Sunday’s still three days away at press time, meaning there’s
time for several more plot twists in the Antonio Brown saga. The
latest? Recent rape allegations could force the hand of Roger Goodell,
meaning the troubled ex-Steeler and barely Raider could end up on
the Commissioner’s exempt list before he ever steps foot on the
field as a Patriot. That seems a bit far-fetched right now, but
this whole deal would be barely believable as a work of fiction.
Put another way, anything is possible. Bill Belichick is nothing
if not shrewd and calculating, meaning he’s going to do what’s best
for the short-term and long-term health of his team. Amazingly,
astonishingly, that’s probably riding the hot hand and talents of
Josh Gordon and not counting on Antonio Brown. Think about that
for a second. I like Gordon to score against the dreadful Dolphins
this coming weekend.
Big Ben looked like a quarterback missing his security blanket
last Sunday night as the Steelers got blasted by New England to
open the 2019 season. For all his recent troubles, there’s no denying
AB could wreck opposing defenses. The jury’s still out on whether
JuJu can capably fill the role of Pittsburgh alpha receiver in his
absence, but I’m confident he’ll get there, especially if the other
Steelers wideouts—Donte Moncrief, Diontae Johnson, Ryan Switzer,
and James Washington—make strides. Smith-Schuster wasn’t bad in
Week 1 (6 catches for 78 yards) but Moncrief was brutal (10 targets,
7 total yards) and Johnson and Washington are raw. I expect a better
outcome in Week 2 as Seattle’s secondary was just eviscerated by
Andy Dalton (418 yards and two scores), who just so happens to have
been missing his best receiver, A.J. Green. Keep rolling with JuJu
Sunday.
OBJ’s Browns debut was a definite dud (who saw that coming
other than every cynical Cleveland fan ever?), but all anyone
wanted to talk about after the game was the nearly $200K Richard
Mille watch he opted to sport during the contest. Who wears a
watch during a football game and for what possible reason? The
much-discussed accessory didn’t end up preventing Beckham
Jr. from notching a healthy 11 targets and 71 yards on 7 receptions.
Those aren’t stellar numbers, admittedly, but Dean Pees’
Tennessee secondary is no joke. Lucky for Beckham Jr. and the
Browns, New York’s is. The Jets’ corners were bested
by the notoriously inaccurate Josh Allen and his underwhelming
cast of WRs in Week 1, meaning they could be in for a long day
against Baker Mayfield and his most talented hook-up. Don’t
worry about the inauspicious start. Cleveland soon rocks.
Try to wrap your minds around this one. Tennessee bombs the Browns
43-13 in Cleveland, throws for 248 yards in the process, and yet
somehow Corey Davis, ostensibly the Titans’ No.1 receiver,
doesn’t catch a single pass. How is that even possible?
Even more concerning, perhaps, is that QB Marcus Mariota targeted
his wideouts a mere 10 times. Only Minnesota’s and Seattle’s
WRs were targeted less and, as I’ve already mentioned, Kirk
Cousins only threw the ball 10 times TOTAL for the Vikings! Mariota
either doesn’t trust his pass-shaggers or is simply more
comfortable throwing to Delanie Walker/Dion Lewis and handing
it off to Derrick Henry. Whatever the reason, it’s tough
to recommend Davis until he becomes a more integral part of the
Tennessee attack. This could happen in games that flow differently
but I’m not certain this upcoming tilt with Indianapolis
will. Sit Davis.
Chark is my “prove it!” candidate for Week 2. Nothing in his (admittedly)
brief career resume could have indicated what was to come in the
opener v. Kansas City (four grabs for 146 yards and a score). He
only caught 14 balls total for 174 yards as a rookie. It’s worth
noting for the second time this week, however, that he was facing
a Kansas City defense I’m pretty sure will be the league’s statistical
worst by the time we reach Week 17. He was also targeted just four
times in the contest despite playing 70% of the snaps. FYI: The
Jags were playing from behind pretty much all day. If you’re gonna
grab a Jacksonville receiver, I’d probably make it Dede Westbrook
or Chris Conley. Chark is a lottery ticket on any given week who
needs more attention/volume to be worth your while.
Nobody’s much heard of him outside Western NY, but Tre’Davious
White is turning into quite a shutdown corner for the Bills. The
third-year player from LSU mostly marked the Jets’ Robby
Anderson in the opener and Anderson’s production was, to
put it plainly, meager (three catches for 23 yards on seven targets).
Now, Anderson’s no world-beater but neither is what passes
for the other New York team’s go-to receiver since the departure
of Odell Beckham Jr. Shepard’s a nice little option on a
situational basis, maybe, but has never even rated as a top 25
receiver (close last year), making him a flex option at best in
12-person leagues. Frankly, I think his ceiling might even be
lower now that he doesn’t have OBJ commanding all the attention
across the formation. Stick with Saquon and Evan Engram if you
must use Giants. Shepard will struggle Sunday.
Good luck, folks!
