The previous two games ahead of Sunday night's matchup with the Buccaneers, Greg Dortch had played a total of 10 snaps. His up-and-down usage this season was tough not to notice.
But Sunday night, with Hollywood Brown getting his hand metaphorically slapped for being late to a meeting and with the Cardinals choosing to use both A.J. Green and Robbie Anderson much less than of late, Dortch got playing time and made it work.
Dortch played 58 snaps, more than any receiver other than DeAndre Hopkins (71). Dortch ended up with 10 receptions for 98 yards, thanks in part to a nice chemistry with third-string QB Trace McSorley, and three carries for another 25 yards. Green played 20 snaps, and Anderson dipped to five.
Dortch also received the Cardinals' highest offensive grade from Pro Football Focus, at 76.5.
Running back James Conner continued his workhorse load, with 74 of 76 possible snaps. Rookie Keaontay Ingram had seven. At tight end Trey McBride (64) tripled the workload of No. 2 Maxx Williams (21).
The other solid offensive PFF grades belonged to left tackle Josh Jones (70.5), Conner (70.0) and right guard Will Hernandez (65.1).
Defensively, J.J. Watt isn't just playing well but he's playing a ton. He was in for 77 of 81 defensive snaps, his heaviest workload of the season and the same number of snaps as linebacker Isaiah Simmons.
Watt also had the best grade of all the Cardinals, coming in at 88.1 and continuing his excellent play at the end of the season.
Safety Budda Baker and cornerback Antonio Hamilton were the only ones to play all 81 snaps, although it seems likely that if safety Jalen Thompson and linebacker Zaven Collins hadn't been on the sidelines briefly after getting dinged up (78 each), they would have too. The same was possible for cornerback Marco Wilson, who had 59 snaps and two interceptions before a stinger ended his night.
Rookie linebackers Myjai Sanders (37) and Cameron Thomas (34) each got significant work, as did rookie cornerback Christian Matthew -- thanks to Wilson's injury. Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill played 18 snaps, his most defensive work since signing as a free agent.
Thomas also had a very good grade (84.8), as did Simmons (84.0). Also grading well were defensive lineman Michael Dogbe (79.9 in 12 snaps), linebacker Ben Niemann (79.0), Wilson (74.6), Thompson (73.9), Hamilton (71.9) and Baker (69.5).
