Kai Forbath, K, Vikings
The Vikings should feel fortunate that Forbath’s bad day didn’t end up mattering much. He missed twice — from 39 and 48 — when Minnesota was still tied 7-7 with the Los Angeles Rams. The game could have gone either way at that point, and there must have been a sinking feeling for Vikings fans watching them leave points on the field like that. Minnesota ended up pulling away in the second half and winning, but Forbath probably has some worries about his performance.
Expectations are never going to be high for Hundley as he fills in for Aaron Rodgers, but getting shut out at home simply does not happen to the Green Bay Packers, no matter who is under center for them. There are still weapons on this team, but Hundley didn’t seem to have any clue how to take advantage to them. He threw three interceptions as he was locked up by the Baltimore Ravens’ defense. It’s hard to see what the alternative is at this point unless they change their stance and sign a new quarterback, but the fact is Hundley is not getting it done for Green Bay.
Todd Gurley, RB, Rams
Gurley scored the Rams’ lone touchdown in their 24-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but that was about the only thing that went right for him on Sunday. He only racked up 37 yards on 15 carries, as the Viking defense pretty much stuffed any attempts to get him going. He didn’t have a huge say in the passing game either — three catches for 19 yards. Gurley’s inability to get it going was a big reason why the Rams lost big.
Rob Gronkowski, TE, Patriots
Sunday was a fine day for the Patriots, but not so much for Gronkowski, who was quiet in the 33-8 victory. He was only targeted three times by Tom Brady. And while Gronk did catch all three of his targets, the 36 yard return — with no touchdowns — may come as a personal disappointment, not to mention for his fantasy owners. It’s only a hiccup for Gronk, though, so there’s no reason to be alarmed. This could have just been a byproduct of the Pats making Brandin Cooks a big part of their gameplan and the result of him splitting some targets with tight end addition Martellus Bennett.
Adrian Peterson, RB, Cardinals
That magic Peterson seemed to rediscover after being traded to Arizona appears to have worn off quickly. Perhaps the injury to Carson Palmer and subsequent collapse of Arizona’s passing threat has something to do with that, but 26 yards on 14 carries is simply not going to do it. He was completely stuffed on an ill-advised fourth down play late in the game that allowed Houston to run away with the win. Peterson had little room to maneuver, and the protection — or lack thereof — was hardly his fault. Still, Peterson appears pretty well bottled up in Arizona’s backfield.
Oakland Raiders
The most alarming thing for the Raiders wasn’t really the score — they got blown out 33-8 by the New England Patriots, which was bad, but not entirely unpredictable. It was the manner of the defeat. Oakland often looked like they couldn’t be bothered to put up a fight anymore, with the exception of Johnny Holton, who showed a bit too much fight. Derek Carr was underwhelming, while the defense had no answer for Tom Brady. A disappointing season keeps getting worse.
Okay, let’s be fair here. Expectations for Westbrook, a fourth-round pick making his NFL debut on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, were modest at most among the general public. The man himself, however, expected a 200-yard receiving game — ambitious, to be sure.
As Adam Schefter wryly noted, Westbrook fell a bit short of his goal. Sorry, Dede. Better luck next week.
