Russell Wilson’s rushing numbers have made him a top fantasy QB option this season
Patrick Johnson is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Patrick, check out his archive and follow him @PattyJ38.
Week 15 is over which means we can step back and take a look at some numbers that might not be as apparent when just browsing through stats or fantasy points. From a QB who is out-rushing RBs to a QB who shows why being a pocket passer is an art, here is Week 15’s By the Numbers.
15: Russell Wilson’s rank in rushing yardage this season
Russell Wilson has rushed 106 times for 754 yards this season, good enough for 15th amongst all NFL players. He has out-rushed the likes of Joique Bell, Tre Mason, and Andre Ellington on the year. With two games remaining, Wilson is projected to rush for 860 yards, which would exceed RGIII’s 830 yard mark set in 2012.
7: The number of drops by Packer receivers on Sunday
The Bills defense disrupted Aaron Rodgers early and often Sunday, sacking him three times and forcing two INTs. When Rodgers did find holes in the defense, the Packer receivers held the offense back by dropping seven balls. Notably, sure-handed Jordy Nelson dropped a wide-open go route, which would have been a 94-yard TD. After a disappointing loss to the Bills in Week 15, the Packers offense figures to get back on track next week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are fighting for the No.1 overall pick in the 2015 draft.
151: Jeremy Hill’s rushing yards per game when getting at least 24 carries
Hill has excelled as the feature RB this season, stepping up when Gio Bernard was forced to miss time with injuries. In Week 15, the Bengals went with Jeremy Hill as their bell-cow and in turn, dominated the ground game. Hill finished the game with 148 yards and two TDs on 25 carries. Earlier this year, Hill also gashed the Jaguars and Saints for 150+ yard performances when he carried 24 and 27 times, respectively. With a solid defense and an inconsistent passing game, a steady dose of Hill gives the Bengals the foundation rushing attack they’ve been searching for all season.
0: The number of passing TDs in Ryan Lindley’s (ARI) four career starts
After the Cardinals lost Drew Stanton to injury on TNF, Lindley’s number was called as the next QB up. Lindley played meaningful snaps in six games as a rookie for the Cardinals and started four games. In those four starts, Lindley had a 54% completion percentage, 629 yards, zero TDs, and seven INTs. The Cardinals host the Seahawks and their stellar defense in Week 16. In 2012, the last time Lindley faced the Seattle, the Seahawks embarrassed the Cardinals 58-0 and produced 30+ D/ST points.
10: Consecutive games that Tom Brady has thrown at least 2 TDs
Many of us remember what was thought to be the end of the Tom Brady era in Week 4 when the Patriots were dismantled by the Chiefs on MNF. Since that loss, Tom Brady has thrown for 245 yards and 2 TDs or better in each of the past 10 games. Brady has rallied the Patriots to a 9-1 record and has thrown 28 TDs and only 6 INTs over that span. The Pats face their divisional rival Jets in Week 16, which pits Brady’s explosive offense against a leaky Jets secondary.
3:2: Ratio of Broncos rushes to Broncos passes over the past three games
Since the emergence of C.J. Anderson as the feature back in Week 10, the Broncos have shifted to a run-based offensive attack. Facing a tough slate of defensive secondaries over the past month (MIA, KC, and BUF), Denver has relied on Anderson to carry the load. Manning’s arm strength has seemingly waned over the course of the season causing the Broncos to transition from their spread passing attack to a run-first, ball control approach. Consequently, Manning’s statistics have sharply dipped in the month of December as he’s averaged 195 yards passing, 1 TD, and 0.66 INTs in his past three games. The task doesn’t get any easier in Week 16 as the Broncos travel east to play a good Bengals defense on MNF.
