Tag: Devontae Booker

Xavier McKinney, Dexter Lawrence were highest-graded Giants in Week 9

New York Giants FS Xavier McKinney and DL Dexter Lawrence earned the team’s highest PFF grades in Week 9. The lowest grade will shock you.

The New York Giants defense came up big in Week 9, holding the Las Vegas Raiders to just 16 points while scoring seven of their own. And in the end, it was the defense that sealed the team’s third victory of the season.

The star of the show was safety Xavier McKinney, who recorded seven tackles, two interceptions and one touchdown. Unsurprisingly, he was the Giants’ highest-graded player on Sunday.

In fact, McKinney’s PFF grade of 94.5 was the highest grade of any defender in the NFL on Sunday.

Just behind McKinney on defense were lineman Dexter Lawrence (88.8), linebacker Quincy Roche (75.0) and lineman Leonard Williams (73.3).

Other notable defensive grades include safety Julian Love (70.8), cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (63.0) and nose tackle Danny Shelton (39.7).

The lowest-graded Giants on defense were cornerback James Bradberry (37.2) and linebacker Tae Crowder (31.9).

Offensively, tight end Kyle Rudolph led the way for the Giants, earning an overall PFF grade of 81.0. Just behind him were running back Devontae Booker (68.4), wide receiver Kenny Golladay (68.0) and left tackle Matt Peart (66.6).

Other notable offensive grades include quarterback Daniel Jones (65.2), tight end Evan Engram (65.0) and wide receiver Darius Slayton (52.9).

The lowest-graded Giants on offensive were guards Matt Skura (51.0) and Will Hernandez (46.8).

Hernandez grading out so low is puzzling.

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Tunnel Vision of Week 9

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

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Lamar Jackson 266 – 120 3
 Justin Herbert 356 – 14 3
 Matt Ryan 343 – 8 3
 Josh Johnson 317 – 18 3
 Carson Wentz 272 – 16 3
Running Backs Yards TD
James Conner 21-96 rush
5-77 catch		 3
Jonathan Taylor 19-172 rush
2-28 catch		 2
Nick Chubb 14-137 rush
2-26 catch		 2
Joe Mixon 13-64 rush
5-46 catch		 2
Nyheim Hines 6-74 rush
4-34 catch		 1
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Elijah Moore 7-84 2
Olamide Zaccheaus 3-58 2
DeVonta Smith 5-116 1
Malik Turner 5-33 2
Brandon Aiyuk 6-89 1
Tight Ends Yards TD
George Kittle 6-101 1
Travis Kelce 5-68 1
Stephen Anderson 4-39 1
Donald Parham 3-39 1
Darren Waller 7-92 0
Placekickers XP FG
Brandon McManus 1 3
Chase McLaughlin 5 2
Graham Gano 2 3
Matt Gay 1 3
Justin Tucker 4 2
Defense Sack – TO TD
Patriots 1 – 3 1
Browns 5 – 3 1
Titans 5 – 2 1
Texans 4 – 5 0
Dolphins 5 – 4 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

RB Ezekiel Elliott – Knee (returned)
RB Rhamondre Stevenson – Head
RB Damien Harris – Head
RB Zack Moss – Concussion
RB Devontae Booker – Hip
RB Chase Edmonds – Ankle
TE Jonnu Smith – Shoulder
TE Albert Okwuegbunam – Knee

Chasing Ambulances

RB Rhamondre Stevenson (NE)
RB Damien Harris (NE) – Both New England backs  suffered head injuries which entailed laying on the ground for a bit (not on the same play). The Patriots are rarely forthcoming about injuries but both could end up in the concussion protocol. If either back is out for Week 10 against the Browns, Brandon Bolden becomes much more than the third-down back.

RB Zack Moss (BUF) – Left in the third quarter of the loss to the Jaguars, Moss is believed to have been concussed. That makes Devin Singletary the clear primary back if Moss it out. While the Bills are not a run-heavy offense, they face the Jets and their terrible run defense this week.

RB Devontae Booker (NYG) – Was knocked out of the win over the Raiders with a hip injury but was X-rayed  and said he was fine and wanted to return to the game.  The Giants are on bye this week and by Week 11, assumedly Saquon Barkley is back anyway.

RB Chase Edmonds (ARI) –  The Cardinals back only lasted for one play when he injured his ankle and left the win over the 49ers. In his absence, James Conner turned in a career day with 173 total yards and three touchdowns. Eno Benjamin used nine carries to gain 39 yards and a score during the mop-up portion of the game. Benjamin would be a bit player next week if Edmonds remains out, but Conner would again shoulder a large workload.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

RB Christian McCaffrey (CAR)  – Was reported to be on a pitch count in his first game since Week 3, but he was just as busy as before. McCaffrey was the leading rusher (14-52) and the leading receiver (4-54). Chuba Hubbard was left with only three carries for three yards and one catch. Until he is hurt again, Christian “The Franchise” McCaffrey is back in business.

WR Donovan Peoples-Jones (CLE) – The Browns had little need to pass, but DPJ made the most of his two catches. He scored a 60-yard touchdown in the second quarter and added a 26-yard catch later in the game. He’s the favorite to replace Odell Beckham and already led the Cleveland receivers in his first start.

RB Javonte Williams (DEN) – After his first seven games rarely topped 50 rushing yards, the rookie turned in his first 100-yard effort when the Broncos beat the Cowboys in Dallas. Williams ran for 111 yards on 17 carries but failed to catch any passes for the first time as well.  Melvin Gordon still took the rushing touchdown on his 21 runs for 80 yards, but Williams is at least setting the stage for 2022 if the Broncos elect to let Gordon leave in free agency.

QB Matt Ryan (ATL) – With Calvin Ridley gone for an indeterminate amount of time, Ryan was held to a season-worst 146 passing yards and one score with two interceptions in Week 8 against the Panthers. Just when it seemed he’d taken a downward turn, Ryan turned in one of his best games of the year. He passed for 343 yards and two scores in the win over the Saints and even rushed in a touchdown. Cordarrelle Patterson (6-126) was his top receiver but both Russell Gage (7-64) and Kyle Pitts (3-62) helped out.

TE Darren Waller (LV) – The Raiders’ star tight end was stuck at 50-yard efforts this year and only scored once since Week 1. In the first game without Henry Ruggs, Waller returned as the primary receiver with seven catches for 92 yards. This week against the Chiefs should be an even more bountiful matchup.

RB Jordan Howard (PHI) – Two games since Miles Sanders left and Howard’s scored in each matchup. He ran 17 times for 71 yards and the touchdown in the Week 9 loss to the Chargers one week after rushing 12 times for 57 yards and two scores in the win over the Lions. Boston Scott (10-40) remains involved, but Howard is productive as the new lead back.

WR DeVonta Smith (PHI) – So much didn’t make sense this week. The Eagles’ rookie wideout hadn’t scored since the season opener and only managed one catch for 15 yards in Week 8 at the Lions. He faced the No. 2 defense against wideouts on Sunday against the Chargers. Naturally, he logged his best game of the year with five catches for 116 yards and a touchdown.

QB Jordan Love (GB) – The first start for the rookie could have gone better.  Facing the No. 28 defense against quarterbacks, Love was held to 190 yards and one score with one interception. He threw 14 passes at Davante Adams but only completed six for 42 yards. A score in the final five minutes salvaged his day.

QB Patrick Mahomes (KC) – At home against the No. 24 defense, Mahomes passed for 166 yards and one score. I’m just  going to leave that right there and walk away.

WR Brandon Aiyuk (SF) – The former first-round pick was a star as a rookie but then flopped this year while Deebo Samuel sponged up nearly every pass. He caught four passes for 45 yards in Chicago in Week 8 as a season-best. And he had a meeting with Kyle Shanahan where “words were exchanged,” and Aiyuk came away with a new dedication to practice. That translated into Week 9 where he again turned in a season-high six catches for 89 yards and a touchdown.

TE George Kittle (SF) – Returned after spending four weeks on injured reserve and posted six catches for 101 yards and a score in his first game back. He led the 49ers’ receivers but the game was almost entirely passing since the 49ers trailed throughout the loss to the Cardinals.

RB Jeff Wilson (SF) – He was active for the first time this year but did not have a carry. But realize, the next time you start Elijah Mitchell and really need him, Wilson will probably pick that week to get some work.

Titans backfield – The first game without Derrick Henry and the Titans opted for a three-man committee. D’Onta Foreman (5-29), Jeremy McNichols (7-24), and Adrian Peterson (10-21, TD) all shared in the workload and McNichols added three catches for 11 yards. Both Foreman and Peterson are new to the team, so the distribution is likely to shift. But, there is no free agent equivalent to Derrick Henry waiting to be picked up by a team. The No. 2 defense against running backs of the Saints is up next.

QB Josh Johnson (NYJ) – 1.02 pick of Zach Wilson hasn’t thrown for more than two scores or over 300 yards in any game as a rookie. He’s been replaced for the last two games by Mike White (405 pass yards, 3 TD) and once White was hurt in Week 9, Josh Johnson (317 pass yards, 3 TD) also played better than the rookie has. Maybe Wilson should get some seasoning on the bench for the rest of the year because  his backups are turning in Top-10 performances each week.

WR Elijah Moore (NYJ) – Playing with Zach Wilson meant that the rookie wideout topped out at four catches for 47 yards and only totaled nine receptions on the year. With Mike White in Week 8, Moore caught six passes for 67 yards. With Josh Johnson in Week 9, he caught seven passes for 84 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson has to go through his learning curve, but Moore’s production has spiked without him.

Huddle player of the week

RB James Conner (ARI) –  The Cardinals backfield committee lost Chase Edmonds on the first play of the game and Conner never looked back. He rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, plus caught five passes for 77 yards and a third score. He already logged three games with two touchdowns, and now has his first three-score game.

Salute!

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

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Josh Jonson 335 3 QB Patrick Mahomes 166 1
RB Nyheim Hines 108 1 RB Aaron Jones 53 0
RB Devonta Freeman 83 1 RB Zack Moss 24 0
WR Olamide Zaccheaus 58 2 WR Davante Adams 42 0
WR Malik Turner 33 2 WR CeeDee Lamb 23 0
WR D. Peoples-Jones 86 1 WR Tyreek Hill 28 0
TE Donald Parham 39 1 TE Mark Andrews 44 0
PK Brandon McManus  1 XP   3 FG PK Greg Zuerlein   nope
Huddle Fantasy Points = 129 Huddle Fantasy Points = 33

Now get back to work…

Giants defeat Raiders, 23-16: Instant analysis

Analyzing the New York Giants’ 23-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders at MetLife Stadium in Week 9.

The New York Giants hosted the AFC West-leading Las Vegas Raiders at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon, which was a perfect day for football with temperatures around 50 degrees and hardly any wind.

The Giants were coming off another disappointing loss while Las Vegas was coming off their bye week. It was hardly an uneventful week for the Raiders with the tragic Henry Ruggs situation, and the Giants were uncertain about who would be available this week after some faulty COVID-19 tests.

The line at kickoff had dipped down to Giants +2.5 with an over/under of 46.5 points as per the Tipico Sportsbook app.

The Giants opened the scoring with a crisp seven-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a Daniel Jones-to-Evan Engram 30-yard hookup for a touchdown that Engram grabbed over Raiders safety Jonathan Abram.

The Raiders stormed right back, marching 72 yards on 10 plays and tied the game when Derek Carr hit Hunter Renfrow for a two-yard score after Renfrow shook James Bradberry on the goal line.

The defenses took over the game and the clubs traded field goals to bring the score to 10-10 with 2:00 remaining in the first half. The Giants have been terrible at the end of the first half all season and they continued that in this game as Las Vegas was able to add another field goal with 0:10 remaining in the half to take a 13-10 lead into the tunnel.

The Raiders lead was short-lived as Giants safety Xavier McKinney picked off Carr on the first possession the second half and took it 41 yards to the house to give the Giants a 17-13 lead.

On the next possession, the Giants defense once again stood tall and forced a field goal. It was their third red zone stop of the game in four tries.

Graham Gano’s 32-yard field goal widened the Giants’ lead with 14:07 remaining. The defense did their thing again on the Raiders’ next drive, stopping them on third-and-6 from the Giants’ 10. Daniel Carlson then hooked the 25-yard field goal attempt wide left to keep the score at 20-16 in favor of New York.

McKinney’s second interception shut the door on Las Vegas’ next possession and sent the Giants on a drive that resulted in a 36-yard field goal to extend the Giants’ lead to 23-16.

The Raiders took control of the football on their own 25 with 3:21 remaining. After driving down to the Giants’ 13 with 0:50 remaining, the defense went work again. Rookie defensive end Quincy Roche stripped Carr of the ball and it was recovered by Leonard Williams on the 23.

The Giants finally win close one. They are 3-3 after starting the year 0-3.

Notes

  • The Giants were shorthanded in the backfield. Saquon Barkley (ankle) and rookie Gary Brightwell (COVID-19) were inactive. Barkley has played in just 20 of the Giants’ last 41 games.
  • Devontae Booker had a career high 99 yards rushing on 21 carries and added 23 yards on three receptions.
  • Sterling Shepard (quad) missed his fourth game of the season. Shepard has now missed 14 games since the beginning of the 2019 season due to various injuries.
  • Fourth-round pick Elerson Smith, an outside linebacker out of Northern Iowa, made his NFL debut. Oshane Ximines was a healthy scratch, perhaps benched after his offsides penalty cost the Giants a chance to win last Monday night in Kansas City.
  • KR/WR Pharoh Cooper and safety J.R. Reed also made their Giants debut in this game.
  • Keion Crossen’s personal foul penalty on Raiders punter A.J. Cole was the 12th special team penalty of the season for the Giants, the most of any team in the NFL this year.
  • The game was broadcast on CBS as the Giants were hosting an AFC team. Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins (field reporter) called the game.

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Giants hold on late, upset Raiders, 23-16, in Week 9

The New York Giants defense came up big in the final minute, sealing a 23-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9.

The New York Giants entered Week 9 in desperate need of a win to salvage whatever remaining playoff hope they may have had. The Las Vegas Raiders, meanwhile, were looking to flush a bad few weeks off of the field.

Perhaps somewhat fitting, it became immediately apparent the game would be a defensive battle that went down to the wire. And true to form, it did exactly that.

The Giants and Raiders battled back-and-forth for 60 full minutes with neither team able to land the true finishing blow until rookie edge rusher Quincy Roche sacked Derek Carr with under 1:00 remaining, causing a fumble that was recovered by the Giants.

The Giants improve to 3-6 as the head into the bye week.

9 sleepers in fantasy football for Week 9

9 sleepers to consider starting in fantasy football for Week 9.

Every week, finding sleepers that will outperform their current value in fantasy football is the ultimate goal.

But as fantasy managers know, it’s more often that those sleepers we hope has a boom week winds up either with a middling weekly finish or they just wind up flopping in your starting lineup.

We’re here to help with that endeavor and while we won’t always be right, it’s the process that matters when it comes to finding sleepers on a weekly basis.

In order to qualify as a sleeper, we will be using the expert consensus rankings (ECR) from FantasyPros. Only players ranked outside of the top-12 for quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers along with those outside the top-six tight ends (adjusted for the barren landscape) are considered.

Here are eight sleepers for fantasy football for Week 9:

John Ross, Logan Ryan were highest-graded Giants in Week 8

WR John Ross and S Logan Ryan earned the New York Giants’ highest offensive and defensive grades in a Week 8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The New York Giants whiffed on an upset bid on Monday night, falling the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 20-17. They were undone by poor clock management, untimely penalties and back-breaking mistakes.

But there were some positives (if you care to hear about them), especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Safety and team captain, Logan Ryan, had his best game of the season and it was reflected in the Pro Football Focus grades. Ryan earned a unit-high grade of 79.2 (min. 15 snaps).

Just behind Ryan were cornerbacks James Bradberry (78.5) and Adoree’ Jackson (78.4), and safety Julian Love (69.1).

Other notable defensive grades include cornerback Darnay Holmes (66.0), defensive lineman Leonard Williams (60.7) and linebacker Oshane Ximines (52.7).

The lowest-graded Giants defenders were linebacker Tae Crowder (26.5) and Benardrick McKinney (23.9).

On the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver John Ross was the top dog with his grade of (90.3). Checking in just below Ross were tight end Kyle Rudolph (76.4), left guard Matt Skura (73.3) and, somehow, center Billy Price (71.1).

Other noteworthy offensive grades include left tackle Matt Peart (68.1), wide receiver Kadarius Toney (60.2), running back Devontae Booker (55.8) and quarterback Daniel Jones (47.3).

The lowest-graded Giants on offense were right guard Will Hernandez (41.8) and tight end Kaden Smith (39.5).

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Stock up, down after Giants’ 20-17 loss to Chiefs

Whose stock is up and whose is down following the New York Giants’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8?

The New York Giants had so many chances to win the game on Monday night against the Kansas City Chiefs. So very many chances.

Unfortunately, the Giants found another way to lose here in 2021, dropping to 2-6 after a heartbreaking 20-17 loss to Kansas City.

The Giants are less than 24 hours away from the 4:00 p.m. ET trade deadline and it will be interesting to see if anyone gets moved before their next game against the Las Vegas Raiders — their final game before the bye week.

Before the Giants head home to await the Raiders, whose stock was up and whose was down after the loss in Kansas City?

Giants vs. Chiefs Player of the Game: Devontae Booker

The New York Giants fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8 and RB Devontae Booker earns our Player of the Game.

The New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs played a game within a game on Monday Night Football at Arrowhead Stadium.

It was, “who could give the game back to the other team the most?” Unfortunately for the Giants, they did so one too many times and dropped a heartbreaker to the Chiefs.

There were a lot of sloppy mistakes made on both sides, but the Giants did have a few bright spots — particularly from Devontae Booker, who had himself a decent game.

On the ground, Booker had 15 carries for 60 yards. He also had five catches for 65 yards, giving him 125 total yards total for the game.

Booker’s best play game on a 41-yard catch from Daniel Jones.

With Saquon Barkley out the last few weeks with a low ankle sprain, Booker has been the primary option at running back. And with the Las Vegas Raiders coming into town next week, it’ll be interesting to see if Barkley returns to the lineup.

Even if Barkley does make it back, Booker has shown that he can handle a significant role and make an impact.

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Giants fall to Chiefs, 20-17, in prime time

Re-capping the Giants’ 20-17 loss to the Chiefs in prime time.

The New York Giants gave it a valiant effort on Monday night but ultimately were defeated 20-17 by the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium.

In a game that came down to the final drives in the fourth quarter, both teams endured sloppy play and turnovers throughout the night. Both Daniel Jones and Patrick Mahomes traded interceptions on consecutive drives in the first quarter.

Jones completed 22-of-32 passing for 222 yards with two touchdowns, one interception and a 96.1 passer rating. The tight ends in Evan Engram and Kyle Rudolph were the ones to find paydirt on Monday night.

Here’s how the game went down in Week 8:

Giants fall to Chiefs: Winners, losers and those in between

Here are the winners, losers and those in between from the New York Giants’ Week 8 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The New York Giants went into a Week 8 game against the Kansas City Chiefs as significant underdogs but managed to keep things close until the end.

There’s no participation trophies in the NFL, however. Close only matters in horseshoes and hand grenades, so there will be no moral celebration in the Giants’ locker-room after surrendering a fourth quarter lead and leaving Arrowhead with a deflating loss.

With the loss, the Giants fall to 2-6 on the season — an all too familiar record — and now prepare for a Week 9 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Here’s a look at the winners and losers (and those in between) from Monday Night Football.