- Mike Evans has CJ Henderson’s and Marshon Lattimore’s numbers: The veteran wideout has performed important harm towards the 2 cornerbacks over the previous three seasons, together with a six-catch, 84-yard and one-touchdown output towards Lattimore in final yr’s wild-card spherical.
- Pat Surtain II is Garrett Wilson’s kryptonite: The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has confronted off with Wilson in every of the previous three seasons and has come out on prime every time.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
One-on-one matchups that usually make or break video games are one of the intriguing points of soccer. Wide receiver-cornerback matchups are a method we at PFF analyze the sport inside the recreation, breaking down protection snaps and making use of context utilizing information to find out who got here out on prime.
These are a number of the noteworthy extensive receiver-cornerback matchups over the previous three NFL seasons.
Wide Receiver-Favored
WR Mike Evans vs. CB CJ Henderson
One of the perfect video games of Evans’ profession got here in a division-clinching victory over the Carolina Panthers in Week 17 of the 2022 season. Evans caught 10 of 12 targets for 207 yards and three touchdowns, incomes an elite 90.3 PFF recreation grade.
Most of Evans’ harm got here towards cornerback CJ Henderson, who had an outing to neglect (36.6). With Henderson in main protection, Evans caught seven of 9 targets for 125 yards and two touchdowns for an ideal 158.3 passer score.
Mike Evans’ 2022 Week 17 Matchup with CJ Henderson
WR A.J. Brown vs. CB Emmanuel Forbes
The Commanders chosen Forbes within the first spherical (sixteenth general) within the 2023 NFL Draft, however he was no match for Eagles All-Pro wideout A.J. Brown, who obtained the perfect of him twice that season. Brown was focused 10 occasions of their Week 4 contest, catching six passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns (143.8 passer score).
The second matchup between Washington and Philadelphia that yr wasn’t fairly as noteworthy so far as the person matchup (two receptions for 45 yards and a landing), however Brown accounted for an 8-130-2 line general for the sport. He was merely unstoppable for the Commanders’ protection, regardless of who lined him that day.
WR DeVonta Smith vs. CB Kendall Fuller
Smith’s finest recreation of 2022 got here in Week 3 versus Washington when he caught eight of 12 targets for 169 yards and a landing (92.5 PFF recreation grade). Most of his manufacturing was with cornerback Kendall Fuller (38.4) in main protection — six targets, 5 receptions, 95 yards, one landing and an ideal 158.3 passer score when focused.
Smith’s dominant efficiency was much more spectacular when you think about that Fuller was one of many 15 highest-graded cornerbacks within the league that season (76.6) and was coming off a yr during which he ranked third (81.5) at his place.
WR Mike Evans vs. CB Marshon Lattimore
Evans versus Lattimore has been one of the publicized battles within the league for years now, as the 2 clashed many occasions as NFC South rivals. Their rivalry was renewed final yr within the wild-card spherical after the Washington Commanders acquired Lattimore from the New Orleans Saints late within the season.
Evans dominated that matchup, catching all six targets thrown his approach for 84 yards and a landing (158.3 passer score). Evans (91.8 PFF recreation grade) gave Lattimore (26.5) suits all evening, additionally drawing a defensive move interference penalty in the long run zone earlier than his landing only one play later.
Cornerback-Favored
CB Patrick Surtain II vs. WR Garrett Wilson
Elite cornerbacks shadowing an opposing group’s prime extensive receiver doesn’t occur almost as usually as followers might imagine, however Surtain is tasked with doing so extra usually than others, a giant motive why he gained Defensive Player of the Year final season.
Surtain has confronted off with New York Jets stud wideout Garrett Wilson in every of the previous three seasons and has come out on prime every time. The most noteworthy matchup was in Week 5 of the 2023 season, with Surtain dealing with six targets to Wilson and permitting simply two receptions for 22 yards with an interception and a 5.6 passer score towards.
Over the three video games, Wilson caught simply 5 of 10 targets for 58 yards and 0 touchdowns.
Pat Surtain II’s 2024 Matchup with Garrett Wilson
CB Byron Murphy Jr. vs. WR D.J. Moore
Moore has been one of the productive extensive receivers within the NFL since he entered the league in 2018, averaging greater than 1,000 yards per season. He’s been a tough participant to cease, however no cornerback has given him extra bother than Byron Murphy Jr. over the previous few seasons.
In Week 4 of the 2022 season, Moore was focused thrice with Murphy in protection, failing to catch any passes, two of which resulted in interceptions (0.0 passer score). In the three matchups following that, Murphy allowed simply 9 receptions, 67 yards and 0 touchdowns and recorded one other interception.
Back-and-Forth
WR Jaylen Waddle vs. CB D.J. Reed
The highest-graded recreation of Waddle’s profession got here in Week 15 of the 2023 season (92.8), a contest that All-Pro wideout Tyreek Hill missed resulting from damage, making Waddle the focus of the Dolphins‘ offense. In that recreation, Waddle caught eight of 9 targets for 142 yards and a landing. He obtained the perfect of cornerback D.J. Reed, bringing in three of 4 targets for 92 yards and the landing (156.3 passer score) with him in main protection.
2024 was a unique story. Reed didn’t permit a catch throughout 4 targets over their two conferences, choosing off a move within the course of. Dating again to the beginning of 2022, Waddle has accounted for 5 receptions (10 targets), 118 yards and one landing, and Reed has logged one interception in a matchup that swung forwards and backwards between the once-division rivals (Reed signed with the Lions this offseason).