Football Daily Dose: Dose: Bengals Stay Perfect
The Cleveland Browns had no answer for Cincinnati tight end Tyler Eifert in the red zone on Thursday night, as Eifert hauled in a trio of touchdown receptions to lead the Bengals to a 31-10 victory. Andy Dalton was in control of this game from the start as Cincinnati moved to 8-0 on the season after the divisional win.
The Bengals’ backfield was almost perfectly split in this game, although Giovani Bernard was the more productive back, tallying 86 total yards on 14 touches. In a gravy matchup against the NFL’s worst run defense, Jeremy Hill failed to capitalize as he turned 15 carries into 52 yards in yet another underwhelming performance. With Cincinnati utilizing Eifert so effectively in the red zone, Hill’s upside is extremely limited without the potential for short-yardage scores. Giovani Bernard is the most explosive back in what is a split Bengals backfield at the moment.
With Josh McCown nursing a rib injury, it was Johnny Manziel who got the start at quarterback for Cleveland on Thursday night, and Manziel did a decent job under center. Manziel was just 15 of 33 passing for 168 yards and one touchdown, but didn’t throw an interception in the game. Most of Manziel’s throws were of the safer variety, with 16 of his 33 attempts aimed at Cleveland running backs or tight ends. The backfield behind Johnny Manziel belonged to Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson, with Robert Turbin not receiving any snaps on Thursday night. Crowell ran for 38 yards on 10 carries, while Duke Johnson found the end zone on a touchdown reception just before halftime on his way to 38 yards on five touches. This backfield will remain in Crowell’s hands on early downs with Johnson handling the receiving work and is a bit clearer with Turbin out of the picture.
Editor’s Note: For updated rankings, fantasy news columns, IDP, injury analysis, dynasty and much more, check out the Rotoworld Season Pass.
Browns at Bengals Quick Slants
Tight end Gary Barnidge caught just two of seven targets for 35 yards in his worst performance since Week 2. The return of Josh McCown should help Barnidge rebound in Week 10. … Marvin Jones had a solid night, catching five of six targets for 78 yards. … A.J. Green didn’t do much damage on the evening with Tyler Eifert hogging the Cincinnati scoring chances. Green caught four of six targets for 53 yards and will look to bounce back next week against Houston. … Mohamed Sanu racked up 50 total yards on four touches including a 25-yard touchdown run that gave the Bengals breathing room in the fourth quarter. Sanu won’t be relevant in fantasy leagues with so many options in the Cincinnati offense, but he remains a versatile player.
Editor’s Note: Play against our writers in the Rotoworld Football Championship – a series of one-week fantasy contests on FanDuel with $20K in FREE prizes! Enter the Week 9 contest before it fills.
In Other News…
Bears coach John Fox labeled running back Matt Forte “truly day to day” on Thursday, but fantasy owners should expect rookie Jeremy Langford to handle the bulk of Chicago’s rushing attempts on Monday night. San Diego’s run defense is 27th in the NFL, allowing 124.6 rushing yards per game through eight contests. The soft matchup plus an expected large workload makes Langford a very reasonable starting option in fantasy leagues of all sizes this week.
Marcus Mariota (knee) will have his Week 9 playing status determined on Friday but appears to be ready to return to the field after practicing all week. The offensive look of the Tennessee Titans will be of note on Sunday as they play their first game under interim coach Mike Mularkey. Running back Antonio Andrews has been tabbed as the Titans’ “workhorse” by the new Tennessee leadership, and the usage of Mariota will likely be tweaked under the new regime as well. The Titans travel to New Orleans this week to take on the Saints, who were torched by Eli Manning and the Giants in Week 8.
Ronnie Hillman was tabbed as the starting running back for the Denver Broncos by coach Gary Kubiak on Sunday with a trip to Indianapolis on the schedule this week. Kubiak did state that he views Hillman and backfield mate C.J. Anderson “both as 1’s,” so perhaps the Denver rushing opportunities will be split like they were in Week 8. Hillman received 20 touches to 15 for Anderson last week as the Broncos handled the Green Bay Packers, and it would be safe to assume the split will be similar on Sunday. Hillman is the preferred fantasy play at the moment, but Denver’s Week 7 bye seemed to do wonders for Anderson, who ran well in Week 8 and could be a fantasy contributor down the stretch.
Injury Quick Slants
Brandon Marshall (toe, ankle) was limited on Thursday and looks to be progressing toward an “active” tag on Sunday. … T.Y. Hilton (foot) is not practicing and was seen in a walking boot on Thursday, leaving his Week 9 playing status in serious doubt. … Stefon Diggs (hamstring) was back at practice on Thursday and will resume his phenomenal rookie season on Sunday. … Eric Decker (knee) did not practice on Thursday but is tentatively expected to play on Sunday. … Ryan Fitzpatrick (thumb) practiced on Thursday and will start in Week 9 despite wearing a glove to protect his injured thumb. … Kendall Wright (knee) won’t be on the field for the Titans this week, as he has been ruled out due to a knee injury. … Sammy Watkins (ankle) was limited in practice on Thursday but is hoping to play in Week 9. … Vincent Jackson (knee) did not practice on Thursday and will likely miss Tampa Bay’s game this week, leaving Mike Evans to hog targets from Jameis Winston. … DeSean Jackson (hamstring) turned in a limited practice on Thursday and is creeping closer to making his return to the field for the first time since Week 1. … Ladarius Green (ankle) was wearing a boot on his left foot on Thursday and appears to be a long shot to play in Week 9. Antonio Gates should do damage with Green and Keenan Allen out. … Austin Seferian-Jenkins (shoulder) was limited in practice on Thursday and his playing status remains unclear once again. Friday’s practice should provide more information. … Orleans Darkwa (back) was limited in Thursday’s practice but appears to be a solid bet to play on Sunday. Darkwa will work with the mixed bag of Giants running backs. … Jordan Cameron (hamstring) popped up on the Miami injury report on Thursday, but did practice. More news regarding his Week 9 status will likely surface on Friday. … Chris Thompson (back) is practicing fully this week and should return to game action on Sunday. Thompson averaged 5.5 catches per game over his last four games before the injury. … Larry Donnell (neck) has been declared out for Week 9. Will Tye will start for the Giants.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.
