Tag: Sony Michel

Tunnel Vision of Week 14

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

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Yards TD
 Jameis Winston 456 – 5 5
 Drew Brees 249 – 1 6
 Mitchell Trubisky 244 – 63 4
 Deshaun Watson 292 – 44 3
 Jimmy Garoppolo 349 – 1 4
Running Backs Yards TD
Austin Ekeler 213 1
Aaron Jones 192 1
Joe Mixon 186 1
Derrick Henry 109 2
Raheem Mostert  109 2
Wide Receivers Yards TD
A.J. Brown 166 2
Emmanuel Sanders 192 2
Diontae Johnson 76 2
Michael Thomas 134 1
DeAndre Hopkins 132 1
Tight Ends Yards TD
Noah Fant 113 1
Jared Cook 64 2
Travis Kelce 70 1
George Kittle 67 1
Tyler Higbee 116 0
Placekickers XP FG
Jason Sanders 0 7
Younghoe Koo 4 4
Randy Bullock 0 4
Robbie Gould 6 2
Harrison Butker 2 3
Defense Sck – TO TD
Steelers 5 – 3 1
Falcons 5 – 4 0
Broncos 3 – 3 1
Colts 1 – 4 1
Browns 2 – 1 1

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

WR Mike Evans – Hamstring
TE Jared Cook – Head
WR Devante Parker – Concussion
WR Albert Wilson – Concussion
RB Derrius Guice – MCL sprain
TE Ryan Griffin – ankle
TE Noah Fant – Foot
TE Mark Andrews – Knee
WR Calvin Ridley – Abdomen
QB Jameis Winston – Hand
QB Tom Brady – Elbow
TE Foster Moreau – Knee
RB Rashaad Penny – Knee
WR DJ Chark – Ankle

Chasing Ambulances

Well. After a few weeks of few injuries, the blue tent was busting at the seams on Sunday. Still a little early to say if these are serious or nothing, but enough of them are worth watching.

WR Mike Evans – He pulled lame at the end of his 61-yard touchdown catch. Hamstrings can be a tricky thing so his practices this week will be key. If he missed Week 15 at the Lions, Breshad Perriman would take his place and already ended with 70 yards and a score against the Colts this week. A worthy pickup for the Evans owners.

WR Devante Parker – Appeared to have a concussion and if he misses the tilt at the Giants this week, Isaiah Ford would step in. He took over on Sunday and became the leading receiver with 92 yards on six catches. Probably more of a Daily Play than a league championship start.

RB Derrius Guice – Appeared to sprain his MCL, Guice is hardly helping his injury-prone perception. Adrian Peterson would just step up the rushing yardage while Chris Thompson would handle the receiving as he just did when he caught seven passes for 43 yards.

TE Mark Andrews – Sprained his knee and could miss the tilt against the Jets this week. Hayden Hurst was the tight end that they drafted before they took Andrews in a later round last year. Hurst ended with 73 yards and a score on three catches as the leading receiver in the win over the Bills. Lamar Jackson loves his tight ends.

RB Rashaad Penny – Pulled up like he had a serious knee injury even though the tackle did not look bad. His absence would mostly lead to more Chris Carson and just a worthless dash of C.J. Prosise.

WR DJ Chark – Hobbled off at the end of the game, his ankle injury is not yet known to be serious. If he misses next week in Oakland, his targets would likely just be spread out among Dede Westbrook, Chris Conley and maybe Keelan Cole. But the Jags are playing with their hands in the air like they just don’t care. Except for Chark.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

WR Olamide Zaccheaus –  The undrafted rookie out of Virginia just set the NFL record with his first NFL catch that went for a 93-yard touchdown, the longest first-catch touchdown ever. I speak on behalf of every sportswriter in the country when I say we should just refer to him as “OZ” to avoid constant misspellings and mispronunciations.

RB Joe Mixon – He started the year so slowly that he killed fantasy owners. But he’s improved over the season and turned in a season-best 146 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries plus caught three passes for 40 yards. He scored in five of the last seven games but only upped his yardage until after midseason.

WR Terry McLaurin – The rookie just scored for the first time since Week 6. His production suffered tremendously after the change to Dwayne Haskins but it is a positive sign that he scored and turned in four catches for 57 yards in the loss to the Packers. The next two games are at home versus the Eagles and Giants – the No. 29 and No. 30 defenses versus wideouts. At least there is hope.

QB Drew Lock – His debut only produced 134 passing yards and two scores versus the Chargers. His second outing was when he threw for 309 yards and three touchdowns in Houston. Those were both wins. He completed 22-of-27 passes and connected with ten different receivers. He may not be the second incarnation of John Elway, but at least he’s pointed in the right direction playing with a team that has been stripped down.

WR Emmanuel Sanders – There’s just no other way to spin it. The 49ers offense is very good. Sanders ended with seven catches for 157 yards and one touchdown against the Saints. In the flurry of traded players, Sanders may be the most pleased with his new team regardless of the price of real estate in the Bay Area. He’s a 2020 free agent. He’ll be able to afford a house anywhere.

RB Alvin Kamara – It’s bad enough that he almost never scores, but he only ran for 25 yards on 13 carries versus the 49ers along with four catches for 18 yards. Latavius Murray accounted for 69 yards on his seven runs and gained 25 yards on his two receptions. That’s 43 vs. 94 total yards.

WR Robby Anderson –  His first ten games contained just one score and one decent yardage effort. These last three weeks had him score in Washington, then gain 86 yards and score on the Raiders in Week 12. The last two games were both seven catches for over 100 yards each and a score versus Miami on Sunday.

WR Mike Williams – He only caught two passes in the win over the Jaguars, but he gained 63 yards and scored a 44-yard touchdown. Despite scoring ten times in 2018 as the No. 3 receiver, it was his first score since Week 17 of last year.

The Jaguars – Their 35-point loss to the visiting Chargers smacked of a team that has given up and is just going through the motions. That should help the Raiders and Falcons as they host the team with the missing defense.

RB David Johnson – He’s been a nonfactor after leaving in Week 7 and returning in Week 10. But he came up with 19 yards on three runs and added two catches for 34 yards and a touchdown in the loss to the Steelers. Kenyan Drake only ran for 37 yards on 11 carries and caught three passes for 30 yards in that game. Johnson isn’t dead, but he is still too big of a risk to rely on.

RB Sony Michel – He was moderately productive in the first half of the year and scored six times. Since Week 9, he’s never scored, has no role as a receiver and just faced the No. 32 defense versus running backs. He gained eight yards on five rushes. Granted, the Pats were trailing but even Rex Burkhead gained 15 yards on seven carries. Michel bears almost no resemblance to 2018 and yet he’s one of the few Patriots that isn’t on the injury report.

QB Tom Brady – He finally turned in high production in Week 13 when he passed for 326 yards and three scores. But in Week 14, he was back to his less effective ways. Brady only managed 169 yards and one score with one interception against the visiting Chiefs. His 63.3 QB Rating was the lowest of the year although he’s been stuck at sub-90 QBR for the last six games.

WR A.J. Brown – The rookie was already impressive but since turning to Ryan Tannehill, Brown’s production has spiked. He turned in a season-best 153 yards and two scores on five catches in the win over the Raiders. And that was two weeks after he posted 135 yards and a touchdown on the Jaguars in Week 12. Tannehill also produced a season-best with 391 yards and three scores. His first read is Brown.

RB DeAndre Washington – He subbed for the inactive Josh Jacobs. The Raiders No. 2 back ran for 53 yards and one score on 14 carries and added six catches for 43 yards in the loss to the Titans. Jalen Richard only totaled 46 yards. Hosting the Jaguars for Week 15 could make him at least a daily play if Jacobs remains out.

WR Robert Woods – He finally caught a touchdown for the first time this year. But his seven catches for 98 yards made it four straight starts that resulted in 95 yards or more. Remember Brandin Cooks? You can stop now.

Huddle player of the week

Jameis Winston  –  Just in time for Christmas, the NFL gives fantasy football Jameis Winston. He not only threw for 456 yards and four touchdowns. He not only rushed in a touchdown. But he also tossed three interceptions to help the Colts remain motivated in the game. He’s a gift that keeps on giving – to everyone.

Salute!

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

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Mitchell Trubisky 307 4 QB Josh Allen 155 1
RB Raheem Mostert 109 2 RB Alvin Kamara 43 0
RB DeAndre Washington 96 1 RB Leonard Fournette 63 0
WR Diontae Johnson 76 2 WR John Brown 26 0
WR Marcus Johnson 105 1 WR Davante Parker 28 0
WR Olamide Zaccheaus 93 1 WR Julio Jones 66 0
TE Noah Fant 113 1 TE Kyle Rudolph 11 0
PK Jason Sanders 7 FG PK Matt Prater 1 XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 161 Huddle Fantasy Points = 34

Now get back to work…

Winners and losers from Patriots’ unsettling loss to Texans

This loss will doubtlessly shake New England.

Bill O’Brien finally got his win over Bill Belichick.

The Houston Texans had five straight losses against Belichick under O’Brien, who served as the Patriots offensive coordinator in 2011. Finally, the mentee surpassed the mentor — at least for the night. The Texans beat the Patriots, 28-22. New England’s offense sputtered until late in the game when the Texans started to get complacent — and the Patriots nearly made Houston pay. While the Patriots’ playoff picture isn’t grim, it is certainly growing more complicated with the Baltimore Ravens (10-2) and even the Buffalo Bills (9-3) looking impressive.

Here are the winners and losers from Belichick’s embarrassing loss to the Texans in Week 13 at NRG Stadium on Sunday night.

Winner: James White, RB

He proved to be the Patriots’ most trustworthy option when they fell into a deep hole. He began to gash the defense as a runner and as a pass-catcher. He faced a cornerback in coverage, which at first proved a smart game planning move by Houston. But that meant that, for the most part, the Texans were forced to take a linebacker off the field when White was in the game. That surely helped on White’s 14 carries for 79 yards. With less weight on defense, White seemed to find space in the middle of the defense.

But he also did what he does best. He had eight catches for 98 yards and two touchdown. White was the best and most reliable pass catcher for New England on Sunday in an otherwise rough performance.

Loser: Tom Brady, QB

While trailing 11 points at halftime, Brady had a quarterback rating of 28.8.

The quarterback told his receivers in the first quarter on the sideline that he needed them to be faster, quicker and more explosive. It was clear they weren’t separating well downfield. In the second half, the story was similar until late in the game when Brady padded his stats in a big way (24/47, 326 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT). Only Julian Edelman began to find space (6 catches, 106 yards, 1 TD). The rest of the receivers — Mohamed Sanu, Phillip Dorsett, Jakobi Meyers and N’Keal Harry — proved fairly unreliable at the most important moments.

Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel was clearly one step ahead of Brady while doing what no one has had the sense to do so far this season. Crennel treated White like a receiver by putting a cornerback on him for the first three quarters. Crennel also put a double team on Edelman in the first half.

Even with White and Edelman stepping up in the second half against slackened coverage, Brady looked fairly helpless. He hasn’t been able to elevate the game of his supporting cast in 2019 — and that’s an alarming sentiment considering Brady’s age.

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Targets, touches and touchdowns: Week 13

Thanksgiving week is upon us, and in our fantasy football universe, that means the end of the regular season and the fantasy playoffs are nigh.

Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Thanksgiving week is upon us, and in our fantasy football universe, that means the end of the regular season and the fantasy playoffs are nigh.

And with only one more weekend of play – and only two more waiver-claim periods – remaining in the majority of leagues before the postseason kicks off, it’s time to take stock of the fringe starters and streamers at each of the five main fantasy positions (quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and team defense) who are trending in the right directions while also owning favorable postseason slates, according to one of most useful and invaluable resources at your disposal as a Huddle member: the fantasy Strength of Schedule tool.

As a bonus, we’ll point out one potential starter at each of the five positions with a decidedly unfavorable fantasy postseason schedule to be very wary of. (Note: To correlate with the majority of leagues, we’re treating Weeks 14-16 as the fantasy postseason, and we’re utilizing non-point-per-reception Huddle Performance scoring).

QUARTERBACK

Ryan Tannehill (Titans)

Stat to know: Since taking over from Marcus Mariota as Tennessee’s starter in Week 7, Tannehill has been nothing less than fantasy’s third-best QB with 133.9 points and 13 total touchdowns, including three rushing, in five games through Sunday.

Fantasy postseason schedule: at Oakland, vs. Houston, vs. New Orleans. With the Titans owning the easiest fantasy postseason QB schedule, all three of Tennessee’s foes rank in the league’s top half in terms of most points surrendered to opposing quarterbacks, including the Raiders and Texans who are among the six most charitable.

Quick thought: Most were only expecting a slight improvement over Mariota, but Tannehill has gone above and beyond, topping 20 or more fantasy points with multiple TDs in all five of his starts and should be starting until further notice, regardless of matchup.

Baker Mayfield (Browns)

Stat to know: The Cleveland sophomore has passed for multiple TDs in each of his last three games after failing to do so even once in his first eight contests.

Fantasy postseason schedule: vs. Cincinnati, at Arizona, vs. Baltimore. The Ravens’ rapidly improved D will be tough in Week 16, but Mayfield can definitely extend his roll with tasty plus-matchups against the Bengals and Cards in Weeks 14 and 15.

Quick thought: Drafted as a QB1 following a strong second half of his rookie season, Mayfield likely was found on more waiver wires than starting lineups after tossing only seven TD passes and 12 interceptions over his first eight games, but it’s been a seven-to-one ratio since with a rushing TD thrown in. Ride the wave of redemption.

Jameis Winston (Buccaneers)

Stat to know: Winston has thrown for at least 300 yards and a TD in eight of his last nine games, including six straight.

Fantasy postseason schedule: vs. Indianapolis, at Detroit, vs. Houston. If Winston’s impressive numbers weren’t enough, the Bucs own the seventh most-favorable fantasy QB playoff itinerary with no minus-matchups.

Quick thought: Even with Winston continuing to pace the league in interceptions with 20 after tossing six over his last two outings, he’s more than making up for it with the help of two elite wide receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and hasn’t finished with fewer than 19.5 fantasy points in a game since Week 3.

QB to be wary of: Josh Allen (Bills) – Coming out of Sunday and his third straight 22.5-point-plus game, the second-year Allen ranks sixth among fantasy QBs in terms of total points, but the Bills have famously feasted on one of the league’s easiest schedules so far. However, looking forward, the Bills’ fantasy QB postseason slate ranks as the second-most unfavorable in the league with matchups against the Ravens, Steelers and Patriots awaiting.

RUNNING BACK

Phillip Lindsay (Broncos)

Stat to know: In the two games since the Broncos’ bye in Week 10, Lindsay has been instilled as the team’s clear lead back, logging 32 touches to Royce Freeman’s 13 and out snapping him 78-51.

Fantasy postseason schedule: at Houston, at Kansas City, vs. Detroit. With two very favorable matchups (K.C. and the Lions) and another green-light game (vs. the Texans), it projects as the easiest fantasy RB playoff itinerary in the league.

Quick thought: The Broncos’ offense, as a whole, is among the league’s worst but you can bank on Lindsay to keep running with fearlessness, and he’s gained at least 60 total yards in every game but one this season with five rushing scores.

Sony Michel (Patriots)

Stat to know: Michel has largely underwhelmed this season, but in each of the Pats’ 10 wins this season, he’s totaled at least 12 touches and/or scored a TD, averaging 10.04 fantasy points per contest.

Fantasy postseason schedule: vs. Kansas City, at Cincinnati, vs. Buffalo. The Patriots possess the third-friendliest fantasy playoff running back schedule with K.C. and Cincy both ranking among the five teams allowing the most RB fantasy points per game.

Quick thought: Even though Michel hasn’t scored a TD since Week 7, he remains the team’s clear lead back, accounting for 20 of the team’s 25 running-back rushes in Sunday’s win over Dallas. Similar to last postseason when he averaged a whopping 23.6 rushing attempts per game, the Pats could once again lean heavily on Michel down the stretch with Tom Brady and the passing game currently struggling.

Kareem Hunt (Browns)

Stat to know: Since debuting for Cleveland in Week 10 following the end of his eight-game suspension, Hunt only has 9.9 fewer PPR points than lead back Nick Chubb and ranks second on the team with 15 receptions over those three contests.

Fantasy postseason schedule: vs. Cincinnati, at Arizona, vs. Baltimore. The Browns have the seventh most-favorable fantasy RB playoff schedule.

Quick thought: Of course everyone is still going to be starting Chubb, but don’t overlook Hunt as a RB2/flex play, particularly in PPR leagues.

Running back to be wary of: Bo Scarbrough (Lions) – Scarbrough has rushed for 153 yards and a TD on 32 carries in two games since making his Detroit debut in Week 11,  but the Lions own fantasy’s second-toughest fantasy playoff RB slate with matchups against the Vikings, Bucs and Broncos – all of whom rank among the 13 teams surrendering the fewest fantasy points to opposing backs.

WIDE RECEIVER

D.J. Moore (Panthers)

Stat to know: Since Week 9, no player has been targeted more than Carolina’s Moore (45 in four games) and only Saints stud wideout Michael Thomas (31) has caught more passes than Moore’s 30 during that stretch.

Fantasy postseason schedule: at Atlanta, vs. Seattle, at Indianapolis. None of three matchups are daunting in the least, making for the ninth-easiest fantasy WR slate.

Quick thought: Moore is sixth among wideouts in both targets (103) and receptions (68) on the season and has emerged as a must-start WR2 – even with uneven QB Kyle Allen at the helm.

DeVante Parker (Dolphins)

Stat to know: Since Ryan Fitzpatrick was reinstated as Miami’s starting quarterback in Week 6, Parker has totaled the 11th-most fantasy points (PPR) among all wide receivers, reeling in 36-of-59 targets for 494 yards and three TDs.

Fantasy postseason schedule: at N.Y. Jets, at N.Y. Giants, vs. Cincinnati. This trio of opponents comprises the fourth-easiest fantasy wideout playoff schedule.

Quick thought: Parker has averaged 9.2 targets and 5.5 receptions with at least 11.9 PPR points over his last six games as the top target on a team that’s going to have to continue to pass early and often in an attempt to keep up with one of the league’s worst defenses.

Terry McLaurin (Redskins)

Stat to know: The talented rookie was tied for third among all wideouts Sunday with a season-high 12 targets, and his 638 receiving yards on the season are 393 more than any other Washington wide receiver or tight end.

Fantasy postseason schedule: at Green Bay, vs. Philadelphia, vs. N.Y. Giants. It’s the sixth easiest fantasy WR playoff slate, with the Week 15 and 16 matchups against the division-rival Eagles and Giants looking particularly promising.

Quick thought: Fellow rookie (and McLaurin’s Ohio State teammate) Dwayne Haskins is learning on the fly, and with Washington figuring to have to air it out frequently to try to keep up on the scoreboard, McLaurin looks to be a solid WR3/flex option.

Wide receiver to be wary of: Allen Robinson (Bears) – After catching only 11 passes for 107 yards and no TDs over the previous three weeks, Robinson came up big Sunday against the Giants, snaring six passes for a season-high 131 yards and a TD. It’s exactly what any team’s No. 1 wide receiver should do against one of the league’s worst secondaries, but the matchups for Robinson and struggling Chicago QB Mitch Trubisky will be infinitely tougher in the fantasy postseason with the Cowboys, Packers and Chiefs on the docket, making for the third-toughest fantasy wide receiver itinerary.

TIGHT END

Jacob Hollister (Seahawks)

Stat to know: In three games since Week 9, Hollister has caught 14-of-20 targets for 121 yards and three TDs, while averaging 14.7 PPR points per outing – the seventh-best average at the position.

Fantasy postseason schedule: at L.A. Rams, at Carolina, vs. Arizona. This projects to be the second-easiest playoff schedule for tight ends, and playing a TE against the Cardinals is a sure-fire winning fantasy strategy in any game, let alone in fantasy championship week.

Quick thought: Tight end is so thin that matchups don’t matter as much once you latch on to a reliable one, but they certainly can point you in the right direction if you’re deciding between similar options at the position in shallower leagues.

Kyle Rudolph/Irv Smith Jr. (Vikings)

Stat to know: Minnesota had a bye in Week 12, but in the five previous weeks (7 through 11), Rudolph and the rookie Smith both ranked among the top 12 tight ends in terms of total fantasy points (PPR), combining for 40 receptions (20 apiece) for 347 yards and six TDs (five for Rudolph) on 48 targets (24 each).

Fantasy postseason schedule: vs. Detroit, at L.A. Chargers, vs. Green Bay. It’s the sixth-easiest projected schedule for tight ends.

Quick thought: The Minnesota tight ends’ spike in production has coincided directly with the hamstring-injury absence of WR Adam Thielen, who could be returning in Week 13. It’s also coincided with a 4-1 run for the Vikings, who are now tied for the NFC North lead, and it’s worked so well that it’s hard to imagine Minnesota not keeping them involved in the offense.

Tight end to be wary of: Mike Gesicki (Dolphins) – The second-year Miami tight caught his first NFL TD pass Sunday and has posted a 16-169-1 combined stat line on 19 targets over his last four games. However, the third most unfavorable projected fantasy tight end schedule looms in the playoffs, so keep that in mind if you’re weighing Gesicki against similar options at the position.

TEAM DEFENSE

Houston Texans

Stat to know: Coming out of Sunday, the J.J. Watt/Jadeveon Clowney-less Texans rank 26th among fantasy defenses on the season and rank 28th with 23 sacks in 11 games.

Fantasy postseason schedule: vs. Denver, at Tennessee, at Tampa Bay

Quick thought: Unless you have one of the elite fantasy defenses (i.e. Patriots, 49ers and Steelers), it’s all about the matchups, and the Texans possess the second-most favorable fantasy postseason slate, which includes a game against the always-charitable Winston on championship weekend.

Baltimore Ravens

Stat to know: Entering Monday night’s game against the Rams, the Ravens had come away with two or more turnovers in five of their six previous games while allowing an average of 16 points during that stretch. Even more impressive, Baltimore had scored five defensive TDs over their last four games heading into Week 12.

Fantasy postseason schedule: at Buffalo, vs. N.Y. Jets, at Cleveland

Quick thought: The Week 15 home game against the Jets is the only extremely-favorable matchup during the stretch, but it’s not hard to imagine the Bills and Browns and their young QBs pressing and struggling to keep up with Lamar Jackson and the league’s hottest offense in the other two games.

Team D to be wary of: Chicago Bears – Chicago was fantasy’s defense to own in 2018, but as is the annual lesson that’s so tough to learn, one season’s gem is the next season’s most overdrafted and underwhelming fantasy defense as the Bears currently rank 19th overall at the position. And now looms a fantasy-playoff stretch with not one, not two but three negative matchups in the Cowboys, Packers and Chiefs? No, and thanks.

Patriots find they can count on Sony Michel in Week 12 win over Cowboys

Sony Michel has had a rough season, but the RB played a crucial role in the game.

The New England Patriots have relied heavily upon cornerback Stephon Gilmore, linebacker Jamie Collins and receiver Julian Edelman through 12 weeks of the NFL season. And those players were once again stellar in a 13-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. But the Patriots enjoyed a pleasant surprise: running back Sony Michel began to power through an inefficient funk in 2019.

Michel entered the game at 3.3 yards per attempt, but managed 20 carries for 85 yards (4.3 ypc). Those figures, while humble compared to what he did during the playoffs after the 2019 season, were crucial while the Patriots passing offense struggled early in the game. Tom Brady finished completing 17 of 37 for 190 yards and a touchdown, but he took six quarterback hits and resorted to throwaways often. The veteran quarterback had to rely upon his rookie receivers, Jakobi Meyers and N’Keal Harry, after Mohamed Sanu (ankle) and Phillip Dorsett (concussion) were ruled out before the game.

The Cowboys knew the Patriots wanted to run the ball. Dallas could clearly see that New England had issues running the ball throughout the season. And yet Michel put together a solid performance.

“Sony’s played well all year. I think he’s played well all year,” Bill Belichick said during a postgame press conference. “They’re a tough defense, they’re hard to run against. We chipped away and hammered out a few runs, but they got us a few times, too. So, a couple big runs at the end. That was obviously key in the final outcome of the game.”

Michel managed a role as a closer in the fourth quarter. On a second-and-5 with 1:33 left in the fourth quarter, the Patriots needed just one more first-down to drain the clock. That’s when Michel burst off a 12-yard run, which effectively ended the game. Michel managed that run behind left tackle Isaiah Wynn, who returned from injured reserve in Week 12. Wynn and Michel played together at Georgia, and joined the NFL together as Patriots’ first-round picks in 2018.

“He’s another piece to the puzzle,” Michel said of Wynn after the game. “He helps this team. He helps this offense try to accomplish the goal that we want to accomplish.”

That goal — presumably a Super Bowl win — will be easier if the offense continues to improve. That will surely start with Michel and the running game, which needs to make Brady’s life easier.

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5 takeaways from Patriots’ hard-fought victory over Cowboys

Here are five takeaways from the Patriots — win over the Cowboys.

The New England Patriots improve to 10-1 after defeating the Dallas Cowboys 13-9 in a bad weather, sloppy game.

Offensively, the Patriots did just enough to squeak by with Mohamed Sanu and Phillip Dorsett missing from the lineup. Defensively, this unit showed up once again and slowed down the NFL’s most productive offense. The Patriots had an up-and-down performance from the special teams unit — but, Matthew Slater’s blocked punt changed the momentum of the game.

New England’s offensive line showed improvement with the addition of Isaiah Wynn and they’ll look better when the receiving corps regains their health. The Patriots aren’t the orthodox 10-1 team, but the defensive talent and coaching is keeping this team afloat.

Here are five takeaways from the game.

Young receivers make necessary plays for a victory

Without Sanu and Dorsett in the lineup, the Patriots had a dire need for their young receivers to step up and make plays.

The only active receivers heading into the game were Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers and Matthew Slater. Considering the fact that Slater doesn’t play offensive snaps, Tom Brady had very few offensive options to work with. Fortunately for New England, the young guys stepped up and made enough plays for a win.

Harry kicked off the day with a ten-yard back-shoulder touchdown catch — which was the only touchdown of the day. He recorded his first NFL touchdown and showed the ability to highpoint the ball and make impactful plays in the redzone. Meyers, an undrafted rookie, was able to pull in four catches for 72 yards. Brady’s trust was primarily in Meyers and Edelman, and both receivers accounted for 21 targets.

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Fantasy football: 5 sleepers to start, 5 starters to bench in Week 12

Five sleepers to start and five starters to bench in fantasy football Week 12.

It’s crunch time in fantasy football.

A little scouting and you can avoid a crucial late-season loss or do just enough to cross the finish line with a win this week. We’ve got you covered with a quick scouting report to help you out.

Here are five sleepers to start and five starters you’ve got to sit in fantasy football Week 12:

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Starts

QB Matt Ryan

After two decent games on the road from him the past two weeks, Matt Ryan and the Falcons return home. There he’s going to meet the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There’s a few reasons to go with Ryan in Week 12. First, his team is on an unforeseen two-game winning streak. That could continue because of him. The Falcons’ backfield is banged up, but the Bucs also sport the second-best run defense in the NFL. In addition, they have the second-worst pass defense. Do the math.

RB Phillip Lindsay

Phillip Lindsay has been steady as she goes over the past few weeks. He’s had outings of 59, 92, and 67 yards in his past three games, respectively, with a touchdown coming in the 92-yard outing. But having said that, the Bills defense is a formidable one, but not against the run. The third-best defense overall in Buffalo is actually 18th against the run and only slowed down their opponent last week because the Dolphins are the Dolphins.

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How 11 great Georgia RBs performed in college and the NFL

Georgia football produces great running backs. A look at how 11 of the best did in college and the NFL.

Georgia has had more than its share of elite running backs and they went on to become high NFL Draft picks and had strong careers in the pros.

Sony Michel

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Sony  Michel was impressive enough for Bill Belichick to use a New England Patriots first-round pick on the RB. One of the most amazing nuggets in Georgia football history is Michel, Nick Chubb and Todd Gurley all were on the team in the same season, 2014. That year, Michel had 64 carries for 410 yards. He surged over the 1,000-yard mark as a sophomore and wound up with 3,631 yards on a 6.1 yard per carry average in four seasons. Michel is approaching the 1,500-yard mark as a pro.

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Eagles vs. Patriots: 4 matchups to watch

Eagles vs. Patriots: 4 matchups to watch

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The Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots will square off Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field in a Super Bowl LII rematch and a huge contest that could go a long way towards solidifying the Birds playoff chances.

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It’ll be the first and possibly the last matchup between Carson Wentz and Tom Brady.

Here are matchups to watch:

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Patriots WR Julian Edelman vs. Eagles CB Avonte Maddox

Maddox has looked good in his return from injury and it comes just in time for him to tangle with the Patriots star in the slot. Edelman has 63 catches for 663 yards and four touchdowns so far this season and can be a matchup nightmare for opposing secondaries.

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In 2nd year, Sony Michel is trying to thrive in discomfort

Sony Michel: “It’s either you’re getting better or you’re getting worse.”

The second year of a player’s NFL career is when he’s supposed to get comfortable. It’s not just about learning the playbook. It’s about the paychecks, the bills, the nightlife, the fame and the relationships. If a player has established himself, he forms a routine, and life is a little less complicated. And in the NFL, life can get very complicated.

But Sony Michel doesn’t seem to want to get comfortable in his second season with the New England Patriots.

“You never want to stay the same. … It’s either you’re getting better or you’re getting worse,” Michel told Patriots Wire on Wednesday. “I won’t say (I’m) comfortable, but I know a little bit what to expect. In this league, there’s always new challenges, new things thrown at you, so you never get a chance to be comfortable.”

With the Patriots, that’s especially true. Bill Belichick is known for being a particularly challenging coach, with a demanding staff of assistants. At least publicly, Belichick has been supportive of Michel’s development. Statistically, he has taken a step backward at 3.3 yards per carry compared to his 4.5-yard average a year ago. Advanced stats have shown he’s struggling to break tackles. Game film shows he’s dealing with a porous offensive line. Still, Belichick has praised the way his vision is developing, which seems to be Belichick saying that the offensive line is the problem, not necessarily Michel.

New England got a chance to recalibrate with a Week 10 bye. Michel said he spent that time “focusing on fundamentals: running with the ball, just going back to the basics.” He’s coming off a Week 9 performance, which seemed — at least through the first 20 minutes — like it could be a productive day. He had four carries for 18 yards and a reception for 12 yards. But as the Patriots fell behind, they favored their running backs who have more experience in the passing game: James White and Rex Burkhead. Michel didn’t touch the ball past those first 20 minutes. Why?

“Game plan,” Michel said. “It’s coach’s decision when my number is called.”

The passing game seemed like the place where Michel needed to take the biggest step forward. And perhaps it’s not a big deal that he can’t get past White and Burkhead in that role, because they’re excellent route runners, pass catchers and pass protectors. The former first-round pick, in the meantime, will likely continue to be responsible for between-the-tackles work.

That’s the routine, and apparently, he’s sticking to it — unless, of course, Belichick tells him otherwise. And he’s going to try thrive in discomfort.

“By your second year, you should understand your routine on a day-to-day basis, but at the end of the day, things still change, especially being around here,” Michel said. “So you just have to be ready.”

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