Corner Report: Week 14

This article will go game by game looking at the top wide receivers from an offense and, based on the inside/outside and left/right splits in the alignment data of those receivers, identify the cornerbacks most likely to face them in man coverage. The corners named will parenthetically cite the rank of their coverage grade from Pro Football Focus from the 2019 season. The snap counts listed are not a projection, but rather the totals from so far this year.

Receivers very rarely see the same corner every play, be it due to formational quirks or zone coverage calls by the defense, so a receiver's fortunes depend on much more than just the quality of the corner they're likely to see the most in a given game. But it's part of the puzzle, and it's worth keeping track of.

Receivers are left with an Upgrade, Downgrade, or Even verdict based on their projected matchup. This shouldn't be read as 'good' or 'bad' but rather a measured tweak from the receiver's baseline projection.

ATL vs CAR

ATLANTA WR SNAPS

Calvin Ridley: 678 snaps – 412 wide (158 left, 254 right), 243 slot (83 left, 160 right), five tight (three left, two right), 18 back

Julio Jones: 568 snaps – 325 wide (202 left, 123 right), 231 slot (128 left, 103 right), 10 tight (three left, seven right), two back

Russell Gage: 329 snaps – 86 wide (44 left, 42 right), 236 slot (135 left, 101 right), four tight (one left, three right), three back

Christian Blake: 158 snaps – 91 wide (58 left, 33 right), 63 slot (39 left, 24 right), four tight (three left, one right)

Christian Blake saw nine targets in each of the last two games, but it's hard to see how he sees more than 15 snaps with Julio Jones back into the lineup. Jones' return likely brings the shadow of James Bradberry (68.6 PFF), though the significance of that might be limited against a receiver as good as Jones. Bradberry earned a 49.3 PFF grade in the prior game against Atlanta, so the cornerback matchup specifically isn't much reason to worry about Jones. Donte Jackson (64.1 PFF) should see the most of Calvin Ridley, who showed the ability to beat both Jackson and Bradberry in the Week 11 game between these teams (eight catches for 143 yards and one touchdown on eight targets). Russell Gage should remain the lead slot receiver, where he should mostly draw Ross Cockrell (57.4 PFF). There's not much truly concerning with the cornerback matchups for Atlanta – the success of Matt Ryan might more so come down to the play of the offensive line. 

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Russell Gage

CAROLINA WR SNAPS

D.J. Moore: 762 snaps – 558 wide (400 left, 158 right), 180 slot (111 left, 69 right), six tight (six left), 18 back

Curtis Samuel: 727 snaps – 360 wide (114 left, 246 right), 306 slot (154 left, 152 right), 10 tight (two left, eight right), 51 back

Jarius Wright: 512 snaps – 75 wide (40 left, 35 right), 414 slot (204 left, 210 right), 14 tight (six left, eight right), nine back

Primarily playing outside and on the left, D.J. Moore should mostly run against Isaiah Oliver (57.2 PFF). Such was the case in Week 11, when Moore caught eight of 15 passes for 95 yards. I think you can expect the target count to drop but the efficiency to improve here. Curtis Samuel primarily plays outside and on the right, where he'll primarily run against Desmond Trufant (72.2 PFF), and Samuel otherwise will likely outsnap Moore in the slot, where the primary matchup would likely be Kendall Sheffield (53.6 PFF). Trufant puts Samuel pretty close to a downgrade, but the snaps against Sheffield might offset that. As much as Sheffield should see Samuel a handful of times, he should mostly cover Jarius Wright.
 

Upgrade: D.J. Moore

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Curtis Samuel, Jarius Wright

TB vs IND

TAMPA BAY WR SNAPS

Chris Godwin: 818 snaps – 133 wide (64 left, 69 right), 514 slot (235 left, 279 right), 166 tight (88 left, 78 right), five back

Mike Evans: 775 snaps – 579 wide (325 left, 254 right), 187 slot (90 left, 97 right), eight tight (five left, three right), one back

Breshad Perriman: 395 snaps – 211 wide (98 left, 113 right), 158 slot (75 left, 83 right), 24 tight (15 left, nine right), two back

With slot corner Kenny Moore out with injury, the Colts are likely without their best cornerback, and they have no obvious replacement for him. Rock Ya-Sin (57.6 PFF) might miss the game too, in which case the Colts would be down to Pierre Desir (47.2 PFF) on the left and Marvell Tell (76.2 PFF). Unless the Colts move one of them into the slot. Regardless of the specifics, the Colts are disheveled at best right now at corner.

Upgrade: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Breshad Perriman

Downgrade: N/A

Even: N/A

INDIANAPOLIS WR SNAPS

Zach Pascal: 600 snaps – 256 wide (151 left, 105 right), 293 slot (149 left, 144 right), 37 tight (12 left, 25 right), 14 back

T.Y. Hilton: 373 snaps – 231 wide (100 left, 131 right), 137 slot (56 left, 81 right), four tight (one left, three right), one back

Marcus Johnson: 223 snaps – 167 wide (94 left, 73 right), 56 slot (31 left, 25 right)

Parris Campbell: 165 snaps – 64 wide (24 left, 40 right), 88 slot (38 left, 50 right), four tight (four right), nine back

T.Y. Hilton and Chester Rogers are out, vacating an outside receiver spot and the lead slot role. It's not clear how Indianapolis will replace the two, especially Rogers. Marcus Johnson has contributed as an outside receiver, and that's where he'll stay. That should leave the Rogers snaps down to Zach Pascal and Parris Campbell. Campbell returns from a hand injury and could have 30-plus snaps right away given Indianapolis' absence of options otherwise, while Pascal is the de facto WR1 unless someone like Campbell steals the title. Campbell has the slightly higher percentage of slot snaps, but Pascal has much more experience generally and has posted some of his best numbers this year from the slot. Perhaps a slot committee forms between Pascal and Campbell. Whoever runs from there will likely see Sean Murphy-Bunting (68.5 PFF), a toolsy and promising rookie but one who would have presumably been dusted by Campbell if SMB, at Central Michigan, had played against Campbell at Ohio State. I think on outside snaps Pascal might get shadowed by Carlton Davis (69.8 PFF), whose alignment splits the last two weeks seem to correlate to those of Julio Jones and D.J. Chark. That would be a concerning matchup for Pascal if so, though not in a way that overrules Pascal's favorable volume projection. If Davis follows Pascal and SMB plays the slot, then Johnson should mostly run against Jamel Dean (76.2 PFF), another promising rookie corner and one who can easily match Johnson's speed.

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: Marcus Johnson

Even: Zach Pascal, Parris Campbell

NYJ vs MIA

JETS WR SNAPS

Robby Anderson: 679 snaps – 522 wide (299 left, 223 right), 157 slot (89 left, 68 right)

Jamison Crowder: 588 snaps – 93 wide (47 left, 46 right), 477 slot (243 left, 234 right), one tight (one left), 17 back

Demaryius Thomas: 422 snaps – 186 wide (88 left, 98 right), 228 slot (119 left, 109 right), five tight (two left, three right), three back

Nik Needham (68.6 PFF) sure seemed to follow Demaryius Thomas the last time these teams played, but in the last two weeks Needham has played exclusively on the left side. The Dolphins could shadow Thomas with Needham again, thus keeping Needham's 4.7 speed away from the burn threat posed by Robby Anderson. If Needham stays on the left, he should see both Anderson and Thomas. If Needham shadows Thomas, then Anderson would seemingly run against Ken Webster (51.2 PFF), a corner with a poor PFF grade but standout athleticism to match Anderson's speed. Jamison Crowder probably has the best matchup of the group against slot corner Jomal Wiltz (41.3 PFF).

Upgrade: Robby Anderson, Jamison Crowder, Demaryius Thomas

Downgrade: N/A

Even: N/A

MIAMI WR SNAPS

DeVante Parker: 678 snaps – 383 wide (192 left, 191 right), 284 slot (135 left, 149 right), 11 tight (six left, five right)

Allen Hurns: 400 snaps – 132 wide (60 left, 72 right), 255 slot (114 left, 141 right), five tight (five right), eight back

Albert Wilson: 232 snaps – 26 wide (15 left, 11 right), 195 slot (99 left, 96 right), two tight (two left), nine back

DeVante Parker plays the majority of his snaps outside but with even left/right splits. If that continues here, then he should evenly split his outside snaps against Nate Hairston (49.1 PFF) at left corner and the imposing rookie Blessuan Austin (83.4 PFF) at right corner. Miami has shown a willingness to switch up Parker's left/right splits from week to week, so it would be ideal if they did it again here and gave Parker more right-side snaps to get as many shots at Hairston as possible. Allen Hurns should most often catch the outside corner left over from Parker, though with some slot looks as well. Albert Wilson is the primary slot receiver, but it's not clear who might cover him and Hurns there with standout slot corner Brian Poole out. Even backup corners Arthur Maulet (doubtful) and Maurice Canady (illness, questionable) are uncertain.

Upgrade: DeVante Parker, Albert Wilson

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Allen Hurns

NO vs SF

NEW ORLEANS WR SNAPS

Michael Thomas: 717 snaps – 421 wide (263 left, 158 right), 291 slot (174 left, 117 right), one tight (one right), four back

Ted Ginn: 504 snaps – 316 wide (146 left, 170 right), 156 slot (80 left, 76 right), 11 tight (five left, six right), 21 back

Tre'Quan Smith: 278 snaps – 62 wide (31 left, 31 right), 191 slot (99 left, 92 right), 23 tight (13 left, 10 right), two back

If they want to the Saints should be able to keep Michael Thomas away from Richard Sherman (87.6 PFF) pretty much all game, as Sherman doesn't leave the left side of the defense. Thomas incidentally has run most of his snaps from the left side this year anyway, in which case he would likely see more of Emmanuel Moseley (76.4 PFF) – a good corner but one Thomas can bully if necessary. As the primary slot receiver Tre'Quan Smith should mostly see K'Waun Williams (72.7 PFF), while Ted Ginn should generally see Sherman more than Moseley.

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: Ted Ginn, Tre'Quan Smith

Even: Michael Thomas

SAN FRANCISCO WR SNAPS

Deebo Samuel: 514 snaps – 192 wide (109 left, 83 right), 276 slot (181 left, 195 right), 19 tight (nine left, 10 right), 27 back

Kendrick Bourne: 353 snaps – 80 wide (38 left, 42 right), 233 slot (107 left, 126 right), 15 tight (10 left, five right), 25 back

Emmanuel Sanders: 261 snaps* (from PFF) – 182 wide (87 left, 95 right), 75 slot (38 left, 37 right), three right (one left, two right), one back

Emmanuel Sanders and Deebo Samuel both move around a lot, including inside occasionally, but there might be reason to think Kyle Shanahan deploys them with matchups at least somewhat in mind. For instance, Sanders has lined up on the right more than the left in San Francisco, yet he has more snaps on the left side than the right in two of their last four games. It's less clear what part of the Saints defense Shanahan wants to target or avoid. Slot corner P.J. Williams (45.6 PFF) has probably been the easiest matchup in the Saints defense all year, and whoever runs against him probably has a good setup. Barring more slot snaps than usual for Sanders and Samuel, Kendrick Bourne would likely be the player to see Williams the most. But it might be difficult to free up Sanders and Samuel on the outside against right corner Marshon Lattimore (69.5 PFF) and left corner Eli Apple (64.2 PFF). If Shanahan wants to get Sanders or/and Samuel away from Lattimore and Apple then he might just need to give him more slot snaps at Bourne's expense.
 

Upgrade: Kendrick Bourne

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Emmanuel Sanders, Deebo Samuel

MIN vs DET

MINNESOTA WR SNAPS

Stefon Diggs: 576 snaps – 373 wide (182 left, 191 right), 194 slot (106 left, 88 right), nine back

Bisi Johnson: 371 snaps – 174 wide (95 left, 79 right), 187 slot (85 left, 102 right), seven tight (three left, four right), three back

Adam Thielen is likely out, again leaving Stefon Diggs with a disproportionate share of Minnesota's passing volume. Diggs figures to mainly draw Darius Slay (61.6 PFF), leaving Bisi Johnson primarily against Justin Coleman (51.9 PFF). Rookie fifth-round pick Amani Oruwariye (86.6 PFF) was described as the new starter replacing the injured Rashaan Melvin, but the Vikings just don't run three-wide that much.

Upgrade: Stefon Diggs

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Bisi Johnson

DETROIT WR SNAPS

Marvin Jones: 750 snaps – 304 wide (122 left, 182 right), 422 slot (187 left, 235 right), 20 tight (11 left, nine right), four back

Kenny Golladay: 741 snaps – 488 wide (296 left, 192 right), 244 slot (134 left, 110 right), six tight (two left, four right), three back

Danny Amendola: 447 snaps – 62 wide (36 left, 26 right), 372 slot (204 left, 168 right), six tight (three left, three right), seven back

Mackensie Alexander (69.2 PFF) is probably the best Minnesota corner at this point, and he'll primarily be the problem for Danny Amendola in three-wide sets. Marvin Jones might get a couple looks at Alexander as well, but he should more so split his snaps against the two outside corners, especially the left corner. Normally that left corner would be Trae Waynes (55.8 PFF) and the right one would be Xavier Rhodes (46.1 PFF), but it will be interesting to see if Rhodes loses snaps to Mike Hughes (52.4 PFF). If Hughes does replace Rhodes then what was already an upgrade for Kenny Golladay might improve more yet – at least Rhodes is big enough to stand against Golladay for jumpballs, but at 5-foot-10 Hughes is less equipped to deal with that. The corner matchups for Golladay and Jones are favorable here – the question is whether David Blough can make the necessary throws and withstand the Minnesota pass rush.

Upgrade: Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones

Downgrade: Danny Amendola

Even: N/A

HOU vs DEN

HOUSTON WR SNAPS

DeAndre Hopkins: 767 snaps – 445 wide (281 left, 164 right), 320 slot (190 left, 130 right), one tight (one left), one back

Will Fuller: 485 snaps – 220 wide (98 left, 112 right), 255 slot (95 left, 160 right), two tight (one left, one right), eight back

Kenny Stills: 420 snaps – 149 wide (53 left, 96 right), 228 slot (108 left, 120 right), two tight (two left), 41 back

Contrary to the general assumption, I haven't been able to identify shadow coverage for Chris Harris (69.7 PFF), so I don't know whether it's guaranteed that he follows around DeAndre Hopkins. Even if he does, I'm still loathe to call it a downgrade, especially since the game is in Houston. If Denver shadows Hopkins with Harris it might partially be for his protection – Harris doesn't have the speed to run downfield with Kenny Stills and especially not Will Fuller. Slot corner Duke Dawson (59.0 PFF) lacks Harris' skill but possessed 4.46 combine speed at nearly 200 pounds two years ago, whereas Harris ran a 4.48 at his pro day back in 2011. But Dawson is vulnerable to Stills and Fuller all the same, as is the second outside corner, Isaac Yiadom (46.2 PFF). I know the Denver pass defense has played well this year, but I think the speed of Fuller and Stills pose a danger they simply can't counter. If the pass rush doesn't bail out the corners, I have no idea how they contain these three wideouts.
 

Upgrade: Will Fuller, Kenny Stills

Downgrade: N/A

Even: DeAndre Hopkins

DENVER WR SNAPS

Courtland Sutton: 708 snaps – 427 wide (260 left, 167 right), 264 slot (164 left, 100 right), eight tight (four left, four right), nine back

DaeSean Hamilton: 477 snaps – 57 wide (26 left, 31 right), 382 slot (192 left, 190 right), 33 tight (22 left, 11 right), five back

Tim Patrick: 128 snaps – 66 wide (29 left, 37 right), 57 slot (29 left, 28 right), five tight (two left, three right)

Courtland Sutton should primarily run outside and on the left more often than the right, and if that holds here then he should mostly split his snaps between Johnathan Joseph (63.6 PFF) and Bradley Roby (71.9 PFF), but especially Roby. Roby played right corner last week and Vernon Hargreaves (47.1 PFF) played the slot, Roby's position earlier this year. Sutton is so good you don't worry about Roby, but the Broncos might be able to make it easier on Sutton if he runs more against the 36-year-old Joseph. If nothing changes, Tim Patrick might see a bit more of Joseph than Sutton will. DaeSean Hamilton is the slot wideout and should run against the vulnerable Hargreaves, but Hamilton is in the midst of what might be the worst season for a wide receiver ever.

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, DaeSean Hamilton

GB vs WAS

GREEN BAY WR SNAPS

Geronimo Allison: 485 snaps – 75 wide (26 left, 49 right), 383 slot (188 left, 195 right), 21 tight (10 left, 11 right), six back

Davante Adams: 434 snaps – 208 wide (102 left, 106 right), 215 slot (105 left, 110 right), one tight (one right), 10 back

Allen Lazard: 274 snaps – 89 wide (42 left, 47 right), 166 slot (81 left, 85 right), 10 tight (five left, five right), nine back

I'm still waiting for Green Bay to drop Geronimo Allison from their wideout rotation, but so far it's more so been Marquez Valdes-Scantling to get the short end of the stick, running 48 snaps the last two weeks to Allison's 96. Allison is a major drain on the offense and should get replaced in the slot by Allen Lazard at some point, but maybe not this week. Lazard's snap count has picked up largely by playing the snaps that used to go to MVS, but a substantial portion of Lazard's snaps are also occurring in the slot, where Allison plays almost exclusively. Anyway, the slot corner for Allison and to a lesser extent Lazard should be Jimmy Moreland (58.1 PFF), a promising enough rookie prospect but one listed at 5-foot-10, 179 pounds – Moreland is at a major size disadvantage to both Allison and Lazard. Lazard should otherwise split his snaps against both outside Washington corners, the feared Quinton Dunbar (89.4 PFF) when running on the left and the less feared Fabian Moreau (55.0 PFF) when running on the right. If I'm Green Bay, I'm trying to get Davante Adams on Moreau and Moreland as much as possible, but there's a chance about a third of his snaps occur against Dunbar. I'll be an optimist and list him as an upgrade under the premise that Matt LaFleur understands the danger posed by Dunbar. On the other hand, this would almost necessarily pit Lazard against Dunbar more often.

Upgrade: Davante Adams, Geronimo Allison

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Allen Lazard

WASHINGTON WR SNAPS

Terry McLaurin: 597 snaps – 426 wide (259 left, 167 right), two tight (one left, one right), 13 back

Kelvin Harmon: 266 snaps – 127 wide (69 left, 58 right), 110 slot (43 left, 67 right), 22 tight (four left, 18 right), seven back

Steven Sims: 136 snaps – seven wide (three left, four right), 100 slot (36 left, 64 right), five tight (two left, three right), 24 back
 

Paul Richardson and Trey Quinn are out, but it's for the best. These three rookie wideouts for Washington – Terry McLaurin, Kelvin Harmon, and Steven Sims – all have shown substantial promise this year. McLaurin has struggled lately due to Dwayne Haskins' poor play, and that's a major concern in this case too. There's further uncertainty in McLaurin's projection because it's not clear whether Kevin King (55.9 PFF) will play, as he's questionable with a shoulder issue. King is supremely vulnerable to a receiver like McLaurin, so McLaurin investors should hope King and his ill-suited 6-foot-3 frame play every snap, with as many of McLaurin's snaps on the left as possible. The right side is where you'll find Jaire Alexander (74.1 PFF), one of the top corners in the league. McLaurin will run against him some, but probably not as much as Harmon, who stands no chance of separating from Alexander but might actually pose a box-out threat at 6-foot-3 and over 210 pounds. Speed was never Harmon's game, yet he won plenty at North Carolina State anyway. Sims is the slot guy more often than not, and he gets a tough draw against Tramon Williams (81.0 PFF), who probably deserves more credit for playing so well at nearly 37 years old.

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: Steven Sims, Kelvin Harmon

Even: Terry McLaurin

BUF vs BAL

BUFFALO WR SNAPS

John Brown: 732 snaps – 534 wide (314 left, 220 right), 192 slot (109 left, 83 right), one tight (one right), five back

Cole Beasley: 567 snaps – 74 wide (39 left, 35 right), 491 slot (225 left, 266 right), two back

Isaiah McKenzie: 287 snaps – 89 wide (43 left, 46 right), 154 slot (63 left, 91 right), three tight (three right), 41 back
 

John Brown has run primarily outside, with just under 58 percent of his snaps occurring on the left. That means he should run against both Jimmy Smith (68.3 PFF) and Marcus Peters (76.8 PFF), with a slight emphasis on Smith. Smith was a great athlete as a prospect, but at 32 he might have lost some of that speed, and at 6-foot-2, he's taller than ideal against a dart wideout like Brown. Peters has his own big-play liabilities on the other side, but we've seen Peters bleed offenses enough times to know that he'll have his victories eventually. If I'm a Brown owner, I'd prefer he run against Smith. Isaiah McKenzie and Robert Foster seem to be the candidates for the outside snaps opposite Brown, but it's hard to look to either when they're fighting over 55-60 snaps per game. Cole Beasley gets an interesting but mostly intimidating matchup against Marlon Humphrey (77.4 PFF).

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: Cole Beasley, Isaiah McKenzie, Robert Foster

Even: John Brown

BALTIMORE WR SNAPS

Willie Snead: 519 snaps – 69 wide (34 left, 35 right), 359 slot (178 left, 181 right), 12 tight (two left, 10 right), 79 back

Seth Roberts: 432 snaps – 353 wide (254 left, 99 right), 76 slot (49 left, 27 right), three back

Marquise Brown: 394 snaps – 215 wide (85 left, 130 right), 154 slot (73 left, 81 right), one tight (one right), 24 back

Miles Boykin: 325 snaps – 257 wide (189 left, 68 right), 61 slot (36 left, 25 right), three tight (three left), four back

Marquise Brown figures to draw the shadow coverage of Tre'Davious White (76.0 PFF), who is at once the only Buffalo corner with any prayer of running with Brown and probably more than capable of pulling it off. Willie Snead should run mostly against Taron Johnson (64.6 PFF). It seems like the Bills defense might be phasing out Levi Wallace (64.4 PFF) for Kevin Johnson (77.6 PFF), which would make a lot of sense and would leave left wideouts Seth Roberts and Miles Boykin with a tougher draw. This is mostly downgrades for Baltimore.
 

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: Marquise Brown, Seth Roberts, Miles Boykin

Even: Willie Snead

CLE vs CIN

CLEVELAND WR SNAPS

Odell Beckham: 773 snaps – 572 wide (299 left, 273 right), 187 slot (86 left, 101 right), three tight (one left, two right), 11 back

Jarvis Landry: 754 snaps – 186 wide (89 left, 96 right), 524 slot (242 left, 282 right), 31 tight (17 left, 14 right), 13 back

Rashard Higgins: 173 snaps – 93 wide (32 left, 61 right), 80 slot (39 left, 41 right)

Odell Beckham should split his snaps primarily between William Jackson III (60.9 PFF) and B.W. Webb (58.1 PFF), both of whom are struggling this year, but Webb is the easier target. Rashard Higgins should get the leftover between the two. Jarvis Landry arguably gets the toughest draw against Darqueze Dennard (76.2 PFF), who's earned high grades since returning from injury.

Upgrade: Odell Beckham

Downgrade: Jarvis Landry

Even: Rashard Higgins

CINCINNATI WR SNAPS

Tyler Boyd: 727 snaps – 131 wide (79 left, 52 right), 535 slot (280 left, 255 right), 25 tight (12 left, 13 right), 36 back

Auden Tate: 617 snaps – 339 wide (205 left, 134 right), 265 slot (147 left, 118 right), eight tight (two left, six right), five back

Alex Erickson: 380 snaps – 147 wide (67 left, 80 right), 200 slot (89 left, 111 right), 19 tight (six left, 13 right), 14 back

John Ross: 224 snaps – 86 wide (51 left, 35 right), 124 slot (48 left, 76 right), five tight (three left, two right), nine back

It could be a smash spot for Tyler Boyd, especially if Cincinnati can get him locked on to the beatable T.J. Carrie (46.6 PFF). The corner you want to avoid is Denzel Ward (66.3 PFF) on the left, so let's hope Boyd stays away from there. Ward should see some of each of Auden Tate, Alex Erickson, and John Ross, none of whom are likely to separate from him. Tate poses an interesting size advantage over Ward, but Tate is likely to run more of his snaps against Greedy Williams (58.3 PFF), who at 6-foot-2 is better suited to counter Tate's height. As much as I'm more optimistic for Tate than Ross or Erickson, keep in mind that Ross might poach snaps from Tate in addition to Erickson.

Upgrade: Tyler Boyd

Downgrade: Alex Erickson, John Ross

Even: Auden Tate

JAC vs LAC

JACKSONVILLE WR SNAPS

D.J. Chark: 681 snaps – 344 wide (126 left, 218 right), 309 slot (126 left, 183 right), 20 tight (10 left, 10 right), eight back

Chris Conley: 654 snaps – 543 wide (318 left, 225 right), 110 slot (62 left, 48 right), one tight (one right)

Dede Westbrook: 562 snaps – 75 wide (40 left, 35 right), 469 slot (208 left, 261 right), four tight (one left, three right), 14 back

Keelan Cole: 238 snaps – 98 wide (54 left, 44 right), 137 slot (59 left, 78 right), one tight (one right), two back
 

Casey Hayward (82.9 PFF) is a very good corner, but I feel like we've seen players like Courtland Sutton and Tyreek Hill beat him enough times that it's fair to say Hayward has real athletic limitations, and the further downfield he goes the worse his coverage gets. That makes D.J. Chark a concerning matchup for Hayward should the Chargers use him to shadow Chark. Chark is a true burner and can jump out of the gym, possessing the best of both Sutton and Hill against a player who's lost to both for differing reasons. I won't call it an upgrade for Chark, but I won't call it a downgrade either. Chris Conley is a burn risk to whoever covers him, and that includes Brandon Facyson (54.9 PFF). Dede Westbrook (personal) will play but missed a bunch of practice this week, raising the fear of a potential workload split with Keelan Cole. The slot corner is in any case Desmond King (68.2 PFF), a great slot corner but one whose 4.6 speed is asking for trouble against someone as fast as Westbrook.

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: Keelan Cole

Even: D.J. Chark, Chris Conley, Dede Westbrook

CHARGERS WR SNAPS

Keenan Allen: 708 snaps – 216 wide (121 left, 95 right), 436 slot (186 left, 250 right), 38 tight (20 left, 18 right), 18 back

Mike Williams: 635 snaps – 355 wide (184 left, 171 right), 270 slot (135 left, 135 right), five tight (one left, four right), five back

Andre Patton: 313 snaps – 131 wide (63 left, 68 right), 149 slot (79 left, 70 right), 10 tight (seven left, three right), 23 back

Keenan Allen should see each of A.J. Bouye (59.2 PFF), D.J. Hayden (73.2 PFF), and Tre Herndon (45.5 PFF), but he probably gets the toughest draw of the Chargers corners since he'll likely need to see the most of Hayden in the slot. There's no obvious payoff for Jacksonville to shadow Allen with Bouye when outside, because that would just leave the vulnerable Herndon on Mike Williams and create a whole new problem. Jacksonville has flipped Bouye and Herndon back and forth between the left and right at past points this year, either to shadow with Bouye or to hide Herndon, and that could happen again here. It's just hard to see what it would change. Andre Patton is who the Jaguars would like to see running against Herndon, cheers to them if they can arrange it successfully.

Upgrade: Mike Williams

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Keenan Allen, Andre Patton
 

OAK vs TEN

OAKLAND WR SNAPS

Tyrell Williams: 528 snaps – 306 wide (193 left, 113 right), 210 slot (112 left, 98 right), eight tight (three left, five right), four back

Zay Jones: 266 snaps* (from PFF) – 186 wide (79 left, 107 right), 80 slot (49 left, 31 right)

Keelan Doss: 118 snaps – 51 wide (36 left, 15 right), 65 slot (35 left, 30 right), one tight (one right), one back
 

What a bummer the season has been for Tyrell Williams, who leaves a crowded Chargers rotation for the opportunity of getting tanked by Derek Carr in Oakland. Anyway, Williams should run primarily outside and with a roughly 58/42 split between the left and right, respectively. It's not clear who his assignment will be, though, because Tennessee is without both of their top outside corners, Adoree' Jackson and Leshaun Sims. That actually puts them down to their fourth and fifth outside corners since Malcolm Butler was already injured. If things work like last week, Kareem Orr (57.5 PFF) should play the right side and thus serve as Williams' primary assignment. He almost must have been injured or something, but Orr was credited with a 4.87-second 40 at this pro day, which is inconceivably slow. Tye Smith (67.9 PFF) should be the left corner and thus Williams' secondary assignment, and the leading assignment for Zay Jones. Keelan Doss should replace the since-cut Trevor Davis, but it's not clear whether he'll get a stab at the Oakland slot receiver role, which he more or less split with Darren Waller last week. The slot corner is any case the toughest of the remaining Titans cornerbacks, and Logan Ryan (65.2 PFF) should put up a good fight against the slot receiver in question.

Upgrade: Tyrell Williams

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Zay Jones, Keelan Doss

TENNESSEE WR SNAPS

Corey Davis: 530 snaps – 205 wide (76 left, 129 right), 298 slot (132 left, 166 right), 26 tight (12 left, 14 right), one back

A.J. Brown: 455 snaps – 295 wide (181 left, 114 right), 147 slot (82 left, 65 right), seven tight (four left, three right), six back
 

A.J. Brown played more snaps (54) than Corey Davis (41) last week, but they both should play almost every snap with Adam Humphries out. Davis should see some of those vacated slot snaps, likely catching Lamarcus Joyner (44.8 PFF) in that part of the field. Joyner has struggled this year and is tiny compared to Davis. Tight end Anthony Firkser might actually be the team's second-leading snap contributor in the slot, though Kalif Raymond is probably in that race too. When out of the slot Davis should see left corner Trayvon Mullen (58.6 PFF) a little more than Daryl Worley (72.5 PFF). Brown should be the opposite case; seeing both Mullen and Worley but Worley closer to six times out of 10. As much as Worley's PFF grade appears imposing, I just don't think it's a concerning obstacle for Brown.

Upgrade: Corey Davis, A.J. Brown

Downgrade: N/A

Even: N/A

NE vs KC

NEW ENGLAND WR SNAPS

Julian Edelman: 792 snaps – 107 wide (38 let, 69 right), 650 slot (302 left, 348 right), 15 tight (four left, 11 right), 20 back

Phillip Dorsett: 498 snaps – 313 wide (213 left, 100 right), 175 slot (105 left, 70 right), two tight (one left, one right), eight back

Jakobi Meyers: 350 snaps – 71 wide (31 left, 40 right), 270 slot (142 left, 128 right), two tight (two right), seven back

Mohamed Sanu: 164 snaps* (from PFF) – 92 wide (14 left, 78 right), 64 slot (38 left, 26 right), five tight (one left, four right), three back

Julian Edelman should mostly run against Kendall Fuller (60.1 PFF), a player better than his PFF grade but also one shaking off the rust from a prolonged injury absence. It's probably an upgrade for Edelman, not like he needed it. Phillip Dorsett to this point has been the left wideout specialist in this offense and Mohamed Sanu the right-side specialist, but it will be interesting to see whether the rookie duo of Jakobi Meyers and N'Keal Harry encroach upon Dorsett's workload given Dorsett's meager returns of late. The left receiver gets the least enviable matchup against Kansas City, running against Charvarius Ward (73.0 PFF). The right-side receiver spot is where you want to be, because left corner Bashaud Breeland (42.6 PFF) is one of the league's premier turkey cornerbacks.

Upgrade: Julian Edelman, Mohamed Sanu, Jakobi Meyers

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Phillip Dorsett, N'Keal Harry

KANSAS CITY WR SNAPS

Demarcus Robinson: 581 snaps – 362 wide (203 left, 159 right), 187 slot (95 left, 92 right), 24 tight (12 left, 12 right), eight back

Sammy Watkins: 531 snaps – 159 wide (76 left, 83 right), 317 slot (148 left, 169 right), 46 tight (17 left, 29 right), nine back

Mecole Hardman: 402 snaps – 153 wide (88 left, 65 right), 197 slot (103 left, 94 right), 23 tight (eight left, 15 right), 29 back

Tyreek Hill: 333 snaps – 119 wide (56 left, 63 right), 175 slot (90 left, 85 right), 25 tight (10 left, 15 right), 14 back

Demarcus Robinson is a waste of snaps against the New England corners, but if Robinson's role persists then he should primarily run against Jason McCourty (80.6 PFF), who returns from a groin injury that kept him out last week. Robinson is a dream matchup for a corner like McCourty, so I would try to convince Andy Reid to go with a three-wide base that features Mecole Hardman instead, because that press-man coverage tends to go wrong more often when there's blazing speed to account for. If Robinson beats McCourty's jam, McCourty just catches up a second later and it's no big deal. If McCourty misses the jam on Hardman, that's a wrap. The same would be true of Sammy Watkins, though it seems that Watkins will likely run primarily against Jonathan Jones (81.7 PFF) in the slot. Tyreek Hill will presumably draw the shadow coverage of Stephon Gilmore (75.9 PFF), but Hill is the precise antidote to a corner like Gilmore, so I won't call it a downgrade.

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: Demarcus Robinson, Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman

Even: Tyreek Hill

ARZ vs PIT

ARIZONA WR SNAPS

Larry Fitzgerald: 667 snaps – 63 wide (42 left, 21 right), 575 slot (304 left, 271 right), 21 tight (14 left, eight right), eight back

Christian Kirk: 549 snaps – 256 wide (45 left, 211 right), 262 slot (78 left, 184 right), six tight (two left, four right), 25 back

Pharoh Cooper: 160 snaps – eight wide (three left, five right), 135 slot (55 left, 80 right), three tight (three left), 14 back

I took the liberty of omitting the left receiver position from the alignment numbers, because last week it was simply a split between Damiere Byrd and Andy Isabella. KeeSean Johnson was subtracted to make room for Byrd, and the results were obviously garbage in the loss to the Rams. Perhaps Kliff Kingsbury will finally just give Isabella a full-time shot this week. But in last week's losing game script the Cardinals seemed to return to more of the four-wide formations that they had otherwise largely phased out in the past seven weeks. That resulted in a 37-snap workload for Pharoh Cooper even though he's the backup to Larry Fitzgerald. The slot coverage in Pittsburgh is primarily conducted by Mike Hilton (72.4 PFF), a good player but one at a serious size disadvantage to Fitz. The second slot corner would probably be Cameron Sutton (79.3 PFF), who has stepped up whenever Pittsburgh needed him this year. Right corner is primarily Steven Nelson (77.1 PFF), who should face off against Isabella or/and Byrd. Nelson is a good player, but it's not in his nature to match speed guys like those. He'll need safety help. But so might Joe Haden (67.7 PFF) against right receiver Christian Kirk. The Pittsburgh corners are good and their pass rush is terrifying, but there are some subtle matchup opportunities here for the Cardinals if Kyler Murray and his hamstring hold up.
 

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: Pharoh Cooper

Even: Larry Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk, Andy Isabella, Damiere Byrd
 

PITTSBURGH WR SNAPS

For the Steelers wideouts I'll list their alignments from **the last two games** rather than the full season, citing PFF's alignment numbers

James Washington: 96 snaps – 57 wide (25 left, 32 right), 34 slot (15 left, 19 right), five tight (one left, four right)

Diontae Johnson: 84 snaps – 80 wide (51 left, 29 right), four slot (two left, two right)

Tevin Jones: 60 snaps – 12 wide (two left, 10 right), 46 slot (19 left, 27 right), two tight (one left, one right)

Johnny Holton: 33 snaps – 23 wide (16 left, 19 right), one slot (one left), four tight (three left, one right), five back

Deon Cain: 24 snaps – 22 wide (six left, 16 right), two slot (one left, one right)

Deon Cain should continue to push out Johnny Holton and Tevin Jones from this rotation, but for now he's only in pursuit of 20 snaps or so per game. James Washington played a ton of slot snaps last wee, but it's tough to tell whether that is a new general policy or if they were just trying to get him away from Denzel Ward and onto the much more vulnerable T.J. Carrie. If Washington is in the slot regardless then that works fine, he'll avoid Patrick Peterson (47.9 PFF) and run instead against, I would guess, Kevin Peterson (63.9 PFF), though Peterson is questionable with a shoulder issue. If he's out, I have no idea what Arizona does there. Peterson played on the left last week, which would primarily match him up against the likes of Holton and Cain last week. Diontae Johnson should primarily run against rookie right corner Byron Murphy (54.3 PFF), though Murphy is questionable with a calf injury and primarily played the slot last week. If Murphy stays in the slot this week, then he might catch more of Washington than Johnson, and Johnson might instead run against the previously mentioned Kevin Peterson. I can't easily see what definite role might be available for Tevin Jones, who's primarily played the slot but might be blocked there by Washington.

Upgrade: James Washington, Diontae Johnson

Downgrade: Deon Cain, Johnny Holton

Even: Tevin Jones

LAR vs SEA

RAMS WR SNAPS

Cooper Kupp: 704 snaps – 51 wide (39 left, 12 right), 499 slot (299 left, 200 right), 131 tight (51 left, 80 right), 23 back

Robert Woods: 697 snaps – 177 wide (44 left, 133 right), 400 slot (128 left, 272 right), 73 tight (10 left, 63 right), 47 back

Brandin Cooks: 532 snaps – 211 wide (166 left, 45 right), 277 slot (218 left, 59 right), one tight (one left), 43 back

Robert Woods has the toughest matchup, lining up on the right and therefore primarily against Shaquill Griffin (82.6 PFF), who held Woods to 48 yards on nine targets the first time around. The right corner is the easier target, and Brandin Cooks will match up there against Tre Flowers (49.4 PFF). Flowers can't cover Cooks even a little bit, but at this point there's reason to doubt that Goff would throw it to Cooks if there were literally no defense. Perhaps he starts playing like a real quarterback and manages the circumstances this time, but Goff only threw at Cooks three times in the previous matchup. Cooper Kupp at least runs his routes in a part of the field where Goff isn't afraid to throw, and the matchup is very favorable otherwise. Slot corner Akeem King (48.0 PFF) might prove an upgrade over incumbent Jamar Taylor, but the best-case scenario for Seattle is still one where Kupp is at a major advantage.

Upgrade: Cooper Kupp

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Robert Woods, Brandin Cooks

SEATTLE WR SNAPS

Tyler Lockett: 765 snaps – 141 wide (68 left, 73 right), 565 slot (240 left, 325 right), 13 tight (seven left, six right), 46 back

DK Metcalf: 689 snaps – 507 wide (336 left, 171 right), 176 slot (132 left, 44 right), five tight (three left, two right), one back

I took the liberty of skipping Josh Gordon because he's in a three-player committee that also involves David Moore and Malik Turner. The three fight over 50-to-60 snaps per game. Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, by contrast, rarely leave the field. Running mostly from the slot, Lockett's primary matchup could be Nickell Robey-Coleman (77.3 PFF). NRC isn't a burner but he's quick and can definitely run a bit, so it's a tough matchup for Lockett since Lockett isn't big enough to bully NRC, implausibly small as NRC might be himself. If Lockett isn't shadowed by Jalen Ramsey (63.2 PFF) then Ramsey would probably have reason to focus on Metcalf. If there's a three-wide set and Ramsey is on neither Lockett nor Metcalf, then Metcalf's matchup in such a case would almost necessarily be Troy Hill (70.0 PFF). It's not easy to spot a good matchup for the Seattle receivers, though between their own merit and that of Russell Wilson, they're pretty close to matchup-proof.

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: Tyler Lockett

Even: DK Metcalf

PHI vs NYG

PHILADELPHIA WR SNAPS

Nelson Agholor: 691 snaps – 153 wide (61 left, 92 right), 486 slot (255 left, 231 right), 26 tight (seven left, 19 right), 26 back

Alshon Jeffery: 474 snaps – 357 wide (211 left, 146 right), 112 slot (56 left, 56 right), five tight (two left, three right)

J.J. Arcega-Whiteside: 271 snaps – 189 wide (96 left, 93 right), 70 slot (33 left, 37 right), one tight (one left), 11 back

Greg Ward: 69 snaps – five wide (two left, three right), 53 slot (29 left, 24 right), 11 back

Perhaps Nelson Agholor (knee) plays, perhaps not. He's competing with Greg Ward for slot reps, so perhaps some split will occur if Agholor plays. The matchup for both is good, but the volume would of course be a concern in that scenario. Alshon Jeffery should mostly stay outside and slightly more often on the left than the right, meaning he'll see all of Janoris Jenkins (65.6 PFF), DeAndre Baker (33.9 PFF), and Sam Beal (48.3 PFF), but especially Baker and Beal. That's good for Jeffery. Agholor and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside should more so have to run against Jenkins.
 

Upgrade: Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, Greg Ward

Downgrade: N/A

Even: J.J. Arcega-Whiteside

GIANTS WR SNAPS

Darius Slayton: 529 snaps – 459 wide (278 left, 181 right), 56 slot (33 left, 23 right), 13 tight (five left, eight right), one back

Sterling Shepard: 365 snaps – 101 wide (37 left, 64 right), 245 slot (125 left, 120 right), seven tight (four left, three right), 12 back

Golden Tate: 415 snaps – 62 wide (31 left, 31 right), 334 slot (174 left, 160 right), nine tight (four left, five right), 10 back

Playing generally outside and mostly on the left, Darius Slayton should reliably run against Ronald Darby (49.6 PFF), a player who I think is better than his PFF grade. You might have noticed, Darby got beat like a drum by DeVante Parker last week, but mostly with Parker just bullying him physically. Slayton won't bully Darby the same way, but Darby has the speed to match Slayton's stride. Golden Tate should mostly run against Avonte Maddox (49.0 PFF), which is an upgrade. Sterling Shepard should see a little of everyone but mostly Jalen Mills (55.6 PFF), another upgrade.
 

Upgrade: Golden Tate, Sterling Shepard

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Darius Slayton