Research & Doug: Interesting NFL facts from Doug Franz and elsewhere
Sep 23, 2015, 8:25 AM | Updated: 10:01 am
Arizona Cardinals kick returner David Johnson (31) runs the opening kickoff or a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)
(AP Photo/David Banks)
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 2 of the NFL and Week 3 of the college football season that I’m using on the show this week.
1) The Saints have lost six straight at home…Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback (MMQB)
2) Tyrod Taylor has more passing yards, more touchdown passes, a higher completion percentage and a higher quarterback rating than Peyton Manning…Yours truly
3) David Johnson is the only player in NFL history to have a touchdown catch, touchdown rush and kickoff return for a touchdown in his first two games…NFL press release
4) Tom Brady became the first quarterback in history to throw for 450+ yards with three TD passes and no INTs with over 50 attempts in the same game…ESPN Stats & Info
5) The Giants are 22-28 since beating the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII and have no playoff appearances…MMQB
6) Only 5 teams have turned the ball over more than Sam Bradford…Trey Wingo
7) The Week 2 loss to the Packers was the first double-digit loss in the NFL career of Russell Wilson…ESPN Stats & Info
8) Seattle’s former defensive coordinator is 2-0 while Seattle is 0-2…Yours Truly
9) The Giants are the only team in NFL history to start a season 0-2 while having at least a 10-point, fourth quarter lead in both games…Sportscenter
10) The Eagles are paying DeMarco Murray $55,000 per yard rushing…Trey Wingo
11) The Cardinals take 41 seconds of real time between plays, second most in the NFL…ESPN Stats & Info
12) The Eagles 21 first-half yards against Dallas was their lowest total since playing the Cardinals in ’94… ESPN Stats & Info
13) The last time the broadcast team of Dave Pasch and Tom Luginbill did an ASU home game was the crazy finish Wisconsin game…a tweet from Devils Digest
14) Before David Johnson’s day versus the Bears, Ollie Matson in 1958 was the last Cardinal with a rushing and kickoff return touchdown in the same game…NFL press release
15) Out of Cam Newton’s 64 games played, he has 25 games with both a passing and rushing touchdown, overtaking Steve Young who took 121 more games to do the same thing…NFL press release
16) If the Steelers beat the Rams, Ben Roethlisberger will be the winningest quarterback in Pittsburgh Steelers history…NFL press release
17) Only Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald caught 400 passes in fewer games than Antonio Brown… NFL press release
18) Marcus Mariota has more TD passes in his first two career games than any player in NFL history… NFL press release
19) Ryan Mallett went 0-for-14 with an interception under pressure against Carolina…ESPN Research
20) Only Reggie White (47 games) reached 60 career sacks in fewer games than J.J. Watt (66 games)… ESPN Research
21) Roethlisberger has had the most 30-yard, “down the field” completions in the last 10 years… ESPN Research
22) Tyrod Taylor went 21-of-25 for 234 yards with three TDs and a pick on 1st or 2nd down but just 2-of-5 for 8 yards, two interceptions and four sacks on third down…. ESPN Research
23) 2014: Bills gave up two TDs to a tight end. 2015: Bills have given up two TDs to a tight end… ESPN Research
24) Travis Benjamin’s first four TDs are all over 50 yards which hasn’t happened since Patrick Peterson did it his rookie year.
25) Titans ran the ball 82 percent of the time from under center and threw the ball 89 percent of the time from the shotgun… ESPN Research
26) Johnny Manziel has three TD passes and all were thrown over 30 yards down the field to Travis Benjamin… ESPN Research
27) The last time the Browns had a 21-0 halftime lead, Bill Belichick was the head coach… ESPN Research
28) Julio Jones has more receptions than DeMarco Murray has carries…I heard that on Mike & Mike on my way in to work
29) The Miami Dolphins became the first team in NFL history to play against Blake Bortles and not sack him… ESPN Research
30) Derek Carr was 7-of-9 for 142 yards and a TD on play-action versus Baltimore… ESPN Research
31) Every quarterback in the NFL except for Tom Brady and Kirk Cousins had more rushing yards than the Eagles running backs… ESPN Research
32) Doug Russell won the 1935 rushing title and returned to rush for 11 yards in his first two games of 1936, now DeMarco Murray has done the same… ESPN Research
33) Murray rushed out of the shotgun 36 times last year and half that already this year… ESPN Research
34) Last year, DeMarco Murray averaged 3 yards before first contact and now he averages getting hit for the first time 3 inches behind the line.
35) Sam Bradford went the whole first half without completing a pass that traveled 1 yard beyond the line of scrimmage… ESPN Research
36) The first seven Eagles drives went 324 inches, 252 inches, 0 inches, 72 inches, 144 inches, 432 inches(!!!) and 0 inches…MMQB (with my math skills)
37) Since Andy Dalton became QB, Cincinnati has three double-digit win seasons and made it to the playoffs four straight years for the first time in team history… MMQB
