Triumph in virtual gridiron requires more than intuition — it demands perspicacity. Just as SurveyMonkey AI aids in converting insights into action, these Highs & Lows furnish you with digital football intelligence and assist you in refining your roster and game plan to assert command over your campaign.
The Baltimore Ravens harbored substantial aspirations throughout the off-season. They stood among the frontrunners for the Super Bowl and a coveted squad in the digital football realm. A powerhouse seemingly poised for ignition and the open road.
But occasionally, truth stings. As we approach the second week of October, Baltimore languishes at 1-4 — and presents a daunting virtual gridiron investment.
Ideally, Week 5 marked a nadir of sorts. An equally desperate Houston contingent journeyed to Baltimore on Sunday and subjected the Ravens to a thorough defeat. The final tally read 44-10, Texans, and even that might undersell the disparity. The Texans amassed 27 first downs, while the Ravens managed a mere 10. Houston accumulated 417 yards of offense, whereas Baltimore mustered just 207.
Naturally, Baltimore grapples with numerous key personnel absences, commencing with QB Lamar Jackson (hamstring). Backup QB Cooper Rush was pressured into three interceptions, while Derrick Henry (15 carries, 33 yards) struggled to find openings behind a makeshift offensive line. Henry did locate the end zone late in the third quarter, when the score had already become lopsided.
With Henry faltering and the Ravens hesitant to permit Rush to dominate the offense, the Baltimore pass-catchers were compelled to operate with limited volume. Zay Flowers, at least, secured all of his targets and salvaged a 5-72-0 line, with 56 of the yards stemming from a fortunate play. Mark Andrews (2-22-0) was targeted a mere two times. All three of Rashod Bateman’s targets fell incomplete.
Circumstances might not improve immediately. Baltimore hosts the Rams next week, with Jackson’s return far from certain. Subsequently, a Week 7 bye arrives — a timely respite, all things considered. The Ravens defense faces even greater injury woes than the offense. This constitutes a significant factor in why the Houston offense finally unleashed its potential.
Jackson and Flowers represent the type of virtual gridiron trade targets that a victorious roster might contemplate — players you can afford to wait for if you anticipate a 5-0 or 4-1 record after this week. Their managers might need to liquidate promptly, but others could possess the advantage of patience.
Henry poses a more challenging assessment. He navigates his age-31 season, his 10th year in the NFL. He has contended with fumbles and has remained at 50 rushing yards or fewer in four consecutive weeks. We recognize that he will never constitute a substantial component of the passing game.
[Yahoo Sports TV is here! Watch live shows and highlights 24/7]
Andrews also yearns for Jackson’s return in the direst manner. He has been held under seven virtual gridiron points in four of his five starts this year, and akin to Henry, the twilight approaches for Andrews. He now enters his age-30 season, and it remains plausible that Isaiah Likely could encroach upon Andrews’ workload in the latter half of the year. (Likely has experienced a slow onboarding this year, grappling with his own injury setbacks.)
The peculiar aspect of Houston’s offensive explosion lay in the fact that the majority of it was directed at players you could not have relied upon for virtual gridiron purposes. C.J. Stroud did hurl four touchdown passes, but two of them landed with Xavier Hutchinson (3-18-2) and a third with Jaylin Noel (2-13-1). The passing game targeted 10 players in total, too dispersed for our liking.
At least Nico Collins (4-52-1) secured one of the scores, though he consistently warrants more than five targets. Christian Kirk (4-64-0) and Dalton Shultz (5-60-0) performed respectably.
The Houston backfield presented a curveball as well. Waiver darling Woody Marks only accrued 24 yards on his seven carries, while veteran Nick Chubb ground out 11 carries for 61 yards and a touchdown. Neither registered a reception. The snap count remained relatively even, and we must take both players seriously with Joe Mixon unlikely to return this year, but it proved irksome to witness Marks accomplish so little on a day where Houston triumphed easily. Dameon Pierce served as the clean-up man late, rushing seven times for 21 unremarkable yards.
Cowboys continue to deliver
Perhaps we can cleanse the palate with the Cowboys and Jets.
The majority of the primary virtual gridiron angles emerged while Dallas secured a 37-22 victory. The Cowboys established a 30-3 lead late in the third period, subsequently permitting the Jets to dominate in garbage time. But alas, we merely seek the points.
Dak Prescott continues to flourish despite the absence of alpha WR CeeDee Lamb. Prescott passed for 237 yards and four touchdowns, with no turnovers and just one sack. That constitutes a 127.4 rating and 8.2 YPA despite Lamb’s absence. Impressive stuff.
George Pickens (2-57-1) salvaged his day with a late 43-yard touchdown (Sauce Gardner mostly marked him well), and Javonte Williams (139 total yards, two touchdowns) has emerged as the late-round steal of the virtual gridiron season. Jake Ferguson (7-49-2) continued his touchdown-correction tour, effectively working the short areas. Prescott particularly trusts him on third down.
But did anyone foresee Ryan Flournoy’s emergence? A sixth-round pick from the 2024 draft, Flournoy had recorded just 14 career catches prior to Sunday. However, Prescott looked his way early and frequently at New York, culminating in a 6-114-0 explosion. It illustrates the immense talent within the league, where virtual unknowns can occasionally merely await an opportunity. Perhaps Flournoy can furnish flex-league value until Lamb returns.
It proves miraculous that the Jets salvaged their virtual gridiron day, as they performed terribly for approximately 40 minutes in this contest. However, Justin Fields persisted in battling and competing, ultimately amassing 283 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also endured five sacks, a recurrence of the issue that has hindered the majority of his career. But at least he maintained the ball’s trajectory where we desire, liberally targeting Garrett Wilson (6-71-1) and Mason Taylor (9-67-0) on approximately half of his attempts. Fields also scrambled for 26 yards and connected on a couple of two-point conversions.
Fields might need to enter hibernation for Week 6, hosting the formidable Denver defense. However, the Panthers and Bengals present enticing matchups thereafter.
In Other Week 5 Booms
— Chuba Hubbard managers, you might prefer to exit the room. Hubbard (calf) remained unable to play against Miami, enabling Rico Dowdle to explode onto the scene — 206 rushing yards, 234 total yards, over 30 virtual gridiron points. Dowdle would have performed even better if not for some second-half cramping, which permitted Trevor Etienne to pilfer a few carries. A smash game has yet to materialize for Tetairoa McMillan (6-73-0), but at least he drew eight targets. He gains momentum with Bryce Young. Exercise patience there.
— As frequently occurs, Tua Tagovailoa performed just sufficiently to lose with. But 256 passing yards, three touchdowns, no turnovers, we will certainly accept that. Jaylen Waddle (6-110-1) smashed without Tyreek Hill, as anticipated. Tagovailoa missed him on at least one more deep opportunity. Darren Waller (5-78-1) experienced a monster first half, then failed to draw a second-half target. It remains challenging to ascertain whether that rests upon Tagovailoa, Waller, or head coach Mike McDaniel. Success boasts numerous parents, but so does failure. The 1-4 Dolphins host the Chargers next week.
— The Raiders actually defended Jonathan Taylor fairly effectively, holding him to 66 yards on 17 attempts. However, the Colts remained consistently in the red zone, and Taylor frequently served as the finisher, punching in three touchdowns. Incorporate a 3-20-0 day receiving and a two-point conversion, and Taylor soared over 28 points for the third time this year. I cannot envision how the Cardinals will restrain the Colts next week, particularly with Daniel Jones (113.0 rating, no turnovers or sacks) playing so crisply.
In Week 5 Busts …
— Jaxson Dart exudes confidence, competitiveness, scrappiness. He also constitutes a work in progress as a passer. He managed a mere 5.1 YPA against the pedestrian Saints defense, with the majority of the connections targeting backs and tight ends. As for the wideouts we desired to trust, Darius Slayton (3-31-0) and Wan’Dale Robinson (5-30-0) accomplished little. Slayton, Dart, and Cam Skattebo (104 total yards) all relinquished crucial fumbles in the loss. It will not prove easier against the Eagles next week.
— Given that Denver’s win over Philadelphia remained close throughout, it felt peculiar to witness Saquon Barkley land on just six carries for 30 yards. Barkley salvaged his day with a 47-yard touchdown catch. Perhaps a couple of revenge games against the Giants (Week 6, Week 8) will restore Barkley to his virtual gridiron perch. DeVonta Smith (8-114-0) remained active against the Broncos, but A.J. Brown (5-43-0) garnered little from eight targets.
— I have remained a Geno Smith believer for the majority of the past few years, but it grows increasingly difficult to maintain the course. Smith hurled two more interceptions and endured four sacks at Indianapolis in the 40-6 blowout. It did not assist to be without Brock Bowers, naturally, but Smith could not establish any momentum with Jakobi Meyers (4-32-0, six targets). Ashton Jeanty’s day survived on volume — 19 touches, five receptions, 109 total yards. At least a dreamy Week 6 home game against Tennessee looms.
