Research and Doug: Arizona Cardinals reaching new heights

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 and college football that I’m using on the show this week.

1) Through the first 12 games, Adrian Peterson averaged 4.8 yards per carry when going against eight in the box but could only muster 30 inches a carry against the Cardinals when they had eight in the box. — ESPN Stats and Info

2) Cleveland sacked Blaine Gabbert nine times for their first 9-sack game since the Browns beat the Saints at home in 1993. That game in 1993 also included the last pass ever thrown to Ron Wolfley, but he didn’t catch it. –Elias and me

3) This is the first time in franchise history the Arizona Cardinals have won 11 games in two straight seasons. — Cardinals press release

4) Green Bay rushed on 41 percent of their first downs in the first 11 weeks of the season and on 60 percent Sunday. — ESPN Stats and Info

5) Green Bay rushed on 52 percent of their plays overall, their highest run total this season. — ESPN Stats and Info

6) Aaron Rodgers went 10-for-12 on play-action, the most play-action attempts for Rodgers this year. –ESPN Stats and Info

7) Michael Floyd reached 100 yards receiving in only six of his first 55 games but has done it in four of his last six. — Cardinals press release

8) The only three players to ever throw for 16 touchdowns in four games without an interception are Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Russell Wilson. — Elias

9) The Cardinals have not turned the ball over in their last three games, the longest streak in franchise history. — Cardinals press release

10) The Broncos ran 11 plays from inside the red zone and gained yardage only twice. — ESPN Stats and Info

11) Cincinnati is 5-21 in its last 26 home games against Pittsburgh. — Peter King’s MMQB

12) The Cardinals’ 405 points are the most in the NFL and 23 points away from being the most a Cardinals team has ever scored in a single season. — Cardinals press release

13) Kirk Cousins has completed at least 71 percent of his passes for five straight games. — Peter King’s MMQB

14) Russell Wilson is the first QB since 1960 to play four straight games with at least a rating of 138.5 in each game. — Peter King’s MMQB

15) The Atlanta Falcons scored 137 points in their first four games and 122 in their last eight. — Peter King’s MMQB

16) Khalil Mack’s 5-sack performance put him on a list with only four others for having nine sacks in a three-game span: Richard Dent, Reggie White, Derrick Thomas and Aldon Smith. — Elias

17) Tyrod Taylor threw an interception with 90 seconds left to snap a streak of 222 passes without a pick, which was a Bills’ franchise record. — Elias

18) Now that Jacksonville is off the list, Houston and Tampa Bay are the only teams to never score 50 or more points in a single game. — Elias

19) The Cardinals’ record for most prime time victories in a season was two before going 4-0 in 2015. –Cardinals press release

20) The last three coaches for the Steelers have all won 90 regular season games. Pittsburgh is the only franchise with three coaches with 90 or more wins. — NFL press release

21) Isaiah Crowell averaged a league-worst 3.0 yards per carry between the tackles until hitting Jim Tomsula’s defense for 7.3 yards per attempt. — ESPN Stats and Info

22) From 2009-2014, Jacksonville had nine touchdown passes from outside the pocket. Blake Bortles leads the league with eight such touchdown throws this year. — ESPN Stats and Info

23) Cam Newton has completed six deep balls (20+ yards in the air) to Ted Ginn: three in the first 11 games and three in the last two. — ESPN Stats and Info

24) Russell Wilson threw 15 touchdown passes inside the pocket last year and 15 from inside the pocket in his last four games this year. — ESPN Stats and Info

25) Despite being one of the worst quarterbacks against the blitz in the NFL, Eli Manning was only blitzed twice and went 26-of-29 for 325 yards and four TDs against standard pressure against Miami. — ESPN Stats and Info

26) Only two players have ever caught 24 touchdown passes in their first 25 games: Odell Beckham Jr. and Bill Groman of the 1960-61 Oilers. — ESPN Stats and Info

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