One: Every day I become more and more convinced that traditional box scores need to be updated.
Take a look at this “interception” thrown by Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield on Sunday night vs the Los Angeles Rams.
In no possible world should this be a stat that counts against Mayfield. He throws the ball directly to tight end Cade Otton, who bobbles it long enough for the Rams to make a play, and Cobie Durant to “pick it off” for six.
We see plays like this happen a lot, where an interception from a quarterback is the result of the receiver not able to make the play. Advanced stats, like Pro Football Focus’ Turnover Worthy Plays, will help mitigate plays like that and more accurately reflect Mayfield’s night, but this is a stat that we need to make more mainstream.
A stat entitled something to the effect of Receiver-Caused Interceptions (RCIs) has to start showing up alongside either a quarterback’s or receiver’s stat lines in the box score.
Without it, turnovers are a stat that don’t tell the complete story.
Two: The Dallas Cowboys had a pretty rough start to their season, but I wonder if they can pull off some miracle and turn it around.
I know, I know, it’s still a little early for all of that. But, after Dallas came back from down 21 points to the Eagles at home, the Cowboys now seem to have some life.
Now at 5-5-1, Dallas has won two straight, including toppling a divisional rival, 24-21.
CeeDee Lamb is still an incredibly valuable weapon. He had 75 yards on four catches. George Pickens, who the Steelers were dumb enough to trade, has blossomed into a top-five receiver. He had 146 yards on nine catches, and a touchdown.
Time will tell if the draft picks they threw out the door to help their defense now will pay off, but the Cowboys certainly have the offensive skill to claw their way out of this skid and into a playoff spot. In today’s NFL, scoring ability is the most important thing. They have it.
Three: In case there was some quarterback controversy in Pittsburgh, this weekend probably solved that.
After starter Aaron Rodgers was injured with a broken left (non-throwing) wrist in the team’s win last week, backup Mason Rudolph came in and put up very similar numbers in the second half.
In the first half, Rodgers went 9-of-15 for 116 yards and a touchdown. In the second half, Rudolph went 12-of-16 for 127 yards and a touchdown. Against the Cincinnati defense, Rudolph actually looked like the better passer.
With Rodgers putting up that stat line, and coming off of a poor effort out west against the Los Angeles Chargers, some fans were starting to wonder if Rudolph was the better option.
We got a taste of that idea this Sunday, when Rudolph started for the still-injured Rodgers. As the starter, he went 24-of-31 for 171 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
The offense just didn’t push the ball forward enough when he was on the field. Is some of that on coaching? Sure. They refused to use the middle of the field and failed to properly try the long ball.
But I think Rudolph showed why he is the backup. He’s a decent backup, but a backup nonetheless.
Four: The Pittsburgh Steelers are a 9-8 football team until they prove they aren’t.
They’ve deviated just one game from that record in every season since the NFL added a 17th game, and aside from that 11-0 start in 2020, have been a team hovering just above .500 for seven years now.
This season feels like it’s once again heading in that direction. Or is it? After the Steelers lost in Chicago to drop them to 6-5, here’s Pittsburgh’s remaining schedule:
- vs Bills
- @ Baltimore
- vs Miami
- @ Detroit
- @ Cleveland
- vs Baltimore
Given the way the Steelers are playing right now, I honestly think that even getting to nine wins is a challenge. Ok, Miami and in Cleveland are the two “free spaces,” if you will, but where is the ninth win coming from?
Are you stealing one from Baltimore? Are you beating Buffalo next week? Are you winning on the road in Detroit?
I honestly am not sure how they do it. Knowing them, they probably will, because 9-8 is where they are destined to be. But is this the year that head coach Mike Tomlin’s 18-year non-losing seasons streak finally comes to an end?
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