What We Saw: Week 8

The QB List staff catches you up on everything you missed during Week 8 of the 2020 NFL season.

Ben Brown
What We Saw 4 Years Ago
Series Navigation
Introduction
Falcons @ Panthers
Rams @ Dolphins
Colts @ Lions
Jets @ Chiefs
Steelers @ Ravens
Titans @ Bengals
Vikings @ Packers
Bills @ Patriots
Raiders @ Browns
49ers @ Seahawks
Chargers @ Broncos
Saints @ Bears
Cowboys @ Eagles
Buccaneers @ Giants

Colts @ Lions

 

The heralded Colts’ offensive and defensive lines pushed the Lions around all day. They sacked Matthew Stafford 5 times, held the run game to 29 yards, and piled up 119 yards on the ground while not allowing a sack to Philip Rivers. In the end, the Colts cruised to a 41-21 victory. Sadly, Kenny Golladay and T.Y. Hilton left this game early. Let’s dive in a see what else we can take away from this game.

 

Indianapolis Colts

 

Quarterback

 

Philip Rivers: 23/33, 262 yards, 3 TDs, 2 sacks | 2 carries, -2 yards

 

The Colts started this game by punting on three consecutive series. Following a Lions three-and-out and a Nyheim Hines 12-yard punt return, Rivers led to Colts on a quick touchdown drive. The 4 play, 61-yard touchdown drive featured completions to Mo-Allie Cox and Marcus Johnson before Rivers connected with Hines for this 22-yard catch and run. I love the spin move that gets him into the endzone and I give him a “10” for the celebration.

 

https://twitter.com/KennyQBL/status/1322975362809290754

 

Following a Lions 4-and-out, the Colts had a long 10 play, 73-yard drive that was aided by a Danny Shelton unnecessary roughness penalty on a 3rd and 4 sack. Rivers was essentially stood up and the whistles blew for the sack before Shelton decided then was the time to steamroll over the Colts’ quarterback. Rivers capped off the drive with a touchdown pass to Jack Doyle.

 

 

Another Lions 3-and out, along with a 15-yard kick catch interference penalty set up the Colts with a short field as they started on the Lions’ 48-yard line. After Jonathan Taylor converted a 4th and 1, Rivers found Nyheim Hines streaking up the right sideline for his second touchdown of the day.

The Colts opened the second half with a pair of 3-and-outs, but the momentum changed following a Matthew Stafford fumble on a sack by Darius Leonard. While Rivers didn’t have a big statistical contribution on their fourth touchdown drive, on the first play of the 4th quarter, Rivers took a deep shot to Ashton Dulin that drew a defensive pass interference penalty.

Following a Colts pick-6 which put the team up by 3 touchdowns, the Colts leaned on the run game for the majority of the 4th quarter.

 

Running Backs

 

Jordan Wilkins: 20 carries, 89 yards, 1 TD | 1 target, 1 reception, 24 yards

Jonathan Taylor: 11 carries, 22 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 9 yards

Nyheim Hines: 5 carries, 8 yards | 5 targets, 3 receptions, 54 yards, 2 TDs

 

Alright, fantasy managers angry with Jonathan Taylor, here’s the snap share for the game.

 

 

I saw a couple of people on Twitter just angry that Taylor wasn’t in the game. I took two things away from this game regarding Taylor. Number one, the Colts are going to ride the hot hand. Jordan Wilkins was clearly the better back in this game between he and Taylor. Seven of Taylor’s 11 carries went for 2 yards or less. Number two, Hines is the man in the passing game. Yes, they’ll mix in Taylor, but Hines is too talented to just disappear. Here’s Hines’ second touchdown reception of the day.

 

 

Jordan Wilkins touched the ball 14 times in the 2nd half (15 if you include the 2-point conversion). Jonathan Taylor had one carry and one target in the second half. Wilkins piled up 22 yards on the Colts’ final drive of the game when they were running the clock out. Here’s Wilkins’ 1-yard touchdown plunge.

 

 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

 

Zach Pascal: 6 targets, 3 receptions, 44 yards | 0/1, 0 yards

Mo-Allie Cox: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 37 yards

T.Y. Hilton: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 9 yards

Marcus Johnson: 4 targets, 2 receptions, 39 yards

Jack Doyle: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 18 yards, 1 TD

Trey Burton: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 9 yards | 1 carry, 2 yards, 1 TD

Ashton Dulin: 1 target, 1 reception, 13 yards, 1 fumble

Michael Pittman, Jr.: 1 target, 1 reception, 6 yards

 

T.Y. Hilton left this game early with a groin injury, but Rivers was spreading the ball around even before Hilton’s injury. With Hilton out, Zach Pascal became the leading target getter among non-running backs. 2 of his 6 targets were deep. Mo-Allie Cox had all 4 of his targets by midway through the 2nd quarter but then disappeared for the rest of the game. To be fair, the Colts had this game well in hand and only threw the ball 12 times in the 2nd half.

Jack Doyle saw one of the two Colts’ red zone targets that went to non-running backs. He caught that one for a touchdown. Trey Burton saw the other, which he caught and took down to the one-yard line. Burton added a deep target and this touchdown run that looked an awful lot like a previous play from the Super Bowl that featured him in the wildcat.

 

 

Detroit Lions

 

Quarterback

 

Matthew Stafford: 24/42, 336 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT, 5 sacks, 1 fumble lost | 1 carry, 10 yards

 

Stafford and the Lions started off the game with a 3-and-out on their first possession. Following the Colts’ second possession, the Lions started with excellent field position thanks to a blocked punt.

 

 

Two plays later, Stafford hit Marvin Jones for the touchdown.

 

https://twitter.com/KennyQBL/status/1322969044991975426

 

Sadly for the Lions, that was the highlight of the 1st half. Their next 3 possessions were two 3-and-outs and a turnover on downs. On their final possession of the 1st half, Stafford marched the Lions 45 yards in 51 seconds. Unfortunately, Matt Prater missed the field goal.

On the Lions first possession of the 2nd half, Stafford led the team on an 8 play, 68-yard drive. Stafford connected with Hockenson, Amendola, and James on the drive before capping it off with a swing pass to Kerryon Johnson for a touchdown.

Two possessions later, Stafford had the Lions moving again in Colts territory when disaster hit.

 

 

That fumble led to another Indianapolis touchdown. The very next play in Stafford’s hands, lightning struck again.

 

 

If this is your first experience with Matthew Stafford, let me tell you, the man is a gunslinger. The Lions may have been trailing by 3 touchdowns, but that didn’t stop Stafford from completing this bomb to Marvin Hall.

 

 

Two plays later, Stafford found Jones in the end zone for his 3rd touchdown pass of the game.

 

Running Backs

 

Jamal Agnew: 1 carry, 11 yards, 1 fumble

Adrian Peterson: 5 carries, 7 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards

D’Andre Swift: 6 carries, 1 yard | 4 targets, 3 receptions, 22 yards

Kerryon Johnson: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 15 yards, 1 TD

 

D’Andre Swift led the way in snaps here, seeing the field on 38 snaps. Adrian Peterson was on the field for 12 snaps, while Kerryon Johnson saw 11 snaps.

The  Lions had 5 rushing yards midway through the 2nd quarter and that was before they trailed by more than one touchdown. There was a clear advantage for the Colts’ defensive line against the Lions’ offensive line. Jamal Agnew’s lone carry came on an end-around and the 11 yards he gained on the play led the Lions’ run game. His fumble came on a punt return. He recovered his own fumble.

Kerryon Johnson found the end zone in the 3rd quarter to make it a one-score game.

 

https://twitter.com/KennyQBL/status/1322990319160360960

 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

 

T.J. Hockenson: 10 targets, 7 receptions, 65 yards

Kenny Golladay: 4 targets, 0 receptions

Marvin Hall: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 113 yards

Marvin Jones: 7 targets, 3 receptions, 39 yards, 2 TDs

Danny Amendola: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 54 yards

Jesse James: 1 target, 1 reception, 23 yards

 

Kenny Golladay left the game with a hip injury. He was struggling to run routes and waved over to the sideline when he exited the game. T.J. Hockenson became Stafford’s favorite target on the day. Hockenson saw one deep target and one red zone target on the day, although the red zone target was negated by a penalty.

Marvin Hall saw 3 deep targets and caught 2 of them including the 73-yard bomb. Marvin Jones had his yearly “Marvin Jones multi-TD game” as he caught 2 of his 3 receptions for touchdowns.

 

 

If Golladay is expected to miss time, Jones may see a bump in opportunity.

 

— Rich Holman (@RichardoPL83 on Twitter)

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

One response to “What We Saw: Week 8”

  1. Geoffrey Laux says:
    December 1, 2020 at 5:27 am

    Really good website, thank you very much for showing us

    Reply

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