Analysis
10/19/20
4 min min read
Week 6 Stat Review
Broncos 18, Patriots 12
Disappearing Act from the Patriots Offense
- The Patriots had 288 yards of total offense; only three times last season did they produce that low a total
- The Patriots did not score a first-half TD at home for the first time since Week 4 of the 2016 season (final game of Tom Brady’s suspension)
- Cam Newton was ineffective until the fourth quarter as a passer
- For the game, Newton averaged 6.3 yards per attempt and threw 2 interceptions (passer rating of 51.6)
- The Patriots aren’t used to complete inefficiency from the QB position; since 2007, Brady only had two games below Newtons’ 51.6 passer rating
- This was Newton's first multi-interception game since Week 13 of 2018 (with 0 passing TDs)
- Brady only had four games with multiple INTs and no TDs in his 20 years with the Patriots, most recently Week 12 of 2009 against the Saints
Not the Same Old Patriots
- The Patriots have a losing record through five games or later for the first time since 2002, when they were 3-4 (per ESPN's Mike Reiss)
- Fell to 2-3 for the first time since the 2001 season (won the Super Bowl that season)
- Bill Belichick lost his first game as the Patriots head coach in which they did not allow a TD; he was 39-0 previously in those games (per Mike Reiss)
- Drew Lock became only the second QB to defeat a Belichick-coached Patriots team in Foxborough despite throwing multiple INTs
- The first QB to do so was Kurt Warner during the 2001 season (per NFL Research)
- Lock also became the sixth first- or second-year QB in 52 tries to come into Foxborough and beat Belichick’s Patriots
- 3 out of the prior 5 came before 2003
Titans 42, Texans 36
The Return of Derrick Henry
- The Houston Texans see Derrick Henry in their nightmares
- Last season, in Week 17, he rushed for 211 yards on 32 attempts with 3 rushing TDs
- In this game, Henry bested himself; he rushed only 22 times for 212 yards and 2 rushing TDs
- Add on two receptions for 52 yards for a total of 264 all-purpose yards, the most of his career
- On Henry’s 94-yard TD run, the 6-3, 247-pound RB reached a top speed of 21.62 MPH (according to Next Gen Stats)
- Henry became the fifth player in NFL history to have two 90-plus-yard rushing TDs
- As well as two of the top three runs over expectation since 2018
- This game was Henry’s third 200-plus-yard rushing game since 2018, matching the rest of the league
Titans Comeback / Record Setting
- The Texans allowed 601 total yards to the Titans in this matchup (338 yards through the air and 263 on the ground); that's the most yards ever allowed in a game in the history of the Texans franchise (2002 to present)
- The Texans were down 21-7 just prior to halftime, and only had an 11.83% chance to win the game at this point (21-10 at halftime)
- They came back, outscoring the Titans 26-15 in the second half
- Brandin Cooks caught a 1-yard TD pass with 1:50 left in the game, which gave the Titans only 8.94% chance to win the game at the start of the next drive
- At one point in the Titans' drive, their win probability fell to 6.09% (according to numberfire)
Steelers 38, Browns 7
Steelers Defensive Dominance Continues
- The Steelers defensive front severely outplayed the Browns' improved OL
- The Steelers added 20 total pressures in this matchup (averaged 17 pressures per game through the first five weeks)
- The 20 pressure gave the Steelers a 38.9% pressure percentage with a staggering 50% pass rush win rate percentage
- The Steelers defense got started early and often
- They had three sacks and 2 INTs in the first half
- Only the 1985 Giants have recorded at least three sacks and an INT in each of their first five games of the season
- They held the Browns to 7 points, the second time the Browns have been held to that total by a divisional opponent (only scored 7 points against Baltimore in Week 1)
Contrasting Offensive Performances
- The Steelers offense success continued to be funneled through rookie WR Chase Claypool
- All of Ben Roethlisberger’s three longest completions, in terms of air yards, have gone to Claypool
- That Includes a 36-yard pass in this game (traveled 46.4 yards through the air) with only a 26.7% chance of completion (According to Next Gen Stats)
- Claypool has been able to use his size, athletic jumping ability and speed to be a mismatch against DBs (and he's far too fast for LBs)
- The Browns side struggled to generate yards, even on the ground, which they have been prolific in doing so far this season
- They had only 75 rushing yards (least in 2020), while being held to 3.4 yards per rush
- QB Baker Mayfield was benched in the fourth quarter in favor of backup Case Keenum, who had just as little success
- Both QBs combined for 6.9 yards per attempt, 2 INTs (both from Mayfield, his 11th multi-INT game, third-most in the NFL since 2018) and a 53.4 passer rating
Other Interesting Week 6 Statistical Notes:
- Ravens have scored 20-plus points in 29 consecutive games, passing the 1999-2000 Rams for second-longest such streak in NFL history. The Broncos (2012-14) have the longest streak (30 games)
- D’Andre Swift is the first Lions rookie to have 100-plus yards and 2-plus TDs in a game since Barry Sanders
- Aaron Jones is the first Packer with a TD in each of first five games in the season since 1952 (26 since start of last season, best in NFL)
- Philip Rivers' 235 yards in the second quarter were the third-most in any quarter in franchise history for the Colts, behind Peyton Manning (247 yards in 2004) and Dan Orlovsky (240 yards in 2011)
- There has been a 16-plus point lead blown in every week so far this season