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Bye Weeks: N/A
Grab a Helmet
Randall
Cobb v. CHI: I told you I
liked him as a potential sleeper in the preseason. Only thing
is, I thought he’d actually do a little sleeping first. Aaron
Rodgers apparently had other ideas, targeting the Pack’s new slot
receiver nine times in the opener versus San Francisco. All Cobb
did with those nine targets was turn them into nine receptions
and a solid 77 yards. Five of those receptions, by the way, resulted
in Packer first downs. Oh, and there’s this: Cobb also returned
a punt 75 yards for a score early in the fourth quarter, helping
the Pack climb back into a game that was slipping (and ultimately
did slip) away. Oh, one more thing: Greg Jennings is now officially
doubtful for the Thursday night showdown against the Bears. I’m
not sure how many more reasons you need to get Cobb in your lineup.
Maclom Floyd: A possible top 20 target
all year long.
Malcom
Floyd v. TEN: Floyd didn’t generate much buzz this preseason
despite being the default top wideout in a historically prolific
offense. He was drafted, on average, in the 8th round (12-team standard
leagues) and was typically garnering less interest than guys like
Titus Young, Anquan Boldin, and his former teammate, Vincent Jackson.
Not sure how you feel about it but San Diego’s WR1 sure sounds like
a more appealing option than Tampa’s WR1 or Baltimore’s WR2 to me.
Sure, Antonio Gates is probably the most interesting Charger pass-catcher,
but Floyd was already pretty relevant when V-Jax was still around
and proved he could be more than merely relevant on Monday night
(four receptions, 64 yards, and a score). Simply put, I like the
former Cowboy (Wyoming, not Dallas) to be a possible top 20 target
all year long.
Eric
Decker @ ATL: Hey, remember when everyone was worried
Peyton Manning might never be the same quarterback after multiple
neck surgeries? He sure looked like a reasonable facsimile Sunday
night, orchestrating a highly efficient passing attack against perhaps
the league’s stingiest pass defense. Decker and teammate Demaryius
Thomas were the chief beneficiaries, earning seven targets a piece.
While Thomas was making the most of his touches (110 yards and a
long 70-yard score), Decker just misconnected on a back shoulder
throw in the end zone that should have resulted in a score. Regardless,
I suspect Decker (five receptions for 54 yards) will be the more
frequently targeted receiver moving forward and, perhaps, the more
productive option in the long run. Start him against the Falcons
on Monday night.
Grab Some Wood
Jonathan
Baldwin @ BUF: I heard this guy’s name mentioned several
times in the preseason as a possible breakout candidate. Some
of that had to do with Dwayne Bowe’s holdout, I’m sure, but he
was pretty highly regarded coming out of college and the general
consensus was he could make some noise after a mostly forgettable
rookie year. Let’s just say the silence was deafening in Week
1. Not only did Baldwin fail to make a grab in the opener. He
failed to record a single target from Matt Cassel! Meanwhile,
Dexter McCluster registered 10 and Dwayne Bowe 6 in a game the
Chiefs trailed for the better part of the second half. In other
words, Cassel took to the air quite frequently and never once
looked Baldwin’s way. Unless you’re really desperate (and you
shouldn’t be this early in the season), don’t even think about
starting him in Week 2.
Devery
Henderson @ CAR: Henderson was forced out of the Week
1 loss to Washington after getting popped in the noggin following
his only reception (foreshadowing alert!). Thus, he may be unavailable
for this weekend’s important divisional tilt against the Panthers.
That isn’t why I’m recommending you sit him down, however. He
needs to be on your bench because he simply isn’t – and apparently
never will be – a reliable NFL receiver. I mean, shouldn’t the
#2 wideout for the Saints’ pass-heavy scheme be a significant
contributor? Henderson was targeted just twice prior to leaving
the game last Sunday with five and change left in the third quarter.
I needn’t remind you New Orleans trailed from the get-go and launched
a whopping 52 passes, second most in the league. Forget about
Henderson and go trade for Lance
Moore if you still can.
Any Texans Receiver Not Named Andre
Johnson @ JAX: The search for a complementary receiver
in Houston has assumed almost mythical proportions, right up there
with the search for the Seven Cities of Gold or Ponce De Leon’s
quest for the Fountain of Youth. Kevin Walter filled the role
ably in the late oughts but it’s been several years since anyone
but Johnson was relevant. In fact, the search has been so fruitless
(Jacoby Jones, David Anderson, now Lester Jean) that Walter is
still comfortably the guy. That’s not a good thing if his Week
1 numbers (two receptions on two targets for 16 yards) are any
indication. The Texans apparently aren’t serious enough about
giving Matt Schaub another option in the passing game so you’re
better off directing your attention somewhere else until they
are. Don’t hold your breath, by the way.
Quarterbacks 
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