| SUNDAY SALUTES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks | Pass-Rush | TD |
| Tua Tagovailoa | 466-5 | 3 |
| Mac Jones | 316-15 | 3 |
| Jordan Love | 245-12 | 3 |
| Anthony Richardson | 223-40 | 2 |
| Deshaun Watson | 154-45 | 2 |
| Running Backs | Yards | TD |
| Aaron Jones | 9-41 rush 2-86 rcv |
2 |
| Austin Ekeler | 16-117 rush 4-47 rcv |
1 |
| Christian McCaffrey | 22-152 rush 3-17 rcv |
1 |
| Tyler Allgeier | 15-75 rush 3-19 rcv |
2 |
| Tony Pollard | 14-70 rush 2-12 rcv |
2 |
| Wide Receivers | Yards | TD |
| Tyreek Hill | 11-215 | 2 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | 8-129 | 2 |
| Jakobi Meyers | 9-81 | 2 |
| Kendrick Bourne | 6-64 | 2 |
| Calvin Ridley | 8-101 | 1 |
| Tight Ends | Yards | TD |
| Hunter Henry | 5-56 | 1 |
| Hayden Hurst | 5-41 | 1 |
| T.J. Hockenson | 8-35 | 0 |
| Donald Parham | 3-21 | 1 |
| Evan Engram | 5-49 | 0 |
| Placekickers | XP | FG |
| Nick Folk | 0 | 5 |
| Jake Elliott | 1 | 4 |
| Brett Maher | 3 | 3 |
| Jake Moody | 3 | 3 |
| Jason Sanders | 3 | 3 |
| Defense | Sack – TO | TD |
| Cardinals | 6-3 | 1 |
| 49ers | 5-2 | 0 |
| Packers | 4-2 | 1 |
| Eagles | 2-2 | 1 |
| Cowboys | 7-3 | 2 |
Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts
RB J.K. Dobbins – Torn Achilles
RB Aaron Jones – Hamstring
RB Evan Hull – Knee
TE Greg Dulcich – Leg
TE Pat Freiermuth – Chest
WR Diontae Johnson – Hamstring
WR Tyler Lockett – Concussion
WR Jayden Reed – Leg cramps
Chasing Ambulances
RB J.K. Dobbins – Sadly, the Ravens running back suffered another season-ending injury when he tore his Achilles, and he’s a free agent next year. In his place, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill fill in, but the Ravens have to look to free agency or trade to bulk up the backfield depth. The rookie Keaton Mitchell is on injured reserve with a shoulder issue and won’t possibly be back until three more weeks at the earliest. It’s a great offensive line and opportunity, but for now, Edwards and Hill will share the load until the Ravens acquire another back or get Mitchell back.
RB Aaron Jones – Pulled his hamstring as he scored his second touchdown and was held out of the rest of the game. He told teammates that he wasn’t seriously injured. A.J. Dillon would take over if Jones were to miss any time. But the Packers already had the game in hand, and Jones already totaled 127 yards and two scores. Barring unexpected news, his hamstring may not be an issue this week in Atlanta.
Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables
Week 1 Realities – Opening week featured plenty of sloppy play, low scores and yardage, and more disappointments than delights. That’s what happened the last few years with the preseason turned into just a huge free-again tryout that results in mass firings on the 53-man cutdown. A few players shined on Sunday and won’t be that good again this year. But many flops will come back to life this coming weekend. Don’t give up on anyone by this point.
TE Hayden Hurst (CAR) – The debut of Bryce Young only resulted in 146 passing yards, but 41 went to Hurst, along with the lone receiving touchdown. He led the Panthers with five catches, and as so often happens, a tight end is a rookie quarterback’s best friend.
Falcon running backs – Bijan Robinson debuted to 56 yards on ten carries and scored on his six catches for 27 yards. Tyler Allgeier was just as busy with 15 rushes for 75 yards and three receptions for 19 yards. The Atlanta backfield led both the rushing and receiving for the team. Robinson is sure to take an increasing share of the workload, but Allgeier is much more than just a relief back. And he looked outstanding behind that Atlanta O-line.
WR Robert Woods (HOU) – Nico Collins (6-80) led the Texans receivers, but Woods caught six of his ten targets for 57 yards. The rookie C.J. Stroud threw for 242 yards, and the Texans will likely trail on the scoreboard and need to throw. Collins was expected to be the primary wideout, but Woods is also heavily involved.
WR Zay Flowers (BAL) – He was impressive this summer and that carried into the regular season. He led the Ravens with nine catches for 78 yards in the win over the Texans, while Odell Beckham was the next best with just two catches for 37 yards. Jackson already has chemistry with Flowers. That will change when Mark Andrews returns, but Flowers couldn’t have asked for a better debut on this run-first team. Losing J.K. Dobbins might prompt more passing.
NFL Tight Ends – What a horrible start to the year for the position. Travis Kelce and Mark Andrews were out. T.J. Hockenson was limited to only 35 yards on eight receptions. There were only four tight ends to record more than ten points in a reception-point scoring, and those were Hunter Henry (5-56, TD), Hayden Hurst (5-41, TD), Hockenson, and Donald Parham (3-21, TD). The position accounted for only six touchdowns on the week. That should change next week. Or so we all try to convince ourselves.
NFL Quarterbacks – That whole “it’s a passing league” is being tested. Of the 30 quarterbacks that have played, 14 were held below 200 passing yards. Only six threw for more than 250 yards. Less than half had more than one touchdown and only three managed more than two scores. It felt more like a December when passing declines with the weather than Week 1.
QB Joe Burrow (CIN) – It rained, and they were on the road. And the Browns always play them tough. But Burrows only completed 14 of 31 for 82 yards. Ja’Marr Chase dominated the receiving, but that only meant five catches for 39 yards. Tee Higgins had zero catches from eight targets. Burrow just got paid, so his paycheck is guaranteed. But a quick turnaround is needed, and the Ravens are showing up this week.
WR Calvin Ridley (JAC) – It was like he never left. Almost two years from his previous play, the ex-Falcon logged eight receptions for 101 yards and one score. He’s going to be a major factor all season.
QB Anthony Richardson (IND) – The Colts lost, but Richardson impressed. He ran for 40 yards and rushed in a touchdown, but he also passed for 223 yards and one score. And not to his running backs and tight ends. Michael Pittman caught eight passes for 97 yards and the touchdown. He didn’t look like a running back forced to throw a pass occasionally.
WR Jordan Addison (MIN) – The rookie added what the Vikings needed. He’s a very fast complement to Justin Jefferson and just opened his career with a 39-yard touchdown among his four receptions for 61 yards. Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson are still more targeted, but Addison is already becoming a factor in the offense.
WR DeAndre Hopkins (TEN) – He led the team with seven catches but only gained 65 yards and several of his 13 targets were errant long before they got near him. It is encouraging that he’s already catching seven passes, but he’s not getting very far downfield.
QB Derek Carr (NO) – For a Saints team that shuffled several quarterbacks for the last two Brees-less years, Carr opened his New Orleans tenure with a nice showing of 305 yards and a touchdown. And he relied heavily on his wideouts of Chris Olave (8-112), Rashid Shaheed (5-89, TD), and Michael Thomas (5-61).
RB Brian Robinson (WAS) – The Commanders leaned heavily on Robinson who ran 19 times for 59 yards and scored on his seven-yard reception. The preseason talk about Antonio Gibson reclaiming a bigger role and being more involved as a receiver sounded good, but he only ran three times for nine yards and caught one 10-yard pass.
WR Jakobi Meyers (LV) – The ex-Patriot transitioned to the Raiders quickly. While Davante Adams was held to 66 yards on six catches, Meyers turned in a team-high nine receptions for 81 yards and two touchdowns. The duo accounted for 19 of the 26 passes thrown.
RB Samaje Perine (DEN) – Javonte Williams handled 13 carries for 52 yards, but his four catches only totaled five yards. Perine gained 41 yards on eight carries and led the Broncos with 37 yards on four receptions. The backfield was not only split 3:2 between the backs, but Perine was more effective with his carries and catches.
RB Joshua Kelley (LAC) – Austin Ekeler was a top running back this week and ran for 117 yards and a score on 16 carries. But Kelley also handled 16 rushes for 91 yards and a touchdown. And it was in a game that they lost by two points – not just the end of an already-decided game.
Philly backfield – Sure, they traded for D’Andre Swift, who is actually healthy (for now). But he was used for just one three-yard carry and one catch for no gain. The Eagles relied on Kenneth Gainwell (14-54) who also caught four passes for 20 yards which trailed only A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Rashaad Penny was inactive. It’s hard to believe that will persist, but so far, there is nothing reliable about the Eagles’ rushing effort other than they opened the year with their least accomplished rusher.
WR Puka Nacua / TuTu Atwell (LAR) – Cooper Kupp landed on injured reserve and the Rams turned to their two starting wideouts. With Matt Stafford back under center, Puka Nacua (10-119) and TuTu Atwell (6-119) came up with big yardage, even if Van Jefferson was held to only 24 yards on four catches. The Rams schemed to limit Jefferson but couldn’t handle Nacua or Atwell. Nacua carried on after an impressive preseason and would be the better choice in future games.
Huddle player of the week
Tyreek Hill – Come on. He boasted that he wanted 2,000 yards this season but currently, he is only on a pace to gain 3,655 yards after logging 11 receptions for 215 yards with two touchdowns in the win over the Chargers. This looks like a long year for defensive backs.
Salute!
Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry
| Comedy | Yards | TDs | Tragedy | Yards | TDs | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | Mac Jones | 316-15 | 3 | QB | Joe Burrow | 82 | 0 |
| RB | Tyler Allgeier | 94 | 2 | RB | Najee Harris | 33 | 0 |
| RB | Kyren Williams | 57 | 2 | RB | Dameon Pierce | 47 | 0 |
| WR | Jakobi Meyers | 81 | 2 | WR | Drake London | 0 | 0 |
| WR | Kendrick Bourne | 64 | 2 | WR | Tee Higgins | 0 | 0 |
| WR | Puka Nacua | 119 | 0 | WR | DJ Moore | 25 | 0 |
| TE | Hunter Henry | 56 | 1 | TE | Dallas Goedert | 0 | 0 |
| PK | Nick Folk | 5 FG | PK | Evan McPherson | 1 FG | ||
| Huddle Fantasy Points = 152 | Huddle Fantasy Points = 16 | ||||||
Now get back to work…