Austin Ekeler revealed more about his free agency process.
New Commanders running back Austin Ekeler revealed more about his free agency process on Meadowlark Media’s “God Bless Football” podcast. In his conversations with the Chargers, Ekeler said there was a “misalignment” between his vision and what the team had in mind.
The Chargers came to me and kinda told me what they were looking at in the running back position and it wasn’t what I can offer as a player. There was a misalignment. Yeah, they’re interested, but are you really? If all else fails, bring Austin back in type of thing? Because I don’t want to be in that scenario. If that’s your philosophy and what you’re telling me and I don’t fit that, I gotta look somewhere else.
With the switch to a new offense and a Greg Roman-based rushing attack, it seems like Ekeler is directly referencing the scheme’s more downhill nature compared to what he has played in for most of his career. The Chargers moved pretty quickly in free agency to sign Gus Edwards to a two-year contract.
Ekeler also said he was specifically looking for a team that had a No. 1 running back that he could complement. He compared Brian Robinson and himself in Washington’s backfield to what the Melvin Gordon-Ekeler tandem used to be with the Chargers.
Prior to signing with Washington, Ekeler mentioned that Baltimore and Green Bay had interest in him. The Raiders “went silent” on their interest after losing Josh Jacobs despite GM Tom Telesco being in charge, per Ekeler. Vegas eventually went on to sign Alexander Mattison.
It never seemed likely that Ekeler would be back after being injured last season and showing some signs of decline when he did return. The Kellen Moore scheme never fully fit what he did well in particular. The Roman run game, as mentioned earlier, is an even further departure from what Ekeler’s primary skillset is.
Ekeler also mentioned catching up with former Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn as he’s now in Washington as the Commanders’ running back coach. Former Chargers cornerback Michael Davis also signed with Washington earlier this week.
The Commanders ran the ball just 14 times and Brian Robinson Jr. was excellent when he had opportunities.
It wasn’t as close as the final score for the Commanders on Sunday.
The scoreboard read 27-10, and those watching at a surface level will take some comfort, but other numbers were much more indicative.
The Commanders only registered 12 first downs, while the 49ers accumulated more than double that with 28.
The 49ers ran 25 more offensive plays than the Commanders, as Washington could only manage 43 to San Francisco’s 68.
The 49ers accumulated 408 yards of offense on Sunday. Meanwhile, Washington could only generate 225 yards.
The 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan understands how a running game helps his quarterback, Brock Prudy. San Francisco ran the ball down the Commanders’ throats 39 times, gaining 184 rushing yards, averaging 4.7 a carry.
Meanwhile, Washington’s offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy, continued to stubbornly show everyone he was in charge. Sunday, Bieniemy only had the Commanders run the ball 14 times. 14 rushing attempts? And this guy wants a head-coaching job in the NFL?
Washington was averaging 4.4 yards a carry, and its quarterback Sam Howell had struggled terribly the last month, so the offensive coordinator’s strategy was only to run the ball 14 times!
Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.
SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks
Pass-Rush
TD
Geno Smith
334-6
4
Brock Purdy
314-9
4
Dak Prescott
299-23
3
Jalen Hurts
298-20
2
Matthew Stafford
279-(-2)
3
Running Backs
Rush
Receive
TD
Alvin Kamara
14-51
6-58
2
De’Von Achane
17-73
3-30
2
Derrick Henry
21-102
1-18
2
James Conner
25-105
2
Chuba Hubbard
2-104
2
Wide Receivers
Yards
TD
DK Metcalf
6-134
3
Deebo Samuel
3-22
4-116
3
Nico Collins
9-191
1
CeeDee Lamb
2-30
12-116
1
Tyreek Hill
5-157
2
Tight Ends
Yards
TD
Sam LaPorta
9-140
1
Trey McBride
8-89
1
Jake Ferguson
6-77
1
Harrison Bryant
5-49
1
Taysom Hill
13-59
2-15
1
Placekickers
XP
FG
Brandon Aubrey
3
4
Matt Gay
1
4
Lucas Havrisik
4
2
Jason Sanders
6
1
Matt Ammendola
1
3
Defense
Sack – TO
TD
Chargers
5-1
0
Colts
6-2
1
Dolphins
3-1
1
Falcons
4-3
0
Texans
3-3
0
Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts
QB Kenny Pickett – Ankle
QB Derek Carr – Concussion “plus”
WR Tank Dell – Fractured fibula
WR Marquise Brown – Heel
WR Amari Cooper – Head
WR Christian Watson – Hamstring
RB Derrick Henry – Head
RB Emari Demarco – neck
RB Rhamondre Stevenson – Ankle
RB Brian Robinson – Hamstring
TE Tyler Higbee – Concussion
Chasing Ambulances
QB Kenny Pickett – He injured his right ankle that will need a surgical procedure to fix. He is expected to miss at least a few weeks and Mitch Trubisky will replace him for this Thursday’s game against the Patriots.
QB Derek Carr – For the third time this year, Carr left the game injured. This time he was blasted when he threw the ball and suffered a concussion while also injuring his shoulder and back. The Lions Bruce Irvin was penalized for roughing the passer and Carr was carted from the field. Carr just had a concussion three weeks ago, so this a serious situation. Jameis Winston will take over until Carr returns.
WR Tank Dell – The Texans phenom fractured his fibula and will miss the rest of the season. It is a sad ending for a season that has been so bright but he should return in 2024 with no lasting problems. Noah Brown just returned after missing two games with a calf injury and should be the replacement. Brown posted two 150-yard performances in Weeks 9 and 10, so he’s already seen success in the offense. He’ll need to step up into a starting role.
WR Marquise Brown – He was already questionable heading into the game with a heel injury, and reaggravated it during the win over the Steelers. If he cannot go when they return from their Week 13 bye, Rondale Moore and Greg Dortch would share the workload.
WR Amari Cooper – He was already battling a rib injury heading into the game and was crushed by two defenders while trying to catch a pass. He is reported to have a concussion. He was already meshing well with Joe Flacco when he was hurt. There is no true replacement for Cooper who is clearly the best receiver on the team. Elijah Moore would see an uptick if Cooper remains out and he led the team with four catches for 83 yards.
WR Christian Watson – He had already scored twice on the Chiefs, but at the end of the game he went down clutching at his leg with an apparent hamstring injury. He missed three games to start the season with a hamstring issue as well, so another one is concerning. Dontayvion Wicks would become a starter if Watson remains out, but his production would be replaced by Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed.
RB Derrick Henry – Suffered a head injury expected to be a concussion. Henry has been very durable considering his career workload but hasn’t missed time with a concussion. Tyjae Spears will replace him in Miami this week if he remains out.
RB Rhamondre Stevenson – The Pats’ running back suffered an ankle injury and while his X-rays were negative, the early speculation is that he may miss multiple games. An MRI will determine the severity of the sprain but it’s highly unlikely that Stevenson plays on Thursday night at the Steelers. Ezekiel Elliott entered Week 13 with a thigh injury but was active and stepped up once Stevenson left near the end of the first quarter. Elliott handled 17 carries for 52 yards and caught a team-high four passes for 40 yards.
RB Brian Robinson – The Commanders’ back was running well against the Dolphins, gaining 53 yards on seven attempts but injured his hamstring and did not return. There was no immediate speculation as to the severity of the injury or if he would miss any games. Antonio Gibson would see the bigger boost in carries and catches, and Chris Rodriguez would also bump up to being the No. 2 back if Robinson misses any time, but the Commanders enter their bye and that gives Robinson more time to heal.
Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables
Where did all the passes go? – It’s that time of the season when passing starts to decline. There were six teams on bye this week, but it is still notable that there were only two passers that topped 300 yards – Geno Smith (334 yards) and Brock Purdy (314 yards). Bet you didn’t see that coming.
RB De’Von Achane – We can’t be certain how long he will stay healthy, but he’s back to form at least for now. After taking last week off and flopping in Week 11, Achane ran for 73 yards on 17 carries and caught three passes for 30 yards, while scoring twice. His 20 touches topped the 12 given to Raheem Mostert.
RB Austin Ekeler – The stud of 2022 just hasn’t been nearly as effective this year. He just ran for 18 yards on 14 carries and caught just two passes for nine yards. He was on the road, but the Patriots run defense has declined to being only average – until this week.
RB Ezekiel Elliott – The injury to Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to last at least a week or two. The ex-Cowboy star gets a chance to handle a workhorse load until Stevenson returns. Three of their next four games are on the road which is not ideal, nor is scoring zero points at home this week. But Elliott can help an RB-hungry fantasy team reach the playoffs.
TE Kyle Pitts – He led the Falcons in Week 13 with eight targets for four catches and 51 yards. That was versus the Jets defense. The Falcons host the Buccaneers this week for a violent shift in the quality of the secondary. He had a minor boost from the Jets taking Drake London (1-8) out of the game, but it is good to see his name atop the box core for once.
RB Tyjae Spears – Derrick Henry consumed 21 rushes for 102 yards and two scores before leaving with a head injury in the loss to the Colts. But Tyjae Spears also turned in 16 carries for 75 yards (4.7 YPC) and caught four passes for 13 yards. He ran well enough that the Titans may not be in a hurry to replace Derrick Henry next season.
WR Jonathan Mingo – The Panthers second-round rookie is picking up steam as the offense appears to intentionally involving him more while relying less on Adam Thielen. This season was over long ago and working on next year by throwing more to the younger players makes sense. Thielen is sighed through 2025 and the Panthers cannot get out of that until after next year, so Thielen still needs to be involved.
QB Joe Flacco – Compared to Dorian Thompson-Robinson or P.J. Walker, the aged Flacco looked sharp passing for 254 yards and two scores in the loss to the Rams. Amari Cooper was lost in the game, and Elijah Moore ended with 12 targets that became four catches for 83 yards to lead the Browns. Flacco needs Cooper to be healthy, but he gets a lighter time for the next two weeks at home against the Jaguars and Bears.
QB Patrick Mahomes – He’s ranked as the No. 14 fantasy quarterback and hasn’t missed any games. Eight of his last nine games did not record more than two passing scores and no games this year had him rushing in a touchdown. Over the last five games, he’s averaged 222 passing yards and 1.4 touchdowns which is pretty much the definition of an average NFL quarterback. What I’m trying to figure out is if we can say that he is a… you know,,, “average quarterback”? Can we even say that aloud? Is that even legal? I’m asking for a friend.
Huddle player of the week
Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Deebo Samuel – You’d think visitors would be less aggressive in the City of Brotherly Love, but not so for Samuel. The 49ers Swiss Army knife caught four passes for 116 yards and two touchdowns at the Eagles, and ran for 22 yards and another score on three carries. Oh yeah, he also gained 60 yards on his two kick returns. He may have several blades, but each one can cut you.
Salute!
Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry
NFL MVP? Most dangerous non-playoff team? Players in mercy trades? Worst of the Week? It’s time for this week’s “4-Down Territory!”
With 12 weeks of actual football in the books for the 2023 NFL season, and the Thanksgiving slate behind us, it’s time for Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, and Kyle Madson of Niners Wire, to come to the table with their own unique brand of analysis in “4-Down Territory.”
This week, the guys have some serious questions to answer:
Who’s the NFL’s Most Valuable Player at this point of the season?
Which current non-playoff team is the league’s most dangerous?
Which player deserves to be traded from his current team as an act of mercy?
What was the Worst of the Week for Week 12?
You can watch this week’s “4-Down Territory” right here:
This week’s Worst of the Week in the NFL included Diontae Johnson, Jared Goff, the Jets and Patriots, and of course, more horrible officiating!
Football is a wonderful, thrilling, inspiring game that can lift us to new heights in our lives.
But football is also a weird, inexplicable, at times downright stupid game that may force you to perform Keith Moon-level furniture destruction in your own living room.
So, as much as we at Touchdown Wire endeavor to write about what makes the game great, there are also times when it’s important to point out the dumb plays, boneheaded decisions, and officiating errors that make football all too human.
Folks, it’s time for the Worst of the Week for Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season.
NFL coaches keep calling run plays out of shotgun in short-yardage situations, and they really, really need to stop.
With 4:19 left in the Seattle Seahawks’ 31-13 Thanksgiving night loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle made the decision to hand the ball to running back Zach Charbonnet. Quarterback Geno Smith was in shotgun, and the play went nowhere.
“The blocking scheme of the play was it was a downhill blocking scheme, but we’re in the gun to run it,” Carroll said the day after. “I think the call is hoping that you get them to widen, thinking ‘they may throw the football’ and we get an edge there. That’s all that was… Should have been an easy conversion right there. We didn’t get it.”
As for the Washington Commanders in their 45-10 Thanksgiving day loss to the Dallas Cowboys, they tried a shotgun run on fourth-and-1 with 8:19 left in the third quarter, and this thing was dead in the water before it even got in the water.
I mean… we love us some Eric Bieniemy, but Washington’s offensive coordinator might want to throw that idea out with the last of the leftovers.
Per Sports Info Solutions, NFL teams have run the ball on fourth-and-1 out of shotgun 27 times for 68 yards, two touchdowns, and 16 conversions to first down.
Fourth-and-1 runs from under center have been far more successful — 89 attempts for 233 yards, one touchdown, and 68 conversions to first down. Even when you take out the “tush push” numbers engendered by Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (seven fourth-and-1 attempts from under center for 16 yards and seven conversions to first down), the metrics tell a very clear tale.
You’re not fooling anyone with these short-yardage shotgun runs, NFL coaches. Don’t overthink this — sometimes, one yard and a cloud of dust is still the best way to go.
Thanksgiving is a great time of the year, an occasion that hopefully most of you could reconnect with people from your past and mix them with others from your present. Hopefully, it offered a chance to ponder and discuss commonalities and not differences. And regardless, it is a day to give thanks and appreciate what I hope are the positives in your life.
In that vein, and with fantasy roster improvement in mind, here are the players that, through Week 11, have produced more than one “big game.” It’s not hard to create an average starting lineup, but you need those players to twist the fantasy point spigot open and offer difference-making to your weekly score. As usual, these lists contain a few surprises and just as notable, some exclusions of players that should have been there. Performance scoring with reception points and showing players with more than one instance.
1.) Quarterbacks – Here are the quarterbacks that have turned in 30 points or more in a game. As they typically score more than any other position, these can make a difference for your team.
Quarterbacks
30 Pts
Dak Prescott
3
Jalen Hurts
3
Josh Allen
3
Lamar Jackson
3
Justin Fields
2
Justin Herbert
2
Kirk Cousins
2
Tua Tagovailoa
2
First off, where is Patrick Mahomes? What a telling absence. Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are no surprises, but Dak Prescott does exceptionally well when he faces a weak defense. Tua Tagovailoa has two, but that reflects that he really only does well in relation to the one receiver as we will see later. These were the game performances that likely won your week.
2.) Running Backs – The position has been devalued in recent years, so getting one of the high-scoring backs is still a major advantage.
Running Backs
25 Pts
Christian McCaffrey
3
Jahmyr Gibbs
3
Raheem Mostert
3
Alvin Kamara
2
Austin Ekeler
2
Brian Robinson Jr.
2
De’Von Achane
2
Kyren Williams
2
Saquon Barkley
2
As many points as David Montgomery produces, he wasn’t on this list and yet Jahmyr Gibbs was with three. That bodes very well for his future whenever he takes an even more prominent role. Raheem Mostert continues to defy all we thought for the first years of his career. Brian Robinson is a sign that the new offense under OC Eric Bieniemy is better than you think and headed in a positive direction.
3.) Wide Receivers – There are more of these on the field at one time than the other positions considered, and if you can own two or more of them, they can help sustain high weekly points from the position.
Wide Receivers
25 Pts
Tyreek Hill
7
CeeDee Lamb
4
Keenan Allen
4
A.J. Brown
3
Adam Thielen
3
Ja’Marr Chase
3
Justin Jefferson
3
Stefon Diggs
3
Tank Dell
3
Amon-Ra St. Brown
2
Brandon Aiyuk
2
DJ Moore
2
Mike Evans
2
Nico Collins
2
Puka Nacua
2
Well hello, Tyreek Hill. The most notable surprises are Adam Thielen, Tank Dell, and Puka Nacua. Where is Cooper Kupp? Davante Adams? Garrett Wilson? Want a sign that the Texans are on the right track? Both Tank Dell and Nico Collins are here as the only two from the same team. What are the Texans going to be like next year?
4.) Tight Ends – They score less than the other positions, and even less this year, so any difference-making tight ends are an advantage.
Tight Ends
20 Pts
George Kittle
4
T.J. Hockenson
3
Travis Kelce
3
Cole Kmet
2
Mark Andrews
2
Trey McBride
2
George Kittle is still a little inconsistent, but no arguing what he’s done when he has a big game. The notables here are Cole Kmet and Trey McBride. Kmet had double touchdowns with both Justin Fields and Tyson Bagent and yet several outright dud games. For any Arizona tight end to be on this list flies in the face of every Cardinal offense for a few decades. And he is only a second-year player.
5.) WR A.T. Perry (NO) – In the wake of Michael Thomas’ latest trip to IR, the Saints brought back Keith Kirkwood and Marques Callaway and the Saints prefer veteran receivers. Callaway was the replacement for Thomas in 2021 and had a career year with 46 catches for 698 yards and six touchdowns – his only notable season. But the Saints want to give the 6-4 sixth-round rookie Perry a shot as the replacement. He already had his first action last week with two catches for 38 yards and a touchdown at the Vikings. Thomas leaves behind 7 or 8 targets weekly. The Saints host the Lions this week and no other teams with a winning record are on their remaining schedule.
6.) QB Kenny Pickett (PIT) – Despite the winning record, the Steelers offense is abysmal and they rank No. 32 in fantasy points from their quarterbacks. They just fired OC Matt Canada and will rely on QB coach Mike Sullivan and RB coach Eddie Faulkner for the rest of the season. Many teams get a positive bounce from such a move and there is talent on the roster with George Pickens, Diontae Johnson, and Pat Freiermuth. The Steelers face the Bengals and Cardinals next, which should indicate if there are any changes that benefit the rest of the season.
About Thanksgiving…
Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
Green Bay 29, Detroit 22
Hope you didn’t get to the game late. The Packers pulled away 23-6 at halftime looking exactly like we expected from the Lions. They missed Aaron Jones and Luke Musgrave landed on IR. But Jordan Love passed for 268 yards and three touchdowns with no turnovers. Christian Watson (5-94, TD), Jayden Reed (4-34, TD) and even Tucker Kraft (2-15, TD) took care of the scoring. AJ Dillon wasn’t much as the starting running back when he gained 43 yards on 14 rushes but he added three catches for 38 yards. The Green Bay offense threw well and made no mistakes. They rise to 5-6 and and host the Chiefs for another challenging matchup.
The Lions lost their seventh-straight Thanksgiving game, even though they were favored by seven points. Jared Goff threw for 332 yards and two touchdowns but lost three fumbles. Amon-Ra St. Brown (9-95) and Kalif Raymond (5-90) were the top receivers and Jameson Williams (2-51) caught a 38-yard pass. Sam LaPorta (5-47, TD) caught the only first-half score and the Lions should have been in this one more but gave up a touchdown on one of Goff’s fumbles. David Montgomery (15-71, TD) and Jahmyr Gibbs (11-54) ran effectively, and Gibbs added four receptions for 19 yards. This was a tough loss since it drops the 8-3 Lions behind in the race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and even could give the Vikings an opening to challenge them. The Lions head to New Orleans for Week 13.
Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Washington 10, Dallas 45
This was the expected outcome when the Cowboys face the worst defense in the NFL. Sam Howell threw for 300 yards, but no scores and one interception. Curtis Samuel (9-100), Jahan Dotson (5-52), and Terry McLaurin (4-50) were the only receivers with more than 30 yards, Brian Robinson was limited to 53 yards on 15 carries while Antonio Gibson turned in 37 total yards. Both scores from the Commanders happened in the second quarter when they drew as close as 14-10 but they never reappeared after halftime. They drop to 4-8 and will make the Dolphins very happy next week.
Dak Prescott threw for 331 yards and four touchdowns, though the top receivers Brandin Cooks (4-72, TD) and CeeDee Lamb (4-53, TD) didn’t manage monster games. All the rest of the receivers were held to fewer than 36 yards. The run game was better than usual, though Tony Pollard (13-79, TD) only rushed 13 times in a game that the Cowboys always led. Rico Dowdle (3-11) caught a 15-yard touchdown but totaled just four touches. The lack of a rushing effort is perplexing for this supposedly conservative offense. The Cowboys rise to 8-3 and host the Seahawks this week.
Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
San Francisco 31, Seattle 13
Yet another big win, only in this case the Seahawks were 6-3 just a week ago and yet had no answer for the 49ers defense. Geno Smith was held to 180 passing yards and an interception. Jaxon Njigba-Smith (2-41), DK Metcalf (3-32), and Tyler Lockett (3-20) all saw limited effectiveness and yet nearly all the targets. With Kenneth Walker out, Zach Charbonnet had the start and only gained 47 yards on 14 rushes with four catches for 11 yards. The Seahawks were entirely outclassed and outplayed. They never even scored on offense, their lone touchdown coming off a Brock Purdy pass that was deflected into a defenders hands for a 12-yards interception return. The Seahawks drop to 6-5 and head to Dallas.
The 49ers were in control for the entire game and never trailed. Brock Purdy passe for 209 yards and a 28-yard score to Brandon Aiyuk (2-50) in the fourth quarter. Christian McCaffrey was the star of the game with 114 yards on 19 carries and five receptions for 25 yards with two rushing touchdowns. Deebo Samuel ran for a two-yard touchdown and led the wideouts with seven catches for 79 yards, George Kittle was only used to catch three passes for 19 yards. These teams meet again in two weeks, The 8-3 49ers have righted themselves from that three-game losing streak and take complete control of the NFC West over the No. 2 6-5 Seahawks. The 49ers spend next week in Philadelphia before returning home to host these Seahawks again.
The New York Giants and Washington Commanders square off on Sunday afternoon in Week 11, so here are five things fans should know.
New York Giants (2-8) travel down to the Nation’s capital this Sunday afternoon to face their long-time rivals, the Washington Commanders (4-6), at FedExField in Week 11 of the 2023 NFL season.
The game will be televised on FOX at 1:00 p.m. ET. The broadcast crew of Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma, and Shannon Spake (sideline) will provide the call.
Here are five things to know before Sunday’s kickoff.
NFL handicapper John Holler looks at the NFL Week 3 slate and tabs the 5 best NFL player props to cash in on.
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]
There are some weeks when having home-field advantage plays a role in the outcome of games. When the fan base is energized, it often has a ripple effect on the field and the sidelines.
This week we pick 5 players who will be enjoying home cookin’ and looking to make some noise, including an unheralded running back to score a touchdown, a running back who should be able to surpass his rushing projection and 2 of the league’s most dynamic receivers having huge days. We also let recent history be our guide as to why an elite young quarterback won’t hit his number to beat.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill OVER 85.5 receiving yards (-115)
– Host Broncos, 1 p.m. (CBS)
This goes against Hill’s career history because nobody held him down as a member of the Chiefs more than the Broncos. But this Miami offense finds ways to get Hill open in space, especially when he’s coming off a sub-par game.
Last season, Hill was held under 75 yards in 5 games before QB Tua Tagovailoa went down for the 2nd time in Week 16. In the games after Hill was limited, he blew up — posting receiving days of 160, 177, 188, 85 and 106 yards. Last week he was limited to 40 receiving yards.
Look for a big bounce-back game here against the Broncos.
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3012″ ]
Commanders RB Brian Robinson SCORES A TOUCHDOWN (+120)
– Host Bills, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Sometimes you look for players who appear to be the only show in town. Robinson has become that in the Commanders backfield.
So far this season, Robinson has 37 carries and 2 touchdowns. Washington’s other running backs have combined for just 8 carries. The Bills defense isn’t a pushover, but it can be had on the ground.
Plus, when the Commanders get close to the end zone, it’s Robinson Time.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson OVER 101.5 receiving yards (-115)
– Host Chargers, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Jefferson has become to Minnesota’s offense what WR Cooper Kupp was to the Rams offense a couple of years ago. Kupp strung together so many impressive games that his Over/Under prop number had to go above 100 yards just to get people to bet the Under. Jefferson has taken over that mantle.
In his first 2 games, Jefferson has hit 150 receiving yards in both. Those came against much better defenses (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles) than the Chargers have. The Vikings find ways to target Jefferson even when a defense attempts to bracket him with double coverage.
Until somebody finds a way to take Jefferson away from the Vikings offense, he can be expected to catch 8 or more passes a game consistently, which makes getting 102 yards a lot easier.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence UNDER 245.5 passing yards (-115)
– Host Texans, 1 p.m. (FOX)
Many are of the belief that the Texans are a dismal team because their record has been brutal ever since the QB Deshaun Watson era derailed. However, the Texans defense is quietly getting the job done and showing improvement, but Lawrence already knows this.
Lawrence has been held to 210 passing yards or less in 2 of this last three meetings with the Texans and Houston has allowed just 398 passing yards in its first two games.
Lawrence is clearly capable of hitting over this number, but the Texans haven’t shown any reason to expect it.
Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III OVER 65.5 rushing yards (-115)
– Host Panthers, 4:05 p.m. (CBS)
Walker hasn’t been lighting up the league so far this season, but he has 29 of Seattle’s 39 running back carries this season.
The Panthers have allowed 264 rushing yards and 4 rushing touchdowns through 2 games and have struggled to force teams to go away from the run. Opponents are averaging 30 carries a game and, under the current ratio, Walker should get about 20 of those. If he does, it will be hard to keep him below this number.
