What We Saw: Week 6

The What We Saw team recaps everything you missed from Sunday's action

Ben Brown
What We Saw 2 Years Ago
Series Navigation
Introduction
Commanders @ Bears
49ers @ Falcons
Patriots @ Browns
Jets @ Packers
Jaguars @ Colts
Vikings @ Dolphins
Bengals @ Saints
Ravens @ Giants
Buccaneers @ Steelers
Panthers @ Rams
Cardinals @ Seahawks
Bills @ Chiefs
Cowboys @ Eagles

 

Bills @ Chiefs

Final Score: Bills 24, Chiefs 20

Writer: Brett Ford (@fadethatman on Twitter)

 

“Jordan had to beat the Pistons… that’s what this feels like,” said Tony Romo as the Bills kneeled out the final seconds after FINALLY overcoming their AFC rival the Kansas City Chiefs.

A single-possession game throughout, it felt like a playoff atmosphere despite far fewer points than most of the public was expecting (well under the Vegas line of 51.5 points). The battle of gun-slinging quarterbacks turned into a war of attrition, as the two teams each had to overcome early mistakes, with the one to commit the final miscue ultimately taking the defeat on Patrick Mahomes’ interception in the final minute of play.

Though the game stayed under the Vegas total, there were several outstanding fantasy performances on both sides of the ball with both quarterbacks hitting 300+ passing yards and three 100-yard receivers.

Let’s dig in.

 

Buffalo Bills

 

Quarterback

 

Josh Allen: 27/40, 329 Yards, 3 TD | 12 Carries, 32 Yards, 1 Fumble (Lost)

 

Josh Allen got off to a slow start and looked as if he might put up a dud for the first time this season, but he salvaged his day with a pair of touchdown throws in the second half. Still, Allen finished with his second-lowest fantasy point total of the season scoring “only” 26.36 points.

Allen struggled against the blitz in the first half as the Chiefs’ defense sent extra rushers to disrupt the timing of the Buffalo passing attack. Allen began the game 6-for-6 throwing on the Bills’ first drive, but then lost a fumble in the Kansas City red zone. After that, Allen completed just three of his next 14 passes, including eight-straight incompletions, as the Chiefs brought pressure and forced quick throws.

In the Bills’ final drive of the first half Allen settled in, leading his team on a seven-play, 96-yard drive for a touchdown to give the Bills a 10-7 lead before the half. He capped the drive with a drop-in-the-bucket pass to a streaking Gabriel Davis for a 34-yard touchdown.

 

 

In the second half, Allen was back to the quarterback we’ve seen most of the season – completing all but two of his passes and driving for a pair of clutch touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with just under 5:00 to play. He’s making a strong play for MVP as he continues to make those who drafted him in the early rounds look smarter than their league-mates.

And he is still one of the most fun players to watch in the NFL because he does things like this.

 

Running Back

 

Devin Singletary: 17 Carries, 85 Yards | 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 22 Yards

James Cook: 2 Carries, 8 Yards

Reggie Gilliam: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 18 Yards

 

Devin Singletary has taken hold of this backfield and has shown no signs of letting it go. Admittedly, I had thoughts that James Cook might eat into his role as the bellcow back as the season wore on but Singletary has been outstanding when called upon, averaging 4.3 yards per carry and three receptions per game. Remember though, Singletary is still the RB2 on this team, behind Josh Allen.

James Cook got just two opportunities on a limited snap count while Zack Moss was nowhere to be found.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Stefon Diggs: 13 Targets, 10 Receptions, 148 Yards, TD

Isaiah McKenzie: 5 Targets, 2 Receptions, 9 Yards

Dawson Knox: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 37 Yards, TD

Gabriel Davis: 6 Targets, 3 Receptions, 74 Yards, TD

Khalil Shakir: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 14 Yards

Tommy Sweeney: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards

 

Stefon Diggs is arguably the best wide receiver in fantasy football right now, battling for the top spot with Cooper Kupp and Justin Jefferson. The top option in one of the NFL’s most formidable offenses continues to put up numbers that are making his fantasy managers smile. He posted his fourth 20+ fantasy point (half-PPR) performance in six weeks, with 25.8 points.

 

 

Gabriel Davis is this season’s Mike Williams – one of the top boom-or-bust options in all of fantasy. He caught yet another long touchdown pass, his fourth of the season, and finished with a whopping 24.7 yards per reception. All four of Davis’ touchdowns this season have been on receptions of at least 30 yards. It feels like a great time for Davis managers to shop around and see if they can’t find a more consistent receiver in exchange for the prolific playmaker. Though he’s had three weeks of at least 14.9 fantasy points, he’s also posted two stinkers, proving his wide range of outcomes.

Dawson Knox is still on the Buffalo active roster… who knew?! Knox was targeted three times, bringing in all three, including the game-winning touchdown catch with just under five minutes to play. Signs of life from Knox are encouraging for his fantasy managers, and perhaps he’ll be more involved after the Bills’ week seven bye.

 

 

Isaiah McKenzie had his worst game of the season, perhaps still shaking the cobwebs out after clearing concussion protocol earlier in the week. Most notably, McKenzie dropped a lateral on an option pitch out of the backfield and then tripped over his own feet on a slant in the end zone, dropping what would have been a touchdown reception and instead resulted in a turnover on downs. He’ll continue to receive slot opportunities with Jamison Crowder sidelined, but rookie Khalil Shakir is nipping at his heels.

 

 

Kansas City Chiefs

 

Quarterback

 

Patrick Mahomes: 25/40, 338 Yards, 2 TD, 2 INT | 4 Carries, 21 Yards

 

Though Patrick Mahomes is still what some consider the gold standard of fantasy quarterback play, he was outshined by Josh Allen in this particular game, finishing with just 19.2 fantasy points. Von Miller wreaked havoc on the Chiefs’ offensive line, finishing with two sacks while Shaq Lawson added one as well.

When he wasn’t picking himself up from being sacked, Mahomes was doing what he normally does – extending plays with his mobility and making things happen with his electric arm. He threw one of the most Mahomesian touchdowns of the season in the second quarter, evading multiple rushers, escaping one way, and throwing the other for a long score to Juju Smith-Schuster.

 

 

Two mistakes cast a shadow on Mahomes’ day as he forced a couple of bad throws after evading the pass rush. The first came in the end zone after a long drive down the field and the most costly came in the final seconds, sealing the game. (Notice Bills’ DC Leslie Frazier decided NOT to sit back in prevent).

 

 

Mahomes managers are never sitting him but may want to consider swapping him for another elite quarterback if possible. Six of the Chiefs’ next eight opponents are top-10 for the fewest quarterback points allowed so far this season.

 

Running Back

 

Clyde Edwards-Helaire: 9 Carries, 33 Yards

Isiah Pacheco: 2 Carries, 9 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 9 Yards

Jerick McKinnon: 2 Carries, 1 Yard | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 29 Yards

 

Clyde Edwards-Helaire was rendered relatively punchless against the elite Buffalo defense despite being on the field for nearly 40% of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps. He rushed just nine times and was not targeted in the passing game at all.

Jerick McKinnon may not have received the most touches, but he topped the Chiefs’ running back trio with a team-high 29 offensive snaps, running routes on 21 of them, according to Nathan Jahnke of PFF.com. McKinnon was also utilized in both of the Chiefs’ goal-line looks, making him an interesting option off of waivers in the coming weeks.

Isiah Pacheco was on the field for just 10 snaps but was featured in the Chiefs’ two-minute drill for the first time this season, catching a pair of passes on two targets. Monitor his role moving forward as the Chiefs may move to an RBBC.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Travis Kelce: 1 Carry, 4 Yards | 10 Targets, 8 Receptions, 108 Yards

JuJu Smith-Schuster: 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 113 Yards, TD

Mecole Hardman: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 42 Yards, TD, 1 Fumble (Recovered)

Skyy Moore: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 24 Yards

Noah Gray: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 13 Yards

Marquez Valdes-Scantling: 3 Targets

 

After scoring four touchdowns in primetime a week ago, Travis Kelce finally faced a defense that played some semblance of defense against him in the red zone and was held without a score. The elite tight end still finished with eight catches for 108 yards, which surely contented his fantasy managers.

For the first time this season, Juju Smith-Schuster put up legit WR1 numbers, hauling in five catches for a season-high 113 yards and his first receiving score of the year. Perhaps his performance today serves as the breakthrough that his fantasy managers were looking for and vaults him into the undisputed second receiving option in the vaunted Kansas City offense.

Mecole Hardman ran just 21 routes compared to teammate Marquez Valdes-Scantling‘s 39 routes run (Nathan Jahnke, PFF.com), but Hardman made the most of his opportunities. While MVS finished without a catch on just three targets, Hardman pulled in three receptions and found the end zone on an extended play, breaking away in man coverage for a short-yardage score. Both MVS and Hardman are still shaky flex plays, with neither stepping into a consistent WR2 role for the Kansas City offense.

 

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

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