Wide Receivers vs. Cornerbacks: Week 11 Matchups

This article will go game by game for the Week 11 slate looking at the top wide receivers from an offense and, based on the inside/outside and left/right splits of those receivers, identify the cornerbacks most likely to face them in man coverage. This post will have to be a little shorter and lean more on speculation/generalities than the entries to come, because teams haven't yet conclusively revealed their personnel tendencies.

Receivers rarely see the same corner every play, be it due to formation 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. Even against a bad corner, a good receiver can be denied the opportunity if the pass rush or something else outside his control complicates things. 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.

Carolina Panthers vs. Dallas Cowboys

CAROLINA WIDE RECEIVERS

DJ Chark and Jonathan Mingo are running nearly all of the boundary reps for Carolina, to minimal or no effect. It's difficult to see why this would be the setting where that changes. For as much as the Dallas secondary takes risk by design, the reason they do is because the pass rush is so dominant that it's not actually that risky – it would only be risky if the pass rush weren't dominant, but it very much is. Even if it weren't, Bryce Young has shown little or no ability to get to the ball downfield and to the sideline. Adam Thielen has enjoyed some big games this year because he primarily runs in the slot, the only area Young has been able to access regularly. Dallas might or might not scheme extensively against Thielen in response – Thielen can definitely beat guys like Jourdan Lewis or Jayon Kearse, but Dallas can probably destroy Carolina even if they let the Panthers offense spin its wheels by targeting Thielen heavily on plays that don't amount to points.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: DJ Chark, Jonathan Mingo
Even: Adam Thielen

DALLAS WIDE RECEIVERS

Jaycee Horn (hamstring) might be back, and if so it would make for a potentially compelling matchup between him and CeeDee Lamb. Lamb can likely beat Horn and almost any other corner, but that matchup could slow Lamb slightly if only because it would be comparatively easier to target corners like Donte Jackson or slot man Troy Hill instead. Brandin Cooks can likely beat either of those two and especially Hill. Michael Gallup has no obvious advantage as a 50-grade player but is plenty capable of capitalizing if the defense cuts him loose.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup

Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

CLEVELAND WIDE RECEIVERS

There's probably not much to be done with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, but Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore can both dust corners like Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson (especially when Peterson is in the slot). Joey Porter looks more intimidating, though it's still a little early to tell just how good he is. I'm not listing this as a downgrade for Cooper/Moore because the corner personnel specifically is not the concern, but the overall situation sucks.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore

PITTSBURGH WIDE RECEIVERS

Diontae Johnson has had some good games against Cleveland recently, but he has yet to play against the 2023 Browns defense, which is very different than the ones that preceded it. Jim Schwartz's scheme has gotten much more mileage out of the defense's talent, including at corner. Greg Newsome and Denzel Ward are about as strong of a corner tandem as you'll find, yet under prior coordinator Joe Woods their talent was undermined by poor scheming. Newsome and Ward are more dangerous now than previous years as a result. Martin Emerson is the one most vulnerable to Johnson's start/stop game, so the Steelers might want to keep Johnson on Emerson's side and George Pickens on the side with Ward. Pickens is unlikely to separate from these corners, but he can at least bully Ward and maybe even Newsome at the catch point.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Allen Robinson
Even: Diontae Johnson, George Pickens

Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears

DETROIT WIDE RECEIVERS

Jaylon Johnson is a good corner but one unlikely to move into the slot, which is to say Amon-Ra St. Brown should be free to attack slot corner Kyler Gordon instead. It's a mismatch decisively in St. Brown's favor. Josh Reynolds is unlikely to get much going against a corner of Johnson's caliber, though Tyrique Stevenson could be a sitting duck for either Reynolds or Jameson Williams. Williams can also beat Johnson deep – Johnson is not especially fast by corner standards.

Upgrade: Amon-Ra St. Brown
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Josh Reynolds, Jameson Williams

CHICAGO WIDE RECEIVERS

DJ Moore can win at any level, but he might need to get deep to get the better of corners like Cam Sutton and Jerry Jacobs, who tend to be at their best while playing downhill. Darnell Mooney is facing the same deal, and like Moore he too can beat these guys deep. What's less clear is whether the Chicago pass blocking will hold up long enough for them to get downfield.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney

Green Bay Packers vs. Los Angeles Chargers

GREEN BAY WIDE RECEIVERS

Jordan Love is a total mess and the Packers offensive line could struggle with the Chargers pass rush, so it's difficult to take much for granted here. With that said, the Packers receivers are talented and can absolutely get the better of these Chargers corners. Christian Watson is way too big and fast for a corner like Asante Samuel, while the bigger/faster corner Michael Davis probably can't mirror the route phases of Romeo Doubs. Doubs is likely threatening to Samuel for the same reasons Watson is. Ja'Sir Taylor might or might not be a good slot corner, but he's probably not a true concern for Jayden Reed. Dontayvion Wicks is a fourth candidate to hurt these corners. Again, whether the ball lands anywhere helpful is the bigger question.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks

CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Keenan Allen can dust corners a lot better than KeiSean Nixon, who is not truly a very good corner. It's a clear mismatch and the Packers might want to force Jaire Alexander (shoulder) into the slot to get him against Allen. If Alexander can't play then it's not clear what Green Bay can do about it. They know they need to stop Allen at all costs, but plenty of teams know that and few can see it through. Quentin Johnston and Jalen Guyton are less than guaranteed to do much otherwise, though there should be some opportunity, particularly if Alexander is out. Carrington Valentine might be decent, but in the meantime he's unproven.

Upgrade: Keenan Allen
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jalen Guyton, Quentin Johnston

Houston Texans vs. Arizona Cardinals

HOUSTON WIDE RECEIVERS

The Cardinals went into this year knowing full well that their corners weren't competitive. You can't rebuild an entire team in one offseason, so they basically made the decision to hold off on addressing the position. If Nico Collins (calf) is back then he should be in a good position here, and Tank Dell appears locked into a significant target volume either way. Robert Woods could also capitalize if healthy. Marco Wilson and Antonio Hamilton just don't cut it at corner.

Upgrade: Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Robert Woods
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

ARIZONA WIDE RECEIVERS

Derek Stingley will eventually be a standout starting corner and might already be there, while right corner Steven Nelson appears to be past last week's back injury. Tavierre Thomas in the slot leaves Houston three-strong at corner. It's still possible that Marquise Brown is a uniquely difficult matchup for these corners, especially Nelson, who is more about technique than speed. Rondale Moore looked renewed in the slot last week, making his showdown with Thomas more interesting than it would have been a few weeks ago. Michael Wilson has no obvious angle on Stingley or Nelson, but as a quality player he needs to be taken seriously and can hurt a defense if he isn't.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Marquise Brown, Michael Wilson, Rondale Moore

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans

JACKSONVILLE WIDE RECEIVERS

None of the Titans corners can cover Calvin Ridley, but they're likely to double-team him and at that point, given the concurrent fact that defenses know pretty much all of the routes the Jaguars call, it's likely that Ridley has the toughest job of any receiver in the NFL. His function is reduced to that of a decoy, making him the only decoy in the NFL that defenses routinely double-team. It's a formula that dooms the Jacksonville offense – the entire theory of functioning this way makes no sense on its face. The defense doubles Ridley because it's a victory to force the ball to a lesser player, but the Jaguars offense is designed to move that ball to the lesser player, by choice. It's a joke. Christian Kirk is good enough to win against the single-teams he instead sees, but clever defenses can cut him off too, at which point the Jacksonville passing game reduces to a bunch of Evan Engram checkdowns.

Upgrade: Christian Kirk
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Calvin Ridley

TENNESSEE WIDE RECEIVERS

DeAndre Hopkins can win at the catch point against almost anyone, but as last week showed it's not a given the targets are close enough to reel in. With that said, Tyson Campbell (hamstring) might be out for Jacksonville and if so Hopkins will run against corners who categorically cannot defend him. Darious Williams is a good player but too small to defend the rim, and Tre Herndon is barely viable as a corner. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine can't separate from anyone but might be big enough to bully the smallish Williams and Herndon. Kyle Philips doesn't have an obvious angle on Herndon in the slot.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DeAndre Hopkins, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Kyle Philips

Miami Dolphins vs. Las Vegas Raiders

MIAMI WIDE RECEIVERS

Would you be surprised to learn that the Raiders corners aren't very good? Nate Hobbs is tough in the slot, to be fair, but you can scheme away from him and get Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle aimed up against some sitting ducks on the outside. Marcus Peters and Jakorian Bennett are unlikely to be able to defend themselves.

Upgrade: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

LAS VEGAS WIDE RECEIVERS

Davante Adams versus Jalen Ramsey is certainly an interesting matchup, but in recent years there was no serious doubt that Adams had been a better receiver than Ramsey was a corner. Ramsey probably isn't the player he used to be, while Adams seems more or less the same. Still, Ramsey is better than Xavien Howard to the point that a shadow assignment on Adams might make it much easier for the Raiders to get the ball to Jakobi Meyers. The Raiders quarterback play is the biggest concern for the Raiders wideouts, even with Ramsey active.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers

Washington Commanders vs. New York Giants

WASHINGTON WIDE RECEIVERS

We've yet to see Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel (toe) coexist in this Washington passing game, and at this point it's a real question whether it's possible. There could be some spatial conflict between their functions that explains why Dotson only seems capable of producing when Samuel is out. Both Dotson and Samuel can probably beat their corner matchups here, but what's less clear is whether the progressions will suit one more than the other. Terry McLaurin seems like he's locked in either way, and he certainly is too much for these corners. Deonte Banks is the only Giants corner with obvious developmental upside, but in the meantime he's a penalty machine.

Upgrade: Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Jahan Dotson
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

GIANTS WIDE RECEIVERS

Same thing as last week. Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson are both decent players, but what can you do with this quarterback situation?

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson

San Francisco 49ers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

SAN FRANCISCO WIDE RECEIVERS

Carlton Davis should be back for this one, though his specific assignment isn't obvious. In the past Davis would sometimes get press-man shadow assignments against the opponent's WR1, though Davis' recent struggles might discourage that. Davis gets worse the farther downfield he's tested by speed, which makes Brandon Aiyuk a dangerous matchup for Davis even if it would also be a challenging matchup for Aiyuk. The reason Davis wouldn't shadow Deebo Samuel instead is that Samuel isn't used as a straightforward route runner often enough – it's almost a task more for a rover. It's also possible that Davis and Jamel Dean just aren't playing well enough this year to pose a notable resistance.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel 

TAMPA BAY WIDE RECEIVERS

The 49ers defense lacks depth at corner, but it's not clear whether the Buccaneers have enough firepower to test that depth. Mike Evans is rolling but he might see a shadow assignment from Charvarius Ward, who as a tall and fast leaper could be one of the tougher matchups for Evans at corner league-wide. Deommodore Lenoir on the other side can't cover Evans or Chris Godwin, but Lenoir plus safety help might be just enough to stall Godwin to a problematic extent. It would really help if Trey Palmer could make the defense pay for selling out against Evans and Godwin, but that has yet to happen.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Mike Evans (arguable Downgrade if shadowed by Ward), Chris Godwin

Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets

BUFFALO WIDE RECEIVERS

Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed are both capable corners and are perfect fits for the Jets' defensive scheme, but in terms of pure coverage they aren't particularly close to neutralizing Stefon Diggs. It's not a cause for shame – it's possible that Diggs cannot be covered by one corner. Stopping the Bills offense is basically the task of neutralizing Diggs with double coverage, and if you succeed in that task you can make the rest destabilize. There have been some times where Gabe Davis and/or Khalil Shakir made defenses pay for selling out against Diggs, and other times where they couldn't. Davis isn't going to separate from these corners, but against Reed he at least can win with a major build advantage. Shakir might get the easiest matchup if he sees the most of slot corner Michael Carter.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Khalil Shakir

JETS WIDE RECEIVERS

Garrett Wilson is close to that Uncoverable category that Diggs inhabits – he might already be there – and as such he's way too much for corners like Christian Benford and Rasul Douglas. Those corners have heavy feet and are not built to mirror a player like Wilson. The quarterback, as always, is the one problem. Allen Lazard is more the kind of receiver that corners like Douglas want to see, and Lazard might see a lot of the tough Taron Johnson otherwise.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard

Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks

RAMS WIDE RECEIVERS

It's been a challenging few weeks for Cooper Kupp, and it's fair to worry that he's lost something relative to his peak. It's also possible that his struggles prior to the Matthew Stafford injury were a fluke, and with the return of Stafford it could be a Wheels Up situation. Puka Nacua had a huge game against Seattle the last time these teams played, and it's not clear what would have turned for the worse since then. Kupp versus the rookie Devon Witherspoon is the new variable – both players were out last time – but Kupp should be able to beat Witherspoon downfield.

Upgrade: Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Tutu Atwell

SEATTLE WIDE RECEIVERS

DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are likely too much for the likes of Ahkello Witherspoon and Cobie Durant. Metcalf against Durant and Lockett against Witherspoon are real money matchups for the Seahawks. Duke Shelley appears to be the primary slot corner in nickel formations, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba should have the advantage there. If Lockett (hamstring) can't play then his utility should mostly transfer to Metcalf and JSN rather than a fourth player, but the next wideout up appears to be Jake Bobo.

Upgrade: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

Denver Broncos vs. Minnesota Vikings

DENVER WIDE RECEIVERS

Courtland Sutton is on a roll and he could very well keep it going here. Byron Murphy is the top Vikings corner yet he's slower and much smaller than Sutton. Akayleb Evans on the other side can match Sutton's build and athleticism but seems to have very little in the way of cornerback technique. Jerry Jeudy can probably get Evans badly twisted up, and he can run away from Murphy downfield otherwise. Murphy likely gets worse the farther downfield you take him.

Upgrade: Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

MINNESOTA WIDE RECEIVERS

Patrick Surtain is a major problem for most receivers, and he would likely have a safe advantage over Jordan Addison if matched up. Addison might get to the point that he can beat a corner like Surtain, it's just probably not in this moment. Justin Jefferson, on the other hand, would be the kind of receiver Surtain would need to worry about. If Jefferson is back it would probably reduce K.J. Osborn to an afterthought, though (like Addison) Osborn can probably beat the non-Broncos corners, who simply aren't very good.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Jordan Addison (raise to Even if Jefferson is active)
Even: Justin Jefferson, K.J. Osborn

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles

KANSAS CITY WIDE RECEIVERS

The Chiefs appear headed to a three-wide base of Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Justin Watson on the boundary with Rashee Rice in the slot. MVS and Watson have obvious functions – they are big and they have the speed to threaten downfield, particularly in the case of MVS – but they have limitations that are just as obvious. It doesn't matter what you scheme or what routes you give them, MVS and Watson can only draw targets every so often – something like once per 15 snaps – and that rate isn't enough to support a passing game unless Rice, Travis Kelce and the running backs all produce at rates far above the league average. The Kelce condition of that formula is usually met easily enough, but the bigger point is that, the more MVS and Watson play, the more Rice's target rate almost necessarily stabilizes if not increases. The good news is, while the Chiefs need Rice to step up here, the slot coverage in Philadelphia has been a weak spot since Avonte Maddox's injury.

Upgrade: Rashee Rice
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson

PHILADELPHIA WIDE RECEIVERS

The Chiefs have varied and deep cornerback personnel that interchanges effectively with its safety personnel, and Steve Spagnuolo is liable to call all kinds of novel coverages to maximize confusion. As far as specific matchups go the Chiefs tend to assign L'Jarius Sneed to an opposing WR1 when they bother to assign matchups at all. When that WR1 is A.J. Brown, the futility of the task might lead the Chiefs to not bother, and instead only move around the corners for the purposes of disguising the coverage call. To contain Brown you need to double team him aggressively, because no one corner can do much. The Chiefs might make Brown's 'assignment,' then, just any combination of one corner and one safety. The other corner tends to be Trent McDuffie, who probably gets better the smaller the field is and often moves into the slot in three or four-wide. DeVonta Smith against Sneed or McDuffie in single coverage could be an easier matchup than Brown against his double teams, but Smith would more ideally get a crack at boundary depth corners like Jaylen Watson or Joshua Williams.  It's possible that the absence of Dallas Goedert makes things a little tougher on the Eagles' receivers in terms of coverage, but it should be offset more rapidly by the increase in opportunity.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith