What We Saw: Week 14

The What We Saw team recaps everything you missed from Week 14

Ben Brown
What We Saw A Year Ago
Series Navigation
Introduction
Patriots @ Steelers
Buccaneers @ Falcons
Lions @ Bears
Colts @ Bengals
Jaguars @ Browns
Panthers @ Saints
Texans @ Jets
Rams @ Ravens
Vikings @ Raiders
Seahawks @ 49ers
Bills @ Chiefs
Broncos @ Chargers
Eagles @ Cowboys

Buccaneers @ Falcons

Final Score: Buccaneers: 29, Falcons: 25

Writer: Nick Beaudoin

 

With the division title on the line, the Buccaneers traveled to Atlanta for a lightweight bout in the NFC South. With both teams facing a laundry list of injuries, it was a battle of persistence and depth for the temporary title, which was inevitably taken over by, you guessed it.. Baker Mayfield. 

In the end, this game was a surprisingly high-scoring defensive battle, with Atlanta making too many mistakes to overcome. Both teams remain under .500 on the season (6-7), and will continue fighting for a playoff berth, although neither team is truly a contender.

 

Four Up:

  • Desmond Ridder – Despite the loss, Ridder showed grit and a fantasy upside we have not seen quite yet, setting his career high in passing yards (347) and a rushing touchdown that gave his team the lead with three minutes remaining in the game.
  • Drake London – This was the most dominant performance of his career, totaling 172 receiving yards on 10 receptions and a 2-point conversion.
  • Rachaad White – Although he struggled to find running room for most of the day, he was able to convert his patented 31-yard screen pass for an easy touchdown and another RB1 performance.
  • Baker Mayfield – Although difficult to watch for the majority of the game, Baker completed three total touchdowns and led his team on the game-winning drive with just 30 seconds remaining in the game.

Three Down:

  • Mike Evans – One catch for eight yards. Any time I have to type out your stat line, you’ve had a rough day.
  • Chris Godwin – Godwin totaled 11 targets, but only ended the day with 53 yards on five receptions.
  • Younghoe Koo – After hitting 24 straight field goals at home, the seemingly automatic Koo missed two FGs in this game (50, 52).

 

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 

Quarterback

 

Baker Mayfield: 14/29, 144 yards, 2 TDs, Sack | 3 carries, 3 yards, TD

 

This was a bad day for Baker Mayfield and the Bucs offense, which is not surprising in a divisional matchup against a top-10 defense in yards and points allowed. A.J. Terrell and the Falcons’ secondary shut down the Bucs’ passing attack, allowing just 144 yards passing in the end. Baker hyper-targeted Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, but outside of one long play from Godwin late in the fourth quarter, this was a rough performance from the entire unit. For fantasy purposes, Baker still delivered with three total touchdowns. He has been a solid QB2 all season, and will likely finish in that range again this week.

“From here on out, every game we play is a playoff game.” – Head Coach Todd Bowles

Missed Opportunities

  • Midway through Q4, Baker rolled to his right and found Mike Evans for a diving grab in the back of the end zone. The ref ruled it incomplete, and upon review, Evans’ hand came down out of bounds before his second toe was able to touch.

 

 

Running Back

 

Rachaad White: 25 carries, 102 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 33 yards, TD

 

Despite a middling 4.1 YPC on the day, Rachaad White continues his RB1 reign over the fantasy world. He was almost silent in the first half, even stuffed on 4th-and-2 midway through the second quarter, but broke the game open in the third quarter with his patented screen pass, which he took untouched for a 31-yard touchdown. Although he mostly struggled to find running room, he had runs of 10 and 12 in the second half, and set up the game-winning touchdown by converting on 4th-and-1 in the fourth quarter. This was not the most impressive rushing performance from White, but 27 carries is an elite workload, making him a must-start for the rest of the season.

 

 

Chase Edmonds: 8 carries, 40 yards | 2 targets, 2 carries, 18 yards

 

Chase Edmonds was in to give White a breather, but looked spry in limited action. He had two third-down conversions and a 15-yard run early in the fourth quarter, which may have gone for much longer if S Jessie Bates had not made a diving tackle. He likely will not be useful for fantasy purposes, but if he continues seeing 10+ touches, he is worth monitoring and may provide occasional (low-floor) FLEX value.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Mike Evans: 6 targets, reception, 8 yards

 

AJ Terrell was given the task of shadowing Mike Evans for most of the day, and was absolutely dominant in his assignment. Evans nearly had a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, which would have salvaged his fantasy day, but his hand touched down before his second toe in the end zone. Credit to the ref for making the correct call on the field. Better days will be ahead for Evans.

Missed Opportunities

  • He could have had a touchdown midway through Q4, but his hand touched the ground before the second toe.
  • Baker missed him on a post corner for 25(ish) yards with 1:20 left in Q4. This would have been a difficult throw and catch, but you could see the frustration on Evans’ face.

 

Chris Godwin: 11 targets, 5 receptions, 53 yards

 

With CB Jeff Okudah ruled out, fourth-round rookie Clark Phillips III was thrust into the spotlight and asked to take on Chris Godwin. One week removed from a zero reception week against Carolina, it was clear that the Buccaneers intended to get him the ball and take advantage of the young rookie, however, the plan did not come to fruition. Although he paced the team in targets, he was very quiet for most of the day, with almost all of his yardage coming on a 32-yard reception to set the Bucs up at the 15-yard line with one minute left. It was another disappointing day in a disappointing season for Godwin.

Missed Opportunities

  • Dropped a catchable pass on 3rd and 8 at the end of 1Q for 15+
  • Received a deep shot in the second quarter, but was overthrown.
  • Dropped pass on 3rd and 5 in Q3 for what should have been first down.

 

Cade Otton: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 16 yards, TD

 

Cade Otton caught the game-winning touchdown on an 11-yard post corner with just 30 seconds remaining.

Missed Opportunities

  • Mayfield looked for Otton for a potential 25-yard touchdown midway through Q4, but the pass was overthrown and coverage was solid.

 

David Moore: 1 target, 1 reception, 11 yards

Trey Palmer: 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards | carry, 3 yards

Ko Kieft: 1 target

 

Atlanta Falcons

 

Quarterback

 

Desmond Ridder: 26/40, 347 yards, TD, INT, 3 sacks | 4 carries, 15 yards, TD

 

The Falcons came out firing today. Kind of.

They were definitely throwing early, but it was mostly behind the line of scrimmage. This very obvious game plan was quickly sniffed out on the first play of their second drive. Carlton Davis III did not hesitate for one second, running straight toward Bijan Robinson and intercepting a screen pass, setting up Tampa with a 10-3 lead. This is what it looks like when the defense has absolutely no concern about you throwing downfield. After this, Desmond Ridder and the offense started to open up.

 

 

Statistically speaking, this was the best game of his career. Although it was not perfect by any means, it was certainly an encouragement from the young QB. He was not afraid to let loose, and showed a strong arm on multiple deep passes. The concern with Ridder and this passing attack is that every play is designed as “one read.” He is clearly not being asked to truly read a defense or go through progressions, but is simply assigned a play and moving forward with it.

The interception above was a perfect example of this, but there were several other occasions where receivers were open and missed, or he “looked off” a defender and threw what certainly should have been an interception to his “second read.” Ridder put his athleticism on display with the go-ahead touchdown run in the fourth quarter, then almost brought his team back for a second time as the clock ran out – but ultimately it would not be enough. This was the second time this season that Ridder has reached 40 pass attempts, but we can likely expect the Falcons to return to a run-heavy game script next week.

Missed Opportunities

  • Carlton Davis picks off a screen pass on the first play. It was so obvious and Davis did not hesitate for a moment. On an unrelated note, WR Mack Hollins and OT Jake Mathews were both injured on the play.

 

Running Back

 

Bijan Robinson: 10 carries, 34 yards, TD | 7 targets, 5 receptions, 54 yards

 

“In crunch time, it’s all about the line of scrimmage.” – Arthur Smith

So naturally, Arthur Smith’s mustache dialed up 40 pass attempts. Zig when they zag, I guess. To his credit, it actually made sense in this one.

Despite Tampa missing DT Vita Vea (toe), they have been stout against the run all year, and have also been a pass funnel for opposing QBs. The Falcons have one of the best offensive lines in the league, and up until this game, have been extremely fortunate to start the same lineup every week of the season. Until now. The Falcons came into this game down two starting offensive lineman, and were down four starters before halftime. That is a crushing blow for a run-first team, but something most other teams have already had to deal with at this point in the season.

Regardless, Bijan Robinson‘s new role as the workhorse back remained mostly unquestioned. The beauty of having a talent like Bijan on your team is that you can use him all over the field, which is what the Falcons did today. He lined up in the backfield alone, in two RB sets, in the slot and out wide. He was used as a decoy in motion, as a receiver, and on jet sweeps. With the run game struggling due to injuries on the offensive line, Bijan was used more as a receiver today, with the Falcons attempting to get him open in space. For most of the game, he was able to only gain small chunks at a time, but after lining up out wide early in the fourth quarter, he took a jet sweep for 33 yards down the sideline, scoring a three-yard touchdown up the middle on the very next play. Bijan is an elite talent, and with the Falcons fighting for a playoff spot, we can expect (or hope, I should say) that today’s 15 touches will be his floor moving forward.

Missed Opportunities

  • On the opening drive, he received a jet sweep to the left, where his OL blocked the wrong defender and he was tackled at the two-yard line.
  • On the very next play, he was motioned out to the right, and ran a quick out for what should have been a walk-in touchdown, had Desmond Ridder not put it four yards out of his reach.

 

Tyler Allgier: 9 carries, 40 yards

 

Tyler Allgier served as the backup, but still received nine touches on the day. Most noticeably (and annoyingly), he was in the game, receiving carries with the game on the line in the fourth quarter. Why, you may ask? I have no idea. Allgier is a high-quality backup, but only provides FLEX value at best with the emergence of Bijan.

 

Cordarrelle Patterson: 3 carries, 7 yards

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Drake London: 11 targets, 10 receptions, 172 yards, 2 PT

 

This was the Drake London we have all been waiting for. It turns out there actually is a correlation between throwing your receivers the ball, and positive statistics. Huh.

Now, Tampa has been torn apart all year by receivers, but there is no denying that London was a beast today. He routinely beat defenders downfield, and had several beautiful grabs in traffic, leaving the announcers in awe. His best play of the game came on a 45-yard catch in the fourth quarter. Looking like a sure interception, London high-pointed the ball (like a true No. 1 receiver), making sure nobody else had a chance to make a play, and set up his team for the go-ahead touchdown with three minutes remaining in the game. The eighth overall pick in last year’s draft has immense talent, but is clearly underutilized in this offense. If you still have a window to buy London in Dynasty leagues, get it done now. If/When he has an actual QB, he has the upside and potential to be a WR1 for years to come.

Missed Opportunities

  • His only incompletion came on what should have been another 26-yard gain. London beat his defenders deep, and reeled in the pass, but the safety punched the ball out before it could be considered a completion.

 

Kyle Pitts: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 57 yards, TD

 

Kyle Pitts truthers can also unite! Yet another positive correlation between receiving statistics and throwing the ball. Pitts was mostly quiet, but showed up when it mattered, making a fourth-down conversion on the first drive of the game, and catching his second touchdown of the season on what my father calls a “Sequel” (out and up) early in the second quarter.

Missed Opportunities

  • His entire career has been a missed opportunity. I still don’t understand why they even drafted him.

 

Jonnu Smith: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 27 yards

 

If Jonnu Smith is the third receiving option on your team, you’re doing something wrong. Smith’s playing time has fluctuated the past few weeks, but he was very much back in the mix with seven targets today. Unfortunately, most of these targets were extremely low ADOT, and there is not much reason for optimism in his brief return to greatness from earlier this year.

 

KhaDarel Hodge: 2 targets, reception, 18 yards

MyCole Pruitt: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 15 yards

Mack Hollins: 1 target, 1 reception, 4 yards

Scotty Miller: 3 targets

 

 

Series Navigation
Introduction
Patriots @ Steelers
Buccaneers @ Falcons
Lions @ Bears
Colts @ Bengals
Jaguars @ Browns
Panthers @ Saints
Texans @ Jets
Rams @ Ravens
Vikings @ Raiders
Seahawks @ 49ers
Bills @ Chiefs
Broncos @ Chargers
Eagles @ Cowboys

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