While the Thursday Night Football game between the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals may not be a game with playoff implications, there are still plenty of questions to be answered. Who is the running back to own in Denver? And has Father Time finally caught up to Larry Fitzgerald?
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Player Comparison: Case Keenum vs. Josh Rosen
Player Comparison: Demaryius Thomas vs. Larry Fitzgerald
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The Denver Broncos invested a second-round pick in what was presumed to be the running back of the future in Denver. After jettisoning CJ Anderson and releasing De'Angelo Henderson, Royce Freeman was supposed to be both the guy of the future and the present. Then came undrafted running back Phillip Lindsay.
Now those who have either running back, hold their breath each Denver gameday in the hopes that, not only will their Bronco running back be the guy. Through six games, there's just as much clarity as there was in Week 1, and Denver has a 2-4 record.
One of them is listed on our Start side for Thursday Night Football Week 7.
Start
Royce Freeman, Denver Broncos
| Name | Snap Count | Total Targets | TDs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royce Freeman | 145 | 64 | 3 |
| Phillip Lindsay | 138 | 80 | 2 |
After six weeks of football, the Denver running back situation is even more of a mess than initially thought of after Week 1. What once was a two-horse committee between Freeman and Lindsay has now added a third guy into the fold with Devontae Booker. Freeman leads the team with 145 snaps, Lindsay is second with 138 and Booker trails with 131 snaps. That's less than a four percent difference between the lead running back and the third running back.
So why Freeman on Thursday?
Arizona is one of the worst run defenses in the league. The Cardinals give up over 150 yards per game. I think the gameplay calls for a steady dose of Freeman, the most trusted of the backs, with Lindsay and Booker sharing secondary looks. This is a total gut call, but given the matchup, any one of them could get near one hundred yards and a score. On Thursday, I say it's Freeman.
Christian Kirk, Arizona Cardinals
One rookie who continues to flash in the midst of an offense that has struggled is the @AZCardinals Christian Kirk from @AggieFootball. He is a young player on the rise.
Here he is on an out and up for a gain of 32 yards.@ChristianDavon2 #BeRedSeeRed pic.twitter.com/wvESjVrBVL
— NFL Matchup on ESPN (@NFLMatchup) September 25, 2018
Since Josh Rosen took over for Sam Bradford, Kirk has separated himself from the rest of the receiving core.
Here are some basic numbers:
Kirk leads the team in target market share (23.8%).
Kirk has at least 77 receiving yards in three of his past four games.
The Broncos have given up no less than 13 fantasy points to the number one outside receiver. Kirk runs 59 percent of his routes from the outside.
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Sit
Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos
There were high hopes that with a functioning quarterback, Thomas would see some of the same success that made him a top fantasy wide receiver in year's past. While he is doing better than last year, his production is trending plummeting. Despite a pair of scores the last two weeks, Thomas has received only 11 percent of the target shares–in two games where the Broncos had to throw a lot.
Thomas received 21 targets through the first two games, but just 22 since. On the other hand, Emmanuel Sanders has 54 targets through six weeks. The last two weeks he has seen 24 balls thrown his way, five of which have come in the red zone.
Thomas is not seeing the passes, either at the goal line or elsewhere to warrant a confident start.
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
Injuries have plagued Fitzgerald to start the season, and now as we approach the midway point of the season, Kirk has taken over as the lead receiver with fellow rookie Rosen. Fitzgerald has just an 18.8 percent target share in an offense he used to dominate. Fitzgerald has averaged only 27.8 yards per game since Week 2 and has not cracked 39 yards receiving since Week 1.
Fitzgerald now faces a slot cornerback, Chris Harris, who has locked down the slot all season. This season, Harris has allowed a 55 passer rating. That's Nathan Peterman territory.
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