Chris Bell — Week 1: Two Targets, One Twenty-Five-Yarder
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Sep 14
Bell, a third-round rookie coming off a torn ACL, was not on Miami's inactive list Sunday and caught one of two targets: twenty-five yards deep right on the first play after a Miami interception, the drive that produced the Dolphins' only touchdown. His two targets came out at plus one point five expected points, in a 27–13 loss to the Raiders.
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Chris Bell's first catch in the league was the first play of the drive that produced Miami's only touchdown. First and 10 at the Miami 48, 14 29 left in the third quarter, Dolphins down 17 to six, the ball just handed over by an interception of Kirk Cousins at the Miami 46: Malik Willis deep right, Bell to the Las Vegas 27, 25 yards. The catch was worth +1.8 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and +3.1 points of win probability, the chance of winning after the play against before it. Willis scrambled 14 yards for the touchdown with 12 52 left, and it was 17 to 13.
The line: two targets, one catch, 25 yards, one first down, +1.5 expected points on the targets. The other target was first and 10 at the Miami 30 with one minute left in the half, down 17 to three, deep middle, incomplete. Both targets were deep throws; one in each half. The two throws carried 42 air yards between them, and three of the 25 came after the catch. Neither target was on third down, and his name is on no other play in the game. He was active: Miami's inactives were Jalen Tolbert, Justin Joly, Chukwuebuka Godrick, Reese Taylor, Brady Cook and DJ Campbell, per Kyle Crabbs at A to Z Sports, and Bell was not among them.
What the passing game did is the football. Willis threw 27 times on 32 pass plays, 15 completions, 220 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, five sacks, and the pass plays came out at −9.2 expected points. The ball went eight times to Malik Washington, seven to Caleb Douglas, five to De'Von Achane, two each to Bell, Greg Dulcich and Kevin Coleman Jr., and one to Will Kacmarek. Among wide receivers that is Washington eight, Douglas seven, Bell two, Coleman two. 11 of the throws went deep and five were caught, Bell's among them. Miami threw 13 times before halftime and 14 after, and Bell had one target in each.
Back in June the preview's case for Bell was the price against the knee: pick two 12 for a third-rounder whose last live football ended in a torn ACL, with a depth chart the preview said was open if the knee was ready, and the whole thing was an if. Sunday answered the availability half — active, on the field, thrown to twice, one catch of 25 — and left the role half at two targets. One game does not make a rookie the number two, and the preview, built on an if, had not been sure the first game would come this early. Miami is at the 49ers on Sunday the twentieth.
_Data via nflverse._
When Chris Bell's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
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