Tag: next gen stats

Irish in the NFL: Will Fuller excels in return for Texans

Former Notre Dame wide receiver Will Fuller excelled in his return from a lengthy absence with the Houston Texans, hauling in seven catches.

Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish receiver Will Fuller returned to the field for the Houston Texans after missing about a month with a hamstring injury, and the speedy deep threat picked up right where he left off.

Fuller hauled in seven receptions (on 11 targets) for 140 yards, including a 51-yard gain, helping lead the Texans to a narrow 20-17 victory over the Colts on Thursday Night Football.

The 51-yard gain travelled 59.4 yards in the air, the third-longest throw by air yards of the NFL season, according to Next Gen Stats

Fuller now has 41 receptions for 590 yards and three touchdowns through eight games this season, and has proven himself a crucial piece of Houston’s offense.

In fact, quarterback Deshaun Watson is much more dangerous with Fuller in the mix. He averages 62.5 more passing yards per game and 1.1 more passing touchdowns per game when Fuller is healthy and on the field.

Fuller was a beast at Notre Dame, hauling in 144 receptions for 2,512 yards and 30 touchdowns in three seasons before Houston made him a first round pick in 2016.

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Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones continue to thrive despite tight coverage

Golladay and Jones rank among the most productive WR tandems in the league despite ranking at the bottom of yards of separation per catch

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One of the first things scouts look for in watching wide receivers is how consistently well they get open on their routes. While that is a very important attribute, the Lions receivers are proving that they can still thrive even though they’re often well-covered.

Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones are both having very impressive 2019 campaigns despite often being smothered by opposing coverage.

Per Next Gen Stats, Golladay is dead last in the NFL in average yards of separation per catch at just 1.9. Jones’ 2.2 figure is tied for fifth-worst. The Lions are one of two teams with two players in the bottom 20. The other is the New York Giants, featuring former Lions WR Golden Tate as third-worst at 2.1 yards of separation per catch.

It has not slowed down the productivity of the wideouts. Golladay is tied for the NFL lead in touchdown receptions with eight through 10 games. He’s tied with D.J. Chark from the Jaguars and…teammate Marvin Jones.

Both are on pace for over 1,000 receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns. Golladay ranks fifth in yards per reception with his 18.7 figure. Jones has a catch rate over 75 percent, the best of his career and near the league lead for players with at least 50 receptions.

It’s proof getting open isn’t everything for wide receivers. Having Matthew Stafford’s pinpoint accuracy into small throwing windows has certainly helped, but they’ve done just fine (though not as prolifically) with Jeff Driskel at the helm, too.