Research & Doug: Interesting football notes from Doug Franz and elsewhere
Sep 29, 2015, 12:14 PM | Updated: 12:15 pm
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) scores a touchdown as San Francisco 49ers strong safety Jaquiski Tartt (29) defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Every week as part of my show prep (and because I’m genuinely interested), I read through as many research notes as I can find. Sometimes I research my own stats to see if there’s a statistical trend that backs up what I think I’m seeing when I watch games. Unfortunately for my time efficiency, occasionally those stats show me nothing and I throw them out.
Here are the stats (or interesting tidbits) from Week 3 of the NFL and Week 4 of the college football season that I’m using on the show this week.
1) Before Monday night, the Kansas City Chiefs had never lost at Lambeau Field…ESPN Stats & Info
2) The Arizona Cardinals are the highest scoring team in the NFL…I noticed while looking at scores
3) The Cardinals are first in point differential, scoring 77 points more than their opponents, which is 28 points better than New England…my math skills
4) Arizona became the first team since the 1945 Green Bay Packers with two pick sixes and a safety in a forty-point game…NFL press release
5) The Oakland Raiders had lost 15 straight games in the Eastern Time Zone before beating Cleveland…ESPN Stats & Info
6) Going into the weekend, only LSU, USC and Ron Wolfley’s West Virginia Mountaineers had zero turnovers but both USC and WVU had two turnovers at the conclusion of the weekend…USC press notes and my looking up box scores
7) Kerry Collins was the last quarterback to be drafted in the first round from the Big Ten…ESPN Michigan State broadcast
8) If Alabama loses at Georgia this weekend, it will be the first time in SEC history both ‘Bama and Auburn start conference play 0-2…ESPN Stats & Info
9) The Cardinals have scored 40 or more points twice in the same season for the first time since Ron Wolfley’s rookie year…Cardinals press release
10) Oregon is unranked for the first time in six years…Associated Press
11) The Atlanta Falcons are the first team in NFL history to start a season 3-0 and trail in the fourth quarter of all three games…NFL press release
12) The Falcons had a running back with 100+ yards and three touchdowns and a wide receiver with 150 yards and two touchdowns this past Sunday versus Dallas, matching the ’82 “Air Coryell” San Diego Chargers and the 2001 “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams…NFL press release
13) The last time Arizona won a game by 40 points was a shut-out win against the 1970 Houston Oilers…Cardinals press release
14) Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has led his team to more 40-point games than any quarterback in history…NFL press release
15) With Bruce Arians as head coach, the Cardinals defense has allowed an opponent to score more than 21 points at University of Phoenix Stadium only four times…Cardinals press release
16) Despite a 28-17 lead, a backup quarterback starting the game, 131 yards rushing and all four touchdowns on the ground in the first half, the Cowboys called five rushing plays in the second half Sunday…ESPN Research
17) Only the 1941 Bears and 1968 Cowboys have scored more touchdowns in their first three games than the Cardinals…Cardinals press release
18) The Colts are the only team in the NFL without a field goal…ESPN Research
19) The Cardinals are the only 2015 NFL team that has never trailed in a game…Cardinals press release
20) 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick had never been held below a 90 passer rating in five games against Arizona, but Sunday his quarterback rating was a career low 16.7 with a career high four interceptions…Cardinals press release
21) The Chicago Bears had 10 possessions against Seattle and 10 punts…ESPN Stats & Info
22) Despite the big arm, Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco only attempted one pass longer than 15 yards in the first half and trailed Cincinnati 14-0…ESPN Research
23) Only two receivers through all of 2014 had back-to-back games of at least 75 yards after the catch in 2014, yet rookie Amari Cooper has already accomplished that feat for the Raiders…ESPN Research
24) Colin Kaepernick is 8-8 versus the NFC West and 18-8 versus every other division…ESPN Research
25) Larry Fitzgerald had at least four receptions on passes traveling more than 15 yards downfield Sunday for the first time since 2009…ESPN Research
26) Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor was 8-for-10 on third down last week at Miami…ESPN Research
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