Tag: Wayne Gallman

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

Here are the winners, losers and those in between from the New York Giants’ Week 16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The New York Giants were dominated by the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday falling by a score of 27-13 on the road.

New York was outplayed in every facet of the game and did not look like they belonged on the same field as Baltimore, who produced a total of 432 yards as a team.

The Giants dropped to 5-10 on the season and are in danger of being eliminated from the divisional race after today’s loss. They now need the Washington Football Team to lose to the Carolina Panthers and the Philadelphia Eagles to lose to the Dallas Cowboys in order to stay alive.

Here are the winners, losers and mixed reviews from the Giants’ Week 16 loss to Ravens.

Joe Judge on aggressive play calls: ‘Field goals weren’t going to win this game’

New York Giants head coach Joe Judge defends his team’s decision to be aggressive in Week 15, dismissing critics of the play calling.

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New York Giants head coach Joe Judge isn’t interested in hearing your criticisms over the team’s decision to forego two field goals in the first half on Sunday night.

On two separate occasions, the Giants loaded up and went for it on fourth down inside the Cleveland Browns’ 10-yard line. And on two separate occasions, they were stopped short and turned the ball over on downs.

In total, the Giants left six points on the board and missed out on regaining a second quarter lead, ultimately falling to the Browns, 20-6, in prime time.

“Field goals weren’t going to win this game. I’m not afraid to call things aggressively. I’m not afraid if I think we have a good scheme in the kicking game to call a fake. I’m not afraid to run the ball on fourth-and-one,” Judge told reporters after the game.

Facing a fourth-and-5 at the Cleveland 8 on their very first drive of the game, the Giants set up in field goal formation before fanning out. Punter Riley Dixon then uncorked a throw to a well-covered Nick Gates, which sailed over his head and out of the back of the end zone.

“Look, they did a good job. They obviously fell off and made the coverage. Mike (Priefer) does a real good job of coaching those guys. They were situational — there was a little confusion at first, but they settled on down. We thought we had a chance at it,” Judge said. “It was worth rolling the dice right there and playing to our defense. They made a play, we didn’t. That’s all right. I thought the scheme was sound going in and if we have something else, we’ll always look to use it in the right opportunity.

“I thought it was a well-designed fake. We’ve executed and practiced that consistently throughout the year. I thought the timing was right. You look to go ahead and just roll the dice sometimes and take a chance. You hit that thing, you’re the guru. You don’t hit that thing, everyone wants to second-guess your decision. I understand that completely. But when the coaches come up with a good scheme and we think it’s got a chance to be successful, we’re going to go ahead and play that right there.”

Two offensive series later, the Giants faced a fourth-and-1 from the Cleveland 6. This time they handed the ball to running back Wayne Gallman, who appeared to fall at the line to gain. The game officials ruled it short and it was not challenged.

“Look, I’m not afraid to call it aggressively,” Judge said. “We went into that game with that mindset. We have to do a better job of making sure that we coach the right way, execute it the right way and come out with the results we want. With that being said, we’re going to call this game aggressively and we’re going to play it aggressively. When you make calls like that, you let your players understand that you have confidence in them and that they can play the game aggressively.

“We have confidence in our players. I want them to go out and play aggressively. I can’t tell them all week that they have to go into this game with an aggressive mindset and then hold them back at some point where we feel like we have a chance to make a play.”

Asked if he would have remained so aggressive had he known Cleveland would only score 20, Judge stuck to his guns.

“You don’t go in with some sort of crystal ball and say they’re only going to score 20 points. We knew when we got down there that we were going to have an aggressive mindset to go ahead and finish it,” Judge said. “Look, that’s the way that you have to go ahead and play it sometimes. We have to go ahead and make the decision to be aggressive. Obviously, their team scored a lot of points throughout the year, with an explosive offense that does a very good job of moving it, sustaining it – they’ve really been on a hot streak lately. We knew coming in what type of team they were and we had to call the game a certain way.”

Even if the Giants had settled for two Graham Gano field goal attempts and he connected on each, the additional six points would not have been enough to shift momentum. And it certainly would not have been enough to keep the Giants in the game later.

Had New York scored touchdowns on each of those drives however, well… We’d all be praising Judge as a brilliant aggressive genius and calling for Freddie Kitchens to permanently take over for Jason Garrett, but that’s just not the way the cookie crumbled.

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Kevin Zeitler, Dalvin Tomlinson were highest-graded Giants in Week 14

OL Kevin Zeitler and DL Dalvin Tomlinson were the New York Giants’ highest-graded players of Week 14.

The New York Giants were stomped out by the Arizona Cardinals, 26-7, on Sunday and at first glance, it was hard to pinpoint a single player who performed at a high level.

Luckily, Pro Football Focus is here to reassure Big Blue fans that not everyone was a disaster in Week 14. In fact, a handful of players did quite well based on PFF’s analytical system.

Case in point: Offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler, who recorded a team-high grade of 89.2 (min. 45 snaps).

Right behind Zeitler on the offensive side of the ball were tight end Kaden Smith (75.5), running back Wayne Gallman (72.3) and wide receiver Darius Slayton (66.2).

Other noteworthy grades on offense came by way of center Nick Gates (55.5), quarterback Daniel Jones (49.8) and offensive tackle Matt Peart (41.8).

On the defensive side of the ball, it was defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson who led the charge with an overall grade of 81.6 (min. 45 snaps). He was followed up by cornerbacks Isaac Yiadom (76.5) and James Bradberry (75.8).

Although they were under the snap count threshold, linebacker David Mayo and defensive tackle B.J. Hill graded out quite well, finishing the game with grades of 95.1 and 84.2, respectively.

In his NFL starting debut, rookie safety Xavier McKinney finished with a 57.3.

The lowest-graded Giants of the week were linebacker Devante Downs (40.6), offensive lineman Andrew Thomas (38.0) and linebacker Carter Coughlin (30.4).

Coughlin’s low grade is a product of his poor coverage, which netted a 25.4.

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Giants go from red hot to ice cold in 26-7 loss to Cardinals

The New York Giants came into Week 14 red hot but left it ice cold following a 26-7 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

The New York Giants entered Week 14 on a four-game winning streak and had an opportunity to tighten their stranglehold on the NFC East, but that’s not how things went down on Sunday.

Out of the gate, the Giants looked like a different team in all facets of the game, while the Arizona Cardinals looked both prepared and confident.

As the game progressed, things went from bad to worse. And when all was said and done, Joe Judge’s Giants found themselves back in the loss column and one step closer to an early offseason.

Fantasy Football Targets, Touches and TDs: Week 14

A predictive outlook for several late-season rising performers as we hit the fantasy football playoffs.

The fantasy postseason is here in the majority of leagues and those tough and crucial weekly lineup decisions suddenly become even more agonizing and important with the stakes ramping up.

Do fantasy general managers automatically play the sizzling young player who they won off the waiver wire that week, or do they give their more established but fading high draft pick one more shot in a do-or-die scenario?

In this week’s TT&T, we’ll attempt to aid in some of those decisions by breaking down a couple of the hot but unheralded or late-blooming players at each of the four main fantasy positions and some of the struggling former standbys with upcoming bad matchups who the former could be potentially unseating in fantasy playoff lineups.

All statistics and rankings (minimum two games played) are based on point-per-reception scoring in games played through Monday night.

QB Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Week 10-13 position rank (average fantasy points): Sixth (24.5 fantasy points per game)

Sizzling stat: Cousins ranks second among QBs in total passing yards (1,218) and touchdowns (11) with two interceptions during this four-game span after totaling 1,855 yards, 15 TDs and 10 interceptions during his first eight games

Upcoming outlook: Cousins has taken full advantage of a favorable schedule the last three weeks with games against the Cowboys, Panthers and Jaguars who have all scored at least 24 points themselves and forced Cousins and the Vikes to take to the air.

A game against Tom Brady and a beatable Bucs passing defense fits the same profile in Week 14, but tougher defensive tests do loom the following two weeks against the Bears and Saints.

Possibly replacing: Kyler Murray (at N.Y. Giants, Week 14), Russell Wilson (at Washington, Week 15)

QB Philip Rivers, Indianapolis Colts

Week 10-13 position rank (average fantasy points): 12th (19.7 points per game)

Sizzling stat: Rivers has topped 19.2 fantasy points with multiple TD passes in each of his last three games (versus the Packers, Titans and Texans). He only reached those standards twice in his first eight contests.

Upcoming outlook: Two more plus-matchups are immediately ahead in games against the Raiders in Week 14) and Texans (Week 15) before a Week 16 contest against the Steelers, the defense allowing the fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

Possibly replacing: Cam Newton (at L.A. Rams, Week 14); Deshaun Watson (at Colts, Week 15)

RB David Montgomery, Chicago Bears

Week 10-13 position rank (average fantasy points): First (26.2 points per game)

Sizzling stat: Coming off a Week 10 game missed to injury and Chicago’s Week 11 bye, Montgomery has saved his best for last, topping 21.7 fantasy points for the first two times this season with back-to-back games of 25.3 and 27.1 against the Packers and Lions, respectively.

Upcoming outlook: The Bears’ fantasy playoff slate ranks as the third best for running backs, according to The Huddle’s Strength of Schedule tool, with matchups against the Texans (second-best matchup for RBs) and Jaguars (fourth best) sandwiched around a Week 15 rematch against the Vikings (17th best).

And even though Montgomery has been a fantasy disappointment for much of his two pro seasons, it’s time to hop back on board with one of the league’s true bellcow backs (average of 18 touches per game) proving he can produce in favorable matchups.

Possibly replacing: Kareem Hunt (vs. Baltimore, Week 14), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (at New Orleans, Week 15), Kenyan Drake (vs. San Francisco, Week 16)

RB Wayne Gallman, New York Giants

Week 10-13 position rank (average fantasy points): 11th (16.9 points per game)

Sizzling stat: Six of Gallman’s 10 best pro rushing games, including his top two (135 yards vs. the Seahawks on Sunday and 94 the week before against the Bengals), have come since Week 4 when he helped step in for the injured Saquon Barkley.

Upcoming outlook: Gallman’s current run has been instrumental in the Giants’ surge to the top of the NFC East standings, and he’s received at least 15 touches in each of his last four games with six total TDs over his last six outings.

There are no cakewalk matchups in the fantasy playoffs (Cardinals, Browns and Ravens), but Gallman has established himself as a solid RB2 start.

Possibly replacing: Kareem Hunt (vs. Baltimore, Week 14); Ezekiel Elliott (vs. San Francisco, Week 15)

RB Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams

Week 10-13 position rank (average fantasy points): 26th (10.9 points per game)

Sizzling stat: The Rams’ rookie back has found his way into the end zone in back-to-back weeks for his first TDs of the season and has totaled almost as many fantasy points (30.8) in the two contests than he did in his first six games (31.4) combined.

Upcoming outlook: Akers out-touched fellow L.A. RBs Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown 22-9 Sunday in Arizona while logging the most rushing attempts (21) by a Rams back in a game this season — another signal that he may have finally moved to the forefront of the team’s three-headed committee.

The Rams’ fantasy postseason itinerary is favorable as well with games against the Patriots, Jets and Seahawks, and Akers and is now certainly in play as flex/RB2 consideration when you’re weighing matchups.

Possibly replacing: Miles Sanders (vs. New Orleans, Week 14), Todd Gurley (vs. Tampa Bay, Week 15), Jonathan Taylor (at Pittsburgh, Week 16)

WR Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans

Week 10-13 position rank (average fantasy points): 15th (8.3 points per game)

Sizzling stat: Davis hasn’t just come on in the last month as he’s displayed a strong floor all season with his nine games with at least 10 PPR points in the 10 contests he’s played this year.

Upcoming outlook: Up next are back-to-back favorable matchups against the Jaguars and Lions in Weeks 14 and 15 before things turn tougher in Week 16 against the Packers.

Possibly replacing: Robby Anderson (vs. Denver, Week 14), Tyler Lockett (at Washington, Week 15)

WR Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns

Week 10-13 position rank (average fantasy points): 22nd (14.8 points per game)

Sizzling stat: Landry’s 48.7 combined fantasy points over the last two weeks on 16 receptions for 205 yards and two TDs were nearly as much as he had (50.5) in his previous six contests.

Also, his two TDs were his first two scoring grabs of the season. He did throw a TD pass in Week 4.

Upcoming outlook: After taking advantage of two (Jags and Titans) of the five most generous fantasy defenses vs.  opposing wide receivers the past two weeks, Landry faces an immediate challenge in Week 14 against the second-stingiest fantasy wideout defense (Ravens).

Things then lighten back up somewhat for the final two weeks of the fantasy postseason with contests against the Giants and Jets.

Possibly replacing: Brandin Cooks (at. Indianapolis, Week 15), JuJu Smith-Schuster (vs. Indy, Week 16)

WR T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts

Week 10-13 position rank (average fantasy points): 25th (14.4 points per game)

Sizzling stat: Much like Landry, Hilton has posted his best two fantasy games in Weeks 12 and 13 with 18.1 and 25.0 PPR points, respectively. In the first nine games of the season, Hilton averaged only 6.9 points, finishing in double digits only once (12.9 in Week 5).

Upcoming outlook: Hilton will get the opportunity to show his late-season surge is for real with three straight neutral fantasy wideout matchups (Raiders, Texans and Steelers) during the fantasy playoffs.

He’ll try to avoid the fantasy fate of fellow Indy wideout Michael Pittman Jr. who was a hot commodity a few weeks ago only to fall off in recent weeks.

Possibly replacing: Marvin Jones Jr. (vs. Green Bay, Week 14); D.J. Chark (at Baltimore, Week 15), Sterling Shepard (at Baltimore, Week 16)

TE Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles

Week 10-13 position rank (average fantasy points): Fourth (14.5 points per game)

Sizzling stat: Goedert ranks fourth in targets (29) and third in receptions (21) among tight ends over the last four weeks. Only Darren Waller (27) and Travis Kelce (24) have had more catches during that span.

Upcoming outlook: The Eagles’ fantasy postseason itinerary isn’t exactly an easy one as all three foes (Saints, Cardinals, Cowboys) rank among the 11th stingiest tight end defenses.

Goedert, however, has easily been the Eagles’ most targeted and productive pass-catcher over the last four weeks and is a must-start commodity at a position of continued scarcity.

Possibly replacing: Any tight end not named Kelce or Waller.

TE Logan Thomas, Washington

Week 10-13 position rank (average fantasy points): Sixth (12.9 points per game)

Sizzling stat: Thomas, the converted former quarterback, has finished with at least 10.6 fantasy points in five of his last seven games, including a season-high 24.8 (nine catches for 98 yards and a TD on nine targets) in Monday’s upset win over the previously unbeaten Steelers.

He’s become the coveted midrange target the WFT needs with opposing defenses loading up to slow down No. 1 wideout Terry McLaurin.

Upcoming outlook: According to the Huddle’s SOS metrics, Thomas and Washington have the fifth toughest fantasy playoff tight end slate with games against the 49ers (fewest average points allowed to opposing TEs), Seahawks and Panthers the ensuing three weeks.

Possibly replacing: Any TE1 outside of the current season top five of Kelce, Waller, T.J. Hockenson, Mark Andrews or Goedert).

Cam Fleming, Andrew Thomas were highest-graded Giants in Week 13

Tackles Cam Fleming and Andrew Thomas led the New York Giants in PFF grades in Week 13.

The New York Giants shocked the football world in Week 13, upsetting the NFC West-leading Seattle Seahawks, 17-12, at Lumen Field.

The victory spoke volumes about head coach Joe Judge and where the Giants are headed, especially when you consider they pulled off the upset without running back Saquon Barkley or quarterback Daniel Jones.

That meant other players had to step up, and step up they did.

With Colt McCoy under center, the Giants’ offensive line had to piece together their best performance of the season. Mission accomplished. Right tackle Cam Fleming and left tackle Andrew Thomas earned the team’s two highest grades courtesy of Pro Football Focus, checking in at 87.5 and 87.1, respectively.

For both Fleming and Thomas, the grades represent their highest of the season. And for Thomas, it was far and away the highest grade of his career.

The two tackles were followed up by running back Alfred Morris (84.2), running back Wayne Gallman (79.2) and offensive lineman Will Hernandez (72.5).

Other offensive grades of note were McCoy (57.1), center Nick Gates (62.2) and tight end Evan Engram (68.4).

On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Blake Martinez led the way with a grade of 81.3. Rookie linebacker Carter Coughlin was next up with a 73.6 followed by cornerback James Bradberry (72.2) and safety Logan Ryan (71.8).

Interestingly, despite their huge games, defensive lineman Leonard Williams and safety Jabrill Peppers did not crack the 70 mark, finishing the day with grades of 68.7 and 65.7, respectively.

The lowest-graded Giants in Week 13 were running back Dion Lewis (33.3), offensive lineman Shane Lemieux (42.3) and defensive lineman Austin Johnson (44.9).

Also of note, Lewis graded out almost unrealistically poor in pass protection. He was given a 2.5 (yes, a 2.5).

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6 takeaways from Giants’ Week 13 win over Seahawks

Here are six takeaways from the New York Giants’ Week 13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, which improved their record to 5-7.

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The New York Giants defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 17-12, on the road on Sunday in one of the biggest upsets of the 2020 NFL season.

Here are six takeaways from the Week 13 game.

Stock up, down after Giants’ 17-12 victory over Seahawks

Whose stock is up and whose is down following the New York Giants’ victory over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13?

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The New York Giants went into Seattle on Sunday an 11-point underdog and were not given a chance by many to defeat the Seahawks.

It’s a good thing the Giants didn’t listen to any of the experts. They not only took the fight to Seattle, but they left town with one of the biggest upsets of the season, picking up their fourth straight win with an impressive 17-12 victory.

In the span of a month, the Giants went from being a 1-7 team that was looking at a top 5 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft to a team that is now 5-7 and holds first place in the NFC East for at least another week and maybe even longer now.

Before the Giants tangle with another opponent in then NFC West next week — the Arizona Cardinals — whose stock was up and down for the Giants in their impressive upset over Seattle?

Tunnel Vision of Week 13

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

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
 Derek Carr 381-5 4
 Baker Mayfield 334-5 4
 Ryan Tannehill 389-0 3
 Matt Stafford 402-0 3
 Sam Darnold 186-26 3
Running Backs Rush
Receive		 TD
David Montgomery 17-72
4-39		 2
Dalvin Cook 32-120
6-59		 0
Aaron Jones 15-130
3-18		 1
James Robinson 18-78
6-30		 1
Jonathan Taylor 13-91
3-44		 1
Wide Receivers Receive TD
Corey Davis 11-182 1
Davanta Adams 10-121 2
Justin Jefferson 9-121 1
Marvin Jones 8-116 1
T.Y. Hilton 8-110 1
Tight Ends Receive TD
Darren Waller 13-200 2
Mike Gesicki 9-88 1
Dan Arnold 2-61 2
T.J. Hockenson 7-24 0
Travis Kelce 8-136 1
Placekickers XP FG
Jason Sanders 1-4 0
Cody Parker 5 2
Younghoe Koo 1 3
Nick Folk 6 1
Harrison Butker 1 5
Defense Sack-TO TD
Patriots 3-2 2
Dolphins 6-2 0
Jaguars 2-4 1
Packers 7-1 0
Giants 5-2 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bow-outs

QB Brandon Allen – Chest
QB Philip Rivers – Foot
QB Carson Wentz – Benched
RB C Edwards-Helaire – Illness
RB Frank Gore – Concussion
RB Joshua Kelley – Ankle
WR Tyler Boyd – Ejected
WR Devante Parker – Ejected

Chasing Ambulances

Fortunately, not a lot of injuries and none expected to be serious.

QB Brandon Allen – The Bengals replacement for Joe Burrow only managed to complete 11-of-19 for 153 yards and one lucky 72-yard touchdown that was all thanks to Tyler Boyd. Allen left the game with a chest injury and was sacked five times by the Dolphins. Ryan Finley may be tabbed to face the Cowboys next week, but it is still a situation to avoid.

RB Frank Gore – Had a concussion after just one carry and the Jets – gasp! – ran better with non-37-year-old running backs. Josh Adams gained 74 yards on eight carries while ex-Lion Ty Johnson took over with 22 carries for 104 yards and one touchdown. He even added two receptions for 13 yards. Expect Johnson to be a hotter waiver wire pick-up this week and the Jets head to Seattle where Wayne Gallman just gained 135 yards in the Giants’ upset win. Johnson deserves to start even if Gore ends up healthy but the weekly practices should indicate what to expect.

RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire – Did not practice with a stomach virus but was active for the matchup with the Broncos. He never played and HC Andy Reid said that CEH had lost weight and had not practiced, so they opted to not use him despite that he was active and dressed for the game. He is expected to be back to health for the trip to Miami this week.

QB Jalen Hurts – Carson Wentz played halfway through the third quarter and was benched after he completed 6-of-15 for 79 yards at the Packers. Hurts was sent in and while he only threw 5-of-12, they went for 109 yards and a touchdown. He offered some spark. HC Doug Pederson said he has not decided on a starter for Week 14 versus the Saints. It is telling that he didn’t dismiss the chance.

QB Philip Rivers – Was disclosed that Rivers has a plantar plate rupture – a more severe version of turf toe. He will need surgery to fix it but intends to play with the injury. Rivers has been more productive in recent weeks despite the pain, so no reason to expect any changes.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

RB Alvin Kamara – His stats were in free-fall once Taysom Hill took over but at least this week, he ran for 88 yards and one score on 15 carries. He only caught two passes for nine yards which limits his most dangerous skill, but at least he was better than the five fantasy points from Week 12.

RB Todd Gurley – Troublesome that the Falcons primary back was held to only 26 yards on eight rushes in Week 11 in New Orleans and then missed Week 12 with a knee issue. He was active this week, but only gained 16 yards on eight carries versus the Saints (again). Gurley has been very touchdown-dependent this year and he’s not looked nearly as spry in recent weeks. He’s a hard one to start right when fantasy playoffs kick-off.

WR Quintez Cephus – The Lions’ fifth-round rookie has been a part of the offense from Week 1 but usually one for one or two catches as the No. 4 wideout. With Kenny Golladay still out, the Lions wanted to take a longer look at the rookie Cephus. He caught two passes for 63 yards that included a 49-yard touchdown on the Bears’ secondary.

RB David Montgomery – The Bears’ running back ran for 72 yards on 17 carries and scored twice, plus caught four passes for 39 yards. The Bears brain trust still opted to give special-teamer Cordarrelle Patterson ten carries and the Lions presented the worst rushing defense. But the Bears lost the game and Montgomery’s best situation of the season still saw him lose ten carries to a gimmick kick returner.

WR T.Y. Hilton – It only took the Colts No. 1 wideout ten games to get in synch with Philip Rivers. He had been consistent with around 40 yards per game and then caught four passes for 81 yards and a score versus the Titans in Week 12. On Sunday, he led the Colts with eight receptions for 110 yards and one touchdown against the Texans for his best performance of the season.

WR Keke Coutee – Facing a formidable Colts defense, Brandin Cooks was limited to only 65 yards on five catches. But Keke Coutee lead the team with eight catches for 141 yards replacing the suspended Will Fuller. The next two weeks are tougher – road games at the Bears and Colts. But Coutee showed the same form he had in 2018 when he produced two 100-yard performances and then did little else until this week.

WR Chad Hansen – He sent many people to their game programs to figure out who the wideout was with five catches for 101 yards against the Colts vaunted secondary. Hansen was a fourth-round pick by the Jets in 2017 who had nine catches as a rookie and then none while he drifted on and off the rosters of the Patriots, Titans, Broncos and Saints. His 101 yards was more than double the 94 career-yards he had coming into the game and his first action in three years. He was promoted off the practice squad and made a splash. Both he and Keke Coutee can thank playing with Deshaun Watson for their success, but anyone with a 100-yard game late in the year is worth noting.

WR DeVante Parker – The Dolphins lead receiver was held to only 38.9 yards per game playing with Tua Tagovailoa as the starting quarterback. He hurt his thumb and missed Week 12 when Ryan Fitzpatrick completed eight passes for 119 yards at the Jets. Tagovailoa returned and Parker returned to only four catches for 35 yards. When he plays with Fitzpatrick, he averaged almost 80 yards per game.

WR Collin Johnson – The Jaguars are another team trying out new players and the 6-6, fifth-round pick out of Texans showed up with 96 yards and a score versus the Browns last week. On Sunday, he led the Jaguars with four receptions for 66 yards while DJ Chark was held to only two catches for 41 yards by the Vikings.

WR Henry Ruggs – The Raiders picked the first wideout in the NFL draft and came away with Ruggs who has been “uneven” as a rookie. But the Raiders found themselves on the Jets’ 46-yard line with only 19 seconds left. They trailed the winless Jets 24-28 but DC Gregg Williams opted to call up a total blitz on the third-down play. That meant Ruggs, drafted 1.12 and running a 4.27/ 40-time, was one-on-one against CB Lamar Jackson, an undrafted rookie. Expect much talk about that play this week.

RB Cam Akers – The Rams’ rookie ran for 72 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries and added a 22-yard catch.  Darrell Henderson would also score on his 38-yard breakaway run but only handed three carries in all. Notable is that Akers 21 rushes in one game are more than any other Rams’ running back this year.

RB Wayne Gallman – He was on a five-game scoring streak after taking over as the primary back in Week 7. While he failed to reach the endzone this week in Seattle, Gallman ran for a season-best 135 yards on 16 carries.

RB Sony Michel – He was on injured reserve and while he was active last week, he had no carries. With Rex Burkhead gone,  the Pats only used Damien Harris and James White in Week 12. Michel finally saw use on Sunday when he ran ten times for 35 yards and added a catch for 23 yards. Michel only ran four times over the first three quarters and then saw most of his use late in the already-decided game.

Huddle player of the week

Darren Waller  –  Not often that the highest-scoring fantasy player for a week is a tight end. Even rarer that it wasn’t Travis Kelce. Waller ended with 13 catches for 200 yards and two scores versus the Jets this week and while Henry Ruggs caught the winning score, Waller was the only reason that play mattered.

Salute!

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

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Sam Darnold 186-26 3 QB Justin Herbert 209 0
RB Ty Johnson 22-104
2-13		 1 RB Miles Sanders 31 0
RB Alfred Morris 8-39
2-13		 2 RB Derrick Henry 15-60
1-9		 0
WR Rashard Higgins 6-95 1 WR Devante Parker 4-35 0
WR Henry Ruggs 3-84 1 WR Keenan Allen 5-48 0
WR D. Peoples-Jones 2-92 1 WR Nelson Agholor 4-38 0
TE Dan Arnold 2-61 2 TE Evan Engram 4-32 0
PK Cody Parker  5 XP   2 FG PK Mike Badgley   zip
Huddle Fantasy Points = 160 Huddle Fantasy Points = 50

Now get back to work…

Giants upset Seahawks: Winners, losers and those in between

Here are the winners, losers and those in between from the New York Giants’ Week 13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. 

Upset alert! The New York Giants pulled off an incomparable upset on the road over the Seattle Seahawks to improve to 5-7 and squeeze a tighter hold on their division.

What’s even more impressive? They were without quarterback Daniel Jones (hamstring), which meant veteran Colt McCoy got the start and won his first game since October 27th, 2014.

After being shutout in the first half, the running game came alive and Patrick Graham’s defense pitched a near perfect performance yet again as the Giants became the first team in the NFC East to beat an opponent with a winning record this year.

With today’s win, the Giants have now won four games in a row for the first time since 2016.

Here are the winners, losers and those in between from the Giants Week 13 upset over the Seahawks.