Sunday Night Football for Week 3 of the NFL season has arrived and I have two primetime plays – one each for the 49ers and Broncos – to consider.
These players aren’t the flashiest of names and are more bargain-bin plays who could surprise.
RB Kyle Juszczyk, 49ers
With Tyrion Davis-Price going down last week, Juszczyk saw his offensive snap rate jump to 53% (compared to 37% in Week 1). He also saw his first two touches of the year, including a one-yard rushing TD.
Jeff Wilson will be the lead back, but there’s a good chance Juszczyk operates as the de facto No. 2 on passing downs. Undrafted free agent Jordan Mason doesn’t look to be trusted, as he still hasn’t logged an offensive snap despite the 49ers losing a top-two RB on the depth chart in each of Weeks 1 and 2.
Marlon Mack just signed this week and likely doesn’t know enough of the playbook to be trusted in pass protection, which was never his strong suit. Per PFF, he’s given up a whopping 17 pressures on 117 career pass-blocking snaps.
Juszczyk is a threat to not only vulture a TD, but also catch a couple of passes.
WR Kendall Hinton, Broncos
With Jerry Jeudy (questionable; rib/shoulder) going down last week against the Texans and KJ Hamler (questionable; knee/hip) out, it was Hinton who received the biggest jump in playing time.
Hinton ran a route on 71% of the dropbacks, compared to 43% for Tyrie Cleveland (questionable; hamstring), and 20% for rookie Montrell Washington. The fact that the Broncos used another elevation on Hinton despite having another WR on the roster (2022 UDFA Jalen Virgil) suggests at least one of Jeudy, Hamler, or Cleveland will sit out, which should lock Hinton into a role as no worse than the WR4.
