Research & Doug Week 8: Interesting football facts from Doug Franz and elsewhere
Nov 3, 2015, 7:34 AM | Updated: 3:23 pm
Arizona Cardinals running back Chris Johnson (23) runs for four yards in the first half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2015, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
(AP Photo/David Richard)
Every week as part of my show prep (and because I’m genuinely interested), I read through as many research notes 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 the NFL, college football, and the World Series that I’m using on the show this week.
1) Arizona is the only team in the NFL that ranks in the top five in total offense (#3) and total defense (#4) this season. –Cardinals press release
2) 7, 6, 9, 10, and currently 6, represent the length of losing streaks each year for the last five years that Ken Whisenhunt has been a head coach.– Me
3) Chris Johnson has rushed for 100 yards in four games, the first Cardinal to do that in one season since Stump Mitchell ran behind a rookie fullback named little Ronnie Wolfley in 1985. — NFL press release and me
4) Seattle has scored one offensive touchdown in the fourth quarter this season. — Fox Seattle/Dallas broadcast
5) Before Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals had never won in Cleveland. The organization’s last win in Cleveland came in Wolf’s rookie year of 1985 for the St. Louis Cardinals. — Cardinals press release
6) Charles Woodson leads all defensive players in interceptions…and years on the planet. — Peter King’s MMQB
7) Chris Johnson is the first Cardinals running back to have back-to-back 100-yard rushing games since the Doug & Wolf Show started. — Cardinals press release (and me)
8) The New York Giants scored more points against New Orleans than any losing team in NFL history. — Elias
9) No one in the NFL this season has more touchdown passes than Carson Palmer. — me
10) Eli Manning is the first player to throw for six touchdowns without an interception…and lose. — Elias
11) Carson Palmer leads the NFL with 37 passes that gained at least 20 yards. — Cardinals press release
12) The greatest rushing totals in NFL history after the first five games of their career belong to Adrian Peterson, Eric Dickerson and Todd Gurley. –Elias
13) For the first time this century, the Cardinals won a road game when trailing by 13 points. — Cardinals press release
14) In the second half against the Broncos defense, Green Bay had 40 yards of offense. — Peter King
15) Arizona rushed for 100 yards in six games last year. They’ve already done it seven times this year. — Cardinals press release
16) Drew Brees had seven touchdown passes against the Giants. Peyton Manning has seven touchdown passes against the NFL. –Peter King
17) The Cardinals’ 81.4 percent conversion rate on third down vs. Cleveland was the highest in an NFL game in 27 years. –Cardinals press release
18) Todd Gurley is the only player in NFL history to rush for 125 yards in four straight games during his rookie year. — NFL press release
19) Drew Brees went 40-for-50 for 511 yards and seven touchdown passes on All-Saints Day. — Peter King
20) The Cardinals’ win in Cleveland was only the second in franchise history when trailing by double digits at halftime yet still winning by two touchdowns. — Cardinals press release
21) Only three teams have ever averaged 35 points per game as a 7-0 team: the Super Bowl Champion Saints, the 18-0 Super Bowl losing New England Patriots and this year’s New England Patriots. — Cardinals press release
22) Todd Gurley averages 6.9 yards per rush between the tackles to lead the NFL. — ESPN Stats & Info
23) Odell Beckham Jr. has more receptions (141) and yards (1,959) than any receiver in history through the first 20 games of a career. He’s second in touchdowns, with 19. Only Randy Moss (20) had more. — ESPN Stats & Info
24) Derek Carr is only the third quarterback in the last 10 years to throw for three touchdowns against a Jets’ blitz. — ESPN Stats & Info
25) Russell Wilson wasn’t sacked by Dallas, ending Seattle’s streak of giving up a sack in 30 straight games. — ESPN Stats & Info
26) Aaron Rodgers was pressured on 63 percent of his dropbacks, the most pressures the Packers have given up in seven years. –ESPN Stats & Info
27) The Royals are the first team in World Series history to trail in the 8th inning of three victories.–Elias
