UPDATES
Jacoby Jones of the Ravens was limited in practice, but "on the full side" of limited. Jones is looking like a gametime decision. If he is unable to go, Deonte Thompson will be available as he passed the concussion protocol.
The Packers did not bring anyone onto the active roster during their bye week who should compete for the returner job now that Jeremy Ross is gone, though they did sign Reggie Dunn to the practice squad. Randall Cobb and Johnathan Franklin are likely to handle kick returns, and Cobb and Micah Hyde handle punt returns.
Kyle Williams was a full practice participant for the 49ers, so will likely play this week.
in Dallas, Dwayne Harris (hip) was limited and is questionable for this week.
Denard Robinson was limited in practice but the Jaguars coaching staff said he would play this week.
Week 4 Recap
Historical comparisonS
The 2011 and 2012 season averages for each team game for kickoff and punt returns were fairly close. This season started out seeing significantly fewer kickoff returns than in previous years, as well as a slight drop in yards per punt return. Week 4 began to move the averages a littlte closer, as it nudged the kick returns per game from 1.8 to 1.9, and also increased the average yards by a full point. In punt returns, the team averages increased by a half yard per punt return.
| Year | KR/game | KR yds/game | KR yds/ret | PR/game | PR yds/game | PR yds/ret |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2.7 | 63.8 | 23.8 | 2.3 | 22.7 | 9.9 |
| 2012 | 2.7 | 64.2 | 23.6 | 2.2 | 21.6 | 9.7 |
| 2013 | 1.9 | 45.1 | 23.9 | 2.2 | 18.5 | 8.5 |
TOP PERFORMERS
A pair of elite veteran returners were joined by a rookie at the top of the kick returner stats this week. Chicago's Devin Hester returned 6 kicks for 147 yards, while Denver's Trindon Holliday's single return was a 105-yard touchdown. The Vikings continued to see solid returns from rookie Cordarrelle Patterson, who returned 5 kickoffs for 144 yards with all but one going for more than 25 yards. Patterson will get some extra rest as the Vikings have their bye this week.
Kansas City's Dexter McCluster nearly doubled the punt return yards of every other returner in Week 4 as he brought back 4 balls for 121 yards, including an 89-yard touchdown where he made several brilliant cuts to avoid tacklers. In St. Louis, Tavon Austin had 6 returns, the most for the week. Despite Austin's reputation as a playmaker, he has had difficulty finding running room on his punt returns since the regular season started. Austin accumulated just 28 yards in his 6 punt returns this week, and for the season is only averaging 3.2 yards on his 13 returns.
Job Changes
The San Diego Chargers released kick returner Fozzy Whittaker in order to sign an additional offensive lineman. Running back Danny Woodhead took over the kickoff returns in Whittaker's absence, though saw few opportunities this week.
Jacoby Ford has handled all of Oakland's kick returns, and this week also split time with Phillip Adams as a punt returner. Ford has elite speed which serves him best on kickoffs. If his blockers give him a lane he is also very capable of returning a punt to the end zone as well.
LaMichael James returned from his sprained MCL and stepped right back into the role of kickoff returner for the 49ers. The punts, however, continued to be handled by Kyle Williams. James had looked to be on track to handle both types of returns before his injury.
Injuries of Note
Leodis McKelvin (hamstring) was inactive for Buffalo's Week 4 game. He has said his rehab is going well and he might be able to play in Week 5. His situation will bear watching as the week progresses. Teammate Marquise Goodwin is practicing though has been limited. He may be able to return this week.If so it is not clear if he will step right back into his role as lead kickoff returner, or if Marcus Easley and T.J. Graham will continue to fill in.
Ravens standout returner Jacoby Jones is close to returning and might play in Week 5. Though Tandon Doss and Deonte Thompson have played well, Jones's return may be timely as Thompson suffered a concussion in Week 4.
The Jaguars burned through their kickoff returners this week as Denard Robinson injured his hamstring and Stephen Burton suffered a concussion. Running back Jordan Todman is the team's other returner, and may see a lot of action if neither of his teammates can play in Week 5.
Week 5 Team Return Projections
| Receiving Team | KR yards | KR TDs | PR yards | PR TDs | Total Yards | Total TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland Raiders | 102 | 0.03 | 15 | 0.02 | 117 | 0.04 |
| St. Louis Rams | 59 | 0.01 | 30 | 0.04 | 89 | 0.05 |
| New York Giants | 69 | 0.03 | 19 | 0.02 | 88 | 0.05 |
| Cleveland Browns | 56 | 0.01 | 31 | 0.04 | 87 | 0.05 |
| Detroit Lions | 74 | 0.02 | 11 | 0.01 | 86 | 0.03 |
| Green Bay Packers | 61 | 0.02 | 25 | 0.03 | 85 | 0.05 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 53 | 0.01 | 29 | 0.04 | 82 | 0.05 |
| Buffalo Bills | 58 | 0.01 | 24 | 0.05 | 82 | 0.06 |
| Houston Texans | 48 | 0.01 | 31 | 0.04 | 79 | 0.05 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 48 | 0.02 | 24 | 0.03 | 71 | 0.05 |
| New Orleans Saints | 61 | 0.02 | 10 | 0.01 | 71 | 0.03 |
| Tennessee Titans | 46 | 0.01 | 25 | 0.03 | 70 | 0.04 |
| New England Patriots | 54 | 0.01 | 16 | 0.02 | 70 | 0.03 |
| New York Jets | 41 | 0.01 | 28 | 0.03 | 68 | 0.05 |
| Miami Dolphins | 22 | 0.01 | 44 | 0.06 | 66 | 0.06 |
| Denver Broncos | 36 | 0.02 | 30 | 0.07 | 66 | 0.09 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 50 | 0.01 | 14 | 0.02 | 64 | 0.03 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 52 | 0.01 | 12 | 0.01 | 64 | 0.03 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 41 | 0.01 | 21 | 0.03 | 62 | 0.04 |
| Carolina Panthers | 42 | 0.01 | 18 | 0.04 | 60 | 0.05 |
| Chicago Bears | 39 | 0.02 | 17 | 0.04 | 56 | 0.06 |
| San Diego Chargers | 39 | 0.01 | 13 | 0.02 | 52 | 0.03 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 30 | 0.01 | 21 | 0.03 | 51 | 0.03 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 32 | 0.01 | 17 | 0.02 | 50 | 0.03 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 31 | 0.01 | 17 | 0.02 | 48 | 0.03 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 30 | 0.01 | 14 | 0.02 | 44 | 0.02 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 7 | 0.00 | 21 | 0.05 | 28 | 0.05 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 11 | 0.00 | 9 | 0.01 | 20 | 0.02 |
Week 5 Player Return Projections
| Player | Team | Position | KR yards | KR TDs | PR yards | PR TDs | Total Return Yards | Total TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacoby Ford | Oakland Raiders | WR | 82 | 0.02 | 7 | 0.01 | 89 | 0.03 |
| Michael Spurlock | Detroit Lions | WR | 67 | 0.02 | 10 | 0.01 | 77 | 0.03 |
| Keshawn Martin | Houston Texans | WR | 44 | 0.01 | 28 | 0.04 | 72 | 0.05 |
| Marcus Thigpen | Miami Dolphins | RB | 22 | 0.01 | 44 | 0.06 | 66 | 0.06 |
| Darren Sproles | New Orleans Saints | RB | 54 | 0.01 | 9 | 0.01 | 64 | 0.03 |
| Darius Reynaud | Tennessee Titans | RB | 41 | 0.01 | 23 | 0.03 | 64 | 0.04 |
| Randall Cobb | Green Bay Packers | WR | 43 | 0.01 | 17 | 0.02 | 60 | 0.03 |
| Trindon Holliday | Denver Broncos | WR | 33 | 0.02 | 27 | 0.07 | 60 | 0.08 |
| Damaris Johnson | Philadelphia Eagles | WR | 45 | 0.01 | 11 | 0.01 | 56 | 0.03 |
| Ted Ginn | Carolina Panthers | WR | 38 | 0.01 | 16 | 0.04 | 54 | 0.05 |
| Devin Hester | Chicago Bears | DB | 36 | 0.02 | 15 | 0.04 | 51 | 0.06 |
| Dwayne Harris | Dallas Cowboys | WR | 29 | 0.01 | 16 | 0.02 | 45 | 0.03 |
| Greg Little | Cleveland Browns | WR | 45 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.00 | 45 | 0.01 |
| Benny Cunningham | St. Louis Rams | RB | 44 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.00 | 44 | 0.01 |
| LeGarrette Blount | New England Patriots | RB | 43 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.00 | 43 | 0.01 |
| David Wilson | New York Giants | RB | 43 | 0.02 | 0 | 0.00 | 43 | 0.02 |
| Tavon Austin | St. Louis Rams | WR | 15 | 0.00 | 28 | 0.03 | 42 | 0.04 |
| Quintin Demps | Kansas City Chiefs | DB | 37 | 0.01 | 4 | 0.01 | 42 | 0.01 |
| Marquise Goodwin | Buffalo Bills | WR | 41 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.00 | 41 | 0.01 |
| LaMichael James | San Francisco 49ers | RB | 33 | 0.01 | 4 | 0.01 | 38 | 0.01 |
| Jermaine Kearse | Seattle Seahawks | WR | 34 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.00 | 34 | 0.01 |
| Clyde Gates | New York Jets | WR | 33 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.00 | 33 | 0.01 |
| Dexter McCluster | Kansas City Chiefs | WR | 8 | 0.00 | 25 | 0.03 | 33 | 0.03 |
| Jacoby Jones | Baltimore Ravens | WR | 21 | 0.01 | 12 | 0.01 | 32 | 0.03 |
| Danny Woodhead | San Diego Chargers | WR | 31 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.00 | 31 | 0.01 |
| Travis Benjamin | Cleveland Browns | WR | 6 | 0.00 | 22 | 0.03 | 27 | 0.03 |
| Jacquizz Rodgers | Atlanta Falcons | RB | 25 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.00 | 25 | 0.01 |
| Jeremy Kerley | New York Jets | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 23 | 0.03 | 23 | 0.03 |
| Kyle Williams | San Francisco 49ers | WR | 4 | 0.00 | 17 | 0.02 | 21 | 0.02 |
| Michael Cox | New York Giants | RB | 20 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 20 | 0.00 |
| David Reed | Indianapolis Colts | WR | 20 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 20 | 0.00 |
| Patrick Peterson | Arizona Cardinals | DB | 0 | 0.00 | 18 | 0.05 | 18 | 0.05 |
| Julian Edelman | New England Patriots | WR | 4 | 0.00 | 14 | 0.02 | 18 | 0.02 |
| Shaun Draughn | Baltimore Ravens | RB | 18 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 18 | 0.00 |
| Harry Douglas | Atlanta Falcons | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 18 | 0.02 | 18 | 0.02 |
| Eddie Royal | San Diego Chargers | WR | 8 | 0.00 | 10 | 0.01 | 17 | 0.01 |
| Brandon Tate | Cincinnati Bengals | WR | 9 | 0.00 | 7 | 0.01 | 16 | 0.01 |
| Golden Tate | Seattle Seahawks | WR | 5 | 0.00 | 11 | 0.01 | 16 | 0.01 |
| Leodis McKelvin | Buffalo Bills | DB | 0 | 0.00 | 16 | 0.04 | 16 | 0.04 |
| Reuben Randle | New York Giants | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 15 | 0.02 | 15 | 0.02 |
| Jordan Todman | Jacksonville Jaguars | RB | 15 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 15 | 0.00 |
| Jeremy Lane | Seattle Seahawks | DB | 13 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 13 | 0.00 |
| Kyle Wilson | New York Jets | DB | 7 | 0.00 | 5 | 0.01 | 13 | 0.01 |
| Johnathan Franklin | Green Bay Packers | RB | 9 | 0.00 | 4 | 0.00 | 13 | 0.01 |
| Micah Hyde | Green Bay Packers | CB | 9 | 0.00 | 4 | 0.00 | 13 | 0.01 |
| Ace Sanders | Jacksonville Jaguars | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 12 | 0.02 | 12 | 0.02 |
| T.Y. Hilton | Indianapolis Colts | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 12 | 0.01 | 12 | 0.01 |
| Tandon Doss | Baltimore Ravens | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 12 | 0.01 | 12 | 0.01 |
| Marcus Easley | Buffalo Bills | WR | 12 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 12 | 0.00 |
| Mike Jenkins | Oakland Raiders | DB | 10 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 10 | 0.00 |
| Taiwan Jones | Oakland Raiders | RB | 10 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 10 | 0.00 |
| Deonte Thompson | Baltimore Ravens | WR | 9 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 9 | 0.00 |
| Davone Bess | Cleveland Browns | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 9 | 0.01 | 9 | 0.01 |
| Patrick Edwards | Detroit Lions | WR | 7 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 | 9 | 0.00 |
| Jerrel Jernigan | New York Giants | WR | 7 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.00 | 9 | 0.00 |
| Jim Leonhard | Buffalo Bills | DB | 0 | 0.00 | 8 | 0.01 | 8 | 0.01 |
| Knile Davis | Kansas City Chiefs | RB | 8 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 8 | 0.00 |
| Stephen Burton | Jacksonville Jaguars | WR | 8 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 8 | 0.00 |
| Denard Robinson | Jacksonville Jaguars | RB | 8 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 8 | 0.00 |
| Javier Arenas | Arizona Cardinals | DB | 7 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 | 8 | 0.00 |
| Shiloh Keo | Houston Texans | DB | 5 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.00 | 8 | 0.00 |
| Phillip Adams | Oakland Raiders | DB | 0 | 0.00 | 7 | 0.01 | 7 | 0.01 |
| Michael Preston | Tennessee Titans | WR | 5 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.00 | 7 | 0.00 |
| Travaris Cadet | New Orleans Saints | RB | 6 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 | 7 | 0.00 |
| Kerwynn Williams | Indianapolis Colts | RB | 6 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 6 | 0.00 |
| T.J. Graham | Buffalo Bills | WR | 6 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 6 | 0.00 |
| Bobby Rainey | Cleveland Browns | RB | 6 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 6 | 0.00 |
| William Blackmon | Jacksonville Jaguars | DB | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | 0.01 | 5 | 0.01 |
| Brandon Boykin | Philadelphia Eagles | DB | 5 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | 0.00 |
| Leon Washington | New England Patriots | RB | 4 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 | 5 | 0.00 |
| Armond Smith | Carolina Panthers | RB | 4 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 4 | 0.00 |
| Robert Alford | Atlanta Falcons | DB | 3 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 | 4 | 0.00 |
| Josh Boyce | New England Patriots | WR | 4 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 4 | 0.00 |
| Perrish Cox | San Francisco 49ers | DB | 4 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 4 | 0.00 |
| Adam Jones | Cincinnati Bengals | DB | 2 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.00 | 4 | 0.01 |
| Dominique Franks | Atlanta Falcons | DB | 1 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Lance Dunbar | Dallas Cowboys | RB | 3 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.00 |
| LaVon Brazill | Indianapolis Colts | WR | 2 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Eric Weems | Chicago Bears | DB | 3 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Omar Bolden | Denver Broncos | DB | 3 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Keenan Allen | San Diego Chargers | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Wes Welker | Denver Broncos | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Cassius Vaughn | Indianapolis Colts | DB | 3 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.00 |
| Austin Pettis | St. Louis Rams | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.00 |
| DeSean Jackson | Philadelphia Eagles | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.01 | 3 | 0.01 |
| Jayron Hosley | New York Giants | DB | 0 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Armanti Edwards | Carolina Panthers | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Earl Bennett | Chicago Bears | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Cole Beasley | Dallas Cowboys | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Walter Thurmond | Seattle Seahawks | DB | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Tyrann Mathieu | Arizona Cardinals | DB | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Lance Moore | New Orleans Saints | WR | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Andre Ellington | Arizona Cardinals | RB | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Alfonso Smith | Arizona Cardinals | RB | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 |