Hidden Stat Line: NFL Week 16 Recap

Hidden Stat Line: NFL Week 16 Recap

This article is part of our Hidden Stat Line series.

What's better than a lump of coal but worse than a full-length version of Hidden Stat Line?

The answer, of course, is an abridged version of our weekly recap, narrowing things down to key situations rather than our normal approach of discussing anything and everything under the sun. (I'm traveling to visit family for Christmas.) 

Anyway, feel free to drop me any questions in the comments below or on twitter (@JerryDonabedian) if you're curious about anything I might have missed.

Texans 23 @ Buccaneers 20

Texans

  • Carlos Hyde played 59% of snaps and took 17 of the team's 19 RB carries, finishing with 27 rushing yards and a touchdown, plus a 10-yard gain on his lone target. Duke Johnson was a total bust for a second straight week, catching one of four targets for 12 yards and taking two carries for four yards, playing 44% of snaps. Houston was either tied or leading for the entire game.
  • Will Fuller played 19 snaps before exiting with a groin injury. Kenny Stills ended up playing 85% of snaps, up from 62% the previous week. Stills drew a season-high nine targets, catching five for 57 yards.
  • DeAndre Carter worked as the No. 3 receiver after Fuller's departure, ultimately playing 44% of snaps and catching both of his targets for 44 yards.
  • Darren Fells had a 3-27-0 receiving line on three targets and 79% of snaps, with Jordan Akins playing 62% of snaps but finishing without a catch on two targets.

What's better than a lump of coal but worse than a full-length version of Hidden Stat Line?

The answer, of course, is an abridged version of our weekly recap, narrowing things down to key situations rather than our normal approach of discussing anything and everything under the sun. (I'm traveling to visit family for Christmas.) 

Anyway, feel free to drop me any questions in the comments below or on twitter (@JerryDonabedian) if you're curious about anything I might have missed.

Texans 23 @ Buccaneers 20

Texans

  • Carlos Hyde played 59% of snaps and took 17 of the team's 19 RB carries, finishing with 27 rushing yards and a touchdown, plus a 10-yard gain on his lone target. Duke Johnson was a total bust for a second straight week, catching one of four targets for 12 yards and taking two carries for four yards, playing 44% of snaps. Houston was either tied or leading for the entire game.
  • Will Fuller played 19 snaps before exiting with a groin injury. Kenny Stills ended up playing 85% of snaps, up from 62% the previous week. Stills drew a season-high nine targets, catching five for 57 yards.
  • DeAndre Carter worked as the No. 3 receiver after Fuller's departure, ultimately playing 44% of snaps and catching both of his targets for 44 yards.
  • Darren Fells had a 3-27-0 receiving line on three targets and 79% of snaps, with Jordan Akins playing 62% of snaps but finishing without a catch on two targets. Jordan Thomas was inactive after playing just one snap on offense the previous week.
  • DeAndre Hopkins caught five of nine targets for a season-low 23 yards.
  • The Texans technically aren't locked into a specific playoff spot, but they need the Chiefs to lose at home to the Chargers, and even then it's just the difference between the No. 3 and No. 4 seed. My guess? The Texans will play their starters, but O'Brien may pull them early if the game isn't close and/or the Chiefs are blowing out the Chargers.

Buccaneers

  • Ronald Jones played 51% of snaps, his largest share since Week 9 and second largest of the year. He benefited from Peyton Barber's lost fumble early in the second quarter, with Barber getting just one touch the rest of the afternoon. Jones finished with 14-77-1 on the ground and 3-32-0 on four targets, with a 49-yard rush, 23-yard reception and a four-yard TD.
  • Passing-down back Dare Ogunbowale got 37% of snaps and caught three of five targets for 34 yards. Barber finished with a 5-13-0 rushing line and no targets on 11%.
  • Breshad Perriman saw true No. 1 WR usage, drawing 12 targets on 96% of snaps. He caught seven passes for 102 yards, and he was overthrown by Jameis Winston on what could've been a 30-yard touchdown.
  • Justin Watson also handled 96% snap share, posting a 5-43-1 line on 10 targets.
  • Ishmael Hyman was the No. 3 WR with 63% of snaps and a 1-31-0 line on three targets.
  • O.J. Howard caught three of seven targets for 46 yards on 84% of snaps. The big game still hasn't happened, but he's now at four weeks in a row with at least 83% snap share, five targets and 46 yards.
  • Cameron Brate played 42% of snaps and caught two of five targets for 17 yards. He had a fourth-down drop late in the fourth quarter.

Bills 17 @ Patriots 24

Bills

  • Devin Singletary played 96% of snaps, with Frank Gore (4%) falling out of the game plan for Buffalo's most important game of the season. Don't expect the same Week 17, as the Bills are locked into the No. 5 seed. In fact, we could even see T.J. Yeldon or Senorise Perry getting most of the carries. Yeldon has been a healthy scratch the past couple months, but that's largely a matter of Perry providing value on special teams, rather than any commentary on the pecking order at RB.
  • John Brown played 96% of snaps but caught just one of four targets. Fortunately, the one reception was a huge one: he roasted DPOY candidate Stephon Gilmore for a 53-yard TD.
  • Cole Beasley handled 85% snap share, up from 69% the previous week. He's now been at 81% or higher five of the past six weeks, and delivered a 7-108-0 receiving line on 12 targets in Saturday's loss. He's reached double-digit PPR points in 10 of 15 games, with six TDs representing a career high and 778 yards just 55 short of his personal best. Of course, we don't know if Beasley and Brown will get regular work Week 17.
  • Dawson Knox had another drop, giving him nine for the year. His 24.3% drop rate is worst in the league among players with 25 or more targets, per PFF. However, it hasn't impacted his playing time, with the rookie getting 74% of snaps Saturday, i.e., his usual workload.

Patriots

  • James White played 45% of snaps, ahead of Sony Michel (42%) and Rex Burkhead (26%). Burkhead, of course, was one of the stars of the game, with a 5-20-1 rushing line and 4-77-0 on four targets, though he also lost a fumble. He had a 6-53-1 rushing line the previous week, but most of his production came in the late stages of an easy win.
  • Michel took 21 carries for a season-high 96 rushing yards, adding a five-yard catch on two targets. He has six games with more than 80 rushing yards this year, but also four with less than 20.
  • White posted a 4-24-0 line on five targets and took three carries for five yards, with 6.9 PPR points his second-worst total of the year.
  • Mohamed Sanu led the WRs with 96% snap share but finished with just 3-24-0 on five targets.
  • Julian Edelman played 71% of snaps, scaling back for a second time in as many weeks (he was typically at 89% or higher before Week 15). He at least looked healthier than the previous week, catching five of six targets for 72 yards. Barring pessimistic news, I'd start him without hesitation for the regular-season finale against Miami. (The Pats need another win to clinch a bye week.)
  • N'Keal Harry was the No. 3 WR with 51% of snaps, ahead of Jakobi Meyers (19%) and Phillip Dorsett (7%). The rookie caught two of three targets for 21 yards and took two carries for 18 yards.
  • Matt LaCosse didn't see any targets before or after his eight-yard touchdown, but he did play 63% of snaps, comfortably ahead of Ben Watson (42%, 3-15-0 on three targets).
  • Sanu led the team with 34 routes, followed by Edelman (24), Harry (22), White (20), Watson (15), LaCosse (12) and Burkhead (12), per PFF. Don't be surprised if Sanu has a nice game Week 17 vs. Miami.

Rams 31 @ 49ers 34

Rams

  • Todd Gurley played 77% of snaps, producing 15-48-2 on the ground and finishing without a catch on two targets. Darrell Henderson took two carries on 3%, and Malcolm Brown got one carry and one target on 20%.
  • Robert Woods played every snap on offense, while Cooper Kupp got 61%, Brandin Cooks had 59% and Josh Reynolds saw 41%. Woods finished with 8-117-0 on 11 targets and two carries for six yards, reaching 95-plus yards for a fifth time in the past six weeks (nine or more targets in each of six). His averages in that span: 7.5 catches for 99.2 yards and 0.17 TDs on 11.2 targets.
  • Cooks put up 4-39-1 on six targets, his best fantasy line since Week 3.
  • Kupp went for 4-31-1 on four targets, scoring his ninth TD of the season but also finishing with six or fewer targets for a fourth straight week. He hasn't gone over 65 yards since Week 8 against the Bengals in London.
  • Tyler Higbee wasn't impacted by Gerald Everett's return from a knee injury, logging 89% of snaps en route to a 9-104-1 receiving line on 11 targets. That makes four weeks in a row with seven or more catches for 104 yards... one of the all-time great hot streaks for a tight end. Meanwhile, Everett saw a single target (incomplete) on 6% snap share.

49ers

  • Raheem Mostert played 54% of snaps, with Tevin Coleman getting 42% and Matt Breida strictly used on special teams. It was Mostert's fourth straight game with at least 53% of snaps and 10 targets, but his pass-game usage has been sparse: 2, 2, 2 and 1 targets in those four games. He finished Saturday's game with an 11-53-1 rushing line and no catches, hitting pay dirt from 16 yards out.
  • Coleman took five carries for 33 yards and didn't draw any targets.
  • Emmanuel Sanders played 98% of snaps, ahead of Deebo Samuel (82%) and Kendrick Bourne (53%). Sanders caught three of six targets for 61 yards, including a 46-yarder to set up the game-winning field goal.
  • Samuel was held to four catches for 31 yards on six targets, but he made up for it with 3-28-1 on the ground. He's the only WR with multiple rushing scores this year, and his 12 carries are fourth most at the position (or fifth if we count Taysom Hill).
  • George Kittle caught five of eight targets for 79 yards and a TD while playing 96% of snaps. Still no sign of the ankle injury affecting his workload or production.

Jaguars 12 @ Falcons 24

Jaguars

  • Leonard Fournette played 94% of snaps and extended his streak to eight games in a row with six or more targets.
  • DJ Chark Jr. was held to 2-18-0 on seven targets, but 87% snap share suggests his ankle injury wasn't a major issue. We should expect a full workload again in Week 17.
  • Chris Conley went 2-56-1 on five targets and 77% of snaps, while Dede Westbrook finished with just 2-4-0 on four targets and 69%. Keelan Cole played 40% of snaps and caught one of two targets for 23 yards.
  • Seth DeValve led the tight ends with 63% snap share, catching three of six targets for 45 yards. He ran 28 routes, far more than Cole (15) and not that far behind Chark (37), Conley (34), Fournette (34) and Westbrook (30), per PFF.

Falcons

  • Devonta Freeman played 77% of snaps and scored a pair of TDs in the first half, but he did lose a goal-line TD to Qadree Ollison later in the game. It was Freeman's fourth week in a row with at least 14 touches and 65% of snaps.
  • Ollison didn't have any other carries or targets. Brian Hill played 19% of snaps and took two carries for seven yards.
  • Austin Hooper played 69% of snaps, down from 82% the previous week. He presumably lost a bit of work late in the game when Atlanta was up by three scores. Hooper's nine targets were tied for his second most in any game this year.
  • The Falcons rotated WRs behind Julio Jones, who played 76% of snaps. Next was Christian Blake (57%), followed by Russell Gage (51%), Justin Hardy (28%) and Olamide Zaccheaus (20%).
  • Jones ran a routes on 42 of Ryan's 47 dropbacks, followed by Hooper (37), Freeman (34), Blake (32) and Gage (30), per PFF.

Ravens 31 @ Browns 15

Ravens

  • Justice Hill scored his first NFL touchdown and had season highs for catches (three), targets (four) and receiving yards (32), as well as 3-19-1 on the ground. He only played 18% of snaps, but he should get a lot of run Week 17 with Mark Ingram (calf) already ruled out and the Ravens already locked in as the top seed in the AFC.
  • Mark Andrews played 53% of snaps, his largest share since Week 7. He's been banged up for most of the year and now finally appears healthy, but the Ravens figure to limit his workload (if he plays at all) Week 17. Look for Hayden Hurst to take on some of the receiving work that normally goes to Andrews.
  • Marquise Brown played 59% of snaps, down from 72% and 75% the previous two weeks. He caught one pass for six yards on two targets, marking a third time in the last four weeks he's finished with less than 50 yards. The Ravens might scale back Hollywood's workload Week 17, but it could just as easily be argued that he could use the "practice" more than the rest.

Browns

  • Nick Chubb played 65% of snaps to Kareem Hunt's 57%. Chubb's best game of the season came against the Ravens in Week 4 (20-165-3) and his worst game came against the Ravens in Week 16 (15-45-0, no catches on one target).
  • Hunt took three carries for no gain and caught each of his four targets for 33 yards, failing to score double-digit PPR points for the first time n a Cleveland uniform.
  • Damion Ratley played 35% of snaps, splitting the No. 3 WR role with KhaDarel Hodge (23%).
  • David Njoku was a healthy scratch again.

Saints 38 @ Titans 28

Saints

  • Alvin Kamara finally got his positive touchdown regression, scoring from 40 yard out in the third quarter and adding a one-yarder shortly thereafter. He finished with 11-80-2 on the ground and 6-30-0 on seven targets, playing 63% of snaps (less than usual, actually).
  • Michael Thomas, as you've probably heard, broke the single-season receptions record. His 17 targets were a season high, and his 12-136-1 receiving line was his best fantasy performance of the year in a road game.
  • Jared Cook went for 3-84-2 on four targets, giving him six TDs on 36 targets in seven games since he returned from an ankle injury. He's averaging 3.7 catches for 70.4 yards in that stretch, putting up stat lines that look like they come from a deep-threat WR rather than a TE.
  • Tre'Quan Smith once again saw more playing time (54%) than Ted Ginn (36%), though both remain afterthoughts for the passing attack.

Titans

  • Dion Lewis played 69% of snaps, with Dalyn Dawkins getting 26% and Khari Blasingame at 6%.
  • Thanks to a tiebreaker quirk, this game had no impact on Tennessee's playoff chances or seeding. It's the latest example of the stupidity of using division or conference record as a tiebreaker, rather than something like point differential (which actually is an indicator of the quality of the team).
  • A.J. Brown played every snap on offense but only saw two targets, saving his fantasy day with a 49-yard touchdown. He's the most difficult WR to tackle since Terrell Owens was in his prime. Brown might not be quite as fast as T.O., but the strength, body type and tenacity all appear similar.

Panthers 6 @ Colts 38

Panthers

  • Christian McCaffrey played 90% of snaps and wasn't pulled from this blowout until the final drive. It's been fun for fantasy purposes, but I find it kind of pathetic to watch the Panthers put so much effort into pumping up his stats. In any case, he'll continue to see heavy target volume Week 17, needing 67 more receiving yards to join the 1,000-1,000 club. Never mind that the Panthers would be having the exact same season if McCaffrey had 287 touches instead of 387. It's their lone source of pride right now, so he'll stay busy until he gets to 1,000 yards receiving.
  • As speculated by yours truly, Greg Olsen didn't return to his every-down role, instead playing 57% of snaps while Ian Thomas got 46% and blocking specialist Chris Manhertz handled 30%. As such, Olsen isn't a recommended fantasy options for Week 17.
  • Chris Hogan played 74% of snaps, filling in after D.J. Moore suffered a concussion.
  • Curtis Samuel's 76% snap share was his smallest since Week 9, and he ran a route on just 39 of Will Grier's 52 dropbacks, per PFF. McCaffrey led the team with 47 routes, followed by Hogan (40), Samuel (39), Jarius Wright (34), Olsen (29) and Thomas (20).

Colts

  • Marlon Mack played 48% of snaps en route to a 16-95-1 rushing line and two catches for six yards. Jordan Wilkins added 9-84-1 and zero targets on 34% snap share, but the final stat line is a bit deceiving because he piled up six carries for 71 yards and the TD on a single drive late in the fourth quarter. Prior to that, Mack had a 16-to-3 advantage in carries.
  • Nyheim Hines played just 17% of snaps, as he was too busy returning punts for touchdowns and the Colts didn't have many passing downs while playing with a lead for the entire game.
  • T.Y. Hilton played 59% of snaps and tied for the team lead with four targets, catching three for 26 yards.
  • Jack Doyle led the team with 27 routes on Jacoby Brissett's 32 dropbacks, followed by Hilton (26), Marcus Johnson (24) and Zach Pascal (23), per PFF. I guess Hilton and Doyle are viable fantasy plays for Week 17, but neither can really be trusted.

Bengals 35 @ Dolphins 38 (OT)

Bengals

  • Joe Mixon played 43% of snaps, but that probably had more to do with game script (the Bengals played from behind) than his stomach illness. He took 21 carries for 50 yards and caught both of his targets for 23 yards.
  • Tyler Boyd exploded for 9-128-2 on 15 targets and 92% of snaps.
  • John Ross finally returned to his pre-injury role, going for 6-84-0 (plus two carries for six yards) on 13 targets and 79% of snaps.
  • Alex Erickson played 76% of snaps and caught six of nine targets for 55 yards.
  • Tyler Eifert put up 4-57-1 on eight targets, with his snap share rising (63%) for the third week in a row. He scored a 25-yard TD on the final play of regulation, helping send the game to OT after Andy Dalton ran in a two-point conversion. Eifert has three straight games with at least three catches, four targets and 44 yards, making his case for a decent contract this upcoming offseason. He's also viable as a Week 17 DFS play.

Dolphins

  • Patrick Laird played 54% of snaps to Myles Gaskin's 42%, with De'Lance Turner (6%) also sprinkled in. Gaskin had the best day with a 16-55-1 rushing line, but he suffered an ankle injury late in the game and wasn't available for the overtime period.
  • DeVante Parker played 83% of snaps, ahead of Albert Wilson (73%), Isaiah Ford (42%) and Allen Hurns (36%). Parker posted a 5-111-1 line on a team-high 15 targets, with Wilson adding 7-79-0 on seven targets, Ford going for 5-68-0 on six targets, and Hurns at 2-41-0 on two targets.
  • Mike Gesicki had a career-best fantasy performance, bringing in six of 12 targets for 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He played 64% of snaps, which actually was his smallest share since Week 10. Even so, the 12 targets represent a career high, and he's now drawn five or more in each of the past eight games, averaging 4.0 catches for 47.9 yards and 0.5 TDs on 7.1 targets in that stretch, i.e., mid-to-low-end TE1 production.

Steelers 10 @ Jets 16

Steelers

  • James Conner was removed with a thigh injury in the second quarter, taking six carries for 32 yards on nine snaps before his exit.
  • Jaylen Samuels led the backfield with 63% snap share, but he only took three carries for seven yards, while Benny Snell Jr. had seven for 14 yards and Kerrith Whyte had six for 22. Samuels did catch four passes for 32 yards, tying for third on the team with six targets.
  • JuJu Smith-Schuster played 79% of snaps and caught two of four targets for 22 yards.
  • Diontae Johnson went for 8-81-1 on nine targets
  • James Washington put up a 5-41-0 line on eight targets
  • Vance McDonald played 97% of snaps but caught just three passes for nine yards on six targets.
  • Devlin Hodges was benched mid-game in favor of Mason Rudolph, who then suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. The Steelers will start Hodges in Week 17 at Baltimore, needing a win plus a Titans loss to earn the final playoff spot in the AFC. The Steelers technically have a path to that playoff spot even if they lose, but it's highly unlikely.

Jets

  • Le'Veon Bell logged 92% of snaps, his largest share since Week 7. His 25 carries were a season high but netted just 72 yards. He hasn't scored a TD since Week 11, and he's landed between 10.7 and 17.2 PPR points each of the past six games.
  • Vyncint Smith played 80% of snaps with Demaryius Thomas (knee/hamstring) inactive again. Smith caught three of four targets for 32 yards, tying for second on the team in targets in a game where Sam Darnold threw just 26 passes.
  • Daniel Brown played 67% of snaps at TE, and Trevon Wesco got 30%. They saw one target apiece.

Giants 41 @ Redskins 35 (OT)

Giants

  • Saquon Barkley played 97% of snaps in one of the best games we've seen from a running back all year.
  • Sterling Shepard played every single snap on offense, followed by Golden Tate (83%), Cody Latimer (59%) and Darius Slayton (29%).
  • Slayton left the game with a knee injury but returned later on. It does seems he was limited after returning.
  • Kaden Smith played every snap on offense and posted a 6-35-2 line on eight targets. The Giants have found a great insurance policy for the oft-injured Evan Engram (foot). Heck, they might even consider trading Engram, seeing as they have plenty of pass-catching talent between Barkley, Shepard, Tate and Slayton (all under team control through at least 2022).

Redskins

  • Dwayne Haskins completed 12 of 15 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns before exiting with an ankle injury.
  • Adrian Peterson posted a 15-36-1 rushing line and 2-19-0 on two targets, playing 47% of snaps.
  • Chris Thompson bumped up to 53% snap share with Washington either tied or trailing for the entire game, taking eight carries for 34 yards and catching each of four targets for 18 yards.
  • Terry McLaurin posted 7-86-0 on nine targets, playing 87% of snaps on offense.
  • Steven Sims Jr. continued his December surge, posting a 6-64-2 line on 10 targets, plus two carries for six yards. He even returned a kickoff for 25 yards, with Washington keeping him in the initial role that helped him earn a roster spot as an undrafted free agent this summer. Sims played 76% of snaps in Sunday's loss, making it three in a row with at least 70% of snaps and seven targets.
  • Kelvin Harmon logged 86% of snaps and caught five of six targets for 58 yards. He's been overshadowed by Sims the past three weeks but has also come on strong in the second half of the season. Washington still has a ton of problems, but their all-rookie WR group of McLaurin-Harmon-Sims looks pretty darn good. Expect Paul Richardson (IR-hamstring) to be a cap casualty in the offseason, while Trey Quinn (IR-concussion) likely needs to battle for his roster spot.

Lions 17 @ Broncos 27

Lions

Broncos

  • Phillip Lindsay finally broke out of his slump, essentially icing the game with a 27-yard TD in the fourth quarter. He finished with 19-109-1 on the ground and 2-9-0 on three targets, while Royce Freeman ran for 9-28-1 and also had 2-9-0 receiving (on two targets). Lindsay played 58% of snaps to Freeman's 39%.
  • Courtland Sutton played 96% of snaps, making him the team's only WR, RB or TE to get more than two-thirds.
  • Noah Fant played 58% of snaps and caught both of his targets for 10 yards.
  • DaeSean Hamilton put up 6-65-1 on six targets... one of the more surprising stat lines of the season, given that he's seen regular playing time all year without doing anything until Week 16.
  • Tim Patrick caught five of six targets for 48 yards.
  • Sutton led the team with 35 routes, followed by Patrick (26), Hamilton (20), Fant (19), Lindsay (16), Freeman (14), Jeff Heuerman (14) and Andrew Beck (11), per PFF.

Raiders 24 @ Chargers 17

Raiders

  • DeAndre Washington played 63% of snaps, and he would've won me a couple more fantasy championships if I hadn't left him on the bench so I could start Mike Boone 😡.
  • Hunter Renfrow made the most of 46% snap share, catching seven of nine targets for 107 yards and a touchdown.
  • Zay Jones still got more playing time than Renfrow, catching three passes for 14 yards on 52% snap share.
  • Tyrell Williams played 87% of snaps, and Darren Waller got 81%.

Chargers

  • Melvin Gordon played 61% of snaps to Austin Ekeler's 54%. Gordon's seven target tied for second most on the team, and he also scored a pair of short rushing TDs, so fantasy owners came out happy even though he managed just 15 yards on nine carries.
  • Hunter Henry's seven targets were his most since Week 11, and 87% snap share was his largest since Week 8.
  • Mike Williams and Keenan Allen also played 87% of snaps, with Andre Patton a bit behind at 75%. Patton now has six catches on 441 offensive snaps this year!

Cardinals 27 @ Seahawks 13

Cardinals

  • Kyler Murray left the game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury, giving way to Brett Hundley at quarterback. Hundley completed just four of nine passes for 49 yards, but his six carries for 35 yards helped Arizona close out the win.
  • Kenyan Drake rumbled for an 80-yard touchdown in the first quarter, ultimately finishing with 24-166-2 and 3-18-0 on four targets. He played 81% of snaps to David Johnson's 22%.
  • Chase Edmonds, once again, strictly played special teams. Condolences to anyone who paid an arm and a leg to acquire him in a dynasty league after that big game against the Giants.
  • Christian Kirk was held without a catch on five targets, but he did play 94% of snaps and took two carries for nine yards, so it's hard to say if his ankle injury was a factor.
  • Larry Fitzgerald posted 4-48-1 on seven targets and 87% of snaps.
  • Damiere Byrd played 36% of snaps, ahead of Pharoh Cooper (30%) and Andy Isabella (14%). It still seems weird that a team with no shot at the playoffs is using journeymen wide receivers ahead of its second-round pick. Isabella either looks terrible in practice or frequently says insulting things about Kliff Kingsbury's mother... maybe a little of both?

Seahawks

  • Travis Homer finished with 49% snap share, five carries for 16 yards and six catches for 26 yards on eight targets as the last man standing in Seattle's backfield. With Chris Carson (hip) and C.J. Prosise (arm) set to join Rashaad Penny (knee) on injured reserve, it'll be Homer, Robert Turbin and Beast Mode in the Seattle backfield from here on out.
  • Jacob Hollister caught five of six targets for 64 yards while playing 75% of snaps. It wasn't the usual dominance we've seen from TEs against Arizona, but it was the only productive game from a Seattle pass catcher. DK Metcalf played 98% of snaps and Tyler Lockett got 84%, so playing time wasn't the issue.
  • With Josh Gordon out of the picture, Malik Turner bumped up to 51% snap share, ahead of David Moore (18%) and Jaron Brown (12%). Moore lost a fumble on his only reception, and Turner caught one of three targets for 23 yards.
  • The Seahawks have a ton to play for Week 17 against San Francisco. A loss leaves the Seahawks as the No. 5 seed, while a win would put them anywhere from Nos. 1-3 (depending on if the Saints and/or Packers lose).

Cowboys 9 @ Eagles 17

Cowboys

  • Ezekiel Elliott played 97% of snaps but was limited to 13 carries for 47 yards. He did catch each of seven targets for 37 yards.
  • Michael Gallup played 90% of snaps and caught five passes for 98 yards while finishing second on the team with 11 targets.
  • Amari Cooper caught four of 12 targets for 24 yards on 74% of snaps. He was noticeably absent on a fourth-down play at the end of the game.
  • Randall Cobb caught five of seven targets for 73 yards on 77% of snaps.
  • Jason Witten played 79% of snaps but caught just two passes for 13 yards on a season-low three targets.
  • The Cowboys can still make the playoffs with a Week 17 win over Washington and an Eagles' loss to the Giants, so expect all the NFC East teams to go all-out come Sunday.

Eagles

  • Miles Sanders played 82% of snaps to Boston Scott's 28%. Sanders' averages over the past six weeks with Jordan Howard (shoulder) inactive: 15.7 carries for 71.7 yards and 0.3 TDs, plus 4.2 catches for 34.2 yard and 0.3 TDs on 5.2 targets, i.e., low-end RB1 production.
  • Dallas Goedert put up 9-91-1, with career highs for both targets (12) and snap share (90%). It was at least partially a product of Zach Ertz battling through a rib injury, though Ertz gutted it out for 82% of snaps and a 4-28-0 line on six targets.
  • Greg Ward caught four of five targets for 71 yards and took a carry for five yards, playing 71% of snaps.
  • J.J. Arcega-Whiteside logged 62% of snaps and caught both his targets for 39 yards.
  • WR Robert Davis (40%) and TE Joshua Perkins (39%) combined to catch one pass for six yards on three targets.

Chiefs 26 @ Bears 3

Chiefs

  • Spencer Ware got the start and saw three carries and two targets on the opening drive, but he ultimately played just 36% of snaps and left with a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter.
  • Damien Williams returned from his rib injury to handle 53% of snaps, taking 16 carries for 65 yards and adding 3-27-1 on three targets. Props to the four people who were brave enough to start him in a fantasy championship matchup.
  • Darwin Thompson took five carries for 14 yards on six snaps. The five carries came on consecutive plays in fourth-quarter garbage time.
  • The Chiefs likely will play starters Week 17, as a win plus a Patriots loss (unlikely, admittedly) would bump KC up to the No. 2 seed, while a loss plus a Texans win would drop KC down to No. 4 (and a wild-card game against the Bills). We're likely headed for a weird scenario where the Patriots, Chiefs and Texans all play their starters initially but could pull guys from the game depending on what's happening in the other contests.

Bears

  • David Montgomery took 13 carries for 57 yards and caught his lone target for two yards. The efficiency was better than usual, but he didn't get a ton of chances with the Bears trailing throughout. He played 56% of snaps, slightly ahead of Tarik Cohen (54%). Cohen finished with two carries for eight yards and three catches for 25 yards on four targets, including two receptions for 20 yards on the final drive. The Bears didn't make Cohen a priority against a Chiefs defense that's struggled against RBs in the passing game.
  • Anthony Miller played every snap on offense en route to catching one of two targets for two yards. He and Mike Boone will never make my Christmas-card list.
  • Allen Robinson caught six of 12 targets for 53 yards on 94% of snaps.
  • Javon Wims caught three of nine targets for 26 yards on 83% of snaps. It was great to see the Bears prioritize Wims over Miller and Cohen, thereby allowing me to look stupid while also losing money. But I'm not bitter, because that would be petty. And I'm not petty. Not at all.

Packers 23 @ Vikings 10

Packers

  • Jamaal Williams suffered a shoulder injury and didn't get any touches after the third quarter. He finished with 27% snap share, his smallest of the season apart from a Week 4 game where he was concussed on his first play.
  • The early exit for Williams helped Aaron Jones turn a big game into a massive one. Jones put up 23-154-2 and 2-6-0 on three targets, with 68% snap share his second largest of the year (after the aforementioned game when Williams was knocked out immediately).
  • Aaron Rodgers is up to seven games in a row with fewer than 250 passing yards. Granted, Monday's win was the first time he's thrown more than 35 passes in that stretch.
  • Allen Lazard played 75% of snaps, after 78% the previous week. His nine targets and five catches both were season highs, though he produced just 45 yards. Lazard is the clear No. 2 receiver now, albeit a distant, distant second to Davante Adams, who drew 16 targets on 81% of snaps Monday night. The Packers use Adams as a poor man's Michael Thomas, peppering him with short targets nearly every week.

Vikings

  • I had an argument with my friend about the 'Kirk Cousins is terrible on MNF' storyline. I think it's stupid, because the larger arguments being hinted at — (a) he's a choker or b) he can't play football at night — kind of fall apart if we also include TNF and SNF. Yes, his teams still have bad records in prime time, but that makes sense given that he's mostly played on mediocre squads and the night games will tend to bring a skilled opponent. Also, Cousins isn't a great player, so we can probably pick out all kinds of different splits where his numbers aren't good. Anyway, his career stats in night games aren't much different from his stats in day games. He was awful Monday night, of course.
  • Mike Boone played 33% of snaps, barely seen in the second half en route to finishing with 11 carries for 28 yards and one catch for five yards in the first half. Boooooooooo.
  • Ameer Abdullah took four carries for 27 yards and caught six of seven targets for 31 yards, logging 59% of snaps. I do have to admit that he outplayed Boone, so we can focus on all the other mistakes Mike Zimmer and his coaching staff regularly make, rather than pretending this was one of them.
  • Adam Thielen played 93% of snaps but finished without a catch on four targets. At least we have a sign that he's healthy, maybe?
  • Stefon Diggs caught three of five targets for 57 yards and a touchdown on 85% of snaps.
  • Bisi Johnson caught one of two targets for six yards on 44% of snaps. He had a 53-yard touchdown wiped out by a holding penalty in the fourth quarter.
  • Kyle Rudolph played 67% of snaps, with Irv Smith Jr. at 61%.
  • Thielen led the team with 34 routes, followed by Diggs (30), Smith (26), Abdullah (26), Rudolph (22) and Johnson (18), per PFF.
  • Minnesota is locked in as the No. 6 seed in the NFC, with nothing left to play for Week 17 against the Bears.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jerry Donabedian
Jerry was a 2018 finalist for the FSWA's Player Notes Writer of the Year and DFS Writer of the Year awards. A Baltimore native, Jerry roots for the Ravens and watches "The Wire" in his spare time.
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