Wide Receivers vs. Cornerbacks: Week 9 Matchups

This article will go game by game for the Week 9 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 cornerbacks most likely to face them in man coverage. This post will have to be a little shorter and lean more on speculation/generalities than the entries to come, because teams haven't yet conclusively revealed their personnel tendencies.

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 matchup. This shouldn't be read as 'good' or 'bad' but rather a measured tweak from the receiver's baseline projection.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins (Germany)

KANSAS CITY WIDE RECEIVERS

Rashee Rice is the best Chiefs receiver and it's not close. Every snap Andy Reid denies Rice brings the Chiefs closer to losing any given game – hopefully an embarrassing, no-excuse loss like last week's against Denver makes Reid reconsider his methods. Maybe it doesn't, but there's reason to think Rice can whoop all of the Miami corners aside from Jalen Ramsey who (A) might not be 100 percent and (B) might follow around Travis Kelce, anyway. Mecole Hardman and Marquez Valdes-Scantling are highly dangerous deep threats for a slow corner like Xavien Howard, though MVS rarely draws targets and it's unlikely Hardman sees a three-down role, even though his career pass-catching returns are numbers the Chiefs could really use right now. Justin Watson can probably make a play deep against this defense, too. Kadarius Toney is a screen pass and drag-route merchant, so the fact that he can run with the ball doesn't really matter between his low snap count and the fact that his sparse playing time tips off his already-telegraphed playcalls even more. Skyy Moore is playing a position he can't.

Upgrade: Rashee Rice
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Mecole Hardman, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney, Skyy Moore

MIAMI WIDE RECEIVERS 

The Chiefs have varied corner and safety personnel both, with the latter sometimes lining up as the former to make it especially difficult to decode the Chiefs' post-snap coverage drop. L'Jarius Sneed is the top one and has a history of shadow assignments, which might or might not make him the primary assignment for Tyreek Hill. Sneed is not alone intimidating to Hill, and Sneed's typically aggressive style of play might be reckless against speed like Hill's, but it might be a shadow assignment the Chiefs make anyway just because it would likely be worse for them if Hill were to see Jaylen Watson on the outside, or safeties Justin Reid, Mike Edwards and Bryan Cook in the slot. Jaylen Waddle is a major threat in his own right, of course, and the Chiefs are no doubt aware, but the Chiefs would still probably prefer to keep Waddle against the previously mentioned players than Hill. Trent McDuffie probably can't play press man against Waddle without safety help, so the Chiefs might go more zone-heavy than usual in this matchup.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle

Atlanta Falcons vs. Minnesota Vikings

ATLANTA WIDE RECEIVERS

Drake London (groin) might be out, in which case the Falcons might not have any receivers capable of beating the weak Minnesota corners. Van Jefferson seems like your best bet – he can probably beat a corner like Akayleb Evans at most depths, and maybe Byron Murphy downfield, it's just tough to tell if the Falcons are going to keep it together enough for Jefferson to capitalize. London would normally get an easy upgrade here but I'm listing him as Even since he's probably hurt.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Drake London (groin), Van Jefferson

MINNESOTA WIDE RECEIVERS

Jordan Addison can probably whoop all these corners, even AJ Terrell, but the Jaren Hall variable is difficult to quantify. There's a chance the rookie fifth-round pick has some ability – he's definitely mobile, and he was a prolific downfield passer at BYU – but it's categorically asking a lot to expect a rookie quarterback to look competent in their first start. Bad quarterbacks have good games sometimes, and Hall might not even be bad, it's just highly likely that there's a major gap between Hall and Kirk Cousins. KJ Osborn might or might not be able to get anything going against Jeff Okudah, while Brandon Powell has no obvious advantage over slot corner Dee Alford.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jordan Addison, KJ Osborn, Brandon Powell

Baltimore Ravens vs. Seattle Seahawks

BALTIMORE WIDE RECEIVERS

Zay Flowers probably isn't going to find anything underneath against Devon Witherspoon, who is burnable downfield but ruthless in the intermediate and shallow depths. Either the Ravens start using Flowers more downfield or they make this a difficult spot for him by making him face Witherspoon in a phone booth. Rashod Bateman can't get vertical against Tariq Woolen – no one can without a double move – but Bateman might be able to get going on slants, posts, or anything else more laterally-oriented. The same applies to Odell Beckham, it's just increasingly difficult to tell whether he has anything left. Or rather, it's getting more pessimistic by the week.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Odell Beckham

SEATTLE WIDE RECEIVERS

DK Metcalf (hip) might not yet be healthy, but if he is it would obviously be a huge boost to the Seattle offense. Though both Marlon Humphrey (left corner) and Brandon Stephens (right corner) are decent trait matches to Metcalf in that they're both big and athletic by corner standards, Metcalf is the kind of player who has no true trait match and changes the complexion of the Seattle offense. With that said, in a lot of ways Tyler Lockett might be the more challenging cover for bigger corners like Humphrey and Stephens. It's a strength vs. strength issue. Jaxon Smith-Njigba would ideally pick up some of the slack, especially when he gets chances to see Arthur Maulet in the slot rather than Kyle Hamilton.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba 

Cleveland Browns vs. Arizona Cardinals

CLEVELAND WIDE RECEIVERS

Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore can both dust these corners. It's not a question. The question is what their quarterback might be capable of. Regardless of whether it's Deshaun Watson, P.J. Walker or Dorian Thompson-Robinson, the quarterback play is a vexing complication for projecting the receivers. Still, Cooper and Moore might not be more open all year than they are in this game.

Upgrade: Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

ARIZONA WIDE RECEIVERS

For a guy like Marquise Brown a corner like Denzel Ward might be among the toughest in the league. Ward's only real weakness is his lack of physicality, which obviously isn't an issue against a receiver as small as Brown. Ward almost always lines up on the left side, though, meaning the Cardinals can simply line up Brown on the offense's left (the defense's right) and get Brown against the taller, heavier and slower Martin Emerson. Though Emerson is solid, a wideout like Brown is a nightmare matchup for him. Emerson would much rather see Michael Wilson (shoulder), for whom Emerson might be a tough matchup. Greg Newsome takes the slot when applicable, which mostly means Rondale Moore. It's possible, though, that Moore sees more two-wide snaps if Wilson is out, in which case Moore might be a problem for Emerson for the same reasons Brown would.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Marquise Brown, Michael Wilson, Rondale Moore (lower to Downgrade if Wilson is active)

Green Bay Packers vs. Los Angeles Rams

GREEN BAY WIDE RECEIVERS

This game is kind of a nightmare to project, because there are strong receivers on both sides, but the quarterback question in each case ranges from bad to hopeless. Jordan Love is quickly approaching the latter distinction. Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson and Jayden Reed can all beat these backup-caliber Rams corners, but Love has been so indecisive and erratic that it might not matter how bad a given pass defense is. 'Can't Hit the Broad Side of a Barn' is quickly becoming obsolete for Love, who might not be able to hit the broad side of an aircraft carrier.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Jayden Reed

RAMS WIDE RECEIVERS

Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are way too much for the non-Jaire Alexander corners on Green Bay, and Kupp in particular might be difficult for Alexander to match up with, since Kupp gets the premium slot looks. Nacua is big enough that he might be able to bully Alexander a bit in short spaces, especially since Alexander is playing through a back injury, so it's not like Nacua can't produce outside against this defense. The problem is we don't know what level of quarterback play Kupp, Nacua and Tutu Atwell will get from Brett Rypien.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Tutu Atwell

Houston Texans vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

HOUSTON WIDE RECEIVERS 

This could be a tough spot for the Houston offense, whose inability to run is such a liability now that teams aren't bothering to defend it. The resulting surplus defensive resources get allocated toward the Houston passing game, which had been strong until last week but lacks the heavy firepower necessary to blast through a dishonest defense spamming the pass. Nico Collins is a good bet to see a shadow assignment from Carlton Davis, which could be among the tougher matchups for Collins around the league. Davis isn't quite as fast as Collins, but Davis neutralizes Collins' usual size advantage and is prepared to play aggressive press coverage. Jamel Dean would be easier for Collins to beat, because while Dean can shut down the vertical route better than Davis, Dean can't move laterally like Davis can, which means Collins should be able to beat Dean on deep in-breaking routes. Tank Dell gets an easier matchup against Christian Izien, though the rookie might have extra help from the safeties if Collins can't get cracking against the boundary corners.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Nico Collins, Tank Dell

TAMPA BAY WIDE RECEIVERS 

Steven Nelson on the right is tougher than Shaquill Griffin on the left, but both corners need to be at their best to hold serve against Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Nelson is more skilled than toolsy, so big/athletic receivers like Evans and Godwin might be more of a challenge than receivers with lesser tools. Griffin is plenty athletic but seems lacking on the skill component. Tavierre Thomas looks tough in the slot, where the Buccaneers have taken negative returns all year with their bizarre rotation of rookies (Trey Palmer, Devin Thompkins).

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Trey Palmer
Even: Mike Evans, Chris Godwin

New England Patriots vs. Washington Commanders

NEW ENGLAND WIDE RECEIVERS

Demario Douglas needs to step up with Kendrick Bourne and DeVante Parker out, as does fellow rookie Kayshon Boutte. Jalen Reagor might be one of the other names we see Sunday. All of them face a difficult task particularly when matched up with Kendall Fuller, though Ron Rivera's insistence on scapegoating Emmanuel Forbes helps the Patriots by letting them take shots at Benjamin St-Juste instead.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Demario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Jalen Reagor

WASHINGTON WIDE RECEIVERS

Jahan Dotson might get another shot to keep rolling particularly if Curtis Samuel (toe) is out. Washington would ideally get Dotson or/and Terry McLaurin more slot looks than usual in this game, because slot corner Myles Bryant is one of the worst in the league. The outside corners would likely be tougher, as Jonathan Jones and Jack Jones are quite good when healthy. McLaurin probably projects better against the Joneses than Dotson does, though Dotson showed last week that his early-season struggles weren't his fault.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Terry McLaurin (the more Bryan the better), Jahan Dotson (see McLaurin)

New Orleans Saints vs. Chicago Bears

NEW ORLEANS WIDE RECEIVERS 

Chris Olave should get back on track in this game, even if the Bears attempt to shadow him with Jaylon Johnson. Johnson is a very good corner, but Olave's career numbers plainly say he is due for improved numbers soon. If Olave gets shots at Tyrique Stevenson or Kyler Gordon then he'll be wide open. Michael Thomas and Rashid Shaheed can both do damage against those corners, too, though Thomas might struggle when facing Johnson. Shaheed can really torch Gordon deep, not that there's any great shame in that.

Upgrade: Chris Olave, Michael Thomas, Rashid Shaheed
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

CHICAGO WIDE RECEIVERS

DJ Moore gets a tough matchup when facing Marshon Lattimore, but the Saints have yet to use Lattimore in a shadow capacity this year, instead always lining him up on the right side. Paulson Adebo is therefore almost always on the left, where he's frequently penalized but not so often specifically beaten. It's not an easy situation, especially given the limitations of Tyson Bagent. Darnell Mooney is a better trait mismatch against the Saints corners, who are all tall and heavy by cornerback standards, but it's not clear whether he can withstand the limiting effect of Bagent. The good news for both receivers is that there might be target volume on the table, as the Bears should fall behind early in this game.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney
Even: N/A

Carolina Panthers vs. Indianapolis Colts

CAROLINA WIDE RECEIVERS 

This could be a spot for one of DJ Chark or Jonathan Mingo to enjoy a breakout game with the Panthers, as the Colts boundary corners likely among the three worst rotations in the league. Slot man Kenny Moore isn't a true concern for Adam Thielen, but Moore is clearly better than the outside options the Colts have currently. Perhaps Thielen and one of Chark/Mingo can both enjoy a big game here, setting up something of a breakout platform for Bryce Young in this home game.

Upgrade: DJ Chark, Jonathan Mingo
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Adam Thielen

INDIANAPOLIS WIDE RECEIVERS

The fate that befell the Houston passing game in Week 8 shouldn't extend to the Colts this week. The Panthers dared Houston to run and Houston could not, making the whole offense sputter. If the Panthers dare the Colts to run then the Colts will put 300 ground yards on them. What's more likely is the Panthers defense trying to play a balanced approach and finding meager traction either way. Michael Pittman is probably too much for corners like Donte Jackson and CJ Henderson, meanwhile Josh Downs has no obvious obstacle in the slot. Alec Pierce appears to have unfortunately been cast as an overqualified decoy target.

Upgrade: Michael Pittman, Josh Downs
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Alec Pierce

Las Vegas Raiders vs. New York Giants

LAS VEGAS WIDE RECEIVERS

There's no way Scott Turner dislikes Hunter Renfrow as much as Josh McDaniels does, so it will be interesting to see if Renfrow can get going in the Raiders' final games. Then again, the Aidan O'Connell variable is not helpful, and even if Renfrow gets more usage he'll never get anywhere near the level of usage claimed by Jakobi Meyers or especially Davante Adams. The receivers should be in a decent spot here in terms of cornerback matchups, but the Giants pass rush is getting hot lately and it's unclear if O'Connell will keep it all together. If he does, the Raiders receivers could get going here.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Hunter Renfrow

GIANTS WIDE RECEIVERS

Wan'Dale Robinson gets a tough matchup against slot corner Nate Hobbs, though we might not need to cross off Robinson for the fact. Robinson had a couple good games against Hobbs' Illinois teams while Robinson was at Nebraska, and despite his struggles this year there remains reason to think Robinson can establish himself as an above average slot wideout eventually. Still, the easier matchups are had by Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt on the boundary, where the Raiders corners are weaker.

Upgrade: Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Wan'Dale Robinson

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

PHILADELPHIA WIDE RECEIVERS

The Dallas defense is tough and definitely present a challenge for the Eagles here, but the Eagles should be able to hold the advantage if they can just take some shots downfield. DaRon Bland and especially Stephon Gilmore are better built to bounce downward from the intermediate than they are to turn and run downfield. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, of course, are profoundly dangerous downfield threats. In my opinion, egregious cushions aside, the Eagles play more to Dallas' favor the shorter the depth of Jalen Hurts' targets. Of course, the reason this is easier said than done is that the Dallas pass rush has a way of finding quarterbacks before their receivers can make the Dallas corners turn and run downfield. I'm optimistic for the star wideout duo, mostly because the Eagles offensive line and Hurts' rushing ability are a strong pushback against the otherwise dominant presence of the Dallas pass rush.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith

DALLAS WIDE RECEIVERS

Last week was the first time all year that the Dallas offense quite simply did what it should have, and should have been doing all along. Almost every other matchup you're seeing Dallas get 50 cents of production for each dollar of talent they have at receiver. CeeDee Lamb in particular is excellent, of course, and he's of a caliber that exceeds the ability even of standout corners like Darius Slay and James Bradberry. The Eagles pass rush is a greater danger to Lamb's production than the Eagles' (quite good) corners are. Brandin Cooks doesn't quite as easily overrule an otherwise challenging matchup, but he too is likely much better than Dallas has allowed him to demonstrate to this point. Michael Gallup is your standard 50-grade wideout – more dependent on fortune than Cooks or especially Lamb.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Buffalo Bills

CINCINNATI WIDE RECEIVERS

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are both way too much for these Bills boundary corners. I don't see what choice Sean McDermott has other than to play off coverage, hoping to bait Joe Burrow into an ill-advised throw that a cheating corner can jump and take the other way. If the corners have to maintain an honest coverage stance they'll simply fall to the side as Chase and Higgins work through their routes. Tyler Boyd of all people gets the toughest matchup here, seeing the most of all-purpose slot standout Taron Johnson. 

Upgrade: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Tyler Boyd

BUFFALO WIDE RECEIVERS

As solid and toolsy as corners like Chidobe Awuzie and Cam Taylor-Britt might be, Stefon Diggs presents a rare skill set element that makes it profoundly difficult for even better corners to mirror him through his routes. In general, no one can cover Diggs. Teams only succeed against him with a combination of luck and safety help. Lou Anarumo is one of the league's better coordinators, so he might be as qualified as anyone to put together a novel coverage rollout to neutralize Diggs despite the inability of the corners to match up with him. The Diggs question is usually the hinge on which the Bills succeed or fail, so while either side could get the better of the equation, it's worth noting that a strong game from Diggs here would be quite impressive, common as it is for him. Gabe Davis should finally see fewer cushions after the Bills targeted him heavily underneath last week, and he might continue to be a key part of whatever solution the Bills can assemble on offense. Awuzie and CTB are tough matchups for him, though. Khalil Shakir is an interesting wildcard, and one who shouldn't be overlooked. Slot corner Mike Hilton is more of an all-purpose slot defender than one specifically gifted in coverage, and Shakir was a high-volume, high-efficiency WR1 in college.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, Khalil Shakir

New York Jets vs. Los Angeles Chargers

JETS WIDE RECEIVERS 

Garrett Wilson is too good to care about most cornerback matchups, and the Chargers are not on the short list of teams with corners capable of giving Wilson trouble. The Chargers pass rush could give Zach Wilson so much trouble that Garrett is thwarted, but anyone on the Chargers actually covering Garrett successfully is out of the question. Allen Lazard is capable of beating these corners, too, though there's usually little left after Wilson claims his share.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Garrett Wilson, Allen Lazard

CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Keenan Allen needs to have a monster game here or the Chargers are at serious risk of losing. The boundary corners Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed are probably too tough for the likes of Joshua Palmer or Quentin Johnston to get open regularly, so Allen against Michael Carter in the slot is a make-or-break projection for the Chargers, who otherwise figure to struggle to run the ball as well. There is a huge game to be had for Allen if the Chargers can hold serve, but if he falls short of that Justin Herbert might not have anywhere to move the ball.

Upgrade: Keenan Allen
Downgrade: Joshua Palmer, Quentin Johnston
Even: N/A