What We Saw 2023: Week 7

The What We Saw team recaps everything you missed from Week 7 of the 2023 NFL season

Drew DeLuca
What We Saw 7 Months Ago
Series Navigation
Introduction
Jaguars @ Saints
Lions @ Ravens
Raiders @ Bears
Browns @ Colts
Bills @ Patriots
Commanders @ Giants
Falcons @ Buccaneers
Steelers @ Rams
Cardinals @ Seahawks
Packers @ Broncos
Chargers @ Chiefs
Dolphins @ Eagles

Falcons @ Buccaneers

Final Score: Falcons 16, Buccaneers 13

Senior Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1 on Twitter)

 

Despite turning the ball over three times in the red zone, Desmond Ridder willed the renascent Atlanta Falcons to an upset victory over the forlorn Tampa Bay Buccaneers with kicker Younghoe Koo nailing a 51-yard field goal as time expired. The Falcons sideline, all too often tense with visible frustrations at the offensive miscues this season, was jubilant as the kick fell true and the pressure on Arthur Smith abated for a short time at the least with this key win.

 

Three Up

  • Tyler Allgeier – stepped in for an ill Bijan Robinson and performed admirably on the ground and also caught all three passes for 53 yards through the air – did it all when it counted just like last season
  • Cordarrelle Patterson – averaged a nice 5.6 yards per carry across 10 carries on the ground as he benefitted from extra playing time – hot hand work might be on the cards for Patterson given his familiarity with Smith’s offense
  • Mike Evans – reliable, professional outing from Evans, who was the only real threat for the Buccaneers all contest –

Three Down

  • Bijan Robinson – just one carry for the rookie after he only played seven snaps in the first half due to a reported illness – he was on the sidelines for the second half and saw one touch in the final drive
  • Chris Godwin – just a 50% completion record for Godwin on 12 targets as his chemistry with his quarterback continues to be tepid – was overthrown on a couple of occasions for potential big gains
  • Kyle Pitts – a miraculous one-handed grab behind the back could not sour yet another disappointing outing from a fantasy perspective – Pitts caught three of his four targets for nice gains but isn’t a primary option in this offense

 

Atlanta Falcons

 

Quarterback

 

Desmond Ridder: 19/25, 250 Yards, Sack | 6 Carries, 38 Yards, TD, 3 Fumble (Lost)

 

Despite an electrifying start from Ridder, who connected on four throws for 46 yards on the opening drive before running it in himself from two yards out, his error-prone nature reared its ugly head and nearly cost his team the win. Ridder lost the ball three times in the red zone, including a botched snap at the 1-yard line, a strip sack on third down, and a fumble out the back of the end zone when casually pulling up at the goal line for what should have been a walk-in score late in the game. He did hit pay dirt early with a nicely designed quarterback keeper.

 

But a number of lapses in concentration cost his team the chance at touchdowns on three separate occasions, a fact that cannot be hidden despite the Falcons winning the game. These were rookie-level errors from the second-year starter, and failing to secure the ball as he crossed the goal line in the fourth quarter will earn him a trip to Smith’s office tomorrow, for sure.

 

Still, for all Ridder’s miscues, he still picked himself up and delivered a perfect throw to Pitts for a huge gain to set up a game-winning field goal. Ridder’s dual-threat ability makes him a fantasy asset but he has only eclipsed 20+ fantasy points twice this season. He could be a popular streaming option against the Titans next week.

 

Notes

  • Plenty of short throws to receivers on the opening drive worked a treat but then focused more on check downs out of the backfield to Rachaad White
  • Two key deep balls found their targets – a 46-yard connection to Scott Miller and a final-drive 39-yard connection with Kyle Pitts to set up the winning field goal

Missed opportunities

  • Three (3!) turnovers in the red zone should mean you lose any NFL game but somehow Ridder was bailed out by his own determination and some terrific defensive plays from his teammates

 

Running Back

 

Tyler Allgeier: 21 Carries, 59 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 53 Yards

 

Popular 2022 breakout running back Allgeier benefitted from Robinson’s absence with a career-high 24 touches which he turned into an impressive 112 yards. Allgeier passed the eye test late with an explosive catch and run on a broken play that he took for a 46-yard gain at a crucial time in the game. Outside of that play he was serviceable on the ground and converted a number of short yardage situations on third down. He ceded work to Patterson regularly through the contest as the Falcons were intent on grinding down Tampa on the ground.

 

Cordarrelle Patterson: 10 Carries, 56 Yards

 

A welcome return to relevance for the ever-popular Patterson who missed the first month of the season with a thigh injury. Patterson looks a little heavier than last season but that did not stop him from mustering an impressive 5.6 yards-per-carry in an effective performance that saw him take some hot-hand work in key offensive situations. He split time with Allgeier but didn’t handle many first down situations. It remains to be seen if he has earned more opportunities, and even if he has it is likely a healthy Robinson will return as a starter next week.

 

Bijan Robinson: 1 Carry, 3 Yards

 

A disaster for fantasy managers as we learned at halftime that Robinson only played seven first-half snaps due to feeling unwell. It was the first question to Smith at the half after the rookie posted zero touches. He was present on the sideline for the majority of the second half but did not feature at all until a lone carry on the final drive, which feels odd.

 

Keith Smith: 1 Target, 1 Reception, -1 Yard

 

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Drake London: 7 Targets, 6 Receptions, 54 Yards

 

After his first 100+ yard game of the season last week, Drake London returned to more regular programming but still led the team in targets, catches, and receiving yards. The play preceding Ridder’s forced fumble out the back of the end zone for a touchback was the most controversial moment in the game – London hauling in an eye-catching acrobatic catch at the Tampa 1-yard line. An extensive review looked at whether he touched the white with his fingers before coming down in bounds, and whether the ball was fumbled out of bounds into the end zone. The play was called a catch and out of bounds at the 1-yard line and that call stood. Maybe slightly fortunate for Drake.

 

Kyle Pitts: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 47 Yards

 

The big moment in the game for Pitts resulted in the game-winning play for his team – Pitts took a 39-yard grab into Bucs territory on the final drive after an earlier 19-yard grab on the drive was reversed due to the tight end being unable to complete the catch. Both catches were overshadowed by this remarkable behind-the-back one-handed grab for the highlight reel earlier in the contest. The guy is special, someone just needs to convince his head coach!

 

Scott Miller: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 46 Yards

 

The “Scotty Miller Revenge Game” threatened to be a thing after the diminutive former Bucs field-stretcher did what he does best with a fantastic deep grab early in the second quarter. That proved to be his only contribution, however.

 

Jonnu Smith: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 27 Yards

 

Explain this to me…tight end Jonnu Smith is featured in a clinical 8-play, 58-yard touchdown drive at the start of the game in which he hauls in three catches for 27 yards, including one in the red zone. He is then never targeted again in the game. Why, Arthur? Why? Fantasy managers await your explanation.

 

Kha’Darel Hodge: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 19 Yards

Van Jefferson: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 5 Yards

 

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 

Quarterback

 

Baker Mayfield: 27/42, 275 Yards, TD, INT, 3 Sacks | 3 Carries, 32 Yards, Fumble (Recovered)

 

For the second straight week, Baker Mayfield failed to get the offense moving. Mayfield peppered his receivers in the short-to-intermediate range but also had issues with inaccuracy as the Bucs offense failed to take despite the Falcons turning the ball over three times. Mayfield failed to convert on a passing play on fourth down on the opening drive and the day didn’t improve much as rookie Deven Thompkins fumbled the ball away deep in Bucs territory at the start of the second half. Mayfield then let the Falcons off the hook with a costly interception inside the Atlanta 30-yard line while down by three with just under four minutes left in the game. Mayfield didn’t show any chemistry with this group outside of Mike Evans, resorting to checkdowns and easy throws underneath for much of this contest. Aside from the touchdown pass to Evans, Mayfield’s biggest play of the day came using his legs. Don’t expect it to happen regularly.

 

Notes

  • Failed to complete on a surprise fourth-and-five on the opening drive at the Falcons 41-yard line
  • Tried to pepper his receivers and White over the middle for short gains to bring up easy conversions on second and third downs
  • Dodged pressure with some slick moves in the pocket throughout the first half to extend plays

Missed opportunities

  • Took a bad sack on first-and-goal midway through the second quarter and then checked down on third down rather than taking a shot into the end zone
  • Missed a wide-open Godwin for a deep connection down the sideline on second down in the first quarter
  • Took sacks twice in the Falcons’ red zone, taking away opportunities for touchdowns in the second half

 

Running Back

 

Rachaad White: 13 Carries, 34 Yards | 6 Targets, 6 Receptions, 65 Yards

 

After losing work recently to veteran nobody Ke’Shawn Vaughan, White seemed to regain the share of the volume out of the backfield despite minimal impact. White ran hard but didn’t look particularly sharp and an impressive Falcons defensive front kept him bottled up on the ground to the tune of 2.6 yards per carry. Saving his fantasy day was his production out of the backfield, more pertinently a single 22-yard catch-and-run that set up the Bucs inside the 10-yard line in the second quarter. Mayfield ruined the opportunity by taking a sack on first down and so any opportunity for White to run the ball in was vanquished.

 

Ke’Shawn Vaughan: 4 Carries, 7 Yards | 1 Target

 

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Mike Evans: 8 Targets, 6 Receptions, 82 Yards, TD

 

A textbook touchdown from Evans that we have come to expect was a lone bright spark in an otherwise disappointing afternoon for the big receiver who spent most of the game watching Mayfield throw elsewhere with little success. Still, this was a much-needed big day out for Evans as he hauled in his first touchdown pass since Week 3. His six catches equalled his season-high and his yardage was his second-most of the season. He remains a low WR1 receiver with a high ceiling that is slightly lowered by the Bucs’ reluctance to let Baker go long too often.

 

Chris Godwin: 12 Targets, 6 Receptions, 66 Yards

 

A season-high in snap counts and targets for the now fully healthy Godwin was encouraging but his chemistry with another new quarterback is not. Mayfield could not find Godwin on a couple of deeper passes that he threw on the day, notably one in the first quarter down the right sideline. Godwin saw most of his impact on one catch,  a 33-yard reception in the fourth quarter that had the Bucs driving deep into Falcons territory before Baker turned the ball over. He also saw two targets from the 8-yard line on the final offensive drive of the game before Mayfield took a sack and the Bucs settled for a game-tying field goal.

 

Cade Otton: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 43 Yards

 

Tight end Cade Otton saw a season-high six targets in the passing game and put up a season-best 43 yards but didn’t have much of an impact in this game. He operated over the middle in short passing situations. The big body was always earmarked as the replacement for Rob Gronkowski but his production to date has been anything but. He was the intended target on Mayfield’s interception but had no chance of hauling in a ball that was thrown far too ahead of him from his quarterback.

 

Deven Thompkins: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 14 Yards, Fumble (Lost)

 

A bad day for the second-year undrafted rookie Deven Thompkins, who could be in the doghouse for some time after fumbling away a ball deep in his own territory leading to points for the opposition in a narrow three-point loss. Thompkins has been seeing regular WR3 looks over the season but may see that attention go to Trey Palmer after this blunder cost the team big time.

 

Trey Palmer: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 5 Yards

Rakim Jarrett: 2 Targets

Payne Durham: 1 Target

Series Navigation
Introduction
Jaguars @ Saints
Lions @ Ravens
Raiders @ Bears
Browns @ Colts
Bills @ Patriots
Commanders @ Giants
Falcons @ Buccaneers
Steelers @ Rams
Cardinals @ Seahawks
Packers @ Broncos
Chargers @ Chiefs
Dolphins @ Eagles

One response to “What We Saw 2023: Week 7”

  1. James Warren says:
    October 23, 2023 at 1:05 pm

    Awesome commentary, on both teams and deep inside the offense of both teams. I am not a fantasy football guy, but this kind of analysis is excellent for anyone who wants to learn about the teams followed.

    Reply

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