83 Statistical Observations From NFL Sunday

NFL Sunday Recap

There were many remarkable performances and surprises in Week 2. Patrick Mahomes threw for 443 yards and four touchdowns. Dak Prescott (86.7%) and Russell Wilson (83%) are the only quarterbacks heading into Monday Night Football who finished with a completion percentage of 80 percent or higher. Lamar Jackson is currently leading all quarterbacks in rushing attempts (16) and rushing yards (120). Aaron Jones, Ezekiel Elliott, and Peyton Barber are currently in a three-way tie in rushing attempts with 23. Dalvin Cook is leading the way in rushing yards with 154. Chris Thompson was targeted eight times. Raheem Mostert (68) and Austin Ekeler (67) are currently leading all running backs in receiving yards.

Dalvin Cook was only afforded 29 (of 154) yards before contact (125 after contact). Made almost all of his yards after breaking a tackle. While some standout plays include excellent run blocking, there was more from him than from the line in terms of contribution to the run game

— Arif Hasan (@ArifHasanNFL) September 15, 2019

Keenan Allen had the most targets with 15. Emmanuel Sanders, Tyler Boyd, Michael Thomas, and Tyler Lockett are the only wide receivers to finish with 10 or more receptions. Demarcus Robinson went boom with 172 receiving yards from Mahomes and is currently the only WR along with Julio Jones with more than one touchdown. Zach Ertz led all tight ends in targets with 16. Will Dissly and Vance McDonald are the only two TEs with more than one touchdown. 

Did injuries negatively impact your fantasy football team? There were several notable injuries yesterday. Ben Roethlisberger injured his elbow and was unable to return. David Johnson injured his wrist and was eventually able to return to the game. James Conner injured his knee and did not return.

Eagles’ No. 1, 2 and 3 WRs, No. 1 QB and No. 2 TE all battling injuries. Unreal.

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) September 16, 2019

There were over a dozen injuries to notable players. This article will share 83 statistical observations from Sunday’s Week 2 slate you should know about. 

Dallas Cowboys 31, Washington Redskins 21

Dak Prescott’s performance solidifies his status as an elite QB1. He has the ability to beat opposing defenses with his arm and his legs. Prescott’s on the verge of a contract extension that’s likely to guarantee him over $30 million. He has the supporting cast in Amari Cooper, Ezekiel Elliott, Michael Gallup, and Randall Cobb to propel your fantasy team to the playoffs. This is the best stretch of football Prescott has played so far in his young NFL career. All of the players mentioned above should be inserted into starting lineups against the Dolphins defense in Week 3. 

The connection between Redskins quarterback Case Keenum and rookie wide receiver Terry McLaurin is undeniable. The rookie wide receiver has averaged 20.3 PPR fantasy points per game entering Week 3. McLaurin is the Redskins No. 1 receiver and should be viewed as a high-end WR3 against the Bears. 

• Prescott completed 26 of 30 passes for 269 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. He also had five rushing attempts for 69 yards which included an impressive stiff arm of cornerback Josh Norman. Prescott has accumulated 674 passing yards and seven touchdowns in his first two games under new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. He now has nine passing touchdowns of at least 50 or more yards in his career according to Elias Sports. Did you know that Tom Brady and Philip Rivers (11) have more since 2016? 
• Michael Gallup led all Dallas receivers in air yards with 111.
• McLaurin led all Washington receivers in air yards with 134.
• Jason Witten has scored his second touchdown this season after coming out of retirement. He has become the fifth tight end in NFL history with 70 or more touchdown receptions according to Pro Football Reference.
• Adrian Peterson scored his 107th career touchdown. This broke a tie with Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown on the all-time list according to Pro Football Reference. The only other active NFL player with more touches than Peterson (3,097) is Frank Gore (3,848) breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Jim Brown for fifth on the all-time list.  

San Francisco 49ers 41, Cincinnati Bengals 17

The 49ers’ strategy of staying on the road for the first two games of the 2019 season paid off. The team heads back to San Francisco undefeated. The 41 points were the most allowed by a Bengals defense in their home opener. This game represented a step forward for Jimmy Garoppolo. He has a plus matchup this week against the Steelers secondary and can be viewed as a high end QB2 with QB1 upside. The 49ers have a plethora of running backs to deploy each week. Matt Breida can be viewed as an RB2 while Raheem Mostert is a solid flex option. If you are in really deep formats then consider Jeff Wilson because he is being used the 49ers preferred option at the goal line. Tight end George Kittle will continue to be heavily targeted. The team is being very deliberate in providing Deebo Samuel opportunities as their No. 1 receiver. 

The subpar offensive line play of the Bengals negatively affected their running and passing game. The team has a difficult matchup against a Buffalo Bills defense that currently ranks sixth in opponent yards per game. Quarterback Andy Dalton can be viewed as a solid QB2. Wide receiver Tyler Boyd is on the WR2 radar with John Ross as a mid-range WR3. The good news is that Joe Mixon looked healthy, but unfortunately, the Bengals abandoned the running game due to negative game flow. He should be in line for his typical workload in Week 3. 

• Garoppolo completed 17 of 25 passes for 297 yards with a career-high three touchdowns and an interception. The 49ers have scored 30 or more points in each of their first two games for the first time since 1998 according to Pro Football Reference. 
• Dante Pettis only played 35 snaps and was not targeted. 
• Breida was featured before the 49ers built a huge lead. He finished the game with 121 rushing yards and averaged 10.1 yards per carry. 
• Samuel only averaged 17 air yards while leading the 49ers with seven targets. The team was deliberate in getting him involved with short passes and work out of the backfield. Did you know that 94% of Samuel’s receiving yards were after the catch? 
• John Ross was targeted eight times and finished with 112 receiving yards, but only caught four of them. He also had one drop. 
• Boyd caught all 11 of his targets for 138 receiving yards and one touchdown. 

Detroit Lions 13, Los Angeles Chargers 10

The Lions were outplayed by the Chargers. Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw two interceptions while cornerback Darius Slay was humiliated most of the afternoon by Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen. Stafford came alive in the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass to Kenny Golladay and Slay stopped Allen when it counted the most as the Lions are now 1-0-1 on the season. Stafford will find himself on the streaming radar in Week 3 against an uncertain Eagles secondary. Golladay can continue to be viewed as a WR2. Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola can be productive in the right matchup. T.J. Hockenson is more of a high-end TE2 instead of a TE1. He provides you with a high ceiling, but this game is a perfect example of how low his floor could be. Kerryon Johnson is in the midst of a dreaded three man committee. He is more of an RB3 at the moment than the elite RB1 we envisioned this summer. 

• Austin Ekeler turned 23 touches into 133 total yards. He’s currently averaging seven yards per touch through two games. 
• Golladay caught eight of 10 targets for 117 receiving yards and a touchdown while accumulating 148 air yards. He owned a 33 percent target share and a 48 percent share of the Lions’ air yards. 
• Kerryon Johnson finished with 88 total yards, but only touched the football 14 times. The Lions backfield continues to be a dreaded committee with C.J. Anderson, Ty Johnson, J.D. McKissic all being provided touches.
• Stafford, according to NFL Research, now has 28 fourth-quarter comebacks since entering the NFL in 2009. That’s the most in the NFL in that span. Stafford only had 30 pass attempts in the game finishing with 245 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. 
• Allen was targeted 15 times and led the Chargers with 216 air yards.

Green Bay Packers 21, Minnesota Vikings 16

This game was a step in the right direction for the Packers offense and new head coach Matt LaFleur considering the tough defensive schedule they’ve faced to start the season. They were up 21-0, but then the offense, unfortunately, took their foot off the gas. Rodgers will continue to be a QB1 against the Vic Fangio led Broncos in Week 3. Davante Adams reminded you why he’s matchup proof. He gets to feast on a Denver secondary that got burned by the Raiders in Week 1. Aaron Jones surpassed expectations in what many projected as a difficult matchup. 

The biggest question mark with the Vikings is quarterback Kirk Cousins. He threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles. Cousins is simply not living up to his massive fully guaranteed contract after completing only 14 of 32 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown. He can be viewed as a QB2 with upside in Week 3 against the Raiders. 

• Jones set a career-high with 23 rushing attempts for 116 yards, four receptions, and 34 receiving yards. 
• Rodgers now has two or more passing touchdowns in 107 career games according to Pro Football Reference. More productive days are ahead for the 35-year old QB. The Packers have started the season with a very difficult. 
• Davante Adams finished the game with nine targets and 127 air yards. 
• Dalvin Cook rushed for 154 yards on 20 attempts and scored a touchdown. He also had three receptions for 37 receiving yards. Cook’s 75-yard touchdown run was the longest of his career. 
• Stefon Diggs led the way for the Vikings with 161 air yards. He only caught two of his eight targets. 

Indianapolis Colts 19, Tennessee Titans 17

Jacoby Brissett and Marcus Mariota continue to be fantasy quarterbacks with a reasonable floor and low ceilings. These two offenses are ones that you’d be wise to avoid unless you’re participating in deeper formats. The ones worth starting in fantasy on a weekly basis are highlighted below. 

• T.Y. Hilton led the Colts with 71 air yards. He caught four of six targets for 43 receiving yards and one touchdown. It was a slow day for Hilton and the entire Colts offense. 
• Delanie Walker led the Titans with 74 air yards. He caught four of six targets for 39 receiving yards. 
• Derrick Henry finished the game with 17 touches for 93 total yards. 
• Marlon Mack finished with 22 touches for 63 total yards. 

New England Patriots 43, Miami Dolphins 0

The Dolphins find themselves 0-2 for only the second time since 2012. They have been outscored 102-10. The Patriots were all business in Miami as the memory of the Dolphins miracle comeback from 2018 was fresh in their minds. New England gave everyone a glimpse of how Antonio Brown will be leveraged in their offense. It’s a good best practice to have exposure to the Patriots offense in your fantasy lineup based on the matchup. The Dolphins is a team that you’d be wise to avoid in 2019. 

• Tom Brady completed 20 of 28 passes for 264 yards and two touchdowns. The 42-year old QB also had two rushing attempts for one yard and one rushing touchdown. Brady’s touchdown pass to new addition Antonio Brown was his 72nd to a unique receiver according to NFL Research. This extended his record for most TD passes to unique receivers in NFL history. 
• Brown was targeted eight times catching four passes for 56 receiving yards and a touchdown while leading the Patriots with 92 air yards. He also had one rushing attempt for five yards. This was the first receiving touchdown of his career from a QB who isn’t Ben Roethlisberger. 
• Sony Michel bounced back in Week 2 with 21 rushing attempts, 85 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdowns. He wasn’t targeted as a receiver out of the backfield. 
• Josh Gordon was targeted five times and accumulated 55ff air yards.
• The Patriots defense has only allowed three points so far in 2019. This is tied for the fewest by a team through two games in the Super Bowl era alongside the 1970 Lions, 1976 Oilers, and 1981 Bills according to ESPN Stats and Info. The Patriots defense put up 37 fantasy points. This was the most by a defense since the Titans had 38 fantasy points in Week 17 of the 2012 season according to NFL Research. 
• The Patriots have scored 76 points in their first two games. This is tied for the most in team history with the 2007 New England team. The Patriots finished that season with 589 points which were the second-most in the Super Bowl era according to NFL Research. 
• The Dolphins defense has allowed 102 points in their first two games. This is tied for the most with 1973 Saints in the Super Bowl era according to NFL Research. 

Buffalo Bills 28, New York Giants 14

Josh Allen continues to improve as an NFL quarterback before our eyes every week. The Bills have won games against the Jets and Giants to begin the season. This team is trending up and have a favorable matchup in Week 3 against the Bengals. Allen can be viewed as a QB1. John Brown is in the WR2 mix. The backfield continues to be a quagmire. Frank Gore continues to play more snaps and see more touches than Singletary. The rookie running back is clearly more explosive and productive on his limited touches. 

Eli Manning’s struggled more than his stat line suggests. Head coach Pat Shurmur declined to name him the starter in Week 3. If Daniel Jones is named the starter it would resurrect the Giants offense and fantasy outlook of certain players such as Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate. Saquon Barkley will continue to be matchup proof and an elite RB1. We should know something by Wednesday afternoon. 

• Allen completed 19 of 30 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown. The second-year QB also had seven rushing attempts for 21 yards and a rushing touchdown. Allen has the Bills off to their first 2-0 start in five years and it’s third in 11 years with wins over the Jets and Giants.
• Brown caught seven of eight targets for 72 receiving yards. Allen, unfortunately, overthrow him and what could have been a 52-yard touchdown. Brown led the Bills with 110 air yards. 
• Devin Singletary rushed six times for 57 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game with a hamstring injury. 
• Saquon Barkley accumulated 135 total yards averaging 6.43 yards per touch. 
• Bennie Fowler led the Giants with 10 targets and 157 air yards as a result of Cody Latimer’s in-game injury and Sterling Shepard being inactive. 

Seattle Seahawks 28, Pittsburgh Steelers 26

The Seahawks are off to an impressive 2-0 start winning on the road in Pittsburgh. Wilson can continue to be viewed as a QB1 at home against a Saints team that will play without Drew Brees. Tyler Lockett is settling in as a WR2 with WR1 upside. D.K. Metcalf is firmly on the WR3 radar. The usage of Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny limit their respective upside. Carson is still the player to own, but it remains to be seen if he’ll lose opportunities in Week 3 because of his fumbles. 

Ben Roethlisberger is now out for the season with an elbow injury. Mason Rudolph is now the starter which is a downgrade for the entire offense. He’ll be difficult to trust on the road against the 49ers in Week 3. JuJu Smith-Schuster is shaping up to be more of a fantasy WR2. We are still awaiting news regarding James Conner knee injury. One player that can emerge as a difference-maker is James Washington. He’s outplayed Donte Moncrief and already has a rapport with Rudolph from training camp and the preseason. 

• Russell Wilson completed 29 of 35 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns. He is now the second player listed under six feet tall to record 200 passing touchdowns in his NFL career according to ESPN Stats and Info. Wilson also became the fifth-fastest player to 200 passing touchdowns in terms of games played. He only trails Dan Marino, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, and Brett Favre. 
• Tyler caught a career-high 10 passes on 12 targets for 79 receiving yards with 81 air yards. 
• D.K. Metcalf led the Seahawks with 113 air yards, but only caught three of seven targets for 61 receiving yards and one touchdown. 
• Chris Carson averaged 4.9 yards per touch, but fumbled two times in the game. 
• Rudolph completed 12 of 19 passes for 112 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in relief of Ben Roethlisberger who was knocked out of the game with an elbow injury. This was his first career passing touchdown which also happened to be the Steelers first passing touchdown of the 2019 season. 
• JuJu Smith-Schuster caught five of eight targets for 84 receiving and led the Steelers with 121 air yards. 
• Vance McDonald caught all seven of his targets for 38 receiving yards and two touchdowns. His average depth of target or aDOT was only 1.7 yards. 
• James Conner only totaled 33 rushing yards on 11 rushing attempts before leaving the game with a knee injury. 

Baltimore Ravens 23, Arizona Cardinals 16

• Lamar Jackson’s dominance continued. The second-year QB completed 24 of 37 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. Jackson also turned 16 rushing attempts into 120 rushing yards. He had 100 more rushing yards than the Cardinals (20). Jackson is the first player since Wilson in 2014 according to Pro Football Reference to have 250 or more passing yards, 100 or more rushing yards, and zero turnovers in a game.
• Marquise Brown led the team with 13 targets and 149 air yards. He had eight receptions for 86 receiving yards. 
• Mark Andrews caught eight of nine targets for 112 receiving yards and a touchdown. He had an aDOT of 10.6 yards. 
• Larry Fitzgerald caught five of 11 targets for 104 receiving yards. He led the Cardinals receivers with 117 air yards. Fitzgerald has had 100 or more receiving yards in consecutive games for the first time since the 2015 season. 
• Christian Kirk lead the Cardinals in receiving yards with 114 and yards after the catch (62). 
• David Johnson rushed seven times for 14 yards and a touchdown. He’ll have a more favorable matchup in Week 3 against the Panthers defense. 

Houston Texans 13, Jacksonville Jaguars 12

• Gardner Minshew completed 23 of 33 passes for 213 yards and one touchdown. He also led the Jaguars with 56 rushing yards. 
• Leonard Fournette averaged 4.57 yards per touch and continues to see opportunities as a receiver out of the backfield. He finished the game with six targets. 
• D.J. Chark and Chris Conley tied for the most air yards on the Jaguars with 73. 
• Carlos Hyde had 20 rushing attempts and 90 rushing yards. 
• Duke Johnson was given only six rushing attempts and one target. 
• Will Fuller led the Texans with 132 air yards to DeAndre Hopkins’ 90. 

Kansas City Chiefs 28, Oakland Raiders 10

• Patrick Mahomes completed 30 of 44 passes for 443 yards and four touchdowns. He threw for 278 yards in the second quarter alone. This was the second-most in a single quarter over the last 40 according to Elias Sports. Drew Brees had 294 in a quarter in 2008. Mahomes has thrown for three or more passing touchdowns in seven straight road games dating back to 2018 according to NFL Research. Were you aware that this is the longest streak in NFL history? This was the second time Mahomes has passed for over 400 or more yards in his short career. According to Pro Football Reference, he’s the only player with multiple 400 or more passing games in Chiefs history. 
• Demarcus Robinson caught six of six targets for 172 yards and two touchdowns while leading the team with 152 air yards. 
• Sammy Watkins only caught six of 13 targets for 49 receiving yards, but did accumulate 139 air yards. 
• Travis Kelce caught seven of nine targets for 107 receiving yards and a touchdown. He also finished with over 100 air yards. 
• Mecole Hardman caught four of six targets for 61 receiving yards and a touchdown with 82 air yards. 
• Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy combined for 22 rushing attempts, 31 rushing yards, and no rushing touchdowns. 
• Tyrell Williams caught five of seven targets for 46 receiving yards and a touchdown. He led the Raiders in air yards with 76. 
• Josh Jacobs turned 12 rushing attempts in 99 rushing yards while playing 26 snaps. 

Chicago Bears 16, Denver Broncos 14

• David Montgomery accumulated 62 rushing yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. He was targeted three times as a receiver out of the backfield finishing with one catch for six yards. 
• Allen Robinson was targeted seven times and caught four of them for 41 receiving yards while leading the Bears with 67 air yards. 
• Emmanuel Sanders caught 11 of 13 targets for 98 receiving yards and a touchdown. He led the Broncos with 77 air yards. 
• Royce Freeman had 11 rushing attempts and 54 rushing yards. He was also used heavily as a receiver out of the backfield with seven targets, five receptions, and 48 receiving yards. He outplayed teammate Phillip Lindsay. 

Los Angeles Rams 27, New Orleans Saints 9