Big Blue View
Welcome to Week 8! Two games jumped off the screen in Week 7, and they ended with almost identical scores (33-31, 33-32). The first was an epic shootout on Thursday night between the two oldest quarterbacks in the league, and the second featured one of the most improbable fourth-quarter comebacks in decades. But was it all that improbable? Fans of the New York Football Giants — and this site is chock full of them — will tell you otherwise. More on these games in the Stats of the Week.
In case you haven’t heard, six NFL teams have their Bye this week. For fantasy football, that’s a problem and especially with the rash of injuries we’ve experienced. The good news is that this is the only week of the season with six teams resting. I’ll try to help you patch together a decent starting lineup. This is a week where a lower score can definitely win.
Stats of the Week:
On Thursday night, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco became just the second pair of quarterbacks aged 40 or older to start against each other. Tom Brady and Drew Brees squared off three times in the 2020-21 season. The Bengals and Steelers face off again in Week 11, so we should get a greybeard rematch.
In his last two Thursday night games, Ja’Marr Chase has 27 catches for 425 yards and four TDs.
Rodgers’s Hail Mary attempt on the Steelers’ final play travelled 69.8 yards in the air – the longest measured throw in the NFL since 2017.
The 23 targets Chase garnered on Thursday is tied for third most all-time. The record for targets in a game is 28, held by Brandon Marshall.
Jonathan Taylor has three 3-TD games through seven weeks of the season.
Through seven games, the Colts are averaging 3.5 points per possession. No team has averaged that many points per possession for a full season this century.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one already: Before the Giant (pun intended) collapse on Sunday, NFL teams had won 1,602 straight times when leading by 18 or more points with under six minutes remaining in regulation.
The Broncos scored 33 fourth-quarter points, one shy of the all-time NFL record. Bo Nix became the first QB to rush and throw for two TDs in a fourth quarter.
In the LV@KC game, the Chiefs scored more points (31) than the Raiders ran plays (30), and the Raiders only recorded one first down after the first quarter.
The Jets have not scored a TD in the first three quarters in five straight contests.
Brandon Aubrey has kicked five 60+ yard FGs in his career – the most of any kicker, all-time. This is Aubrey’s third season.
Week 8, here we go!
**Bye Weeks: ARI, DET, JAC, LV, LAR, SEA
Week 8 Rides, Fades and Sleepers
For those who are familiar with this column, you know the drill. For everyone else:...
