WHAT WE LEARNED THIS WEEK
Philadelphia, winless through three weeks, relied on their defense to pull out their first victory. On Sunday Night Football, the Eagles registered five sacks, a fumble recovery, two interceptions, and a touchdown. Rodney McLeod, Alex Singleton, and Cre’von LeBlanc led the way in IDP production. Looking forward, the Philly defenders may be spending a lot of time on the field over the next month. The schedule consists of the Steelers, Ravens, and Cowboys in weeks five, six, and eight respectively.
In week four, two defenses recorded three interceptions and a touchdown in their games. Those defenses were the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs. New York’s defense played admirably but was unable to pull out the victory on Thursday against Denver. Kansas City took down the Patriots backup QBs to win on Monday night. Pierre Desir, Neville Hewitt, Brian Poole, and Avery Williamson filled the stat sheet for New York and will continue to produce solid IDP results moving forward. Rashad Fenton, Tyrann Mathieu, Mike Pennel, and Juan Thornhill were the prime performers for Kansas City.
The Los Angeles Rams, up against a depleted Giants offense, gave up a league-low nine points in their matchup on Sunday. The LA defenders were able to produce five sacks and an interception in the effort as well. IDP players of note for the Rams include Morgan Fox, Troy Hill, and Darious Williams.
TOP PLAYER PERFORMANCES
Pierre Desir – CB – NEW YORK JETS
On Thursday Night Football, the former Colts and now Jets cornerback lit up the night. Desir’s stat line included eight tackles, two defended passes, two interceptions, and a touchdown. The former 4th round pick in 2014 will continue to amass solid IDP scores playing in a leaky Jets defense.
Josey Jewell – LB – DENVER BRONCOS
Jewell had a gem of a game in New York Thursday. The Iowa alum was credited with 10 total tackles, two TFLs, a defended pass, and two sacks. At 25 years old, the LB is on track for 120 total tackles on the year. My guess is he regresses somewhat, but he’ll definitely produce solid numbers if he remains healthy, so keep playing Jewel.
Patrick Queen – LB – BALTIMORE RAVENS
The first rookie to make an appearance in the top performers list in 2020, Queen was all over the field on Sunday. The 1st round pick racked up 12 total tackles (nine solos) and three TFLs on his day. At 21, in a defense that has produced many stars over the years, Queen looks like another trump card in the Ravens defensive deck.
NOTABLE INJURIES
Myles Jack – LB – JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Jack, who has been a star for the Jaguars defense for years, suffered an ankle injury that forced him out of Sunday’s game. If Jack misses time, Dakota Allen may see an uptick in defensive usage and could be worth a short-term roster spot.
Darius Leonard – LB – INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
The top IDP asset in the NFL had to leave his game against the Bears Sunday afternoon. Leonard suffered a groin injury midway through the first half and did not return. If Leonard cannot make a return in week five against the Browns, expect Anthony Walker to benefit the most in his absence.
Ziggy Ansah – DE – SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
San Francisco has had tough luck on their defensive line this season. The team has lost Dee Ford, Nick Bosa, and now Ziggy Ansah for the year. On Sunday night, Ansah tore his biceps and will now miss the rest of the year. Unless San Fran goes free agent hunting again, Kerry Hyder and Dion Jordan are next in line for snaps in San Francisco.
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