Chris Smith - Tidbits

The Falcons won both games against the Saints last year by a combined score of 61 to 52. In those two games…
- RB Warrick Dunn ran for 232 yards, caught 9 passes and scored a touchdown
- The Falcons as a team rushed for 415 yards on 75 carries (5.53 YPC) and scored 5 rushing touchdowns. QB Michael Vick rushed for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns.
- Vick passed for 355 yards on 27 of 47 passing (57.4%)
The Falcons have scored 10 points or less in three of the last four football games. In those three efforts, QB Doug Johnson has averaged 127 passing yards per game

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have won three straight games against the Cincinnati Bengals and nine of the last ten games.
Rookie QB Kyle Boller is struggling big time despite the Ravens putting together a winning record. In his five games, he has…
- Completed 65 of his 125 passes (52.0%) for only 543 passing yards (4.34 yards per attempt and 8.35 yards per completion)
- Thrown only 2 touchdowns against 6 interceptions
- a passing rating of 48.9
Boller is on pace to throw for 1738 passing yards, 6 touchdown passes and 19 interceptions.
Part of the quarterbacking difficulties can go to the underachieving receiving core. They drop way to many passes.
- WR Travis Taylor has only caught 14 of the 31 passes thrown his way (45.2%)
- WR Marcus Robinson has only caught 5 of the 14 passes thrown his way (35.7%)
- WR Frank Sanders has only caught 5 of the 11 passes thrown his way (45.5%)
- Collectively the top three receivers have only caught 24 of the 56 passes thrown their way (42.9%)
The Ravens' leading receiver (Travis Taylor) is only on pace for 42 receptions and 342 receiving yards.
RB Jamal Lewis continues to churn up yardage. He is on pace for 2374 rushing yards on the season. He has had four straight games with over 100 rushing yards.
Lewis has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of his four games against the Bengals (481 total rushing yards)

Buffalo Bills

In the last seven road games dating back to 2002, the Bills are 1-6, the lone win coming at lowly Jacksonville last month. In those games Bledsoe has thrown 5 TD passes and 12 interceptions and has been sacked 24 times.
QB Drew Bledsoe is only on pace to throw 13 touchdown passes on the season.
In the last four games, Bledsoe has only completed 55.9% of his thrown for 807 yards (5.64 YPA) and 2 touchdown passes.
WR Josh Reed is really struggling to contribute. He has caught only 17 of the 38 passes thrown this way (44.7%) for 194 receiving yards.
RB Travis Henry just cannot get on track. He still is only averaging 2.7 yards per carry and is on pace for 693 rushing yards.
- In a related note, RB Willis McGahee is set to begin practicing with the Bills this week.

Carolina Panthers

The Panthers rushing attack continues to rumble on. The team has run for 860 yards on the season (172 yards per game)
RB Stephen Davis is on pace for 2051 rushing yards. His partner-in-crime DeShaun Foster is on pace for 582 rushing yards and is getting stronger each game out.
WR Muhsin Muhammad is having a rough season. He has only managed to catch 16 of the 36 passes thrown his way (44.4%).
Including last week, WR Steve Smith has three 100-yard receiving games in his career.
Balanced Offense? The Panthers have run the ball 60.2 % of the time so far in 2003 (186 rushing attempts to only 123 passing attempts).

Chicago Bears

RB Anthony Thomas continues to impress in a sub-par offense. He has run for 329 yards in his last three games (5.9 YPC)
After a miserable game one, QB Kordell Stewart is improving. In those four football games he has…
- Completed 55.5% of his passes, averaging 163 passing yards per game (5.91 YPA)
- thrown 3 touchdown passes against 4 interceptions
- rushed for 190 yards and a touchdown
- helped the Bears to score 20 points in three straight games
The Bears receivers have only caught 44 of the 101 passes (43.6%) thrown in their direction.

Cincinnati Bengals

WR Peter Warrick is leading the Bengals with 29 receptions (has caught 59.2% of the passes thrown his way)
WR Chad Johnson is leading the Bengals with 429 receiving yards on 27 receptions (he has caught 52.9% of the passes thrown his way)
Johnson lit up the Ravens last season. He caught 11 passes for 188 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.
In his two starts against the Ravens last year, QB Jon Kitna threw for 580 yards and 4 touchdown passes.
In his last four games against the Ravens, RB Corey Dillon has rushed for 356 yards on 86 carries (4.13) and scored 2 touchdowns.

Cleveland Browns

QB Tim Couch has won two of his three starts. In that time he is…
- He is completing 67.8% of his passes
- He is averaging more than 200 passing yards per game (7.1 yards per attempt)
- He has thrown twice as many touchdown passes as interceptions (4 to 2)
Couch is going against the porous Chargers pass defense this week. The Chargers are giving up 251 passing yards and 2 touchdown passes per game.
In the first four games, RB William Green carried the ball 69 times for 234 yards (3.4 YPC)
In the last two games, Green has carried the ball 59 times for 260 rushing yards (4.4 YPC)
WR Kevin Johnson has caught twice as many passes this season than Quincy Morgan (30 to 15).
WR Andre' Davis has caught 87.5% of the passes thrown his way (14 receptions in 16 targets).

Dallas Cowboys

QB Quincy Carter is having a surprising season but is only on pace to throw 13 touchdown passes this season.
No Cowboys receiver has caught more than 1 touchdown pass yet on the season.
RB Troy Hambrick has only rushed for more than 60 yards in one of the five games so far this season. He is averaging 2.8 YPC in those four games.
The Cowboys haven't started the season 4-1 since the 1995 campaign (went 12-4 that season and won Super Bowl).

Denver Broncos

The Broncos haven't started the season 5-1 since 1998 when they finished 14-2 and won the Super Bowl.
The Broncos are averaging 207.5 passing yards per game.
WR Rod Smith is having a solid season. He is catching 68.2% of the balls thrown his way.
On the other hand, both WR Ashley Lelie and WR Ed McCaffrey are struggling. They have only caught 21 of the 46 passes thrown their way (45.7%)
Feast or famine with RB Clinton Portis. He has played in five games this season. He has three games with at least 120 rushing yards and two games under 50 rushing yards.
Portis has had 5 receptions in three of the five games he has played in to start the season.
The best Broncos' receiver so far has been TE Shannon Sharpe. He has caught 4 touchdown passes on 22 receptions.

Detroit Lions

WR Charles Rogers (out for at least several weeks) was thrown the ball 57 times in five games. Somebody will get those looks now.
QB Joey Harrington continues to struggle as an NFL quarterback. He has only completed 51.8% of his thrown and has a low 5.23 YPA.
RB Shawn Bryson has rushed for 185 yards in the last four games on 43 carries (4.3 YPC).
In the last two games, RB Olandis Gary has rushed for 106 yards on 21 carries.
Lions' receivers have caught only 49 of the 112 passes (43.8%) thrown their way.
The Lions have won 6 of their last 18 home games. They have lost their last 19 straight road games.

Green Bay Packers

Green Bay had won 56 straight games at home after building a double-digit lead but they blew two of them Sunday: 14-0 in the first quarter and 31-14 in the fourth.
The Packers, who hadn't surrendered 40 points at home in nearly 20 years, led 21-14 at halftime behind Green's 4-yard TD run and 11-yard TD reception.
The Packers haven't had a losing season since 1991 when Mike Tomczak was the leading passer.
QB Brett Favre is on pace for 3363 passing yards and 29 touchdown passes.
Favre has thrown 10 touchdown passes and only 4 interceptions in the last five games.
Favre has completed 69% or more of his passes in each of the last four football games.
In his last three games, RB Ahman Green has rushed for 433 yards and scored 6 touchdowns.
Green is on pace to run for 1864 yards, catch 64 passes and score 24 touchdowns.
Green has caught 24 of the 27 passes thrown his way (88.9%)

Houston Texans

RB Domanick Davis is emerging as an NFL player. In his last two games, he has 112 rushing yards (4.9 YPC) and 11 receptions.
Rookie WR Andre Johnson continues to do well and is on pace for 1264 receiving yards on the season. He has caught 58% of the passes thrown his way.
RB Stacey Mack is struggling to find his game. He only has 46 carries in the last four games for 122 yards (2.65 YPC).
QB David Carr is on pace to throw for 4000 yards on the season. His completion %, YPA, and TD passes are up as are his interceptions (on pace for 26).

Indianapolis Colts

Bye Week

Jacksonville Jaguars

Bye Week

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs have lost the last four games in Oakland to the Raiders.
QB Trent Green is now on pace for 24 touchdown passes this season.
In four games against the Raiders, Green has averaged 205 passing yards, completed only 48.9% of his passes, thrown 4 touchdowns and been intercepted 5 times.
RB Priest Holmes has only scored 1 touchdown in the last three football games.
Holmes has only rushed for more than 100 yards one time this season (back in week two against the Steelers)
In his last two games against the Raiders, Holmes had 461 total yards of offense and 3 touchdowns.
WR Johnnie Morton is on pace for 891 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins have defeated the Patriots five straight times in Miami, outscoring them 103 to 52.
RB Ricky Williams rushed for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Patriots in two games last season.
Williams is on pace for 1837 total yards and 16 touchdowns. He is also on pace to fumble 13 times.
WR Chris Chambers has only caught 5 passes for 36 yards in the last two games after catching 16 passes (for 260 yards) in the first three games.
In six games against the Patriots, QB Jay Fiedler has thrown 7 touchdown passes against only 3 interceptions.
Fiedler has thrown for less than 200 yards in four straight games and six of the last seven.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings are on pace to rush for 2403 yards for the season (4.6 YPC).
RB Moe Williams is averaging 5.0 YPC and has scored 3 touchdowns.
The Vikings beat the Broncos in Denver back in 1999. The score was 23 to 20.
WR Randy Moss is once again averaging over 17 yards per reception (17.8). Last season it slipped to 12.7.
Moss is on pace for 1648 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns.

New England Patriots

The three-headed monster at running back is getting the job done. In the past four football games, the Patriots have…
- rushed the ball 124 times for 543 yards (4.38 YPC)
- scored 5 rushing touchdowns.
RB Mike Cloud has 3 rushing touchdowns in his first two games of the season.
WR Troy Brown has been disappointing but is still leading the team in receptions with 19.
In the last four games against the Dolphins, QB Tom Brady has passed for 655 yards and thrown 4 touchdown passes.
In the last five games against the Dolphins, WR Troy Brown has 30 receptions for 313 receiving yards and a single touchdown.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints are 3-3 against the Falcons in the Jim Haslett era.
In week eight last season, RB Deuce McAllister ran for 115 yards, caught 5 passes for 56 yards and scored 3 touchdowns against the Falcons
McAllister has rushed for more than 95 yards in five of the six games this season. He is on pace for 1451 rushing yards.
McAllister is on pace to catch 67 passes this season.
In four games against the Falcons, QB Aaron Brooks has…
- completed 79 of 135 passes (58.5%) for 999 passing yards
- thrown 6 touchdown passes against 4 interceptions.

New York Giants

QB Kerry Collins has been miserable in the last two football games. He has thrown 7 interceptions and 0 touchdowns over the last two weeks.
In six games against the Eagles, Collins has 1445 passing yards and 5 touchdown passes (only 1 interception)
WR Amani Toomer has only caught 40.4% of the passes thrown his way (20 receptions in 52 targets).
In his last eight meetings with the Eagles, Toomer has caught 35 passes for 497 yards and 3 touchdowns
RB Tiki Barber is on pace to put up 1860 combined yards this season. The bad news is he is only on pace to score 3 touchdowns.
The Giants have four players on pace to catch 60 or more passes this season (Toomer, Barber, Ike Hilliard, Jeremy Shockey)
TE Jeremy Shockey has caught 19 passes over the last two weeks.
In the Jim Fassel era, The Giants have won five of the six games at home against the Eagles.

New York Jets

The Jets are 2-8 in the month of September in the last three seasons. They are 18-9 in the other months.
In his last twelve games last season, RB Curtis Martin ran for 996 yards and scored 7 touchdowns.
QB Vinny Testaverde is having a solid season. He is on pace for 3491 passing yards, 16 touchdown passes and only 6 interceptions.

Oakland Raiders

QB Rich Gannon continues to put up quiet numbers. He has thrown under 200 yards in four of the six games this season.
In the last two games (against Cleveland and Chicago), Gannon has thrown for only 348 yards (5.19 YPA).
In his eight games against the Chiefs, Gannon has …
- had three games with over 300 passing yards
- thrown 16 touchdown passes
- thrown for 1991 passing yards (249 yards per game)
RB Charlie Garner is averaging 4.7 YPC this season. He only gets 10 carries per game though.
Is the Brown/Rice Era over? The receivers have combined to catch only 41 of the 85 passes thrown their way (48.2%)
In the four games against the Chiefs as a Raider, Jerry Rice has caught 20 passes for 210 yards and 1 touchdown.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles have only scored 56 points against the Giants in New York over the last six seasons (1-5 record in those games).
QB Donovan McNabb is on pace for only 2528 passing yards and 6 touchdowns.
In his two games he started in New York, McNabb completed 43.9% of his passes for only 283 yards and 2 touchdowns.
WR James Thrash has caught 19 of the 36 passes thrown his way (52.8%).
WR Todd Pinkston has caught only 13 of the 38 passes thrown his way (34.2%).
The leading receiver, Thrash is only on pace for 685 receiving yards.
RB Brian Westbrook is averaging 6.1 YPC this season. The other two backs (Staley, Buckhalter) are only averaging 3.1 YPC.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Bye Week

San Diego Chargers

The Chargers have lost nine straight games going back to last season.
The Chargers have given up 20 or more points in sixteen of the last seventeen games (17 points in the one game they didn't surrender 20).
RB LaDainian Tomlinson has only carried the ball 90 times in the five games this season.
Tomlinson is on pace to catch 93 receptions.
WR David Boston has caught 22 of the 34 passes thrown his way (64.7%)
WR Tim Dwight has only caught 9 of the 22 passes thrown his way (40.9%)

San Francisco 49ers

WR Terrell Owens has only caught 34 of the 67 passes thrown his way this season (50.7%).
Owens is on pace for only 1104 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns.
QB Jeff Garcia continues to struggle. He has had four straight games with under 200 passing yards and only has 2 touchdown passes in that time.
The running back duo of Garrison Hearst and Kevan Barlow continue to put up solid numbers:
- Hearst is on pace for 211 carries, 947 rushing yards, 296 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns
- Barlow is on pace for 160 carries, 685 rushing yards, 197 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks haven't started 4-1 since 1986. RB Curt Warner ran for 1481 yards and 13 touchdowns that year.
RB Shaun Alexander is on pace for 1267 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns this year.
WR Koren Robinson is on pace for 829 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns.
WR Darrell Jackson is on pace for 1117 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

St. Louis Rams

QB Marc Bulger is averaging 271.5 passing yards per game. He is on pace for 4073 passing yards on the season.
WR Torry Holt is having a great season. He has caught 41 of the 56 passes thrown his way (73.2%).
Holt is on pace for 131 receptions, 1718 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns.
WR Isaac Bruce has caught 27 of the 48 passes thrown his way (56.3%).
Bruce is on pace for 86 receptions, 1270 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns.
In his two starts, RB Lamar Gordon has carried the ball 40 times for 172 yards and a touchdown. He only has 1 catch though in that stretch.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers have lost both games at home this season.
QB Brad Johnson for MVP? He is now on pace for 4336 passing yards and a staggering 38 touchdowns.
RB Michael Pittman is on pace for 1034 rushing yards, 77 receptions and 637 receiving yards. Just doesn't score many touchdowns (only 1 so far)
WR Keyshawn Johnson is on pace for 80 receptions for 1126 receiving yards and 3 scores.
WR Keenan McCardell is on pace for 67 receptions for 1018 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

Tennessee Titans

QB Steve McNair for MVP? He is now on pace for 4269 passing yards, 29 touchdown passes and 5 touchdown runs.
In his last two games, McNair has thrown for 781 yards.
RB Eddie George is only on pace for 811 rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns.
WR Derrick Mason has caught 39 of the 55 passes thrown his way (70.9%).
Mason is on pace for 104 receptions, 1397 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

Washington Redskins

RB Trung Canidate still hasn't scored a touchdown this season.
Canidate is averaging a solid 4.8 yards per carry and 10.8 yards per reception.
RB Ladell Betts is averaging 3.5 yards per carry and 11.0 yards per reception.
WR Laveranues Coles is on pace to catch 104 passes for 1528 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns.
WR Rod Gardner is on pace to catch 83 passes for 819 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns.