Post Highlights
- There have been five games this young season, in which a team has come back from a 17-point or more deficit at halftime. It’s the most second half comebacks of 17 points or more in one season going back to 1940. [Link]
- The 2011 Lions are only the second team going back to 1940, that has comeback from a 17-point or more deficit at halftime twice in the same season; first time in back to back games. The only other team? Who else but the Detroit Lions in 1957; the last time they won a NFL championship. [Link]
- Since the start of last season, there have been twelve performances in which a back has carried the ball 30 times or more. Arian Foster has accounted for a third of those performances. [Link]
This is the Week Four edition of Delving into PFR’s NFL Play Index. Just like the previous weeks, I will share some of my favorite queries I run on Pro Football Reference’s NFL Play Index during this week’s games, and other facts I find out.
General Notes
There have been five games this young season, in which a team has come back from a 17-point or more deficit at halftime. It’s the most second half comebacks of 17 points or more in one season going back to 1940. From 2007-2010 there were only three such comebacks. [Link]
Early Sunday Games
Carolina Panthers 29 at Chicago Bears 34
Matt Forte bounces back…
Last week Matt Forte only gained 2 yards against the Packers. This week he bounced back with 205 yards on the ground. It’s the first time since 1990, that a back had 2 yards or less in one game, and bounced back with 200 yards or more in their next game. In 1990, the Chiefs Barry Word gained 2 yards against the Colts, but bounced back the next week to gain 200 yards against the Lions. [Link]
Panthers out-gained the Bears by 226 yards but still lose…
The Panthers out-gained the Bears by 226 yards, but still lost. The Bears have a record of 4-37 all-time when they have been out-gained by 226 yards or more. [Link]
The Panthers have now amazingly lost their last two games in which they out-gained their opponent by 226 yards or more. [Link]
Buffalo Bills 20 Cincinnati Bengals 23
Bengals break their losing streak against the Bills…
The last time the Bengals defeated the Bills was in the 1988 AFC Championship Game. [Link]
Bengals lose turnover margin but still win…
The Bengals had a -2 turnover differential against the Bills, but still managed to win. It’s the first time since 2006 (out of 17 games) that the Bengals won a game in which they lost the turnover battle by -2 or less. [Link]
Tennessee Titans 31 at Cleveland Browns 13
Colt McCoy put the ball in the air a lot, but…
Colt McCoy threw the ball 61 times, but only passed for 350 yards. He’s only the 8th QB going back to 1960, to throw the ball 61 times or more, and pass for 350 yards or less. [Link]
Detroit Lions 34 at Dallas Cowboys 30
Lions down big again at halftime but come through…
Going back to 1940, the Lions have been down by 17 points or more at halftime on 110 occasions. They now have a record of 5-105 in such games. With two of those wins coming in the last two weeks. [Link]
It’s only the second time going back to 1940, that an NFL team has comeback from a 17-point or more deficit at halftime twice in the same season; first time in back to back games. The only other team? Who else but the Detroit Lions in 1957; the last time they won a NFL championship. [Link]
Pittsburgh Steelers 10 at Houston Texans 17
Arian Foster carries the load…
Since the start of last season, there have been twelve performances in which a back has carried the ball 30 times or more. Arian Foster has accounted for a third of those performances. [Link]
New Orleans Saints 23 at Jacksonville Jaguars 10
Jaguars shutout in the second half again…
For the third week in a row the Jaguars were shutout in the second half. It’s only Week Four, but the Jaguars have already been shutout in the second half as many times as last year. Their team record for most times shutout in the second half in one season, is four games. [Link]
Minnesota Vikings 18 at Kansas City Chiefs 22
Chiefs live by the kicking game…
The Chiefs have won their last nine games (since 1997), in which they have kicked four or more field goals. [Link]
San Francisco 49ers 24 at Philadelphia Eagles 23
49ers down by 17 at halftime but pull out the win…
The 49ers have been down by 17 points or more at halftime on 67 occasions. This is only their second win in such games. Their last was in 1980, when they pulled off what was then the NFL’s greatest comeback against the Saints. [Link]
Michael Vick’s big statistical day…
Michael Vick is the first player in NFL history to pass for 400 yards or more and run for 75 yards or more in an NFL game. [Link]
Washington Redskins 17 at St. Louis Rams 10
Rams are 0-4 again…
The Rams are 0-4 for the 9th time in their franchise’s history. It’s the fourth time in the last five years that they have started a season 0-4.
Later Sunday Games
New York Giants 31 at Arizona Cardinals 27
A rare three touchdown performance for a Cardinals back…
Beanie Wells is only the 14th Cardinals RB going back to 1960, to rush for three or more touchdowns in a game; the first since 2006 when Marcel Shipp ran for three TD’s against the Rams. The Cardinals now have a record of 11-3 when they have a back rush for three touchdowns or more. [Link]
Denver Broncos 23 at Green Bay Packers 49
Packers remain undefeated at home against the Broncos…
In six games the Packers have never lost to the Broncos at home. The closest they came to losing to the Broncos at home was in 1987, when they tied the Broncos 17-17. [Link]
New England Patriots 31 at Oakland Raiders 19
Raiders gain over 500 yards but still lose…
The Raiders gained 504 yards, which is the 25th time in their franchise’s history that they have gained 500 or more yards in a game. The Raiders now have a 23-2 record when they gain 500 or more total yards. Their last loss in such games, occurred in 1996 to the Chargers. This is the only time that they have gained 500 or more yards, and failed to score 20 or more points. [Link]
Miami Dolphins 16 at San Diego Chargers 26
Dolphins off to an 0-4 start…
The Dolphins are 0-4 for only the fourth time in their franchise’s history. But for the third time in the last eight years.
Atlanta Falcons 30 at Seattle Seahawks 28
Jackson passes for 300+ yards for the first time in his career…
In his 25th career start, Seahawks QB Tarvaris Jackson threw for over 300 yards for the first time in his career. [Link]
Rookie WR’s making early impacts…
Falcons rookie WR Julio Jones caught the ball 11 times. Earlier this season Bengals rookie WR A.J. Green caught the ball 10 times. It’s the first time since 1989, that two rookie “WR’s” have caught the ball 10 times or more in a game. [Link]
Sunday Night Game
New York Jets 17 at Baltimore Ravens 34
The Jets struggle on offense…
The Jets 150 total yards is their lowest total in a game since 1997; a 22-14 loss to the Colts. It’s only the 22nd time in Jets history that they have been held to 150 yards or less. [Link]
Flacco struggles but the Ravens still put up a lot of points…
Joe Flacco struggled with a passer rating of 37.4 off of 31 attempts, but the Ravens still scored 34 points. It’s the first time since 1998, that a team has scored 34 or more points, despite their QB having a rating of less than 37.4 off of 30 or more attempts. In 1998, the Seahawks defeated the Chargers 38-17 despite Jon Kitna’s 35.1 passer rating off of 31 attempts. [Link]
Monday Night Game
Indianapolis Colts 17 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24
Pierre Garcon’s big plays…
Pierre Garcon only caught two passes, but he gained 146 yards off of those two catches; for a 73 yard per catch average. It’s the fifth highest yards per catch average in a single game going back to 1960. [Link]
Reference: Pro-Football-Reference’s Play Index, Box Scores from ESPN.com
