Photo: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
Hi!
The last few years we’ve been sending out a weekly stat package e-mail to help get you ready for the weekend’s games.
* Yes, that is the Broncos with a 4-3 record ranked No. 2 overall thanks to their No. 2 ranked defense.
There is basically no difference between the teams ranked No. 2, 3, 4, and 5 in Total Points per 60 plays (that encompasses the Broncos, Vikings, Ravens, and Chiefs, with No. 1 being the Lions).
* Lamar Jackson had the best game of any quarterback in terms of Points Above Average last week and the reward for that was that he moved into the No. 1 spot in Total Points for quarterbacks. There’s decent distance between him and the No. 2, Joe Burrow.
* You’ll have to click on the Statpack link to see it, but the No. 1 offensive lineman in Total Points right now is Buccaneers tackle Tristan Wirfs. Wirfs is a three-time Pro Bowl selection who was named first-team All-Pro in 2021.
* The Giants are 2-5 but have the No. 1 defensive tackle in Total Points (Dexter Lawrence) and the No. 2 linebacker (Brian Burns). The Lions, at least for the moment, can go one better. Aidan Hutchinson remains the No. 1 defensive end (until T.J. Watt surpasses him) and Kerby Joseph is the No. 1 safety.
Click here for the full Total Points StatPack
Total Points Power Rankings
The Top 10 teams in the NFL when taking into account Total Points Per Play for offense, defense, and special teams.
- Lions
- Broncos
3. Vikings
4. Ravens
5. Chiefs
6. 49ers
7. Bills
8. Seahawks
9. Falcons
10. Commanders
Top 5 Offenses
1. Ravens, 2. Commanders, 3. Lions, 4. Bills, 5. Falcons
Top 5 Defenses
1. Chargers, 2. Broncos, 3. Vikings, 4. Bears, 5. Giants
Total Points Leaders: Quarterbacks
1. Lamar Jackson
2. Joe Burrow
3. Geno Smith
4. Jayden Daniels
5. Josh Allen
Total Points Leaders: Running Backs
1. Derrick Henry
2. Kenneth Walker III
3. Najee Harris
4. Brian Robinson Jr.
5. Zach Charbonnet
Total Points Leaders: Wide Receivers
1. Chris Godwin
2. Nico Collins
3. Ja’Marr Chase
4. A.J. Brown
5. Jauan Jennings
Total Points Leaders: Defensive Ends
1. Aidan Hutchinson
2. T.J. Watt
3. Will McDonald IV
4. Myles Garrett
5. Calais Campbell
Total Points Leaders: Linebackers
1. Fred Warner
2. Brian Burns
3. Andrew Van Ginkel
4. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
5. Jamien Sherwood
Total Points Leaders: Cornerbacks
1. Pat Surtain II
2. Jaylon Jones
3. Marlon Humphrey
4. D.J. Reed
5. Riley Moss
Total Points Leaders: Safeties
1. Kerby Joseph
2. Julian Love
3. Amani Hooker
4. Nick Cross
5. Xavier McKinney
Note: These rankings are based on unrounded totals which virtually eliminates ties between players or teams
Charting Leaderboards
Leaderboards in various statistical categories based on video review by our staff, including long passes, yards after contact, and pressures.
*The current leader in broken/missed tackles is a former Steeler, James Conner. The current runner-up is a Steeler, Najee Harris. With 33 and 32, respectively, they’ve considerably outpaced the rest of the field. Harris leads in broken tackles with 19. Conner leads in missed tackles with 16.
Harris’ teammate, George Pickens, also tops a leaderboard with 8 receptions on targets thrown at least 20 yards downfield.
* Rams rookie Jared Verse is becoming someone that no one wants to go up against. Verse currently leads the NFL with a 23% pressure percentage and ranks 9th in total pressures with 27 for a pass rush that ranks No. 1 in Total Points Per Play.
Most Completions, Pass Attempts 20+ Yards Downfield
1. Sam Darnold 13
2. Trevor Lawrence, Brock Purdy, Dak Prescott, Bo Nix 10
Most Receptions, Targets 20+ Yards Downfield
1. George Pickens 8
2. DK Metcalf 7
3. Darnell Mooney, Alec Pierce, Justin Jefferson 6
Most Yards After Contact (Rushing)
1. Jordan Mason 393
2. Derrick Henry 377
3. Najee Harris 356
4. Josh Jacobs 339
5. Saquon Barkley 324
Most QB Pressures
1. Aidan Hutchinson 38
2. Trey Hendrickson 34
3. Zach Allen 33
4. Will McDonald IV 32
5. Nick Bosa 31
Most Pressures Above Expectation
1. Aidan Hutchinson 16.5
2. Zach Allen 12.0
3. Trey Hendrickson 11.2
4. Chris Jones 9.6
5. Will McDonald IV 9.0
Matchups and Mismatches
When we look at matchups by unit and comparing the teams playing a particular game, there are intriguing matchups and mismatches each week.
Here are four we noticed:
(All references to rankings are in the context of Total Points Per Play)
*There are great matchups between the Bears and Commanders on Sunday. Washington ranks No. 4 in Passing, No. 10 in Receiving, and No. 2 in Rushing, but the Bears are formidable, at No. 3 in Pass Rush, No. 7 in Pass Coverage, and No. 12 in Rush Defense.
* The Eagles need to get to Joe Burrow with their advantage in Pass Rush. They rank No. 2 there and the Bengals rank No. 24 in Blocking. If they don’t, the Bengals will likely take advantage of their ranking No. 2 in Passing and No. 6 in Receiving, against an Eagles group that ranks No. 26 in Pass Coverage.
* Falcons QB Kirk Cousins could be primed for another big day. The Buccaneers rank No. 24 in Pass Rush and No. 31 in Pass Coverage.
* Chiefs-Raiders could get pretty ugly. Among the seven team units we calculate Total Points Per Play for, the Chiefs’ average ranking is 10th. The Raiders’ average ranking is 25th. The Raiders are a bottom-three team in Rushing, Blocking, and Pass Coverage.
Find your own matchups and mismatches here. You can also find much of this information at the SIS Datahub.
