This article is part of our Red Zone Watch series.
Cleveland Browns
Despite the return of quarterback Josh McCown, the Browns fell to 0-8 on Sunday after losing to the Jets. With the Jets shutting down Cleveland's running game (though Isaiah Crowell did score on one-yard run), the pressure was on McCown to find open receivers in the red zone. His favorite target Sunday wasn't popular fantasy option Terrelle Pryor but Andrew Hawkins, who now co-leads the Browns in red-zone targets this season. Hawkins was excellent Sunday, catching three of his four red-zone looks, including touchdowns of one and five yards. The Browns have rushed on more than 60 percent of their plays inside the 10-yard line, but they've actually been passing more lately, which could allow Hawkins, who has three red-zone touchdowns in his last four games, to make some fantasy noise in the short term.
Cincinnati Bengals
Both Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard scored red-zone rushing touchdowns Sunday against Washington, but the split of touches in that area surely helps us decipher who is the more active back. Bernard scored on an eight-yard run in the first quarter, which was preceded by a five-yard scamper. However, those were his last red-zone carries of the game, as Hill was given seven carries inside the 20-yard line, including three inside the 10, and he scored on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter to tie the game. While the split isn't exactly news, it's worth noting that the Bengals have rushed on 49.23 percent of their red-zone plays
Cleveland Browns
Despite the return of quarterback Josh McCown, the Browns fell to 0-8 on Sunday after losing to the Jets. With the Jets shutting down Cleveland's running game (though Isaiah Crowell did score on one-yard run), the pressure was on McCown to find open receivers in the red zone. His favorite target Sunday wasn't popular fantasy option Terrelle Pryor but Andrew Hawkins, who now co-leads the Browns in red-zone targets this season. Hawkins was excellent Sunday, catching three of his four red-zone looks, including touchdowns of one and five yards. The Browns have rushed on more than 60 percent of their plays inside the 10-yard line, but they've actually been passing more lately, which could allow Hawkins, who has three red-zone touchdowns in his last four games, to make some fantasy noise in the short term.
Cincinnati Bengals
Both Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard scored red-zone rushing touchdowns Sunday against Washington, but the split of touches in that area surely helps us decipher who is the more active back. Bernard scored on an eight-yard run in the first quarter, which was preceded by a five-yard scamper. However, those were his last red-zone carries of the game, as Hill was given seven carries inside the 20-yard line, including three inside the 10, and he scored on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter to tie the game. While the split isn't exactly news, it's worth noting that the Bengals have rushed on 49.23 percent of their red-zone plays this season, but they do so much more when they are in close, as they pass on only 42.86 percent of their plays inside the 10. If you're thinking that A.J. Green is a big red-zone weapon, then it may be a surprise that he only has seven red-zone targets this season, including just three inside the 10. Additionally, they've come in only four games.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs will have a huge void to fill in their backfield, with Jamaal Charles scheduled for visit Dr. James Andrews to examine his surgically repaired knee, while Spencer Ware left Sunday's game against the Colts because of a concussion. Charcandrick West looks slated to take over the backfield, which should come with solid red-zone opportunities. The Chiefs actually throw the ball more than they run it inside the 20 (60:40), but they run it slightly more (51 percent) inside the 10-yard line. Ware and Charles have combined for 72 percent of the red-zone carries, including 63 percent inside the 10, all of which should go to West if the others sit out.
New Orleans Saints
After fumbling early, running back Mark Ingram was relegated to the bench in favor of Tim Hightower, and while the latter got a number of carries from in close, his inability to close ultimately forced the Saints to run a QB sneak to score Sunday against the Seahawks. Hightower was given four consecutive carries inside the seven-yard line late in the second quarter before Drew Brees had to finish the job himself with a one-yard dive, so while Hightower's usage looks to be trending way up because of Ingram's ball security issue, the Saints didn't get much from the adjustment Sunday.
Philadelphia Eagles
Darren Sproles dominated the backfield touches Sunday against the Cowboys, rushing 15 times for 86 yards while also catching five of seven targets for 17 receiving yards. However, when the Eagles needed to run from in close, they turned to Ryan Mathews, who scored on a one-yard run in the second quarter. The touchdown carry was one of four during the entire game for Mathews, who has clearly fallen on the depth chart. However, he still maintains some value because he's getting touches near the goal line, and while the Eagles are trusting rookie quarterback Carson Wentz more, they have run the ball two-thirds of the time inside the 10-yard line this season despite passing on 52.05 percent of their total red-zone plays.
Seattle Seahawks
Jimmy Graham led the NFL in red-zone touchdowns in 2013, and he was second in 2014. He also led the NFL in red-zone targets in 2013 and finished eighth the next year. However, his ability to catch balls in the end zone has all but been ignored by the Seahawks, as he had 20 percent of his targets from inside the 20 for the season Sunday against the Saints. Unfortunately, it was just one (in fairness, he did get another that came from the 20-yard line). The Seahawks are another team that throws more than they run in the red zone (58:42), but the split flips when they get inside the 10-yard line, as they rush more than 61 percent of the time from in close. While that may seem understandable given Russell Wilson is a running quarterback (when healthy), he has not rushed a single time in the red zone this season. Literally not once. Now, he actually has never been a big runner near the goal line (his season-high for carries inside the five-yard line is two), so there's no need to overreact to his lack of usage this year, particularly with an injured knee and ankle. So while they continue to run the ball when they get close to the end zone, it has mostly benefitted Christine Michael, who has gotten 81 percent of their red-zone carries, including 85 percent from inside the five. If there is one thing that has capped Graham's fantasy upside during his time in Seattle, it's his lack of red-zone opportunities.
