Top 5 WR Performances of Week 6
Each week, we take a look at the top five performances at the quarterback and running back positions, but we’re going to change things up this week by taking a look at the top five wide receiver performances, including the big day Mohamed Sanu had against the Carolina Panthers as the team’s de facto No. 1 wideout with A.J. Green and Marvin Jones injured.
Chicago Bears WRs Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall
It was too hard to choose between them, because these guys work in tandem, and they were both fantastic in the Bears 27-13 win over the defensively-challenged Atlanta Falcons, who absolutely could not cope with either player. Jay Cutler had an impressive day on the stat sheet, hitting up Jeffery for 136 yards on five receptions, while Marshall caught six passes for 113 yards. Jeffery had the more impressive day on the stat sheet, needing just seven targets compared to Marshall’s nine and averaging an incredible 27.2 yards per reception.
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Cincinnati Bengals WR Mohamed Sanu
The pressure was on Sanu to lead the way against the Panthers burnable secondary, and he sure as heck did his job in the 37-37 tie with ten receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown. Andy Dalton and the Bengals fed him for 14 targets, as the next most targeted pass-catcher was tight end Jermaine Gresham, who moved the chains with six catches and 68 yards on seven targets (half of Sanu’s targets). With Green questionable for next week’s game and Jones officially on the injured reserve, the Bengals can have some confidence in Sanu, though he will draw assignments against Vontae Davis.
Indianapolis Colts WR T.Y. Hilton
T.Y. Hilton earned our Player of the Week award for a truly dominant display against the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football, as the young playmaker showed why he is the focal point of the Colts offense by astoundingly catching all nine of the passes thrown at him for 223 yards and a touchdown. Hilton caught a 33-yard TD, beating D.J. Swearinger in coverage, and he made well-regarded veteran cornerback Jonathan Joseph look silly for most of the game. Hilton is one of the best playmakers in the NFL, and he’s capable of the extraordinary in any given week; he certainly did that in Week 6.
Oakland Raiders WR Andre Holmes
There are always plenty of fantastic wide receiver performances, and young gun Andre Holmes had the kind of display to match Chargers cornerback Jason Verrett, who was also superb in the Chargers 31-28 win. Holmes was Derek Carr‘s best target in Carr’s four-touchdown display, taking full advantage of Brandon Flowers‘s injury to catch two of Carr’s four TDs. He showed plenty of promise last season, and he finally had a big game this year, finishing with four receptions for 121 yards. For those of you keeping track, yes, that’s a little over 30 yards per catch, which is a ridiculous average indeed.
Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald
The Pitt product certainly enjoyed Carson Palmer‘s much-anticipated return to the starting lineup, as he benefited from having a quarterback with legit accuracy and, also, from one of the NFL’s most pitiful pass defenses. Fitzgerald generated some nice yards after the catch, and he also showed off his reliability by hauling in all six passes thrown at him with 98 yards to his credit. The rest of the Cardinals pass-catchers were relatively quiet, so Fitzgerald’s performance was especially key.