RJ Harvey — Week 4: Ten Targets, Ten Catches

17 to six, 49ers, eight 48 left in the fourth quarter, first and 10 at the Denver 30. Bo Nix threw short left to RJ Harvey at the line of scrimmage, and Harvey ran 18 yards to the Denver 48. +1.2 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — the most on any of his touches. Four snaps later he caught a seven-yarder and fumbled at the end of it, and Meinerz recovered for Denver at the San Francisco 31. Harvey ran nine yards on the next snap, J.K. Dobbins nine more, and Jaylen Waddle caught the touchdown. 17 to 14 after the two-point try.

The line: 10 targets, 10 catches, 68 yards, two first downs, +0.9 expected points on the targets; seven carries, 25 yards, one first down, −0.8 on the carries. No throw to him went more than two yards past the line; added up, his targets were thrown a net 26 yards behind it, and the yardage came after the catch. Six came before halftime for 26 yards, four after for 42. Two were on third down, at third and 17 and third and 10, and neither reached the sticks.

10 of Nix's 42 throws went to Harvey; Waddle and Courtland Sutton had six each. Seven carries to Dobbins's 11.

Back in June the preview called the receiving role the durable part of Harvey's case, with a share of Denver's touchdowns it expected to come down and a split backfield capping the rest. Weeks 1 and 3 were 11 targets and 10 catches. Sunday was the receiving role at its largest. Three games: 21 targets, 20 catches, a hundred 32 yards, 12 carries for 49, and no touchdown yet.

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_Data via nflverse._