Analysis

12/14/20

5 min min read

NFL Week 14 Statistical Review

Let's take a look at some interesting numbers from Sunday's NFL action:

Colts vs. Raiders

First Half

  • The Colts have struggled defensively in the first half of their games this season, going into this game. They are 30th in first-half points allowed (138 points allowed), 19th yards per play allowed (5.7 ypp), 22nd in first downs allowed (136) 28th in drives where TDs are scored (33.9%)
  • They have thrived offensively early, scoring 45 points on their opening drives this season, second-most only behind Green Bay
  • In this matchup, rookie RB Jonathan Taylor got going right away with 62 total yards on the first drive of the game (42 rushing/20 receiving), but the offense stalled in the red zone coming away with only three points
  • On the second offensive drive for the Colts, Philip Rivers hit T.Y. Hilton for a TD (he has more yards and TDs in the last two weeks than he did from Weeks 6-11 combined)
  • After the Colts went up 10-0, the Raiders offense picked up as the Colts poor first-half defensive issues resurfaced
  • The Raiders went on a 14-0 run, hitting large chunk plays over the middle of the field (Derek Carr averaged 12.9 yards/attempt)
  • The Nelson Agholor TD that put Las Vegas up 14-10 capped what was the Raiders’ second TD drive of more than 80 yards this season -- tied with Colts, Steelers and Jags for fewest in NFL
  • Rivers hit Hilton again on the next drive for a TD (Hilton had 3 receptions for 2 TDs in the first half)

Second Half

  • The Colts entered today's game as one of the best second-half defenses in all of football: third-fewest points allowed (54), fourth in yards per play allowed (4.5), third-fewest first downs allowed (97), third in TDs scored on drives (11.7%)
  • This is when RB Jonathan Taylor truly took over this matchup, The Raiders gave up 206 rushing yards to a winless Jets team last week and the Colts exploited this defensive flaw
  • After a 62-yard run midway through the third quarter, Taylor had 12 carries for 124 yards (10.3 avg) and 1 TD
  • This marked the longest run for the Colts since Marlon Mack’s 63-yard run against the Chargers in Week 1 of last season
  • Per Next Gen Stats, Taylor reached a top speed of 21.35 MPH to outrun three Raiders defenders. This was Taylor’s fifth touch of 20-plus MPH this season (most by any RB)
  • Taylor and Nyheim Hines combined for over 200 yards rushing
  • This is seventh time in Raiders history they have allowed 200-plus yards rushing in consecutive games (Josh Dubow)
  • While the Colts have won with their defense and survived with their offense, the offensive outbreak they had Sunday shows signs of top-tier ability
  • No QB in NFL history has beaten the Raiders more than Philip Rivers

Saints vs. Eagles

1st Half

  • The Saints came into the game with the NFL’s No. 1 defense since Week 9. Since then, they have allowed only 9 PPG, 56 rushing yards/game, 233 total yards/game and 22% red-zone TD percentage allowed, with 13 takeaways
  • The Eagles started this game with a new-found aggression, electing to go for it on fourth-and-short twice (converting once)
  • The Eagles were converting on 58% of their fourth downs from 2016-2018 and that number has now fallen to 36% over the past two years
  • The Eagles lead grew to 17-0, as the Saints’ high caliber defense since Week 9 faltered
  • Making his first career start, Jalen Hurts threw a TD pass to Alshon Jeffery
  • Miles Sanders ran for an 82-yard TD, on which he reached a top speed of 20.95 MPH, his fastest carry this year
  • Sanders had 70-plus yards over expected on that run (he’s had three of the top 10 in yards over expected this season), per Next Gen Stats
  • The last time the Saints were losing by 17-plus points in a game was Week 5 of this season to the Chargers, a game they came back to win, 30-27

Second Half

  • The Saints weren’t able to find the magic for a comeback in the second hal this timef, as the usually strong run defense failed them.
  • New Orleans hadn’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in 55 games. On Sunday, Sanders AND Hurts had over 100 yards rushing
  • The Saints did make a second-half push to make the game 17-14 after a deep ball TD to Emmanuel Sanders
  • Taysom Hill had a 24.5% completion probability on this TD, the most improbable pass completed by a Saints player this year (Next Gen Stats)
  • Sanders has caught Hill’s only two deep balls this season for 81 total yards and Hill is 0-for-2 when targeting anyone else downfield
  • Despite a three-play, 20-second drive late in the fourth quarter for a Saints TD to make it 24-21 Eagles, they were unable to continue the comeback
  • This loss ended the Saints’ 9-game winning streak and bumped them out of the No. 1 seed in the NFC (the Packers are now the No. 1 seed based on a head-to-head tiebreaker.

Other Interesting Stats

  • Justin Herbert has now thrown 13 TD passes on third down this season, most in the NFL (Tom Brady is second with 11). Since 2018, the only QBs with more in a single season are Derek Carr who had 14 such TDs last season, and Russell Wilson, who had 16 in 2018. (Per ESPN Stats and Info)
  • Davante Adams is the first player in NFL history to have 6-plus catches and a receiving TD in eight straight games. (Via WesHod)
  • Seattle’s 40-3 win over the Jets was the Seahawks largest margin of victory in more than four years
  • A 37-point loss is the Jets’ worst since Dec. 24, 2016, when they lost to 41-3 to the Patriots
  • This season, the Panthers are 0-8 when allowing 22 points and 4-0 otherwise
  • The Bears have now won a game against every franchise in the NFL
  • When the Cowboys scored 17 points off turnovers in the first half vs. Bengals, it was the franchise's most first-half points off turnovers since posting 21 vs. the Giants on Nov. 4, 2001. Dallas entered today with 28 points off turnovers in their first 12 games, per Michael Gehlken
  • Derrick Henry had his fourth game since 2018 with 200-plus rushing yards; the rest of the NFL has four in that time span. Two of Henry’s 2 of these games have been vs. the Jaguars - CBS
  • Per NFL Research, here are the players with the most career games with 200-plus rush yards and 2-plus rush TDs in NFL history:

Derrick Henry - 4

Jim Brown - 3

Barry Sanders - 3

LaDainian Tomlinson - 3

  • Tyreek Hill’s 16 touchdowns are tied for the third-most by a wide receiver through 13 games in the Super Bowl era. Only Randy Moss (19 in 2007) and Jerry Rice (18 in 1987) had more. (Per ESPN Stats and Info)
  • Miami’s Xavien Howard recorded an interception in his fifth straight game. He leads the NFL with 9 interceptions this season. Since Week 1 of 2017, Howard leads the NFL in interceptions, despite missing 15 games in that span

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