National Football League

NFL Week 2: 10 Stats That Stand Out

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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NFL Week 2 is in the books, and out the door with it are several hot takes that will be put to the test in Week 3 and beyond.

Everyone has an opinion, but it’s always best to back those up with some cold, hard numbers. Tape reigns supreme, but stats can help us contextualize information that we would otherwise overlook, underplay, or omit entirely.

Let’s take a look at 10 stats from Week 2 that stand out, and we’ll see if they can be an indication of what the future will hold.

Numbers can be fun, they can be informative, and they can help create a checkpoint that we can look back on later in the season when everything inevitable changes. As I and many hardcore fans have come to know over the years of being around the NFL, what happens in Weeks 1 and 2 can change dramatically over the months,

I mean, if you think the injuries to Adrian Peterson and Danny Woodhead this week were tough, get ready for some truly season-ruining news items later. Not to sound ominous or anything, but that’s just how this guttural game goes.

Onto the numbers.

Sep 18, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) and Redskins head coach (R) walk off the field after their game against the Dallas Cowboys at FedEx Field. The Cowboys won 27-23. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

29.31%: Kirk Cousins’s Red Zone Completion Rate

Fresh off of losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Redskins are in need of a big bounce-back performance against the New York Giants. With wins over the Cowboys and New Orleans Saints, the Giants are on the right track, and after holding down Drew Brees, they will be ready to give Kirk Cousins everything he can handle.

This is a huge season for Cousins, who is playing on the franchise tag and has a critically acclaimed cast of pass-catchers at his disposal. Despite this, Cousins has been having a difficult time finishing off drives.

Currently third in the NFL with 693 passing yards, Cousins has thrown just one touchdown to three interceptions. His completion percentage continues to be high, but if he can’t convert those yards to points, he’ll just be a timid, garbage-time master. Passing yards alone don’t impress anyone and his teammates reportedly aren’t happy either.

Quarterbacks are made and broken in the red zone. Space is hard to find, throws have to be absolutely perfect, and chemistry is paramount. If you aren’t known for your athleticism, you had better be known for your accuracy and arm talent in order to survive.

Last season, Cousins received no criticism for his work in the red zone, but he’s been an unsightly 5-for-17 in this critical area of the field.

What makes this all the more frustrating is the fact that only Philip Rivers and Carson Palmer have been gifted more red zone opportunities than Cousins this season. Neither of those top quarterbacks has thrown a pick in the red zone, and they have a combined seven touchdowns in this area of the field. Cousins? One touchdown, no interceptions.

This has to change.

Sep 18, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14) celebrates his touchdown during the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Packers 17-14. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

14.25: Stefon Diggs’s Yard Per Target

Sam Bradford was the big story in the Minnesota Vikings upset win over the Green Bay Packers, because he actually looked good en route to outplaying Aaron Rodgers. However, he couldn’t have done any of that with Stefon Diggs, who has been the offense for the Vikings through two weeks. Without him, this unit would be floundering and I highly doubt they would be 2-0 to this point.

Diggs set the world on fire at the beginning of his rookie season and looks even better in 2016. After dropping 107 receiving yards on the Tennessee Titans, Diggs took Damarious Randall and the Packers secondary to school. Taking full advantage of Sam Shields‘s injury, Diggs nabbed nine of his 11 targets for 182 yards and a touchdown.

On the season, Diggs has caught 16-of-20 targets for 285 yards, averaging 142.5 yards per game. His 14.25 yards per target lead all wide receivers, and only one (rookie Sterling Shepard) is within one yard per target of Diggs’s mark.

Laquon who?

Sep 18, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) rolls out against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeat the Buccaneers 40-7. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

20%/52.3: Completion Rate and QB Rating on Deep Throws for Jameis Winston

When Dirk Koetter took over as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach, we knew that this team would play an aggressive brand of football. With little depth at wide receiver, no real slot man, and plenty of big-play potential in the likes of Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, Jameis Winston seemed destined to sling it loose.

He has.

Winston leads the league with 20 pass attempts of at least 15 yards, but he’s completed just 20 percent of those. Only one quarterback has a lower completion percentage on deep passes and his name is Josh McCown. Maybe you’ve heard of him. And maybe you then know that’s not a category you want to be in.

On those attempts, Winston has three touchdowns. He put on a clinic on those passes against the Atlanta Falcons in the second half. However, the Arizona Cardinals put a clinic on him in Week 2 and he has just as many interceptions as touchdowns on those plays.

Gunning it works against a pass defense like Atlanta’s, but it doesn’t work quite as well against a top-tier secondary like Arizona’s. Hopefully the Bucs figured out that there’s a reason why most teams don’t gun it on every single snap. Yes, deep passing yields more yards on a per-target basis, but they are indeed riskier.

Sep 18, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard (87) hauls in a third quarter pass against the New Orleans Saints at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Thomas, Sterling Shepard Posting Historical Catch Rates

Before the draft, wide receivers Michael Thomas and Sterling Shepard were regarded as pro-ready prospects who would run sharp routes, make moves after the catch, and win with strength at the catch point in the NFL.

Both players faced off in Week 2. While the New York Giants came away victors with Shepard racking up 117 yards of receiving, both Thomas and Shepard can head into Week 3 feeling accomplished.

Thomas and Shepard have both caught at least 90 percent of their targets through two weeks, making them the first wide receivers—since the stat was first tracked—to have a 90 percent catch rate and over 100 receiving yards combined in their first two games.

Now we just have to get Brees and the Saints to call more plays that send the ball towards Thomas. Both of these receivers look special.

Sep 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter talks with quarterback Jameis Winston (3) in the fourth quarter of their game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. The Buccaneers won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Lead First Downs, Lose 40-7

This one pretty much explains itself, and it seems pretty baffling. How is it that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers managed just seven points and were blown out 40-7 by the Arizona Cardinals despite holding the advantage in first downs 21-20?

Maybe a pair of Marcus Cooper interceptions, including a pick-six, have something to say about that.

The Buccaneers turned the ball over a whopping five times, and this feeds back into the Winston stat from earlier. It’s great that the Bucs have Winston and Evans and can generate big plays, but all of the passing yardage and first downs mean nothing if a drive is erased by a turnover.

Look, the Bucs probably have some sort of playoff aspirations, but they won’t realize them if they don’t take care of the football. Winston threw four interceptions against the Cardinals, and this won’t be the only capable defense they will face in 2016.

Sep 18, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) looses the ball as he is sacked by Los Angeles Rams defensive end Robert Quinn (94) during the first half of a NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle Seahawks Pinned Back

Frank Clark, Michael Bennett, and the Seattle Seahawks have been putting in work. However, despite Russell Wilson’s best efforts, the Seahawks offense has been a disaster. The Los Angeles Rams unequivocally have the worst offense in the NFL, but only the Rams have less points per game than Seattle so far this season. And the Rams just beat the Seahawks 9-3.

Last season, people panicked when the Seahawks got off to a slow start, so I have one small stat that could shed some light on why the ‘Hawks defense has been struggling through two weeks. Of course, this is merely a partial explanation.

According to Sporting Charts, the Seahawks have started a drive inside their own 20-yard line 12 times, which is the most in the league. In fact, they are the only team to have to face starting inside the 20 on more than half of their drives. Now that’s pretty crazy.

Sep 18, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden (23) intercepts a ball intended for Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman (18) during the second half at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens won 25-20. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

4: Number of Passes Defended by Joe Haden vs Ravens

In Week 1, Carson Wentz made short work of Joe Haden and the Cleveland Browns pass defense. Many were leftwondering if Haden, seemingly the only good cornerback on the roster, had seen his best days go by him. Concussion issues derailed Haden’s career to that point, so it was fair to wonder if the Browns could no longer count on him.

However, the former shutdown corner came roaring back in Week 2, and he put on a clinic as the best defensive player on the field. Haden defended four passes, providing the Browns with both of their interceptions of “elite” quarterback Joe Flacco.

Haden gets a red-hot Ryan Tannehill in Week 3 when the Browns take on the Miami Dolphins. It will be interesting to see how many one-on-one jump balls he defends against DeVante Parker. One of his interceptions on Sunday came on a jump ball in the end zone.

Sep 11, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) throws a pass in the fourth quarter against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. New York won 20-19. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

0: Number of Interceptions Between Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott

After lighting up the preseason, Dak Prescott came into the regular season with plenty of fanfare as the starter in place of Tony Romo. Carson Wentz did not enter the season with the same hype, but he’s also been a revelation through two weeks.

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Between the two of these rookie quarterbacks, a grand total of zero interceptions have been thrown. Fine, the Cleveland Browns, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, and Washington Redskins don’t have the most formidable defenses.

That said, it’s been amazing to watch how cleanly these two quarterbacks have transitioned to the NFL thus far. Wentz has been the Eagles best player on offense, and his numbers would look so much better if the likes of Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor could haul in some of the dimes he’s been throwing.

Wentz and Prescott haven’t thrown any interceptions, and yet 2015 “stars” Blake Bortles and Kirk Cousins have three apiece. Just chalk this up to being yet another reason why the first two weeks in 2016 might be the craziest in quite a while.

Sep 18, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) loses the football after being sacked in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos won 34-20. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

11: Number of Hits on Andrew Luck

By drafting Ryan Kelly and two other notable offensive linemen in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts made it clear that, yes, they do care about Andrew Luck’s health.

Well, it didn’t do them any good on Sunday in their loss to the Denver Broncos because Von Miller and the second coming of the Orange Crush smashed Luck into a pulp. The Broncos notched 11 hits on Luck, with Miller providing much of the punishment via four sacks.

Derek Wolfe added three hits of his own, and both Aqib Talib and Shane Ray took the ball to the house for defensive touchdowns.

Luck did what he could with T.Y. Hilton and Jack Doyle operating as his only semi-useful pass-catching threats. But how can you move the ball against a pass rush as voracious as Denver’s?

Per Pro Football Focus, the Colts quarterback felt the heat on 55.6 percent of his dropbacks. When you’re being pressured over half of the time, you’re going to have a bad time.

Sep 18, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Jack Conklin (78) defends against Detroit Lions defensive end Kerry Hyder (61) during the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Titans win 16-15. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Jack Conklin Making Me Eat Crow

Many people refer to Pro Football Focus as an analytics site or a stats-based site, but the truth is that they are a rigorous tape evaluation site that occasionally divulges the data they collect.

While this nugget on Jack Conklin is not a stat, I still feel it’s worth passing along, partially because I criticized the Tennessee Titans heavily for trading up in the first round (after having already traded down) in order to draft a right tackle. Additionally, I saw Laremy Tunsil and Taylor Decker as superior prospects.

In the past 11 years, only 2 rookie OTs have earned higher grades through their first 2 games than Jack Conklin: Joe Thomas and Jake Long. pic.twitter.com/ZX8Xdpn5WN

— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) September 20, 2016

PFF grades are totally subjective, but how many other outlets have the resources to evaluate and contextualize the performances of every football player on every week? So while their analysis could be inaccurate, it’s a great barometer to evaluate players, specifically players like offensive linemen for which statistics are not widely available.

As for Conklin, that’s amazing company to be in. Even at the right tackle position, transitioning to the NFL as an offensive tackle is not easy. I mean, it took Jake Matthews some time before he became a top player at the position. Joe Thomas is a sure-fire Hall of Famer and arguably the greatest tackle in NFL history. Jake Long could have been near that realm, too, if it weren’t for crushing injuries. Thus, the Titans have to be feeling great about Conklin moving forward.

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