The opening week of NFL action is now in the books, and it is time to turn our attention to the “streaming” defenses strategy. While one week is too small of a sample size to draw concrete conclusions as to which defenses may step up and be dominant on a weekly basis, there were still some interesting developments.
Early in the season it’s wise to chase teams with shaky offenses and especially teams with quarterback issues. As the season unfolds we’ll be able to get an idea as to which defenses are outperforming expectations and those that are failing to meet them. In the meantime, it’s easier to spot offenses that are struggling either due to injuries or lack of execution and target them on a weekly basis.
Here are some prime defenses to pick up and use in Week 2.
Oakland Raiders (vs. New York Jets)
The Raiders went on the road and were able to stifle a potent Tennessee Titans offense, holding DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry to a combined 69 rushing yards. The Raiders also managed to keep Marcus Mariota basically in check, as he failed to throw for a score (he did have a 10-yard touchdown run) and was sacked once. While Oakland didn’t post many big plays, they did play solidly and have a much nicer matchup this week.
With veteran Josh McCown under center, the Jets finished Week 1 with merely 214 yards of total offense. McCown was sacked once and threw a pair of interceptions in his Jets debut. After failing to post a sack in Week 1, look for Khalil Mack and the entire Raiders defense to have a big day against the Jets at home this week. Mack was credited with five quarterback hurries while the team had 15 total and will turn those opportunities into big plays.
Cincinnati Bengals (vs. Houston Texans)
To say the Texans are having quarterback and offensive line struggles would be quite the understatement at this point. With offensive tackle Duane Brown holding out, the Texans allowed a staggering 10 sacks to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. Something tells me Brown’s bargaining power just got a big boost. In addition to being unable to protect the quarterback it’s also apparent that Houston may not have a quarterback (right now). Tom Savage was woefully ineffective turning the ball over twice (one returned for a touchdown) before being replaced by rookie Deshaun Watson. Watson didn’t fare much better, as he also had two turnovers while completing 12 of 23 passes for only 102 yards. On a short week with a Thursday night matchup, the Bengals defense will feast on a Texans offense lacking the time to properly adjust.
Baltimore Ravens (vs. Cleveland Browns)
Yes, we are streaming quite a few home teams this week and the Ravens head home after a very impressive Week 1 performance. They went on the road and completely shut down the Cincinnati Bengals for a 20-0 division win. Led by Terrell Suggs and his two sacks, the Ravens would get to Andy Dalton a total of five times on the day. They would also force the Bengals into a total of five turnovers and give up just 220 total yards. Baltimore will be facing DeShone Kizer making his second career start. The rookie was sacked seven times against the Steelers in his debut. The Ravens defense is in store for another big week, fantasy-wise.
Tennessee Titans (at Jacksonville Jaguars)
Color me skeptical that Blake Bortles has suddenly turned the corner and is no longer a turnover waiting to happen after Jacksonville beat Houston in Week 1. The Texans players had a long couple of weeks with more than football on their minds and it showed in the game. Bortles is still a shaky option that barely retained his starting job over veteran backup Chad Henne during training camp and the preseason. Bortles is the same quarterback who has turned the ball over 45 times in the last two seasons. Bortles is the same quarterback who has thrown interceptions that get returned for touchdowns at an alarming rate. Oh, yeah, and Bortles will now have to play without his top receiving option as Allen Robinson suffered a season-ending ACL injury. That elevates the underachieving Marqise Lee to the top of the wide receiver depth chart and that is not good. The Titans will have a nice week against a battered Jacksonville passing game.
Arizona Cardinals (vs. Indianapolis Colts)
This streaming defense is really quite simple to explain. Until Andrew Luck returns from his shoulder injury we should look to stream the defense that is facing the Colts on a weekly basis. Scott Tolzien’s first pass of the game last week was returned for a touchdown and he threw another pick-six later in the game for good measure. The Colts actually replaced him in the fourth quarter with the recently acquired Jacoby Brissett, formerly of the Patriots, and things didn’t get a whole lot better. Chase the Colts offense early and often because until Luck returns as that unit will be fantasy gold for defenses.
Los Angeles Rams (vs. Washington Redskins)
The first defense to feast on the aforementioned Indianapolis offense was the Rams and they took full advantage. New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips got off to a hot start as the Rams held the Colts to just 232 total yards and an embarrassing 0-10 on third-down conversions. Los Angeles (still strange to type) also racked up four sacks as well as two interceptions returned for touchdowns and a safety. The Rams will also have Aaron Donald back in the fold for this matchup; even if he is on a snap count, Donald will be a factor. Kirk Cousins was a bit loose with the ball as he tends to be last week throwing an interception and losing a pair of fumbles.
Detroit Lions (at New York Giants)
The Lions defense kept them in the game last week after offensive and special teams struggle early. The unit then stepped up making big plays and harassing Carson Palmer as Detroit pulled away in the fourth quarter. The Lions would finish with three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) along with a sack and fumble recovery. More importantly, they flashed a pass rush that many doubted they could and finished the game being credited with 17 quarterback hurries. With or without Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants offense is going to struggle until they can figure out a way to run the football and protect Eli Manning. The Dallas defense was in Manning’s face all night long, getting to him three times and New York finished with only 35 rushing yards. Detroit is a sneaky good streamer on Monday this week.
Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Minnesota Vikings)
This isn’t as much an indictment on the Vikings offense as it is a tip of the cap to the way the Steelers defense came out and played against the Browns last week. For at least one week there is a new “Watt” in town. as J.J. Watt’s younger brother T.J. Watt made his NFL debut with six total tackles along with two sacks and an interception. Overall the Steelers finished with seven sacks and an interception. The Steelers was also be the only team in to post a special-teams score on opening Sunday, as they were able to block a punt and turn it into a touchdown. The loss of Stephon Tuitt (biceps) will hurt, but he only played two snaps in Week 1 and the defense was still able to perform. Sometimes it works to just ride the hot hand and this unit has started the season on fire.
© 2024 PFF - all rights reserved.