One fact for every NFL team. Some might say it's truly a great day to be great.

Special thanks to TruMedia, PFF, Pro Football Reference, and Next-Gen Stats for all referenced metrics.

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Arizona Cardinals

• Question: Has this Cardinals defense improved quite a bit this season?

They have! Overall, no pass defense has made a larger ranking improvement in Weeks 9-15 compared to Weeks 1-8 in terms of EPA allowed per dropback. Only the Eagles have been stingier over the last seven weeks! The run defense has made some strides as well, albeit not to the same extent.

Atlanta Falcons

• Question: How limited was Kirk Cousins making this passing game?

Very! Especially when it came to moving outside the pocket.

Lowest percentage of dropbacks to leave the pocket:

• Kirk Cousins (4.2%)
• Joe Flacco (7%)
• Cooper Rush (12.7%)
• Tua Tagovailoa (12.8%)
• Jared Goff (13.2%)

While Michael Penix didn't make a habit of running around at Washington, his 4.5-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day and big arm reflect the reality that defenses will have a LOT more blades of grass to cover against this new-look Falcons offense starting this Sunday.

Baltimore Ravens

• Question: Is Lamar Jackson and this passing attack game-script proof?

Pretty much!

Buffalo Bills

• Question: Is Ty Johnson the most efficient pass-catcher in the NFL?

If you move the minimum target threshold low enough!

Ty Johnson among 222 players with at least 20 targets this season:

• Passer rating when targeted: 157.2 (No. 1)
• Yards per target: 13.1 (No. 1)
• Yards per reception: 17.2 (No. 8)

Fun fact: Bills WR Keon Coleman ranks second in yards per target (12.7). Maybe, just maybe, that Josh Allen guy has something to do with this.

Carolina Panthers

• Question: Is there a worse pass rush in the league than Carolina?

Nope. Especially when considering the Panthers' league-low pressure rate comes alongside a fairly high blitz rate.

Chicago Bears

• Question: Where does Caleb Williams' rookie season rank among previous first-year QBs?

Not terribly in a handful of commonly used passing metrics.

Williams among 46 rookie QBs since 2010 (min. 300 dropbacks)

• EPA per dropback: -0.07 (No. 31)
• Yards per attempt: 6.3 (No. 32)
• Completion percentage: 61.9% (No. 20)
• TD to INT ratio: 3.4 (No. 5)
• Passer rating: 87.7 (No. 14)
• Explosive pass play rate: 10.9% (No. 32)

That said: Williams' progression from start to start hasn't exactly led to much of a separation from Justin Fields when looking at how he performed in his first 14 career starts.

Yes, the chart with Mitchell Trubisky added in is fairly similar as well (especially toward the end). I didn't include it here because it kind of made my eyes hurt. And I mean that both literally and figuratively. 

Cincinnati Bengals

• Question: How lethal has Ja'Marr Chase been after the catch this year?

Very! Overall, Chase leads the NFL with 20 missed tackles forced on receptions, while his +2.4 yards after the catch over expected mark only trails A.J. Brown among all players with 50-plus receptions.

Stats aside: Nobody is a bigger threat to take a short pass the distance than No. 1 on the Bengals. The open-field speed and consistent ability to erase pursuit angles borders on ludicrous.

Cleveland Browns

• Question: Is this the worst environment for a QB to operate in?

Well, the Browns do indeed rank among the league's five worst offenses in "Supporting Cast Rating" which takes every team's average PFF rank in rushing, receiving, pass blocking, and run blocking grade (everything except passing).

Bottom-five supporting casts:

• Cowboys (62.9)
• Browns (62.7)
• Raiders (62.7)
• Titans (61.6)
• Patriots (60.8)

Dallas Cowboys

• Question: How productive has Rico Dowdle been recently?

Very! Dowdle (634) actually only trails Saquon Barkley (922) in rushing yards since Week 9!

The only sucky part for Dowdle: His 177 carries are EASILY the most in the NFL with one or fewer rushing touchdowns. Second place is Steelers RB Jaylen Warren … with 91.

Denver Broncos

• Question: Has this Broncos offense really been that much better than it was with Russell Wilson?

Not really! But the defense sure has (pre-TNF):

Just goes to show how bringing in a talented young QB can turn around an entire … defense?

All jokes aside (please stop yelling at me on Twitter, Broncos fans), Nix has done a much better job at avoiding sacks than Russ, and the reality that, you know, he's a rookie as opposed to a 12-year veteran making hundreds of millions of dollars certainly makes the move a plus for the Broncos' short-and long-term future.

Detroit Lions

• Question: Do refs hate the Lions?

Well, they've only had *one* defensive pass interference penalty called against them this season, while nobody has had more DPI flags called on their defense (17).

Green Bay Packers

• Question: Is Josh Jacobs the league's premier tackle breaker?

Pretty close!

Most forced missed tackles on rush attempts this season:

• James Conner (83)
• Josh Jacobs (82)
• Najee Harris (74)
• Kenneth Walker (73)
• Bijan Robinson (73)

Now, Jacobs does have more carries than all those backs; his tackle avoidance rate of 22.6% "only" ranks 11th among 40 qualified RBs.

But still! Jacobs is clearly balling out for his new employer, and more TDs will likely be on the way Monday night against the Saints.

Houston Texans

• Question: Has Joe Mixon struggled to pick up consistent yards this season?

You could say that. Pro Football Reference's RB success rate is defined as % of carries gaining at least 40% of yards required on 1st down, 60% on 2nd down, and 100% on 3rd-4th downs … and Mixon comes in as one of the league's five worst RBs.

• Joe Mixon (41.5%)
• Nick Chubb (41.2%)
• J.K. Dobbins (40.5%)
• Jonathan Taylor (39.4%)
• Alexander Mattison (36.5%)

Side note: Jonathan Taylor, yikes.

The best RBs? Rico Dowdle (58.8%), Derrick Henry (57.1%), Tyler Allgeier (57%), Bijan Robinson (56.5%), and David Montgomery (55.1%). Great day to be great.

Indianapolis Colts

• Question: Is Anthony Richardson one of the position's best rushers?

Yup! Whether it's on scrambles or designed runs: Richardson should be on anyone's short list of the position's most dynamic players with the football in their hands.

Jacksonville Jaguars

• Question: Just how great has Brian Thomas' rookie season been?

He's in pretty spectacular company when it comes to his yards and targets per route run.

Kudos to Chargers WR Ladd McConkey for putting up one helluva debut campaign in his own right, although I'd have to side with BTJ as the superior rookie thanks to his lead in TDs (8 vs. 5) and, you know, the whole difference in QB play. 

Kansas City Chiefs

• Question: Is the Chiefs offense basically death by a thousand paper cuts?

Yup. Only the Lions have a higher success rate this season … but 27 offenses have produced a higher rate of 20-plus yard plays.

Las Vegas Raiders

• Question: Is this the least competitive Raiders team in recent memory?

They certainly aren't good. Only the Panthers (-171) have a worse point differential than the Raiders (-131) this season. It's their worst mark during the first 15 weeks of a season since 2018 (-158), although surprisingly "just" their seventh-worst differential since 2000.

That said: The Raiders don't have the worst point differential since 2000! That would be the Browns. The Raiders are … 31st.

Los Angeles Chargers

• Question: Is Jim Harbaugh pounding the rock in Los Angeles?

Oh yeah–especially on 3rd and 4th down with 1-3 yards to go. His brother is also especially fond of this, and it's working out quite well for both parties (pre-TNF).

Los Angeles Rams

• Question: How consistent has Puka Nacua been in fantasy land this year?

Quite consistent! In fact, Nacua's six-game streak with 15-plus PPR points is matched only by Bengals RB Chase Brown among all non-QBs. Ja'Marr Chase (5) and Josh Jacobs (5) are the only other guys even close.

What sucks is that Puka's streak could have been at eight by now if he wasn't ejected for a "punch" back in Week 9. Either way: He has a LONG way to go before catching the longest mark since 2000 … set by none other than Cooper Kupp between the 2021 and 2022 seasons (21).

The longest streak ever? Emmitt Smith (23) during the 1994 and 1995 seasons.

Miami Dolphins

• Question: Has De'Von Achane dropped off on the ground more than any RB this season?

Yup. 48 RBs have 50-plus carries in each of the past two seasons, and Achane's dropoff of -3.9 yards per carry is easily the largest. The next-closest RBs are Zamir White (-1.5), Christian McCaffrey (-1.4), and Raheem Mostert (-1.4).

While Achane's yards per carry has literally been cut in half (7.8 vs. 3.9), he's actually averaged more PPR points per game (17.5 vs. 17.3)! That's what 11.2 PPR points per game from purely receiving production will do for ya–1st among all RBs.

Minnesota Vikings

• Question: Is this Sam Darnold jump unprecedented?

Darnold has basically made a seventh-year leap into what can only be described as "great" at this point. His average of 6.7 yards per attempt and 78.3 passer rating in his first six seasons ranked 90th and 93rd among 141 QBs to start at least 16 games in years one through six since 2000.

So what other QBs have put forward a season in year seven or later with eight-plus yards per attempt and a 100-plus passer rating when dealing with these sorts of lowly rates through six seasons as a starter?

Answer: Darnold, Mike Vick, and Alex Smith among 57 qualified QBs who could have only been described as "bad" throwers of the football during their first six years. Geno Smith came close but didn't quite reach the same heights in terms of yards per attempt, Ryan Fitzpatrick didn't quite have enough starts to quantify in his best late-game season in 2018, and Ryan Tannehill wasn't bad enough in Miami to make the bad QB cut list.

Either way: Hell yeah, Sam!

New England Patriots

• Question: Are the Patriots creating much separation for Drake Maye?

Not really. I took the average ESPN Open Score rating from every team's top-three qualified WRs … and the Patriots come in at 32nd. The next five worst squads: Raiders, Cardinals, Panthers, 49ers, and Titans.

Not ideal! Here's to hoping the team makes some serious offseason investments at the position in 2025 and beyond.

New Orleans Saints

• Question: Has Kendre Miller been low-key pretty good this season?

Yup! Small-sample size be damned …

Miller among 75 RBs with 28-plus carries:

• Yards per carry: 4.6 (No. 23)
• Rush yards over expected per carry: +1.4 (No. 5)
• Yards after contact per carry: 3.7 (No. 6)
• Missed tackles forced per carry: 39.3% (No. 2)
• Explosive run rate: 17.9% (No. 4)
• PFF rush grade: 86.4 (No. 7)

Good stuff from the second-year talent–although Monday night's matchup as two-TD underdogs in Lambeau isn't exactly the most fantasy-friendly spot managers could ask for.

New York Giants

• Question: Has this rushing attack fallen off a cliff without Saquon Barkley?

Not exactly.

Giants RB yards per carry by year in Weeks 1-15:

• 2018: 4.7
• 2019: 4.2
• 2020: 4.1
• 2021: 3.9
• 2022: 4.4
• 2023: 3.6
• 2024: 4.2

Hell, 2024 Giants RBs have actually averaged a four-year high in yards after contact per carry (2.87) and missed tackles forced per carry (20%).

Now, Saquon Barkley did deal with early-season lower-body injuries in each of 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2023; just realize it's not like this Giants offense has been one (GREAT) RB away from flirting with elite status over the past few years.

New York Jets

• Question: Has Breece Hall lost a step this year?

Well, his advanced one-on-one statistics haven't exactly been as stellar as past years.

• 2024: 3.1 yards after contact per carry, 15.6 missed tackles forced per carry
• 2023: 3.4 YAC per carry, 20.6% MTF per carry
• 2022: 4.1 YAC per carry, 20% MTF per carry

Overall, Hall ranks 19th and 30th in yards after contact per carry and missed tackles forced per carry among 37 RBs with 100-plus rush attempts this season. Not great!

Philadelphia Eagles

• Question: Is DeVonta Smith the best No. 2 WR in the NFL?

He's up there! However, there are a handful of de facto No. 2 WRs who have been superior this season in terms of yards and targets per route run. Note that the pecking order in some WR rooms is less clear than others, so I generally used targets as a tiebreaker. Feel free to yell at me about the choices regardless.

I would argue that the upper right quadrant is a pretty good reflection of the league's "overqualified WR2 options". Smith would undoubtedly be the No. 1 WR on plenty of squads throughout the NFL. So hell yeah, Eagles!

Pittsburgh Steelers

• Question: Is Pat Freiermuth on a heater?

Yes! Three straight games with a receiving TD has Muth tied with Davante Adams, Mark Andrews, and Terry McLaurin for the longest active streak in the NFL.

Truly, Freiermuth has made the most of his opportunities all season long: His 83.9 catch rate is the third-highest mark among 94 WRs and TEs with 50-plus targets this season. Expect Muth to be leaned on more than ever on Saturday against the Ravens while George Pickens (hamstring) remains banged up.

San Francisco 49ers

• Question: Have the 49ers become a shell of themselves after the catch?

You could say that.

49ers yards after the catch over expected:

• 2024: +286 (11th)
• 2023: +710 (1st)
• 2022: +478 (2nd)
• 2021: +782 (1st)
• 2020: +600 (1st)
• 2019: +395 (2nd)
• 2018: +502 (3rd)

My theory: The absence of Brandon Aiyuk. While Aiyuk hasn't ever been the offense's most electric player with the ball in his hands, he's easily been the best deep threat, accordingly helping limit the defense's ability to focus too much attention on the more shallow and intermediate areas of the field.

Seattle Seahawks

• Question: Has the Seahawks defense gotten better as the season has gone on?

Against the run: Absolutely. Nobody has put forward a higher rank increase in EPA allowed per rush than the Seahawks (+21) from Weeks 1-8 compared to Weeks 9-15. The pass defense has also improved from 18th to 11th.

Don't be surprised if Mike Macdonald's group really makes a leap in 2025 with a few more high-end resources–the Seahawks rank just eighth in total 2024 dollars spent on the defense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

• Question: Are the Bucs the league's most productive offense on screens?

Yup, and they have racked up screen yards on passes to both RBs as well as WRs and TEs.

Tennessee Titans

• Question: Is the best version of Tony Pollard BACK?

Better than last year, but overall? Not really.

Of course, the Titans are also one of just six offenses to average less than one yard before contact on RB carries. They're also tied with the Cowboys for the fewest total team carries inside the five-yard line (8). Not exactly an ideal offensive environment!

Washington Commanders

• Question: What WR has the highest catch rate over expected?

You can probably guess by the team this question is under.

Highest catch rate over expected among 84 qualified WR:

1. Terry McLaurin (+15.6%)
2. A.J. Brown (+13.7%)
3. Amon-Ra St. Brown (+12.7%)
4. DeVonta Smith (+10.6%)
5. Michael Wilson (+8.7%)

As for the lowest? Dontayvion Wicks (-16%), Xavier Worthy (-11.6%), Diontae Johnson (-10.5%), and Amari Cooper (-10.2%).

This is my first time looking at this specific stat and honestly, yeah, seems to check out.

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