NFL Week 14- The Bird and The Beard Edition

Ok, so I look for these sort of goofy stats all the time. I did some digging after I saw a couple of Twitter posts about how the winner of the NFC East could finish 6-10.

I took the last four weeks, with Thursday's game already in the bag, and sorted through some things. And the Cowboys would win both a three-way tie and a four-way tie for the NFC East at 6-10 on division record (4-2).

Yes, the Cowboys can go into the playoffs as the NFC East champion while on a six-game losing streak.

A four-way tie comes about as far as I can figure only if Washington beats Green Bay and then the Giants beat the Dolphins and then the Redskins later. But even if Dallas loses its last two division games, they would hold the tie-breaker with a 4-2 division record because they swept the Giants.

Oy.

 

Is it possible that the Cowboys aren't underachieving - they just aren't that good?

 

I think people pointed to a couple of things: The hot start against teams in retrospect were trash; Prescott isn't a terrible QB; Zeke is really good, but how's much did the holdout set him back; Amari Cooper was great does the stretch last year; Whiton was back; and it's the Cowboys.

The only thing that has made me laugh harder than the Cowboys has been the Raiders.

 

Richard Sherman among 49ers defending suspended announcer Tim Ryan's comment on Lamar Jackson's skin tone

“100 percent it’s an issue,” Sherman said of defenders having difficulty locating the ball when playing against Jackson. “What he presented — that’s why it wasn’t that offensive. Because what he was saying was a great point.”

 

Speaking of obscure stats, the Packers are threatening some long-standing records this season.
Through 12 games, they have nine punt returns for minus-8 yards. The NFL record for fewest returns in a season is 12 (shared by the Colts in 1981 and Chargers in 1982), and the record for fewest punt return yards is 27 by the Cardinals in 1965. The 1965 Giants had 35 yards, and the 1972 Patriots had 37.

 

And they're about to face the Greatest Punter Of All Time Tress Way, so they ain't returning shit on Sunday.

 

I didn't see that coming.

 

I understand the extra-point isn't a "gimme" anymore, but successful kicks (XPs and FGs) are down. Are kickers undervalued now? Or does their lack of reliability make the game more interesting - encouraging coaches to go for it on FOURTH (fixed) down between the 3o and 40.

 

I’d always go for it on first down. But that’s just me.

 

4th Down Study - Advanced Football Analytics

 

Cam Newton HOF ?