NFL: Wild Week 9 Provides Statistical Anomalies

The NFL trade deadline is this Tuesday, so there may be more wildness to come in the very new future. But what we saw on the ninth Sunday of the NFL season is going to be talked about for some time.

The Race to the Bottom

If it feels like there are more bad teams in the NFL this season, that’s because there are. No one is left with just a single win on the season, but the nine two-win teams is almost twice as many (one and two-win teams) as we had last season through nine weeks.

In the AFC, an incredible six teams have just two wins – the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots in the AFC East, the Cleveland Browns in the AFC North, the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South, and the Las Vegas Raiders in the AFC West.

In response to the Raiders fifth-straight loss on Sunday, they fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, offensive line coach James Cregg, and quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello. This after they benched quarterback Gardner Minshew in favor of Desmond Ridder in the middle of their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

In the NFC, the two-win teams are the New York Giants in the NFC East and the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints in the NFC South. The last time we had as many as nine two-win teams through this many weeks was 2006.

The current favorite to be selected with the No. 1 overall draft, and by one of these nine teams, is quarterback Shedeur Sanders from Colorado at +250. 

Daniel Jones Finds the End Zone

Daniel Jones threw a touchdown pass, which is significant for two reasons. It was his first touchdown pass at MetLife Stadium in 672 days. It was also the first touchdown pass since at least 1978 for a player who had zero passing yards in a half of football (minimum five attempts).

Jones’ passing line at halftime was 4-of-6 for 0 yards and a touchdown, and a quarterback rating of 109.7.

Jones had a much more regular passing line in the second half, going 16-of-20 for 174 yards and another touchdown. But the Giants ultimately lost to the Washington Commanders and are now 0-5 at home this season. The current line on wins for the Giants is 5.5, with the under paying -125.

Lamar Jackson Finds the End Zone – A Lot

For the fourth time in his career, Lamar Jackson finished a game with a perfect passer rating of 158.3. The reason that is significant is because prior to Sunday, no quarterback in NFL history had been perfect in more than three games. Tom Brady finished his career with three, Peyton Manning finished his career with three, and now Jackson, still only 27-years-old, has done it four times.

Jackson, already a two-time NFL MVP, has taken the lead in the latest MVP odds at +250, ahead of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen at +300. 

Manning finished his career with five MVP awards, winning his third in his 11th NFL season. Aaron Rodgers has four MVPs, and he won his third in his 16th season. Brady won his third MVP in his 18th season. This is Jackson’s eighth season in the NFL.

Jackson’s three touchdown passes on Sunday gives him 20 for the season.

Upside Down Saints

Over the last 20 years, teams that have outgained their opponents by 150-plus yards, run for 150-plus yards, and won the turnover battle are 275-1. Before Sunday, and before the Saints lost to the Panthers, that record was a perfect 275-0.

Alvin Kamara was fantastic, rushing for 155 yards and catching six passes for 60 yards. The Saints had 25 first downs to just 15 for the Panthers. New Orleans led in time of possession by almost 10 minutes, and in Derek Carr’s return to the lineup, he threw for 236 yards and didn’t turn the ball over.

And yet the Saints still lost the game, 23-22, and for head coach Dennis Allen, it was his last with the Saints. He was fired Monday morning. In three seasons with the Saints, he was 18-25, and overall as a head coach, Allen is 26-53.

For Allen’s former quarterback, Derek Carr, the Panthers were the 31st different NFL team he has lost to, which is an NFL record. And when the Saints play the Raiders in Week 17, Carr will have a chance to lose to his 32nd team. The good news for Carr is that when he gets together with family, he isn’t alone in losing historically.

The starting quarterback with the most losses through four seasons, five seasons, and six seasons is his brother, David Carr. The most losses as a starter through seven, eight, nine, and 10 seasons is Derek. He’s in his 11th season and currently tied with Archie Manning with 91 losses. One more loss and Carr will hold that season’s record, too.

A First in Arizona

This isn’t a first that could have happened prior to the building of NRG Stadium in Houston in 2002. But on Sunday at the Chicago Bears-Arizona Cardinals game, we had our first midgame closure of a retractable roof.

It began raining and hailing in Arizona, so the game referee consulted with State Farm Stadium officials, and they decided to close the roof in the second quarter. Per NFL rules, once the stadium roof is closed during a game, it must remain closed until the end of the game.

The Cardinals beat the Bears, and are now paying +115 to make the playoffs.