This article will go game by game for the Week 13 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.
Carolina Panthers vs. Los Angeles Rams
PANTHERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Sean McVay has clearly figured out some sort of Moneyball scheme with the Rams cornerbacks – all of them are no-namers who can't play man coverage, yet most teams seem to struggle to throw on the Rams – but Tetairoa McMillan still looks like a tough cover for these corners. Cobie Durant and Darious Williams are short, while Emmanuel Forbes is a stringbean. Those guys can stand in the right spot all day, but when the ball is in the air McMillan can snatch it from above the rim.
Xavier Legette is owed no such benefit of the doubt. Jalen Coker in the slot might be able to get the better of Josh Wallace a couple times, though.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Xavier Legette
Even: Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker
RAMS WIDE RECEIVERS
It's rarely warranted to call any matchup an Upgrade for Puka Nacua, just because he tends to project so well regardless of the matchup. This still might be a slight Upgrade for both Nacua and Davante Adams, though, because Jaycee Horn is out and the remaining Carolina corners are backup types.
Upgrade: Puka Nacua, Davante Adams
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A
Cleveland Browns vs. San Francisco 49ers
BROWNS WIDE RECEIVERS
It's still probably not advised to start him in a lot of cases given the likely limitations of Shedeur Sanders, but Jerry Jeudy can probably beat guys like Deommodore Lenoir and especially Renardo Green. Cedric Tillman has a height advantage over both corners and might be able to leverage that, but it's the slot especially where Tillman has an advantage against the unimpressive rookie Upton Stout.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman (Upgrade if not for QB reasons)
49ERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Brock Purdy couldn't throw the ball credibly from any farther than 10 yards or so last week, and as long as that's the case it will be difficult for Ricky Pearsall to produce. Pearsall's explosiveness makes him a classic downfield playmaker, but if the quarterback can't throw downfield it's moot. Jauan Jennings might be the better bet if Purdy is still messed up – Jennings runs shorter routes in general, and only Pearsall has the speed to draw double teams between the two. It's a difficult matchup for both players, though – Myles Garrett is a pass rush in himself and the corner duo of Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell is one of the best in the league.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ricky Pearsall, Jauan Jennings
Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans
COLTS WIDE RECEIVERS
This looks challenging. Michael Pittman can fight through difficult conditions but between facing Derek Stingley and Kamari Lassiter while Daniel Jones plays through a fractured fibula (how?) this looks especially difficult for Pittman and Alec Pierce. Pierce can still dust Lassiter downfield – Lassiter is slow – but getting downfield before the Houston pass rush arrives is easier said than done. Josh Downs can get open quickly underneath, but Jalen Pitre is more comfortable crashing downward in the slot than turning and running downfield.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Michael Pittman
Even: Alec Pierce (arguable Downgrade if Stingley does not shadow Pittman), Josh Downs
TEXANS WIDE RECEIVERS
Nico Collins is great and you're still starting him, but Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward are probably the corner duo he'd least like to see. Collins in the slot against Kenny Moore is far preferable for Collins – Moore is more like a rover than a corner, and at 5-foot-9 he can't defend Collins vertically – but the Colts might anticipate that and prepare extra help for Moore over the top so Moore can crash at Collins without fear of getting beat deep. Christian Kirk should get most of the slot looks against Moore, to uncertain effect.
Jayden Higgins has no obvious route to producing here, in my opinion. Gardner and Ward are both excellent trait matches to Higgins/Collins and Gardner/Ward have enough skill to make this brutal for Higgins.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins
Even: Christian Kirk
Miami Dolphins vs. New Orleans Saints
DOLPHINS WIDE RECEIVERS
Jaylen Waddle can beat up all of these Saints corners. The only threat to Waddle here is the possibility that the Dolphins go run-heavy and limit Waddle's routes as a result, but in terms of corner matchups each of Alontae Taylor (base/slot), Kool-Aid McKinstry (base/boundary) and rookie Quincy Riley (boundary).
Malik Washington sees enough low-ADOT target volume that his matchups don't matter as much, but Taylor can probably hold his own in the slot against Washington.
Upgrade: Jaylen Waddle
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Malik Washington
SAINTS WIDE RECEIVERS
JuJu Brents and Jack Jones can't cover Chris Olave. Minkah Fitzpatrick in the slot is probably the best Miami 'corner' at the moment. Devaughn Vele should see Fitzpatrick in the slot when Olave does not, but Vele also might be good enough to get something going when facing Brents or/and Jones on the outside. Mason Tipton is very fast as the WR3 but hasn't shown a whole lot to this point.
Upgrade: Chris Olave
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Devaughn Vele, Mason Tipton
New York Jets vs. Atlanta Falcons
JETS WIDE RECEIVERS
John Metchie has done quite well lately as the primary slot wideout for the Jets, and it's quite possible he keeps things rolling here. A.J. Terrell is unlikely to follow Metchie into the slot, and the non-Terrell corners are pretty much all beatable for Atlanta. Adonai Mitchell might be the best bet to see the most of Terrell, if only because Terrell matches Mitchell's build and athleticism better than the smaller, slower Mike Hughes.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: John Metchie, Adonai Mitchell (arguable Downgrade if shadowed by Terrell)
FALCONS WIDE RECEIVERS
Darnell Mooney finally showed some signs of life last week, though even then he only drew three targets on 37 snaps. With Drake London out there still exists major slack for Mooney to capitalize on, and corners like Brandon Stephens and Azareye'h Thomas can't run with Mooney, especially not when Mooney changes direction multiple times. They absolute can cover David Sills, on the other hand.
Upgrade: Darnell Mooney
Downgrade: N/A
Even: David Sills
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Arizona Cardinals
BUCCANEERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Chris Godwin (fibula) only played 25 snaps in his return last week, though hopefully that count will at least go over 30 in this one. Godwin seemed to take a slot/boundary split similar to Tez Johnson, so that role can probably be thought of as the flanker/slot player in base and one where, last week at least, Godwin functioned as the backup. If Godwin gains it would presumably be mostly at Johnson's expense, but it also might occur primarily at the expense of Sterling Shepard, who functions more like a slot specialist than a flanker/slot combo as Johnson/Godwin function.
Max Melton (heel) is questionable but if he's out Will Johnson (boundary) and Garrett Williams (base/slot) can probably hold down the fort. Safety Jalen Thompson has also seen a lot of slot reps this year, so the Cardinals have some depth if Melton is out. The Buccaneers pass catchers should hope Melton is out, though, because you'd rather see Thompson or Denzel Burke.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Emeka Egbuka, Tez Johnson, Chris Godwin
CARDINALS WIDE RECEIVERS
As long as Jacoby Brissett is throwing 40-plus passes per game it almost necessarily requires double-digit target volume for Michael Wilson. This matchup is potentially a bit challenging for Wilson if Jamel Dean (hip) can play – Wilson can probably beat Zyon McCollum (boundary) and Jacob Parrish (slot), but with CB4 Benjamin Morrison out an additional absence from Dean would force the Buccaneers to turn to Kindle Vildor, who's a major green light.
Greg Dortch might get some screens but he isn't beating Parrish on real routes, while Xavier Weaver shouldn't be on the field.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Michael Wilson (arguable Upgrade if Dean is out), Greg Dortch, Xavier Weaver
Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
TITANS WIDE RECEIVERS
Chimere Dike is awfully difficult to ignore at this point, even as he takes on a challenging Jacksonville defense here. Dike might be something like another Rashid Shaheed – Dike came out of college typecast as a downfield decoy burner, but with the Titans he has drawn a significant volume of underneath, yards-after-the-catch setups. Given his two punt return touchdowns on the year and his work as an underneath wideout, it's safe to say Dike has a lot more game than the general narrative around him out of college. He can catch deep, but he also can catch underneath and he can run like crazy in the open field.
With that said, Dike gets a likely difficult matchup here. The return of Jourdan Lewis makes things interesting for the Jaguars, because Lewis had played well in the slot prior to his injury but as his replacement Jarrian Jones was arguably even better. Perhaps the Jaguars will give Lewis his slot rep back but keep Jones on the field at the boundary spot opposite CB1 Greg Newsome.
Elic Ayomanor and Van Jefferson would probably rather see Montaric Brown on the boundary than Jones, but if Brown is out there instead it's still a challenging matchup given the broader struggles of the Tennessee offense.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Chimere Dike, Elic Ayomanor, Van Jefferson
Even: N/A
JAGUARS WIDE RECEIVERS
Brian Thomas is supposedly healthy, and if so this would be a great time for him to prove he can still play. Corners Darrell Baker and Marcus Harris categorically cannot cover Thomas downfield, though they also probably can't cover Jakobi Meyers. In the slot Parker Washington also gets the benefit of the doubt against Samuel Womack.
Upgrade: Brian Thomas, Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A
Seattle Seahawks vs. Minnesota Vikings
SEAHAWKS WIDE RECEIVERS
Jaxon Smith-Njigba has no cause for concern here and there isn't an NFL defense at the moment that can convincingly pose a Downgrade-worthy matchup. A corner like Byron Murphy might actually be a decent counter to Smith-Njigba, but the Vikings pass rush has disappointed and a corner like Murphy lacks the speed to cover for too long on a player. Isaiah Rodgers has all that speed and more, but he isn't as naturally skilled in coverage as Murphy. Rashid Shaheed is difficult to trust at the moment as he settles into the Seahawks offense, but in the meantime Cooper Kupp also seems unable to draw targets often enough to make a reliable impact.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, Cooper Kupp
VIKINGS WIDE RECEIVERS
There's no reason to think Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen can cover Justin Jefferson and maybe not even Jordan Addison, either, but as bad as J.J. McCarthy has been it's not exactly a given that Max Brosmer makes things better. Meanwhile, the left side of the Vikings offensive line is a mess due to injuries, and the Seattle pass rush can be lively across the front-five.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Jordan Addison
Even: Justin Jefferson
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders
CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVERS
The only real question here is whether the Chargers offensive line can block anyone for any amount of time. It's a serious question and one with a potentially dire answer, but there's no question otherwise about whether the Raiders corners can cover someone like Ladd McConkey or even Quentin Johnston. Keenan Allen can probably beat these corners, too, though his role as of late seems less assured than it was at the start of the year.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ladd McConkey (Upgrade if not for pass rush), Quentin Johnston (see McConkey), Keenan Allen (see McConkey)
RAIDERS WIDE RECEIVERS
The Raiders are completely off the rails at this point and it might be hasty to expect anything in particular. With that said, it seems like they'll trot out Tre Tucker and Tyler Lockett as the primary wideouts, with Lockett getting most of the applicable slot snaps.
Tarheeb Still in the slot is arguably the top corner for the Chargers, so that's not ideal for Lockett's slot reps. On the boundary Donte Jackson and Cam Hart are likely more beatable, but Tucker's best matchup there is definitely Hart rather than Jackson. Jackson can largely match Tucker's speed, but Hart cannot.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Tyler Lockett
Even: Tre Tucker
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Buffalo Bills
STEELERS WIDE RECEIVERS
DK Metcalf has only three games this year with more than 55 yards receiving, and the Aaron Rodgers situation can't help. Metcalf can run right past a corner like Christian Benford and an otherwise fast corner like Maxwell Hairston is much smaller than Metcalf. Metcalf should be able to challenge corners like these, but the benefit of the doubt is evaporating. It's tough to expect much from Calvin Austin and Roman Wilson otherwise while the speedsters split roughly 50 snaps per week.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DK Metcalf (arguable Downgrade for QB reasons)
BILLS WIDE RECEIVERS
The Steelers corner group is beatable but Joey Porter has cut down on the penalties recently and Darius Slay can still play well at time. Brandin Echols in the slot might be the most beatable of the three with Jalen Ramsey off to free safety, and if so that would bode well enough for Khalil Shakir.
The boundary reps are a question for the Bills beyond Joshua Palmer – Tyrell Shavers, Gabe Davis or Keon Coleman? – but whoever lines up there probably doesn't get the benefit of the doubt.
More importantly than the coverage, the pass rush is a major concern for the Bills. Both Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown are out, and now the Bills have to deal with a varied and potent Pittsburgh pass rush. Anyone other than Shakir producing here would be fairly surprising.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Khalil Shakir
Washington Commanders vs. Denver Broncos
COMMANDERS WIDE RECEIVERS
Terry McLaurin returns just in time to face Patrick Surtain, who returns from a four-week absence. McLaurin is an excellent player but between McLaurin's injury rust, Marcus Mariota's passing limitations, and the potential to see Surtain regularly it looks like a difficult matchup for McLaurin.
Deebo Samuel might avoid Surtain but still faces a challenging matchup. The Denver pass rush is absurd, and when in the slot Samuel will see tough defense from Ja'Quan McMillian. Riley Moss on the boundary is more beatable but still far from a pushover.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel
Even: N/A
BRONCOS WIDE RECEIVERS
Courtland Sutton is better than Troy Franklin but as long as Bo Nix is willing to do what the defense wants him to the Broncos will be liable to spam targets toward Franklin regardless of whether the returns are good. This is just to point out that, while Sutton can beat on players like Jonathan Jones and Antonio Hamilton all day but if the defense puts a safety over Sutton then Nix is probably throwing it to Franklin instead. Mike Sainristil hasn't been good in the slot this year but he might be the best Commanders corner at the moment and might be able to hold up against Pat Bryant in the slot.
Upgrade: Troy Franklin
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Courtland Sutton (Upgrade if not for quarterback), Pat Bryant
New England Patriots vs. New York Giants
PATRIOTS WIDE RECEIVERS
The Giants corner rotation is probably decent – each of Cor'Dale Flott (boundary), Paulson Adebo (boundary) and Dru Phillips (slot) has played well at times in the NFL, including this year, but the poor Giants run defense tends to undermine the pass defense by leaving offenses with manageable down-and-distance situations. If Adebo plays he'll be returning from a five-game knee injury absence, so rust might be an issue.
Stefon Diggs warrants the benefit of the doubt even against this solid rotation – merely 'decent' corners aren't a concern for Diggs – and even a secondary target like Mack Hollins has a major build advantage against both of Flott and Phillips. Kayshon Boutte doesn't have an obvious trait advantage to leverage but as a quality player in his own right Boutte is still a candidate to make some plays here.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins
GIANTS WIDE RECEIVERS
Wan'Dale Robinson is primarily known as a slot guy but his 2025 breakout has largely occurred on the boundary, meaning at this point Robinson projects straightforwardly as a high-volume target for the Giants. That's reassuring even when facing a tough defense like this one, where Robinson might see a lot of Christian Gonzalez on the boundary and trait-match Marcus Jones in the slot. Bizarrely, Gonzalez might be an easier matchup than Jones – whereas Jones is built exactly like Robinson, it's rare that Gonzalez has to cover a tiny, shifty receiver like Robinson. Robinson's choppy strides would be even tougher for Carlton Davis to mirror.
Darius Slayton (boundary) and Isaiah Hodgins (boundary/slot) round out a nice three-wide look, and Slayton can definitely torch Davis deep. Hodgins probably can't beat Gonzalez or Davis on the boundary, but when in the slot the 6-foot-4 Hodgins has a major build advantage over Jones.
Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Wan'Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton (arguable Upgrade if Gonzalez shadows Robinson), Isaiah Hodgins
