Getty Gallery: 3/5
Start: WR Tre'Quan Smith vs. Falcons
Sit: WR Donte Moncrief vs. Bills
Some people may be wondering whether Smith is a one-hit wonder, but the wide receiver put enough on tape at UCF to show he is the real deal. While the rookie Saints receiver may not get 150 receiving yards every week, he has a good chance to put together another solid week.
The Saints are in New Orleans against a Falcons team that gave up 43 points to their NFC South rivals the last time these two teams played. The Falcons are allowing the fourth-most passing yards to opponents this season at 284.1 yards per game. We are likely in for a Turkey Day shootout to close out the holiday.
Smith is also the same player who caught Brees' record-breaking touchdown pass. After the most recent game, Smith relayed a story of Brees emphasizing the trust he has in him.
"I kind of threw him by, and Drew [Brees] put it right there on me, and it was a touchdown," Smith told ESPN. "He was like, 'Why do you think I threw you the ball? I trust you.' And [being] a rookie, that just made me so happy inside."
Brees noted that Michael Thomas' presence opens up opportunities for some of the other players on the team.
"Obviously, this was a huge night for him," Brees explained to ESPN. "I think, especially early on, it became evident that Philly really wanted to take away Michael Thomas to the point where it was just two guys running around the field with him everywhere. The same with Alvin for the most part. So that was opportunities for some of these other guys to get touches and matchups. And listen, they all made the most of it."
Smith is in the WR3/flex range for Week 12. With the Saints facing a porous Falcons defense, there is a reason to be optimistic that Smith can continue his hot streak.
The Jaguars Passing Attack Continues to Struggle
Blake Bortles threw for a total of 104 yards against the Steelers. We keep waiting for Jacksonville's offense to get better this season, but there are no signs of that happening. It helps the team to have Leonard Fournette back, but it does not seem to be having a major impact on the Jaguars' passing production.
Donte Moncrief had one reception for 11 yards against the Steelers. Right now, you cannot start Moncrief or any of the other Jaguars wide receivers with any confidence. To make matters worse, the Jaguars face a Bills team with the best passing defense in the NFL.
Buffalo is only allowing 202 passing yards per game, the fewest of any team in the league. This is unlikely to be the week where the Jaguars break out of their slump.
Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone noted the team has confidence in their wide receivers but had a more conservative game plan to try to compete with the Steelers.
“Obviously, if we put them out there, we have a level of trust that they can do the job, but make no mistake about it, early on, we were trying to go out there and establish a physical mindset knowing that’s what we have to do to beat a team like Pittsburgh -- who is a very good team -- and run the football," Marrone said per Jaguars.com.