This article will go game by game for the Week 5 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 WR vs. CB matchups likely to occur.
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 wide receiver vs. cornerback matchup. This shouldn't be read as 'good' or 'bad' but rather a measured tweak from the receiver's baseline projection.
Cleveland Browns vs. Minnesota Vikings
BROWNS WIDE RECEIVERS
Jerry Jeudy doesn't project especially well due to Cleveland's quarterback issues, as well as a potential shadow assignment from Byron Murphy. Murphy is beatable but not easily, and that assignment would make addition sense for Minnesota because Isaiah Rodgers is such a good trait match to Isaiah Bond as undersized, blazing-fast sprinters.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jerry Jeudy (arguable Downgrade for quarterback reasons), Isaiah Bond (see Jeudy)
VIKINGS WIDE RECEIVERS
Myles Harden might prove a good slot corner for
This article will go game by game for the Week 5 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 WR vs. CB matchups likely to occur.
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 wide receiver vs. cornerback matchup. This shouldn't be read as 'good' or 'bad' but rather a measured tweak from the receiver's baseline projection.
Cleveland Browns vs. Minnesota Vikings
BROWNS WIDE RECEIVERS
Jerry Jeudy doesn't project especially well due to Cleveland's quarterback issues, as well as a potential shadow assignment from Byron Murphy. Murphy is beatable but not easily, and that assignment would make addition sense for Minnesota because Isaiah Rodgers is such a good trait match to Isaiah Bond as undersized, blazing-fast sprinters.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jerry Jeudy (arguable Downgrade for quarterback reasons), Isaiah Bond (see Jeudy)
VIKINGS WIDE RECEIVERS
Myles Harden might prove a good slot corner for Cleveland, but he's probably not as good there as Greg Newsome and Denzel Ward are on the boundary. The Vikings might want to reconsider their most recent personnel tendencies, because previously the Vikings burned their slot reps on Jalen Nailor. It's not out of the question that Jordan Addison and especially Justin Jefferson could still beat Ward and Newsome on the boundary, but with 3/5 of the Vikings offensive line missing and the Browns pass rush a major concern there likely won't be much time for the easily-rattled Carson Wentz to throw.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Justin Jefferson (arguable downgrade for pass rush reasons), Jordan Addison (see Jefferson)
Indianapolis Colts vs. Las Vegas Raiders
COLTS WIDE RECEIVERS
Michael Pittman is ready to grapple with anyone and the Raiders intend to play a physical brand of football from the secondary. Perhaps big, long-armed corners like Kyu Blu Kelly and Eric Stokes or/and Darien Porter are built for such things in theory, but that style of play shouldn't faze Pittman and these corners otherwise likely aren't good in coverage. Adonai Mitchell doesn't project as cleanly due to Daniel Jones' limited downfield passing abilities and the fact that Kelly/Stokes/Porter can run downfield, but Mitchell's big-play ability is intriguing if he can get past the jam. Josh Downs is the real pressing question – as in, just what is going on with him? If Downs can't get going against Darnay Holmes or/and Jamal Adams here then it would be disappointing.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Michael Pittman, Josh Downs, Adonai Mitchell
RAIDERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Jakobi Meyers has a likely advantage over Mike Hilton when in the slot, though on the boundary Charvarius Ward might follow Meyers a bit. The interior offensive line blocking could be an issue for the Raiders against Indy's dominant defensive tackle duo, but Meyers should get enough looks in the slot to generally be in a good spot here. Dont'e Thornton can get behind Mekhi Blackmon if Ward is on Meyers, but Thornton needs to start catching his targets to maintain his usage. Tre Tucker might actually be a tougher cover for Ward than Blackmon, as the latter is built and moves more like Tucker, but Tucker generally doesn't have an obvious angle here.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Dont'e Thornton
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Denver Broncos
EAGLES WIDE RECEIVERS
A.J. Brown versus Patrick Surtain makes plenty of sense from Denver's side – Surtain is their top corner and Brown is the top Philadelphia wideout – and DeVonta Smith hasn't been able to make defenses pay for the focus they otherwise give to Brown. Riley Moss should be a winnable matchup for Smith when on the boundary and Ja'Quan McMillian in the slot is also more beatable than Surtain, so the Eagles could really use Smith stepping up in this difficult moment.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: A.J. Brown (arguable downgrade if shadowed by Surtain), DeVonta Smith
BRONCOS WIDE RECEIVERS
Quinyon Mitchell figures to follow around Courtland Sutton – it's a trait match and strength-on-strength matchup that a corner like Mitchell is made for. That's not to say Sutton can't land his own punches, but avoiding Mitchell would be preferable. By shadowing Sutton with Mitchell the Eagles also keep Sutton way from Kelee Ringo or Adoree' Jackson, both of whom would be at major disadvantages against Sutton. Marvin Mims could also do big damage against the likes of Ringo and Jackson, but getting Sean Payton to give playing time to Mims is like pulling teeth. Troy Franklin should get his reps and his targets but Cooper DeJean won't make it easy to hold on to the ball.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Courtland Sutton (raise to Even if not shadowed by Mitchell), Troy Franklin
Even: Marvin Mims
Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans
RAVENS WIDE RECEIVERS
Perhaps I'm selling Cooper Rush short, but this looks like a buzzsaw collision to me, especially if Derek Stingley (oblique) is near full strength. Rush has a popgun arm and the Texans pass rush is lively – two details that dictate the Ravens are unlikely to throw the ball downfield in this game. The Texans likely suspect as much too, which if so would give them reason to crash downward that much harder, leaving even less room for Zay Flowers to leverage against the coverage. Every play with Rush is like a goal-to-go situation – the field is tiny and it's harder for receivers to get open when the defense doesn't need to cover much field.
Flowers should still see desperate targets from the Ravens as they almost certainly lose, and some potential for garbage-time upside might exist to a lesser extent for someone like Rashod Bateman, but this Ravens offense figures to look ugly in this one.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Zay Flowers (mostly for QB reasons), Rashod Bateman
Even: N/A
TEXANS WIDE RECEIVERS
Nate Wiggins might shadow Nico Collins in this one, but Collins is much bigger than Wiggins and the Ravens might have Wiggins simply play one side since the remaining Ravens corners all need help anyway. Keyon Martin in the slot should be vulnerable to Christian Kirk, while the other boundary rep – be it Jaire Alexander or TJ Tampa – is likely beatable too. Then again, if the Texans keep wasting snaps on Xavier Hutchinson over Jayden Higgins then that's one way to make the cornerback look good.
Upgrade: Christian Kirk
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Nico Collins (Upgrade if not shadowed by Wiggins)
New York Jets vs. Dallas Cowboys
JETS WIDE RECEIVERS
Garrett Wilson should be in a good spot here. The Dallas pass rush is unlikely to rattle Justin Fields, and meanwhile corners like Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland are more opportune gamblers than they are real shutdown corners. If they have to cover Wilson one-on-one then Wilson has the advantage. Someone like Josh Reynolds deserves less benefit of the doubt, especially after failing to log a single reception last week. In the slot Reddy Steward is not particularly concerning.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Garrett Wilson, Josh Reynolds
COWBOYS WIDE RECEIVERS
You're still starting George Pickens either way because the volume share projection is so good and because Pickens is a standout talent, but the Jets would pretty much be crazy to not shadow Pickens with Sauce Gardner this week. Letting Pickens get shots at Brandon Stephens just isn't reasonable if you're the Jets. Even Jalen Tolbert might be able to get a little bit going against Stephens. Isaiah Oliver in the slot might even be tougher than Stephens, and Oliver is the backup behind Michael Carter.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: George Pickens (Upgrade if not shadowed by Gardner), Jalen Tolbert (arguable Upgrade if Pickens is shadowed by Gardner)
New Orleans Saints vs. New York Giants
SAINTS WIDE RECEIVERS
Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed are both capable of dusting any of the three notable Giants corners – the boundary duo of Paulson Adebo and Cor'Dale Flott with Dru Phillips in the slot – but Spencer Rattler simply will not push the ball downfield and in this game he might not get the chance to if the Giants pass rush stays lively at New Orleans' expense.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed
GIANTS WIDE RECEIVERS
Wan'Dale Robinson still needs Darius Slayton to keep the safeties back a bit, but in general Robinson should be well-situated in the slot here and Slayton as always poses a downfield burn threat if the defense doesn't keep a safety over the top. From the slot Alontae Taylor is liable to be out of position, while on the boundary Kool-Aid McKinstry needs to be careful to not let Slayton gain a step.
Upgrade: Wan'Dale Robinson
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Darius Slayton
Carolina Panthers vs. Miami Dolphins
PANTHERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Pray that the Miami pass rush doesn't rattle Bryce Young too badly – no guarantees there – but if Young stands in the pocket Tetairoa McMillan will almost certainly get open against these Miami corners. Jack Jones and Rasul Douglas would not start for any other teams. Jones can't grapple with McMillan and Douglas can't run with him. Xavier Legette doesn't deserve the benefit of the doubt, not even against corners like these, but perhaps the second-year wideout will begin to prove himself soon. Hunter Renfrow might be able to do something against Miami's slot corner rotation.
Upgrade: Tetairoa McMillan
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Xavier Legette, Hunter Renfrow
DOLPHINS WIDE RECEIVERS
I personally suspect Jaylen Waddle would get the better of Jaycee Horn in a fair matchup, but the limitations of Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins overall offense have fallen hard on Waddle the last two years. The absence of Tyreek Hill grants a greater target share perhaps, but also more focus from the defense. Malik Washington would get the easier matchup if Horn follows Waddle, with the alternatives being Mike Jackson and Chau Smith-Wade, with Washington especially seeing Smith-Wade or whoever might be in the slot. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine might get involved.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jaylen Waddle (arguable Upgrade if not shadowed by Horn), Malik Washington, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
Seattle Seahawks vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
SEAHAWKS WIDE RECEIVERS
You don't worry about Jaxon Smith-Njigba in general, even against tougher defenses, but this matchup should be closer to favorable than not. Zyon McCollum is athletic but at his build has heavy feet by cornerback standards – the rookie third-round pick Jacob Parrish is probably the tougher matchup for JSN – but in any case JSN should be able to pile up some targets in this one. If Parrish remains in the slot in three-wide looks then that could be a challenging matchup for Cooper Kupp, but perhaps Kupp has some veteran tricks that the rookie isn't ready for. Tory Horton probably doesn't project well against McCollum and Parrish looks tough too, but someone like Kindle Vildor might need to play in this game and most receivers can beat him.
Upgrade: Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Cooper Kupp, Tory Horton
BUCCANEERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka should both be in a good spot here. The Seahawks are down slot corner Devon Witherspoon, meaning a green light for either of Godwin or Egbuka when lined up there, and Riq Woolen on the boundary probably would struggle to mirror the route running of Godwin and Egbuka.
Upgrade: Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A
Arizona Cardinals vs. Tennessee Titans
CARDINALS WIDE RECEIVERS
Marvin Harrison needs to play better, but the Cardinals make things hard on him by using Harrison in a way that forces the defense to focus on him, even without trying, whereas properly utilizing a player like Harrison would be in a way where the defense is deterred from focusing on Harrison. The Titans corners can't cover him, be it L'Jarius Sneed or Roger McCreary, but with constant double teams and with no room generated by the spacing of the offense Harrison will always struggle to find separation. Michael Wilson doesn't get as much benefit of the doubt, but at least the defense doesn't care as much about him.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Marvin Harrison, Michael Wilson
TITANS WIDE RECEIVERS
Calvin Ridley is questionable and is fragile enough as it is, so it's hard to be optimistic for him against a Cardinals secondary with a decent amount of talent. Elic Ayomanor is nothing if not rugged, by contrast, and any slack from Ridley's ineffectiveness falls on Ayomanor along with Chig Okonkwo and to a lesser extent slot man Tyler Lockett. It will be interesting to see if Chimere Dike plays more in light of Ridley's issues, but even if he gets snaps Dike's role will likely be to leverage his speed to create openings for Ayomanor et al.
If Will Johnson (groin) can return then it would give the Cardinals a good one-two punch on the boundary between himself and promising second-year corner Max Melton. You don't like Ayomanor to win those matchups exactly, but the repeated targeting that comes with slack should be able to carry Ayomanor to a useful target count at least.
Uprade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor, Tyler Lockett, Chimere Dike
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Detroit Lions
BENGALS WIDE RECEIVERS
Jake Browning might be bad enough to mess up even a favorable matchup, but at least we know in this game that the Lions corners can't cover Ja'Marr Chase and probably not Tee Higgins either. Whereas the Denver matchup last week was a perfect storm of problems for the Bengals, with this matchup they have some wiggle room in that they know Terrion Arnold can't cover these receivers and even D.J. Reed at 5-foot-9 is not well built to defend the rim against receivers like these.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins
LIONS WIDE RECEIVERS
Amon-Ra St. Brown could see surprisingly tough coverage from Dax Hill in the slot, while on the boundary the duo of Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner is far from a pushover. St. Brown might find the sledding easiest on the boundary, where his precision could be an issue for Taylor-Britt and where St. Brown's physicality could be an issue for Turner.
Jameson Williams is always dangerous in the sense that any opening could occur at a long-distance cost for the defense. In terms of the corner matchup, though, there's no obvious edge. Taylor-Britt is fast and Turner is faster yet.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Washington Commanders
CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVERS
If the Chargers don't get Ladd McConkey going here against Mike Sainristil then they should consider it a bad sign for the offense. Keenan Allen can only attack underneath depths and banking on Quentin Johnston to make up the difference every week isn't a sustainable solution. With that said, the boundary corner play of Marshon Lattimore has been less than good, so Johnston and Allen should project fine versus the corners. The real concern is the Chargers' pass blocking – with backups at both tackle spots and an unsettled interior the whole line is pretty much a mess.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, Keenan Allen
COMMANDERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Terry McLaurin is out and Deebo Samuel (heel) is questionable. After Samuel you likely have Chris Moore and Luke McCaffrey, both of whom are fairly interesting, especially if Samuel is out.
With that said, the Chargers defense is well coached and the corners play above their talent level, consistently. Tarheeb Still in the slot is probably the toughest one – that's who McCaffrey might see most – but on the boundary Donte Jackson and Cam Hart are not beaten easily, either.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Deebo Samuel, Chris Moore, Luke McCaffrey
Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots
BILLS WIDE RECEIVERS
Christian Gonzalez only played the right side in Week 1, so Keon Coleman can get away from him and face the more favorable Carlton Davis if the Bills want to call it that way. Unfortunately, Joe Brady's usage plans are never published beforehand, and the Bills like to feature a horizontally-oriented wideout rotation that last week left Joshua Palmer with just 15 snaps. Khalil Shakir in the slot might be the most dependable one, and against Marcus Jones there's nothing concerning in the matchup.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir
PATRIOTS WIDE RECEIVERS
Stefon Diggs can probably beat both of Christian Benford and Tre'Davious White, but the Bills know Diggs can only push so far downfield and will likely keep their corners in opportune spots to pounce. Kayshon Boutte is functioning mostly like a decoy, though one who can hurt the Bills deep if they don't take him seriously. Mack Hollins needs the defense to cut him loose, which only happens occasionally.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Kansas City Chiefs
JAGUARS WIDE RECEIVERS
Brian Thomas has been such a mess that it's not clear why the Chiefs would send Trent McDuffie on a shadow assignment. McDuffie on one side, Jaylen Watson on the other and Chamarri Conner in the slot is the likely primary loadout. The more the Chiefs play Conner in the slot, the more reason the Jaguars have to give Travis Hunter slot looks. Predicting the usage of Dyami Brown (shoulder) and Parker Washington is borderline impossible.
Upgrade: Travis Hunter
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Brian Thomas, Dyami Brown, Parker Washington
CHIEFS WIDE RECEIVERS
JuJu Smith-Schuster and Xavier Worthy appear to be the clear top-two at wideout for the Chiefs, with Hollywood Brown and Tyquan Thornton splitting the scraps. The Jaguars secondary looks tough all the way through.
Smith-Schuster should see a lot of slot corner Jourdan Lewis while facing Tyson Campbell on the remaining reps, while Worthy should mostly see Campbell and the more beatable Montaric Brown. It will be interesting to see how the Jaguars handle Travis Hunter, who would probably replace Brown on the boundary.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Xavier Worthy (the less Hunter the better), JuJu Smith-Schuster, Hollywood Brown
