Needles From the Haystack - Week 9

Posted 10/29 by Jeff Haseley, Exclusive to Footballguys.com

Are you a fan of interesting stats or tidbits of information about what's happening in the NFL? I make it my goal to unearth the most useful and useless stats that you can or can't think of. If that kind of thing excites you, sit back, relax and read on, because in the haystack of the NFL, I have found some needles.

Targets

The following players had a season high in targets in week eight (previous high in parenthesis) *minimum 10 targets

Matt Jones, JAC 16 (10)
Steve Breaston, ARI 14 (10)
Jerricho Cotchery, NYJ 13 (12)
Frank Gore, SF 13 (5) *Looks like Mike Singletary likes Gore.
Dallas Clark, IND 12 (10)
Lee Evans, BUF 12 (8)
Randy Moss, NE 11 (10)
Billy Miller, NO 11 (6)
Donnie Avery, STL 10 (7)

Running Backs who have at least one game with five receptions or more

Five times

Reggie Bush, NO

Four times

Nobody

Three times

Matt Forte, CHI
Steven Jackson, STL
LaDainian Tomlinson, SD
Brian Westbrook, PHI

Two times

Marion Barber, DAL
Correll Buckhalter, PHI
Frank Gore, SF
Brandon Jackson, GB

One time

Michael Bush, OAK
Patrick Cobbs, MIA
Earnest Graham, TB
Fred Jackson, BUF
Edgerrin James, ARI
Larry Johnson, KC
Maurice Jones-Drew, JAC
Marshawn Lynch, BUF
Mewelde Moore, PIT
Sammy Morris, NE
Jerious Norwood, ATL
Chris Perry, CIN
Dominic Rhodes, IND
Ray Rice, BAL
Steve Slaton, HOU
Kevin Smith, DET
Aaron Stecker, NO
Chester Taylor, MIN
Derrick Ward, NYG

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends who have at least one game with six receptions or more

Seven times

Wes Welker, NE

Six times

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, CIN
Jason Witten, DAL

Five times

Larry Fitzgerald, ARI
Andre Johnson, HOU
Brandon Marshall, DEN

Four times

Anquan Boldin, ARI
Dwayne Bowe, KC
Steve Breaston, ARI
Antonio Bryant, TB
Laveranues Coles, NYJ
Lance Moore, NO
Santana Moss, WAS
Steve Smith, CAR
Roddy White, ATL

Three times

Chris Cooley, WAS
Jerricho Cotchery, NYJ
Tony Gonzalez, KC
DeSean Jackson, PHI
Greg Jennings, GB
Matt Jones, JAC
Derrick Mason, BAL
Eddie Royal, DEN
Reggie Wayne, IND

Two times

Bernard Berrian, MIN
Greg Camarillo, MIA
Antonio Chatman, CIN
Dallas Clark, IND
Patrick Crayton, DAL
Owen Daniels, HOU
Donald Driver, GB
Lee Evans, BUF
Ted Ginn, MIA
Ike Hilliard, TB
Calvin Johnson, DET
Randy Moss, NE
Muhsin Muhammad, CAR
Bo Scaife, TEN
Jeremy Shockey, NO
Steve Smith, NYG
Brandon Stokley, DEN
Bobby Wade, MIN
Hines Ward, PIT

One time

Donnie Avery, STL
Hank Basket, PHI
Arnaz Battle, SF
Reggie Brown, PHI
Plaxico Burress, NYG (this surprised me)
John Carlson, SEA
Rashied Davis, CHI
Vernon Davis, SF
Early Doucet, ARI
Bobby Engram, SEA
Anthony Fasano, MIA
Mike Furrey, DET
Jabar Gaffney, NE
Joey Galloway, TB
Antonio Gates, SD (this surprised me)
Anthony Gonzalez, IND
Marvin Harrison, IND
Devin Hester, CHI
Torry Holt, STL
Vincent Jackson, SD
Bryant Johnson, SF
Chad Johnson, CIN
Brandon Lloyd, CHI
Billy Miller, NO
Greg Olsen, CHI
Terrell Owens, DAL
Antwaan Randle El, WAS
Josh Reed, BUF
Dante Rosario, CAR
Robert Royal, BUF
Tony Scheffler, DEN
Chansi Stuckey, NYJ
Amani Toomer, NYG
Mike Walker, JAC
Kevin Walter, HOU
Nate Washington, PIT
Demetrius Williams, BAL
Roy Williams, DAL
Kellen Winslow, CLE

QBs with three TD passes or more in a game this season

Five times

Philip Rivers, SD

Four times

Drew Brees, NO
Tony Romo, DAL

Two times

Brett Favre, NYJ
Aaron Rodgers, GB
Matt Schaub, HOU

One time

Matt Cassel, NE
Jay Cutler, DEN (this surprised me)
Eli Manning, NYG
Peyton Manning, IND
Donovan McNabb, PHI
Kyle Orton, CHI
J.T. O'Sullivan, SF
Ben Roethlisberger, PIT
Kurt Warner, ARI (this also surprised me)

Trivia Question of the Week

Miami WR Ted Ginn Jr. caught seven passes for 175 yards last week against Buffalo and yet he did not score a TD. Which WR has the most receiving yards gained in a game without a score in NFL history? See the bottom for the answer.

Passing TD on third down - leaders

9 Aaron Rodgers
7 Philip Rivers
6 Tony Romo
5 Donovan McNabb
4 Matt Cassel, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Schaub, Jake Delhomme, Drew Brees
3 Jeff Garcia, Jay Cutler, Carson Palmer, Chad Pennington, Peyton Manning

Passing TDs on second down - leaders

7 Brett Favre
6 Jay Cutler, Philip Rivers
5 Kurt Warner, Drew Brees
4 Kyle Orton Chad Pennington, Matt Schaub
3 Matt Ryan, Jake Delhomme, Tony Romo

Passing TDs on first down - leaders

7 Kurt Warner
6 Philip Rivers, Eli Manning, Drew Brees
5 Trent Edwards, Tony Romo
4 Kyle Orton, Jason Campbell, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, J.T. O'Sullivan, David Garrard
3 Jay Cutler, Jon Kitna, Donovan McNabb

Did you know?

Peyton Manning leads all QBs in first quarter fantasy points

1st quarter fantasy point leaders

Quarterbacks

45.30 Peyton Manning
44.60 Jay Cutler
43.00 Donovan McNabb
39.75 Eli Manning
38.65 Kurt Warner
38.45 Philip Rivers
37.65 Matt Ryan
35.80 Brett Favre
32.80 J.T. O'Sullivan
32.00 Drew Brees
30.30 Chad Pennington

Running Backs

48.70 Michael Turner
44.00 Frank Gore
33.40 Brandon Jacobs
33.00 Marion Barber
33.00 Clinton Portis
30.70 Adrian Peterson
30.10 Julius Jones
29.30 Matt Forte
27.50 Steven Jackson
27.10 Marshawn Lynch
26.70 Brian Westbrook
23.50 Mewelde Moore
23.20 DeAngelo Williams
22.40 Chris Johnson
20.80 LaDainian Tomlinson

Wide Receivers & Tight Ends

30.20 Roddy White
27.10 Donnie Avery
26.60 Anquan Boldin
26.20 Randy Moss
24.90 Greg Olsen
24.30 Marvin Harrison
22.20 DeSean Jackson
22.00 Terrell Owens
21.30 Isaac Bruce
20.70 Jerricho Cotchery
20.60 Malcolm Floyd
20.30 Jason Witten
19.80 Owen Daniels
19.70 Larry Fitzgerald
19.30 Greg Jennings
19.20 Antonio Bryant
18.90 Eddie Royal
18.80 Dallas Clark
18.50 Reggie Wayne
18.20 Brandon Marshall
18.00 Lee Evans

More Did you Know?

13 of Roddy White's 72 targets have come in the fourth quarter
Andre Johnson has 18 first downs in his last two games. Only four of those were 3rd down catches
The Ravens have allowed only 16 rushing first downs all season - by far the best in the league. The next best is PIT with 28
Five of Brett Favre's 11 INTs were intended for Jerricho Cotchery
Eleven of Lee Evans 50 targets this year have been on 3rd down - that's only 22%
Nine of Eddie Royal's 53 targets have been on 3rd down - only 17%
23 of Antonio Bryant's 64 targets have come on 3rd down - 36%
Four of Antonio Gates five TDs this year have come on 1st down
The Bears defense is averaging 41 pass attempts per game - league high
The Texans defense is averaging 27.3 pass attempts per game - league low
62% of Santana Moss's receptions and 71% of his receiving yards have come on 1st down
Four of Hines Ward's five TDs have come on 3rd down plays
Pittsburgh is the only team that has not allowed a 20-yard run or longer
Kansas City has allowed 15 rushing plays of 20 yards or more - easily worst in the league. Next worst is STL with 9
31 of Roddy White's 98 fantasy points have come on plays 3rd and 10 or longer
Tampa Bay still has not allowed a rushing TD this year

Big plays this week?

Dan Orlovsky and Detroit WRs @ Chicago - Bears are allowing 243.1 yards passing per game
Donovan McNabb and Philadelphia WRs @ Seattle - Seahawks have allowed 11 passing TDs with only 2 INTs
Chad Pennington and Miami WRs @ Denver - No Champ Bailey and Denver has allowed 12 passing TDs and 240 passing yards per game
Could Torry Holt score a TD this week? - Rams host Arizona and the Cardinals have given up 14 passing TDs. Good day for Bulger and Avery too?
David Garrard and the Jags WRs @ the break, but not bend Bengals - Cincinnati has allowed 13 passing TDs, but only average 191.1 passing yards per game
Earnest Graham and Warrick Dunn @ Kansas City - The Chiefs are averaging 197 yards rushing allowed per game and 14 rushing TDs to date
Michael Turner @ Oakland - The Raiders are averaging 32.1 carries allowed per game and have given up 11 rushing TDs
Matt Forte vs. Detroit - The Lions are averaging 163 yards rushing allowed per game
Ronnie Brown @ Denver - The Broncos allow 5.4 yards per carry to opposing backs - 2nd worst in the league
Tim Hightower and Edgerrin James @ St. Louis - The Rams have allowed 11 rushing TDs to date and 152 yards rushing allowed per game
The Titans rushing duo vs. Green Bay - The Packers average 142 yards rushing per game and 4.9 YPC
Adrian Peterson vs. Houston - Houston is playing their first road game in a month and have allowed 11 rushing TDs to date

Trivia Answer

Keenan McCardell, JAC had 16 receptions for 232 yards with no scores in a week eight game vs. the St. Louis Rams in 1996, in a losing effort no less. If there's a greater yardage total without a TD, I couldn't find it.

Thanks as always - Enjoy the games!

Please feel free to send any comments to haseley@footballguys.com.