

The 31-year-old put Wilson and the Broncos to the sword in Week 1 and, after a relative dip against the Niners in Week 3, posted a career-best performance this weekend. In Seattle’s wild back-and-forth 48-45 win over the Detroit Lions, Smith completed 23 of 30 for 320 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He added 49 rushing yards and an 8-yard tuddy on the ground for good measure. Seattle racked up 555 total yards and 48 points, and 14 of Smith’s completions went for first downs. And yet, after the game, the man himself played down his efforts: “No, I can play better. I have not exceeded my expectations. I can play a lot better.”

Geno has now made 77.3% of his passes, which is almost 5% better than anyone else in the league. According to ESPN, it’s also the highest completion rate for a QB (with at least 125 attempts) in the opening four games of a season in NFL history!

In addition:

  • Geno’s thrown six TDs (top 10) to just two interceptions (tied 5th)
  • He’s in the top 10 for passing yards (1,037)
  • Smith is tied 6th for completions, ahead of Mahomes, Tua, Jalen Hurts and, importantly, Russell Wilson
  • He is #6 for adjusted QBR (72.2) and has a passer rating of 108.0, which puts him third in the league, behind only Tua and Mahomes
  • His average of 7.9 yards per passing attempt is tied for 4th in the league.

Geno’s form to date has been a very welcome surprise for Seahawks fans, especially when you consider the second-round pick in 2013 had thrown 34 TDs and 36 INTs before this season. It seems Smith has found a more consistent, conservative groove, and is far less volatile than his old self (and indeed, Drew Lock). So I hope they Let Geno Simmer Gently and he puts all his doubters firmly in their place.

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Fantasy Recap – Week 4

By James Fotheringham (@NFLHypeTrain)

Welcome to the fantasy recap and week 4 reminded us that fantasy football is unpredictable, unbelievable and at times unbearable. Some key injuries to big players, some massive duds, weather causing issues, unlikely heroes and bonkers scores made it an intense week and we are here to guide you through just some of the chaos.

NB: Scores based on PPR leagues

Fantasy Stars:

Geno Smith (SEA) – 23cmp/320yds/2td + 7rsh/49yds/1td 32pts

Prior to the season there was a proper QB battle between Smith and Drew Lock with people expecting Lock to emerge the victor, however Smith earned the role and has been deserving of it on his performances this season and this was a mad game, with a mad stat-line and a scorigami to boot.

Josh Jacobs (LVR) – 28rsh/144yds/2td + 5rec/31yds 35pts

Josh Jacobs was another player essentially written off at the start of the season, or at least whose stock was sinking, but here he was the key man against the Broncos and with 172 total yards, he may have silenced a lot of doubters.

TJ Hockensen (DET) – 8rec/179yds/2td 40pts

TJ Sock-it-to-em-son. A record breaking day for the Lions tight end and in a year where Tight Ends have been much maligned, he really balled out. 2tds, 179yards a 2pt conversion and yet still was on the losing side. It was remarkable.

Surprise Packages:

Mo Alie-Cox (IND) – 6rec/85yds/2td 27pts

Big Mo was in beast mode this week with arguably the one bright spark in an otherwise poor Colts performance. They have some depth in that tight end room which makes up for the lack of it when it comes to wide receivers. The issue has always been consistency, but when he hits, he can really go ham.

Jared Goff (DET) – 26cmp/378yds/4td + 1rsh/1yds 34pts

After being a success last week, Jared Goff this time proved he could put up massive fantasy numbers without any of his main offensive weapons. Swift, St Brown, Chark all missing and yet 34pts, almost grabbing a win and making Jamaal Williams and Josh Reynolds look like stars and propping up a career day for Hockenson was incredible to behold.

Jamal Agnew (JAX) – 4rec/50yds/2td 21pts

The Jags are such an odd team this season. We will get to the struggle Trevor Lawrence had in this game but Jamal Agnew was the player who gave them a head start in this game. So often a gadget player, this time when used normally he had the speed and skill to get to the endzone twice and leave the Jones very much struggling to keep up.

Disappointments:

Trevor Lawrence (JAX) – 11cmp/174yds/2td/1int + 2rsh/7yds/4fum(lost) 3pts

I can give Lawrence a pass as it was a wet day but after hyping him up last week, losing 4 fumbles and throwing an interception was not the way to show that you should be considered a stud. He will have sunnier days.  

Jonathan Taylor (IND) – 20rsh/40yds + 1rec/1yds 2pts

This may be the most panic inducing stat-line of the lot. Taylor had 20 carrier, could only get 42 yards, no TDs, only 1 reception and then left the game with an injury. He’d been almost a non-factor and now could find himself a non-factor on Thursday against the Broncos. For so many he was the 1.01 but right now, there are alarm bells ringing.

Terry McLaurin – 2rec/15yds 4pts

Plenty of spot start wide receivers failed this week but one of the worst true misses this week was McLaurin only getting 2 catches for 15 yards. Jahan Dotson went off injured in this game and they were playing catch-up and having to throw a lot but he was just marked out of the game and could not get clear. With Samuel looking decent so far this season, the draft capital placed on McLaurin is looking rather questionable now.

Waiver Wire pickups:

QB – Zach Wilson (NYJ) – If Jared Goff hasn’t been claimed, he is the pick here and arguably every week until he’s owned. However, assuming he’s taken the next option this week may be Zach Wilson. He proved against Pittsburgh that he’s able to survive a game and lead the team to wins. He has weapons and doesn’t seem too worse for wear now he’s removed a bit of the rust. A matchup against the Dolphins who have given up the 2nd most fantasy points to QBs in fantasy this year make his a viable option.

Other QB Options – Geno Smith @NO.  

RB – Tyler Allgeier (ATL) – Allgeier, Caleb Huntley and Avery Williams will all benefit from the absence of Cordarelle Patterson after he landed on IR. Allgeier is the most intriguing of these and Huntly projects as the goal line back and did a great job of that against the Browns, but Allgeier has the explosiveness to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

WR – Corey Davis (NYJ) – Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore and Corey Davis is actually quite a balanced set and with Zach Wilson as a start of the week, the ~30% owned Davis is the one to pick up. Only 4pts behind Wilson as the 2nd highest scoring receiver and yet many are afraid to pick him up. At worst he will scoop up garbage time points.

TE – Will Dissly (SEA) – We really should have seen this coming. For a number of seasons now Will Dissly has started the season on fire and looked like a TE1, only to get an early injury and be out for the season and completely forgotten. While he’s healthy and times are good with Geno Smith, cash in. He’s barely 5% owned and he is TE9 on the season ahead of Waller, Knox and Pitts.

DST Options – Vikings vsCHI, Jaguars vsHOU, Titans @WAS, Broncos vsIND.

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Five Things: Week 4 – Chicago Bears at New York Giants

The Giants went old school this week in their designated Legacy Game and decided that the gameplan should be a throwback too with a hard-hitting ground and pound style offence that ensured their trip to London next week sees them arrive with a winning record. Let’s take a look at how it unfolded:

Stay Outta Our Endzone

3-1 is not something many Giants fans are used to after years of slow starts and disappointing seasons. In fact, this is the best start by a Giants team in 11 years. The strangest thing to note here is that there is only one team with a better record than the Giants currently, and that is one of their hated divisional rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, who are the only remaining team with a perfect 4-0 record.

After the disappointment of the loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the bounce back win against the Chicago Bears was well deserved but wasn’t what you would call convincing. The Giants limped away from this injury-ridden game and were able to hold on to the win despite Chicago’s under-pressure quarterback, Justin Fields, being allowed to record multiple season-high stats in passing attempts, completions, and yards.

Sensational Saquon

Thank God for Saquon Barkley. In this young season, there have been few positive points to make about our playmakers. However, Saquon Barkley has been everything he promised and more. Not a day went by in the preseason without someone questioning if Barkley would ever be able to return to his rookie season form. Barkley’s reply so far? Deafening.

His most impressive play was on a third-down screen pass that should have been blown up for negative yardage, but Barkley shed the would-be tackler and turned it up field for an outstanding first down. It was so good I’ve had to put it in below.

Barkley finished the game with 146 rushing yards on 31 carries, taking his season total so far to an NFL leading 463 yards on 84 carries (also a league high), just ahead of the Cleveland Browns’ Nick Chubb. He also leads the league in all-purpose yards, just ahead of Chubb and the Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill.

Wide Receiver Woes

Well, if the aforementioned Barkley is the star of the show, then the wide receivers are the outcasts, and while some of the blame may be placed on the weather conditions, lack of attempts, or the injuries to the quarterbacks, this is not the first time this season.

Kenny Golladay once again failed to prove his worth with another zero-reception showing before he went off injured. Golladay was targeted once with a high throw, but he didn’t even attempt to go up for it, which either shows his lack of effort or his lack of enthusiasm. Another receiver that should have had a point to prove but failed to grasp his opportunity was Darius Slayton, who finished with one reception for 11 yards and, though he drew a pass interference call, he dropped the makeable catch on the same play that would have likely gone for a touchdown.

Sack City

Coming into Sunday’s game, the Giants had a grand total of three sacks and zero interceptions across three games. This improved massively by the end of the game as the Giants’ defensive front suffocated Bears quarterback Justin Fields, finishing with six sacks and nine quarterback hits which helped restrict Fields to 11 completions on 22 attempts.

Individually, there were outstanding performances across the defense. Dexter Lawrence continued his dominant start to the season with an outstanding showing as he registered two sacks and three QB hits; Jihad Ward and Julian Love continued to both make plays with a sack each; and finally, Azeez Ojulari and Kayvon Thibodeaux combined for a strip sack and recovery to halt a promising drive from the Bears in the first quarter.

Injuries Again

In what seems to be a recurring theme, the Giants looked like the walking wounded once again as Evan Neal, Julian Love, Mark Glowinski, Kenny Golladay, Aaron Robinson, Henry Mondeaux, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Azeez Ojulari, Tyrod Taylor, and Daniel Jones were all looked at by the medical personnel.

At the moment, it is too early to know how much time some of the players will miss, but the biggest impact from Sunday’s win was without doubt the injuries to the two quarterbacks.

Jones sprained his ankle during a sack as the Bears’ Jaquan Brisker landed on him awkwardly which meant backup Taylor came into the game. Taylor however was quickly removed from the game as he took a shot to the head and was ruled out with a concussion. This meant Jones returned to the fray, but due to his injury, he was unable to do anything but hand the ball off for rushes. Luckily this was enough to help secure the win.

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5 things to look out for in Week 4

Tom Brady vs Patrick Mahomes, and the start of the 2022 NFL International Series are highlights in a packed NFL Sunday

Vikings, Saints meet in first London game of 2022

Plenty of offensive talent is on show at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon as the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints touch down in London.

New Orleans, who act as the home team, look set to start Andy Dalton at quarterback, as Jameis Winston is sidelined with a back injury, as is star WR Michael Thomas with a leg issue.

Minnesota possess one of the best offenses we’ve seen brace the UK recently, both Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook are among the best at their position, this should be an exciting London game.

Two MVP Candidates face off in Baltimore

Lamar Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens and Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills grace the same field in Sunday’s early window, this matchup being the game of Week 4.

The Ravens are struggling on defense right now, will Josh Allen, who many perceive to be the best quarterback in football, feast?

Buffalo have lost star safety Micah Hyde for the season, and the team may again be without his partner back there, Jordan Poyer, which Lamar Jackson will try and take advantage of.

Huge game in race for the AFC South

Tennessee travels to Indianapolis on Sunday for a crucial matchup in the race for the AFC South, which Jacksonville have taken an early lead of.

Both teams are fresh off their first wins of the season, having come out of the first two games without a win.

Neither Derrick Henry, nor Jonathan Taylor have set the world alight through three weeks, whoever has the best day on the ground will likely determine this matchup.

Raiders looking to turn season around with visit of rival Broncos

A doubt many people expected Las Vegas to go 0-3 to start the year, they’ve looked bad, really bad, which is a huge surprise with what we saw last year.

If they’re unable to beat Denver on Sunday this could be it for a team with the likes of Davantae Adams, and Darren Waller.

As for Denver, they’ve not been what we’ve expected either but have managed to grind out two wins, going 3-1 whilst they’re growing as a team will be massive. 

Brady and Mahomes duel in Tampa despite Hurricane Ian

Two teams with elite quarterbacks, who look set to be playing playoff football deep into January face off on SNF in Tampa Bay, despite the recent hurricane in the area.

Initially the venue of the game was due to be moved to Minneapolis, but luckily for local Buccaneers fans, the stadium is safe to host the game, giving those who have gone through so much this week a place to take their minds somewhere else for a few hours.

Tom Brady will be pleased to have Mike Evans back from suspension this week, the Bucs offense struggled without him, Julio Jones, and Chris Godwin in Green Bay last time out, the latter two are questionable. 

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Analysing Three Key Matchups To Watch For Vikings ‘@’ Saints

The New Orleans Saints need to find a way to win on Sunday. No matter how win ugly if you have to. There are three key matchups the Saints need to be on the right side of to win on Sunday in London.

Saints Offense Vs Themselves

The Saints lead the league in turnovers with nine in total. Now, before everyone shouts, well you have Jameis Winston at QB what do you expect? He’s not the reason the Saints lead the league in this category. 

Of Winston’s five interceptions only two are bad throws. Even one of those was more a good coverage scheme than an interception that Winston has become known for. The bigger problems have been fumbles. 

Mark Ingram has lost two fumbles, both coming at crucial times in weeks one and two. Alvin Kamara lost one last week that was returned for a touchdown, the Saints ended up losing by eight against Carolina. 

They have 9 offensive penalties so far through three games. Many killing the few good drives the Saints offense has produced. four of those nine penalties have been preventable (false starts, offensive offsides etc). 

Recognising, defending and attacking the blitz has been a consistent drive killer. The offense has struggled against the blitz in all three games so far. Winston has been sacked six times against the blitz and pressured a further 12 times. 

This has clearly been a problem and has cost the Saints big time in games. For example HIGHLIGHT: Jeremy Chinn hits Jameis Winston for big sack (panthers.com) the lost yardage on this sack caused a missed field goal for New Orleans. This needs to be cleaned up, some of the blame falls on the o-line, some on coaching and some on the QB. 

If this was a lot of other QBs in the league (maybe even Andy Dalton who may end up starting on Sunday), they’d have changed the play at the line to a quicker developing pass play, allowing the offense to punish the Panthers for sending that many players. Right now, that awareness isn’t there. Meaning teams can tee up blitzes, at will with no fear of a counter.

If these issues were isolated and occasional then it does come down to the players doing a better job of executing. When these issues are so widespread and consistent then an equal portion of the blame must land on the coaches. The offensive staff led by OC Pete Carmichael Jr. have to do a better job of ironing out these areas of weakness and putting the players in better positions to succeed. 

Run Defense Vs Dalvin Cook

Dalvin Cook is one of the most dynamic RBs in the NFL and he is the focal point of the Vikings’ offense. The Vikings want to be able to establish the run to allow for play-action to at its most effective.

In three previous meetings with the Saints, Cook has played rather well. Across those three games, he averages 21.6 (22) rushes for 96 yards, at 4.2 yards per carry. This is compares favourably to other RBs against the Saints over this time. Since 2017 New Orleans has only allowed 94 yards rushing per game in that span. The stat considers every rushing yard in a game, a random QB scramble, a blown assignment allowing a random long run etc… so for Cook to average above that on his own is impressive. 

Play action has been effective so far for the Vikings. Kirk Cousins has the third-best passing grade in the league on play-action throws. His stats on play-action passes:

  • 34 attempts, 25 completions for 267 yards. Four TDs to zero Interceptions. 135.5 passer rating

Compare that to his stats on none play-actions throws:

  • 85 attempts, 49 completions for 491 yards. One TD to three interceptions. 63.4 passer rating.

It’s clear that so far this season the Vikings success in the passing game comes from establishing the run. So, the Saints priority must be to stop the running game if they want a chance to win on Sunday.

Marson Lattimore vs Justin Jefferson 

Marson Lattimore has been lights out. In three games he’s only been thrown at Seven times, he’s allowed three receptions for 23 yards and a passer rating against of 51.5. All the while he’s lined up against: 

  • Drake London
  • Kyle Pitts
  • Mike Evans 
  • Russel Gage 
  • D.J. Moore 

I’d say that’s pretty good. This weekend it’s not clear if he will shadow Justin Jefferson or not and I’m interested to see if the Saints elect to have Lattimore travel with Jefferson or if they choose to play sides.

They chose the latter last week @ Carolina and they don’t always choose to have Lattimore travel. Sometimes they prefer to play sides and double-team a player with a LB or Safety. 

The way Lattimore is playing I think putting Lattimore on Jefferson and letting them battle it out would be wise. The last time the two faced off the Saints CB came out on top:

  • Eight targets, 4 receptions for 55 yards and 2 PBUs.

Jefferson started the season hot in week one Vs Green Bay (who many called the best secondary in the league) he went off. Catching nine of his ten targets for 184 yards and 2 TDs. Since then he’s been kept in check.

The Eagles chose for the most part to match him with Darius Slay. That went incredibly well. Whilst in coverage against Slay, Jefferson on six targets only managed one reception for seven yards. Slay also intercepted 2 of the passes. 

This is in the plan I think the Saints should copy. Lattimore has been elite and traditionally plays better against a team’s number one WR, as Lattimore knows he has to be at his best. Against lesser competition, he has been known to get complacent and play down their level.

Conclusion 

So, stop fumbling, stop getting offensive penalties, and start identifying and attacking the blitz better. Stop the run and finally put Marshon Lattimore on Justin Jefferson. Sounds easy right?

Probably not but I feel these are all a must if the Saints are going to win on Sunday. Regardless of who starts at QB (looks like it will be Andy Dalton).

For more Saints articles New Orleans Saints – Full10Yards 

Please let me know your feedback on this article and the others throughout the season, I’m always looking to improve and add things that people want to read about!

I want to try and create as much of a UK Saints community as possible, so follow me on Twitter @SaintsReportUK, for much more Saints content 

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Week 3: Rookie Standouts

Another week in the books, and there were plenty of candidates for this article as the NFL’s strange season continues with surprising victories, comebacks, and streaks being broken. Let’s take a look at three rookies who stood out amongst the pack: 

Chris Olave, Wide Receiver – New Orleans Saints

Saints fans would probably struggle to find any positives in their team’s performance against the Carolina Panthers, but if you had to pick something, it would have been their rookie Wide Receiver’s performance.

Olave hauled in nine receptions off thirteen targets, a number that shows how quickly he’s established a rapport with Jamies Winton. He has now taken his total for the season to 17 receptions for 268 yards, which is enough to lead all rookie wide receivers. Though it is unlikely that he continues at this pace for the entire season, the Saints will be delighted that he has transferred his skills to the professional game so quickly.

Jalen Pitre, Safety – Houston Texans

Fourth-rounder Jalen Pitre missed interception in the Texans’ season opener against the Indianapolis Colts may have lit a fire inside the former Baylor standout that cannot be extinguished, and without his play in the loss against the Chicago Bears this past week, the scoreline could have been a lot uglier.

Pitre had a breakout game with key plays throughout this game. His first interception came in the first quarter as he was heading towards the ground. His second stopped a key drive for the Bears in the fourth quarter, and finally he added a sack to his stat line on the Bears’ next drive. Though his effort was ultimately unrewarded, the positive signs are there for the future.

Devin Lloyd, Linebacker – Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars have not shied away from putting their young team at the forefront of their plans, and one player that is thriving in Florida is Linebacker Devin Lloyd. Having displayed the sideline to sideline abilities that were highly touted in the lead up to the draft, Lloyd has taken to NFL life like a duck to water.

If you add his stats against the Los Angeles Chargers of 5 solo tackles, 3 passes defended, and an interception to Lloyd’s stat sheet, it is ludicrous. 24 tackles, a league-high six passes defended, two interceptions and a targeted passer rating of 28.2. Sheesh

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Week 3 – Five Things We’ve Learned

That Week One mulligan I asked for just about got me over the line this week as things we learned actually remained to be true, kinda, sorta. The Lions were unlucky against the Vikings who themselves showed a lot of grit to grind out a win after their abject display against Philadelphia.

As this intrepid writer sets their sights on watching a broken Jameis Winston face off against the aforementioned Vikings this Sunday (pre-game commiserations encouraged and accepted), let’s take a final look at the week that was in the NFL…

The AFC South is the Jags for the taking

Why wouldn’t it be? They just beat up on an admittedly beat up Chargers team but for all of the injuries that have plagued Los Angeles, the masterful all-round performance from Jacksonville was a joy to behold. Trevor Lawrence didn’t need to be magical or put the team on his back, he, along with James Robinson and the defense contributed to a wonderful all-round performance that leaves the Jags leading the AFC South and looking to an October that features eminently winnable games against Houston, the Giants, the Broncos and a fascinating divisional re-match against Indianapolis.

Speaking of which…

The Colts had no business beating the Chiefs

As much as I’d love to hand out the celebratory beers for Indy for their hard-fought win against Kansas City, if the Chiefs had a healthy Harrison Butker then they win that game. They left four points on the field and also tried a fake punt from the Colts 24-yard line because their confidence in Matt Ammendola had vanished like a fart in the wind after a missed XP and a missed FG earlier in the game.

It was a ‘gotta have it’ for an 0-1-1 Colts team and whilst they did get it, the offensive line is still not getting enough done for Jonathan Taylor to be his true self whilst also leaving Matt Ryan under regular duress from the pass rush. Given that the Colts face fearsome pass-rushers in the form of Denver and Jacksonville in the coming weeks, they need to get this right and quickly.

Florida in September is not the place to be if you’re a football player

The Bills-Dolphins game had everything but my two favourite things from there were a) the butt-punt which reminded me of headers’n’volleys punishments from my youth (if you know you know), and b) a striking re-enactment of the opening to the landing on Omaha Beach in June 1942 during the two-minute warning.

The heat in Miami was hideous and the clock hit double zeroes on that futile final drive of the Bills you just saw bodies everywhere cramping up as over three hours of intense competition between two teams that looked primed to meet twice more this season. If this were a Jim-Ross-announced-WWF(/E)-PPV-main-event we’d have heard the term ‘slobberknocker’ repeated to death but that’s exactly what it was. A slobberknocker.

The Falcons and Seahawks aren’t good…but they’re fun

Call me an idiot (again) but I think if these two teams just played each other for the rest of the season it’d be a fun watch. Like two friends slapping each other in the face with a tortilla for three and a half straight hours, I wasn’t sure what I was watching was particularly worth my time but I still enjoyed it.

Cordarrelle Patterson continues to impress, Kyle Pitts was finally involved in a game, Geno Smith threw for over 300 yards and the Metcalf-Lockett duo looked kinda fun. These two teams will not be relevant come Thanksgiving but they’ll definitely be worth watching should they come up against a Good Team ™. Seattle has already played spoiler to Denver, Atlanta nearly did it against the Rams. Go be a nuisance.

The Saints are a sad question mark

To quote Donald Rumsfeld:

“We also know there are known unknowns — that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don’t know we don’t know.”

This is how I feel about New Orleans. A team that could easily be 0-3 but also – on paper – could have reasonably expected to be 3-0 given the players Tampa Bay were missing in Week 2. Instead, they are 1-2 and heading to London with a quarterback with back fractures, an offense that cannot stop fumbling, a pass rush that cannot rush, an offensive line that cannot stop a pass rush and a kicker that gave Saints fans some horrid 2021 flashbacks against the Panthers.

They cannot get out of their own way and unless they figure this out quickly, you can see a hormonally imbalanced Vikings team putting up some serious points this Sunday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. This team should – at the bare minimum – be decent. For 80% of the first three weeks, they’ve been mediocre at best. At least the Saints’ problems are known knowns…

See you all at the Beavertown Bar this Sunday!