Breakdowns
12/15/21
6 min read
Week 14 Rookie Report: Chase to the Bank
Whether they are high draft picks, late-round value picks, or undrafted free agents, we’ll take a look each week of the NFL season at how NFL rookies are doing. Here’s this week’s report:
Stock Up Offensive Players
QB: Justin Fields - After being out a couple of weeks, Fields returned in prime-time and played pretty well all things considered. He finished 18/33, 224 yards, 2/2, and a passer rating of 70.8. He also added 74 yards on the ground and finished the game with a grade of 49.6.
RB: Javonte Williams - Even with Melvin Gordon back this week, Williams still played at a very high level. He rushed the ball 15 times for 73 yards and a score and had a 10 yard TD catch. He finished with a grade of 70.3.
WR: Ja’Marr Chase - Chase has been absent from this list as of late but finally makes his awaited return. He returned to dominance with 5 catches for 77 yards and 2 TDs, good for a grade of 73.6.
WR: Rashod Bateman - Bateman has not played as well in the past few weeks, but he turned it around on Sunday. Even without Lamar Jackson for most of the game, he caught 7 passes for 103 yards, finishing with a grade of 71.8.
OL: Penei Sewell - Sewell has played great in the back half of the season and continued that on Sunday. He allowed just 2 pressures in pass protection and was very effective as a run blocker. He finished with a grade of 91.0.
OL: Quinn Meinerz - Meinerz returned from a down week with a great performance on Sunday. He was very good as a run blocker and did not allow any pressures in pass protection. He earned a grade of 79.9.
Stock Down Offensive Players
QB: Trevor Lawrence - All of the noise this week surrounding the Jaguars coaching staff may have affected Lawrence, as he had what was probably his worst game in his career. He was 24/40, 221 yards, 0/4 Int, and a passer rating of 35.5. He finished with a grade of 44.0
QB: Zach Wilson - After playing very well last week, Wilson struggled to get in a rhythm, with his injured offense, against the Saints. He was 19/42, 202 yards, 0 TD, with a 59.8 passer rating. He was credited with 10 off-target throws, as he finished with a grade of just 53.2
TE: Pat Freiermuth - Freiermuth, who has played well most of the season, did not get very involved on Thursday night. He caught just 2 passes for 32 yards, finishing with a grade of 49.8.
OL: Alex Leatherwood - Leatherwood has played poorly all season and Sunday was no different. He allowed 2 sacks and 9 pressures in pass protection, as he finished with a pass protection grade of 0.0 and an overall grade of 29.9
OL: Teven Jenkins - Jenkins made his career debut on Sunday night at LT and unfortunately for him, struggled. He allowed 2 sacks and 4 pressures in pass protection, good for a grade of just 25.0.
Stock Up Defensive Players
DL: Malcolm Koonce - Koonce made just his second career appearance on Sunday, and played really well once again. He had a tackle, sack, and QBH. He finished with a grade of 70.9.
LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah - Owusu-Koramoah played very well on Sunday, similar to how he played at the beginning of the year. He had 5 tackles and a QBH, as well as allowing just 4 catches for 16 yards, good for a grade of 66.2.
LB: Micah Parsons - No surprise here as Parsons had another spectacular game, as he was all over the field. He, once again, contributed as a pass rusher, as he had 2 sacks, 2 QBHs, and a TFL. He finished with a grade of 78.3.
DB: Nate Hobbs - Hobbs played really well on Sunday once again. He allowed just 1 catch for 5 yards and had 3 tackles. He finished with a grade of 68.9.
DB: Paulson Adebo - Adebo was in a matchup we highlighted going into the week, and although Elijah Moore did not play, Adebo played very well. He had 5 tackles and 2 PDs, as he finished with a grade of 76.2.
Stock Down Defensive Players
DL: Levi Onwuzurike - Onwuzurike has been pretty solid thus far in his career, but was held in check on Sunday. He did not do too much in the run game and did not win at a high rate in the pass rush. He finished with a grade of just 29.9.
DL: Roy Lopez - Lopez who has been of the league's most surprising and consistent rookies unfortunately did not play well on Sunday. He was not able to generate any pressure in the pass rush and was held off the stat sheet in the run game. He finished with a grade of 27.7.
LB: Derrick Barnes - Barnes had a tough game yet again, as he did not play well in the run or in coverage. He allowed 3 catches for 51 yards and a TD, earning himself a grade of 25.7.
DB: Darren Hall - Hall, a fourth-round selection for the Falcons, has played alright in spot appearances here and there. On Sunday, he allowed 4 catches for 64 yards, earning himself a grade of 50.3.
DB: Ambry Thomas - Thomas has been on and off the field this season and has not really played great. He could not turn that around on Sunday as he allowed 3 catches for 81 yards and a TD. He earned a grade of just 38.1.
Week 15 Matchups
Going into Week 15, there are some noteworthy matchups of rookies that will be worth keeping an eye on.
Trevor Lawrence VS Davis Mills - Lawrence is coming off his worst game as a pro and will look to turn it around in Week 15. Mills, who is now the Texans’ full-time starter, played well on Sunday and will look to keep that going.
Zach Wilson VS Jevon Holland/Jaelan Phillips - Wilson did not play in the Jets’ first matchup with the Dolphins and will look to play better than he did on Sunday, where he struggled. On the other side, he will face two of the best rookies in the league, as Jaelan Phillips and Jevon Holland have both consistently played great as of late.
