A week to week breakdown of who I believe will have a monster game, who looks in need of a change of scenery, and who needs to hang them up.
Boom: Ja'Marr Chase
It's safe to say that the Bengals were embarrassed by the Browns in week one. Losing to a division rival is always tough, but losing by three touchdowns is straight up embarrassing. Joe Burrow only managed to pass for 83 yards throughout the entire game, and Jamar Chase still had 50 yards receiving. With Burrow only being able to go up, I expect the Bengals to bounce back big time. They're home against another division rival, the Ravens, and I fully expect them to be ready to hoop. Led by a huge day from Chase, I believe the Bengals hang on and move to 1-1. Jamar averages 116 yards against the Ravens and sees a minimum of 10 targets per game. I expect both of those averages to be surpassed this Sunday.
Doomed: George Pickens
Hopefully last week was just a case of the "week one’s". George Pickens has all the talent necessary to be an elite receiver in this league. He's a polished route runner, has excellent hands and his toughness is off the charts. Not to mention he has that superstar aura attached to him. I'm sold on Pickens; however, I am not sold on the starting quarterback, Kenny Pickett. I feel that Pickett lacks the tools to be an alpha on an NFL team. He reminds me of Brock Purdy. A vertical threat as deadly as Pickens should demand targets beyond the box with the injury of Dionte Johnson. The Steelers were left with no positional threat on the boundaries who could also come inside and perform in the slot. Pickens is your explosive playmaker, he is not your eight catches for 66 yards and four first downs type of guy. I would prefer to see the Steelers introduce Pat Freiermuth to the position or underneath role while Dionte recovers. Otherwise, the Steelers will find themselves with a frustrated star wideout. Do we remember the last time this happened?
Busted: J.K. Dobbins
The 24 year old running back, while talented, struggles to stay healthy. This can be largely attributed to bad luck or the inherently violent nature of the NFL. Dobbins injury happened in the red zone when Lamar Jackson was forced out of the pocket, dumping the rock off, in hope that Dobbins could make one defender miss and secure six points for the flock. An awkward looking tackle around the three yard line was the cause for injury. I fear that this might be the beginning of the end of his career. It's already known that Dobbins was recovering from a severe knee injury, he even leaned into these claims after being caught on a potential touchdown run in 2022. Saying that he only has one fast leg at the moment. We are also aware of how brutal the running back market is. I fear that was the last chance for Dobbins to command a backfield. In my opinion, he will likely return as a veteran presence to a committee backfield or drop out of the league entirely. The list of those who return to standard levels of production after suffering an Achilles injury are very small. I hope Baltimore does not turn their back on him.
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