What We Saw: Week 9 2018

Titans vs. Cowboys

Titans

The Titans were coming off of a 3 game losing streak, and they had to travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys. Dallas was the favorite, and all logic would have had this one going Dallas’ way. On top of all this, what if I told you that the first two Tennessee possessions would end with fumbles by Marcus Mariota? Clearly this game is in the bag for the Cowboys. Well, not so fast my friend. The next two Titans possessions would be touchdowns, they would put up another 2 in the second half, and they came away with a 28-14 win. Not only that, but the offense looked good with Mariota putting up a solid statline. It’s nice to be back at 500.

Passing Report

Marcus Mariota finished the day 21/29 for 240 yards and 2 touchdowns. Despite being sacked 4 times, he never threw an interception. The two early fumbles hurt, but clearly the offensive line was struggling to protect. Dion Lewis led the way with 60 receiving yards on 4 receptions, followed by Corey Davis with 6 catches for 56 yards. Nobody else had more than 36 yards, though Jonnu Smith did score a touchdown. I continue to find Dion Lewis to be a must hold option worth starting and Corey Davis as an option with high ceiling if he scores. Both played well this week.

Rushing Report

Once again, Dion Lewis outclassed Derrick Henry in touches, carries, yards, and apparent talent on the field. Henry saw 6 carries and 2 catches and he was uninvolved…save for a rushing touchdown. I know I’ve said it before but I am probably only holding Henry if I have Lewis and want the handcuff. It’s also worth mentioning that Marcus Mariota had 32 rushing yards of his own. I think the Titans work best when Mariota threatens to run like tonight, much like in the Carolina, Chicago, and Houston offenses. That scramble potential can put the fear into defenses, so why not utilize it?

Defense Report

The Titans defense, despite the team’s rocky start to the game managed to escape allowing only 14 points. They sacked Dak Prescott five times, they forced an interception and a fumble as well. The Tennessee defense has been good all year, but they are special when they create turnovers. Against Dallas, this proved to be the difference-maker. A big matchup awaits against the Patriots, but I am hopeful if we see the “good” Titans offense and the turnover-creating defense again.

-Mike Miklius

Cowboys

The night started out strong for the Dallas Cowboys, they hosted the Tennessee Titans. Coming off a bye week, the Cowboys looked like a team rejuvenated. An impressive first quarter quickly turned into yet another disappointing night for the team. Dallas dropped to 3-and-5, third place in the NFC East and two games behind the division leader. New additions couldn’t right the ship and today fantasy owners have more questions than answers. So what exactly went so wrong?

The passing game took steps but still not explosive enough

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott had one of his better games of the year on Monday night, finishing 21-for-31, 243 yards and two passing touchdowns. However, many of the team’s issues were also quite evident. Prescott was under nearly constant pressure, taking five sacks and throwing one interception. For fantasy owners, Dak’s performance is something they have become used to but we were expecting more. Dak finished with just 14 fantasy points. Dak has been available on the waiver wire for owners all season and he is likely to remain there.

And the running game ran out of gas quickly

During the bye, Dallas made a quiet move by firing their offensive line coach and promoting long-time Cowboy Marc Colombo. In the first quarter, the move seemed to be just what the team needed to kickstart the offense. RB Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 35 yards in the first quarter alone, ripping off a couple of long runs. However, the optimism subsided as Zeke finished with 61 yards on 17 carries. The Titans bottled Zeke up for the remainder of the game and it wasn’t the huge night we were expecting. All was not lost for fantasy owners however, Zeke caught four balls for 51 yards to salvage a rough night, in PPR at least. C Joe Looney and G Conner Williams struggled to move their man, open holes and get to the second level, leaving little room for Zeke to do his thing. Owners will need to pay attention to see if the team can fix some of the issues along the O-line.

Dak’s new primary wideout impresses     

Early in the first quarter WR Amari Cooper showed just why the Cowboys were willing to give up a 2019 first-round draft pick. Midway through the first quarter Cooper ran a gorgeous route inside the 5-yard line to free himself for an easy touchdown. Dak favored his new receiver, peppering him with eight targets and Cooper responded with five catches for 58 yards, including a 19-yard strike. In his first game as a Cowboy Cooper showed the type of player he can be for the team but his production will be up and down the rest of the year. He is a solid FLEX play or WR3 but this offense may cap his production and changing teams is always hard in-season.

We also have clarity on the rest of the receiver corps

WR Michael Gallup has slowly been moving up in the ranks for this Cowboys team and is becoming a trusted target for the team. On Monday Gallup caught three balls for 51 yards on six targets. Dak seems to trust his rookie receiver but he is only an option for dynasty leagues or the deepest of redraft leagues.

Favorite target WR Cole Beasley may be affected the most by the acquisition of Cooper. Beasley saw just four targets and finished with 16 yards. He was absent for long stretches of the game and ultimately was a non-factor. He belongs on the waivers for fantasy owners.

Finally, receivers Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson find themselves on the outside looking in. Hurns did manage to catch a touchdown Monday but this was a schemed play that got the player open but Hurns saw little laying time outside of this. Also the tam doesn’t have any viable tight end options that can help owners, even in daily fantasy.

-Marc Salazar