Texans @ Vikings:
It feels like if they played this game 100 times, the Vikings would win it 99 times out of 100. The Vikings defense was smoldering, holding CJ Stroud to 215 passing yards and two interceptions. Without Joe Mixon, the Texans were only able to muster 38 rushing yards on 14 carries, and they were playing in garbage time pretty much the entire second half. Only Stefan Diggs showed up, as he had 10 receptions.
The Vikings were in control from the opening minute of the game. Sam Darnold had 181 yards and four passing touchdowns, and although he left the game for play, he did come back, and hopefully, he avoided injury (he’s going in for an MRI on Monday). Aaron Jones had 102 rushing yards as well as 5 receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown. But it was Justin Jefferson who made the biggest difference with six receptions for 81 yards and a touchdown. Jefferson beating Stingley gave the Vikings a lot of confidence that they could make plays against the Texans.
Eagles @ Saints:
A lot of DFS players lost a ton of money as this game went way under the Vegas point total. Saquon Barkley was tremendous, rushing for 147 yards and two touchdowns, and Dallas Goedert had 10 receptions for 170 yards. DeVonta Smith took a horrible cheap shot toward the end of the game, and there’s a very serious chance that he might miss next week due to a concussion. If he is out, Jahan Dotson would be the WR1, so expect even more rushing yards from Hurts and Barkley.
Derek Carr was only able to complete 14 passes for 142 yards, and his best receiver was Chris Olave, who had 86 yards and a touchdown. He could not complete any passes to Rashid Shaheed, who was open on multiple occasions, but it seemed like Carr underthrew him every time he was open. When they’re not making those big splashy plays downfield to Shaheed, it bottles this team up, and they don’t have enough other options. They really missed Taysom Hill, too. It’s clear that Shaheed is the key to the Saints offense.
Broncos @ Bucs:
On multiple occasions, I mentioned that I liked Bo Nix as a sneaky start. The reason why is that the Buccaneers are much tougher against the run than the pass. Sean Payton called a fantastic game and deserves a lot of praise. Not only did Nix have 216 yards passing, he also ran for 47 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Badie led the Broncos in rushing with 70 yards. Javonte Williams only had 12, but that was expected in a tough matchup. As far as the receivers, the best one was Courtland Sutton, who had 7 receptions for 68 yards. The real MVP was the Broncos defense, who had 7 sacks against Baker Mayfield.
The Buccaneers just could not get anything going all game long. Mike Evans was held to two receptions for 17 yards, and Rachaad White only had 6 carries for 17 yards. Bucky Irving looked way more explosive than White, and it would not shock me to see him get more opportunities in the coming weeks. Cade Otton had 7 receptions. This is of note because the Broncos DVOA against opposing tight ends is something we certainly can take advantage of in the coming weeks. Chris Godwin continued his good play with six receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown.