2021 Week 10 NFL Score Report

Yep.  We are officially in a rewrite.

The NFL has stepped in on a number of fronts.  Just not all that we expected, as you will see in this and the next two posts above it...

In no uncertain terms, if you were watching Monday Night Football, it was clear that the LA Rams threw the game tonight.

I mean, I'm writing this with the game still in progress -- but 4th and goal from the 11 and you're down 24...  And you throw a ball Kareem couldn't get to, Mr. Stafford.

But we'll address "Shut the fuck up, Kroenke" and "Get your house in order, Davis" soon enough.

Just the numbers on this post:

• The biggest number of the week -- zero.  Not only were there no games decided in the last minute of regulation and overtime, there were no Cliffhangers, period.  So it appears that the record that, three short weeks ago, the NFL was papering over some shit football with is finally getting further and further into the rear-view mirror.  (35 Cliffhangers for the season (30 within the last minute and overtime), last year had 2 in week 10 for 26 overall)
• Record Watch, such as it is:  2015 (which has 34 last-minute/OT lead changes/wins) Week 11 had 3, meaning 37 through 11 weeks.

So what do we get instead?

• Cleveland, one week after everyone thought they might be better without Odell laying a 45-7 egg to New England.
• Atlanta, which entered the week the 7 seed in the NFC, getting demolished 43-3 at Dallas.
• 8-1 Arizona hosting Carolina...  and losing 34-10 because, to the NFL, It's All About The Quarterback and No Kyler = No Dice.
• Marquee matchup of two returning big name QBs at Lambeau?  Seattle can't get anything started and loses 17-0.
• A Sunday nighter which, until you realize how much the Raiders organization is in the NFL doghouse, SHOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD:  41-14 to Mahomes and Kansas City.
• And a Monday nighter with the 7-2 LA Rams...  Conceding to kick the field goal and down 31-10 with less than 4 minutes to go and 3-6 San Francisco has the ball!
• (And due to the whole COVID thing, it's the first win for San Francisco at Levi's Stadium in over 13 months!!)
• Oh, and I forgot:  Again, in the NFL, All About The Quarterback...  So, No Captain Fatfuck???  You won't even beat the worst team in the NFL!!  Don't worry, the Lions won't win either.  Steelers and Lions draw at 16!!

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, after a very unGoodell week:

• Gonna have to look over the numbers, but it's one of the lowest scoring weeks since I started charting it.   43.07 for the week. For the 150 games of the season, the season average is now 46.49.
• Week 7 was lower, but the next one lower than that, as I said then, Week 12 of 2019.
• In the last five years, with Week 2 of 2019 and Week 15 of 2018 both in the 38s, there have been only five lower average-scoring weeks in the NFL.
• Last time season per-game scoring was this low was the 2019 season -- basically all of it.
• Through ten weeks, with three fewer games last year, the NFL has scored 404 fewer points this season, over four a game less.
• Home teams were 7-5-1 this week for 72-74-1.  (Last year:  11-3 for 76-70-1)
• Over was 5-9 this week for 65-83-2. (Last year:  5-9 for 76-67-4)
• And Vegas laughed all the way to the bank with the suckers' money again:  Favorites 5-8 against the number with one game kicking a pick.  7-5-1 straight up.  For the season:  62-85-1 against the number, 87-60-1 straight up.  (Last year:  ATS:  8-5-1 for 62-80-2  SU:  12-2 for 96-47-1)
• The last three weeks against the number:  Favorites are 12-28-1!!!!  (And only .500 straight up!!)
• Two stats that tell the story this week?  Of the 14 games, only four finished within one score.  69 for the year.  (46%)  (Last year:  8 for 77 total (52.4%))
• The other:  Half the 14 games ended non-competitive, including the Sunday nighter and the Monday nighter -- and the late Game of the Week would've if the Packers had deigned to score more than a field goal in the first 45 minutes.  57 of the 150 games so far have ended with the game, at no point, one score within at some point in the final 15 minutes.  (Last year:  4 for 45)
• 3 Last Chance Misses for 33 for the season.  (Last year:  2 for 47)
• And the team with more penalties was a flat 6-6 for the week, 62-69 for the season.  (Last year:  4-7 for 52-72)
• And 189 penalties for 13.5 a game this week.  Season:  1,888, or about 12.6 per game.  (Last year:  Week had 166 (11.8), year had 1,670 in 147 games (11.36))
• So about a penalty and a quarter more a game -- and it appears, from previous research, it's offensive holding and it being enforced this year.