Corner Report: Week 7

This article will go game by game looking at the top wide receivers from an offense and, based on the inside/outside and left/right splits in the alignment data of those receivers, identify the cornerbacks most likely to face them in man coverage. The corners named will parenthetically cite the rank of their coverage grade from Pro Football Focus from the 2019 season. The snap counts listed are not a projection, but rather the totals from so far this year.

Receivers very rarely see the same corner every play, be it due to formational 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. 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.

CIN vs JAC

CINCINNATI WR SNAPS

Tyler Boyd: 353 snaps – 55 wide (35 left, 20 right), 261 slot (124 left, 137 right), 12 tight (seven left, five right), 25 back

Auden Tate: 256 snaps – 111 wide (68 left, 43 right), 139 slot (73 left, 66 right), three tight (one left, two right), three back

Damion Willis: 178 snaps – 80 wide (50 left, 30 right), 94 slot (60 left, 34 right), one tight (one right), three back

Alex Erickson: 98 snaps – 31 wide (14 left, 17 right), 65 slot (24 left, 41 right), two back

Although it's primarily due to injuries, Auden Tate is the clear WR2 in Cincinnati for now, and for last week at least Alex Erickson functioned as the WR3. A.J. Bouye (68.4 PFF) is a challenging matchup for the left-most receiver, but both Tate and Erickson have shown mostly balanced left/right splits, so they might see Bouye roughly half of the time and left corner Tre Herndon (41.0 PFF) the other half. At 6-foot-5, 228 pounds, Tate could be a problematic matchup for Herndon in particular, who has low coverage grades from PFF and at 5-foot-11, 185 pounds would have a difficult time accounting for Tate's reach advantage.

Tyler Boyd is usually the innermost receiver in any given Cincinnati formation, so he should primarily see slot corner D.J. Hayden (72.0 PFF), who has earned solid PFF grades in both of his seasons with Jacksonville so far. It's arguably a downgrade for Boyd, but I'll call it even since (A) there's reason to believe Boyd is a better receiver than Hayden is a corner and (B) the drop off from Boyd to Tate/Erickson/Willis is big enough that any funnel away from Boyd should be much less than what it would be if A.J. Green and John Ross were healthy. The less tempting the alternatives, the less pronounced a funnel should be even in a challenging matchup like this one.

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Tyler Boyd, Auden Tate, Alex Erickson

JACKSONVILLE WR SNAPS

Chris Conley: 312 snaps – 267 wide (148 left, 119 right), 44 slot (22 left, 22 right), one tight (one right)

Dede Westbrook: 300 snaps – 34 wide (18 left, 16 right), 256 slot (112 left, 144 right), three tight (one left, two right), seven back

D.J. Chark: 299 snaps – 152 wide (61 left, 91 right), 138 slot (56 left, 82 right), seven tight (two left, five right), two back

Marqise Lee: 90 snaps – 37 wide (22 left, 15 right), 45 slot (20 left, 25 right), six tight (four left, two right), two back

Keelan Cole: 52 snaps – 33 wide (18 left, 15 right), 19 slot (11 left, eight right)

Marqise Lee (ankle) is out and Dede Westbrook (shoulder) is highly questionable after logging just one limited practice this week on Friday, so Jacksonville could see substantial turnover at receiver in this game. Westbrook is the team's slot specialist, and if he were to sit it's not clear who would take those slot snaps. D.J. Chark may be the most qualified given that he has the second-most slot snaps among Jacksonville wideouts, but if the Jaguars opt to keep Chark in his prior role then I don't know who is left to play the slot except for Keelan Cole.

The Bengals are without both right corner William Jackson (63.9 PFF) and left corner Dre Kirkpatrick (61.2 PFF), though they do get back corner Darqueze Dennard (60.7 PFF 2018) from injury. It's not clear where Dennard will play, though, as PFF credited him as Cincinnati's slot corner before this year, and B.W. Webb (65.1 PFF) has done reasonably well in that role so far in 2019. The Athletic writer Joe Goodberry expects Webb to move outside, however, so Dennard may reclaim his slot role Sunday. The third remaining corner, Tony McRae (47.6 PFF) would seemingly be the outside corner opposite Webb. Hopefully the Jaguars get Chark lined up against McRae in that case, but Chris Conley can dust a backup corner like McRae as well.

Upgrade: D.J. Chark, Chris Conley, Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole

Downgrade: N/A

Even: N/A

BUF vs MIA

BUFFALO WR SNAPS

John Brown: 308 snaps – 197 wide (118 left, 79 right), 106 slot (57 left, 49 right), five back

Cole Beasley: 233 snaps – 34 wide (17 left, 17 right), 198 slot (102 left, 96 right), one back

Zay Jones: 167 snaps – 46 wide (20 left, 26 right), 118 slot (63 left, 55 right), three tight (three right)

John Brown began the year with even left/right splits, but they've taken a slight leftward slant in recent weeks. It's not clear at what clip, but he'll see plenty of the highly beatable Eric Rowe (49.5 PFF), though Ken Webster (70.6 PFF) has played more often on the right than the left. Cole Beasley has a favorable matchup against Jomal Wiltz (41.0 PFF), and the benefits of the Rowe/Webster snaps should also extend to outside WR3 Duke Williams.

Upgrade: John Brown, Cole Beasley, Duke Williams

Downgrade: N/A

Even: N/A

MIAMI WR SNAPS

DeVante Parker: 270 snaps – 126 wide (55 left, 71 right), 139 slot (67 left, 72 right), five tight (two left, three right)

Preston Williams: 238 snaps – 205 wide (134 left, 71 right), 33 slot (21 left, 12 right)

Jakeem Grant: 134 snaps – 35 wide (five left, 30 right), 93 slot (36 left, 57 right), six back

Allen Hurns: 93 snaps – eight wide (five left, three right), 83 slot (36 left, 47 right), two back

Albert Wilson: 34 snaps – three wide (two left, one right), 29 slot (13 left, 16 right), one tight (one left), one back

Tre'Davious White (62.5 PFF) is known as a shadow corner but has mostly played on the left side this year, in which case he would incidentally primarily see DeVante Parker. Preston Williams lines up most often on the offense's left, which would leave him against right corner Levi Wallace (70.9 PFF), who has great grades from PFF the last two years yet, like most corners, is at a major size disadvantage to Williams. Slot corner Taron Johnson (65.2 PFF) might return from injury this week, but it's not clear how he'll split up playing time with former replacement slot corners Kevin Johnson (62.6 PFF) or Siran Neal (63.1 PFF). Whoever the slot corner is will primarily see Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson.

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: N/A

Even: DeVante Parker, Preston Williams, Allen Hurns, Albert Wilson

ATL vs LAR

ATLANTA WR SNAPS

Mohamed Sanu: 327 snaps – 34 wide (19 left, 15 right), 289 slot (166 left, 123 right), three tight (two left, one right), one back

Julio Jones: 308 snaps – 192 wide (122 left, 70 right), 113 slot (57 left, 56 right), two tight (one left, one right), one back

Calvin Ridley: 304 snaps – 195 wide (71 left, 124 right), 105 slot (32 left, 73 right), two tight (two left), two back

The Rams didn't previously use shadow schemes between Marcus Peters or Aqib Talib, but Jalen Ramsey is the kind of corner you trade for to shadow No. 1 receivers. Ramsey should be available for the Rams, and if he is it would be a waste if he didn't shadow Julio Jones. Jones can win any matchup, but so can Ramsey if healthy. If Ramsey doesn't shadow Jones, Jones is likely to torch Troy Hill (59.7 PFF), and Calvin Ridley is a good bet to do the same if Ramsey does shadow Jones. As the primary slot receiver Mohamed Sanu will disproportionately see slot corner Nickell Robey-Coleman (71.2 PFF). Robey-Coleman is a tough matchup, but at 5-foot-7, 169 pounds NRC's coverage might need to be extra strong to offset the size advantage of the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Sanu.

Upgrade: Calvin Ridley

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu

LAR WR SNAPS

Robert Woods: 404 snaps – 86 wide (19 left, 67 right), 251 slot (64 left, 187 right), 42 tight (four left, 38 right), 25 back

Brandin Cooks: 369 snaps – 142 wide (117 left, 25 right), 200 slot (161 left, 39 right), one tight (one left), 26 back

Cooper Kupp: 369 snaps – 22 wide (18 left, four right), 274 slot (166 left, 108 right), 67 tight (24 left, 43 right), six back

Desmond Trufant primarily lines up on the left, where he would mostly see Robert Woods, but Trufant is out and presumably replaced with rookie fourth-round pick Kendall Sheffield, who's highly untested at best. Isaiah Oliver (57.7 PFF) is the right corner, leaving him as Brandin Cooks' primary assignment. On paper, both are green lights. The biggest green light yet, however, goes to Cooper Kupp against Damontae Kazee (54.8 PFF), who's having a rough season.

Upgrade: Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Brandin Cooks

Downgrade: N/A

Even: N/A

GB vs OAK

GB WR SNAPS

Marquez Valdes-Scantling: 343 snaps – 192 wide (119 left, 73 right), 137 slot (86 left, 51 right), two tight (one left, one right), 12 back

Geronimo Allison: 244 snaps – 49 wide (18 left, 31 right), 184 slot (100 left, 84 right), nine tight (four left, five right), two back

Davante Adams: 231 snaps – 94 wide (41 left, 53 right), 131 slot (57 left, 74 right), one tight (one right), five back

Jake Kumerow: 120 snaps – 53 wide (27 left, 26 right), 62 slot (27 left, 35 right), one tight (one right), four back

Darrius Shepherd: 50 snaps – one wide (one left), 48 slot (23 left, 25 right), one tight (one left)

Allen Lazard: 38 snaps – 16 wide (11 left, five right), 21 slot (11 left, 10 right), one back

If Marquez Valdes-Scantling (ankle/knee) can play then his leftward splits would project him to mostly see Daryl Worley (64.8 PFF) but also Gareon Conley (65.8 PFF). It's not the easiest matchup for a player dealing with multiple injuries. Allen Lazard and Jake Kumerow will also see both of Oakland's outside corners, which I'm inclined to call even at best. Darrius Shepherd seems to be the last remaining slot receiver, and he gets a tough matchup against Lamarcus Joyner (36.5 PFF), who's getting poor grades so far but will likely improve over the year.

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: Darrius Shepherd

Even: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Jake Kumerow, Allen Lazard

OAKLAND WR SNAPS

Tyrell Williams: 226 snaps – 159 wide (107 left, 52 right), 63 slot (32 left, 31 right), two tight (two right), two back

Hunter Renfrow: 162 snaps – five wide (three left, two right), 153 slot (72 left, 81 right), three tight (one left, two right), one back

Trevor Davis: 112 snaps – 38 wide (20 left, 18 right), 70 slot (29 left, 41 right), one tight (one right), three back

Keelan Doss: 57 snaps – 29 wide (20 left, nine right), 27 slot (15 left, 12 right), one back

Marcell Ateman: 28 snaps – 19 wide (12 left, seven right), eight slot (four left, four right), one back

Tyrell Williams is still out, leaving a wealth of left-side snaps up for grabs. Keelan Doss seems like the primary replacement, and in three-wide sets would primarily see Kevin King (51.3 PFF), who probably isn't very good. Tramon Williams (76.8 PFF) is the slot corner and the problem of Hunter Renfrow or Trevor Davis. Jaire Alexander is a star corner and should primarily see the right receiver, who seems more likely to be Davis or Zay Jones than Doss.

Upgrade: Keelan Doss

Downgrade: Trevor Davis, Hunter Renfrow, Zay Jones

Even: N/A

IND vs HOU

INDIANAPOLIS WR SNAPS

T.Y. Hilton: 221 snaps – 140 wide (64 left, 76 right), 78 slot (32 left, 46 right), two tight (one left, one right), one back

Zach Pascal: 181 snaps – 59 wide (40 left, 19 right), 98 slot (43 left, 55 right), 16 tight (four left, 12 right), eight back

Deon Cain: 180 snaps – 153 wide (79 left, 74 right), 26 slot (17 left, nine right), one tight (one right)
Chester Rogers: 174 snaps – 18 wide (six left, 12 right), 144 slot (62 left, 82 right), 10 tight (four left, six right), two back

Bradley Roby (68.9 PFF) might be able to play through his hamstring, but if he can't it's not clear who would serve as Houston's slot corner. In Roby's limited state he might struggle to cover either or both of T.Y. Hilton or Chester Rogers on their slot snaps. Hilton could have it even easier outside, where rookie Lonnie Johnson (37.1 PFF) and Johnathan Joseph (57.1 PFF) are both ill-suited to match his speed and quickness. Even Deon Cain could be a problem for those guys, though the good news for Houston's burnable corners is that Jacoby Brissett has shown very little ability to capitalize downfield. Zach Pascal should see a bit of everyone.

Upgrade: T.Y. Hilton

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Zach Pascal, Deon Cain, Chester Rogers

HOUSTON WR SNAPS

DeAndre Hopkins: 400 snaps – 249 wide (161 left, 88 right), 150 slot (80 left, 70 right), one back

Will Fuller: 389 snaps – 187 wide (84 left, 103 right), 197 slot (71 left, 126 right), two tight (one left, one right), four back

Keke Coutee: 157 snaps – 32 wide (18 left, 14 right), 112 slot (60 left, 52 right), one tight (one right), 12 back

Kenny Stills: 95 snaps – 31 wide (15 left, 16 right), 61 slot (23 left, 38 right), three back

The Colts are without their top slot corner (Kenny Moore) and their lead left corner (Pierre Desir), leaving rookie right corner Rock Ya-Sin (57.9 PFF) as their most qualified corner. The rookie will have to deal with DeAndre Hopkins more than anyone else. Shakial Taylor (76.0 PFF) appears to be the replacement for Moore in the slot, leaving him matched up against both Keke Coutee and Kenny Stills but also might see a couple looks against Will Fuller. Despite Taylor's strong early grade, he's totally untested. Quincy Wilson (48.0 PFF) seems like the replacement for Desir, leaving him on Fuller and to a lesser extent Stills. Wilson is speed-challenged and burnable in this setting.

Upgrade: DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Kenny Stills, Keke Coutee

NYG vs ARZ

NYG WR SNAPS

Sterling Shepard: 252 snaps – 66 wide (26 left, 40 right), 179 slot (89 left, 90 right), two tight (two left), five back

Bennie Fowler: 190 snaps – 102 wide (41 left, 61 right), 79 slot (42 left, 37 right), seven tight (two left, five right), two back

Cody Latimer: 181 snaps – 126 wide (78 left, 48 right), 53 slot (31 left, 22 right), one tight (one right), one back

Darius Slayton: 155 snaps – 130 wide (83 left, 47 right), 18 slot (eight left, 10 right), seven tight (two left, five right)

Golden Tate: 94 snaps – six wide (four left, two right), 87 slot (54 left, 33 right), one tight (one left)

With Sterling Shepard (concussion) out it leaves Darius Slayton and Cody Latimer as the Giants' lead outside receivers. I would expect Slayton to continue playing mostly on the left, with Latimer having to play more on the right than he's used to. Patrick Peterson is back from suspension and a shutdown threat to whoever is running against him, but he doesn't have much of a history of going into the slot. That's great news for Golden Tate, who should mostly run against the far more beatable Tramaine Brock (63.4 PFF). Byron Murphy (62.0 PFF) would be the outside corner opposite Peterson, but he's played both right and left and so it's tough to tell how him and Peterson will split in left/right terms.

Upgrade: Golden Tate

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Darius Slayton (significant risk of downgrade if facing Peterson), Cody Latimer (see Slayton)

ARIZONA WR SNAPS

Larry Fitzgerald: 365 snaps – 30 wide (21 left, nine right), 321 slot (189 left, 132 right), 12 tight (10 left, two right), two back

KeeSean Johnson: 285 snaps – 237 wide (24 left, 213 right), 44 slot (five left, 39 right), three tight (three right), one back

Christian Kirk: 263 snaps – 58 wide (10 left, 48 right), 193 slot (58 left, 135 right), five tight (two left, three right), seven back

Damiere Byrd: 217 snaps – 185 wide (171 left, 14 right), 28 slot (27 left, one right), four tight (four left)

Trent Sherfield: 158 snaps – 127 wide (116 left, 11 right), 25 slot (23 left, two right), two tight (two left), four back

Pharoh Cooper: 48 snaps – zero wide, 43 slot (16 left, 27 right), one tight (one right), four back

The chances of a Christian Kirk (ankle) return don't seem so great, and if he's out then there's a ton of slot snaps up for grabs. They mostly went to Pharoh Cooper last week, and if that recurs in this setting then Cooper, along with Larry Fitzgerald, should see a lot of Grant Haley (45.8 PFF). Janoris Jenkins (57.5 PFF) might shadow Fitzgerald, leaving Haley to mostly chase Cooper, but Jenkins isn't an imposing threat these days. Trent Sherfield may have overtaken Damiere Byrd at left outside receiver, and but whichever it is out there will primarily run against rookie DeAndre Baker (30.3 PFF), who's really having a rough go of it. KeeSean Johnson is on the right and while he might see Jenkins there, I have no idea who would cover Johnson if Jenkins shadows Fitzgerald. Sorry.

Upgrade: Larry Fitzgerald, Pharoh Cooper

Downgrade: N/A

Upgrade: Trent Sherfield, KeeSean Johnson, Damiere Byrd

WAS vs SF

WASHINGTON WR SNAPS

Paul Richardson: 297 snaps – 126 wide (52 left, 74 right), 157 slot (63 left, 94 right), six tight (three left, three right), eight back

Terry McLaurin: 292 snaps – 214 wide (137 left, 77 right), 69 slot (33 left, 36 right), one tight (one right), eight back

Trey Quinn: 278 snaps – 28 wide (seven left, 21 right), 227 slot (114 left, 113 right), 21 tight (five left, 16 right), two back

Paul Richardson plays more on the right than on the left, where Terry McLaurin owns most of the real estate. Richard Sherman (75.6 PFF) is the corner we want to avoid, and he conveniently has played mostly on the defense's left. Perhaps they order him to shadow McLaurin, but it would require a change in the policy to this point. Emmanuel Moseley (72.2 PFF) is doing well so far and could prove an obstacle to McLaurin even if Sherman stays on Richardson's side. Trey Quinn should mostly run against slot corner K'Wuan Williams (81.1 PFF), who's in the midst of a strong season.

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: Paul Richardson, Trey Quinn

Even: Terry McLaurin

SAN FRANCISCO WR SNAPS

Marquise Goodwin: 230 snaps – 82 wide (39 left, 43 right), 121 slot (55 left, 66 right), 10 tight (three left, seven right), 17 back

Deebo Samuel: 209 snaps – 73 wide (42 left, 31 right), 114 slot (82 left, 32 right), seven tight (three left, four right), 15 back

Dante Pettis: 172 snaps – 52 wide (34 left, 18 right), 112 slot (68 left, 44 right), five tight (three left, two right), three back

Kendrick Bourne: 100 snaps – 30 wide (10 left, 20 right), 62 slot (28 left, 34 right), three tight (one left, two right), five back

Deebo Samuel is out, seemingly leaving Dante Pettis with the all-clear for a three-down role as the leftward wideout. Pettis sees enough slot looks to sometimes see Fabian Moreau (43.7 PFF), a favorable matchup, but Marquise Goodwin should get a few cracks too. Josh Norman (52.2 PFF) isn't so imposing these days, and he should be Goodwin's main matchup when Goodwin is the outermost receiver. That's another winnable matchup for Goodwin. Pettis would likely see more of Quinton Dunbar (92.1 PFF) when outside of the slot, which could produce a brutal funnel away from Pettis. Kendrick Bourne factors in somewhere, perhaps running mostly against Moreau and Norman.

Upgrade: Marquise Goodwin

Downgrade: Dante Pettis

Even: Kendrick Bourne

DET vs MIN

DETROIT WR SNAPS

Kenny Golladay: 298 snaps – 186 wide (113 left, 73 right), 106 slot (61 left, 45 right), four tight (two left, two right), two back

Marvin Jones: 294 snaps – 125 wide (57 left, 68 right), 159 slot (66 left, 93 right), 10 tight (four left, six right)

Danny Amendola: 120 snaps – 15 wide (11 left, four right), 101 slot (61 left, 50 right), two tight (one left, one right), two back

Xavier Rhodes (55.7 PFF) continues to earn poor grades and his shadowing days might be done – he's mostly played on the right lately, leaving Trae Waynes (58.9 PFF) on the left. If that persists here, Kenny Golladay will primarily see Rhodes and Marvin Jones should primarily see Waynes. The corners match the receivers well in terms of physical traits, but not in terms of recent performance quality. Danny Amendola should mostly run against Mackensie Alexander (69.9 PFF).

Upgrade: Kenny Golladay

Downgrade: Danny Amendola

Even: Marvin Jones

MINNESOTA WR SNAPS

Adam Thielen: 337 snaps – 137 wide (75 left, 62 right), 177 slot (69 left, 108 right), seven tight (five left, two right), 16 back

Stefon Diggs: 279 snaps – 183 wide (92 left, 91 right), 94 slot (55 left, 39 right), two back

Bisi Johnson: 106 snaps – 40 wide (21 left, 19 right), 61 slot (33 left, 28 right), two tight (one left, one right), three back

Darius Slay (70.3 PFF) is typically a candidate to shadow the best outer receiver, which in most formations would leave him on Stefon Diggs in such a scenario. Diggs is great, but so is Slay, so it's not the most favorable matchup in that case. Justin Coleman (82.0 PFF) is murdering in the slot this year, which is bad news for Adam Thielen. Rashaan Melvin (59.3 PFF) is very beatable otherwise but it's hard to see how Detroit lets Diggs or Thielen get more than a few cracks at him. I'd imagine Melvin mostly sees Bisi Johnson.

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs

Even: Bisi Johnson

TEN vs LAC

TENNESSEE WR SNAPS

Corey Davis: 311 snaps – 123 wide (52 left, 71 right), 175 slot (84 left, 71 right), 12 tight (five left, seven right), one back

Adam Humphries: 204 snaps – 17 wide (eight left, nine right), 173 slot (89 left, 84 right), nine tight (eight left, one right), five back

A.J. Brown: 194 snaps – 119 wide (62 left, 57 right), 67 slot (25 left, 42 right), six tight (four left, two right), two back

Tajae Sharpe: 180 snaps – 116 wide (72 left, 44 right), 62 slot (36 left, 26 right), one tight (one left), one back

Adam Humphries gets a brutal matchup against Desmond King (58.1 PFF) in the slot, while Corey Davis is a candidate to see shadow coverage from Casey Hayward (78.8 PFF). If so, then A.J. Brown might be left against Michael Davis (61.6 PFF), who is likely at a talent disadvantage against the rookie.

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: Adam Humphries, Corey Davis
Even: A.J. Brown

LAC WR SNAPS

Keenan Allen: 363 snaps – 120 wide (70 left, 50 right), 227 slot (99 left, 128 right), eight tight (three left, five right), eight back

Mike Williams: 268 snaps – 138 wide (74 left, 64 right), 126 slot (59 left, 67 right), two tight (two right), two back

Travis Benjamin: 188 snaps – 97 wide (36 left, 61 right), 65 slot (32 left, 33 right), one tight (one right), 25 back

With Travis Benjamin joining Dontrelle Inman on IR, we simply have no Chargers wideouts to acknowledge after Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Allen should see Logan Ryan (66.2 PFF) for the most part, while Williams will probably split his time against Malcolm Butler (61.4 PFF) and Adoree Jackson (76.0 PFF). Hopefully the Chargers line Williams up more on the left, where he would in that case see more of Butler and less of the imposing Jackson.

Upgrade: Keenan Allen

Downgrade: N/A
Even: Mike Williams (with chance of upgrade if Chargers line him up against Butler)

SEA vs BAL

SEATTLE WR SNAPS

Tyler Lockett: 402 snaps – 79 wide (38 left, 41 right), 295 slot (132 left, 163 right), six tight (four left, two right), 22 back

DK Metcalf: 326 snaps – 250 wide (176 left, 74 right), 72 slot (53 left, 19 right), three tight (one left, two right), one back

Jaron Brown: 259 snaps – 116 wide (32 left, 84 right), 130 slot (64 left, 66 right), 12 tight (five left, seven right), one back

Malik Turner: 87 snaps – 39 wide (13 left, 26 right), 44 slot (25 left, 19 right), three tight (three right), one back

David Moore: 80 snaps – 62 wide (34 left, 28 right), 17 slot (eight left, nine right), one tight (one right)

Tyler Lockett might see shadow coverage from Marlon Humphrey (76.1 PFF), who's one of the best in the league. Jaron Brown runs the second-most slot snaps for Seattle after Lockett, and therefore might primarily see Brandon Carr (64.7 PFF). If Humphrey is following Lockett and Carr is on Brown, then in three-wide sets DK Metcalf might be left against the new arrival Marcus Peters (76.8 PFF), who is unpredictable but plenty talented.

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: DK Metcalf, Malik Turner, David Moore

Even: Tyler Lockett (downgrade if Humphrey shadows), Jaron Brown

BALTIMORE WR SNAPS

Willie Snead: 309 snaps – 38 wide (15 left, 23 right),230 slot (111 left, 119 right), eight tight (one left, seven right), 33 back

Seth Roberts: 256 snaps – 216 wide (159 left, 57 right), 38 slot (29 left, nine right), two back

Marquise Brown: 217 snaps – 119 wide (32 left, 87 right), 90 slot (44 left, 46 right), one tight (one right), seven back

Miles Boykin: 165 snaps – 139 wide (102 left, 37 right), 25 slot (19 left, six right), one tight (one left)

Chris Moore: 117 snaps – 53 wide (18 left, 35 right), 55 slot (25 left, 30 right), nine back

Willie Snead should see a lot of slot corner Jamar Taylor (55.5 PFF), who is probably an upgrade for Snead despite his own modest skill set. It's hard to feel optimistic about Marquise Brown (ankle) playing, and if he doesn't then Miles Boykin and Chris Moore have to play more. Boykin has primarily lined up on the left, where he would mostly run against the suffering Tre Flowers (49.7 PFF), who might be beatable even for a raw rookie like Boykin. Seth Roberts also lines up on the left, though he played less than Boykin did last week. Moore lines up a bit more on the right, where he would see the so far smothering coverage of Shaquill Griffin (83.5 PFF).

Upgrade: Willie Snead, Miles Boykin

Downgrade: Chris Moore

Even: Seth Roberts

CHI vs NO

CHICAGO WR SNAPS

Allen Robinson: 295 snaps – 113 wide (57 left, 56 right), 171 slot (90 left, 81 right), nine tight (five left, four right), two back

Javon Wims: 172 snaps – 135 wide (71 left, 64 right), 33 slot (12 left, 21 right), three tight (two left, one right), one back

Anthony Miller: 165 snaps – 19 wide (11 left, eight right), 132 slot (75 left, 57 right), 12 tight (nine left, three right), two back

Taylor Gabriel: 163 snaps – 73 wide (36 left, 37 right), 88 slot (35 left, 53 right), one tight (one right), one back

Allen Robinson may see shadow coverage from Marshon Lattimore (64.3 PFF), but even great corners (which Lattimore isn't necessarily) lose sometimes and Robinson is one of the best. Eli Apple (72.4 PFF) would presumably be left with Taylor Gabriel more often than not if Lattimore were to shadow Robinson. Apple is having a strong season, but Gabriel is a tough cover and is probably both smaller and quicker than Apple's usual assignments. Gabriel's return should mostly come at the expense of Javon Wims, though Wims would draw Apple if not. P.J. Williams (55.6 PFF) is the punching bag in the slot, where Anthony Miller should be his usual matchup.

Upgrade: Anthony Miller

Downgrade: Javon Wims

Even: Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel

NEW ORLEANS WR SNAPS

Michael Thomas: 366 snaps – 209 wide (124 left, 85 right), 155 slot (95 left, 60 right), two back

Ted Ginn: 264 snaps – 161 wide (64 left, 97 right),81 slot (37 left, 44 right), eight tight (five left, three right), 14 back

Austin Carr: 105 snaps – 17 wide (eight left, nine right), 75 slot (42 left, 33 right), 13 tight (six left, seven right)

Tre'Quan Smith: 98 snaps – 23 wide (16 left, seven right), 63 slot (42 left, 21 right), 12 tight (nine left, three right)

Tre'Quan Smith (ankle) is still out, so Austin Carr will presumably serve as New Orleans' primary slot receiver, which is normally a deadend since he somehow has zero targets on 109 snaps this year. Lil'Jordan Humphrey might take that job as soon as this week, though neither is an option at the moment. Until further notice, Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn are the only viable Saints wideouts. Thomas plays a little more on the left than the right, so he should see right corner Prince Amukamara (73.6 PFF) than Kyle Fuller (59.7 PFF). Fuller is having the worse year so far, but he was the better of the two before 2019. Ginn should see a bit more of Fuller than Amukamara, and I think it's still closer to a downgrade than not for Ginn despite Fuller's low 2019 grade. The slot corner is the beatable Buster Skrine (59.9 PFF), and the Saints would be smart to get Thomas against him as much as possible.

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: Ted Ginn

Even: Michael Thomas, Austin Carr, Lil'Jordan Humphrey

DAL vs PHI

DALLAS WR SNAPS

Amari Cooper: 297 snaps – 203 wide (104 left, 99 right), 83 slot (40 left, 43 right), five tight (two left, three right), six back

Randall Cobb: 259 snaps – eight wide (three left, five right), 229 slot (109 left, 120 right), 14 tight (five left, nine right),eight back

Michael Gallup: 239 snaps – 183 wide (113 left, 70 right), 54 slot (27 left, 27 right), two back

Devin Smith: 136 snaps – 90 wide (46 left, 44 right), 44 slot (28 left, 16 right), one tight (one right), one back

Tavon Austin: 128 snaps – 52 wide (18 left, 34 right), 65 slot (28 left, 37 right), four tight (one left, three right), seven back

Cedrick Wilson: 70 snaps – 42 wide (18 left, 24 right), 25 slot (17 left, eight right), one tight (one left), two back

Amari Cooper (quad/ankle) lasted three snaps against the Jets last week, and in practice this week he practiced less than he did prior to the Jets. That makes things seem bad for him. If Cooper is out, then his primary replacement might be Cedrick Wilson, who caught five passes for 46 yards on six targets in 50 snaps against the Jets. Devin Smith was a healthy scratch, but since Wilson played zero special teams snaps, that would seem to be on the basis of wide receiver play, and it's hard to see why Wilson would get a demotion for his efforts last week. Smith would have a great matchup if he plays. If it's Wilson who replaces Cooper, then Cooper's even left/right splits might dictate that Cooper/Wilson see relatively even coverage from Rasul Douglas (59.1 PFF) at right corner and Jalen Mills (55.8 PFF 2018) at left corner, both of whom are suspect but do generally mirror Wilson in terms of physical traits. Orlando Scandrick (69.1 PFF) is perhaps Philadelphia's best corner at the moment, but it's not clear whether he'll primarily face Randall Cobb (back) or Tavon Austin. With slightly leftward splits, Michael Gallup should primarily face Douglas, which is a greenlight for Gallup.

Upgrade: Michael Gallup

Downgrade: N/A

Even: Cedrick Wilson, Randall Cobb, Tavon Austin

PHILADELPHIA WR SNAPS

Nelson Agholor: 380 snaps – 60 wide (28 left, 32 right), 294 slot (150 left, 94 right), 16 tight (four left, 12 right), 10 back

Mack Hollins: 260 snaps – 134 wide (64 left, 70 right), 118 slot (50 left, 68 right), three tight (three right), five back

Alshon Jeffery: 237 snaps – 177 wide (98 left, 79 right), 57 slot (29 left, 28 right), three tight

Nelson Agholor should run primarily against Jourdan Lewis (69.7 PFF), who PFF actually rates as a better slot cover corner than the injured Anthony Brown (61.5 PFF) who Lewis is replacing. Byron Jones (67.9 PFF) is Dallas' best outside corner but he could be substantially limited or out with a hamstring issue. Unlike the case with Brown, Jones isn't replaceable. Jones generally plays on the right and Chidobe Awuzie (62.7 PFF) generally plays on the left, so if Jones is out it would perhaps help Alshon Jeffery a bit more than it would Mack Hollins since Jeffery has a slight leftward slant in his snap alignment while Hollins trends slightly to the right. C.J. Goodwin (69.6 PFF) was the replacement for Jones last week, but Goodwin is an almost complete unknown. He's big (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) and fast (4.39-second 40), but Pittsburgh initially tried him out at wide receiver out of California State, and since then he's logged only 157 coverage snaps in four years, receiving low PFF grades for the most part. The more chances Jeffery gets at Goodwin, the better for Jeffery.

Upgrade: Alshon Jeffery

Downgrade: Nelson Agholor

Even: Mack Hollins

NYJ vs NE

NYJ WR SNAPS

Robby Anderson: 280 snaps – 213 wide (130 left, 83 right), 67 slot (44 left, 23 right)

Jamison Crowder: 252 snaps – 50 wide (20 left, 30 right), 200 slot (88 left, 112 right), two back

Demaryius Thomas: 101 snaps – 46 wide (20 left, 26 right), 52 slot (29 left, 23 right), one tight (one right), two back

Robby Anderson will presumably see shadow coverage from Stephon Gilmore (73.9 PFF), while Jamison Crowder should mostly see Jonathan Jones (89.9 PFF), a brutal matchup for both. Demaryius Thomas (groin) may be able to pursue a revenge game against the Patriots, but the coverage of Jason McCourty (86.3 PFF) is unlikely to be accommodating.
 

Upgrade: N/A

Downgrade: Robby Anderson, Jamison Crowder, Demaryius Thomas

Even: N/A