With a 17-week regular season, there is no perfect “halfway point” in the NFL at which to reflect. Through nine weeks, most teams have played half of their games. There is a large enough sample size where, at this point, statistics can serve a number of purposes.
Some statistical trends can help give a clue of what is to come for the second half of the season. Others a just anomalous or fun to think about. Below is a list of all sorts of stats and trends compiled from the first half of the NFL season.
The Baltimore Ravens are 4-0 on the road this season; the Detroit Lions are 0-3 at home.
The Cleveland Browns are 5-0 when scoring more than seven points. They are 0-3 when scoring seven or fewer points.
The Los Angeles Chargers are 1-0 in games decided by nine or more points. Seven of their eight games have been decided by one score.
The San Francisco 49ers are the only team with a losing record and positive point differential.
The Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders are the only teams with a winning record and negative point differential.
Every NFC West team has a positive point differential. Every NFC East team has a negative point differential.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks both have an outside chance at the NFL record for touchdowns in a single season (2013 Broncos, 76). The Chiefs have 35 total touchdowns and the Seahawks have 36 total touchdowns.
The NFL record for 2-point conversions in a single season (2015 Steelers, 8) will likely be broken this season by the Minnesota Vikings (6) and/or Philadelphia Eagles (5).
The New York Jets -147 point differential puts them just off pace for the worst 16-game point differential ever (1981 Baltimore Colts, -274). Losing to New England by a field goal in Week 9 moved the Jets off of their pace to break the record.
New York Jets (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The New York Jets have converted 27.8% of their red zone opportunities this season. That is the second worst since 2000. The marks they will be vying against are the 2012 Chiefs (27%), the 2005 Browns (28.2%), the 2005 Cardinals (28.3%), and the 2006 Raiders (28.6%).
The New Orleans Saints have scored a touchdown in the second quarter in every game. However, they haven’t scored a touchdown in the third quarter since Week 4.
The Atlanta Falcons have allowed 2+ touchdowns in the fourth quarter in four games. They are 2-2 in such games.
The Chicago Bears have scored only one third quarter touchdown. 11 of their 19 team touchdowns have been scored in the fourth quarter.
The Washington Football Team has only allowed one third quarter touchdown.
The Dallas Cowboys have allowed a first quarter touchdown in seven of their nine games.
The New York Giants have scored only one third quarter touchdown.
Arizona Cardinals (Chris Pedota/northjersey.com)
The Arizona Cardinals are 4-1 when allowing a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The Los Angeles Rams have allowed 17 touchdowns. 11 of those have been in the second quarter. Only three of those have been in the second half (two by the Buffalo Bills offense and one by the Chicago Bears defense).
The Seattle Seahawks have allowed a touchdown in the fourth quarter in every game. However, they have only allowed three third quarter touchdowns.
The Jacksonville Jaguars have scored a fourth quarter touchdown in seven of their eight games.
The Houston Texans have allowed a second quarter touchdown and a fourth quarter touchdown in all eight of their games.
The Tennessee Titans have scored a second quarter touchdown in seven of their eight games. However, they have allowed a fourth quarter touchdown in seven of their eight games.
Pittsburgh Steelers (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
The Pittsburgh Steelers have scored a second quarter touchdown in seven of their eight games.
The Cincinnati Bengals have allowed a fourth quarter touchdown in every game. They also have scored zero passing touchdowns in the first quarter and zero rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
The New England Patriots have scored only one offensive touchdown in the first quarter.
The Kansas City Chiefs have allowed zero third quarter touchdowns. They have scored in the second quarter in eight of their nine games and have scored a fourth quarter touchdown in eight of their nine games.
The Las Vegas Raiders have allowed only one third quarter touchdown.
The Los Angeles Chargers have scored a second quarter touchdown in seven of their eight games.
Dalvin Cook and Alvin Kamara are the only two players on pace for 2,000+ scrimmage yards. They would join nine active running backs who have accomplished the same feat.
Dalvin Cook (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
Kyler Murray is on pace for 4,260 passing yards and 1,086 rushing yards. This would look competitive with 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson‘s stats (3,127 and 1,206 respectively).
Dalvin Cook has rushed for a first quarter touchdown in six of his seven games.
The Miami Dolphins are the only team to have missed zero kicks this season. Jason Sanders has converted every point after attempt and field goal attempt for the team.
Among qualified players, only two have caught every pass thrown their way. Strangely, they are both Los Angeles Chargers running backs: Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley (combined 36 catches).
Four teams have only one player with a 100+ yard receiving game: Chicago Bears (Allen Robinson twice), Cleveland Browns (Rashard Higgins), New York Giants (Darius Slayton twice), Pittsburgh Steelers (Chase Claypool).
Three teams have four players who have recorded a 100+ yard receiving game: Atlanta Falcons (Russell Gage, Julio Jones three times, Calvin Ridley four times, Olamide Zaccheaus),
Calvin Ridley (Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
Dallas Cowboys (Amari Cooper twice, Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb twice, Cedrick Wilson), Tennessee Titans (AJ Brown twice, Corey Davis twice, Anthony Firkser, Kalif Raymond).
Five players have recorded four 100+ yard receiving games: DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, Stefon Diggs, Will Fuller, and DK Metcalf.
According to Pro Football Reference data, Carson Wentz has the 2nd most time in the pocket of any quarterback but he has been sacked more than any other quarterback.
Jerry Jeudy has the most targets and receiving yards of any Denver Bronco with 61 and 484 respectively. However, he has caught fewer than half of his targets (49.2%).
Only three teams have run the ball more than they have passed: The Baltimore Ravens, the Minnesota Vikings, and the New England Patriots.
Chicago Bears offensive line (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears pass more often that any other team (66.3%) but have the 4th fewest net yards per pass attempt.
Of players with 15 or more receptions, only five have had more than 80% of their receptions yield a first down: DJ Moore (29 of 35 catches), Tee Higgins (27 of 33), Darius Slayton (27 of 33), Julian Edelman (18 of 21), and Nelson Agholor (15 of 17).
Kyler Murray has finished as a Top 10 quarterback every week.
Ryan Tannehill
hasn’t scored more than 20 fantasy points in any road game. He has only scored 20+ fantasy points in three of his eight games. However, he averages 20.7 fantasy points per game.
Ryan Tannehill (Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)
James Conner has rushed for a touchdown in every home game.
Tyreek Hill has scored a touchdown in eight of his nine games.
Will Fuller has scored double digit fantasy points in each of his games including a receiving touchdown in his last six.
Darren Waller‘s three highest receiving totals have come in his only three home games.
Featured Image courtesy of Scott Taetsch / Getty Images
You can “Like” The Game Haus on Facebook and “Follow” us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from other great TGH writers along with Jack!
“From Our Haus to Yours“
