This week’s slate includes seven divisional contests, and the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos will be looking to complete seasons sweeps of the Patriots and Raiders, respectively. The week begins on Thursday night at Cleveland, as the Steelers look to extend their five-game winning streak. There’s also a playoff rematch at Lambeau Field as the Packers host the 49ers.
As usual, there are some fascinating statistics surrounding this week’s action.
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It’s a field that includes a pair of division leaders, a pair of 4-7 teams, a franchise that has parted ways with its head coach and general manager the last month or so, and a club with the worst record in the league. There will be a season-low 13 games this week in the NFL, which will also be the case in Week 14.
The AFC East leading Bills and NFC South leading Falcons headline the list. There’s also the New Orleans Saints and Cincinnati Bengals, both who can score points and give up their share. The 3-8 Jets are also off this week, while the 2-9 Jaguars need plenty of rest after giving up 645 total yards in a 52-6 loss at Detroit.
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In last week’s 18-16 victory over the visiting Baltimore Ravens, the Pittsburgh Steelers won a game for the second time this season in which their kicker accounted for all of their scoring. Back in Week 1 at Atlanta, Chris Boswell nailed six field goals in an 18-10 victory. The 10-year veteran is having a monster year, and last Sunday once again connected on a half-dozen three-pointers.
Boswell has connected on 29 of his 30 field goal attempts in 10 games this season, one year after he finished the year 29-of-31 on field goal tries in all of 2023. The NFL record for field goals in a season is 44, owned by the 49ers’ David Akers in 2011.
10
There was a blocked field goal on the final play of the game that preserved the Packers’ 20-19 win at Solider Field. There was a four-year touchdown run by Colts’ quarterback Anthony Richardson with 46 seconds to play, and the subsequent PAT that enabled Indianapolis to knock off the Jets at MetLife Stadium, 28-27. So, what’s the point?
After 11 weeks of play in 2024, there have been a total of 10 one-point decision in the league. A year ago, there were 14 such contests, and in 2022 a total of 14 one-point games. Dating back to the merger in 1970, the most single-point decisions in a season came in 1988 (19).
130
Dan Campbell’s club has run roughshod over many opponents this season, and has really had its way with clubs from the AFC South. The first-place Detroit Lions rolled up 645 yards of total offense last Sunday at Ford Field in a 52-6 victory over the Jaguars.
It was the second time this season that Campbell’s club reached that point total, and that was in a 52-14 win over the visiting Tennessee Titans in Week 8. In their three games vs. the Titans, Houston Texans, and Jaguars, Detroit has rolled up a combined 130 points and 16 offensive touchdowns. The Lions, winners of eight consecutive games, visit the 5-6 Colts this Sunday.
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It's gone a bit sideways for a team that in the previous five seasons has reached two Super Bowls, and the NFC Championship Game four times. Kyle Shanahan’s reigning conference champions have split their first 10 games, and thanks to a stunning 1-3 record vs. their NFC West rivals (including home losses to the Cardinals and Seahawks), the 49ers are technically the last-place team in the division.
Injuries have been a big factor, including the absence of Christian McCaffrey for the first eight games of the season. The Niners have also given up the ball 13 times in 10 games. A year ago, there were only 18 turnovers in 17 contests.