Sports Data Hub - Sports Analytics Tools » Blog Archive

Crunching Numbers after Week 11

Posted by rkelly8686

While I have to wait until Super Bowl XLIV to accurately state that New England has held off Pittsburgh as the team of the decade, right now I can undoubtedly say that the Colts and the Ravens have had the decade’s best offenses and defenses, respectively. But in their recent matchups, both the offense AND the defense of the Colts have overpowered the Ravens. The teams have met each year since 2004 and Indy has gone 6-0 in those matchups. The dominant defense in those contests has belonged to Indianapolis as they have allowed four offensive TDs to the Ravens while the Colts’ offense has scored 16 offensive touchdowns on the Ravens’ defense.

Vince Young has won eight straight starts with the eight starts spread over three seasons. Although unique, it’s not the first time a QB has won at least eight straight games with the starts spread over more than two seasons. Trent Dilfer won 15 straight games (including playoffs) with two different teams earlier this decade. He started the streak in November 2000 with the Ravens, was an undefeated part-time starter with the Seahawks the following year, and didn’t have the streak end until September 2002.

Tom Brady has not quite been Tom Terrific away from Foxboro recently. Brady is 0-4 in his last four starts played in American stadiums other than Gillette Stadium with losses to the Giants in the Super Bowl and losses to the Jets, Broncos, and Colts this year. (The American part is used to distinguish the Tampa Bay game which was played in England and was more of a home game for the Patriots than the Bucs even though it was listed as a “home game” for Tampa Bay.)

Ryan Fitzpatrick’s 98 yard TD pass to Terrell Owens was the first 98 yard pass completion since 1998. It was only the third 98 yard TD pass since 1966 and during this 43 year span there have been eight 99 yard TD passes.

With 103 rushing yards vs. the Patriots, Thomas Jones passed Jim Taylor and Terry Allen to move into 30th all time in rushing yards. The 31-year-old Jones has averaged 4.6 yards per carry in his 30s as compared to 3.9 yards per carry in his 20s. Of the 29 players with more career rushing yards than Jones, only four of them also had a better average in their 30s than their 20s (Tiki Barber, Warrick Dunn, Ricky Watters and the still active Fred Taylor).

Speaking of old running backs; Ricky Williams is on pace for over 1,000 rushing yards despite starting just one game. If Williams can maintain his current pace, then he will become only the 4th running back in the past 30 years to gain at least 1,000 yards at the age of 32 or older. Both Walter Payton in 1986 and Emmitt Smith in 2001 eclipsed 1,000 yards at the age of 32 while John Riggins did it at 34 in 1983 and then did it again at 35 in 1984.

The Kansas City Chiefs only have one rushing touchdown this year. If they maintain their futility in scoring on the ground for the rest of the season, then they will tie the NFL record for fewest rushing touchdowns in a season. The 1934 Brooklyn Tigers are the only team in NFL history to only score a single rushing touchdown in a season.

If Chad Ochocinco can gain 360 more receiving yards by the end of the season, then he will become only the fifth player in NFL history to gain 10,000 receiving yards in that player’s first nine years in the league. Ochocinco would join Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, and Torry Holt who set the record with 11,864 receiving yards in his first nine years in the league.

This current Broncos collapse is very similar to the one they had in 2006. Three years ago the Broncos started off 5-1 thanks to their defense: they only allowed 7 points per game through those first six. Then from the seventh game on their record was 4-6 and they allowed 26 points per game. This season the Broncos again started off hot thanks to their defense: they only allowed 11 points per game through the first six. Then comes game seven and since then Denver is giving up 29 points per game and gone 0-4. That 2006 team didn’t make the playoffs and I don’t see this current Broncos squad making it either.

The Raiders’ win against the Bengals was noteworthy for two reasons. One, it was the game that Oakland had picked before the season even started to honor former player, Marquis Cooper, who died in a boating accident in March of this year. The other reason that made it significant was the fact that the Raiders scored twice in the final minute for a win for only the second time in their franchise’s 50 year history. The first time? You may have heard of it described as the “Heidi Game”.

Comments are closed.