NFL – 2024 WEEK 6 – STATS THAT STICK OUT

PASSING – BAKER MAYFIELD (QB – BUCCANEERS) TB 51 at NO 27

It’s been nice to witness the resurgence of veteran QBs this season like Geno Smith who I have showcased as passing leader twice already this year in this weekly column.  And it was another renaissance man’s time to shine in Week 6 when Baker Mayfield became the passing leader by completing 24 of 36 passes for 325 yards and 4 TDs in Tamp Bay’s shellacking of New Orleans on the road.  While 3 interceptions came along for the ride (all in the first half), Mayfield described those throwing gaffes as part of the “ups and downs” of playing a game in the NFL.  He added that it’s important to “learn from them, move forward” and “regroup and find a way”.  Indeed, the 29-year-old QB would stay clean in the second half and help the Buccaneers hold on to get their fourth win of the season. All told, Tampa Bay had a franchise record 594 total yards in Week 6 and became just the fifth team in NFL history to have at least 300 passing yards and 275 rushing yards in a game… This attitude of looking forward and “[finding] a way” seems to summarize the 29-year-old Baker’s journey in his uneven 7-year career.  Having played with 4 different teams in such a short period of time and then finally finding real success with Tampa Bay must not have been easy.  But Baker has been able to bounce back and reestablish himself as a legit signal caller who could take his team to the playoffs as the NFC South leader, or a wild card.  Certainly, his excellent performance through the first third of the season has been instrumental.  While completing 70.9% of his passes, he’s thrown for 1,489 passing yards and his 15 TDs leads the league.

RUSHING – SEAN TUCKER (RB, BUCCANEERS) TB 51 at NO 27

In addition to the success of the passing offense, the Buccaneers excelled in Week 6’s matchup with New Orleans by also running the football in a big way.  The 22-year-old running back Sean Tucker led the way with almost half of the team’s total rushing yards (277 – third most in franchise history) with 14 carries for 136 yards, 9.7 on average and 1 rushing TD.  The former Syracuse alum also had 56 receiving yards on 3 receptions and 1 receiving TD.  Combined, Tucker recorded a career-high 192 yards from scrimmage and became 1 of only 2 players with both a receiving and rushing TD in Week 6 (Joe Mixon, Texans).  Tucker’s effort also marked the third-most scrimmage yards in a single game among all undrafted players over the past five seasons.  For this performance, Tucker earned the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award and became just the undrafted running back in Tampa Bay history to receive this kind of player of the week recognition… As for the Buccaneers change in course to running the football more compared to 2023, it has been instrumental in the team’s success through the first 6 games of the season.  Currently, Tampa’s rush offense has the seventh most rush yards in the league which creates a nice balance with the passing offense, currently ranked ninth in passing yards in the NFL.  In stark contrast in 2023, TB finished the season with the fewest rushing yards in the entire league.  Tucker said this weekit has come down to a change in attitude with Tampa’s new offensive coordinator in 2024 (Liam Coen) who came over from the Rams.  “I would say our mentality has changed and Coach Liam [Coen] coming in and getting everybody right with his system, and a lot of guys up front and our receivers just have a different mentality when it comes to running… We’re coming into games trying to run the ball and pressure our opponents.”  

RECEIVING – ZAY FLOWERS (WR, RAVENS) WASH 23 at BAL 30

In a competitive win over the Commanders at home in Week 6, one of the stars to shine for the Ravens was second-year WR Zay Flowers who caught all 9 of his targeted receptions for 132 yards and averaged 14.7 yards per catch.  His 9 catches are the most any Baltimore wideout posted in the first half of a game in NFL history.  This performance piggybacks on his Week 5 breakout performance when he had 7 catches for 111 yards and averaged 15.9 yards per catch.  Combined with Week 17 of the 2023 season, Flowers now has 3 career games with 100+ receiving yards, making it the third most by a Raven within their first 2 NFL seasons.  Despite his smaller stature (5’9, 182 lbs), the Ravens first round pick has an innate ability to create separation and is an excellent, speedy route runner.  Oh, you know, just another excellent weapon in QB Lamar Jackson’s arsenal (along with RB Derrick Henry, WR Rashod Bateman, and the TE duo of Likely & Andrews) who will only get better with experience…  HC John Harbaugh said on Sunday, “[Zay Flowers is] exactly the weapon we absolutely knew he was and would be and has been, to be honest with you… He’s been there all along, and the opportunities came up today. Sometimes the defense doesn’t allow it. Sometimes the ball doesn’t come your way for whatever reason, but today the opportunities showed up.”

SACKS – WILL ANDERSON JR. (DE, TEXANS) HOU 41 at NE 21

Last season was obviously a breakout year for the Houston Texans.  After finishing 3-13-1 in 2022, they turned their fortunes around by winning their division with a 10-7 record and went to the playoffs for the first time since 2019.  A large part of their success stemmed from drafting QB CJ Stroud as the second overall pick in 2023 Draft and taking DE Will Anderson, Jr. right after him, third overall.  At season’s end, Stroud would win the NFL’S Offensive Rookie of the Year award and Anderson would snag the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.  So far in 2024, both young stars have continued to impress, but Week 6’s contest on the road in New England became the best game of Anderson’s career to date.  The 23-year-old earned the AFC Defensive Player of the Week award by having a 3-sack outing and making 8 total tackles, 6 solo and 4 for a loss.  He also forced Pats QB Drake Maye to fumble which was intercepted by Houston safety Eric Murray.  Anderson also made history with this performance, becoming only the 12^th player in the league to ever accomplish 3 sacks, four tackles for losses and a pass defended in one game… Both Stroud and Anderson are not only forces to be reckoned with on opposite sides of the ball but are besties to boot.  Their mothers (Kimberly Stroud and Tereon Anderson) have reportedly also formed a special friendship.  Stroud said of his friend and teammate after the game, “Man, I’m super proud of Will… Just the person he is, not only just on the field, but off. How encouraging he is being, not only in my life, but in the locker room and his family and then just being so family-oriented and always showing everybody love.”  It’s safe to say the Texans are in good, young hands as they look to continue building success as the season rolls along.

SPECIAL TEAMS – COLE KMET (TE, BEARS) JAX 16 vs CHI 35

Bears TE Cole Kmet recorded an unusual and historical accomplishment in Week 6.  Due to an injury to Chicago’s starting long snapper (Scott Daily) who left the game in the first quarter while covering a punt, Kmet was asked to fill in on an emergency basis because he had prior experience with the position in high school.  So, for three-quarters of the Bears win over the Jaguars in London last Sunday, Kmet snapped on five extra point attempts and one field goal attempt and then the fifth-year pro immediately performed his tight end duties during the game catching 5 passes for 70 yards, 14 yards on average and scoring 2 TDs. For performing this double duty, the league recognized Kmet as the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.  No long snapper in either the NFC or AFC has ever been honored in this way.  Kmet said after the game, “Definitely not a position I envisioned playing in the NFL, ever… But you know, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do and there’s only so many guys you can dress on game day and only so many guys that you can have on the roster… You have to have somebody that can be the emergency and I’m that guy, reluctantly at times. Hopefully Scott is doing all right and heals up OK, but just glad I could go out there and provide something for the team in that regard.”  Luckily for Kmet, he may not need to step into help in the near future.  On Tuesday, Chicago signed 37-year-old two-time pro bowl long snapper Jake McQuaid to their practice squad.  The 14-year veteran has appeared in 190 games during his career with 3 different teams (now a 4^th with the Bears).

DUBIOUS DISTINCTION – CLEVELAND BROWNS (TRADE FOR DESHAUN WATSON)

The Browns are one of the worst teams in football with a 1-5 record to start the season. Cleveland’s offense is also the worst statistically and their “franchise” QB Deshaun Watson has hit rock-bottom with the lowest QBR in the league at 21.7. According to ESPN, the QBR stat has existed since 2007, “and among passers who threw 100 pass attempts or more across their team’s first six games, Watson’s season ranks 558th out of 566.”  

But perhaps most egregiously, the number of sacks Watson has absorbed so far this season is 31.  At this continued pace, the 29-year-old will have nearly 90 sacks by year’s end.  No one has ever been sacked more than 76 times in one year since 1960…  Yes, Cleveland’s offensive line has experienced several injuries, but some of the blame for all the sacks must go to Watson himself for not recognizing QB pressure.  There’s also a lack of rhythm with his receivers.  He’s experienced the most dropped passes so far this season amongst all QBs and he has delivered among the most “poor” passes in the league through Week 6.  

It makes me wonder how Watson feels about all of this.  Does it have to do with him being away from football for 2 years after he sorted out most of his sex scandal(s)?  Does he have a lingering shoulder injury?  Is it mental? What has he been doing to return to the Pro Bowler he was with Houston from 2018-2020?  Is he the first player in the facility and last to leave every day?  Is he seeing a mental coach?  Is he doing all he can to straighten things out?  What exactly is his problem? 

Whatever the reason(s) for his atrociously bad play on the field, it likely makes Cleveland’s trade for him the worst in the history of the NFL.  According to his contract, Watson is set to make $45 million this year, a fully guaranteed $45 million next year (2025) and a fully guaranteed $45 in 2026.  With the salary cap at $72.9 million, that doesn’t leave much room for team improvement (via trades) in the near future.  

Despite the current debacle at the QB position, Brown’s HC Kevin Stefanski said on Monday there are no plans to change quarterbacks in the near future even with the fact they have former Pro Baller backup Jameis Winston on the bench ready to go:  “I think Deshaun gives us the best chance to win, continues to give us the best chance to win, and we need to play really good offensive football at his position and really at every position to be successful on Sunday.” This is just speculation on my part, but the move to keep Watson in at QB may be a business decision, i.e.: strategic design at tanking with hopes of getting the number 1 draft pick in 2025.  With Watson’s behemoth contract wrapped around the Browns’ neck, picking up a young talented QB in the draft for a low price seems the best way forward for the embattled franchise.

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