WR Sterling Shepard, TB (1 Viewer)

[The Frankman]

oh good Lord rename the thread @Faust

Sterling Shepard caught 4-of-5 targets for 80 yards in a Week 3 win over the Jets.

Shepard was used as the team’s third receiver for much of the game, but stepped into a starting boundary role late in the fourth quarter with Mike Evans (hamstring) in the locker room. Shepard made a huge catch on that drive and showed good shifitness after the catch to get the Bucs into field goal range. With Chris Godwin still unlikely to return by Week 4 and Evans looking likely to miss a couple of weeks, Shepard could slide into a starting role for the Bucs next week. He’ll get a tough matchup against the Eagles, but would be a low-end WR3/FLEX option because of the volume he’d see.
- Rotoworld

 

[Faust]

“Crazy Lunatic” Sterling Shepard

 

[Chicago Hooligan]

If you told me before the game that Shepard would have 7 catches I'd have been pretty pumped about my desperation WR starter.

...But 25 yards and a fumble lost is an almost impossibly bad result.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

If you told me before the game that Shepard would have 7 catches I'd have been pretty pumped about my desperation WR starter.

...But 25 yards and a fumble lost is an almost impossibly bad result.

In my PPR league he had 7.5 points, which has to be an NFL record for futility on 7 catches. Even Wan'Dale thinks that is inefficient.

 

[Grahamburn]

It was such a weird game.

The Bucs were running 5 eligible receivers all night long, but basically keeping two of them around the line of scrimmage to help block every play because the Lions killed them up front.

So, anything caught by the remaining three was extremely short with no YAC because there were man to man defenders everywhere with help.

Bucs expected zone and got challenged with press man all night and never adjusted.

 

[rockaction]

It was such a weird game.

The Bucs were running 5 eligible receivers all night long, but basically keeping two of them around the line of scrimmage to help block every play because the Lions killed them up front.

So, anything caught by the remaining three was extremely short with no YAC because there were man to man defenders everywhere with help.

Bucs expected zone and got challenged with press man all night and never adjusted.

Are you sure about that last claim there? Did you see it or is that sourced yet unattributed?

Curious to know and it doesn’t have anything to do with you. Where did you hear or see that claim?

Very interested. If you respond then I’ll send Baker his laurels and give him a Detroit Mulligan (that even sounds criminal) on my ***Offishal MVP Ballot of the Back-Ups

 

[Grahamburn]

It was such a weird game.

The Bucs were running 5 eligible receivers all night long, but basically keeping two of them around the line of scrimmage to help block every play because the Lions killed them up front.

So, anything caught by the remaining three was extremely short with no YAC because there were man to man defenders everywhere with help.

Bucs expected zone and got challenged with press man all night and never adjusted.

Are you sure about that last claim there? Did you see it or is that sourced yet unattributed?

Curious to know and it doesn’t have anything to do with you. Where did you hear or see that claim?

Very interested. If you respond then I’ll send Baker his laurels and give him a Detroit Mulligan (that even sounds criminal) on my ***Offishal MVP Ballot of the Back-Ups

As far as the Bucs expecting zone? That's speculation on my part. The Lions played a ton of zone against KC the week before and considering the status of their secondary I think Tampa expected they'd do that again as to not expose their backup DBs in man coverage against supposedly more talented WRs. Then Detroit ended up playing a lot of aggressive man to man press coverage in this game (especially after Mike went out) with tons of bodies around the line of scrimmage.

Baker didn't play well at all. The pressure had him rattled. Early batted passes and rushers immediately in his face had him throwing high over his targets.

The Bucs threw it 50 times and ran it 11 I think? The defense played well and they were only down 2 scores and within 5 points in the 2nd half. No reason to throw it that much. Just ultimately a bad game-plan that also wasn't executed well. All the motion and run game creativity they used against Seattle and SF was missing from this game. I think they went in with a "go be him" game-plan for the WRs and just expected Mike and Egbuka to out talent the secondary all night.

 

[rockaction]

As far as the Bucs expecting zone? That's speculation on my part. The Lions played a ton of zone against KC the week before and considering the status of their secondary I think Tampa expected they'd do that again as to not expose their backup DBs in man coverage against supposedly more talented WRs.

Thanks, bro. One would expect that, wouldn’t one? Detroit would naturally adjust to their injured personnel, right?

But they've hated to adjust to play zone. I remember the broadcasters saying it last year. Glenn played Cover 1 nearly every time he could last year and I don't think they really switched it up. He was blitzing Sam Darnold and pressing those last weeks of last year.

So I was indeed wondering if you came up with that yourself or if you heard it on the broadcast or read it. You make a logical inference; it just didn't work out because I don't think Detroit likes to play too much zone.

Peace. Baker gets all the plaudits from me today and on that ballot I promised.