Preview Quips for Week 3

[averagejoe]

Found some of these statistics very interesting. Especially as they related to the week 3 matchups. Couldn't use everything. But they could be helpful if you're looking for an edge this week. Many will make you say, "hmmm." Enjoy.

• The Steelers have won two straight versus the Rams, including a 27-0 shutout the last time the squads met in 2011. Pittsburgh has scored at least 40 points in three of its last six meetings with St. Louis (dating to 1990).
• Philip Rivers has completed 81.2 percent of his passes this season -- the highest percentage through the first two player games of the season by any quarterback since 1960 (minimum 45 attempts).
• The Bengals have won each of the last three meetings [over the Ravens], though each of the last two games in the series have been decided by seven or fewer points. The Bengals have never defeated the Ravens in four straight meetings -- in addition, the Ravens are 13-6 (.684) all-time at home against Cincinnati, and have only lost back-to-back home games against the Bengals once (December 5, 2004 and November 6, 2005). The Bengals have outscored opponents by 25 points in the first two games -- the third-best point differential in the NFL.
• Joe Flacco is 13-1 (.929) at home in September in his career, and 16-5 (.762) against the AFC North at home in his career. Flacco's one loss at home in September came last season to the Bengals on September 7 (lost 23-16) -- however, Flacco has never lost consecutive home meetings against an AFC North opponent.
• In five career games against the Bengals, Steve Smith Sr. has surpassed 100 receiving yards three times.
• Carolina leads the all-time series with the Saints, 21-19. The teams split the season series last year, each winning comfortably on the road (Saints 28-10 in Charlotte, Week 9; Panthers 41-10 in New Orleans, Week 14).
• Cam Newton completed less than half of his passes Sunday (18-of-37, 48.6 percent), the fifth such game of his career. For the season Newton's 52.9 percent completion percentage is tied for second worst among qualifiers (min. 14 Att/Team G), better than only Houston's Ryan Mallett (49.3 percent).
• Brandon Weeden finished the game by going 7-for-7 for 73 yards and a touchdown, and dating to Week 9 last year, has completed 12 consecutive passes without an incompletion -- the longest active streak in the league.
• Ryan Mallett made his first start of 2015 last week, throwing just one interception and suffering only one sack. Since the beginning of 2014, Mallett has been picked or sacked on 4.0 percent of his dropbacks, the best rate by any quarterback with at least 125 dropbacks.
• The Patriots have won six consecutive games (and nine of their 10 all-time matchups) against the Jaguars, including the playoffs.
• Brady's next touchdown pass will be the 400th of his career, making him the fourth member of the 400-touchdown club (Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Dan Marino), with Drew Brees (398) also likely to join the club soon.
• The Raiders have not won a game in Cleveland since 1985, when they were still the Los Angeles Raiders. Oakland lost 23-13 at Cleveland last season, 23-9 in 2009 and 13-7 in 2003. The last time the Raiders won in Cleveland was October 20, 1985 (Week 7) when tight end Todd Christensen hauled in a Marc Wilson eight-yard pass with 29 seconds left to win 21-20. Since 1999, the Browns have won six of nine meetings with the Raiders.
• The 49ers are 10-2 against the Cardinals since 2009, the second-best record by an NFC team against a divisional opponent (Packers, 11-2 vs. Bears). Since divisional realignment in 2002, San Francisco is 7-6 at Arizona, with 10 of the 13 games being decided by single digits, including three in overtime.
• Matt Forte ranks third in the league in rushing yards (202) and scrimmage yards (271), and tied for third in rushing first downs (10). In four career games versus Seattle, Forte is averaging only 3.0 yards per rush and 55.8 rush yards per game.
• Russell Wilson's completion percentage of 71.8 is easily the highest of his career, but his 6.44 yards per attempt and 8.96 yards per completion are the lowest figures of his four-year career.
• The Bills and Dolphins have split the last 12 head-to-head meetings, with each team winning exactly six games. The last time the two teams faced off on November 13, 2014 in Miami, the Dolphins won, 22-9.
• The [Lions & Broncos] have played five games in Detroit all-time, with the Lions holding a 3-2 advantage in those contests.
• Detroit is averaging just 53.5 rush yards in its first two games of 2015 -- the second fewest of any team in the NFL (Eagles -- 35.0).
• The Chiefs won the last meeting with the Packers, 19-14, in 2001, and are 7-2-1 in 10 regular-season games all-time versus Green Bay. Kansas City (3-0 record) has never lost a game at Lambeau Field.
• Jamaal Charles ran the ball 21 times for 125 yards and a touchdown in Week 2, recording just his second 100+ yard rushing game since the beginning of last season with the performance (last 17 games). Charles, who has never faced the Packers, has not recorded back-to-back 100+ yard rushing games since Weeks 13-14 in 2012.

 

[TREFF]

Nice stuff Joe!

 

[SteelersPride]

kinda shocking about charles

 

[Barilko]

Nice work not so average Joe

 

[averagejoe]

kinda shocking about charles

Thanks guys!

KC not losing at Lambeau (3-0) was a shocker to me.
So was the Raiders not winning in Cleveland in 30 years.

 

[tlance]

I agree that the KC stat is crazy. The Raiders in Cleveland though, that makes sense. Were the 3 games you listed the only three times they have played in Cleveland over that span?

 

[averagejoe]

The Raiders in Cleveland though, that makes sense. Were the 3 games you listed the only three times they have played in Cleveland over that span?

That must be the case, since I literally copied these from my secret "source."
Hard to imagine 2 teams who have fallen on hard times in recent years (decades) haven't played against each other more often - both garnering a softer schedule?

 

[tlance]

Remember though, the Browns did not exist for a few years there. That happened to correspond with the time the Raiders were pretty good. I am surprised they did not match up during the Bo Jackson Marcus Allen era. Both teams were pretty good back then.

 

[Chef99]

That's my boy Rivers!