Tag: C.J. Uzomah

Targets, Touches and TDs: Week 7

Examining touchdowns scored thus far in 2021 to find useful fantasy nuggets.

Touchdowns. Tuddies. Scores. Paydirt. Sixers. TDs.

Whatever you want to call them, they’re under the TTT fantasy microscope this week.

More specifically, we’re looking at who’s scoring them and who’s not, and what it has meant for fantasy so far — and going forward — as we approach midseason.

We’re doing a touchdown stat analysis of all of the major fantasy positions, including defense, and we start (as usual) with the …

Quarterbacks

Total TDs (passing + rushing)

Patrick Mahomes 19 (18 passing-1 rushing), Tom Brady 18 (17-1), Josh Allen 17 (15-2), Kyler Murray 17 (14-3), Dak Prescott 16 (16-0), Matthew Stafford 16 (16-0), Justin Herbert 15 (14-1), Joe Burrow 14 (14-0), Aaron Rodgers 14 (12-2), Kirk Cousins 13 (13-0), Jaylen Hurts 13 (8-5), Jameis Winston (13 (12-1)

Fantasy takeaways

  • Mahomes, the current positional leader in average fantasy points per game with 31.8 (Huddle Performance scoring), is on pace for 54 total TDs and 51 passing scores, which would eclipse his career highs from 2018 when he paced QBs with 494.1 fantasy points (30.9 per contest). KC’s less-than-formidable defense, which is surrendering 29.3 points per game, is prodding Mahomes to keep the pedal to metal late into games.
  • The Ravens’ Lamar Jackson (fifth with an average of 28.6 fantasy points) and the Panthers’ Sam Darnold (10th with 24.6) are the only current top-10 fantasy QBs who don’t rank among the top 12 in total TDs. Jackson (11 total TDs), though, leads all QBs with 392 rushing yards and is averaging a career-best 281 aerial yards per game, while Darnold (12 total TDs) is tied with Hurts for the positional lead with five rushing scores.
  • Prescott (seventh with 26.9 fantasy points per outing) and Stafford (eighth with 26.4) are the only top-10 fantasy QBs without a rushing score. Prescott has run for 70 yards on 22 carries, while Stafford has 26 yards on 18 rushes. Both QBs, not coincidentally, are coming back from injury-marred 2020 seasons.

TD pass percentage leaders

Winston 10.3 percent, Stafford 8.0, Burrow 8.0, Russell Wilson 8.0, Mahomes 7.4, Prescott 7.4, Murray 7.2, Allen 6.5, Rodgers 6.5, Brady 6.4

Fantasy takeaways …

  • Playing on the run-heaviest team in the league (54.74 percent of total plays), the Saints’ Winston ranks 31st in the league with 116 passing attempts but is tied for ninth with 12 TD tosses. Winston, who has had games of five and four TD passes so far, is averaging only 178.4 passing yards per contest and ranks 17th among QBs who have played three or more games with 21.4 fantasy points per outing.
  • Stafford on Sunday enjoyed his third game this season with three or more passing scores and has had a banner start to his first season in Sean McVay’s Rams offense. In his 12 seasons with the Lions, Stafford had a TD pass percentage of 4.6, with his full-season high-water mark coming in 2011 when he had a 6.2 rate, throwing for a career-high 41 TDs. That’s the only season in which he’s had more than 32 scoring passes.
  • Burrow has thrown multiple TD passes in all six of his games this season after doing so in only four of his 10 games as a rookie a year ago when he ranked 28th in the league with 3.2 TD toss percentage.

Running backs

Total TDs (rushing + receiving)

Derrick Henry 10 (10-0), Austin Ekeler 7 (4 rushing-3 receiving), Ezekiel Elliott 6 (5-1), Aaron Jones 6 (4-2), James Conner 5 (5-0), Darrell Henderson 5 (4-1), Kareem Hunt 5 (5-0), Cordarrelle Patterson 5 (1-4), James Robinson 5 (5-0), Jonathan Taylor 5 (4-1)

Fantasy takeaways …

  • Ekeler, fantasy’s second-ranked back with 21.5 points (point-per-reception scoring) per game, has already set a career season high with his four rushing TDs. Ekeler is on pace to score 20 TDs, which would smash his 2019 career high of 11 — a total that included a running back-best eight receiving TDs.
  • Henry, who has finished either first or second among RBs with 17 and 18 touchdowns, respectively, the past two seasons, is on pace for a whopping 28 scores in 2021. He is averaging a league-most 29.6 total touches per game — a full seven touches more than any other player.
  • Patterson already has as many TDs (5) in five games this season as he totaled in his previous three seasons combined and is tied with the Packers’ Jones for the RB lead with four receiving scores. Patterson’s season career high for TDs was set back in his rookie season of 2013 with the Vikings when he had nine total (four receiving, three rushing and two on kickoff returns).

Most total touches with 1 or fewer TDs

Mark Ingram 90 touches (1 TD), Chuba Hubbard 85 (1), Alexander Mattison 83 (1), Chase Edmonds 79 (0), Javonte Williams 79 (1), Tony Pollard 76 (1), Miles Sanders 75 (0), Devin Singletary 73 (1), Christian McCaffrey 68 (1), A.J. Dillon 58 (1), Sony Michel 58 (1)

Fantasy takeaways …

  • It’s not surprising to see Edmonds high on this list as Conner is now the team’s goal-line back with all five of his rushing scores coming from inside the opposition’s 5-yard line on seven total carries. Edmonds has had one carry inside the enemy 5-yard line but still is the only running back ranked among the top 34 in total PPR points (17th with 73.9) who has yet to score a TD.
  • It’s interesting to see both of the Panthers’ top backs listed here with McCaffrey and the rookie Hubbard combining for two TDs on 153 touches to date. Nineteen of those 153 combined touches and both of those TDs for the Carolina backs have come in the red zone. The aforementioned Darnold, meanwhile, has logged six red-zone rushes and has scored on five of them.
  • Sanders has yet to find his way into the end zone after scoring six TDs in each of first two NFL seasons. Sanders has a minus-one yard on nine red-zone rushes this season, including minus-five on four inside-the-5-yard-line carries. The second-year QB Hurts, meanwhile, has stolen the Philly close-in thunder with 47 yards and five TDs on 14 red-zone rushes. Sanders is 46th among RBs with an average of 6.5 fantasy points.

Wide receivers

Total TDs (receiving + rushing)

Cooper Kupp 7 (7 receiving, 0 rushing), Mike Williams 6 (6-0), DeAndre Hopkins 6 (6-0), Marquise Brown 5 (5-0), Ja’Marr Chase 5 (5-0), Tyreek Hill 5 (5-0), D.K. Metcalf 5 (5-0), Adam Thielen 5 (5-0), Antonio Brown 4 (4-0), Amari Cooper 4 (4-0), Mike Evans 4 (4-0), CeeDee Lamb 4 (4-0), Deebo Samuel 4 (3-1), Emmanuel Sanders 4 (4-0)

Fantasy takeaways …

  • Kupp, whose two-TD game Sunday against the Giants was his third of the season, also leads the league in targets (68), red-zone targets (12), and is tied with Davante Adams and Hill with a league-most 46 receptions. His seven TD grabs this season already is the second-highest total of his five-season career, trailing only the 10 he had on 134 targets in 2019 when he finished fourth among wideouts with 270.5 PPR points.
  • Thielen finished third a season ago with 14 touchdown catches thanks to his mega-efficient red-zone production, reeling in 16-of-19 targets for 115 yards and 13 scores inside the opposition’s 20-yard line. He’s at it again this season, catching all six of his red-zone targets for 37 yards and four TDs.
  • In his last 11 games, including three last postseason, the Bucs’ Brown has caught 57 of 82 targets for 765 yards and 10 TDs — an average of 17.6 PPR points per outing. He’s averaging 19.1 through five games played in ’21.

Most targets with 1 or fewer TDs

Keenan Allen 58 targets (1 TD), Brandin Cooks 57 (1), Jakobi Meyers 52 (0), Michael Pittman Jr. 46 (1), DeVonta Smith 44 (1), Calvin Ridley 42 (1), Chase Claypool 42 (1), Laviska Shenault 41 (0), Darnell Mooney 39 (1), Tyler Boyd 38 (1)

Fantasy takeaways …

  • Allen has notched six or more TD grabs in each of his previous four seasons, but the Chargers’ target leader ranks fifth on the team with his one scoring reception so far. Fellow wideout Mike Williams’ ascendance (six TD catches on 33 receptions and 56 targets) has hurt Allen as he currently ranks 26th with an average of 14.5 fantasy points per game.
  • Since the start of last season, Diggs leads the league in targets (224) and receptions (164) and ranks second in receiving yards (1,998) but is tied for 16th with 10 TD grabs in 22 regular-season games. Among wide receivers, Diggs still ranks third, though, in total PPR points (423.9).
  • Meyers has 174 targets since the start of the 2019 season — 83 more than any other Patriots wide receiver or tight end — but famously is still waiting on his first NFL TD. During that span, including the postseason, only the Panthers (40) and Jets (39) have thrown fewer TD passes than the Patriots’ 44 in 39 games.

Tight ends

Total TDs (receiving + rushing)

Dawson Knox 5 (5 receiving-0 rushing), Rob Gronkowski 4 (4-0), Travis Kelce 4 (4-0), Mo Alie-Cox 3 (3-0), Mark Andrews 3 (3-0), Noah Fant 3 (3-0), Hunter Henry 3 (3-0), Juwan Johnson 3 (3-0), Dalton Schultz 3 (3-0),  C.J. Uzomah 3 (3-0)

Fantasy takeaways …

  • Knox (finger) has been a surprise at fantasy’s shallowest position as he’s already doubled his career TD total six games into the season. Essentially he’s been the 2021 Robert Tonyan, ranking 17th at the position with 24 targets and 12th with 21 receptions but leading the way with five scoring receptions.
  • A high ratio of TDs to targets also is inflating the fantasy stocks of the Bengals’ Uzomah, the Colts’ Alie-Cox and the Saints’ Johnson … all have three TDs on 18 or fewer targets so far.
  • Gronk has missed the past three games with a rib injury but still is tied for second among 2021 tight ends with his four scoring grabs on 21 targets and 16 receptions. In his last 11 games, Gronkowski has eight TDs on 50 targets and 32 catches — meaning one of every four catches is counting for six points.

Most total targets with 1 or fewer TDs

Mike Gesicki 43 targets (1 TD), Kyle Pitts 36 (1), Tyler Conklin 30 (1), George Kittle 28 (0), Dan Arnold 26 (0), Jonnu Smith 25 (1), Cole Kmet 24 (0), Evan Engram 21 (1), Pat Freiermuth 20 (1), Robert Tonyan 20 (1)

Fantasy takeaways …

  • On the other side of the touchdown ledger, the Dolphins’ Gesicki ranks fifth in 2021 tight end targets (43) and sixth in receptions (30) but has only one scoring grab to show for it. From 2019-20, he had 11 TDs on 174 total targets.
  • Niners star Kittle began his career with 12 TD catches in his first three seasons, but with a string of injuries limiting him to 12 games since the start of last season, he’s only added two more touchdowns since on 91 targets and 67 receptions.
  • As expected, regression has hit the Packers’ Tonyan and Patriots’ Smith hard this season with one TD apiece so far. In 2020, they finished ranked tied for first (11) and third (9), respectively, a year ago in tight end TDs, both with 52 touches or fewer.

Defensive/special teams

Non-offensive TDs (defensive TDs + special teams TDs )

Cowboys 3 (3-0), Buccaneers 2 (2-0), Jaguars 2 (0-2), 13 teams with 1 apiece

Fantasy takeaway …

  • The top annual fantasy team defenses/special team units typically feature multiple return-score TDs, and this season is no exception. The top eight 2021 D/STs, according to Huddle Performance scoring, all have at least one non-offensive touchdown, led by the league-leading Cowboys (57 total fantasy points) with their trio of interception-return TDs.

Tunnel Vision of Week 4

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Sam Darnell 301-35 4
 Patrick Mahomes 278-26 5
 Matt Ryan 283-17 4
 Daniel Jones 402-27 2
 Jalen Hurts 387-47 2
Running Backs Yards TD
Saquon Barkley 13-52 rush
5-74 catch		 2
Derrick Henry 33-157 rush
2-20 catch		 1
David Montgomery 23-106 rush 2
Ezekiel Elliott 20-143 rush 1
James Robinson 18-78 rush
1-(-2) catch		 2
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Tyreek Hill 11-186 3
Cordarrelle Patterson 6-34 rush
5-82 catch		 3
Deebo Samuel 8-156 2
Terry McLaurin 6-123 2
D.J. Moore 8-113 2
Tight Ends Yards TD
C.J. Uzomah 5-95 2
Mo Alie-Cox 3-42 2
Dawson Knox 5-37 2
Maxx Williams 5-66 1
Dalton Schultz 6-58 1
Placekickers XP FG
Tyler Bass 4 4
Matt Prater 4 3
Justin Tucker 2 3
Jake Elliott 3 3
Ryan Succop 1 4
Defense Sack-TO TD
Bills 2 – 5 0
Cowboys 4 – 2 0
Bears 4 – 2 0
Football Team 1 – 0 1
Colts 3 – 2 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

QB Jimmy Garoppolo – Calf
QB Teddy Bridgewater – Concussion
RB David Montgomery – Knee
RB Tony Jones – Ankle
TE Logan Thomas – Hamstring
WR DJ Chark – Broken ankle
WR Will Fuller – Hand
WR Dyami Brown – Knee
WR Josh Reynolds – Knee
PK Robbie Gould – Hamstring

Chasing Ambulances

David Montgomery and DJ Chark were the biggest names from Week 3. But when your kicker (Robbie Gould) gets hurt before scoring a point, you know it’s probably not your lucky day.

QB Jimmy Garoppolo (SF) – He injured his calf and said that he “anticipates being out a couple of weeks.” That would put Trey Lance under center for this week in Arizona. The 49ers have their bye in Week 6 to help Garoppolo heal, but if he remains out, they play the Colts and at the Bears the following two weeks. He’d be an option as a starting fantasy quarterback since he played for one half and threw for 157 yards and two scores on the Seahawks, plus rushed for 41 yards in just 30 minutes of play.

QB Teddy Bridgewater (DEN) – Hit by a linebacker helmet-to-helmet, Bridgewater was ruled out with a possible concussion. Drew Lock played in the second half of the loss to the Ravens and passed for 113 yards and one interception. It’s a downgrade for the offense if Bridgewater remains out and they play in Pittsburgh in Week 5, so Lock doesn’t hold much interest even if he ends up starting next Sunday.

RB David Montgomery (CHI) – Laid on the field for a while as they looked at his knee, but he walked off to the locker room. He was in much pain when it happened, but it is believed to be a hyperextension and didn’t tear any ligaments. If an MRI bears that out, he may not miss much time. The Bears play in Las Vegas this week and will need Montgomery. Damien Williams will take his place for however long it is needed. Williams ran for 55 yards and a score on eight carries in the win over the Lions. He’s worth grabbing if the Montgomery owner left him on the waiver wire.

RB Tony Jones Jr. (NO) – The Saints No. 2 running back injured his ankle in the loss to Washington and was carted from the field. Jones appeared to think it was severe when he left the field but his status will be better known on Monday. Dwayne Washington is the only other running back on the current roster, and there are none on the practice squad though Ty Montgomery was originally a running back and typically gets a rush or two per game. There isn’t much fantasy value in the No. 2 back since Latavius Murray left, but there is always the chance that Alvin Kamara could get injured.

WR DJ Chark  (JAC) – A broken ankle shakes up the Jaguars’ receivers while Trevor Lawrence goes through the learning curve for a rookie quarterback. Laviska Shenault is the one most likely to benefit. He and Marvin Jones are the new starters, but the No. 3 role is likely a combination of Tyron Johnson, Jamal Agnew, and Tavon Austin. Shenault was dropped in some leagues but needs to be on fantasy rosters.

TE Logan Thomas (WAS)  – Left with a hamstring injury and threw his helmet at the bench after he hobbled off the field. There’s no word yet on the severity, but Ricky-Seals Jones would replace him again if needed this week when the Saints visit.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

Week 6 byes are almost here – The Falcons, Saints, Jets, and 49ers have a Week 6 bye, so get ahead of the game and review your rosters in preparation.  Week 7 is even worse with the Bills, Cowboys, Jaguars, Chargers, Vikings, and Steelers. Week 7 will touch likely every fantasy team. Look ahead to see if you need to swap out any kickers or team defenses.

TE C.J. Uzomah (CIN) – He only totaled four catches for 39 yards over the first three weeks, but Uzomah came to life against the Jaguars when he caught five passes for 95 yards and both passing scores for the Bengals. It’s just an aberration for now, but he helped out in Week 4 when Tee Higgins was inactive.

WR Curtis Samuel (WAS) – His debut was only four catches for 19 yards, but he’ll become a bigger part of the offense.

RB/WR Cordarrelle Patterson (ATL) – He’s 30 years old and on his fifth NFL team. But he just scored three touchdowns while catching five passes for 82 yards, plus he also led the backfield with six runs for 34 yards. Patterson’s five touchdowns in the last two weeks are more than he scored in any of the eight past seasons. He is 6-4 and 205 pounds and not built like any other running back. He faces the visiting Jets this week and it doesn’t have to make sense why he suddenly is posting fantasy points.

TE Dawson Knox (BUF) – He not only scored twice on his five catches for 37 yards in the win over the Texans, he also turned in touchdowns in each of the last three games. That ties him with  Rob Gronkowski for the scoring lead among NFL tight ends.

QB Justin Fields (CHI) – What a difference a week makes. The rookie threw for 209 yards and just one interception in the win over the Lions. He still only rushed for nine yards on three runs. So, it is odd that they cannot make use of his skills as a runner. On the plus, Darnell Mooney (5-125) finally showed up with Fields under center though his 64-yard catch helped significantly.

RB Dalvin Cook (MIN) – Took the start after missing Week 3 with an ankle injury. But he only ran nine times for 34 yards while Alexander Mattison gained 20 yards on ten rushes. There’s speculation that Cook aggravated the ankle as he played little in the second half.

QB Sam Darnell (NYJ) – He passed for 301 yards and two scores in Dallas, plus ran six times for 35 yards and two more touchdowns.  He currently ranks as the No. 5 fantasy quarterback after four games. That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for the Jets where he struggled for three years.

RB Saquon Barkley (NYG) – Now that’s the Barkley we remember. The Giants upset the Saints in New Orleans partly thanks to Saquon rushing for 52 yards and a score on 13 carries, plus catching five passes for 74 yards and another touchdown. He handled all but one touch for the backfield and finally looked back to form.

Giants Wide Receivers – Maybe the Saints got caught in a trap game. The Giants were without Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton and facing the Saints secondary. But Daniel Jones threw for 402 yards and two scores. The rookie Kadarius Toney (6-78) had a breakout effort, and John Ross (3-77, TD) debuted after missing time with a hamstring injury. Whether that was a trap game or not, the Giants head to Dallas this week, where the points tend to skew higher. It will all be worth tracking to see if Shepard and Slayton return from their respective hamstring issues.

RB Alvin Kamara (NO) – He ran for a season-high 120 yards on 26 carries as the Saints tried unsuccessfully to eat up the clock.  But Taysom Hill ran in the two rushing touchdowns, and odder still was that Kamara never had a catch. He never had a pass thrown to him. Last year, he had one game where he was thrown one pass and it was incomplete. But this week appears to be the first-ever game that he was never thrown a pass.

RB Jeremy McNichols (TEN) – The Titans were without Julio Jones and A.J. Brown in the loss to the Jets. Chester Rogers (5-63) and Josh Reynolds (6-59) were their replacements, along with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (3-29). But Ryan Tannehill threw a team-high twelve passes to No. 2 running back Jeremy McNichols, who led the team with eight receptions for 74 yards. Worth noting for a cheaper Daily Fantasy play next week in Jacksonville if Jones and Brown remain out.

RB Michael Carter (NYJ) – The rookie now takes a much bigger slice of the backfield pie. In the win over the Jets, he ran 13 times for 38 yards and the first Jets’ rushing touchdown of the year. Tevin Coleman (4-14) and Ty Johnson (3-1) played lesser roles though all caught one or two short passes.

Eagles backfield – Miles Sanders disappointed (again) with a role that shrinks since the season opener when he ran 15 times for 74 yards and caught four passes for 39 yards. Sanders was limited to just two runs and three catches in Week 3, then seven carries for 13 yards in the loss to the Chiefs that added three catches for 34 yards. However, Kenneth Gainwell gets better. He ran three times for 31 yards and a touchdown on Sunday and caught six passes for 58 yards. He plays more in passing situations, but the Eagles’ next three opponents are the Panthers, Buccaneers, and Raiders. This bode worse for Sanders and better for Gainwell.

TE Maxx Williams (ARI) – He posted seven receptions for 94 yards in Week 2 but then only three catches for 19 yards in Week 3. Versus the Rams, he caught five passes for 66 yards and a touchdown. The problem with that is Kyler Murray playing so well is that he takes what the defense  gives, and that changes every game. Christian Kirk went from 104 yards on seven catches in Week 3 to only one catch for five yards versus the Rams. DeAndre Hopkins and Murray are the only constants, but players like Williams occasionally show up in box scores.

RB Alex Collins (SEA) – The 49ers knew to bottle up Chris Carson and held him to only 30 yards on 13 carries and a one-yard catch. But Alex Collins replaced Rashaad Penny, who is on injured reserve, as the No. 2 back. And he provided a spark that helped lift the Seahawks to a win in San Francisco. Collins gained 44 yards and a touchdown on ten rushes and turned two catches into 34 yards. He was everything that fantasy owners wanted from Carson. He’s a must-own for the Carson owner now and showed that he could produce when given a chance. The depth chart remains unchanged, but Collins spawned more confidence about using him.

RB Trey Sermon (SF) – There is a good chance that Elijah Mitchell may return this week for the matchup in Arizona. It will likely be disappointing to see what happens to the backfield rotation. Sermon ran 19 times for 89 yards but had no role as a receiver in the loss to the Seahawks.  He was given all but two carries for the backfield and ran well. When Mitchell returns, he may assume a role as a receiver even though fullback Kyle Juszczyk already was the No. 2 receiver with four catches for 41 yards on Sunday. A tangled mess is looming.

WR Randall Cobb (GB) – Marquez Valdes-Scantling was placed on injured reserve last week, and that only made the prospect even worse of what happens when Davante Adams is somehow actually covered?  For at least one week, the answer is Randall Cobb. He was held with no catches in San Francisco during Week 3, but he led the Packers with five receptions for 69 yards and two touchdowns in the win over the Steelers. The next two weeks are on the road to the Bengals and Bears, so the Packers will need someone besides Adams to step up.

Huddle player of the week

Tyreek Hill  –  After two weeks of very moderate stats and no scoring, the Chiefs’ star wideout dominated the overmatched Eagles’ secondary when he caught 11 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns. Travis Kelce (4-23) may have had an off day, but Hill was unstoppable.

Salute!

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

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Sam Darnold 336 4 QB Lamar Jackson 342 1
RB James Conner 66 2 RB Dalvin Cook 44 0
RB Kenneth Gainwell 89 1 RB Myles Gaskin 3 0
WR C. Patterson 116 3 WR DJ Chark 0 0
WR Randall Cobb 69 2 WR CeeDee Lamb 13 0
WR Kalif Raymond 46 2 WR Tyler Lockett 24 0
TE C.J. Uzomah 95 2 TE Logan Thomas 0 0
PK Jake Elliott 3  XP   3 FG PK Brandon McManus 1  XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 156 Huddle Fantasy Points = 31

Now get back to work…

How Bengals QB Joe Burrow audibled his way to a Thursday night win

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow lived up to his “Joey Franchise” nickname on Thursday night by audibling his way to an important win.

As an offensive coach, you do everything you can to help your young quarterback develop (unless you’re Matt Nagy). You hammer the plan, you make sure the quarterback is mentally and mechanically sound, and you put it all on the field week after week, hoping that it all comes together consistently. But if you have a great young quarterback, eventually, you have to let him take the playbook in his hands, react to what he sees, and win a game with his own acuity.

This happened to Bengals head coach Zac Taylor on Thursday night in Cincinnati’s 24-21 win over the Jaguars. The win took the Bengals to 3-1 on the season, which is one more game than they won in 2019. That 2-14 mark put the team at the top of the 2020 draft order and gave them the right to select LSU’s Joe Burrow first overall. Burrow looked good but limited in his rookie season, as the Bengals ran a bunch of quick stuff out of empty formations, and Burrow ran for his life behind an awful offensive line. Burrow was lost for the season in Week 11 when he suffered a torn ACL against Washington, and all Taylor and his staff could do was to wait for the next season to see how Burrow would respond.

It’s not just that Burrow has looked reborn as a quarterback, especially as a deep passer, behind a much better front five, and now reunited with former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase; it’s the on-field acumen combined with his physical gifts that make Burrow such a potentially special quarterback.

Burrow had to be special to pull out that win against a competitive Jaguars team, which had the benefit of Trevor Lawrence, the quarterback taken first overall this year to match Burrow’s equity. There was 5:33 left in regulation when the Bengals got the ball back for the last time, and they never gave it back to the Jaguars. The pivotal play came with 1:09 remining. The Bengals had the ball at the Jacksonville 46-yard line, and Burrow threw a screen to tight end C.J. Uzomah. The play gained 25 yards, and put Cincinnati in position for Evan McPherson’s game-winning 35-yard field goal as time expired.

But the most impressive part of the play was that it wasn’t Taylor’s original call — Burrow saw the defense and audibled to something else, based on the knowledge he’d gained in just over one NFL season. As former NFL quarterback and current analyst Sage Rosenfels pointed out, it was the perfect check.

“That wasn’t the play we called,” Taylor said in retrospect. “That was a check from Joe. We put those guys everywhere in empty, they can line up anywhere and that just happened to be where he was on that play and they zero-blitzed us. I don’t know how many empty plays we ran, but it was a lot. I don’t know if the ball ever hit the ground. They had to try something different. They zeroed us and Joe was ready for it.”

Burrow explained his thought process after the game. Basically, the Jaguars brought a Cover-0 blitz (no deep safeties), and Burrow was able to go through his internal computer in a hurry to discern the best plan of action. It was not a random thought process. It was also a candy dish of a defense for Borrow, who, per Sports Info Solutions, had completed two of two passes against Cover-0 in the first three weeks of the season for 44 yards. When running Cover-0 in the first three games of the season, the Jaguars had allowed three completions in three attempts for 42 yards.

“You guys have heard me talking about having the playbook in the back of my head and seeing looks that I can take advantage of. That just comes with experience. They gave me a ‘zero’ look, and so all week I knew the defensive coordinator [Joe Cullen] had a Baltimore background [Cullen was the Ravens’ defensive line coach from 2016 through 2020, and the Ravens generally run a lot of Cover-0 blitzes]. They showed some ‘zero’ on film — I knew I’d have to be ready for it in a big spot. I had C.J. out there — that’s not exactly the personnel we usually throw those jailbreak screens to, but he really took advantage of the opportunity. I had those plays in the back of my head expecting ‘zero,’ and I just got to it and didn’t really think about it.

“We were going to run it, but it was just that C.J. was out wide. And I was trying to figure out if I wanted to get to the boundary or to the field. I just figured there was more room to the field. I had C.J. out there, and I knew he’d take advantage of it.”

Uzomah was pretty surprised by the whole thing.

(Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY NETWORK)

“I’ll be honest, I had to [do a] double take on that one. Tyler Boyd was looking at me, too, like ‘What did he just call?’ It was Cover Zero and we knew going in that this [defensive coordinator] was coming in from the Ravens and that’s what they like to do — run Cover-0 in critical situations — and Joey Franchise is just back there dealing dots out there knowing and understanding what the defense is doing. He called that play up and just made something happen. [Receiver Tyler] Boyd had a huge block on that one, Trenton (Irwin) came out and had a big block. [Burrow] gave me a wink after I caught it, and I was like, ‘This guy here, he’s reckless [laughs]!

“[Burrow] is the smartest person out there at all times. I was fortunate enough to get brought into the quarterbacks’ Jeopardy game… The questions, I was like ‘What the hell is this — I don’t know anything!’ and [Burrow] is just like ‘Can I steal this one? Can I steal this one?’ and I was like ‘If you want to — I don’t know the answer!’ He’s just Joey Franchise.”

Joey Franchise? There are better nicknames, but Burrow seems to be living up to it. When you have a quarterback who, in his second NFL season can mentally tear apart a defense that way, you’ve got something special.

Joe Burrow, C.J. Uzomah connected on best play of Bengals training camp

A big Bengals highlight has players saying things have finally turned around.

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Cincinnati Bengals players says it’s the highlight that turned around training camp.

The scene was simple enough: Burrow, on his surgically repaired knee, quickly rolled out of the pocket with Larry Ogunjobi in pursuit, stopped and delivered a 25-yard touchdown strike to tight end C.J. Uzomah.

After many days of struggles, including all sorts of misfires, drops and Burrow’s well-documented struggles with pocket presence as he gets comfortable, the big scoring strike was an exclamation point on a few solid days of camp for the offense.

“There was a lot behind it,” Uzomah said, according to The Athletic’s Jay Morrison. “Positionally and offensively, we had a slow start, and we can’t do that. That was just a lot of pent-up frustration, like ‘all right, here we are, we’re getting after it right now.’ So that’s why I screamed.”

More than anything else, the big play shows just how comfortable Burrow’s getting in the pocket as camp continues. The vibe that the entire offense is finally getting on track is nice, but it doesn’t get there without the franchise quarterback getting back to his old self.

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C.J. Uzomah updates rehab and training with Joe Burrow, Trey Hopkins

Cincinnati Bengals TE C.J. Uzomah provided some behind-the-scenes info on the rehab room at PBS.

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Cincinnati Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah certainly isn’t alone in his rehab process at Paul Brown Stadium.

He’s got star quarterback Joe Burrow and star center Trey Hopkins right there with him.

Uzomah caught up with Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com to reveal how he’s doing on the comeback trail from his torn Achilles:

“When I’m cutting, it feels like I’m getting back to not thinking as much about pushing off and doing certain things. The main thing is the mental aspect. Am I going to think about this while I’m making this cut? I’m not really thinking about it as much as I was in the past.”

The veteran tight end revealed the training staff that helped Leon Hall recover multiple times from the same injury is a big reason he’s sticking at PBS for his rehab this offseason.

But Hopkins and Burrow sure aren’t bad selling points either.

Uzomah describes both as upbeat and fun given the circumstances and they’re even trading verbal jabs here and there in true locker room fashion.

With Burrow already on track for Week 1 and Uzomah feeling like he’s going to make it there too, two small pieces of the Bengals attack seem on track — and they’re having fun tackling it together.

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C.J. Uzomah provides early rave review of Joe Burrow’s rehab, comeback efforts

Cincinnati Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah gave a behind-the-scenes look at rehab with Joe Burrow.

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Cincinnati Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah has a new partner in the rehab facilities at Paul Brown Stadium: Joe Burrow.

Burrow was at PBS this week working with trainers as everyone awaits official word on when he’ll have surgery to repair his left knee. That means Uzomah — who suffered a torn Achilles in mid-September — got a first-hand look at Burrow’s rehab process.

Here’s what Uzomah told Dan Hoard on the Bengals Booth Podcast about Burrow’s early comeback efforts:

“Today I saw him in there and he seems high-spirited. He was asking a bunch of questions about ‘Hey can I do this? If I try to flex this right now is that ok?’…

…And the trainer Nick was like…’yes? Does that not hurt?’ And he (Burrow) was like ‘No, it feels a lot better already today.’ …Nick came to help me out and he was like ‘That guy’s a beast. That’s insane that he’s…his pain tolerance has to be ridiculous for that.'”

There’s a long, long road ahead of Burrow given the severity of the injury, even if the team expects him to make a 100 percent recovery and play next season.

If there’s a silver lining, Burrow will be in there all offseason with a veteran leader like Uzomah and the two can push each other.

That other players have already offered encouraging stories like this about Burrow’s rehab is nothing but a good sign, though. Based on his personality and the message he posted to fans after the injury, Burrow will attack every day like what Uzomah described above.

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Pressure is on Drew Sample to step up for Bengals with C.J. Uzomah reportedly lost for season

Drew Sample will have to step up for the Cincinnati Bengals with C.J. Uzomah out.

The Cincinnati Bengals are about to find out if the investment in Drew Sample was a wise one.

During Thursday night’s loss to the Cleveland Browns, starting tight end C.J. Uzomah went down with an injury. One could tell by his reaction and how quickly team ruled it out that he’d miss some extended time.

Not long after, reports confirmed Uzomah will miss the rest of the season with a torn Achilles, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

The pressure on Sample, a surprise second-round pick in 2019 during Zac Taylor’s first draft, is officially on.

Sample got in nine games as a rookie and caught just five passes. The narrative about his blocking-only status started to change Thursday night though when he showed up second on the receiving chart by catching seven of his nine targets for 45 yards.

Given Joe Burrow’s shaky rapport with non-Tyler Boyd wideouts right now, Sample could quickly become a main fixture of the offense. It’s a chance for both he and Taylor to prove doubters wrong, to say the least.

Sample probably won’t be able to fill the incredible leadership gap Uzomah has commanded as of late. Few could. But if he can be a consistent target for a rookie passer, he can fil the role of safety net and help Burrow develop at a steady clip.

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WATCH: C.J. Uzomah catches Joe Burrow’s first NFL touchdown pass

The former Auburn tight end got open and Joe Burrow did not miss.

Who had C.J. Uzomah as the recipient of Joe Burrow’s first touchdown pass?

The former Auburn tight end ran an excellent route and Burrow, the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner, hit him right in the numbers for the 23-yard connection.

Bengals’ C.J. Uzomah stunned at Joe Burrow’s command at line of scrimmage

Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow has impressed C.J. Uzomah.

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Another day, more proof Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has notably won over his teammates.

That includes veteran tight end C.J. Uzomah, who notes Burrow’s leadership is infectious.

This was perhaps no more apparent to Uzomah than Monday when Burrow almost casually marched the offense down the field, making important checks at the line of scrimmage in the process.

From Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

“He said a few things just to get us motivated. He said we’re going to do this real quick and see what happens and then I will check us in and out of this play if we need to and I think we executed pretty flawlessly going down the stretch and knowing we needed a touchdown.

“He’s making all the right reads. He’s getting us in and out of all the right protections and making all the right checks and certain checks I didn’t even know we were allowed to check into.”

Uzomah capped it off with something fans will like to see: “He’s like, ‘Why not? Go out there and do this. Come in here and do this.’ It’s been a lot of fun, honestly…He’s the real deal, I will say that.”

Burrow ripped through the first-team defense Monday, a big bounceback performance for the rookie after running into some struggles against the pass-rush on Sunday.

His command at the line of scrimmage isn’t shocking considering how open coaches have been about giving him “full authority” there. It’s also one of many recent times Burrow has impressed a teammate, including Tee Higgins being shocked by the power behind his throws.

Since there isn’t a preseason this year, these continual notes on Burrow are about as good as it gets and great news out of training camp.

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