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Top 5 Passing Matchups

LA Rams vs Washington

In a crowded NFC, the Rams offensively are peaking at the right time. Over the last three weeks, the Rams have scored 31 against Baltimore, 36 against Cleveland, and 37 against Arizona. While Arizona may be a weaker defense, Baltimore and Cleveland have been two of the more difficult defenses to move the ball against all season. It seems the Ramsre finally figuring out how to incorporate both Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp into the same offense as last week we saw Kupp finally have a breakout performance that many had been waiting for, as he had 8 receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown while Nacua also had 5 receptions for 84 yards. This is a team with three very winnable games before a Week 18 game against San Francisco that could be a game in which the 49ers are resting their starters, so winning out and making the playoffs is very much alive for this Rams team, which will need to rely on their offense as they have had some recent defensive woes.

The Commanders are coming off of a much-needed bye last week, as their pass defense has spiraled out of control. Since Week 4, the Commanders have allowed 296 passing yards per game, which is the most in the NFL, a staggering 2.6 passing touchdowns per game, which is 0.5 touchdowns more than the next closest team, and are allowing the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. During that time, every quarterback has thrown for at least 250 passing yards except for Tommy Devito and Mac Jones, but DeVito's 246 yards was a season-high for the rookie. Benjamin St-Juste, on the outside, has been one of the worst cornerbacks in the NFL, allowing the second-most yards to opposing wide receivers this season. The Commanders have tried to make adjustments, as they benched their first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes in Week 12, but second-round pick Jartarvius Martin also struggled in coverage as the team's plan to invest heavily through the draft so far has not paid off. With a coaching change almost inevitable in Washington, the effort level for a team that has lost their last two games by a combined 65 points will be something to watch moving forward.

Green Bay vs Tampa Bay

After five great performances, Jordan Love struggled last week against the Giants in a game that the Packers needed to win. For Love, there just was not enough consistency last week as the team struggled to move the ball downfield, completing just 5.6 yards-per-attempt, which was well below his 7.9 yards-per-attempt average over the last five weeks. The Packers struggled with the loss of Christian Watson last week and could also be without Dontayvion Wicks and Jayden Reed. If the Packers are without those three receivers, they'll likely need Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure to step up. Reed seems to be the most likely to play of the three, but he's not shown an ability to have a downfield role as of late, as he's averaging just 3.6 yards per catch over the last two games despite having 12 receptions in those two games.

The Buccaneers pass defense is coming off another abysmal performance as Desmond Ridder threw for 347 yards in Week 14. This pass defense has been prone to big games as they have now allowed 320 yards or more six times this season and are allowing the second-most passing yards per game to opposing quarterbacks on the year. This is a secondary that invested heavily in the cornerback position as Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis both signed very lucrative contracts, but both players have been struggling this season. Davis has allowed the most receiving yards of any cornerback in coverage this season despite only playing 10 games, as most players at the top of that list have played the full 13. Dean has missed the last three games and should return this week, but we should not expect a noticeable improvement from this defense as he has also struggled in coverage this season, and the team is allowing 289 yards per game with Dean in the lineup. The one bright spot on this team has been Antoine Winfield Jr, as the fourth-year player continues to play at a very high level despite the chaos and turmoil at the cornerback position.

Baltimore at Jacksonville

Lamar Jackson and the Ravens had struggled in the passing game but had a breakout week last week. Lamar Jackson threw for 316, which was just his second 300-yard performance of the season. For the Ravens, we saw Odell Beckham have a season-high 10 targets as he had not had more than 7 on the season. Finding a second option for Zay Flowers has been an issue for the Ravens since Mark Andrews went out earlier this year. Isiah Likely also had a strong game last week with 5 receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown. If the Ravens can get Odell Beckham or Isiah Likely to be a consistent option, this will be a team that will be very difficult to beat in the playoffs.

Jacksonville's pass defense has been a liability for most of the season, but over the last three weeks, it has become a problem. Since Week 12, the Jaguars have allowed three straight 300-yard passing performances to C.J. Stroud, Jake Browning, and Joe Flacco. They now have allowed seven quarterbacks on the season to top 300 yards. The issue for the Jaguars is that teams are finding ways to beat this pass defense through all three channels, as wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends have all found success against this pass defense. This team is built to stop the run, and opponents are simply electing to take a high-volume passing approach as they're throwing 38 times per game, which is the second-most in the NFL this season. The Jaguars have holes at multiple levels of this defense as Montaric Brown at corner and safeties Rayshawn Jenkins and Andre Cisco have struggled in coverage this season. The pass rush, which the Jaguars invested in heavily with the number one overall pick in the 2022 draft, has been non-existent outside of Josh Allen as Travon Walker has struggled with just three solo sacks on the season.