Wide Receivers vs. Cornerbacks: Week 6 Matchups

This article will go game by game for the Week 6 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.

Chicago Bears vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

CHICAGO BEARS WIDE RECEIVERS

If Tyson Campbell (hamstring) can return this week and play to his normal standards then it would be a big boost to the Jaguars pass defense, which is otherwise in bad shape. DJ Moore is probably capable of beating corners as good as Campbell or better, so Campbell's return shouldn't instill fear in any Moore investors, and if Campbell is less than 100 percent Rome Odunze would also be a candidate to get the better of him. Moore and Odunze are both likely able to beat Ronald Darby on the other side. The slot defender probably isn't great, be it Darnell Savage or Jarrian Jones, but Keenan Allen hasn't exactly convinced to this point. If Campbell is still out then Montaric Brown is the likely starter, and he's probably a lot easier to beat yet than Darby. One curious detail here is the Bears usually line up Moore on the left and Odunze on the right, meaning Odunze would rarely see Campbell even if Campbell is active, whereas Moore would mostly see Campbell.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DJ Moore (Upgrade if Campbell is out), Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS WIDE RECEIVERS

The Bears secondary is normally very tough, but injuries might make them slightly more vulnerable here. Vulnerable enough to get beaten by Press Taylor? That might be asking too much, but this should be a slightly easier matchup if safety Jaquan Brisker (concussion) is out, meanwhile Tyrique Stevenson showed up on the injury report with a calf injury Thursday. Brian Thomas is the kind of receiver the Bears aren't really built to cover downfield, so he was always the key to beating this defense. Perhaps Matt Eberflus knows as much and will plan accordingly, perhaps not. Jaylon Johnson is normally the clear shadow corner for the Bears and there's a chance he follows Thomas in this one, but Johnson is neither big nor fast. Johnson is a problem for most NFL receivers, but maybe not Thomas, at least not after the first 10 yards. Gabe Davis would be more likely to struggle against the likes of Stevenson, but if Stevenson is out Davis should be able to get the better of players like Josh Blackwell or/and Jaylon Jones. Christian Kirk would see a lot of Kyler Gordon, which is a matchup Kirk can probably win but would probably be more challenging for Kirk than for Thomas against Johnson, should Johnson be assigned to Thomas.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Gabe Davis (arguable Even grade if Stevenson is out)
Even: Brian Thomas (arguable Upgrade if Stevenson is out and Johnson is not assigned), Christian Kirk

Baltimore Ravens vs. Washington Commanders

BALTIMORE RAVENS WIDE RECEIVERS

Rashod Bateman is not the vertical threat the Ravens often try to make him, but he has a good underneath/intermediate game and in any case can probably beat guys like Benjamin St-Juste and Mike Sainristil, the latter of which was moved outside last week after previously playing in the slot. Zay Flowers projects better yet, especially against St-Juste – at 6-foot-3 St-Juste simply can't match up against Flowers. Sainristil admittedly might be surprisingly good at mirroring Flowers, given their builds are almost identical. Nelson Agholor simply is not very good and the Ravens basically need to stop giving him snaps, but he poaches slot snaps from Bateman most weeks and in this game would run against Noah Igbinoghene, assuming Washington keeps him in the slot and Sainristil on the boundary. Agholor ought to be able to hold his own there, but who knows with him.

Upgrade: Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Nelson Agholor

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Terry McLaurin should avoid Marlon Humphrey for the most part, assuming Humphrey plays at all through his ankle injury. Humphrey usually lines up on the left, and McLaurin usually lines up on the offense's left (the defense's right). Brandon Stephens is a good corner, but McLaurin can definitely beat him. Nate Wiggins would presumably need to start on the left if Humphrey is out, while Ar'Darius Washington would likely be the primary slot corner if Humphrey is out. Dyami Brown probably isn't beating Wiggins, but slot receiver Luke McCaffrey would at least have a major build advantage over the 5-foot-8 and slowish Washington.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Terry McLaurin, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown

Green Bay Packers vs. Arizona Cardinals

GREEN BAY PACKERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Jayden Reed probably will see the most of slot corner Garrett Williams, who is at once probably the best Cardinals corner but still not one Reed needs to fear. Reed is a problem for almost any defense – Williams merely appears to be a pretty good player. If Romeo Doubs is back he could be in a position to produce here, but boundary corners Starling Thomas and Sean Murphy-Bunting mostly match Doubs' build and speed traits. With that said, neither Thomas nor Murphy-Bunting have ever shown compelling skill sets, so Doubs or/and Dontayvion Wicks ought to be able to get the better of them at least a few times. If Christian Watson returns it would be hard to expect much given that he's only about 2.5 weeks into a high ankle sprain recovery.

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

ARIZONA CARDINALS WIDE RECEIVERS

If Jaire Alexander (groin) can return it would be huge for the Green Bay defense, but if he doesn't it's a relief to Marvin Harrison. Then again, Harrison should now or soon be an even better receiver than Alexander is a corner, even if Alexander is very good (he is). Michael Wilson could get going if Alexander shadows Harrison, and if Alexander is out then better yet. Guys like Eric Stokes and Carrington Valentine don't really deserve the benefit of the doubt against Wilson, and against Harrison they're begging for a beating. Slot corner Keisean Nixon can't possibly be better than rookie safety Javon Bullard would be in the slot, so the more Nixon plays the better for Greg Dortch.

Upgrade: Michael Wilson
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Marvin Harrison (Upgrade if Alexander is out or if not shadowed by Alexander), Greg Dortch

New England Patriots vs. Houston Texans

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS WIDE RECEIVERS

It's probably an improvement for the entire New England wideout and tight end depth chart that Drake Maye is starting, but that's not because the play at quarterback will improve exactly – Maye is just more likely to take shots as a passer than the rather cautious Jacoby Brissett. The problem here is the Houston pass rush is ferocious, and the New England offensive line is... not. Derek Stingley ought to be able to shut down whoever he faces, though Polk might be able to get a step on backup outside corner Kris Boyd, or whoever starts in the event that Kamari Lassiter (shoulder) is out. Demario Douglas figures to mostly see Jalen Pitre, to uncertain effect.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ja'Lynn Polk, DeMario Douglas

HOUSTON TEXANS WIDE RECEIVERS

C.J. Stroud is in a difficult spot with no Nico Collins, because Tank Dell is trait-matched by both Marcus Jones and especially Jonathan Jones. Stefon Diggs, assuming he remains the primary slot receiver, should have a mismatch against Marcus in the slot, though if Diggs gets followed by Christian Gonzalez it would be a very bad development for Diggs. Xavier Hutchinson has a build advantage over the likes of the Joneses, but getting separation against either playeris less likely.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Stefon Diggs (arguable Upgrade if Gonzalez stays on the boundary), Tank Dell, Xavier Hutchinson (arguable Downgrade if Gonzalez stays on the boundary)

New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WIDE RECEIVERS

Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed (hip) would both normally torch corners like Zyon McCollum and maybe even Jamel Dean, but between Shaheed's hip issue and Spencer Rattler starting at quarterback it's not obvious what would be a fair expectation for the Saints offense. If Rattler is up to the challenge this is a good spot otherwise – the Buccaneers defense is not very good, especially without Antoine Winfield at safety. If Winfield is back it would help the Buccaneers, but it's possible that there's no helping slot corner Tykee Smith, who clearly just should not be playing the position.

Upgrade: Chris Olave (but keep in mind the Rattler effect), Rashid Shaheed (see Olave)
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Every year, Mike Evans versus Marshon Lattimore is a hyped matchup when these teams face off. Lattimore hasn't shadowed anyone in a while, but Evans lines up on the left (Lattimore's side of the defense – the right) more often than he does the right. Paulson Adebo is tough on the left side anyway, so while Evans has historically struggled against Lattimore it wouldn't necessarily be easier going after Adebo on the other side. Chris Godwin probably has the easier matchup against Alontae Taylor in the slot. Sterling Shepard has thrived on the boundary, to the point that he might play over Jalen McMillan, but neither player projects great against the Saints' boundary duo.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Sterling Shepard, Jalen McMillan

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Cleveland Browns

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES WIDE RECEIVERS

A.J. Brown (hamstring) should be back here, and he should be in position to produce to some extent here. The Browns had Denzel Ward switch sides last week to follow Terry McLaurin, thus protecting Martin Emerson from McLaurin, but in this game Emerson will line up against one of Brown or DeVonta Smith either way. Emerson projects for a weakness against either player. The Browns would be better off running a base defense with Ward on one side and slot corner Greg Newsome on the boundary, but they probably won't do that. The Eagles receiver duo projects fine or better here – Brown can bully the smallish Ward, and both Brown and Smith can put a beating on Emerson.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: A.J. Brown (arguable Upgrade if not shadowed by Ward), DeVonta Smith (Upgrade if Ward shadows Brown)

CLEVELAND BROWNS WIDE RECEIVERS

This offense is truly disgusting with Deshaun Watson at quarterback, and not for the reasons one would have previously assumed. This just isn't viable. Corners Darius Slay and Quinyon Mitchell are not able to cover Amari Cooper and maybe not Jerry Jeudy, but such things are often or usually the case for the Browns and Watson still botches almost everything anyway. Elijah Moore doesn't have an obvious advantage or disadvantage against Avonte Maddox in the slot.

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

Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts

TENNESSEE TITANS WIDE RECEIVERS

Will Levis might be a mess, but both Calvin Ridley and DeAndre Hopkins are way too much to be covered by the likes of Dallis Flowers and Jaylon Jones. Slot wideout Tyler Boyd would normally see the most of Kenny Moore, but if Moore is out then backup slot defender Chris Lammons is probably an easier target.

Upgrade: Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Tyler Boyd

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS WIDE RECEIVERS

Both Josh Downs (toe) and Michael Pittman (back) both appear liable to miss this game, in which case the two-wide look would likely be Alec Pierce and Adonai Mitchell, with Ashton Dulin figuring in somewhere with three-wide sets. L'Jarius Sneed is likely too much for Mitchell or Dulin, but Sneed might shadow Pierce in this game if Pittman is out. Pierce doesn't really win on target volume anyway, and in terms of downfield ability he can probably pose a threat to almost any corner, so it wouldn't necessarily be as much of a downgrade for Pierce as it would be for most receivers to face Sneed. Mitchell against Jarvis Brownlee could be trouble for the Titans, and even Dulin can probably get behind Brownlee.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Alex Pierce (arguable Downgrade if shadowed by Sneed), Adonai Mitchell (Upgrade if Sneed shadows Pierce), Ashton Dulin

Denver Broncos vs. Los Angeles Chargers

DENVER BRONCOS WIDE RECEIVERS

Rookie Tarheeb Still might need to play slot corner here, but that's okay because Lil'Jordan Humphrey isn't a receiver as much as he's a 225-pound tight end. Asante Samuel is perhaps a little more easily beaten than Kristian Fulton, but Courtland Sutton is much taller than either and can probably make catches even when covered.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Courtland Sutton, Lil'Jordan Humphrey

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Joshua Palmer might have a better shot here if Justin Herbert weren't playing on one leg, but the Broncos are solid across the board with Riley Moss (boundary) and Ja'Quan McMillian (slot) both proving sound in their roles while Patrick Surtain of course dominates most of the time. There might be a favorable target share here for Palmer, but efficiency is pretty much off the table for him and Quentin Johnston. Ladd McConkey against McMillian is the best bet for the Chargers, but it's far from guaranteed to go well.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston
Even: Ladd McConkey

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Jakobi Meyers (ankle) might not be available here, which would be brutal for the Raiders both because they desperately need Meyers in general and because slot corner Beanie Bishop would probably be one of Meyers' easiest matchups of the year. Tre Tucker might need to man the slot if Meyers is out, and Tucker could capitalize on the matchup in Meyers' place. Players like DJ Turner simply shouldn't be on NFL rosters otherwise, so this is an awful setup for the Raiders passing game overall but perhaps a viable one for whoever runs against Bishop.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker (arguable Upgrade if Meyers is out)

PITTSBURGH STEELERS WIDE RECEIVERS

If Arthur Smith is voluntarily going to delete the production of George Pickens then there's no ambiguity about the fact that this Steelers passing game is deceased from a self-inflicted wound.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: George Pickens, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin

Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons

CAROLINA PANTHERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Andy Dalton might bounce back a little here, but the Falcons tend to make things challenging if only because their safety duo of Jessie Bates and Justin Simmons provide excellent cover fire for the Falcons corners. If the Panthers are without their starting center (Austin Corbett) and right tackle (Taylor Moton) then it presses the margins further. With that said, Diontae Johnson should be able to create underneath separation even against AJ Terrell, and certainly against the likes of Mike Hughes. Xavier Legette ought to be able to dust Hughes, too. Jonathan Mingo is for some reason getting the slot snaps for Carolina, and to be fair to Mingo there's nothing obviously concerning about Dee Alford there.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Diontae Johnson, Xavier Legette (arguable Upgrade if Terrell shadows Johnson), Jonathan Mingo

ATLANTA FALCONS WIDE RECEIVERS

Jaycee Horn might shadow Drake London but who cares. London is torching and Horn doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt at the moment. If Horn doesn't follow London then it's probably better yet – Michael Jackson almost certainly can't cover London, or Darnell Mooney for that matter. Ray Ray McCloud might or might not be able to get something going against slot corners Troy Hill or/and Chau Wade-Smith.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Drake London (arguable Upgrade if not shadowed by Horn), Darnell Mooney (Upgrade if Horn shadows London), Ray Ray McCloud

Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions

DALLAS COWBOYS WIDE RECEIVERS

Aaron Glenn tends to call for in-your-face man coverage, something the Lions do with attitude – a reflection of Glenn's own mindset. Even going back to last year the Lions have gotten away with better press-man results than their personnel would normally have any business doing, but against CeeDee Lamb that might backfire a bit. Lamb can be a ghost at times, and if your jam misses or you let your weight lean forward too much he can cross you up and create instant, permanent separation. Jalen Tolbert has picked up steam but still deserves less benefit of the doubt – the finer details of wideout play have held him back in Dallas, and Glenn's corners are well-coached to make things challenging from a technique standpoint. Kavontae Turpin probably can't play too many snaps as one of the smallest players in NFL history, but he is elusive and can create separation either as a route runner or after the catch. The only way Jalen Brooks is doing anything is if the defense forgets to cover him, however.

Upgrade: CeeDee Lamb
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jalen Tolbert, Kavontae Turpin

DETROIT LIONS WIDE RECEIVERS

Amon-Ra St. Brown should be in a good position to torch here while running primarily against Jourdan Lewis. Lewis is an alright slot corner, but St. Brown is pissed off at him for talking too much trash last year. You probably don't want to give St. Brown added motivation. Trevon Diggs has an illness to shake off but even if he doesn't, DaRon Bland appears ready to return as a plus starter on one side while the rookie Caelen Carson should be back to serve as a capable replacement for Diggs if necessary. Jameson Williams is too much for those corners to cover outside of a Cover-3 type infrastructure, and perhaps Ben Johnson finds a way to to isolate those corners away from their help. If not, though, Dallas tends to do a good job of keeping their corners in an attack position instead of turning to run on an island.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Amon-Ra St. Brown (arguable Upgrade for hater reasons against Lewis), Jameson Williams, Tim Patrick

New York Giants vs. Cincinnati Bengals

NEW YORK GIANTS WIDE RECEIVERS

If Malik Nabers (concussion) is out again then the Giants will need to lean on Darius Slayton and Wan'Dale Robinson similar to how they did in Week 5. Both are good players, though near opposites of each other – Robinson is an underneath specialist in the slot, and Slayton is a vertical specialist on the boundary. Robinson should see a lot of Mike Hilton, who is probably an effective mirror to the traits of Robinson. Even so, Robinson should get his targets, even if the efficiency lags. Slayton would be hard-pressed to regularly beat a corner as good as Cam Taylor-Britt, but Slayton does sometimes surprise even in tough matchups. As long as Taylor-Britt doesn't shadow Slayton, though, Slayton should get some prime opportunities against the more beatable DJ Turner. Jalin Hyatt is presumably capable of something, but he didn't draw a target on 48 snaps last week.

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

CINCINNATI BENGALS WIDE RECEIVERS

The Giants pass defense did a great job against Seattle in Week 5, so perhaps the group of Deonte Banks (boundary), Nick McCloud/Dru Phillips (slot) and Cor'Dale Flott (boundary) has or is on the verge of turning a corner. Banks is super toolsy and is certainly supposed to be a good starter any second now, while Flott has already demonstrated some level of viability. With that said, Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins likely saw a tougher matchup in Week 5, and we all know how that turned out. If the Giants revert to their pre-Week 5 form then it should be wheels up for Chase and Higgins, though even if the Giants have improved Chase and Higgins are still capable of going off. Andrei Iosivas should stay flickering in the slot on an unpredictable if not infrequent basis.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Andrei Iosivas

New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills

NEW YORK JETS WIDE RECEIVERS

Now that Robert Saleh has been fired, surely that will fix the Jets' broken offense, right? It must be the case that Saleh was the one holding back Nate Hackett. Yeah. The Bills pass defense has mostly been tough even without slot corner Taron Johnson, who might or might not return from his forearm injury here. Allen Lazard would likely see the most of Johnson, or his backup Cam Lewis. Lewis would be a much easier matchup – at 5-foot-9 and with a dubious skill set Lewis is probably not prepared to cover Lazard, or most receivers really. Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams should split their time fairly evenly against Christian Benford and Rasul Douglas. As bigger corners Benford and Douglas match up well with Williams, but not as well with a smaller, more dynamic mover like Garrett Wilson.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard (arguable Upgrade if Johnson is out), Mike Williams (arguable Downgrade)

BUFFALO BILLS WIDE RECEIVERS

Keon Coleman should split his time fairly evenly between Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed. The rookie might have a chance against either, but at 5-foot-9 Reed is almost certainly the easier target. The problem is that Reed is excellent at the point of attack, playing fearlessly even against receivers clearly bigger than him. Khalil Shakir (ankle) might be out again, and if so it should mean an uptick in slot reps for Curtis Samuel. The Jets normally feature the solid Michael Carter in the slot, but he missed practice Thursday with a back issue. If Carter is out it could make the slot rep slightly easier, but it also might prove inconsequential – a guy like Isaiah Oliver has experience at least, and might even prove pretty good in the role.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins
Even: Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel