Wide Receiver Snap Counts and Target Trends - Week 9 Analysis

Phil's Week 9 target and reception trends for 2020 WRs to find risers and fallers who are possible buy-low or sell-high candidates based on target share and snap counts.

Your wide receivers remain essential components toward your primary goal of securing league championships. As this unique regular season continues to unfold, an expanding assortment of tools is available that can provide you with an extensive level of knowledge regarding this critical position. Those results are contained in this weekly statistical breakdown of multiple categories, which is designed to help you fulfill your championship aspirations.

This will be the ninth installment that will examine game-specific data, including updated totals for targets, first downs, red-zone targets, snap counts, and a compilation of advanced statistics. The information that is contained in this weekly report will analyze how various receivers are being utilized, and how effectively they are capitalizing on their opportunities. This massive collection of data supplies the foundation from which the numbers that are generated in various categories can be evaluated.

As the season progresses noteworthy changes in usage and production will be blended into the equation. That will bolster your efforts to determine which wide receivers should be in your lineups, and which are worthy of remaining on your rosters. Pro Football Reference, PFF, NextGenStats, Rotowire, Rotoviz, and Football Outsiders were all used as resources in compiling this data.

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Week 9 Target Leaders 

slayer loves the end zone ?@Keenan13Allen | ?: FOX pic.twitter.com/loDdsCAd0h

— Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) November 8, 2020

Stefon Diggs continues to lead all wide receivers in total targets for the season (91), while Keenan Allen, and Allen Robinson, are tied for second with 86. Amari Cooper is third 83, followed by Robby Anderson (80), Terry McLaurin (77), DeAndre Hopkins (76), Tyreek Hill (72), Cooper Kupp (72), and Tyler Lockett (70). Only those 10 receivers have reached 70 targets through the matchups of Week 9. Davante Adams is next with 69, even though he has only performed in six contests. He is followed by four receivers that are tied with 68 - Tyler Boyd, Calvin Ridley, D.K. Metcalf, and CeeDee Lamb. A.J. Green is next (63), followed by D.J. Moore (62), Jerry Jeudy (61), and Brandin Cooks (60). Adam Thielen, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Julio Jones spearhead a collection of 16 receivers that have captured 50-59 targets entering Week 10.

Adams leads the position in targets accumulated since Week 6 as he has captured a whopping 49 during that span. Diggs is second with 40, followed by Hill (37), Allen (36), Julio Jones (36), Kupp (35), and Anderson (34). Three receivers are tied with 33 - Smith-Schuster, Jeudy, and D.J. Chark followed by Lockett (32), A.J. Brown (31), McLaurin (31), and Jakobi Meyers (30). Tyler Boyd and A.J. Green are included in a group of 16 receivers that have registered between 29 and 25 targets during that four-game sequence. That tandem will also be discussed further in the 5 Things I Noticed section.

Metcalf, Hill, Meyers, and Jeudy have all collected 24 targets since Week 8 which ties them for the league lead. Adams and Allen have been targeted 23 times, while Chase Claypool is next (22). Diggs and Anderson are tied with 21, while Kupp has attained 20 targets during that two-week span. Anthony Miller and Michael Gallup are next with 19, followed by Shepard (18). Jones and Darnell Mooney are tied with 17, while Robinson and A.J. Brown are tied with 16. Smith-Schuster and Mike Williams are the only other receivers that have collected 15+ during that two-game sequence.

Three wide receivers have maintained a target per game average of 10+ through Week 9 - Adams (11.5), Allen (10.8), and Diggs (10.1). Adams has also collected a double-digit target total in four consecutive matchups, which has expanded his season total to five games with 10+ targets. However, Allen leads all receivers with six games of 10+. Diggs, McLaurin, Cooper, Anderson, Ridley, Diontae Johnson, and Crowder have all been targeted 10+ times in four different contests through Week 9.

Largest Weekly Changes

Tyreek Hill. 9 games. 10 Touchdowns. Elite.@cheetah #Chiefs | #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/PiMJiBvGhR

— Arrowhead Live (@ArrowheadLive) November 9, 2020

Patrick Mahomes targeted Tyreek Hill 18 times when the Chiefs hosted Carolina in Week 9. That was the second-highest one-game total of Hill’s career. It also established a new season-high while propelling him to season-best totals in receptions (9), and receiving yards (113). Rookie Jerry Jeudy registered the second-highest target total in Week 9 (14). He has now accumulated 24 targets (12 per game) during his last two matchups after he had received 37 targets (6.2 per game) from Weeks 1-7. Jakobi Meyers was also targeted 14 times on Monday Night against the Jets, and he joins Jeudy in collecting 24 targets since Week 8.

Robby Anderson also procured his highest one-game total of 2020, as his career-best season continued. He was joined by Chase Claypool who also established his new career-high (13). It was the second time this season that Claypool has been targeted 11+ times, and the first-year receiver has now captured 22 targets during his last two matchups.

An unending wave of forced absences throughout San Francisco’s arsenal of receiving weaponry launched Richie James into a significant role for the 49ers’ in Week 9. James began the contest with 24 career targets since he entered the league in 2018. His previous career-high target total was also four, which was registered in Week 2 of 2019. D.J. Chark, Davante Adams, and Stefon Diggs all accumulated 12 targets during their matchups, while Keenan Allen, Darnell Mooney, and John Brown were targeted 11 times. Diontae Johnson, K.J. Hamler, and Danny Amendola all collected 10 targets while completing the list of 16 receivers that registered a double-digit target total in Week 9.

James had not been targeted throughout the 2020 regular season until his role expanded substantially in Week 9. As a result, his first 13 targets of the year also launched the third-year receiver into the highest week to week increase (+13). Hill’s 18 targets were generated one week after he registered six targets in Week 8. That resulted in the rise of +12. It also tied him with D.J. Chark, who collected 12 targets during Jake Luton’s professional debut. Cooks collected nine targets in his first matchup following Houston’s Week 8 bye. His weekly rise of +9 tied him with John Brown, and Tim Patrick, who was involved in his first game action since Week 7 (hamstring). Terry McLaurin, Christian Kirk, and Chris Conley all received weekly increases of +8 during their return from bye weeks, while Johnson, Breshad Perriman, and Hamler registered weekly increases of +7 in their target totals.

Braxton Berrios had attained an 84% snap share in Weeks 7-8. But Jamison Crowder (hamstring), and Perriman (concussion) reemerged from their health issues, and Berrios’ snap percentage plummeted to 15%. That also limited him to one target, which destined him to this week’s largest decline (-10).

Darius Slayton attained an 84% snap share in Week 9. But he was only targeted once during the Giants’ NFC East matchup with Washington. That resulted in the second-largest week to week decline (-8), after Slayton had been targeted nine times in Week 8. He was joined at -8 by Jeff Smith and Jaydon Mickens. Corey Davis had captured 10 targets in two consecutive games entering Week 9. But his weekly total dropped by -7 after he was only targeted three times during Tennessee’s matchup with Chicago.

D.K. Metcalf was targeted nine times by Russell Wilson in Week 9. But he had commandeered he had captured 15 targets one week earlier which resulted in a decrease of -6. Mecole Hartman, Tre’ Quan Smith, and Michael Gallup all experienced weekly decreases of -5 following their Week 9 matchups.

Week 9 Air Yards

Tyreek Hill has ascended into the league lead among all receivers with 1,046 air yards. D.K. Metcalf is second overall (1.029) and joins Hill as the only two receivers that have eclipsed 1,000 entering Week 10. Calvin Ridley was the longtime leader in this category and remains third with 982. Stefon Diggs is fourth (976), followed by Allen Robinson (905). Those are the only five receivers that have generated at least 900 yards. A.J. Green is next (896), followed by Jerry Jeudy (882), Darnell Mooney (796), Adam Thielen (786), D.J. Moore (765), and Moore’s teammate Robby Anderson (749). Terry McLaurin is next (735) followed by Tyler Lockett (734), while Amari Cooper headlines a group of five additional receivers that have surpassed 700.

TERRY MCLAURIN ? pic.twitter.com/Uiv2TbD3dB

— Barstool OSU (@BarstoolOSU) November 8, 2020

McLaurin continues to lead all wide receivers in percentage share of air yards (44.1). Thielen is second overall (41.0), followed by Marquise Brown (40.4), while no other receivers have averaged a percentage share a 40+. Hill is next 39.6, followed by Metcalf (39.0), Anderson (39.0), Darius Slayton (37.2), Diggs (36.9), Moore (36.4), Ridley (32.7), and Green (32.3). Damiere Byrd is next (31.0), followed by Chark (30.6) and Lockett at 30.0. No other wide receivers are averaging a percentage share of 30+.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling now leads all receivers in targeted air yards (17.7), followed by Mike Williams (16.5), Scott Miller (16.0), Brown (15.5), Ridley (15.3), and Mooney (15.0). Those are the only eight receivers that have attained a percentage of 15+. Preston Williams is next (14.6), followed by Tim Patrick (14.5), Hill (14.4), Christian Kirk (15.3), and three receivers that are tied at 14.2 - Metcalf, Nelson Agholor, and Gabriel Davis Green, and Kenny Golladay are tied at 14.1, while Jeudy completes the list of 18 receivers that have attained an average of 14+.

Week 9 First Downs

Keenan Allen and DeAndre Hopkins have both collected a league-high 39 receptions for first downs. Davante Adams and Tyler Boyd are tied for third with 36, followed by Stefon Diggs (35), and four receivers that have accrued 34 first down receptions through Week 9 - Calvin Ridley, Robby Anderson, Allen Robinson, and Amari Cooper. D.K. Metcalf is next (33), followed by Terry McLaurin and Tyler Lockett in a tie at 32. Tyreek Hill (30) completes the list of 13 receivers that have registered 30+ receptions for first downs. Three receivers have collected 29 receptions - Julio Jones, D.J. Moore, and CeeDee Lamb, while Cole Beasley (38), Tee Higgins (27), Darius Slayton (27), Mike Evans (26), and Will Fuller (26) complete the list of top 20 receivers in this category.

Week 9 Red Zone Targets

Davante Adams now leads all wide receivers with 13 red zone targets. Calvin Ridley is second (12), while Tyler Boyd and Tyreek Hill are tied with 11. Julio Jones, Tyler Lockett, and Russell Gage have collected 10 targets, while no other wide receivers have reached double-digits entering Week 10. D.K. Metcalf, Adam Thielen, and JuJu Smith-Schuster headline a group of eight receivers that have been targeted nine times inside the 20.

Adams also leads the position with nine targets inside the 10. Mike Evans is second (8), while Hill and Lockett are tied with seven. Ridley, Metcalf, and Brandon Aiyuk have all been targeted six times inside the 10-yard line, while Boyd, Thielen, and CeeDee Lamb are among the nine receivers that have collected five targets inside the 10.

Adams, Evans, and Lockett are currently in a three-way tie for the most targets inside the 5-yard line (6). Three receivers have been targeted four times - Ridley, Aiyuk, Lamb - while Stefon Diggs and Tee Higgins are among the seven receivers that have collected three targets inside the 5.

Week 9 Snap Counts

Michael Gallup has maintained his lead in total offensive snaps entering Week 10 (605). There is a gap of 53 snaps between Gallup and teammate Amari Cooper, who is second overall with 552. Stefon Diggs is next (543), followed by Allen Robinson (529), DeAndre Hopkins (527), Darius Slayton (525), Keenan Allen (520), and Tyreek Hill with 516. D.K. Metcalf is next (515), followed by Mike Evans (5120, Robert Woods (510), D.J. Moore (509), and Damiere Byrd (505). That completes the list of 13 receivers that were involved in at least 500 offensive snaps through Week 9. Tyler Lockett (499), Cooper Kupp (497), and Terry McLaurin (490) spearhead a group of eight receivers that have performed on 450+.

Metcalf continues to lead all wide receivers in offensive snap count percentage (96.3). Byrd is second overall (94.4), followed by McLaurin (93.9), Lockett (93.3), Hopkins (92.3), Thielen (91.2), and Diggs (91.1). Woods (90.6), Slayton (90.5), and Marvin Jones (90.4) complete the group of 10 receivers that have attained a season-long snap share of 90+. Gallup (89.0), Kupp (88.3), Moore (87.2), and Robinson (86.3) are among the 24 additional receivers that have attained a snap share between 80%-90%.

Moore led all receivers in offensive snaps during the matchups of Week 9 (81), while New England teammates Byrd and Jakobi Meyers were tied for second with 80. Allen was next (78) followed by Robinson (73), Mike Williams (73), Marvin Jones (71), Anderson (69), Jaylen Guyton (69), and Gallup (68). Hopkins and Darnell Mooney were tied with 67, followed by Metcalf (65), Slayton (65), Julio Jones (63), JuJu Smith- Schuster (63), and Lockett (62). Jerry Jeudy (61), and five additional players completed the list of 23 receivers who performed on 60+ offensive snaps in Week 9 - Diggs, Curtis Samuel, Tim Patrick, Sterling Shepard, and Marcus Johnson.

Metcalf also performed on 100% of Seattle’s offensive snaps in Week 9, which led all wide receivers. Teammates Byrd and Meyers were tied for second once again (98.8), followed by Allen (98.7), McLaurin (98.2), Perriman (97.8), Moore (97.6), Hopkins (97.1), and Slayton (95.7). Lockett was next (95.4), followed by Hill (95.2), Robinson (94.8), Marvin Jones (94.7), and Gallup (94.4). Chris Godwin (94.0), Mike Williams (92.4), Smith-Schuster (91.3), Brandin Cooks (90.6), and DeVante Parker (90.2) completed the list of 19 receivers that were involved on 90+ percent of their teams’ offensive snaps in Week 9.

Five Things I Noticed

1.The Dallas offense has now completed four contests without Dak Prescott under center, and anyone who had been benefitting from the favorable usage and production of Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb is acutely aware of just how devastating the loss of Prescott has been to the Cowboys’ wide receivers.

As Dallas entered their Week 5 matchup with the Giants, Amari Cooper had collected 10+ targets during three of his first four contests. This had propelled him to the league lead with 51 targets (12.8 per game). He was also second in receptions (37 9.3 per game) and third in receiving yards (401/101.8 per game), air yards (477), and first downs (22).

CeeDee Lamb was 16th overall in targets (29/7.3 per game), 12th in both receptions (21/5.3 per game), and receiving yards (309/77.3 per game), and was also tied for sixth in red zone targets (5). Michael Gallup’s target and reception totals did not place him among the league leaders (24 targets/4 per game, 13 receptions/3.3 per game). But the third-year receiver was 20th in receiving yards (275/68.8 per game), second in targeted air yards (17.4), and 11th in air yards (396).

However, Prescott’s season-ending ankle fracture has created a cataclysmic impact on the entire Dallas offense. Andy Dalton started two contests, which was followed by performances with Ben DiNucci and Garrett Gilbert under center. This transition has drastically altered the production for Cooper and Lamb while revealing other shortcomings throughout the offensive unit.

Who else but Minkah Fitzpatrick?! #HereWeGo @minkfitz_21

?: #PITvsDAL on CBS
?: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/LhAplcRHXB pic.twitter.com/5TIWIJGT6o

— NFL (@NFL) November 8, 2020

In four matchups without Prescott under center, Cooper’s per-game averages have dropped to 7 targets, 5 receptions, and 57.8 yards per game. In Weeks 8-9, his averages diminished to 5.5 targets, 3 receptions, and 36 yards per game. Cooper has also dropped from third to 19th in air yards (710), and also from third to seventh in first downs (34).

Lamb’s averages have also declined (7 targets/3.8 receptions/40.5 yards per game), with a massive statistical plunge occurring in Weeks 7-8 (5 targets/2 receptions/13.5 yards per game). Lamb’s 14.6 yards per reception average from Weeks 1-4 had dropped to 5.3 from Weeks 6-8 before he averaged 17.8 in Week 9. Lamb's yards per target average has experienced a similar decline (10.5/3.7) before he attained an average of 10.1 against Pittsburgh in Week 9. Gallup’s target per game average has actually improved to 6.8 since Week 6. But his yards per game average has diminished significantly (30), as has his yards per target average (3.59).

The suppressed production has created a dilemma for fantasy GMs, who will not receive the same level of scoring that had existed prior to the degenerating situation at quarterback. Any attempts at a trade would involve selling low on Cooper or Lamb, and many managers do not have the roster depth to start other receivers. If Cooper or Lamb is on your roster, they should both be considered as WR3s, while Gallup is a desperation flex option only.

Curtis Samuel turned his body for the grab ? @CurtisSamuel4__ @Panthers

? #CARvsKC on FOX pic.twitter.com/nUdcjVHdgi

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) November 8, 2020

2. A group of wide receivers delivered their most productive outings of the season in Week 9. This includes Curtis Samuel, who eclipsed 100 receiving yards for the first time since he entered the league in 2017. He also captured a career-high nine receptions and scored his fourth touchdown since Week 7.

Samuel has averaged 6.7 targets, 6.2 receptions, and 61.3 yards per game during Carolina's last three matchups after he had averaged 3.8 targets, 3.4 receptions, and 36.3 yards per game (Weeks 2-5) before his touches and output began to rise. Samuel’s 8.5 yards per target average is the highest of his four-year career. Samuel had also accumulated eight red zone touches from Weeks 1-8, including just two as a receiving weapon. But he was deployed four times inside the 20 during the Panthers’ Week 9 matchup, including three targets. He has also established a new career-high in rushing attempts (22). and is tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns by a wide receiver (2).

The numbers have not been as promising for Moore in recent weeks, as he has assembled fewer targets (14), receptions (8), and receiving yards (166) than Samuel during Carolina’s last three contests. During the 2019 regular season, Moore averaged nine targets per game, while collecting 10+ targets in eight different matchups. But Moore is averaging 6.9 targets per game this season. He has also failed to exceed five targets during four different matchups after that only occurred three times throughout all of 2019. Moore has also averaged just 4.7 targets, 2.6 receptions, and 55.3 yards per game since Week 7.

Robby Anderson now leads the Panthers in targets (80), and receptions (60), and receiving yards (751). He has also surpassed Moore in target share (27.6), and percentage share of air yards (39.0), and those numbers have increased since Week 7 - (29.9 target share/43.4 percentage share of air yards. Samuel is second in target share (29.6) during that sequence, while Moore’s percentage has dropped to just 14.4. Moore is second in percentage share of air yards during those contests (27.9), while Samuel’s percentage is 20.4. Moore’s season-long numbers also remain second to Anderson in targets (62), receptions (35), receiving yards (640), and air yards (715).

Anderson is also WR19 in points per game scoring, while Moore has fallen to WR37. Samuel has now risen to WR33 after soaring to WR9 from Weeks 7-9. Anyone who is contending with frustration regarding Moore’s numbers should remain confident in his talent, and also in his coaching staff’s ability to eventually maximize it. Matt Rhule and Joe Brady have already proven to be effective in determining how to capitalize on Samuel’s strengths.

FLACCO.
PERRIMAN.

50-YARD @NYJETS TOUCHDOWN! #TakeFlight

?: #NEvsNYJ on ESPN
?: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/Mwm053xTsc pic.twitter.com/soH6IR7qMs

— NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2020

3. Breshad Perriman was just one of several other receivers who have joined Samuel in experiencing expanded usage and production in recent weeks.

If you were enticed by Perriman’s career resurrection last December (31 targets/20 receptions/419 yards/5 touchdowns) and targeted him with a late-round draft selection, then he has been affixed to your bench throughout the season. But he performed on 98% of the Jets’ offensive snaps in Week 9, while collecting seven targets from Joe Flacco.

Perriman then capitalized by establishing season highs in receptions (5), receiving yardage (101), and yards per reception (20.2), while he also generated his first two touchdowns of the year. He had averaged 4.3 targets, 2.8 receptions, and 29.5 yards previous four matchups this season, while he had also been sidelined during four other contests due to multiple health issues (hamstring/ankle/concussion). Patient managers who undoubtedly were tempted to drop him might finally receive a return on their investment when the Jets face the Chargers in Week 11.

From Weeks 1- 6, Jakobi Meyers was a complete nonentity within New England's reshaped offense. The second-year receiver was only targeted one time while accumulating an infinitesimal seven yards during that span. However, Meyers' involvement has increased substantially since Week 8, as he leads the league in percentage share of air yards (63.5), and is second overall in target share (42.1), He is also tied with three other receivers for the league lead in targets (24/12 per game) and is second only to D.K. Metcalf in both receptions (22/11 per game), and receiving yards (227/113.5 per game) during that two-game span.

That includes the career-high 14 targets that he collected in Week 9, which propelled him to career bests in receptions (12) and receiving yards (169). Meyers also attained a 99% snap share during the Patriots AFC East matchup with New York, and vaulted to WR4 in point-per-game scoring during Week 9. His performances should have solidified his role within a New England passing attack that had been hampered by a lack of proficiency at the wide receiver position.

Jerry Jeudy's statistical trajectory has been similar to Meyers' following Jeudy’s usage and production from Weeks 1-7 - 37 targets (6.2 per game), 19 receptions (3.2 per game), 286 yards (47.6 per game). Jeudy is also tied for the league lead with 24 targets (12 per game) since Week 8 and is sixth in receiving yards (198/99 per game) during those contests.

Jeudy is also eighth in points per game scoring since Week 8 and is second in air yards (326). That has elevated him to sixth overall for the season in that category (882). The acceleration of his growth as a receiver at the NFL level has fueled his recent statistical surge, and Jeudy should function as a high-end WR3 for fantasy GMs during the remaining weeks of the season.

4. Joe Burrow is in the process of justifying the significant investment that Cincinnati made during last April’s NFL Draft. His presence under center has elevated the team’s passing attack, while also vaulting three Bengal wide receivers among the league leaders in multiple categories. 

Burrow was third among all quarterbacks in passing yardage (2,272) as he entered the team’s bye week, and had already generated an NFL-best five games with 300+. He was also was leading all signal-callers in passing attempts (330), and completions (221).

His efforts have propelled Cincinnati to 10th in passing, while the aerial attack is averaging 260.6 yards per game. The Bengals had ranked 19th in that category last season, with an average of 228.3 per game. They were also 28th in passing touchdowns (18), but Burrow has assembled 11 as he returns for the Bengals’ Week 10 matchup with Pittsburgh. Cincinnati is also seventh in pass play percentage (62.3%), which is a rise of 11 spots after finishing 18^th during 2019 (59.6%).

Bengals WR Tyler Boyd on this one: "I don't know how I ended up catching that one." Said it's starting to show how comfortable he and Burrow are with each other pic.twitter.com/ETDlkHcKlM

— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) November 4, 2020

The underrated Tyler Boyd leads the Bengals in target share (21.3), and total targets (68/8.5 per game), which also placed him ninth among all receivers entering the Bengals’ bye. He has collected 8+ targets in five of his eight matchups, including two games in which he was targeted 13 times. Boyd was also tied for the league lead in first down receptions (36) and was second in both receptions (54), and red zone targets (11). From Weeks 3-7 Boyd was tied for the league lead with 37 receptions, fourth overall with 48 targets (9.6 per game), and fifth with 412 receiving yards.

Highly talented rookie Tee Higgins has transitioned smoothly to the professional level despite the numerous hurdles that were presented by the reduction of offseason activities. From Weeks 2-8, he collected 52 targets (7.4 per game), which placed him 14^th overall and tied him for first among all first-year receivers. He was also eighth overall in air yards (697) while leading the Bengals in receptions of 20+ yards (8), and yards after catch (145).

Nine-year veteran A.J. Green is second on the team in targets (63/7.9 per game) which also places him 12th overall. He has collected at least 11 targets in three of his matchups, while also capturing a 19.7 target share. He was also second among all receivers in air yards (857) and had attained a 32.3 percentage share of air yards. These favorable numbers have not resulted in a consistent level of production, as Green was just WR79 in scoring entering the bye. He has failed to score a touchdown, and his 39.5 yards per game average remains well below Boyd (73.0), and Higgins (61.0).

Boyd and Higgins can be confidently inserted into your starting lineups on a weekly basis for the duration of the season. Green can still be deployed as a WR3, although his production will not match the numbers that Boyd and Higgins will deliver.

5. Tampa Bay ranked first overall in passing during the 2019 regular season, while averaging 302.8 yards per game. Chris Godwin and Mike Evans fueled the potent aerial attack from the wide receiver position, as Godwin finished second among all wide receivers in points per game scoring, while Mike Evans was fifth overall. But neither receiver has replicated their numbers from last season, while the transformed passing offense currently ranks 16th (256.9 yards per game).

Anyone with Godwin or Evans on their rosters has been confronted by an additional reason for concern after the Buccaneers signed four-time All-Pro Antonio Brown to a one-year contract. The addition of Brown did not deliver immediate benefits during Tampa Bay’s Week 9 matchup with New Orleans. Evans and Godwin tied for the team lead with six targets, as Evans accrued four receptions and assembled 64 yards, and Godwin collected three passes for 41 yards. Brown registered a 78% snap share in his first performance following a cornucopia of off-field issues. He was limited to five receptions, three targets, and 31 yards. But he should provide Godwin and Evans with competition for targets during the remainder of the season, which is not a favorable development for anyone with Evans on their rosters.

Evans is currently 27th in receptions (30), and 30th in both targets (52) and receiving yards (437). He is averaging 5.8 targets, 3.8 receptions, and 48.6 yards per game, which places him on pace to accumulate 93 targets, 61 receptions, and yards 778 yards over a 16-game schedule. His current season lows in each category are 118 targets, 67 receptions, and 1,001 yards. There is an increasing likelihood that he will fail to eclipse 100 targets and his streak of six consecutive seasons with 1,000+ yards appears destined to end. Evans 12.9 yards per reception average resides below his career average of 15.5 and is also 4.4 yards below the 17.3 average that he attained last season.

Godwin’s largely disappointing season (35 targets/28 receptions/320 yards/two touchdowns) has been impacted by multiple injuries (concussion/hamstring/finger) that have sidelined him during four different matchups. His per-game averages (7.0 targets, 5.6 receptions) are less problematic than Evans’ numbers. However, they remain well below the averages that Godwin attained during his stellar 2019 season (8.6 targets, 6.2 receptions, 95.2 yards per game). He is also currently 69th in targets (29), 53rd in receptions (28), and 59th in receiving yards (320).

It is difficult to ascertain if the addition of Brown was a factor in the offensive units' unquestioned debacle against the Saints. However, Brown’s effect on Godwin and Evans can be accurately determined once we have progressed beyond the one-game sample size.

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