QR Week 7: Robby Anderson, Pro Football's Worst WR

Robby Anderson entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Temple, and considering those humble beginnings he has done just fine for himself. He has played 85 games in six NFL seasons and earned over $28 million in the process per Over the Cap. But in recent weeks he has struggled like no receiver we have seen in the past decade. Anderson was our Worst Wide Receiver or Tight End by DYAR last week, and he's our Worst Wide Receiver or Tight End by DYAR this week too.

With 100-plus receivers qualifying every week, it's nearly impossible to finish in last place twice in a row. We checked back over the last decade of Quick Reads and couldn't find another instance where it happened. Some have come close. Jacksonville's DJ Chark was last in Week 6 last year and then next to last a week later. In 2019, Jamison Crowder of the Jets finished last in Week 13 and next to last the next week. (Remarkably, Anderson was also on that Jets team.)

We also found four instances where one receiver finished in last place twice in a three-week span:

• Cleveland's Jarvis Landry in Week 6 and Week 8 in 2018;
• Jacksonville's Marquis Lee in Week 15 and Week 17 in 2014;
• Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald in Week 12 and Week 14 in 2012 (Fitzgerald was not listed at the bottom when those articles were published, but fell to last place with end-of-season adjustments);
• and Pittsburgh's Mike Wallace in Week 5 and Week 7, also in 2012.

For Anderson, however, this is not just a two-week trend. He was also third from the bottom in Week 5 and made the bottom 20 in Week 4. Anderson's first target this season resulted in a 57-yard touchdown against his old Jets team, but since then his numbers have declined almost every week.

These figures, frankly, are awful. To amass -143 DYAR in less than half a season is beyond comprehension. That's more negative DYAR than anyone had in 16 games in either 2018 or 2019, and only Cincinnati's A.J. Green was worse than that in 2020. It puts Anderson on a 17-game pace for -348 DYAR, which would obliterate the record of -294 set by Miami's Chris Chambers in 2006. Anderson's DVOA of -51.6% would also be the worst in the last 30 years. Only one qualifying wideout has ever finished worse in that category: Tony Jones of the 1991 Houston Oilers, whose DVOA was -59.3%.

Anderson does not have any fumbles this year; his struggles have come in catching the ball (36.7% catch rate) and gaining meaningful yardage. Five his 18 catches have qualified as failed receptions, while only nine have gained first downs, a tiny total for a wideout with seven starts. For comparison's sake, Green Bay's Davante Adams had 10 catches for first downs in one game against San Francisco in Week 3. Anderson has especially struggled on third/fourth downs, catching four of 15 passes for 43 yards with only three conversions.

Anderson's no Pro Bowler, but he has never played this badly before. (If he had, he never would have lasted six seasons.) He has never made the top 40 wideouts in DVOA, but he has had a positive DYAR every year since his rookie season in 2016. So what has changed? He's suffering from butterfingers with five drops already (his career-high is seven, set in each of his first two seasons, according to Sports Info Solutions). He is also a victim of terrible circumstances in Carolina. By DYAR, Sam Darnold has been the worst non-rookie passer in the league this year. (With five touchdowns on the ground, he has been much better as a rusher, but that doesn't have much effect on Anderson's statistics.) Anderson's teammate Terrace Marshall, a second-round rookie out of LSU, has -43 DYAR, which also puts him in the bottom 10 wide receivers. Running back Chuba Hubbard (-18 receiving DYAR) and tight end Dan Arnold (-21 before being traded to Jacksonville) are near the bottom of the rankings at their positions as well.

But not every Panthers player has fared so badly. Christian McCaffrey has 80 receiving DYAR, ranking among the top five running backs even though he has not played since Week 3. DJ Moore has been comfortably above replacement level. It's Moore's success (relatively speaking) that paints Anderson in the most negative light, because he is unquestionably Carolina's No. 1 wideout. Moore tops Anderson in total targets 73 to 49, and has had as many targets as Anderson or more in every game so far this year. It's Moore who is drawing focus and coverage from defenses, which should theoretically open things up for Anderson and provide him with easier opportunities to make plays. Thus far, Anderson has been utterly unable to do so.

The Panthers had better hope Anderson figures things out soon, because he's going to be with them for the foreseeable future. In 2020, his first year in Panther blue, he set career-highs with 95 catches and 1,096 yards. He was rewarded two months ago with a two-year extension worth nearly $30 million. That includes an $8.0 million guaranteed salary next year. Add that to $18.6 million in guarantees for Darnold in 2022, and the Panthers could have a difficult time playing any better than they have in 2021.