This weekend was a weird one for the NFL, with deliberately dropped balls in
a left-handed pass from Eli to avoid a sack and a Torry Holt touchdown catch on his back. We can’t see all the plays though, so here are this week’s Notable Numbers.
100
: Total rushing yards for
Ricky Williams and
Ronnie Brown this year
In case you needed more evidence of
being a fantasy wasteland, they got spanked by another underwhelming team, the Arizona Cardinals.
Kurt Warner was also 100% through the first quarter and much of the second with his first nine attempts, which included two of
Anquan Boldin’s three touchdowns on the day. Warner is off to a strong start, but with tougher opponents ahead he’s probably a good sell high candidate.
32
: Minutes before snoozing through the
game
Also the total receiving yards for
Braylon Edwards who reportedly has a case of the dropsies, but should have an opportunity to turn it around against
in a couple of weeks. He’s done well against his next opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, and I would have a hard time benching him this week. Meanwhile,
Willie Parker and
Hines Ward continue to outperform their draft position with solid performances. If you’re someone who got Parker in the 4th round or later on Mendenhall hype, you’ve probably got some excess rushing capacity to trade for other needs.
2.6
: Yards per carry for
LaDainian Tomlinson
A toe! A toe! My kingdom for a toe! Tomlinson remains optimistic, and if he’s on your team, you’ve probably got no choice but to start him and hope for the best. If
Darren Sproles is somehow still on your wire, you should correct this immediately. On the other side, while
Jay Cutler and
Brandon Marshall were working on single-game receiving records,
Selvin Young took the rushing lead in the
tag team, but largely thanks to breaking off a 49-yard run in the second quarter. If you picked up
Eddie Royal after his big splash, hold on to him for at least another week or two.
can’t pull in 18 receptions every week. This is also my last call on
Matt Prater, who nailed a 52-yard field goal last night on top of a bunch of XPs.
12
: NFL Record for most sacks taken in a game
began the game on pace to break this against the Giants, but ultimately let us all down.
Torry Holt finally hit the stat sheet, doing about as well as you can expect for a team that took nearly six quarters to get it’s first 3rd down conversion of the season. On the Blue side,
Amani Toomer had a nice day for himself with six receptions and a ton of looks. This is common for him in blowouts, but it seemed like they were really trying to force the ball to him. Either he or
Steve Smith is bound to emerge on the Giants as the #2, so watch and plan accordingly.
67
: Total albums in Carlos Santana’s official discography, and longest reception for
The deputy to
Sherriff Gonna Getcha pulled in seven receptions for over 160 yards, while
Reggie Bush continues to show off his explosive talent everywhere but behind the line of scrimmage. If you’re desperate for a running back,
Deuce McAllister is back from knee rehab, and supposed to be worked back into the game, and is probably worth stashing.
190
: Total yardage for the rookies at Bank of America Stadium
Other banks of
are looking shaky, as Lehman Brothers joins the list of casualties in the financial sector, but Bank of America Stadium was rich in rookie running back performances this weekend. It’s uncommon for rookies to make an immediate impact on their team, but it’s looking like
Matt Forte entered the league ready for prime time.
Jonathan Stewart won the latest round of the backfield battle in
to tie the score one apiece, but neither are looking like good options against
Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3.
636
: Total combined yardage for
Aaron Rodgers and
Detroit
’s
defense continues to look horrible, while
Aaron Rodgers continues to help Packers fans forget about that Favre guy they used to watch.
Jon Kitna looked good until late-game desperation gave way to three picks.
Calvin Johnson owners rejoiced as he made his another big showing, while
Ryan Grant owners join
Vince Young on suicide watch after a miserable 20 yards on the ground. Grant was likely limited by the hamstring injury he’s been working through, and it’s a long way until the Packers bye. Now is probably a good time to hedge your bets with
Brandon Jackson if it isn’t too late in your league.
4
: The number of Kansas City Quarterbacks it takes to screw in a lightbulb
It only took three to lose to the Raiders, while
Larry Johnson is 22 yards closer to fantasy retirement. Despite this,
JaMarcus Russell was arguably the worst quarterback to see the field in this game, completing just six of his 17 passes. If you were hoping
Javon Walker would provide a late season spark to your receiving corps, it’s time to make different plans. Facing
44
: Percent of
Peyton Manning’s passing yardage through
The Vikings really did have Peterson All Day, while the Inexplicable Colts not only saw Gonzalez lead
Reggie Wayne and
Marvin Harrison in receiving, but two Manning interceptions, and a 30-yard miss by
Adam Viniatieri. Let me know when the former Super Bowl Champion team returns to the field or if it becomes Sorgi time.
2
: Number of games last season
Kevin Faulk caught more balls than
Foxboro, we have a problem.
Matt Cassel got the job done against the Jets, but seemed reluctant to throw it downfield, which is where Randy Moss earns his paycheck. Moss only pulled in two receptions, fewer than
Kevin Faulk, and even
Chansi Stuckey, who might be making a bid for
Wayne Chrebet’s old job of occasionally making Coles and Cotchery owners miserable. As for Moss, it’s only a matter of time before he and
get on the same page. You don’t want him on your bench when it happens.
60
: Longest yardage
DeSean Jackson can hold on to a football
falling at the 1-yard-line to let the clock run out last season was brilliant.
DeSean Jackson flipping the ball at the 1-yard-line in celebration was ridiculous. Equally ridiculous is not jumping on a loose ball in a shoot-out after watching a stupid move like
9.22
: Square root of
Two top receivers, still no performance. I’m one week away from being convinced
Carson Palmer has been abducted, and the Bengals have quietly slipped in
Matt Leinart, whose weekends are mostly free.
13
: Total touches for
With six carries and seven receptions against the Jaguars, he should jump on to your radar. He’s firmly behind
Marshawn Lynch on the depth chart, but he could become an interesting option in weeks likely to produce a lot of garbage time. Finally, congratulations to
James Hardy on his first NFL reception and first NFL touchdown. At 6-foot-5 – that’s 196cm for you metric fans – there are surely more to come, maybe even this year.