2018 Week 3 NFL Score Report

(The technical time might be an impossibility, but I am at least going to top-blog this bullshit in MLB...)

Something went Cuckoo For Cocoa Puffs this week.

Non-competitive losses for the Vikings, Packers, Patriots, and Broncos.

I mean, what are we looking at here?

NFC:  Rams 1, Philly 2, then some melange of Carolina/New Orleans/Tampa, Chicago...
AFC:  Who knows on the seedings, but Miami, Kansas City (Mahomes has been getting most of the quarterback jocking so far this year!), Baltimore, Jacksonville, Tennessee, and Not New England???

Imagine trying to sell THOSE playoffs...

Well, after this week, it is beginning to look more a possibility...

• Last year's per-game Week 3 was 49.9.  This year, it dropped almost five points to 45.1875.
• Per-game average for the three weeks:  This year?  46.4375  Last year?  43.787

So it's still a field goal to the good year-over-year.

• Home teams were 11-5 this week, 30-16-2 (.645) for the year.  Last year:  10-5 for 26-20 (.565)

Anyone thinking we may actually also be seeing home teams winning to pump up the attendance numbers, since it is clear that the league is getting embarrassed by some of the pictures of "crowds" at the games?

• The Over went 8-8 this week for 25-23 -- a slight winner season-long for Vegas.  Last year:  11-4-1 (note the almost 50 PPG) to erase most of the early-season discrepancy.

Look a bit deeper in the totals, though.  There were FIVE Vegas totals of 50 points or more, including both Sunday Night and Monday Night.  The Over was 4-1! 

1. KC-SF went 65 on a total of 54.
2. NO-ATL went 80 on a total of 54.  Second game this year that New Orleans has reached or passed 80 total.
3. The Rams and Chargers went 58 on a total of 50.
4. The one Under was the shocker in Detroit, where they and New England went only 36 on a total of 56.
5. And Pittsburgh and Tampa went 57 on a total of 56.  (Highest total since last year's Super Bowl Rematch totaled 57 Week 7 SNF.)

Nine of those games total this year, the Over is 6-3.

I will probably have to dig, but I do believe that is an NFL record for a week -- FIVE 50+ point Vegas totals.

• And it's 3 for 3.  For the third week in a row, Vegas favorites lost against the number.  7-9 this week.  And only 9-7 straight up.  Last year:  4-12 ATS  8-8 SU
• Season:  19-28-1 ATS, 27-19(-2) SU.  Last year:  19-28 ATS, 29-18 SU.

I'm really beginning to think this malarkey with the rule book is creating a mass paradigm shift in the league.  Minnesota and Green Bay are 1-1-1, New England is a moribund 1-2.

And all those who went to Vegas (or other legal states) and got on the money line for Buffalo probably ate like kings Sunday night -- the Money Line at the Superbook in Vegas?  +1000 -- TEN TO ONE!!!

• Team with more penalties was 7-9 this week.  18-22 for the year.  Last year:  6-9 for 21-22/
• Number of penalties was back up.  232 this week for 693 for the year (about 14.5 per game)  Last year was a big penalty week 3:  251 (almost 16!)  for 706.
• ESPN notes, however, that there have already been FIVE NFL ejections this year through just about three weeks.

And there should've been more.  This was a partial list of the 22 penalties in Monday night's game:

1. Roughness penalty on Pittsburgh after the first Tampa TD.
2. Roughness penalty on a hit on the Tampa QB as a runner on the next Tampa drive.
3. Roughing the Passer on Tampa on the next drive.
4. Face Mask, Pittsburgh
5. Next play:  Roughness, Pittsburgh
6. After a Pittsburgh pick:  Roughing the Passer, Tampa
7. After a punt, Roughing the Passer, Pittsburgh!
8. On a late second-quarter field goal drive, ANOTHER Roughing the Passer, Pittsburgh
9. 4th quarter, punt to Pittsburgh, Roughness penalty, Darrius Heyward-Bey
10. On the ensuing punt back, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, Darrius Heyward-Bey...
11. And I forgot a Chop Block somewhere in there!

That's ELEVEN fifteen yard penalties in the game.  I think the Fine Blotter is going to be quite full this week.

Four Roughness penalties on Pittsburgh.

Four Roughing the Passer penalties in the game.

And Darrius Heyward-Bey gets consecutive punt 15's.

Hey, NFL, you getting the impression yet the players are actually getting MORE VIOLENT?

To wrap it up:

• 1 Cliffhanger, the overtime game.
• 7 each of games finishing within eight points and non-competitive.  (As many of the latter as had been the first two weeks.
• 2 Last Chance Misses.  (Indy had two shots to punch it in the end zone against Philly in the last 1:19, and an onside kick missed in the Miami-Oakland game)
• Last year:  4 Cliffhangers, 8 finished within 8, 5 non-competitives, 2 Last Chance Misses.
• Year totals:  This year:  6 Cliffhangers, 28 games within one score, 14 each non-competitive and Last Chance Miss
• Last year:  7 Cliffhangers, 20 within a score, 19 non-competitive, 8 Last Chance Misses.