What We Saw: Week 13

We watched every Week 13 game so you don't have to - here's what we saw!

Brett Ford
What We Saw 3 Weeks Ago
Series Navigation
Introduction
Bears @ Lions
Giants @ Cowboys
Dolphins @ Packers
Raiders @ Chiefs
Chargers @ Falcons
Steelers @ Bengals
Cardinals @ Vikings
Colts @ Patriots
Seahawks @ Jets
Titans @ Commanders
Texans @ Jaguars
Rams @ Saints
Buccaneers @ Panthers
Eagles @ Ravens
49ers @ Bills

Colts @ Patriots

Final Score: Colts 25, Patriots 24

Writer: Riley Blum

 

This ended up being quite an entertaining game, coming down to a last-second 68-yard field goal attempt by the Patriots’ kicker Joey Slye.  The kick was directly in the middle of the uprights but fell short of the crossbar.  Drake Maye played well in this game, making plays through the air and on the ground despite his offensive line’s play.  The Patriots’ line surrendered four sacks and committed multiple costly holding penalties.  On the other hand, Anthony Richardson struggled as a passer for most of the game, but he came up clutch in the end.  Richardson led a 19-play, 80-yard drive that he capped off with a three-yard touchdown pass to Alec Pierce with 12 seconds remaining.  With the Colts trailing 23-24 after the touchdown pass, they elected to go for the two-point conversion.  Richardson kept the ball himself and plowed into the end zone, ultimately winning the game for the Colts and keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.

Three Up

  • Jonathan Taylor – After two down games in a row, Taylor was fed this game with 25 carries.  Though he wasn’t highly efficient, he ran hard and finished with 103 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.
  • Antonio Gibson – Gibson looked explosive on limited touches, averaging nearly nine yards per carry.  He had multiple runs of 10+ yards, including his 11-yard touchdown run.
  • Drake Maye – Maye played a great game, making good decisions and continuing to show off his dual-threat ability.  He was 24/30 on his pass attempts, and his 59 rushing yards were more than opposing QB Anthony Richardson totaled on the day.

Three Down

  • Rhamondre Stevenson – It wasn’t an awful game for Stevenson who had 18 carries and three catches, but he fumbled the ball again (he recovered it). Antonio Gibson looked like the more explosive runner.  If Gibson continues to show some juice, he will continue to eat into Stevenson’s touches.
  • Colts pass catchers – Between their drops, Anthony Richardson’s accuracy troubles, and 34 rushes to 24 passes, there was not much production to go around in this passing game today.
  • Joey Slye – Though he posted a decent fantasy score and the Patriots trusted him to attempt a 68-yard field goal to decide the game, Slye missed another short field goal from 25 yards.

 

Indianapolis Colts

 

Quarterback

 

Anthony Richardson: 12/24, 109 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 9 carries, 48 yards, 1 TD, rushing 2-PT

Despite his accuracy woes, Anthony Richardson continues to be productive for fantasy due to his rushing ability.  Between his scrambles and designed quarterback runs, Richardson tallied nine rushes in this game for 48 yards and a touchdown.  He also added the game-winning two-point conversion on the ground.  He came through as a passer on the final drive, but only completed half of his passes on the day.  Richardson had a few poorly thrown balls, but his pass catchers also dropped some well-thrown deep balls.  His two interceptions weren’t egregious, one coming on a tipped pass and the other coming on a good play in coverage by Christian Gonzalez where he jumped the receiver’s route.

Richardson was a raw prospect coming into the league, and his athleticism and arm strength are undeniable.  I’d expect him to have up-and-down performances both in real life and fantasy football, but his explosive playmaking ability gives him a high ceiling and keeps him in the QB1 tier.

Notes

  • Richardson’s touchdown run was on a designed QB run.

Missed Opportunities

  • Adonai Mitchell and Kylen Granson each dropped a long pass.

 

Running Back

 

Jonathan Taylor: 25 carries, 96 yards, 1 target, 1 reception, 7 yards, 1 TD

After two disappointing games in a row, the Colts leaned on Jonathan Taylor and the run game, feeding him 25 carries.  His longest run only went for nine yards, but he ran hard, picking up positive gains throughout the game and helping this offense sustain drives.  Though he fell just short of the century mark on the ground, Taylor added a seven-yard score through the air, showing off his body control along the sideline.

Notes

  • Anthony Richardson will continue to vulture some rushing touchdowns, but Taylor dominates the running back opportunities, making him one of the few bell-cow running backs in the league.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Michael Pittman Jr.: 7 targets, 5 receptions, 42 yards

This was a relatively quiet game for Pittman with Josh Downs out for the Colts, but he did lead the team in targets, catches, and receiving yards.  Pittman mostly operated in the shorter areas of the field, but the Colts had some plays dialed up for him as he was used on several screens and quick swing passes.  He also drew a key pass interference call on the Colts’ final drive.

Notes

  • As long as Josh Downs remains out, I’d expect Pittman to lead the team in targets week to week.

 

Adonai Mitchell: 2 targets

I expected to see Mitchell given more opportunities with Josh Downs out for this week, but he saw just two targets all game.

Missed Opportunities

  • Mitchell was not able to haul in a well-thrown deep pass late in the fourth quarter.  The Patriots defended it well, but it still should have been caught since the ball hit him in the hands.

 

Alec Pierce: 6 targets, 2 receptions, 16 yards, 1 TD

Pierce’s six targets are his second-most in a game this season, so he may have seen a slight target bump with Josh Downs this week.  Though he and Anthony Richardson were not able to connect on multiple deep shots, the pair connected for a late touchdown, leading to Richardson’s game-winning two-point conversion.

Pierce’s skillset is a great pairing with Richardson’s strong arm, but the Colts’ deep threat will continue to be a very risky boom-bust play in fantasy.

 

Drew Ogletree: 2 targets, 1 reception, 22 yards

Missed Opportunities

  • Ogletree had a 13-yard catch that would have been good for a first down called back by penalty early in the fourth quarter.  The flag was on Michael Pittman for offensive pass interference, but it was a very soft call

 

Mo Alie-Cox: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 15 yards

 

Kylen Granson: 3 targets

Missed Opportunities

  • Granson dropped a deep pass late in the fourth quarter that would have given the Colts a goal-to-go situation.  He dove for the pass, but Granson got his hands on the ball and should have caught it.

 

Will Mallory: 1 target, 1 reception, 7 yards

 

New England Patriots

 

Quarterback

 

Drake Maye: 24/30, 238 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, passing 2-PT, 5 carries, 59 yards 

Maye looked like the better quarterback in this game, but he was not rewarded with a win.  The rookie looked good as a passer and a runner, delivering some great throws and recording the game’s longest play on a 41-yard run.  His interception was not his fault; Hunter Henry was not able to hang on to Maye’s pass when he was hit at the goal line, and the ball rolled on top of his body allowing a Colts’ defender to grab it for an interception.  His line continued to have trouble, committing multiple holding penalties and allowing Maye to be sacked four times.  Still, the fact that he managed to make this offense look efficient today (only one punt) is quite an accomplishment

Maye’s mobility is much needed behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league, but the rookie continues to make plays and show promise despite a lackluster supporting cast.  His rushing upside keeps in the conversation as a quarterback streamer, but until the Patriots get more talent around him, his upside will be capped in this offense.

Missed Opportunities

  • A touchdown pass to Kendrick Bourne was negated by an illegal shift penalty.

 

Running Back

 

Rhamondre Stevenson: 18 carries, 73 yards, 3 targets, 3 receptions, 21 yards

Stevenson received 18 carries to Antonio Gibson’s seven, but he only tallied 11 more rushing yards than Gibson.  Stevenson fumbled the ball in the second half, but he was able to recover it.  That marks his fifth fumble on the season, and though it didn’t land him in the dog house, not holding on to the football is one of the easiest ways to find yourself on the bench as a running back.  On the plus side, Stevenson broke a big 32-yard run on the second play of the game, the Patriots dialed up a wildcat run for him on a goal line play, and he was the only back utilized in the passing game, catching all three of his targets.

Missed Opportunities

  • Stevenson scored on a wildcat run to the outside, but it was called back due to a holding penalty.

 

Antonio Gibson: 7 carries, 62 yards, 1 TD

Gibson looked explosive on his opportunities, contributing multiple runs of 10+ yards.  He made a nice move on an 11-yard touchdown run to give the Patriots the lead midway through the fourth quarter.  He was much more efficient than Rhamondre Stevenson and is making a case for more touches.  I am surprised the Patriots don’t use Gibson more as a pass catcher considering he is a former wide receiver.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

DeMario Douglas: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 20 yards

“Pop” Douglas hauled in all four of his targets, but the slot receiver only managed 20 yards.  Douglas has shown some chemistry with quarterback Drake Maye, but that did not translate into much fantasy production this week.

 

Hunter Henry: 9 targets, 7 receptions, 75 yards

Henry is a favorite target of rookie Drake Maye. Today, Henry led the Patriots in targets, catches, and receiving yards. He took quite a few big hits for his troubles, briefly exiting the game in the first half. Upon returning, Henry picked up where he left off. Henry should continue to serve as a safety valve for his young quarterback, and he remains a fringe TE1 and a solid streaming option for fantasy purposes.

Missed Opportunities

  • Henry had a catch broken up at the goal line, leading to an interception.

 

Kayshon Boutte: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 41 yards, receiving 2-PT

Boutte led Patriots wide receivers with 6 targets, and he contributed the team’s longest gain through the air on a 29-yard catch-and-run.  Boutte also added a two-point conversion to put the Patriots up seven in the fourth quarter.  Boutte led the Patriots’ receivers in snaps played, playing 71-of-72 offensive snaps.  He appears to be serving as the team’s WR1 at the moment, so he could be worth a bench stash for receiver-needy teams.

 

Kendrick Bourne: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 39 yards

Bourne hauled in all three of his targets totaling 39 yards on the day.  The veteran receiver played the second-most snaps of the Patriots’ receivers (46 snaps; DeMario Douglas played on 45 snaps).

Notes

  • I would not be surprised if Bourne sees an uptick in snaps following the Week 14 BYE.

Missed Opportunities

  • Bourne had a short touchdown catch nullified by an illegal shift in the fourth quarter.

 

Austin Hooper: 4 targets, 4 receptions, 42 yards, 1 TD

Hooper finished second on the team in receiving yards.  He caught all four of his targets, including a 16-yard touchdown.  Though Hunter Henry remains the favorite pass-catching tight end on the team, Hooper has now drawn four targets in each of his last four games (and in six of his last seven games).  Hooper has also scored a touchdown in back-to-back weeks.  Despite somewhat consistent usage, it is not advisable to start Hooper outside of the deepest of fantasy leagues.  However, if Henry was to miss time with injury, Hooper would be a very viable streaming option.

 

Ja’Lynn Polk: 1 target

 

Series Navigation
Introduction
Bears @ Lions
Giants @ Cowboys
Dolphins @ Packers
Raiders @ Chiefs
Chargers @ Falcons
Steelers @ Bengals
Cardinals @ Vikings
Colts @ Patriots
Seahawks @ Jets
Titans @ Commanders
Texans @ Jaguars
Rams @ Saints
Buccaneers @ Panthers
Eagles @ Ravens
49ers @ Bills

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