Top 5 WR Performances of Week 9

Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver Jeremy Maclin has looked like a legit No. 1 wideout throughout the 2014 season, and Mark Sanchez will undoubtedly look to him early and often. Maclin has been taking opposing cornerbacks to school, and he cracks our top five list again. Joining him is a standout rookie, a certain big-name WR who was traded at the deadline, an underrated second-year wideout, and a sure-fire elite receiver. I would like to give Jacksonville Jaguars UDFA rookie Allen Hurns an honorable mention, because he barely missed the cut.

New York Jets WR Percy Harvin

Hurns and Harvin jockeyed for this spot, but I ultimately gave the nod to Harvin, who caught 11 passes for 129 yards on 13 targets and looked exactly like the player the Jets decided to roll the dice on. There’s no denying Harvin’s talent, and he took well to Michael Vick at quarterback, and Vick also hit up big-name receiver Eric Decker on nine of his completions. Geno Smith is clearly an afterthought now, as Vick has finally made good use of two of the more talented wideouts in the game. The Jets did a great job of getting Harvin involved in the offense, and he can be a huge weapon if the offensive coordinator is wiling to be creative (surprisingly, Darrell Bevell was not creative with Harvin this season, which goes against what he’s done in the past).

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Houston Texans WR DeAndre Hopkins

I can only imagine how good DeAndre Hopkins would be if he were given a better quarterback, because he could very well already be a true No. 1 receiver in this league. Hopkins received 11 targets and turned them into 115 yards and a touchdown against the Eagles secondary, while the Texans actual No. 1 wideout, Andre Johnson, mustered just two catches for 15 yards on seven targets. Hopkins is starting to heat up, and Ryan Fitzpatrick is starting to hit him up more often, which can only mean good things for the Texans offense.

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown

Easily one of the game’s best wide receiver, Antonio Brown was the main beneficiary of a second-straight six-touchdown performance from star QB Ben Roethlisberger, as Brown caught 11 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown on a whopping 16 targets, with his TD going for 54 yards. Sometimes I wonder if there’s something Brown can’t do, because, like Jordy Nelson and Golden Tate, it seems like there isn’t a legitimate weakness to his game. Even when Roethlisberger cools down a bit, Brown will still put up monster numbers, and he already has a ridiculous 71 receptions for 996 yards and eight touchdowns. That’s insane, because most receivers would kill for stats like that.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans

Some Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans have lost hope, and the Bucs dropped another one this past week after losing to the Cleveland Browns 22-17. But for those of you giving up on the Buccaneers season, Mike Evans should give you plenty of hope for the future (hopefully running back Charles Sims can do the same). Evans is a monster of a receiver blessed with elite physical tools, and he showed off his hands and catch radius by hauling in seven passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns, roasting inferior cornerbacks while Vincent Jackson was locked up with elite corner Joe Haden. Evans has a chance to become an elite receiver in this league, and he’s had a very positive rookie year thus far.

Philadelphia Eagles WR Jeremy Maclin

For the second straight week, Maclin has locked up a spot on this list of five, and it’s much harder to crack this list as a wide receiver than it is at any other position. Maclin is putting on free pass-catching clinics, and his playmaking ability has been on full display in Chip Kelly’s offense with the added benefit of no longer having to compete with DeSean Jackson for vertical targets. He averaged an insane 26.5 yards per reception on Sunday, burning up the Houston Texans overwhelmed secondary, as he needed just seven targets to notch an incredible 158 yards on six receptions, including two touchdowns. It’s hard to top that kind of efficiency, and Maclin’s impact on the Eagles offense has been hard to overstate this year.