Passing Matchups Week 5

Photo: Andrew Nelles, USA Today Sports

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Top 5 Passing Matchups

New Orleans vs Seattle

The Saints still aren’t sure whether Jameis Winston or Andy Dalton will be under center Sunday, but it may not matter much. Dalton was surprisingly efficient last week in relief, hitting on 20 of 28 throws and 8.4 yards apiece. Either way, this attack is now in the hands of rookie Chris Olave, who has caught the eye of both quarterbacks. Olave has drawn 33 targets over the past three weeks, good for a 30% team share. (It was still 29% in the two games he played alongside Michael Thomas.) And the rookie has turned them into stat lines of 5-80, 9-147, and 4-67-1. Olave wins not just with his world-class speed but also with impressive ball skills that allow him to win contested throws. Overall, he boasts some traits that possession men Thomas and Jarvis Landry simply don’t, and it’s fair to expect that prominent role to continue. For his part, Thomas looks to be on the wrong side of questionable as he battles a toe injury. He and Landry would both be hard to trust in Dalton’s hands, with very little upside to speak of. Olave, on the other hand, has forced his way into the weekly WR2 discussion regardless of his matchup – or his quarterback.

The Seahawks continue to tread water on defense during their team-wide rebuild. Long gone are the days of Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas; this group bleeds production through the air anytime it faces a quality passer. Russell Wilson threw for 340 yards in the season opener, while Jared Goff totaled 378 (and 4 touchdowns) in Sunday’s wild contest. With top wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown on the shelf, Goff routinely picked on this shaky unit for chunk gains down the field. Tight end T.J. Hockenson was allowed to roam free for 179 yards and 2 scores, breaking through weak Seattle coverage and tackling. Goff was even able to draw big plays from the likes of Josh Reynolds, Tim Kennedy, and Khalif Raymond. That’s nothing new for this embattled secondary, which has been beaten up by just about everyone who’s tried. Until cornerbacks Michael Jackson, Tariq Woolen, and Coby Bryant come to life, this matchup looks like open season for anyone coming to town. It’s hard to imagine how they’ll contain explosive Saints rookie Chris Olave down the field.