Booms and Busts: Shouting about Sammy Watkins
When you think of Kyle Orton, professional quarterback, the word "journeyman" jumps to mind. He's been with five teams over nine seasons. He's never thrown a pass in the playoffs or a Pro Bowl. His regular facial hair has received more ink than his passing stats.
But if Orton can keep getting the ball to hotshot Buffalo rookie Sammy Watkins, fake-football owners will gladly overlook the pedestrian resume.
Orton and Watkins hooked up nine times for 122 yards and two scores in Sunday's dramatic victory over Minnesota, including the game-winning points with just one second remaining. Here's Watkins winning in the left corner of the end zone, and here's Watkins running past defenders on the other sideline. In upstate New York, it really makes you wanna shout.
If you need validation on Buffalo's QB change, consider what both passers have done with the dynamic Watkins. EJ Manuel's 31 Watkins targets turned into a 54.8 completion percentage and 6.4 YPA, mediocre numbers. Orton's completed 62 percent of his 29 Watkins attempts, good for an 8.1 YPA - and that's despite a Week 6 game against Darrelle Revis and the Patriots.
In short, Orton's steady game pushes Watkins into the fantasy Circle of Trust. Be ready to use No. 14 next week against the unsteady Jets secondary.
Watkins's heroics came at a perfect time for the Bills, as they lost C.J. Spiller (collarbone) and Fred Jackson (groin) earlier in the game. Spiller could be out a couple of months. There's no timetable on Jackson yet. Bryce Brown and Anthony Dixon, anyone?
Checking in with some other Booms from Sunday's Week 7:
-- Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin, Seahawks: It's going to be a long flight home for the slumping Seahawks, who have to wonder how they gave away a game in St. Louis despite a 463-272 edge in scrimmage yards. A Seattle team that looked untouchable a month ago is a mere 3-3 now.
The magnificent Wilson did all he could, throwing for 313 yards and two scores and rushing for another 106 yards and a third touchdown. Sometimes the pocket scrambling comes with a price - the dormant Rams defense woke up with three sacks - but otherwise Wilson played about as well as a player can in a loss.
Baldwin stepped up nicely in the absence of Percy Harvin, snagging 7-of-11 targets for 123 yards and a touchdown. The mercurical Harvin had just 133 receiving yards when he packed his bags for New York on Friday.
-- The Robinsons of Jacksonville: The Jaguars finally posted a 2014 victory, rolling past Cleveland in a decisive 24-6 victory. Second-year slash player Denard Robinson took control of the backfield, carrying 22 times for 127 yards and a score. Not everyone is confident Robinson can continually handle this type of workload - he's listed as a modest 197 pounds and had constant injury problems at Michigan - but the heavy volume wasn't an issue in Week 7.
Another Robinson with a Big Ten pedigree, Allen Robinson of Penn State, grabbed the pass-receiving headlines (4-60-1 on seven targets). The Jacksonville coaching staff has been high on Robinson all year, and he might settle in as the team's preferred target for the rest of the year.
-- Ahmad Bradshaw, RB, Colts: Go ahead, keep giving Trent Richardson the heavier workload, it doesn't bother Bradshaw at all. The rock-solid understudy did his thing against the Bengals, scoring on the ground (10-52-1) and by the air (3-36-1), a dynamite fantasy day on just 13 touches. Maybe the Colts know what they're doing after all, using Bradshaw liberally but being careful not to wear him down (especially on the day of a 27-point victory). Next on the hit list: Pittsburgh, NY Giants, New England.
Some Other Boomers: Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, Golden Tate, Gavin Escobar, Jerick McKinnon.
And on the Bust side of the equation:
-- Browns Rushing Game: A date in Jacksonville usually is a cushy assignment, but Cleveland never got a thing going in a 24-6 loss Sunday. Ben Tate managed one 18-yard jaunt; his other 15 carries went for 18 collective yards. Isaiah Crowell, seven totes for 18 yards. Terrance West, five carries for eight yards. The Browns did get 112 receiving yards from Andrew Hawkins, but Brian Hoyer didn't have the best of days (5.2 YPA, one pick, 46.3 rating). Part of this flat-tire can be attributed to the absence of Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, who's out for the season.
-- Zac Stacy, RB, Rams: Well, it was fun while it lasted. Stacy's 2013 surprise season carried many of us to fantasy football titles, but the Rams have apparently moved on. Stacy played just one snap in the victory over the Seahawks, while Tre Mason (18-85-1) and Benny Cunningham (seven touches, 49 yards, one score) lugged the mail. If you want a closer look at this backfield, look for the comprehensive Andy Behrens wrap later tonight.
-- Andy Dalton, QB, Bengals: While we respected the Colts defense entering Week 7, we didn't exactly consider it a shutdown unit. Maybe that's our mistake. Dalton chucked the ball 38 times in Naptown and did nothing with the opportunity: 126 yards, no touchdowns, no points. Many of the connections were inconsequential dump-offs to tight end Jermaine Gresham (10-48, 12 targets). Cincicnnati is 0-2-1 since its feel-good bye week, and a home game against surging Baltimore next week won't be easy.
-- Seahawks Defense and Special Teams: It's hard to imagine these units playing any worse than they did in the stunning loss at St. Louis. The Rams had a 90-yard punt return touchdown on a gadget play, and another kick return went for 70 yards. A daring fake punt deep in Rams territory helped St. Louis secure the upset, though it wasn't complete until Seattle's comical fumble-recovery fail on the game's last contested snap.
St. Louis finished the day 19-of-22 passing, with two touchdowns, no picks or sacks, and a 129.2 rating. Whatever you paid for Seattle's defense on draft day, it was a regretful purchase.
Some Other Busters: Jimmy Graham, Any Falcon not named Roddy White, Justin Hunter, Alfred Morris, Cam Newton, Reggie Wayne.
