As you get to settle down to the Tryptophan Tripleheader today, here's the Score Update for Week 11
2012 Week 11 averaged 46.71 points per game, with the 59-24 New England rout of Indianapolis being the second-highest scoring game of the season and another game (Houston 43 - Jacksonville 37) the third-highest.
That, since 2001 is the highest Week 11 average, by over a point over 2010.
2012 still is on record-scoring pace, the average NFL game now going over 46 points a game at 46.05, effectively two full points over last year.
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Last week, I said I would examine something Brian pointed out: The number of games decided in the last two minutes and overtime.
Through Week 9, Brian noted that 31 out of the 132 games played to that point had the winning score during either the last two minutes of the 4th quarter or the game went to overtime and had a winner.
In Week 10, we had a game go to overtime with no winner (49ers-Rams).
As for games which would qualify, out of the other 13:
Bills-Patriots did not, though the Bills had the ball for most of the final 2 minutes, down 37-31.
The only game to qualify that week was the other overtime game of the week, the Monday nighter between Pittsburgh and Kansas City. So through 146 games, 32 were won in the final two minutes or overtime, with one game going overtime to no decision.
Week 11:
Green Bay-Detroit qualifies. The winning touchdown started before the 2:00 warning, but the play ended after the clock went under 2:00 (Rodgers to Cobb)
Carolina-Tampa Bay and Cleveland-Dallas both went to overtime to decisions, so they count.
Houston and Jacksonville went to overtime, and, with the new rules, may well have set a record in the NFL with the maximum THREE overtime scores before Houston was finally able to win 43-37. Matt Schaub nearly broke the NFL record for passing yards in a game. (A field-goal by the team winning the toss no longer wins the game automatically then and there. A touchdown still does.)
So, of the 14 games in week 11, 3 went to overtime to winners and a fourth had it's game-winning score in the last two minutes of regulation.
Hence, through 160 games, 36 were won in the final two minutes and overtime, and a 37th went to overtime and went to no winner.
Well, like you say, the house always wins. I've noticed it a lot more this year than other seasons. It's as if the NFL would just rather have close games and a game winning drive in the final 2 minutes of the 4th Quarter or OT.
ReplyDeleteThere has been MANY games that should have been blow outs that turned into close matches, especially the prime time games. Of course they want you to keep watching up to the very end, nothing is a coincidence in the NFL!