Final update: Ridley finishes the game with four targets but only one reception for five yards. He did have a carry, but wasn’t able to get any additional yards off it in the win.
Third quarter update: Ridley has finally been targeted! He heads into the fourth quarter with one target for a whopping five yards.
When Calvin Ridley joined the Jacksonville Jaguars, he chose number zero for his uniform. It was assumed this was due to the league’s new inclusion of the number, but really it was a prediction for how many targets he was going to have in the first half of Thursday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints.
Despite playing 30 offensive snaps, second to only quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s 32, Ridley has a goose egg heading into the second half. Not only is he without any receptions or yards, but he hasn’t even been targeted. Lawrence is 15-of-21 for 146 yards and has been relying on Christian Kirk, Evan Engram and Jamal Agnew so far in the passing game.
The New Orleans defense is a strong unit that allows the 13th-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing receivers. Still, Ridley had been targeted as the team’s top wide receiver, and you’d think he would have gotten at least one target. There is certainly cause for concern, as the Saints have seemingly eliminated him from the offense. Jacksonville holds a 17-6 lead heading into halftime, and if they can get some more touchdowns on the board, they could look to run out the clock, limiting the amount of time Ridley has to be a useful part of your lineup.