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| OAK at HOU | SD at PIT | SEA at IND | STL at SF | TB at WAS | TEN at JAX | ||
Week 4 Game Recap: Detroit Lions 24, Chicago Bears 48
Detroit Lions
| QB Matthew Stafford, Pass: 24 - 36 - 296 - 1 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 2 - 20 - 0 |
Stafford put up respectable numbers against Chicago, keeping the Lions in the Week 4 game against Chicago throughout the first half. Stafford racked up 221 yards in the first half on 23 attempts, moving the ball well and keeping pace with Jay Cutler and Matt Forte pushing the totals higher on the scoreboard. Stafford could have had an even bigger day but his accuracy leaves something to be desired. His receivers were open on most every attempt, but it was Stafford's errant throws (often too high) that cost Detroit the completion. Late in the game, Stafford was sacked and his knee folded under him, forcing him to leave the game in favor of Daunte Culpepper. Stafford did not return to the game after the injury, but Detroit was likely just playing it safe as the game was already decided by the midpoint of the fourth quarter. It remains to be seen if he will be healthy enough to face Pittsburgh in Week 5.
| QB Daunte Culpepper, Pass: 6 - 11 - 54 - 0 TD / 0 INT |
Daunte Culpepper came in for the injured Matthew Stafford in Week 4. Stafford hurt his knee in the fourth quarter so Culpepper came in and played respectably, but the game was already decided by the point of the game where he entered. Culpepper's value is only if Stafford is held out next week against Pittsburgh.
| RB Kevin Smith, Rush: 19 - 30 - 2, Rec: 4 - 21 - 0 (4 targets) |
Kevin Smith was active in Week 4, showing surprising resilience after sustaining an injury to his shoulder last week. He was expected to probably miss this contest as recently as three days before the Chicago game but he showed his toughness just by being able to go for this game. Smith did not have a big game as the Bears' front seven keyed on him, but he did just enough to keep the offense balanced in the first half of the contest. Smith averaged under two yards a carry but did punch the ball over the goal line twice against Chicago. Despite several missing starters for Chicago they had little trouble hemming in the Detroit running game. Once the game got out of hand in the fourth quarter, Smith's contributions were minimized as the Lions dropped back to throw deep most of the time.
| RB Jerome Felton, Rush: 2 - 12 - 0, Rec: 3 - 23 - 0 (3 targets) |
Jerome Felton saw a few touches in Week 4 but the Lions' fullback, like many NFL fullbacks, does not see enough of a workload for any meaningful fantasy value.
| RB Maurice Morris, Rush: 1 - 13 - 0, Rec: 1 - 1 - 0 (2 targets) |
Morris' utilization for Detroit in Week 4 was kept to a minimum thanks to Kevin Smith's ability to make his start against Chicago. Morris saw the ball heading his way just three times, converting two targets for one short catch to compliment a first quarter 13-yard carry on first and 25, which only gained that much due to the penalty that pushed Detroit back.
| RB Aaron Brown, Rush: 1 - 3 - 0, Rec: 1 - 14 - 0 (1 targets) |
Rookie RB Aaron Brown had one catch in the opening quarter of Week 4, but for the most part he was solely used as a kick returner against Chicago. With Kevin Smith healthy and Maurice Morris ahead of him on the depth chart, Brown has no fantasy value.
| WR Calvin Johnson, Rush: 1 - 12 - 0, Rec: 8 - 133 - 0 (12 targets) |
As expected, Calvin Johnson led all Detroit receivers in yardage, targets and receptions by a wide margin. The Bears' secondary is not at full strength and was questionable even before injuries started to hit them, so the Lions' game plan against Chicago was to push the ball downfield with Calvin Johnson. Johnson adjusted on errant and inaccurate throws from Stafford, making both of their numbers look better. Once Stafford settles in and gets used to the pro level the sky is the limit for Johnson.
| WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 3 - 27 - 0 (6 targets) |
Bryant Johnson has more than he could ever ask for as an NFL wideout at this stage of his career -- defenses have to key on Calvin Johnson every week and Bryant Johnson as a result draws the second corner and thinner coverage in practically every contest. Despite all that, Johnson converted only half of his six targets for a total of 27 yards against a weak Chicago secondary in Week 4. Johnson's performances are highly erratic as sometimes he will put up a good game, but he remains a very questionable weekly fantasy player.
| WR Dennis Northcutt, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (2 targets) |
Dennis Northcutt had only one catch in Week 4 and has little fantasy value unless Calvin Johnson or Bryant Johnson gets injured. Detroit's WR3 should remain on your league's waiver wire.
| TE Brandon Pettigrew, Rec: 4 - 64 - 0 (10 targets) |
Rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew was open often down the middle of the field against Chicago, but fellow rookie Matthew Stafford's inaccurate tosses in his direction cost him a huge fantasy game. Pettigrew grabbed four of the 10 targets that were directed towards him against the Bears in Week 4, which bodes well for future weeks for his fantasy numbers. Detroit faces Pittsburgh next week, a team that has had issues this season with big tight ends.
| TE Will Heller, Rec: 3 - 53 - 1 (5 targets) |
TE Will Heller saw several looks from Matthew Stafford in Week 4, particularly in the red zone. Heller ran down the seam and worked the intermediate depth routes, getting open a few times against Chicago and highlighted by a 14-yard touchdown over the middle of the field. Heller's numbers may have peaked against the Bears simply because he is the second tight end and a distant one at that considering that Brandon Pettigrew was targeted 10 times against Chicago. Don't chase his fantasy numbers.
Chicago Bears
| QB Jay Cutler, Pass: 18 - 28 - 141 - 2 TD / 0 INT, Rush: 3 - 8 - 1 |
Jay Cutler may have left Denver this past off-season, but apparently the Denver has not left Cutler. He managed the game well enough in Week 4 against the Lions, mixing the pass in well enough to compliment a strong ground attack, but his highlight came on a rushing touchdown in the first quarter. Channeling his best John Elway impersonation, Cutler leaped at the goal line and helicoptered through a tackle, landing in the end zone for the score. Cutler was also limited without a healthy Devin Hester and a Detroit secondary focused upon TE Greg Olsen, but he should easily remain as fantasy starting QB after the Week 5 bye.
| RB Matt Forte, Rush: 12 - 121 - 1, Rec: 2 - 19 - 0 (3 targets) |
So what is the prescription for an ailing yards per carry average? A game against the Detroit Lions is one acceptable answer. Forte broke off two simple run plays that were designed to go off-tackle and broke them for huge gains, including a 61-yard sprint to the Red Zone in the first quarter. Forte later added a 37-yard gain that accounted for most of his 121 yards rushing on the day. Forte looks strong and with little threat to his production, so get him right back in your lineup after the Week 5 bye.
| RB Garrett Wolfe, Rush: 5 - 22 - 1, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (1 targets) |
Garrett Wolfe moved up the depth chart against Detroit in Week 4 after the early injury to Adrian N. Peterson. Wolfe closed out the game with the contest long decided, racking up most of his yardage during the point of the game that only a fantasy fanatic would love. Wolfe even found the end zone with Forte resting on the sideline in the fourth quarter. If Peterson's health remains a question, Wolfe becomes a strong handcuff to Matt Forte going forward.
| RB Adrian Peterson |
Peterson hurt his knee in the first half, which is meaningful only because his exit affords Garrett Wolfe an opportunity to assert himself as the true handcuff to Matt Forte.
| WR Johnny Knox, Rec: 5 - 31 - 0 (8 targets) |
Johnny Knox continued to show his big play capabilities as the rookie burst from the end zone to start the second half, returning the opening kickoff of the third quarter 102 yards for a touchdown. Knox looked to have passed Earl Bennett on the pecking order, but time will tell here as this has been a back and forth situation as to who really is the WR2 in Chicago. The Bears are off in Week 5 so this story may develop during the bye week. Regardless of the lineup, Knox will see the field and Jay Cutler has confidence in his abilities and is giving him plenty of chances as shown by his five grabs against Detroit.
| WR Earl Bennett, Rec: 2 - 32 - 0 (2 targets) |
Earl Bennett had one very nice catch over the middle for a long gain of 25 yards to end the first quarter, but this capped his production on the day. Bennett basically disappeared after the first period, getting zero targets even after Devin Hester was forced out with an injury. Jay Cutler did not throw much on the day, but Bennett fell out of favor for rookie Johnny Knox and also targets to TE Greg Olsen.
| WR Rashied Davis, Rec: 2 - 16 - 0 (2 targets) |
Davis had one catch just before halftime as the Bears tried to get in field goal range, and then followed that up with another grab late in the game when the outcome was long since decided. Davis has no real fantasy value right now.
| WR Devin Hester, Rec: 1 - 2 - 0 (1 targets) |
Devin Hester had to leave the Week 4 tilt with the Detroit Lions early. Hester injured his shoulder on a tackle by S Louis Delmas on an attempted wide receiver screen and went to the locker room for testing and evaluation and did not return to action. Since Week 5 is a bye and the Bears took over the game early in the second half, keeping him out of the game was a wise move.
| TE Desmond Clark, Rec: 2 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) |
Backup tight end Desmond Clark had two short catches in the second half as he minimally contributed to the offense as far as personally moving the ball. Clark's main value to the Bears is as a blocking TE and he remains well behind Greg Olsen on the depth chart.
| TE Kellen Davis, Rec: 2 - 20 - 1 (2 targets) |
TE Kellen Davis caught a short pass early in Week 4 on a goal line formation play that allowed for Davis to slip out to the left and make an easy catch from Jay Cutler for the score. Davis added a late catch after the game was decided, but he is well down the pecking order in the offense and has no fantasy value right now.
| TE Greg Olsen, Rec: 1 - 1 - 1 (7 targets) |
Greg Olsen was blanketed in Week 4 against Detroit, getting only one catch despite seven targets against the Lions. Olsen made the most of his one grab, scoring on a goal line play where he was wide open at the back middle of the end zone as Detroit overplayed the run. Olsen was also open on another end zone chance but Jay Cutler's throw took him out of bounds on a fade to the left side of the end zone.