What We Saw: Week 4

   

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

Bengals @ Panthers

Final Score: Bengals 34, Panthers 24

Senior Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1 on Twitter)

 

Touchdown drives on either side of half time swung this contest in favor of the Cincinnati Bengals as Joe Burrow continued his recent hot streak to spray the ball all over the field in an accomplished performance. The Panthers stuck around for long periods of this game, buoyed by the hard running of Chuba Hubbard and the playmaking skills downfield of a resurgent Diontae Johnson, both of whom had good fantasy days. However, another deep connection between Burrow and the electric Ja’Marr Chase ensured the Bengals went ahead and it was a lead they never relinquished. Let’s break down the action from a fantasy perspective.

 

Four Up

  • Ja’Marr Chase – the disgruntled wideout, who is yet to sign a big-money extension, showed out once again with a solid WR1 performance, connecting with his quarterback for a 63-yard catch-and-run score
  • Chase Brown – splitting carries with Zack Moss to the tune of 15 rushes each, Brown was more productive and looked more explosive in the open field. He rushed for two scores and looks to have an opportunity to seize the lead role
  • Diontae Johnson – beat his marker on nearly every route and hauled in his second score in as many games – Johnson now has 27 targets since Andy Dalton came in a quarterback and has back-to-back weeks of 20+ fantasy points
  • Xavier Legette – a promising breakout game for the first-round receiver, who showed polish on his routes and achieved separation all contest. Hauled in his first professional touchdown catch and the future is bright

Two Down

  • Tee Higgins – with rumors coming into the game that Higgins could be on the trade block if the Bengals lost this game, the talented wideout (who has missed game time with injury) was peppered on short routes early but never looked like hitting the end zone. Was hardly involved in the second half with the run game taking over
  • Mike Gesicki – the tight end flashed potential fantasy value early in the season but his only catch today was a disaster, a broken play in which he made a mental error to take a nine yard loss. Ouch!

 

Cincinnati Bengals

 

Quarterback

 

Joe Burrow: 22/31, 232 Yards, 2 TD, INT | 1 Carry, 10 Yards

After the Bengals defense balled out early in this game, Burrow enjoyed a short field on the second drive of the game to expertly guide his team into an early lead – Burrow connected over the middle with the fit again Tee Higgins deep into the red zone before Chase Brown carried the ball in for six. On the following drive, Burrow maneuvered the ball nicely underneath and saw Ja’Marr Chase explode for a 63-yard score, breaking tackles after the catch. He threw his second touchdown pass of the game with just one second remaining in the first half, a short pass to his right to running back Zack Moss, who lost his footing but still managed to fight for the line and put the Bengals ahead at the break.

 

 

His only mistake could have been costly as his first interception of the season was a bad throw on third down with just 11 minutes remaining in the ball game. Burrow scrambled out of the pocket and forced a looped throw over the middle but both his receivers in the area broke to the outside and it was an easy turnover for the Panthers. The Bengals’ defense held the Panthers to a field goal, however, and Burrow was reprieved.

 

Notes

  • After the Bengals’ defense made a huge stop at the goal line, Burrow took over at his own 1-yard line and threw the ball six times in eight plays to get out of trouble, however, he could not move the ball on third down after being stepped on when trying to throw by his own offensive lineman – it looked like a nasty, heavy hit to the high ankle but he continued in the game.
  • Put the style in the substance early in the second half – first, he expertly engineered an 8-play, 71-yard drive to give his team a two-score lead coming out of the half before another scoring drive that showcased his skills as a passer. Burrow came under heavy pressure in the second half and scrambled out of the pocket beautifully on a couple of plays to extend drives.

 

Running Back

 

Chase Brown: 15 Carries, 80 Yards, 2 TD | 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 12 Yards

Benefitting from positive field position for many of his carries, Brown overshadowed “starter” Moss on a day when both running backs hit the end zone. Brown drove the ball in from three yards out after the Panthers turned the ball over in their own territory in the first quarter before hitting pay dirt for a second time on the Bengals’ opening drive of the second half. Favored over Moss to start the opening drive of the second half, Brown mustered four touches for 36 yards and a 1-yard score that included a strong 20-yard run that had all the hallmarks of a lead back. Brown just looks a step ahead of Moss when out in the open field, his speed standing out. He had 13 carries in the second half compared to Moss’ nine and looks to be trending upwards in this offense.

 

Zack Moss: 15 Carries, 51 Yards | 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 27 Yards, TD

The Bengals ran the ball just six times in the first half and Moss averaged a measly two yards per carry as Burrow looked to chip away at the Panthers defense with the short passing game. Moss saw three of those short passes and his last of the half was a swing pass at the goal line that he initially lost his footing on before fighting for a touchdown. Ceded work in the second half to his committee backfield mate Brown. It’s a hot-hand situation for the Bengals at the moment in an even-split backfield. Fantasy managers will be relieved that Moss found the end zone to salvage his fantasy day.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Ja’Marr Chase: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 85 Yards, TD

A stunning individual effort from Chase on a short pass over the middle saw the standout receiver bounce off two tacklers and then beat the defensive back for pace to streak away for a 63-yard score to put the Bengals up 14-7 in the second quarter. Chase then came up big on the opening drive of the second half, catching a short ball near the sideline before dancing past his marker and taking the ball down to the 1-yard line. His second catch of the second half also moved the chains – Burrow holding in the pocket before firing a pass over the middle for an 11-yard gain on third-and-long at midfield. Chase looked un-coverable for the majority of this contest and won out on his battles. Despite only hauling in three balls, he made them count and now has over 200 yards in his last two starts combined.

 

 

Tee Higgins: 10 Targets, 6 Receptions, 60 Yards

A master between the numbers, Tee Higgins was peppered in the short game in the first half, seeing seven targets before halftime as Burrow looked to him on early reads. He caught six of those balls and was integral in two scoring drives. Higgins fared less well after the break, seeing just three targets come his way and failing to haul in a pass. He was also penalized for offensive pass interference on a deep ball as the Bengals looked to put the Panthers away. Higgins also went out of bounds and came back into the field on the same play and failed to catch the pass. He’s a risky play as a reliable fantasy option at the moment but his volume and track record of production should not be overlooked. He’s not returning his ADP in value at the moment, however.

 

Andrei Iosivas: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 29 Yards

After a quiet first half, emerging receiver Andrei Iosivas made a huge impression with his first catch of the game with just 43 seconds left in the second quarter. His 29-yard gain was a beautifully ran route over the middle in which the sixth-round selection from last year found space between the secondary to show bravery and hang on to the ball after a big hit to the upper body. The catch set up a scoring opportunity in a tied game. Sadly, with the Bengals leaning on the run to close out the game, Iosivas failed to see another target. With Higgins fully back in the mix, Iosivas looks to have a lesser role than in previous weeks.

 

Erick All Jr.: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 28 Yards

The rookie out of Iowa once again showed his ability as a pass-catcher as for the third straight game he caught all his targets, hauling in four catches over the middle of the field. There doesn’t look to be an all-out number one in Cincy and all three tight ends split snaps throughout the game. Erick All Jr.‘s emergence also limits Gesicki’s ability to see the field more regularly.

 

Mike Gesicki: 1 Target, 1 Reception, -9 Yards

Drew Sample: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 0 Yards

 

Carolina Panthers

 

Quarterback

 

Andy Dalton: 25/40, 220 Yards, 2 TD, INT | 3 Carries, 9 Yards

Head Coach Dave Canales rolled the dice on fourth down at midfield down by a score and entrusted his quarterback to throw, Dalton connecting with Diontae Johnson to move the sticks and lead his team into the end zone just a few plays later. Dalton was given license to hurl the ball deep at will in the first half but he was lucky to have a poor throw that was intercepted negated by penalty. However, the veteran settled down in the second quarter to orchestrate a brilliant 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive where he went 7-for-7, which included two key connections with first-round rookie Xavier Legette, who beat his marker off the line to haul in a 17-yard gain before Dalton fired a dart to him on a crossing route in the end zone.

 

It was tough slogging for Dalton after the halftime break as the Bengals scored on successive drives and the Panthers punted then turned the ball over on downs after a fake punt failed. Dalton bounced back late in the third quarter with an incisive deep ball to Johnson to cut the Bengals lead to 10 but he could not take advantage of a defensive takeaway on the next drive and Canales settled for a field goal when he really needed to go for it. The Panthers defense again forced a punt to start the fourth quarter but Dalton threw three straight incompletions and another punt on the drive put the game too far away from Carolina.

 

Notes

  • Dropped a dime into Johnson’s lap for a 39-yard gain on his first drop-back of the game to accentuate the confidence he has (and he has brought to his teammates). He nearly connected deep again with the receiver on the following drive but the ball just bounced off Johnson’s fingertips.
  • Allowed his receivers to make plays and showed good ball placement in contested situations. Was aggressive between the numbers and excelled in intermediate routes. Dalton has shown he can be a fantasy contributor as a streaming quarterback.

Missed opportunities

  • Held onto the ball for too long on a deep drop-back on third-and-long allowing the relentless Trey Hendrickson to beat left tackle Iki Ekwonu and force the ball loose as Dalton attempted to throw, the ball ballooning up in the air for an easy interception for Vonn Bell. The Bengals scored the first touchdown of the game from the turnover.

 

Running Back

 

Chuba Hubbard: 18 Carries, 104 Yards, TD | 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 17 Yards

After dominating on the ground last week, Chuba Hubbard had four opportunities to punch the ball in from inside the Bengals’ 5-yard line on the opening drive of the game, however, the back was stuffed on fourth down at the 1-yard line to turn the ball over on downs. Hubbard got the Panthers back into the contest with a strong 17-yard run down to the Bengals 3-yard line midway through the second quarter, taking the ball in on the next play for six. From that point on Carolina was always playing from behind so opportunities to grind out carries were slim. However, an explosive outside-zone run near the end of the third quarter once again got the Panthers back into contention – Hubbard showed a nice burst of speed at the second level and ran for 38 yards, accounting for a third of his rushing output on the day. Johnson’s touchdown a few plays later made it a 10-point game. With Jonathan Brooks nearing a return from his ACL injury, Hubbard has the clear advantage on veteran Miles Sanders for playing time and should still be regarded as a strong fantasy play.

 

Miles Sanders: 6 Carries, 32 Yards | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 14 Yards

Despite equalling his season-high in touches with 10, Sanders was a non-factor in the Panthers’ offense used only sparingly as Hubbard nabbed a breather. He ran well enough but Sanders has lost the starting job in Carolina and now figures to be the odd man out once Brooks returns.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Diontae Johnson: 13 Targets, 7 Receptions, 83 Yards, TD

As he was last week, Johnson was the go-to option for Dalton for much of this contest. The former Steelers wideout showed his usual speed off the blocks and ability to make plays downfield in key situations. A grab on 4th-&-3 to keep an early drive alive was an important catch as the Bengals had just scored and the momentum was tipping towards Cincy. This catch kickstarted the Panthers offense and they tied the game a few plays later. Johnson had 10 targets by early in the third quarter but a couple of deep balls failed to materialize as he lacked a bit of chemistry on those routes with his quarterback. After the Panthers punted and then turned the ball over on downs after a failed fake punt attempt to start the second half, Johnson was seen in visible pain on the sidelines. A replay revealed that he went down with nobody near him and seemed to grab the groin that caused him issues in training this week. However, Johnson was on the field for the next drive and showed no limitations in burning his marker with a perfect in-route to haul in a 21-yard touchdown pass. He is the biggest threat in this Panthers offense.

 

Xavier Legette: 10 Targets, 6 Receptions, 66 Yards, TD | 2 Carries, 10 Yards

The first-round rookie showed some nice route running early in the game, finding separation on two occasions to haul in sideline catches for 13 and 11 yards to move the sticks for his team. Legette grew in confidence as the game progressed and consistently won on his routes when lining up in multiple positions across formations in the offense. With the main attention going to Johnson, Legette enjoyed one-on-one matchups and took advantage late in the first half with two catches on a touchdown drive which he finished with a nice grab on a perfect throw from his quarterback. With Adam Thielen out on the injured reserve, the moment is now for the promising rookie to show the NFL what he can do. This was a start that will focus fantasy managers’ eyes going into waivers this week. Legette is only 14% rostered in Yahoo! leagues.

 

Jonathan Mingo: 5 Targets, 3 Receptions, 24 Yards

Despite an increase in snaps, the second-year wideout still looks to be on the outside of this Panthers offense. Mingo was used mainly on short routes and each of his three catches were in tight coverage not allowing for much room to run. He remains a long shot for fantasy relevance.

 

Ja’Tavion Sanders: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards

The rookie tight end made a couple of key grabs in the first half to move the chains on third down – the fourth-round pick is tall but looks a bit lanky and clumsy as a runner. However, he showed good hands and ability after the catch. He wasn’t targeted in the second half and doesn’t look to be a fantasy option at the moment at the position.

 

Feleipe Franks: 1 Target

Jalen Coker: 1 Target

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

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