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Fun to imagine - Alex Smith led all quarterbacks with 48 pass attempts last week. If he keeps this pace, he'll throw 300 more passes than last season.
Throw with efficiency and win - Five quarterbacks had a 70% completion percentage or higher in Week 1. All five won their game
Matthew Stafford 79.5%
Andy Dalton 76.7%
Ben Roethlisberger 73.0%
Jimmy Garoppolo 72.7%
Alex Smith 70.8%
Good game, sort of - 10 quarterbacks had 300 yards passing or more in Week 1 - The only one without a touchdown pass was Kirk Cousins. Of the 10 quarterbacks who threw for 300+ yards, five won their game and five lost their game. Four of the ten were age 31 or older. Only two were age 25 or younger (Derek Carr and Blake Bortles).
Cousins wasn't the only quarterback with a goose egg for touchdown passes. Shaun Hill, Dak Prescott, Robert Griffin, Ryan Tannehill, Blaine Gabbert, Tyrod Taylor and Case Keenum also failed to find the end zone in Week 1
Quarterbacks with 300+ passing yards in Week 1 - Last 10 years
2016 - 10
2015 - 6
2014 - 10
2013 - 12
2012 - 9
2011 - 14
2010 - 3
2009 - 6
2008 - 3
2007 - 4
A dying breed - Only two running backs had 100+ yards rushing in Week 1 (DeAngelo Williams and Lamar Miller).
Running Backs with 100+ rushing yards in Week 1 - Last 10 years
2016 - 2
2015 - 4
2014 - 7
2013 - 2
2012 - 5
2011 - 7
2010 - 3
2009 - 5
2008 - 7
2007 - 6
Highest yards per carry - minimum 10 carries
- 6.4 Spencer Ware, KC (11 car)
- 5.6 David Johnson, ARI (16)
- 5.6 Danny Woodhead (16)
- 5.5 DeAngelo Williams, PIT (26)
- 5.3 Ameer Abdullah, DET (12)
- 5.2 Isaiah Crowell, CLE (12)
- 4.8 Mark Ingram, NO (12)
- 4.6 CJ Anderson, DEN (20)
- 4.4 Matt Forte, NYJ (22)
- 4.4 Christine Michael, SEA (15)
- 4.4 Eddie Lacy, GB (14)
- 4.3 Jonathan Stewart, CAR (15)
- 4.2 Rashad Jennings, NYG (18)
- 4.2 Frank Gore, IND (14)
- 4.2 Latavius Murray, OAK (14)
- 4.1 Melvin Gordon, SD (14)
- 4.1 Justin Forsett, BAL (10)
Multi-purpose backs - Four running backs had 15 carries or more and 5+ receptions - DeAngelo Williams, Matt Forte, Doug Martin and Danny Woodhead.
Worth noting - Five running backs had at least 10 carries in their game, of which at least one went for 20+ yards. David Johnson, CJ Anderson, Eddie Lacy, Danny Woodhead and Isaiah Crowell.
Most rushes without a rushing touchdown: Lamar Miller (28 car), Matt Forte (22 car), Adrian Peterson (19 car), Doug Martin (18 car), Rashad Jennings (18 car)
One helluva backup - DeAngelo Williams had 32 touches last week (26 carries and 6 receptions). In eight games last year where he started in place of LeVeon Bell, Williams averaged 25 touches.
The elite wide receivers of Week 1 - 39 players had 6 receptions or more in Week 1. Of those 39, there were 34 who had at least 50 yards receiving. Of those 34, there were 18 who had 10 targets or more. Of those 18 there were 6 who also scored at least one touchdown. Those six include A.J. Green, Doug Baldwin, Antonio Brown, Larry Fitzgerald, Jordan Matthews and Kelvin Benjamin.
11 different wide receivers had 100+ receiving yards in Week 1. Seven of them won their game, four lost
A.J. Green, CIN 180 yards - win
Willie Snead, NO 172 yards - loss
Brandin Cooks, NO 143 yards - loss
Amari Cooper, OAK 137 yards - win
Spencer Ware, KC 129 yards - win
Antonio Brown, PUT 126 yards - win
Jordan Matthews, PHI 114 yards - win
Will Fuller, HOU 107 yards - win
Alshon Jeffery, CHI 105 yards - loss
Stefon Diggs, MIN 103 yards - win
DeSean Jackson, WAS 102 yards - loss
Joining the club. In good company - Will Fuller became just the 5th rookie since 2000 to reach 100 yards receiving in his rookie debut. Those who accomplished the feat include:
2016 Will Fuller, HOU 107 yards
2014 Allen Hurns, JAC 110 yards
2008 Eddie Royal, DEN 146 yards
2008 DeSean Jackson, PHI 106 yards
2003 Anquan Boldin, ARI 217 yards
Four rookies had 50+ yards receiving last week
107 Will Fuller, HOU
76 Tajae Sharpe, TEN
69 Corey Coleman, CLE
58 Michael Thomas, NO
Super Bowl Rematch - The Panthers and Broncos each allowed 21 first downs, 18 completions and 1 passing touchdown. Carolina allowed 21 points, Denver allowed 20 points.
Superb pass defense - Seattle, Philadelphia, Baltimore, San Francsico, NY Giants, Tennessee and Pittsburgh did not allow a passing touchdown in Week 1
Superb rush defense - Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Tennessee, San Francisco, Detroit, Buffalo, Oakland, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Chicago and Cincinnati did not allow a rushing touchdown in Week 1
Week 2 Match up - Only two teams had at least 2 interceptions and 2 sacks on defense and they play each other Week 2 - San Francisco at Carolina.
Questions, suggestions and comments are always welcome to haseley@footballguys.com