Wide Receivers vs. Cornerbacks: Week 8 Matchups

This article will go game by game for the Week 8 slate looking at the top wide receivers from an offense and, based on the inside/outside and left/right splits of those receivers, identify the cornerbacks most likely to face them in man coverage. This post will have to be a little shorter and lean more on speculation/generalities than the entries to come, because teams haven't yet conclusively revealed their personnel tendencies.

Receivers rarely see the same corner every play, be it due to formation quirks or zone coverage calls by the defense, so a receiver's fortunes depend on much more than just the quality of the corner they're likely to see the most in a given game. Even against a bad corner, a good receiver can be denied the opportunity if the pass rush or something else outside his control complicates things. But it's part of the puzzle, and it's worth keeping track of.

Receivers are left with an Upgrade, Downgrade, or Even verdict based on their projected matchup. This shouldn't be read as 'good' or 'bad' but rather a measured tweak from the receiver's baseline projection.

Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens

CLEVELAND BROWNS WIDE RECEIVERS

Don't laugh but switching to Jameis Winston might actually make these wide receivers useful. That's particularly true for Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman, though even Elijah Moore might get going if Marlon Humphrey is out. Jeudy and Tillman would more so run against Brandon Stephens and Nate Wiggins anyway, but like Humphrey the Ravens might not have Wiggins in this one. If Humphrey is out this pass defense isn't great, and if both Humphrey and Wiggins are out it is probably bad.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Jerry Jeudy (raise to Upgrade if Wiggins is out), Cedric Tillman, Elijah Moore

BALTIMORE WIDE RECEIVERS

Zay Flowers (ankle) might be out here, and if so his replacement would presumably be Nelson Agholor, though with different usage tendencies given their very different skill sets. Rashod Bateman might be come the de facto WR1 in such a scenario, but he also might break surprisingly evenly with Agholor. In any case the corner matchups are difficult here, with Agholor seeing a lot of Greg Newsome in the slot while Agholor and Bateman otherwise split snaps between Denzel Ward and Martin Emerson. Emerson has been rather bad in 2024, to the point that Bateman and even Agholor might have the advantage. Neither wideout is likely to get a step on Ward, however.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Nelson Agholor

Detroit Lions vs. Tennessee Titans

DETROIT LIONS WIDE RECEIVERS

The Jameson Williams suspension isn't ideal but it is ideally timed, especially if L'Jarius Sneed (quadriceps) is out again. Tim Patrick has shown an ability to thrive in this offense and Amon-Ra St. Brown is inevitable otherwise. Kalif Raymond can also beat this trash defense of his former team. St. Brown actually sees the toughest part of the defense either way in slot man Roger McCreary, but it's not a deterrent for a player of St. Brown's caliber.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Tim Patrick, Kalif Raymond

TENNESSEE TITANS WIDE RECEIVERS

Calvin Ridley will seemingly get all of the targets for himself now, but Ridley's delicate spa-like aesthetic does not mix well with a Titans offense that could very generously be compared to a landfill. The Lions corners are not truly able to cover Ridley but they'll likely rough him up with their aggressive demeanor. A fair point would be mentioning that Mason Rudolph might be better than Will Levis, but Levis himself regressed harshly this year under the "leadership" of Brian Callahan, whose dad and high-school buddy (separate people) are both assistant coaches on the Titans.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Calvin Ridley

Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts

HOUSTON TEXANS WIDE RECEIVERS

Stefon Diggs should see the most of slot corner Kenny Moore, who is at once Indy's best corner yet also one Diggs should at least be fine against. Moore isn't a feared cover guy so much as an all-purpose rover type. Tank Dell has no good excuse for posting poor numbers here – even Xavier Hutchinson and Robert Woods don't.

Upgrade: Tank Dell
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Stefon Diggs

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS WIDE RECEIVERS

Derek Stingley only played one side in Week 1, so if the Texans do that again here then Michael Pittman should largely be able to avoid Stingley and instead run at backups like D'Angelo Ross, who is fast but also 5-foot-8 and probably not very good. In the slot they tend to use Jalen Pitre, who at once was a high safety pick yet also has not seemed imposing in coverage. Of course, rather than the Texans defense the problem right now is arguably more so Anthony Richardson.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Michael Pittman (arguable Downgrade if shadowed by Stingley), Josh Downs, Alec Pierce (arguable Upgrade if Stingley shadows Pittman)

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Green Bay Packers

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS WIDE RECEIVERS

Brian Thomas is getting moved around a good amount, indicating that the Jaguars are understandably making an effort to scheme the best matchups to Thomas, though in general Thomas will mostly work on the boundary while Christian Kirk gets most of the slot reps. Gabe Davis seems to take whatever is left after that. In this game Thomas might see shadow coverage from Jaire Alexander, who has been used as an assignment-specific corner at a few points this year. The Packers might want Alexander on Thomas not so much out of the hope that Alexander would shut down Thomas, but more because they know leaving Thomas against the likes of Keisean Nixon is begging for disaster. Nixon will probably end up on the bench at some point, but if the Packers leave him against Thomas in this game they would only have themselves to blame. In Kirk's case the matchup is novel and difficult to project – on the one hand he is mostly running against rookies (generally good) and former safeties (generally very good), but these particular rookie safety tweeners (Javon Bullard and Evan Williams) appear to be potential exceptions. Indeed, Bullard and Williams already appear to be well on their way to establishing themselves as two of the league's most capable defenders in the middle of the field.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Brian Thomas (arguable Upgrade if not shadowed by Alexander), Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis

GREEN BAY PACKERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Tyson Campbell returned for Jacksonville last week and in the process improved roughly 1/3 of the Jags cornerback reps, but the good news for the various Packers receivers is Ronald Darby is likely more beatable on the other side, and the Jags so far haven't used Campbell to assign to specific receivers, meaning the Packers should be able to line up their preferred target away from Campbell and against either Darby or slot corner Jarrian Jones. Guessing which Packers wideout might benefit is much more tricky, but the general role is Jayden Reed gets the biggest serving while working mostly as a slot specialist, while Romeo Doubs has a three-down role locked in as a boundary specialist. When the Packers use multiple slot reps on a play is often where you'll see Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks rotate in, though Watson and Wicks also function as something like the 2A and 2B slot player behind Reed. Reed should have a consistent advantage over the rookie Jones in the slot, while whoever gets Darby on the boundary has the preferable matchup over the remaining boundary wideout, who would otherwise get Campbell.

Upgrade: Jayden Reed
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Romeo Doubs (the less Campbell the better), Christian Watson (see Doubs), Dontayvion Wicks (see Doubs)

Miami Dolphins vs. Arizona Cardinals

MIAMI DOLPHINS WIDE RECEIVERS

This is easy. Tua's back, so Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are both set to rake. The Cardinals pass defense is better than last year but is still almost certainly one of the 10 worst in the NFL.

Upgrade: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

ARIZONA CARDINALS WIDE RECEIVERS

This is not easy. Not because it should be so difficult, but intentionally or not offensive coordinator is forcing the defense to double team Marvin Harrison at nearly all times, and meanwhile Michael Wilson on the other side is not even in theory supposed to possess the downfield game to take advantage of the cheating safety. Putting Greg Dortch in the slot amplifies this trend, pulling the defense into the box, which the Cardinals can't access outside of. Meanwhile, the Dolphins have three solid corners between Kendall Fuller, Jalen Ramsey and Kader Kohou, all of whom can line up inside or out.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Marvin Harrison, Michael Wilson, Greg Dortch

New England Patriots vs. New York Jets

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS WIDE RECEIVERS

The Jets had Sauce Gardner follow around George Pickens last week, but the Patriots lack a comparable wideout. We might instead see Gardner play one side and D.J. Reed the other in this game, with Michael Carter back in the slot. Carter has been a quality player for the Jets but still might be easier for DeMario Douglas to beat than for boundary wideouts Kayshon Boutte and Kendrick Bourne to beat Gardner or Reed.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne
Even: DeMario Douglas

NEW YORK JETS WIDE RECEIVERS

Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson should on some basis split their snaps between Christian Gonzalez and Jonathan Jones. Both corners are very good, despite some pitiful showings from the New England defense overall – that was more to do with the collapse of the run defense. Allen Lazard is a lot bigger than slot corner Marcus Jones, so Adams/Wilson investors might continue to be frustrated by Lazard's usage level.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Garrett Wilson, Davante Adams, Allen Lazard

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Sterling Shepard might be your primary slot wideout and even has a chance to lead the Buccaneers receivers while Mike Evans is out. Jalen McMillan started over Shepard to begin the year at flanker but with Shepard more so in the slot now they should be able to coexist, with Trey Palmer getting the remaining snaps and likely a decent amount of decoy work. Dee Alford is not an imposing matchup for Shepard in the slot, though McMillan might have trouble getting away from A.J. Terrell when the two are matched up. McMillan and/or Palmer can beat Mike Hughes if the Falcons aren't careful to give him safety help, though they usually do.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Sterling Shepard, Jalen McMillan, Trey Palmer

ATLANTA FALCONS WIDE RECEIVERS

Hopefully Kirk Cousins had a bad game last week for no real reason, because the matchup was easy and he shouldn't have struggled. Similarly, this matchup is easy and Cousins should not struggle, because if he did there would be no reason. Jamel Dean's injury leaves the overmatched duo of Zyon McCollum and Tyrek Funderburk on the boundary, and some combination of Tykee Smith/Christian Izien in the slot. Izien is probably the best player of the group, and he's mostly been playing safety this year (Smith should probably be playing linebacker, meanwhile). 

Upgrade: Drake London, Darnell Mooney
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Ray-Ray McCloud

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Philadelphia Eagles

CINCINNATI BENGALS WIDE RECEIVERS

Quinyon Mitchell looks like the CB1 the Eagles thought he was when they selected him in the first round, and second-round rookie Cooper DeJean may soon prove himself a standout NFL slot defender. Darius Slay is arguably the weak link at this point, but if he gets healthy he might round into form one more time here. The problem for Slay (and Mitchell) in the meantime is that Tee Higgins and especially Ja'Marr Chase are capable of having huge games against corners better than them. Andrei Iosivas against DeJean seems like a no-go, on the other hand.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Andrei Iosivas
Even: Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES WIDE RECEIVERS

As long as the Bengals use Cam Taylor-Britt on the right side it allows the offense specifically target DJ Turner on the left. Turner is extremely fast but small, so A.J. Brown might prefer to target him given that Taylor-Britt is much bigger/stronger than Turner. Then again, Brown has an advantage over either player. DeVonta Smith can probably beat these guys too, but the challenge for him is always getting open faster than Brown can, because Brown tends to get open often and to a jarring degree.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith

Los Angeles Chargers vs. New Orleans Saints

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS WIDE RECEIVERS

The Chargers might be in trouble here. Ladd McConkey (hip) didn't practice going into Friday, and if he's out the Chargers straight up just can't throw the ball. That's because LAC was already relying on McConkey in a high-target role, and even with McConkey functioning at that level the Chargers were still a below average passing game. They can't replace McConkey's per-snap target rate with wideouts Joshua Palmer pretty much by default would need to be the replacement – but the Chargers tight ends don't catch passes and neither really does Simi Fehoko, useful downfield decoy he might be. Quentin Johnston doesn't appear healthy enough to help on the outside. Chargers need to run for like 200 yards here. Marshon Lattimore and Alontae Taylor are both good corners.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Simi Fehoko, Quentin Johnston
Even: Ladd McConkey, Joshua Palmer

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WIDE RECEIVERS

Chris Olave can definitely beat corners like Kristian Fulton and especially the rookie duo of Tarheeb Still and Cam Hart. The question is whether the Saints can get the ball to him. Given the shortage of alternative targets, Olave might have volume in his favor here even if the quarterback play continues to drag him down efficiency-wise.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Chris Olave, Cedrick Wilson, Bub Means, Mason Tipton

Seattle Seahawks vs. Buffalo Bills

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS WIDE RECEIVERS

Tyler Lockett will need to step up as a deep threat with DK Metcalf likely out. The Bills corners Rasul Douglas and Christian Benford are very comfortable playing underneath, and they bank on the Bills pass rush arriving before you can make them less comfortable by forcing them to down and run downfield. Jake Bobo might be the easiest assignment these corners ever see in the NFL. Big and improbably slow, Bobo is easy to grab and if you miss with the jam it's okay, he didn't go anywhere. Jaxon Smith-Njigba might not be very good, and his matchup with Taron Johnson certainly isn't either.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Jake Bobo
Even: Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba

BUFFALO BILLS WIDE RECEIVERS

Amari Cooper has a tougher matchup here than he did last week, but it's still quite literally something like 10 times better than the situation he had with Cleveland. Cooper has beaten tougher corners than this. Whether guys like Keon Coleman can beat corners like Riq Woolen and Tre Brown is less clear, but at least Coleman has a major build advantage over Brown. Khalil Shakir or whoever else is in the slot gets the toughest draw, as that's where Devon Witherspoon tends to work.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Amari Cooper, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman

Washington Commanders vs. Chicago Bears

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Kyler Gordon might be out and if so it makes the slot easier to attack, though Luke McCaffrey might not be ready at this present point to take much advantage. It would seem reasonable for the Bears to assign Jaylon Johnson to Terry McLaurin specifically, though to uncertain effect. Johnson is one of the best corners in the league, but McLaurin is at least as good of a wide receiver. Then again, McLaurin makes his clinching plays mostly as a downfield wideout, and Marcus Mariota definitely can't throw the deep ball anywhere near as well as Jayden Daniels can. Noah Brown doesn't have an obvious angle on Tyrique Stevenson.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Terry McLaurin, Noah Brown, Luke McCaffrey

CHICAGO BEARS WIDE RECEIVERS

Benjamin St-Juste is one of the easiest corners to beat if you have any amount of speed and change of direction, which DJ Moore and Rome Odunze both certainly do. Mike Sainristil on the other side is much better, but at under 5-foot-10 he risks getting bullied by guys like Moore and Odunze, who are both bigger wideouts despite also being hyper-athletic. Keenan Allen might be slowing down but he can probably do a number on Noah Igbinoghene in the slot.

Upgrade: DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen
Downgrade: N/A
Even: N/A

Denver Broncos vs. Carolina Panthers

DENVER BRONCOS WIDE RECEIVERS

DeVaughn Vele usually plays in the slot, leaving him at snap odds with Lil'Jordan Humphrey, who is too slow to be a real wideout and too small to play tight end. Deleting Humphrey is an obvious upgrade for the Broncos, but who knows what Sean Payton is thinking. Vele against Troy Hill might be an easier matchup than Courtland Sutton against Jaycee Horn, but Sutton generally doesn't disappear for long.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Courtland Sutton, DeVaughn Vele

CAROLINA PANTHERS WIDE RECEIVERS

I'm not going to recommend starting any Bryce Young wideouts against this defense.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: All
Even: N/A

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Trent McDuffie might shadow Jakobi Meyers here, which if so would be liable to shut down nearly all production of the Raiders wideouts. These quarterbacks can't threaten the boundary or seam, and wideouts like Tre Tucker are not talented enough to transcend the situation otherwise. Meyers might have volume in his favor here, but he might struggle produce more than maybe 50 yards every 10 targets if McDuffie is on him.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: Jakobi Meyers (raise to Even if not shadowed by McDuffie)
Even: Tre Tucker

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS WIDE RECEIVERS

Justin Watson might be the worst receiver in the NFL – replacing him with DeAndre Hopkins would be an extreme boost to the Kansas City passing game. Replacing Watson with Mecole Hardman would qualify as the same, but for years Andy Reid has been uninterested in objectively better returns Hardman always has and continues to provide over Watson. Hardman has 87 yards from scrimmage on 40 snaps, while Watson has 95 on 226 snaps. Absolutely insane. Anyway, Xavier Worthy is not a polished product yet but his speed could be difficult to manage for an organization as dysfunctional to the core as the Raiders are.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: DeAndre Hopkins, Xavier Worthy, Justin Watson

San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS WIDE RECEIVERS

If Deebo Samuel is dealing with pneumonia then I have no idea how to assess his odds here. It seems like a serious illness to shake off in less than a week, but Deebo was a limited practice participant Thursday. Regardless of whether Samuel plays the 49ers likely will call upon Ricky Pearsall in a starting role, as the rookie played 44 snaps in his pro debut last week. Jauan Jennings would mostly vacate reps in the slot if he's again unavailable, and those slot looks would presumably be split up between Pearsall and Ronnie Bell, with Chris Conley likely working as a speed decoy on the boundary. None of the Dallas corners are obviously easy to beat, but Dallas has a way of laying down and Kyle Shanahan has a way of getting his offense to overachieve.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Deebo Samuel, Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, Chris Conley, Ronnie Bell

DALLAS COWBOYS WIDE RECEIVERS

Each of Charvarius Ward, Deommodore Lenoir and Renardo Green is a good corner, but none of them is safe from CeeDee Lamb on the days that Dallas shows up to play. Then again, it's getting difficult to assume Dallas will show up for any particular game. Jalen Tolbert might be a decent player but if the broader struggles of Dallas can bring down Lamb then they'll of course wipe out Tolbert too. The only real thing Dallas has going for it here is the desperate, exasperated assumption that they can't possibly play so badly each week as they did against the Lions before the bye.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Giants

PITTSBURGH STEELERS WIDE RECEIVERS

Believe it or not Russell Wilson's arrival in Week 7 seemed to breathe real life into the Pittsburgh passing game, which if sustainable should set up George Pickens for a real surge of production from this point. Pickens got the better of a tough Jets defense last week, so while the Giants have some cornerback talent it's still difficult to identify anything concerning for Pickens in this matchup. A corner like Deonte Banks is big and extremely athletic, and Cor'Dale Flott is fairly rangy on the other side, but you need true standout corner play to counter Pickens. Guys like Van Jefferson, on the other hand, would probably be somewhat challenged by these Giants corners.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: George Pickens, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin

NEW YORK GIANTS WIDE RECEIVERS

Malik Nabers can be covered by very few NFL cornerbacks, and guys like Joey Porter and Donte Jackson are not among them. With that said, the Steelers always account for whatever their corner limitations – a practice they've mastered by using a Moneyball approach at corner for most of the past 30 years – and they won't let it be as simple as Nabers lining up against those corners are slot man Beanie Bishop. More likely Nabers will see varied hybrid coverages to give some cushion to Jackson and Porter. That doesn't mean Nabers can't win anyway – Brian Daboll is one of the better schemers on offense and he has his days, too – but the Steelers have a way of making the sum of their defense challenging for opposing passing games, even if the opposing wideouts are 'better' than the Steelers corners. Bishop is much weaker than Porter or Jackson with that said, so perhaps Wan'Dale Robinson can offer a steadying presence here. Darius Slayton is capable of making big plays on these corners if they get left one-on-one downfield, so the Steelers will presumably look to prevent that.

Upgrade: N/A
Downgrade: N/A
Even: Malik Nabers, Wan'Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton