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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
David Dorey

Tunnel Vision of Week 5

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
Josh Allen 424-42 4
 Jalen Hurts 239-61 2
Kirk Cousins 396-4 2
Geno Smith 268-13 3
Carson Wentz 359-152 0
Running Backs Rush
Receive
TD
Austin Ekeler 16-173
4-26
2
Leonard Fournette 14-56
10-83
2
Breece Hall 18-97
2-100
1
Nick Chubb 17-134 2
Derrick Henry  28-102
2-30
2
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Gabriel Davis 3-171 2
Justin Jefferson 12-177 0
Tyler Lockett 5-104 2
Cooper Kupp 7-125 1
Dyami Brown 2-105 2
Tight Ends Yards TD
Taysom Hill 1-1
9-112 rush
3
Dallas Goedert 8-95 0
David Njoku 6-88 0
Mark Andrews 8-89 1
Hayden Hurst 6-53 1
Placekickers XP FG
Nick Folk 2 5
Taylor Bertolet 3 3
Chase McLaughlin 0 4
Brett Maher 1 3
Cairo Santos 1 3
Defense Sack – TO TD
Patriots 2-2 1
Cowboys 5-3 1
Bills 3-2 0
49ers 6-1 1
Colts 4-2 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

QB Baker Mayfield (CAR) – Foot
QB Teddy Bridgewater (MIA) – concussion
RB Damien Harris (NE) – Hamstring
RB Rashaad Penny – Fractured tibia
RB James Conner (ARI) – Ribs
WR Tyreek Hill (MIA) – Foot
WR Tee Higgins (CIN) – Ankle
WR Nelson Agholor (NE) – Hamstring
WR Chris Olave (NO) – Concussion
WR Christian Watson (GB) – Hamstring
TE Dalton Schultz (DAL) – Knee
TE Pat Freiermuth (PIT) – Concussion
PK Robbie Gould (SF) – Knee

Chasing Ambulances

Baker Mayfield – Injured his ankle and wasn’t sure of the severity, but planning on an MRI today. P.J. Walker finished the game. If Mayfield misses time, P.J. Walker will take the start. Sam Darnold is eligible to come off injured reserve but isn’t ready yet. If Mayfield cannot play, it may actually benefit both D.J. Moore and Robbie Anderson.

Teddy Bridgewater – He was replacing Tua Tagovailoa and was concussed. The seventh-round rookie Skylar Thompson played nearly the entire game but the drop in production was noticeable and significant.

Damien Harris – Injured his hamstring and was held out for most of the game. The Pats only carry two running backs into games lately, so it all went to Rhamondre Stevenson, who responded with 161 yards on 25 carries in the shutout of the Lions. Harris will have his hamstring examined but information is always tough to get from the Patriots.

Rashaad Penny – Fractured his tibia and they will determine if he needs surgery. Early speculation is that he will need surgery, and will miss the rest of the season but he could be okay for 2023. But Penny is on a one-year “prove it” deal and he could be elsewhere next season.

James Conner –  Injured his ribs and did not play in the second half. The Cards also lost Darrel Williams to a knee injury and Jonathan Ward suffered a hamstring injury. Eno Benjamin was the last man standing for the backfield. The Cardinals said that they were just being careful but Conner was reported to be in pain and breathing heavily after the game.

Tyreek Hill – The Miami wideout already had a quad injury when he played this week and he exited with a foot injury. He was seen wearing a walking boot after the game but HC Mike McDaniel said that Hill’s foot was stepped on and that it wasn’t thought to be serious.

Tee Higgins – He was limited in practices this week but was active. He did not record a catch and he was believed to have reaggravated the injury. He’ll be a practice watch again this week.

Chris Olave – He caught a touchdown, and held onto the ball despite being slung onto his head by the defender. His body immediately went limp and he lay in the endzone motionless for a moment. It appeared to be a significant concussion. More should be known by Wednesday.

Dalton Schultz – The Cowboys tight end sprained his right PCL in Week 2 and returned for Week 4 when he failed to catch any of his three targets. Schultz reaggravated the knee injury at the Rams before ever catching a pass, so that’s two goose eggs for fantasy owners with an unclear situation for Week 6.

Pat Freiermuth – Suffered a concussion in the third quarter and left the Steelers’ loss to the Bills. It is concerning that he had two concussions last year. We will know more later in the week if Freiermuth needs to sit out for a week.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

Denver backfield – The Broncos march onward without Javonte Williams (or touchdowns for that matter), and the new backfield split had Melvin Gordon rushing 15 times for 54 yards while Mike Boone was given seven carries for 38 yards. Both running backs caught all three of their targets for 49 and 47 yards. Gordon is taking roughly 2:1 with Boone and he went a game without fumbling.

Packers wideouts – Forget about last week’s “well, they settled on the wide receivers.” The starters are still Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and Romeo Doubs. But Doubs recent increases reversed with only three catches for 29 yards against the Giants. Cobb’s standard 40-yard games shot up to 99 yards on seven catches while Lazard’s 116 yards in Week 4 turned into four catches for 35 yards though he did score. And the Packers lost the game, so the offense continues to lack reliability.

QB Kenny Pickett (PIT) – The rookie’s first start was painful with a 3-38 loss in Buffalo. But he passed for 327 yards at perhaps the toughest venue in the NFL this year. He only ran once for ten yards, unlike Week 4 when he ran in two touchdowns on his six runs for 15 yards. And once again, George Pickens (6-83) was the top receiver.

RB Travis Etienne (JAC) – The redshirt rookie ran ten times for 71 yards in the loss to the Texans, and added three catches for 43 yards. James Robinson only managed 27 yards on his ten carries and added two catches for 12 yards. That means that for the last two weeks, the workload is split 50:50 between Etienne and Robinson, and Etienne was the more productive in both games.

RB Rhamondre Stevenson (NE) – He was roughly splitting the backfield with Damien Harris through Week 4, though Harris was the goal line back and  Stevenson added four catches per game. Versus the Lions, Harris left with a hamstring after four carries for 11 yards. Stevenson took over and rushed 25 times for 161 yards and caught two passes in the shutout of the Lions.

RB Kenneth Walker (SEA) – And that is why you spend a 2.09 pick on the second running back drafted in April. Rashaad Penny had an extensive injury history but finally turned in an impressive month to end 2021 while Seattle enjoyed a spectacularly light rushing schedule.  He was re-signed to a one-year “prove it” deal to see if he finally would meet his potential. Against the Saints, Penny fractured his tibia and will be out many weeks, and very possibly the rest of the season, depending on what they find on Monday. Walker had been used for only a handful of carries as the No. 2 back but ended Week 5 with eight runs for 88 yards and a score thanks to his 69-yard break-free run for a touchdown. He’ll face the Cardinals, Chargers, and Giants next.  Travis Homer will be the No. 2 back unless they acquire a free agent.

TE/QB/RB Taysom Hill (NO) – He’s the tight end with one catch on the year, compared to 21 rushes for five touchdowns, and a touchdown pass.  Hill had games of only 3-14 and 5-21 for the last two weeks, so it was unexpected when he ran for 112 yards and three touchdowns on nine rushes, plus threw a 22-yard touchdown against the Seahawks. As a tight end. It’s okay, none of us exactly know what to make of this or what to expect.

RB Alvin Kamara (NO) – It was good to see Kamara finally looking like his productive self again. He ran for 103 yards on 23 rushes yesterday and added six catches for 91 yards as the top receiver. Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry were out, and Chris Olave also became injured, so that impacted his use as a receiver. But it’s just nice to see his back to form and without Jameis Winston who didn’t throw much to him.

RB Breece Hall (NYJ) – The rookie had his breakout game in Week 5 versus the Dolphins. He rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries and caught two passes for 100 as the lead receiver. It’s bothersome that Michael Carter vultured two touchdowns but 197 total yards compared to 36 for Carter says that the transition is complete.

RB Tyler Allgeier / Caleb Huntley (ATL) – First week with Cordarrelle Patterson on injured reserve and the results were a bit disappointing. Allgeier ran for 45 yards on 13 rushes while Huntley handled eight carries for 34 yards. Neither was thrown a target. Playing at the Buccaneers is one of the toughest venues for a running back and the duo face the visiting 49ers this week.

RB Brian Robinson (WAS) – After healing the gunshot wounds, the Commander’s rookie took his first start and already supplanted Antonio Gibson. Robinson ran for 22 yards on nine carries and Gibson only rushed three times for six yards. This was just his first week and against a defense that slowed the run. Gibson also caught three passes for 33 yards while J.D. McKissic turned in five catches for 37 yards. Robinson should see more work against the Bears and Packers next.

RB Enos Benjamin (ARI) – After James Conner left with a rib injury, Benjamin stepped up to score on his eight carries for 25 yards, and he added three catches for 28 yards. If Conner remains out, Benjamin will again be the primary back. What is interesting is that they also lost Darrel Williams to a knee injury and Jonathan Ward to a hamstring strain. If they remain out, the Cards would need to make Keaontay Ingram active for the first time.

Huddle player of the week

Taysom Hill  –  How could you not love Hill this week? Knowing that his 112 yard, three-touchdown performance had no warning signs and no doubt happened with him on benches and waiver wires in most, if not nearly all leagues. He even threw a 22-yard touchdown. And you what will happen when you buy into him. Something like Week 3 (three carries for 14 yards). But with all the duds at tight end this week, Hill was on at least a few starting lineups of fantasy owners that raised their eyebrows and smiled.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Geno Smith 281 2 QB Justin Herbert 241 1
RB Raheem Mostert 122 1 RB Najee Harris 36 0
RB Kenneth Walker 88 1 RB Damien Harris 11 0
WR Dyami Brown 105 2 WR Christian Kirk 11 0
WR Jakobi Meyers 111 1 WR Amon-Ra St. Brown 18 0
WR Khalil Shakir 75 1 WR Brandin Cooks 20 0
TE Taysom Hill 134 4 TE T.J. Hockenson 6 0
PK Nick Folk   2 XP   5 FG PK Younghoe Koo 1  XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 167 Huddle Fantasy Points = 27

Now get back to work…

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