Chris Smith - Tidbits

RB Emmitt Smith didn't have a happy reunion in Dallas last week. -1 yard rushing and a broken shoulder. I can hear the Fat Lady singing in the background.
Rookie WR Anquan Boldin had his lowest production of the young season last week with only 3 receptions for 33 yards.
In the last meeting with the Ravens, the Cardinals only managed to score 7 points (during the 2000 season).
QB Jeff Blake has struggled in his last two outings. Only 209 total passing yards and a single touchdown pass during those games.
Boldin has caught 60.7% of the passes thrown his way. The other receivers have caught only 43.3% of the throws.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons were defeated each of the last six meetings against the Rams (1999 to 2001) and were outscored 88 to 228.
As a rookie (2001 season), QB Michael Vick threw 48 passes against the Rams and completed only 19 (39.6%) for 270 passing yards and no touchdown passes.
RB T.J. Duckett is averaging 6.76 yards per carry in his last two games. He did only have 25 combined carries though and he needs to touch the ball more.
RB Warrick Dunn has faced the St. Louis Rams twice in his NFL career (as a Buccaneer). In those games he…
- carried the ball 36 times for 205 rushing yards (5.7 YPC)
- had 99 total receiving yards
- scored 4 total touchdowns including 3 in one game (2000 NFL season)

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens last met the Cardinals during the 2000 season. They defeated the Cardinals 13 to 7 in Arizona.
In that last meeting (2000 season), RB Jamal Lewis as a rookie carried the ball 29 times for 126 yards and a score.
Lewis has carried the ball 20 or more times in a game eighteen of the thirty-two games he has started.
Lewis is on pace for 2444 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns.
Ravens' receivers have had only 47 passes thrown their way and have caught only 21 of them (44.7%).
Ravens' tight ends have had 39 passes thrown their way and have managed to catch 23 of them (59.0%)

Buffalo Bills

The Bills lost both games to the Jets last season by a combined score of 44 to 68.
The Bills have won only 3 of the last 10 meetings with the Jets.
QB Drew Bledsoe struggled against the Jets last season. He completed 47 of 72 passes (65.2%) but tossed only 1 touchdown and 4 interceptions.
Bledsoe has only managed to complete 56 of his 103 passes (54.4%) in the past three games for 605 yards (5.87 YPA)
RB Travis Henry played well in both games against the Jets in 2002. He had 304 total yards and 4 touchdowns.
Henry is putting up numbers that would make ex-Dolphin Karim Abdul-Jabbar proud. Here is a comparison between the two:
- In 1997, Abdul-Jabbar carried the ball 283 times for only 892 rushing yards (3.2 YPC). He managed to score 16 touchdowns.
- This season, Travis Henry is on pace for 292 carries and 788 rushing yards (2.7 YPC). He is on pace to score 26 touchdowns.
Since he became a starting NFL receiver, WR Eric Moulds has faced the Jets ten times. In those games, he…
- caught 49 passes for 774 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns
- had four games with over 100 yards receiving
- had five games with 5 or more receptions
WR Bobby Shaw has clearly emerged as the #2 receiver with the Bills. He is on pace for 909 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns.
WR Josh Reed is catching 41.4% of the passes thrown his way. Shaw is grabbing 62.5% of the throws.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers have only faced the Colts twice in their history. They won both football games.
So far in 2003, the Panthers have run the ball 58.5% of the time. Last year the Panthers ran the ball only 49.3% of the time.
RB Stephen Davis has four straight 100-yard rushing games. He is on pace for 2260 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns.
RB DeShaun Foster continues to contribute. In the past two games he has 17 carries for 71 rushing yards.
QB Jake Delhomme is only averaging 5.48 yards per attempt and 9.6 yards per completion.
Delhomme has completed 64 % of his passes in his last two games.
The most receiving yards in a game so far for the Panthers this season is only 61 yards (WR Muhsin Muhammad in week two)
Muhammad has only caught 14 of the 32 passes thrown his way.

Chicago Bears

The A-Train (RB Anthony Thomas) is back on track. In the last two games, he has 233 rushing yards on only 35 carries (6.65 YPC)
QB Kordell Stewart is playing hard despite being under constant attack from defenses. He is on pace for 676 rushing yards on the season.
In the past three games, Stewart has completed 51 of 89 passes (57.3%) for 498 passing yards (5.6 YPA). Baby steps.
WR Marty Booker finally had some success this season. He more than doubled his yearly output against the Raiders with 94 receiving yards.
The Bears receiving core has caught only 36 of the 85 passes thrown to them this year (42.4%)

Cincinnati Bengals

In the last ten meetings (1998 to 2002), the Bengals only managed the beat the Ravens one time and have been shut out 3 times.
QB Jon Kitna threw for 580 yards on 66.7% passing against the Ravens last year in two games. He threw 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions.
RB Corey Dillon had some success against the Ravens last year. He carried the ball 44 times for 172 yards, caught 76 yards of passes and scored a touchdown.
In his career (eleven games) against the Ravens, Dillon has…
- 201 carries
- 700 rushing yards
- 186 receiving yards
- 2 rushing touchdowns
- three 100-yard rushing games
In the two games against the Ravens last year, WR Chad Johnson caught 11 receptions for 188 yards and 2 touchdowns.
WR Peter Warrick is on pace for 93 receptions and 6 touchdowns.
Warrick has caught 4 or more passes in every game so far.
Warrick has been targeted 49 times already this season and has caught 29 passes (59.2%)
Johnson has been targeted 51 times already this season and has caught 27 passes (52.9%)

Cleveland Browns

QB Tim Couch is clearly outplaying QB Kelly Holcomb on the season:
- Couch has a 102.4 Quarterback rating while Holcomb has managed only a 63.4 rating
- Couch has completed 70.5 % of his passes while Holcomb has completed 59.6 % of his throws
- Couch is completing 11.35 yards per completion while Holcomb managed only 8.89 yards per completion
- Couch has tossed a touchdown every 15.3 attempts while Holcomb has tossed one every 34.7 attempts
- Couch has thrown an interception every 30.6 attempts while Holcomb has tossed one every 20.8 attempts
- In the two games Couch started, the team has scored 23.5 points per game. In the three games Holcomb started, the Browns scored 10.7 points per game.
RB William Green finally had some success on the ground last week. He started slowly but ended up with 115 yards on 33 carries.
Green still hasn't scored a touchdown on the season after five games.
The Browns have four receivers with 12 or more receptions on the season (Morgan, Johnson, Northcutt and Davis)
In the last two games, WR Quincy Morgan has caught 7 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown. He only had 5 receptions in the previous three.
The forgotten man of the Browns offense, WR Kevin Johnson is on pace for 90 receptions and 6 touchdowns.
Johnson has caught 28 of the 44 passes thrown his way. Morgan has only caught 12 of the 27 passes (44.4%)

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys have lost the last six games to the Eagles by a combined score of 64 to 204.
QB Quincy Carter is on pace for 4124 passing yards. He is averaging an impressive 14.52 yards per completion.
Carter faced the Eagles once last season. He completed 21 of 35 passes for 201 yards and an interception.
RB Troy Hambrick is on pace for 336 carries but is only averaging 3.6 YPC on the season.
The three-headed monster at receiver (Galloway, Glenn, Bryant) have combined for 743 receiving yards and 3 scores.
All three receivers are averaging at least 18.1 yards per reception.
WR Joey Galloway is on pace for 68 receptions and 1312 receiving yards.
It is feast or famine with WR Terry Glenn. He has only caught passes in two games this year. In those two games he has 12 receptions for 217 yards.

Denver Broncos

QB Jake Plummer is on pace to throw 26 touchdown passes.
Plummer has gone four straight games without an interception (106 passes)
In his three full games, RB Clinton Portis has 59 carries, 390 rushing yards, 118 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns.
TE Shannon Sharpe is on pace for 10 touchdown receptions.
WR Rod Smith has caught 26 of the 36 passes thrown his way (72.2%).
WR Ed McCaffrey has only 7 receptions of the 16 thrown his way (43.8%).
WR Ashley Lelie has only caught 12 of the 25 passes thrown his way (48.0%)

Detroit Lions

Bye Week

Green Bay Packers

In the last four weeks, QB Brett Favre has thrown 8 touchdowns against only 3 interceptions.
Favre has thrown a touchdown pass in thirty-five of the last thirty-seven football games.
Favre's last meeting against the Chiefs was in 1996. He completed 29 of 47 passes for 310 yards and a pair of scores but the Packers lost 27 to 20.
Favre is completing 66.0% of his passes which would be a career high if he kept it up all season.
Favre has thrown for 3000+ yards in a season eleven straight times and is on pace for a twelfth.
RB Ahman Green is on pace for 1792 rushing yards, 58 receptions and 22 touchdowns.
Green has already matched last season's rushing touchdown total of seven.
Green has had 100 total yards or more in all five games so far this season (676 total yards)
Six Packer receivers have caught 11 or more passes so far this season led by Green's 16.

Houston Texans

The Texans lost both games to the Titans last season by a combined score of 13 to 30.
QB David Carr is showing improvement this season:
- 2003 completion percentage is 56.9 compared to 52.5% last season
- 2003 YPA is 6.77 compared to only 5.84 % last season
- He is averaging 220 passing yards per game this season compared to only 162 passing yards per game a year ago
Carr has completed 63.5 % of his passes in the last two games.
Carr faced the Titans twice last season and did a pretty good job. He threw for 396 yards and tossed a touchdown pass.
Rookie WR Andre Johnson is on pace for 104 receptions, 1384 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns.
RB Stacey Mack has only had 42 carries in the last three games for a miserable 109 rushing yards.

Indianapolis Colts

My hat is off for the Colts after their amazing comeback last week against the Buccaneers. That was unbelievable!
QB Peyton Manning started slowly this season but has caught fire. He has thrown 10 touchdown passes in the last three outings with only 2 picks.
In the last two starts, Manning has completed 75.0% of his passes for 700 yards and 8 touchdowns. Wow!
After a very slow start to the season, WR Marvin Harrison is smoking-hot. He has 17 receptions for 334 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns in the last two weeks.
In week three, WR Reggie Wayne caught 10 passes for 141 yards and 2 touchdowns. In the other four games he has 12 receptions for 146 yards and 0 touchdowns.
Rookie TE Dallas Clark has been thrown the ball 23 times so far. He has caught 15 of those passes (65.2%)

Jacksonville Jaguars

Rookie QB Byron Leftwich had a great game last week. He completed 67.9% of his throws for 336 yards and tossed 2 touchdowns.
RB Fred Taylor is on pace for 1913 total yards and 9 touchdowns.
Welcome back WR Jimmy Smith! He caught 8 passes in his first game back for 137 receiving yards.
WR Troy Edwards continues to make a good impression on his new team. He has scored a touchdown in each of his first two games.

Kansas City Chiefs

What can you say about KR Dante Hall? He now has seven return touchdowns in the last ten games including four straight games this season.
The Chiefs are 5-0 despite QB Trent Green only being average this season. He is on pace to throw 19 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.
The Packers are 21st in the NFL in yards rushing given up per game. RB Priest Holmes and his 681 total yards should be ready to roll.
Holmes has cooled off after a sizzling start. He only has 214 total yards in the last two games (only - <rolling eyes here>) and no touchdowns.
Holmes has rushed for over 80 yards in ten straight football games going back to last season. The last game he didn't was week ten last year against the 49ers.
WR Johnnie Morton is putting last season's nightmare behind him. He is on pace for 720 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns.
WR Eddie Kennison has been targeted a team leading 31 times. He has caught 17 of those passes (54.8%)

Miami Dolphins

RB Ricky Williams is only averaging 3.4 yards per carry so far this season.
Williams is on pace for 460 carries on the season and 1996 total yards.
Williams has caught 15 of the 18 passes thrown his way this season.
QB Jay Fiedler has thrown for more than 235 yards just once in the last seventeen outings.
Fiedler has thrown for less than 200 yards in five of the last six outings.
Fiedler is 10-4 in the last fourteen games he has started for the Dolphins.
WR Chris Chambers was shut down last week (only 3 receptions for 19 yards) for the first time this season. He is still on pace for 1116 receiving yards.
TE Randy McMichael has 114 receiving yards in the last two football games.
The Dolphins have only given up 27 points in the last three football games.

Minnesota Vikings

Bye Week (Only the bye week can cool down the red-hot Vikings right now)

New England Patriots

QB Tom Brady has a solid 6-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio over the last four starts after the week one fiasco.
The Patriots are having success running the football. The three main running backs have 472 rushing yards on 112 carries.
RB Mike Cloud made an immediate impact in his first game with 73 rushing yards on only 10 carries with 2 touchdowns.
The Patriots have five players with eleven or more receptions.
WR Deion Branch has caught 17 of the 28 passes thrown his way (60.7%)

New Orleans Saints

QB Aaron Brooks has thrown for under 200 yards in four straight football games.
Brooks has led the team to a miserable 1-7 record over the last eight football games.
Brooks is on pace for only 3210 passing yards and 16 touchdown passes.
The Saints beat the Bears 29 to 23 last year behind Brooks' 3 touchdown passes and a touchdown run.
RB Deuce McAllister is running well but not touching the ball enough. He has 225 rushing yards on 40 carries over the last two games plus 8 receptions.
WR Donte' Stallworth has only 6 receptions in the last four games for 98 receiving yards.
Stallworth has only caught 14 of the 28 passes thrown his way on the season.
TE Ernie Conwell has been targeted 32 times on the season. He has caught 19 of those passes (59.4%)

New York Giants

QB Kerry Collins is on pace for 4076 passing yards but his YPA (6.41) is on pace to be his lowest output since he joined the Giants back in 1999.
WR Ike Hilliard is on pace for 100 receptions, 992 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.
WR Amani Toomer is on pace for 64 receptions, 1372 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns.
TE Jeremy Shockey is on pace for 84 receptions.
RB Tiki Barber is running hard and is on pace for 1536 rushing yards. His receiving numbers are way down so far though.

New York Jets

The Jets have beat the Bills three of the last four meetings.
RB Curtis Martin has reached 100 yards rushing against the Bills in three of the last four meetings.
Martin has had eight straight 1000-yard seasons. He will need 803 rushing yards in the last twelve games to reach that mark in 2003.
QB Vinny Testaverde has faced the Jets three times in the last two seasons. In those games he…
- completed 58 of 92 passes (63.0%) for 610 passing yards.
- threw 4 touchdown passes and had 2 picked off.

Oakland Raiders

MVP QB Rich Gannon? Not in 2003. Here is a comparison between his numbers this year and last year:
- 2003 completion percentage is 54.1%. Last year his completion percentage was 67.6%.
- 2003 YPA is 6.09. Last season his YPA was 7.59.
- 2003 passing yards per game is 209.4. Last season it was 293.1.
- He is on pace to throw 16 touchdowns this season. Last year he threw 26 touchdown passes.
- He is on pace to run for 51 yards and no scores this season. Last year he ran for 156 yards and 3 scores.
Gannon has completed under 50 % of his throws this season in three of the five games.
Gannon hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in three of the five games this season.
It has been nine games since WR Jerry Rice has caught a touchdown pass.
Rice has had under 62 yards receiving in seven of the last eight games.
RB Charlie Garner has a terrific 5.0 yards per carry average. The bad news is he is only averaging 10 carries per game.
The leading receiver on the Raiders this year with 23 receptions in TE Doug Jolley.
Jolley has 17 receptions in the last three games.

Philadelphia Eagles

RB Brian Westbrook is getting more and more reps. He has 22 carries in the last two games for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns.
QB Donovan McNabb is still struggling. He has yet to throw for 200 yards and only has 1 touchdown pass on the season (against 5 interceptions).
McNabb has a 50.4% completion percentage and a horrible 4.71 YPA this year.
McNabb was awesome against the Cowboys last year (week three). He threw for 287 yards and 3 touchdowns and also ran for a touchdown.
The Eagles are 4-0 against the Cowboys over the last two seasons (outscoring them 147 to 37).
In the last five games last season, WR Todd Pinkston caught 25 passes for 350 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns.
In the first four games this season, Pinkston has only caught 13 passes for 124 receiving yards and 0 touchdowns.
The Eagle receivers have caught 38 of the 84 passes thrown their way (45.2%)

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB Tommy Maddox is struggling. He has thrown 8 interceptions in the last four games and only 2 touchdowns.
Maddox is on pace for only 16 touchdown passes and a disturbing 26 interceptions.
WR Hines Ward has 33 receptions and 416 receiving yards on the season. WR Plaxico Burress has 23 receptions for 370 receiving yards.
Burress has now caught under 50 % of the passes in his direction (46% to be precise)
The once vaunted Steelers' rushing attack is floundering. The team has only managed 415 rushing yards on 131 carries (3.2 yards per carry)

San Diego Chargers

Bye week

San Francisco 49ers

QB Jeff Garcia hasn't thrown for more than 229 passing yards this season and hasn't thrown for more than 300 yards in the last eleven games.
Garcia is still on pace for career lows in passing yards per game, completion percentage, YPA and touchdown passes.
In the two games against the Seahawks last season, Garcia completed 55.2% of his throws for 366 yards and 2 scores.
WR Terrell Owens managed 11 receptions against the Seahawks last season, two touchdown passes and 1 controversial 'Sharpie' incident.
Owens has caught 5 or more passes in thirteen straight football games.
In week thirteen against the Seahawks last season, RB Garrison Hearst ran for 124 yards and 3 touchdowns (Barlow was hurt).
In week six against the Hawks last season, RB Kevan Barlow ran for 68 yards on 12 carries and scored a touchdown.

Seattle Seahawks

The Hawks lost both games to the 49ers last season by a combined score of 45 to 59.
QB Matt Hasselbeck threw for 427 yards and 3 touchdowns in his sole meeting against the 49ers last season.
Hasselbeck is on pace for 24 touchdown passes and only 8 interceptions.
In two games against the 49ers last season, RB Shaun Alexander had 41 carries for 170 rushing yards, 12 receptions for 102 yards and 1 score.
Alexander is on pace for another 16 touchdowns this season. He is becoming the 'Cris Carter' of running backs.
WR Koren Robinson had 4 receptions for 95 yards and a score against the 49ers in week thirteen last season.
Robinson is averaging 6 receptions per game (he missed week three) for 76 yards per game.
WR Darrell Jackson is on pace for only 48 receptions but for 1176 receiving yards and 12 scores.
Last year against the 49ers, Jackson caught 12 passes for 167 yards and 2 scores.
Jackson is only catching 37.5% of the passes thrown his way.

St. Louis Rams

Since 1999 the Rams have defeated the Falcons in six straight games, outscoring them 228 to 88 in the process.
In his last six meetings with the Falcons, WR Isaac Bruce…
- has only 7 receptions for 140 yards and no touchdowns in the last three games
- has caught the ball 12 times for 208 yards and 4 touchdowns in the first three games
QB Mark Bulger is on pace for 3670 passing yards and 25 touchdown passes.
Bulger is completing 66.1% of his throws on the season.
Bulger has thrown for over 225 passing yards in the last eight straight games (not including the Seattle game last year where he was injured and threw only one pass)
In the last four meetings with the Falcons, WR Torry Holt has 16 receptions for 403 receiving yards (25.2 yard average) and 3 touchdowns
Holt is on pace for 120 receptions, 1504 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.
Holt is catching 69.8% of the throws directed at him.
RB Lamar Gordon is averaging an impressive 4.4 yards per carry
In the last six meetings with the Falcons, RB Marshall Faulk (not playing this weekend) ran for 810 yards, caught 381 yards worth of passes and scored 7 times.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB Brad Johnson is off to a great start. He is on pace for 4348 passing yards and 32 touchdowns.
- Johnson has thrown for over 230 yards in twelve of his last seventeen games.
- Johnson has 23 touchdowns against only 4 interceptions in his last ten games.
- Johnson is on pace for a career-high in completions, attempts, passing yards and touchdowns.
RB Michael Pittman is on pace for 1044 rushing yards, 84 receptions and 664 receiving yards on the season.
Just a side note: I lost a lot of respect for WR Keyshawn Johnson after hearing him talk trash in regards to WR Marvin Harrison. Let's see Mr. Johnson. Over the last five years (including this season), you have 363 receptions for 4670 yards and 22 touchdowns. Harrison has 502 receptions for 6790 yards and 58 touchdowns. The only category you are beating Harrison in is trash talking. Try working on your game instead of that garbage.
WR Keyshawn Johnson is on pace for 84 receptions but has yet to reach the end zone.

Tennessee Titans

The Titans beat the Texans twice last year by a combined score of 30-13.
QB Steve McNair underachieved against the Texans last year. He only completed 18-43 passes (41.9%) for only 257 passing yards and 2 touchdowns.
McNair is on pace to throw a career best 26 touchdowns against 6 interceptions.
RB Eddie George carried the ball 50 times for 188 rushing yards against the Texans last season.
In week three, George carried 29 times for 100 yards and a score. In the other four games this season he has carried 61 times for 144 yards and no touchdowns.
WR Derrick Mason is on pace for 106 receptions this season.

Washington Redskins

QB Patrick Ramsey is on pace to throw 573 passes for 4182 passing yards (7.3 YPA) and 19 touchdowns.
Ramsey has cooled off after a hot start. He has only completed 58 of 117 passes (49.6%) in the last three games.
WR Laveranues Coles has only caught 1 touchdown pass on the season (after five games)
Coles has been limited to only 122 yards in the last two games after putting up 391 yards in the first three games.
Coles is still on pace for 1642 receiving yards this season.
Coles and Rod Gardner had 24 passes thrown their way last week. They managed to catch only 8 of them.
RB Trung Canidate hasn't carried the ball more than 15 times in one game this season.
RB Ladell Betts is struggling. He has only 119 rushing yards on 35 carries (3.4 YPC) over the last four games but does have two scores.