Titans @ Packers
Week 16 is very special in the fantasy football community. For the vast majority of us, it is the week where championship matchups are happening – and so each game this week has a heightened sense of importance. This Sunday night matchup between the Titans and Packers was no different. We saw a lot of things in this game – we saw Tennesee’s offense and defense both struggle to find their footing in freezing, snowy Lambeau Field. Seeing the Titans in their white road jerseys reminded us all why you aren’t supposed to wear white after Labor Day. Poor Ryan Tannehill was forced to key in on pants and jersey numbers in this one. We saw QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Davante Adams connect for video game-type numbers. Did your players in this matchup do their part to deliver you a championship? Let’s dive into what we saw:
Tennesee Titans
Quarterback
Ryan Tannehill: 11/24, 121 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, 2 sacks | 3 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD
It was mostly a night to forget for QB Ryan Tannehill and the Titans’ offense. The cold, snowy conditions seemed to heavily favor the hometown Packers, and even with Green Bay’s defense selling out to stop RB Derrick Henry and the run game, Tannehill failed to take advantage. With an early deficit and a pass-favorable game script all night, Tannehill only attempted 24 passes – and connected on less than half of them. After falling behind 19-0, Tannehill led the Titans on two straight TD drives – including a 45-yard TD run himself – but that was as close as Tennesee would get to the high-powered Packers all night. After Tannehill’s rushing TD, you could see him on the sidelines mouthing, “I felt so slow.” I bet everything feels slow when it’s that cold out, Ryan. If your league doesn’t hold its championship until Week 17, Tannehill should be a prime option against the awful Texans’ defense.
Tannehill had the whole defense fooled on this 45-yard TD run! #Titans
📺: #TENvsGB on NBC
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/iW14QNTbk4 pic.twitter.com/Dpx2p7a1uh— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2020
Running Backs
Derrick Henry: 23 carries, 98 yards
Jeremy McNichols: 1 target, 1 reception, 6 yards
The cold, snowy conditions on Sunday night set the perfect stage for RB Derrick Henry and the Titans’ running game against Green Bay. In fact, Henry had only one fewer carry (23) than Tannehill had pass attempts (24). While Henry turned in a respectable 98 yards, he likely left his managers who needed a huge performance from him in their championship matchups sorely disappointed. Henry failed to break any huge runs, and he failed to find the end zone for just the second time in the past 6 weeks. It was encouraging that Henry continued to be utilized so heavily, even after being so far behind for most of the night. That being said, for most of you, this will be your last attempt to roll Henry out there this season. If you do play your championship in Week 17, Henry should be a prime bounce-back candidate against Houston.
Fun side fact: Titans’ backup RB Darrynton Evans went for a whopping 145 return yards on Sunday night – so if you started him in a league with a format that scores return yards, good on you.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
A.J. Brown: 8 targets, 4 receptions, 43 yards
Corey Davis: 2 targets, 0 receptions
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine: 1 target, 1 reception, 19 yards
Cameron Batson: 1 target, 1 reception, 12 yards
Jonnu Smith: 7 targets, 3 receptions, 30 yards, 1 TD
As Ryan Tannehill struggled to move the ball through the air, so struggled the Titans’ pass-catching group. If you were relying on any of Tennesee’s WRs, you were definitely left out in the cold (pun intended). WR A.J. Brown paced the WR group with a modest 4 catches on a night where he struggled to find his footing enough to get open. WR Corey Davis failed to bring in either of his 2 targets, a huge disappointment as he’d gone over 100 yards with a TD in 2 out of his last 3 outings. The lone bright spot in the pass-catching group was TE Jonnu Smith. Smith found himself on the receiving end of Tannehill’s lone TD pass, and he somehow popped up quickly after violently slamming his head on the turf in the end zone. If your league plays into Week 17, as with Tannehill and Henry, the Titans’ WRs can look forward to a much more favorable matchup with the Texans.
Tannehill steps up and puts the @Titans on the board! #Titans
📺: #TENvsGB on NBC
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/iW14QNTbk4 pic.twitter.com/yyKkw4ua2i— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2020
Green Bay Packers
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers: 21/25, 231 yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT, 1 sack | 3 carries, 19 yards
Packers’ QB Aaron Rodgers had yet another fantastic performance for his managers on Sunday night. Rodgers and WR Davante Adams were out there playing 4D chess while the Titans’ secondary was playing checkers. With some missing pieces. Rodgers’ passing yardage was capped by how well Green Bay was able to run the ball, but his 4 TDs more than made for a fantastic outing. It was Rodgers’ 6th game this season with at least 4 passing TDs, and with his lowest ADP in multiple seasons, Rodgers is likely starting for many fantasy championship rosters out there. Rodgers’ performance was less perfect than usual – he did throw an uncharacteristic INT early in the 4th quarter. He also took a pretty bad sack on a 4th and 3 that followed a strange sequence of events where Tennesee blocked a Green Bay FG, which went on to be negated by a phantom offsides penalty. Rodgers will face off against the Bears in Week 17, whom he gashed for 4 TDs back in Week 12.
RODGERS TO ADAMS FOR THE THIRD TIME TONIGHT. #GoPackGo
📺: #TENvsGB on NBC
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/iW14QNTbk4 pic.twitter.com/ezGR48YD3v— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2020
Running Backs
Aaron Jones: 10 carries, 94 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 14 yards
A.J. Dillon: 21 carries, 124 yards, 2 TDs | 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards
The biggest takeaway from the Packers’ backfield was a sensational, breakout performance from rookie RB A.J. Dillon. It made sense that Dillon may receive more work with RB Jamaal Williams inactive with a quadriceps injury. However, it was a brief absence by a banged-up RB Aaron Jones that thrust Dillon into the lead role on Sunday night. Jones would return to the game, but Dillon continued to out-touch and out-perform him for the rest of the night. Dillon certainly took advantage of his opportunities, but Jones also had a respectable outing. Jones’ performance was aided by the officials missing him stepping out of bounds on a 59-yard rush early in the 3rd quarter. If you needed a monster game from Jones to win your fantasy championship, Dillon’s monster game may have just been enough to keep you from getting it. With Jones hitting free agency in the offseason, it will be worth keeping an eye on whether or not the Packers feel like they have their back of the future in the rookie Dillon.
Rookie AJ Dillon scores his first NFL touchdown! #GoPackGo
📺: #TENvsGB on NBC
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/iW14QNTbk4 pic.twitter.com/4nzvBys49N— NFL (@NFL) December 28, 2020
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Davante Adams: 12 targets, 11 receptions, 142 yards, 3 TDs
Allen Lazard: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 14 yards
Equanimeous St. Brown: 1 target, 1 reception, 21 yards, 1 TD
Robert Tonyan: 2 targets, 1 reception, 17 yards
The conditions on Sunday night may have been cold and snowy, but WR Davante Adams kept the poor Titans’ secondary on skates all game long. Adams effortlessly cut in and out of his routes with ease – often leaving Titans’ CB Adoree Jackson wishing he had waited one more week to return to action. If you were able to survive Adams’ dud against the Panthers last week, he certainly rewarded you in the championship. It was Adams’ 4th game this season with at least 100 receiving yards and 2+ TDs, and his efforts certainly had a hand in deciding many fantasy championships out there. With the running game and Adams humming along so nicely, the other WRs for Green Bay didn’t produce very much at all. TE Robert Tonyan saw his 5-game TD streak snapped – hauling in only 1 catch. Tonyan was targeted in the end zone late in the 1st half, but the ball was overthrown. If you have your championship match next week, it will be tough to trust any Packers’ pass-catchers other than Adams against the Bears’ tough secondary.
— Corey Saucier (Deputy_Commish on Twitter, LightsKamaraAction on Reddit)