3 Bold NFL Predictions for Week 14

Marquise Goodwin Will Be a Top-10 Wide Receiver

Why This Is Bold: Marquise Goodwin has been a boom-or-bust play for his entire career. Even over his recent four-game hot streak, he has yet to finish inside the top-12 at wide receiver.

Why This Will Happen: Goodwin established a nice rapport with Jimmy Garoppolo in the quarterback's first game under center for the San Francisco 49ers, catching all 8 of his targets for 99 yards.

Interestingly, his usage is changing. He's been a volatile option throughout his career because he functioned as a deep threat, but that wasn't exactly the case in Week 13. In Garoppolo's first start, Goodwin actually had fewer air yards than receiving yards. His average depth of target (aDOT), was lower than both Trent Taylor's and Louis Murphy's. The 49ers and head coach Kyle Shanahan are catering the offense to Garoppolo's skill set -- heavily utilizing short and intermediate timing routes -- which in turn allows Goodwin to flash the jets after the catch.

The 49ers and their receiving weapons have a nice matchup against the Houston Texans, who are below average against the pass. San Francisco's overall struggles this season have led to favorable game script for 49ers pass catchers, while Goodwin is their top option.