‘Everybody’s eating:’ Gallup and Cowboys WRs feast as offense finds groove

Big things were expected for the Cowboys wide receiver corps in 2020; in Week 16, they finally delivered in a blowout win over the Eagles.

Before the 2020 campaign kicked off, Amari Cooper made it plain that the expectation in Dallas was for the Cowboys to have three 1,000-yard receivers by the time the playoffs began.

Then, of course, the season started sideways… and only went south from there.

On Sunday, though, Cowboys fans saw a glimpse of what might have been as Andy Dalton threw for 377 yards in the team’s 37-17 rout of Philadelphia. Along the way, each member of the starting receiving trio- Cooper, Michael Gallup, and CeeDee Lamb- contributed heavily.

“Man… big time,” Gallup gushed as he recapped the game for reporters afterward. “Loads of fun. It was just great to be out there and have a good time. Everybody’s eating, everybody’s having a great time. It was a fun game, and we needed it.”

Gallup had his best yardage total since Week 3 and just the second multi-score game of his pro career. Six catches, 121 yards, two touchdowns… all in the first half. It was the most productive half by a Cowboys receiver in six years.

By the time the Eagles made adjustments to cover Gallup, Dalton had moved on to targeting Cooper and Lamb. Cooper also finished with 121 yards; Lamb had 65 yards plus the long touchdown late that sealed the win.

“We talk about it every week; that’s how it’s really supposed to go,” Gallup explained. “The defense doesn’t know who to double up, who to put their best corner on because it really doesn’t matter. That’s what we know we can do.”

“The more and more opportunities we can give Michael, expand the route tree,” head coach Mike McCarthy said of Gallup in his postgame press conference, “he always produces. Really, the whole perimeter: it’s a matter of trying to get those guys more opportunities, more targets. Michael was huge for us today. I thought Michael, CeeDee, and Amari all played very well.”

“We knew going into the season that a lot of guys on this offense are dangerous,” running back Ezekiel Elliott said in an interview after the game. “From Coop to CeeDee to Mike G to Ced[rick Wilson]- he had a big game this year. Then we’ve got TP [Tony Pollard], who’s a big play waiting to happen. And a great tight end corps with [Dalton] Schultz and Belldozer [Blake Bell]. We’ve got a lot of talent on the outside, and we’re a real problem for secondaries.”

It was a problem that Eagles cornerback Michael Jacquet was unable to solve. The Dallas offensive attack torched the undrafted rookie to the tune of 182 yards and two touchdowns, the second-highest yardage total allowed by a defensive back all season across the league.

Gallup’s first target of the day came against Jacquet. It fell incomplete, but the Louisiana product was called for defensive pass interference. Two series later, Jacquet was flagged again for holding Gallup, but the third-year receiver made the grab anyway.

And that’s when Cooper knew something was about to break for his teammate.

“After my first catch of the game, just a little 10-yard in route,” Gallup recalled, “Coop literally ran up to me and was like, ‘This is your game.'”

“I just felt it,” Cooper said in his postgame remarks. “I just felt it in the air. I just knew that this was the game that he was going to dominate. I actually wanted him to do a lot more. That’s what I felt. The guy was holding him every play from the beginning of the game, and I just know Michael. So I was glad to see him go out there and do his thing.”

Rather than squawk about not getting enough targets, Cooper, Gallup, and Lamb all genuinely support one another. When one of them makes a big catch or posts a monster game, the other two are generally the most excited of all. Instead of fighting one another for balls, each member of the trio recognizes the others’ talents and marvels in their abilities.

“I absolutely love being in the same room as Michael and CeeDee. We all have things; we all have the potential to go out there and dominate a game. It just feels good when you’re all able to do it in the same game, like I alluded to earlier in the season. I think that’s something that we can consistently do.”

It’s what led Cooper to make that declaration that each could top 1,000 yards this season. Cooper has done it already. The rookie Lamb is 108 yards away. Gallup trails the group with a still-very-respectable 794. The fact that they’ve compiled those numbers with four different quarterbacks this season is a testament to how good they truly are.

With Dak Prescott at the helm all season- on anything close to the torrid pace he had set when he went down in Week 5- it’s easy to imagine Cooper’s prediction would have come true.

It’s taken some time for Dalton to warm up in the Cowboys offense; missing time with a concussion and COVID-19 certainly didn’t help. But his play in recent weeks has been a major contributing factor to the three-game winning streak that Dallas is enjoying.

Dalton’s 377 passing yards Sunday represented his highest one-game total in a calendar year. And his 134.7 quarterback rating? That’s his best since Week 4 of the 2017 season, and one of the ten best of the 33-year-old’s career.

“We were clicking,” Dalton told media members after the victory. “We got a bunch of different guys involved early on: Michael Gallup had several big plays, then later on, Amari gets a couple big ones, and CeeDee gets involved. When you can spread it around and guys are making plays all over the field, obviously it gives you the chance to go down and score a bunch of points. Fortunately for us, we were able to get that done today.”

Cooper says the time he and the other receivers have been able to spend with Dalton in the months since Prescott’s injury has made all the difference.

“I would just attribute it to repetition,” the four-time Pro Bowler said. “When Dak first went down, obviously, the first-team guys at receiver, we hadn’t had much experience with Andy. But since then, obviously, he’s been taking all the first-team reps, and we’ve just been able to learn each other, the way he likes to throw the ball. And obviously, he’s been able to learn the way we like to run our routes.”

That familiarity allowed Dalton to largely sit back on Sunday- he was sacked just twice- and deal passes to whichever receiver had the hot hand.

On this occasion, that happened to be Gallup… but the Colorado State alum would have been just as happy to see one of his receiving mates beef up their stats.

“CeeDee and Amari Cooper are closer to a thousand yards than I am,” Gallup noted with a smile, “so I’m hoping that they get all the catches they need to get to get to a thousand yards. I love seeing that. Amari Cooper was streaking down the field, CeeDee was streaking down the field; it’s just fun to watch. I’ve already been streaking down the field, so I’m not really sure I need any more catches, to be honest. But I’ll take them if they come my way.”

If the Cowboys offense keeps clicking like this, the catches will most certainly keep coming Gallup’s way. And Cooper’s way. And Lamb’s.

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How can Dolphins most help Tua Tagovailoa in 2021 based on 2020 play?

One thing that has become abundantly clear about the Miami Dolphins offseason is that the team is going to need to identify some new wide receivers to mix into the current group. Injuries and underwhelming play have cost Miami some dynamic potential in the passing game, especially with rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at the controls. And while the Dolphins do have the luxury of having Ryan Fitzpatrick in their back pocket to serve as a “spark” from time to time, that isn’t a sustainable model.

Why does Fitzpatrick work in certain spots where Tagovailoa doesn’t as things currently stand? Fitzpatrick is more willing to fly close to the sun, for better and for worse, as a passer. Tight windows don’t phase him. He’s mastered the mental side of the game — even if he’s undisciplined in his execution of it at times. And while the floor for Miami is higher with Tagovailoa at the helm with his attentiveness to ball security, Miami certainly sees their brightest flashes with a quarterback more willing to test coverage.

And that’s where the Dolphins can help Tagovailoa the most this offseason: not just by targeting better pass catchers, but targeting a different kind of pass catcher. The Dolphins must take note of how Tagovailoa’s preference is to see his receiver leveraged before he throws the football and plan accordingly with which receivers they bring onto the roster.

More players like DeVante Parker and Preston Williams, who most frequently win their reps late in the route? That’s redundant and not to Tagovailoa’s strengths. The Dolphins need to find wide receiver that win their routes early on and at the line of scrimmage. Explosive athletes and route technicians alike qualify for consideration, but that change must be on the menu for the Dolphins’ shopping list.

When it was indicated that that Miami Dolphins were transitioning to Tagovailoa midseason in order to discover what they have in their rookie quarterback, those who followed the team scoffed at the notion. But in all honesty, it was true — just in a different kind of context. Miami has spent the back half of this season evaluating Tagovailoa not to determine whether he needs to be replaced but rather how he plays and what the Dolphins need to do to install the best, most effective supporting cast possible around him.

They’ve got their answer. Now it is nearly time to start acting on this new information.

How many new wide receivers do the Dolphins need this offseason?

The Miami Dolphins’ final stretch of play in 2020 will have a very different feel to it then the team that was on display just one year ago at the tail end of the 2019 campaign. In 2019, the Dolphins were perceived as a team void of talent but yet still brilliantly capable of brewing an upset if you didn’t take them seriously on any given Sunday. This year, the narrative is quite different — the Dolphins own the No. 1 scoring defense in the NFL and have plenty of quality players on defense, plus an embarrassment of riches and youth on the offensive side of the ball that largely just needs time to develop.

But one area where the Dolphins, even amid their youth, will need reinforcements is at wide receiver. The Dolphins endured some losses there this summer due to opt outs from Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson only to then see Preston Williams succumb to injury for the second straight season midway through the year. Shortly thereafter, Jakeem Grant and DeVante Parker both suffered hamstring issues and Miami was forced to take the field with an uninspiring group in Week 15 against the New England Patriots.

Miami still won, 22-12.

But as we forecast this Dolphins franchise forward and assess what the team needs, wide receiver ranks near the top of the list. And whether the new faces come via free agency or the NFL Draft, the Dolphins are going to need heavy reinforcements here. How extensive?

In order to answer that question Miami must first define which players currently under contract are expected to be back and in what role.

DeVanter Parker should be considered a lock to return. He has yet to show the same chemistry with Tua Tagovailoa that we saw him develop with Ryan Fitzpatrick and therefore Parker may be destined for a WR1A or WR1B role in the offense instead of an undisputed WR1 title. Rookie Lynn Bowden Jr. is making a strong case to not only return, but for Miami to put more and more on his plate moving forward. The former college quarterback was a late addition to the Dolphins’ rookie class but as he’s been weaned into action, his toughness and versatility pair well with his athletic ability to afford the Dolphins a younger, cheaper, healthier version of what Albert Wilson is capable of.

That’s two. The Dolphins other receivers under contract on the 53-man roster?

Jakeem Grant
Mack Hollins
Isaiah Ford (elevated from practice squad)
Malcolm Perry
Preston Williams (on injured reserve)

The Dolphins should expect at least one of their bottom of the depth chart receivers to hold a significant special teams role. That could qualify either Hollins or Grant for that spot on the overhauled depth chart. Grant is an explosive player but catching the football and durability have been problematic; so Miami must instead ask themselves if they’re comfortable with the idea of Grant’s cap hit (at least $4.75M in each of the next three seasons) for a special teams return on investment. The Dolphins told us what they think of Isaiah Ford when they traded him to New England at the trade deadline. Malcolm Perry suddenly finds himself competing with Bowden Jr. for reps as the versatile piece of the puzzle. Miami could feasibly keep both, but the 7th-round investment in Perry shouldn’t prevent the Dolphins from jumping at a clear upgrade if one presents itself.

As for Preston Williams, Miami must be honest with themselves about his forecast. He’s cheap, but he’s also entering into a contract year. He’s physically talented but makes frustrating misplays of the ball. He’s big and physical but he’s also struggled with durability. There’s a case to be made to keep Williams just as there is a case to be made to upgrade his spot on the roster; especially when you consider the redundancy of him and Parker as players. Williams doesn’t offer special teams value either, which is always a tough sell for teams.

Miami’s ideal wide receiver room in 2021 would probably look something like this:

WR1A (Rookie/free agent)
WR1B (DeVante Parker)
Slot (Rookie/free agent)
Gadget player (Lynn Bowden Jr.)
WR5 (Preston Williams or rookie/free agent)
WR6 & Specialist (Mack Hollins or Jakeem Grant)

It will be a much different looking group for Tua Tagovailoa in 2021. And that is, of course, a great thing when you consider the promise Tagovailoa has shown thus far with so many injuries at hand.

Texas Longhorns vs Iowa State: WR Tale of the Tape

The Texas Longhorns passing game has fallen off a bit over the last several weeks but do they have the edge over the Iowa State Cyclones?

We have taken a look at the quarterback and running back tale of the tape, now for the wide receivers. The Longhorns’ top guy is Joshua Moore. The redshirt sophomore came out hot to start the year. Over recent weeks his impact has been lessened but he still leads the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns. For the Iowa State Cyclones, they counter with Xavier Hutchinson.

A huge portion of the passing for the Cyclones is a bit different than the Longhorns. While Texas has more receivers making an impact, Iowa State counters with a trio of tight ends with NFL aspirations. They are led by Charlie Kolar. Texas has Brennan Eagles, Jake Smith, Tarik Black, and Jordan Whittington as their secondary options.

So which team has the edge in receiving?

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Wide Receiver Comparison

Moore	vs	Hutchinson
6-1	Ht	6-3
169	Wt	207
RS-Sophomore	Class	Junior
22	Rec	41
343	Yards	518
15.6	Average	12.6
7	TDs	4
23	Touches	41
342	Yards	518

Last three games comparison

Moore	vs	Hutchinson
3.6	Rec/Game	4.3
47.7	Yards/Game	73.7
13.0	Yards/Rec	17.0
1.0	TDs/Game	0.7

Secondary Receiver

Brennan Eagles	vs	Charlie Kolar
6-4	Ht	6-6
229	Wt	257
Junior	Class	Junior
19	Rec	25
286	Yards	286
15.1	Avg	11.4
5	TDs	4

Slight Edge: Iowa State

The Texas Longhorns may have more touchdown production from their players, the Cyclones get more consistent production overall. The big key is can the Longhorns get the passing game going against Iowa State? They have averaged just 207.7 yards per game through the air in the last three games. Against West Virginia, they totaled just 184 net yards through the air. The Cyclones allow just 229 per game.

The Longhorns defense is actually the worst in the Big 12 in terms of yards per game. They allow 283.1, which is 0.5 yards per game worse than Texas Tech. If Brock Purdy is as efficient as he was against Kansas State, it could be a long afternoon for the passing defense.

Could WR-needy Saints ask Wil Lutz to run routes? Kicker has hilarious reaction

New Orleans Saints kicker Wil Lutz wants to help his team win games, but he also wants it known that he’s not eager to play wide receiver.

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I’m not….. https://t.co/Ms9up9OAQa pic.twitter.com/aAqjzyGRQn

— Wil Lutz (@wil_lutz5) October 30, 2020

Wil Lutz is willing to do a lot to help the New Orleans Saints win football games. Kick field goals from 60 yards out? He’s your man. Execute an onside kick? He’s game. Lining up at the X-receiver spot and running a deep corner route? Maybe call up someone else.

The Saints have been hit hard by injuries and COVID-19 absences to the wide receiver corps, taking out three of their top five options for Sunday’s road game with the Chicago Bears: starters Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are unavailable, as is breakout rookie Marquez Callaway. So when a fan jokingly suggested it’s time for Lutz to try out in a big spot, he quickly shot the suggestion down.

Lutz referenced a botched trick play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 2017, his own rookie year, when the Saints called him for to take off and run after a faked field goal. He was stopped short on 4th-and-5 by Buccaneers linebacker Kwon Alexander, which made for a painful collision between the specialist and a defender with 30 or 40 pounds on him and a full head of steam.

So that’s one option down. Fortunately, the Saints have plenty of other weapons to call on against Chicago, like Offensive Player of the Year candidate Alvin Kamara. If Lutz has his way, he’ll be kicking a number of extra-point attempts after a series of Kamara touchdowns on Sunday.

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Who are the Packers WRs on Monday Night Football?

Aaron Rodgers will be throwing to some young, unproven wide receivers against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football.

The Green Bay Packers are going to be without three of their top receivers on “Monday Night Football” against the Atlanta Falcons. Davante Adams (hamstring), Allen Lazard (core muscle) and Equanimeous St. Brown (knee) are all injured and either on injured reserve or expected to be inactive against the Falcons.

So who will Aaron Rodgers be throwing the football to on Monday night at Lambeau Field?

Here’s a quick rundown of the Packers’ active receivers against the Falcons:

Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Dan Powers/Appleton Post-Crescsent-USA TODAY NETWORK

Number: 83
Career catches: 72

He’s the familiar face. Valdes-Scantling, a 2018 fifth-round pick and a contributor the last three seasons, has eight catches for 165 yards and a touchdown in three games to start 2020. Expect him to be a primary target for Rodgers on Monday night. While inconsistent, Valdes-Scantling has dangerous deep speed. The Packers may need a big play or two from him against the Falcons.

Darrius Shepherd

Number: 82
Career catches: 1

Shepherd made the 53-man roster to start last season despite being an undrafted tryout player from North Dakota State. He’s been great the last two summers, earning the confidence of both Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers. His one career catch came during a disastrous night – featuring a drop leading to an interception and a fumbled punt return – against the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football last season. Can he redeem himself in a big role against the Falcons?

Malik Taylor

Number: 86
Career catches: 0

Taylor spent the entire 2019 season on the Packers’ practice squad, using that experience in Matt LaFleur’s offense to springboard a run at a roster spot to start the 2020 season. He beat out Jake Kumerow for the final receiver spot. The Packers love his potential and think he’s more than athletic enough to make plays at the NFL level, so don’t be surprised if he gets an end-around or jet sweep opportunity on Monday night. At Ferris State, Taylor caught 121 passes. He went undrafted in 2019.

Reggie Begelton

Number: 84
Career catches: 0

Even after setting records for catches and receiving yards at Lamar University, Begelton went undrafted in 2015 but eventually ended up in the CFL. He finally broke out in 2019, catching 102 passes for 1,444 yards and 10 scores. The Packers signed him January, kept him on the practice squad to start 2020 and signed him to the active roster on Monday. The 27-year-old took a long path to the NFL. Now, he’ll get a chance to contribute for the Packers in primetime at Lambeau Field.

Austin Carr re-signs with the Saints practice squad

The New Orleans Saints signed veteran slot receiver Austin Carr to their practice squad, making him the ninth wide receiver on their team.

[jwplayer yLuhcRHv-ThvAeFxT]

Things are very much in flux for rosters around the NFL as teams tweak their depth charts and work last-minute deals before the start of the regular season. That activity extends to the New Orleans Saints, who brought veteran slot receiver Austin Carr back to their practice squad. The Saints reported the move on the daily NFL transactions wire.

Carr will occupy one of the final two available spots on the 16-man practice squad; the Saints previously announced deals with 14 additions. He will also be the ninth wide receiver in New Orleans, including five players listed on the 53-man roster. The full list:

Michael Thomas (roster)
Emmanuel Sanders (roster)
Tre’Quan Smith (roster)
Deonte Harris (roster)
Marquez Callaway (roster)
Lil’Jordan Humphrey (practice squad)
Bennie Fowler (practice squad)
Juwan Johnson (practice squad)
Austin Carr (practice squad)

Carr, a 26-year old slot specialist, has appeared in 23 games with the Saints since 2017 (including the playoffs). He’s totaled 11 catches on 19 targets, gaining 111 receiving yards while converting 6 first downs and scoring a pair of touchdown receptions. He appeared in six games for the Saints last season before his year ended on injured reserve, averaging a career-high 33 snaps per game.

It’s a sign of greatly improved depth in the receiving corps that Carr didn’t make the team after training camp, but keeping him on the practice squad as a reserve option isn’t a bad idea. He’s seen more NFL action than many free agents available right now, and already knows the Saints playbook. If they run into injuries or absences due to COVID-19, the Saints could do worse than calling him up again.

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Seahawks Tuesday practice report: 3 wide receivers return to the field

Three Seattle Seahawks wide receivers returned to the practice field on Tuesday: Phillip Dorsett II, John Ursua, and Cody Thompson.

While the media isn’t allowed to report the majority of what goes on at practice throughout training camp, what the Seahawks release on their website is fair game.

Official practice and injury reports are not required until the week before the start of the regular season, here’s a round-up of who practiced and who didn’t on Tuesday, per the team’s official reporter, John Boyle.

As expected, three Seahawks wide receivers returned to practice after missing time over the last few days. On Sunday, coach Pete Carroll said Phillip Dorsett II, John Ursua, and Cody Thompson would resume work.

Cornerback Tre Flowers and defensive end Benson Mayowa were also present Tuesday on the practice field.

As for as those who did not participate, three Seattle players made the list: cornerback Shaquill Griffin, tackle Duane Brown and tackle Cedric Ogbuehi.

Coach Pete Carroll will likely provide more injury updates during his next press conference with the media.

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Julio Jones projected to have 3rd-most receiving yards in 2020

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is a rare breed of NFL superstar. The only thing more impressive than his work ethic is his consistently elite production on the field.

Jones finished the 2019 season with 99 catches, 1,394 receiving yards and six touchdowns. It was the sixth year in a row that Jones went over the 1,300-yard mark. Will the Falcons’ All-Pro wideout keep the streak going in 2020?

According to the fantasy football experts over at The Huddle, the answer is yes. The site’s 2020 projections have Jones pegged as the NFL’s No. 4 receiver in terms of overall points (191.1), the No. 3 WR in terms of total yards (1,370) and tied for the third-ranked receiver in projected touchdowns (9).

The Huddle calls Jones one of the “safest bets” to be a top-five fantasy wideout.

“Jones is probably in the latter stages of his prime, but while he may not be the favorite to finish as the No. 1 fantasy receiver, he is one of the safest bets to finish as a top-five option at the position.”

Saints WR Michael Thomas (1,500 projected yards) and Packers WR Davante Adams (1,380 projected yards) were ranked above Jones. Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill is projected to have less yards (1,350), but more overall fantasy points (201) than Jones.

Dominate your fantasy football league with TheHuddle.com. Custom rankings! Sleepers! New customers, take 20% this year’s subscription. Order now!

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A look at the Bills WR position prior to roster cuts

Pro Football Focus has the Bills receiving corps ranked as the fifth best in the NFL, which is a pretty big jump from where the unit was even just a season ago. The Bills are just days away from breaking down their roster to 53 players. Cut-down day in the league is slated for Saturday at 4 p.m. Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane has some tough decisions ahead of him.

With a position group built through free agency, trades and the draft, here’s a breakdown of the position, player-by-player:

Duke Williams

Duke Williams caught the Bills attention thanks to a strong showing in the Canadian Football league. He demonstrated big-play potential during the 2019 preseason after signing with Buffalo and is a big target at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, who may work his way into a role on offense.

Entering his second year with the team, the 27-year-old Auburn product had the two biggest catches during camp so far, muscling one in coverage on a pass from quarterback Matt Barkley and making an even more impressive one-handed haul in amidst multiple defenders on a throw from rookie QB Jake Fromm. The biggest problem with Williams is his lack of production on special teams, something several other depth options have.

How did @YFBurnna_cmh catch that…#BillsCamp | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/IwrVLatIZc

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 20, 2020

Isaiah Hodgins

Growing up around the Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald seems to have made an impression on Hodgins. The 6-foot-4 rookie out of Oregon State dubbed the Bills’ ‘biggest draft steal’ by Draft Wire had 86 catches for 1,171 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns last season for the Beavers. Like Diggs, he’s known for his route running and was described by The Draft Network as having “the most natural hands in the class.” It will be interesting to see if he can make his way into the receiver group in his first year as a Bill, but could another team claim him of Buffalo’s practice squad if he ends up there?

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