In this computer age, I still find myself pouring over boxscores in the Monday morning paper. Sometimes there’s no better way to find that next trend than to get down and dirty and get some ink on your hands.
So I thought I might as well pass on some of the knowledge I glean from those sessions. This will be a weekly feature in which I’ll take each game and highlight some of the key numbers from the box score.
49ers-Cardinals
Tim Hightower’s 12 catches pop out, but that won’t happen again. What’s more telling is the split in carries between him and Beanie Wells (8 to 7), which means this will be a true time-share. Glen Coffee who everyone thought was going to take carries away from Frank Gore, had one carry. SF TE Vernon Davis had five catches for 40 yards. Keep an eye on him.
Packers-Bears
Bears RB Matt Forte had no catches, which has to be worrisome for owners. Bears WR Earl Bennett had seven catches for 66 yards, making him a solid player in PPR leagues. Bears WRs Devin Hester (22.5 ypc) and Johnny Knox (41 ypc) are the big play threats and will score some long distance touchdowns this year … but they’ll also be inconsistent. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers attempted only 28 passes, completing 17 of them for 184 yards (134 if not for the big play to Greg Jennings late). With a better defense, Green Bay may run a more conservative scheme this year.
Broncos-Bengals
Broncos RBs Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter both had eight carries, with Buckhalter doing much more (46 yards to 19) on them. Bengals QB Carson Palmer (22-31-2-247) was efficient but the picks are worrisome. Bengals WR Andre Caldwell (6-54) may be an intriguing player if Laverneus Coles (1-11, three drops) continues to struggle. Broncos WR Eddie Royal (2-18) struggled but should be OK.
Ravens-Chiefs
Baltimore split up the work three ways in the backfield: Ray Rice got most of the work (19-108; 2-12), while Willis McGahee (10-44; 4-31; 2 TDs) and LeRon McClain (6-19; 3-23; 1 TD) got the touchdowns. Larry Johnson (11-20) got a limited number of carries, but blame that on the Ravens D. Ravens TE Todd Heap (5-74; 1 TD) tied for the lead in catches. Ravens WR Mark Clayton (5-77; 1 TD) looks like he’s the receiver to own here.
Cowboys-Buccaneers
Bucs RBs Cadillac Williams (13-97; 1 TD) and Derrick Ward basically (12-62; 2-21) split the carries with Williams looking more impressive. Bucs WR Antonio Bryant (2-29) was quiet, while Sammie Stroughter (3-25; 1 TD) may have earned himself some more looks. Jason Witten (5-71) had a workmanlike performance, while Patrick Crayton (4-135; 1 TD) and Roy Williams (3-86; 1 TD) benefited from big plays to pad their stats.
Falcons-Dolphins
Dolphins WR Davone Bess (7-57) looks like Chad Pennington’s go-to possession guy. Falcons RB Jerious Norwood (2-7; 5-49) and his role on the team doesn’t look like it’s expanded. Falcons QB Matt Ryan attempted 35 passes, while RB Michael Turner got 22 carries, which shows a shift by Atlanta to a little more of a pass-first offense … at least for one week.
Eagles-Panthers
Eagles RB LeSean McCoy (9-46) got nearly as many carries as Brian Westbrook (13-64), though Westbrook was pulled in the third quarter after the game got out of hand. Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart had 11 carries (35 yards) to DeAngelo William’ 14 carries (37 yards), so this is a true time-share. Steve Smith (3-21) will struggle as long as Jake Delhomme stays a basketcase behind center. Brent Celek (6-37; 1 TD) did not disappoint.
Colt-Jaguars
Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew (21-97) shouldered the load as promised. Colts RB Donald Brown (11-33) took a good chunk of the carries away from Joseph Addai (17-42). Colts WRs Pierre Garcon (3-24) and Austin Collie (2-15) should benefit from Anthony Gonzalez’s injury. Jags WR Troy Williamson (1-10) was a non-factor.
Jets-Texans
Jets RB Thomas Jones (20-107; 2 TDs) proved he still had something left in the tank. Leon Washington (15-60; 4-24) looks like he’ll be a big part of this offense. Dustin Keller (4-94) and Chansi Stuckey (4-64) both have a good repoire with Mark Sanchez. Texans RB Steve Slaton (9-17; 3-35) and Matt Schaub (18-33-1-166) will both have better days. Don’t panic.
Saints-Lions
Lions RB Kevin Smith (15-20; 7-52) is a big part of this offense whether it’s on the ground or through the air. Saints RB Mike Bell (28-143) proved he can shoulder the load. Drew Brees, who threw passes to eight different receivers, likes to spread the ball around, with FB Heath Evans (4-35; 1 TD) even getting in on the mix.
Giants-Redskins
Giants RB Brandon Jacobs (16-46) and Ahmad Bradshaw (12-60) are in a true timeshare. Redskins TE Chris Cooley (7-68; 1 TD) looks like he’s going to have a big year (as I promised). Giants WR Steve Smith (6-80) is the go-to guy in this offense, but he may not score much. Giantst WR Mario Manningham (3-58) had the best day of the big-play guys.
Vikings-Browns
Vikings WR Percy Harvin (2-22; 3-46; 1 TD) looks like he’ll be a key component in this offense. Vikings QB Brett Favre attemped just 21 passes. Browns RB Jamal Lewis (11-57; 3-47) isn’t giving up yet.
Patriots-Bills
Patriots RB Laurence Maroney (10-32) and Fred Taylor (9-25) split the carries, with Taylor getting the goalline totes. Patriots WRs Randy Moss (12-141) and Wes Welker (12-93) picked up where they left off the last time Brady was behind center. Benjamin Watson (6-72; 2 TD) won’t have another day like that for the rest of the season. Bills RB Fred Jackson (15-57; 6-51) is a carving out a nice role for himself even when Marshawn Lynch returns.
Chargers-Raiders
Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson (13-55) didn’t have the burst and hurt his ankle in the game. Darren Sproles (246 all-purpose yards) looked like the same ol’ jitterbuggy self. Raiders TE Zach Miller (6-96) is the focal point of this offense, while it looks like Louis Murphy (4-87; 1 TD) is the big-play threat. Darren McFadden (17-68) and Michael Bush (12-55) are in true time-share. Chargers WR Legedu Naanee (5-49) is an intriging fringe guy.
Seahawks-Rams
Rams WR Donnie Avery (6-46) led the team in catches, but Laurent Robinson (5-87) did more with them. Rams RB Steven Jackson (16-67; 2-0) got all the carries as expected, but was a non-factor in the passing game. Seahawks RB Julius Jones (19-177; 1 TD) shredded the Rams’ putrid defense. Seahawks WR Nate Burleson (7-74) and TE John Carlson (6-95; 2 TDs) led the receivers. Seattle used WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (6-48) more as a possession guy.
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