While he played last night (less snaps than usual) and was targeted a lot (many bad throws and two missed TD's with better throws), he didn't look like he had his normal burst. It also looked like he couldn't elevate for a couple high passes. Not a total loss like Jamo was but definitely not himself either.
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WR Emeka Egbuka, TB (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Faust
- Start date
Grahamburn
Footballguy
I'd flush that game. Really weird game script and plan. I know Grizzard was thinking they wanted to take advantage of their secondary, but it was clear very early on they could not handle Hutch and the Lions up front, but they just kept dropping back to pass with 5 eligibles that couldn't get open. Once Mike got hurt they should have adjusted to heavy sets and creative run/screen game.
Really positive that Egbuka made it all the way through without re-aggravating the injury.
Really positive that Egbuka made it all the way through without re-aggravating the injury.
FantasyGuru24
Footballguy
Yeah, he was playing at like 85-90% .. More concerned about Baker, he seemed banged up. A bunch of his throws were late without any zip on it. He missed 3 wide open touchdowns .. Two to Emeka, one to Tez.
Smack Tripper
Footballguy
Not to make excuses, I think he was definitely playing compromised but you did have Detroit, at home, off a big loss, prime time game. That place was a mad house and Detroit seemed extra movivated probably from the bad press and the Branch suspension. But more than anything, most surprising, Detroit just manhandled them up front with Wirfs back.
Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
FTR: Hutchinson lined up over back up Right Tackle, Andy Heck, I didn't notice him line up over Whirfs much of the night and why would he?
Hutchinson didn't record a sack after setting a team record ith 5 straight games registering a sack
Bucs had 4 sacks, Lions had 4 sacks
But yeah the Detroit DL was strong all night, especially where the Bucs are lining up a back up RG and RT
Grahamburn
Footballguy
Wirfs was fine. Hutch and crew were manhandling a backup RT in Heck and a 3rd string RG. They annihilated the right side of the line to the point where the Bucs actually ran a play with Wirfs at RT just so they could throw a pass to the right side of the field.
Grahamburn
Footballguy
Hutch didn’t have a sack but he absolutely wrecked the game plan. Baker had nowhere to go because they were double and triple teaming him with his checkdowns leaving DBs and LBs covering everyone else.
Baker still missed several throws but the Lions defense was incredible.
Baker still missed several throws but the Lions defense was incredible.
Smack Tripper
Footballguy
I'm not attacking Wirfs particularly, more the pressure Detroit was able to generate or so it seems. I mean a weak secondary has to be covered up up front, and Baker looked like he was seeing ghosts 20 minutes into the game.
My overall point, I'm calling this one bad, weird game, they lost a franchise player so lets see how they move forward. A repeat performance and now we have data points, but for now, I'm looking at calling this just a blip.
Fun stat: The Saints run the 8th most zone coverage of any team in the NFL (the classic Brandon Staley soft zone that Chargers fans not so fondly remember) Emeka Egbuka is WR4 against zone coverage this year.
This is a smash spot. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Egbuka was the #1 WR in fantasy this week.
This is a smash spot. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Egbuka was the #1 WR in fantasy this week.
Grahamburn
Footballguy
They put on the DET tape and they might rethink playing zone. Tampa really struggled against Detroit’s press man.
NO may not have the horses up front to play that way though.
FarFromHome
Footballguy
Couple of duds for the young stud. How we feeling. Top 10 rest of year? Top 15?
fred_1_15301
Footballguy
He's been money for most of the year but I'm hedging my bet this week and benching Baker for Darnold and rolling with Egbuka.
Footballdaz
Footballguy
He had 3 weeks in a row of duds. He's clearly not ready to be a teams wr1
He didn't do so well with top coverage on him.
ponchsox
Footballguy
He’s a low-end WR1 for fantasy. If Baker made better throws on two end-zone passes last game, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
Grahamburn
Footballguy
I think it's more the hammy than anything. Bowles let it slip in an interview the other day that he has been playing "injured."
Grahamburn
Footballguy
The Bucs did not have Mike Evans in either the Eagles nor Seahawks games. He hurt the hamstring against SF.
Smack Tripper
Footballguy
He had the hip early on too
fred_1_15301
Footballguy
I’ve been watching the games the past few weeks and the problem seems to be Baker (not Egbuka).
SanDawg
Footballguy
Agreed. Everything seems to be high. With all receivers.
pinequick
Footballguy
Absolutely--and frustratingly, the last couple of weeks Baker ALWAYS seems high on his throws to Egbuka (as an Egbuka shareholder, I've yelled it at the TV on several occasions).
Baker has always been streaky, and the last couple his accuracy hasn't been great.
Grahamburn
Footballguy
I think he's hurt. Or was hurt. And the line has been really bad the last couple games. They even moved Wirfs over to RT against the Lions for a play just so they could get a throw off to the right. It has been that bad. The backup Heck leads the league in pressures allowed.
If they can get Goedeke back soon that will solidify it some.
Grahamburn
Footballguy
Goedeke is back at practice today. Bucky and Godwin still out.
He was injured and you could tell he didn't have the same burst or movement. Couple that with Baker being terrible (a handful of bad throws to an open Egbuka that would have resulted in at least 2 TD's and some long plays) and you wouldn't be saying he's not ready to be a WR1.
I wouldn't take those three games as a sign of anything significant with regards to future production.........unless you think Baker is not going to get back to his early year play. But Egbuka is fine IMO.
chad in Indy
Footballguy
He still hasn't been activated yet fr IR-R, correct?
Grahamburn
Footballguy
Goedeke was activated and has his practice window open.
Smack Tripper
Footballguy
Bench guy going forward. Dominated and outmatched as a number 1 guy
RaidersAreOne
Footballguy
Glad a made a major trade for him and London lmao.
FarFromHome
Footballguy
Well. In his defense it was a game where they passed for 70 yards total. I would have bet my home and 401k if the betting line was 70 yards.
Didn't he have 6 for 115 and a TD just two weeks ago?
Depending on the news on Baker's shoulder though he may indeed be seeing the bench the next few weeks if you have better options
BlackCrowes
Footballguy
the TB offense use to be matchup-proof. no more.
Against NE no less.
I mean, the Rams are the best team in the NFL (arguably on both offense and defense) its by far the worst matchup he (and TB in general) has faced all season. If Baker is ok, I'd still look at Egbuka as a low-end WR1, if its Teddy, probably more in the middling WR2 range. I doubt many teams are gonna have 3 better options.
RaidersAreOne
Footballguy
So what is it? Is he just not getting open anymore? Is he struggling as the new WR1? Is Baker declining vs. earlier in the year?
FarFromHome
Footballguy
I own zero shares of this dude. If I did, I think my only big concern would be Baker's health. Rams defense is legit. They made the Bucs look foolish and the Bucs own coaching staff knocked Baker out of the game. Better times ahead. Next 3 games are at home. That's huge.
Grahamburn
Footballguy
I think Baker got hurt against San Francisco. He has played through it, but his effectiveness is really diminished. The interior of the line is a mess. There's also nobody to draw coverage from him so teams just bracket him and dare Sterling Shepard or Tez Johnson to beat them. It's a pretty smart strategy. Godwin isn't himself. No Mike Evans. Grizzard's play calling isn't nearly as creative or effective at creating space for receivers as Coen's was. All of the above.
FreeBaGeL
Footballguy
When he was the #2 he was putting up near league best efficiency metrics. Don't have the exact numbers but it was around 75% catch rate and around 10ypt.
Now as the #1 he has completely flipped to now league worst efficiently metrics. Just horrid. Again don't have the exact numbers in front of me right now but closer to 5-6ypt and sub 40% catch rate. Really really poor.
It's more than just a few games at this point. Definitely a pattern. That does coincide with the Bucs' offense struggling in general so not sure how much of that is his fault. It's a bit of a chicken and the egg scenario because it could also be that he is not keeping defenses honest as the go-to WR and it's hurting the whole offense, or it could just be Baker struggling and he's along for the ride.
I have watched a lot of TB this year because I have Egbuka. There are two things that have caused the down turn. The first was his injury. He just didn't have the same explosion and movement for a couple games. I am still not sure he has that completely back. But more importantly Baker has been terrible comparatively speaking. There have been two or three games where Egbuka was wide open for easy TD's and Baker missed him. Either under throwing, overthrowing or just plain missing him. Even yesterday Egbuka had a TD as he blew past the coverage only to have to slow up and come back for the ball and then the DB caught up and knocked it away. First few weeks that was a TD because Baker was on fire.
I think TB as a whole has injury issues that is affecting overall usefulness. Egbuka is back to looking the same as his pre injury self but he isn't being used the same and when he is open the passes aren't good. It will only get worse if Baker is out because Teddy Two Gloves just has nothing left in the tank.
pinequick
Footballguy
This. I've got Ebuka, too, so I have pretty carefully watched these games, and Baker has been missing high for weeks now. The shoulder injury makes sense, because his accuracy has been awful, particularly on throws to Egbuka (I have enough expletives shouted at my TV the past few weeks as proof).
