What We Saw: Week 15

The What We Saw team recaps all of the action from Week 15

Ben Brown
What We Saw 5 Months Ago
Series Navigation
Introduction
Chargers @ Raiders
Vikings @ Bengals
Steelers @ Colts
Broncos @ Lions
Falcons @ Panthers
Bears @ Browns
Buccaneers @ Packers
Jets @ Dolphins
Giants @ Saints
Texans @ Titans
Chiefs @ Patriots
49ers @ Cardinals
Commanders @ Rams
Cowboys @ Bills
Ravens @ Jaguars

Commanders @ Rams

Final Score: Rams 28, Commanders 20

Senior Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1 on Twitter)

 

An important win for the playoff-chasing Rams against a plucky Commanders outfit that was spearheaded by the imperious Terry McLaurin. The wideout is probably the biggest wasted talent on a weekly basis and he single-handedly gave the Commanders hope through this contest. It was not to be, however, as the Rams took control when it mattered despite a number of errors from the offense. Kyren Williams fumbled twice in the first half and quarterback Matthew Stafford failed to throw for a score despite first downs at Washington’s four-yard and seven-yard line on two separate drives. The introduction of Jacoby Brissett at quarterback for an ineffective Sam Howell in the fourth quarter made things very interesting late on.

 

Three Up

  • Cooper Kupp – the veteran hasn’t reached the heights of previous seasons but this performance was more like what we expect from the all-purpose receiver – Kupp registered the longest play of the game, a 62-yard touchdown reception
  • Kyren Williams – the faith showed in the young back despite two fumbles by Head Coach Sean McVay went a long way to Williams bouncing back with 152 rushing yards and a touchdown score to get the Rams over the line
  • Terry McLaurin – until the introduction of Brissett, we were cueing up the clip of Robin Williams telling Matt Damon “it’s not your fault” in Good Will Hunting but McLaurin hauled in a 29-yard score and was ruled down at the one-yard line for a 49-yard gain to make his fantasy day a great one

Two Down

  • Sam Howell – benched for Brissett late on, Howell didn’t look very competent in the pocket – considering he is playing for his future likely under the stewardship of his current offensive coordinator, this isn’t good
  • Antonio Gibson – he’s no longer a fantasy asset in any form and was phased out of use in this contest

 

Washington Commanders

 

Quarterback

 

Sam Howell: 11/26, 102 Yards, TD, INT, Sack | 3 Carries, 22 Yards

 

As a fantasy streamer this season, Howell has been superb but he has probably lost fantasy playoff matchups for many managers with this dud. Howell never looked comfortable in the pocket and his accuracy was dreadful. He also didn’t have much luck as a tough throw into coverage found McLaurin but he couldn’t quite bring it in, the ball bouncing up off his legs into the arms of a defensive back for a turnover at the start of the fourth quarter. That proved to be the play that caused his benching. Howell did connect with Curtis Samuel on a 19-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to give the Commanders some hope.

 

Jacoby Brissett: 8/10, 124 Yards, 2 TDs | 2 Carries, 9 Yards

 

A phenomenal cameo by the journeyman veteran, who came in in the fourth quarter and threw two touchdown passes to give the Commanders a shot at coming back from the dead. Brissett immediately went to McLaurin on his first reads and allowed the elite receiver to ball out – the two connected on a 29-yard deep ball, the throw perfectly placed for McLaurin to grab in stride.

 

Running Back

 

Chris Rodriguez Jr.: 10 Carries, 35 Yards

 

A sixth-round pick in this year’s draft, Chris Rodriguez Jr. led the backfield in the absence of Brian Robinson Jr. – he carried the ball 10 times for 35 yards and was mainly used on early downs as a downhill runner. There wasn’t too much to shout about and he only managed one run of more than 10 yards.

 

Antonio Gibson: 4 Carries, 15 Yards | 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 20 Yards

 

Veteran Gibson acted as a pass-catcher out of the backfield and saw a handful of carries to spell starter Rodriguez Jr. Gibson has been irrelevant as a fantasy option this year and despite his efficiency in catching passes on screens and dump-offs, they have not been impactful plays. This contest was much the same.

 

Jonathan Williams: 1 Carry, -2 Yards | 1 Target

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Terry McLaurin: 12 Targets, 6 Receptions, 141 Yards, TD

 

Remarkably, this was McLaurin’s first 100+ yard game of the season and 78 of those yards came on the final two drives with Brissett in at quarterback. Earlier in the contest, McLaurin had a number of opportunities to make unlikely plays due to Howell’s inaccuracy. He nearly hauled in a deep ball with one hand down the sideline but the play was called back as the ball hit the ground (McLaurin was clearly being held on the play). He also made a fantastic grab on fourth down from a nice Howell sidearm. It was too little too late for the Commanders by the time Brissett entered but the change certainly showed that McLaurin is an elite WR1 who deserves a better team and quarterback.

 

Curtis Samuel: 9 Targets, 5 Receptions, 41 Yards, 2 TDs

 

The epitome of the boom-or-bust flex option in fantasy, Curtis Samuel showed up for fantasy managers who may have rolled the dice on him. Samuel caught two balls for scores, one from each quarterback, and on each of those plays his nifty feet lost his man in the red zone and he was wide open. This was his best fantasy outing of the season and what a time to do it.

 

Jahan Dotson: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 12 Yards

 

Remember that rookie that caught seven touchdowns last season? Jahan Dotson, that’s him. He caught one ball in this game and has almost disappeared as a fantasy option in this offense. Sad for a promising young wideout who probably needs a change of scenery.

 

Logan Thomas: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 7 Yards

Byron Pringle: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 5 Yards

John Bates: 1 Target

Dyami Brown: 1 Target

 

Los Angeles Rams

 

Quarterback

 

Matthew Stafford: 25/33, 258 Yards, 2 TDs, 3 Sacks | 1 Carry, 2 Yards

 

A professional outing from Stafford, who continues to produce at a high level as the Rams head toward a playoff berth. This was the third consecutive game he has thrown for multiple touchdowns and for over 250 passing yards. Connections with Kupp and Demarcus Robinson were perfectly thrown, and it could have been even better if Williams had not fumbled inside the red zone. However, he also had the opportunity to hit the end zone on two separate drives with first downs – McVay’s play calling hasn’t been brilliant in these spots and there wasn’t much for Stafford to throw to on those passing downs.

Going into the final few weeks of the season, Stafford is ranked as the fantasy QB17, and with the likes of Joshua Dobbs and Justin Herbert slightly ahead of him, he has a chance to break into the top 15. That would be a brilliant fantasy season as a high-end QB2. With the weapons around him, he has a good shot.

 

Running Back

 

Kyren Williams: 27 Carries, 152 Yards | 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 3 Yards, 2 Fumbles (Lost)

 

Williams shrugged off two fumbles in the first half to total 157 scrimmage yards, his fourth 100+ yard game in as many weeks as his status as one of the league’s up-and-coming young runners grows. Williams looked electric from the off, breaking out for a 27-yard gain on the Rams’ opening drive. He then polished off a 10-play, 53-yard drive near the end of the half to log his eighth rushing score of the year – this was a drive after fumbling the ball away at the Commanders’ 11-yard line.

 

Remarkably, there were another four drives in the half after this score, with Williams fumbling away at his own 45-yard line on a catch-and-run. Luckily, the Commanders were inefficient on offense and a blocked punt gave the Rams the ball back with a chance to add to their lead at the half.

Williams was given 16 touches in the second half and dominated possession in the final couple of drives of the game. He should be a strong contributor through the fantasy playoffs as the Rams look to sneak into the NFL playoffs in the NFC West.

 

Royce Freeman: 6 Carries, 16 Yards

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Cooper Kupp: 8 Targets, 8 Receptions, 111 Yards, TD

 

That is back-to-back 100+ yard games for veteran Kupp, who exploded for a 62-yard score at the start of the second half to establish a demanding lead for the Rams. Kupp’s return from injury got off to a slow start but the last two weeks have seen him back to his best, making plays all over the formation and seeing double-digit targets. Kupp also converted twice on third down on the Williams touchdown drive in the first half as he continues to be the go-to guy when the Rams need to move the sticks.

 

Puka Nacua: 8 Targets, 5 Receptions, 50 Yards

 

A quieter night for the rookie receiver, who is still on target to beat a whole load of records thanks to his production over the year. Nacua took a backseat to Williams and Kupp as they dominated touches on the ground and through the air respectively. Nacua operated over the middle a bit more and did the leg work for his quarterback over the middle, with three of his five catches going for under 10 yards in short-yardage situations. The wideout still saw eight targets and is locked in as a solid WR2 with upside.

 

Demarcus Robinson: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 44 Yards, TD

 

After emerging from an uninspiring pack of depth receivers in the last three weeks, former Chiefs wideout Demarcus Robinson is starting to forge a role for himself in this Rams offense as the third receiver. Rewarded for his positive attitude and camaraderie around the team, McVay has rewarded the talented speedster with an increase in playing time and targets. The result has been three straight games with a touchdown. Robinson’s contribution in this game was a beautifully ran post route which Stafford spotted from the off and placed the ball perfectly to the outside for Robinson to haul in.

 

Tyler Higbee: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 36 Yards

 

Relegated to short-yardage work, Tyler Higbee caught four of his five targets for just 36 yards. One of those catches was a nice sideline grab with involved a bit of toe-drag swag from the big man. He is still a fantasy disappointment at the position he used to threaten to break out in.

 

Davis Allen: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 14 Yards

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

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