NFL – 2024 WEEK 4 – STATS THAT STICK OUT

PASSING – GENO SMITH (QB – SEAHAWKS) SEA 29 at DET 42

It was another impressive week by the Seattle QB who was the passing leader once again for Week 4.  Against a stout Detroit defensive line, Smith threw for 395 yards and completed 38 of 56 attempts to 10 different players.  These are career high stats for Smith which contributed towards Seattle’s total number of 516 offensive yards and 38 first downs, the most in franchise history.  Through Week 4, Smith leads the league with 1,182 passing yards.  Unfortunately for Seattle, it wasn’t enough as Detroit’s QB Jared Goff literally had a perfect game in Week 4.  The 29-year-old didn’t have a single incompletion when he went 18 for 18, threw for 292 yards, and 2 TDs.  As a result, Goff became the first QB in league history to attempt more than 10 passes in a game without an incompletion.  So, while Seattle had more total yards, first downs, total plays, more time of completion and less penalties than Detroit in Week 4, it came down to overall efficiency in this one.  

RUSHING – DERRICK HENRY (RB – RAVENS) BUF 10 at BAL 35

In the Raven’s Week 4 beatdown against the Buffalo Bills at home, the 30-year-old Henry carried the football in his arms 199 yards, averaged 8.3 yards per carry and had 1 TD for 87 yards (Baltimore’s very first offensive play of the game), the longest rush in franchise history.  Through Week 4, Henry leads the league in rushing yards (480), is tied for second in rush attempts (80), has the most rush yards per game (120), the second most rushing first downs (24) and is tied for most rushing TDs (5).  Additionally, Henry’s 199 rush yards in Week 4 was the most by a player 30 years old and older since 2015 (Adrian Peterson).  And he became only the second player 30+ years old to rush for more than 150 yards in consecutive games since 1970.  Dedication to his craft is one of the reasons Henry continues to perform at such a high level, along with the rare speed and agility this 6-foot-3, 245 pound running back achieves on a consistent basis.  He reportedly spends nearly $250,000 per year on “body maintenance” which includes a strict diet prepared by a personal chef (without fried food, dairy, gluten, or artificial sugars).  He also participates in a rigorous regime of cold therapy, infrared sauna, hyperbaric oxygen and massage therapy plus a hard-core workout plan in the off-season which includes twice a day workouts 7 days a week without breaks.  It takes a lot of hard work and discipline to power through this kind of fitness system, the results of which are clearly paying off for Henry.

RECEIVING – NICO COLLINS (WR – TEXANS) JAGS 20 at HOU 24

In the Texans Week 4 home win against Jacksonville, Collins had 12 receptions for 151 yards, averaged 12.6 yards per catch and 1 TD.  It marked the third 100-yard receiving game the 25-year-old has had this season.  And through the first 4 games, he is the receptions leader with 489 (a career best and franchise record).  He also has 103 receiving yards more than any other player to this point in the season.  According to ESPN, Collins said his goal was to beat his own 2023 season stats when he had 1,297 total yards (ranked eighth), 8 total TDs (tied for eighth), and to get at least “1,500 [yards] minimum.” Well, if he continues this same trajectory, Collins will not only crush his ambitions for the season but set league records…  Next up for the Texans in Week 5 is a home game versus the Bills, which is being affectionately dubbed as the “Stefon Diggs Revenge Game”.  While there is no reported “bad blood” between the Texans wide receiver and his former team (Buffalo), he was traded to Houston for a draft pick in the offseason and that can never feel comfortable when the two teams are set to face off for the first time.  Will this be motivation for Diggs who was voted a team captain in Houston?  In the least, it could be a narrative the Texans rally around to get to 4-1.  

TACKLES – TROY ANDERSEN (LB – FALCONS) NO 24 at ATL 26

In his third year as a LB for the Falcons, 25-year-old Troy Andersen was a one-man wrecking ball in Week 4’s game when Atlanta hosted the Saints.  The native Montanan recorded 17 tackles (a career high) and returned an interception for a 47-yard TD.  For this performance, he earned the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award.  Standing at 6’4 and weighing in around 239 pounds, Andersen is a talented multi-sport athlete who played quarterback and safety on his high school football team and was simultaneously a member of the track team and basketball team.  In college, he started games on both the offensive and defensive side of the football at Montana State.  He was so successful in this hybrid role that he was named Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year in 2017 for rushing with the football 515 yards for 5 TDs; plus 7 receptions for 45 yards and 1 TD; and he recorded 9 tackles and a sack on defense.  An opposing college HC said of Andersen in 2018, “He’s dynamic, he’s athletic. He could play all 25 positions: offense, defense, kicker, punter and long snapper… He’s someone you have to be aware of, but you can’t just identify him, because there’s other people around who can make your life miserable… He’s a workhorse.”  Unfortunately for Andersen, he sustained a knee injury in Week 4’s game that will keep him out this week.  But it’s safe to say that when he returns healthy again, Atlanta HC Raheem Morris will be relieved to have a player back in the mix who can fill in at almost any position on the field.

PUNTS – A.J COLE (AND) COREY BOJORQUEZ  CLE 16 at LVR 20

One of the highlights of Week 4’s game between the Browns and Raiders was the punting duel between each team’s elite boomers: AJ Cole (for the Raiders) and Corey Bojorquez (for the Browns).  In this punting showdown, the two showcased numerous top-notch boots, but Bojorquez would statistically come out on top by game’s end.  The 28-year-old native New Mexican Bojorquez punted 5 times for 316 yards (63.2 average) including an 84 yarder (the longest in the NFL so far this season).  Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Cole punted 4 times for 232 yards, (58 average) and had a 67 yarder that stopped inside the Browns’ 5-yard line.  It prompted a hilarious celebration (or “celly” by Cole) which has since become a popular meme across the internet.  This punting clash was a good reminder of how interesting special teams are on a football team.  While we don’t necessarily want to see the punters come out on the field a lot during a game, their importance can be paramount especially in a defensive battle like we witnessed during Week 4 in this game.  

SPECIAL SHOUT OUT – JAYDEN DANIELS (COMMANDERS)

When I made my picks for the 2024 NFL season, I concluded that the Commanders were going to end up last in the NFC East Division by year’s end.  Currently, through Week 4, they sit at 3-1 at the top of the division.  I surmised (incorrectly) that a rookie QB would never be able to lead the Commanders current roster over powerhouse teams like the Cowboys and Eagles.  And while we’re obviously only just past Week 4, (and anything can happen) we already know that the Washington Commanders’ QB Jayden Daniels is starting his rookie career off in a special way.  So special that no one has done what the 23-year-old Californian is doing right now.  Not even Tom Brady did it.  And possibly Peyton Manning or Drew Brees after Week 5.  And that is to have the highest average completion percentage in NFL history for a QB through the first four weeks of any season.  With his 82.1%, Daniels just surpassed Brady for his 79.2% league-leading rate in 2007.  Now he’s getting ready to topple Peyton Manning’s 75.8% CMP mark set in 2013 through the first five games.  It’s not everything, but the young QB’s amazing start to the season is definitely contributing towards Washington’s early success and it’s having an effect on the team’s confidence in him going forward.  “There’s definitely a swagger with him,” Commanders guard Sam Cosmi said recently. “He’s not a ‘me’ guy at all, which I love. Being the second pick in the draft, and playing how well he’s playing, none of that has shown. He’s really humble, really down to earth when it comes to just being him… It’s been really nice to have that confidence and that leadership in the huddle.”  If Daniels continues to perform at a high level while the other divisional teams continue to flounder, we could see Washington return to the post season and possibly win a playoff game for the first time since 1991. 

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