2018 NFL Week 5 Score Report

Most points, most touchdowns, most touchdown passes...

Those had all been broken for the first four weeks of the season this year.

So how'd Week 5 go?

• Week 5 points per game:  47.27      Last year: 43.36        Two years ago:  44.64 
• 5 Week Total points per game:  47.90      Last year: 43.90        Two years ago:  45.38
• Home teams 12-3 for the week, 51-25-2 for the year, a full .667.
• Home teams are now winning TWO THIRDS of all games.
• Last year:  4-10 for 37-38.  Two years ago:  7-7 for 41-35.
• Over was 7-7-1 for the week (PIT-ATL pushed at a total of 58!!!!) for 41-36-1 overall.  Last year:  7-7 for 36-37-4.  Two years ago:  7-7 for 41-35.
• Favorites:  7-8 against the number, 10-5 straight up.  For the year:  34-42-2 ATS, 49-27 SU.
• Last year:  8-6 both ways for 34-43 ATS, 46-31 SU.  Two years ago: 7-6-1 ATS and 8-6 SU for 34-35-1 ATS and 40-30 SU.
• Still through five weeks, you could bet the money line better on a straight home-team basis than on the favorites straight up.
• Ben Fawkes of ESPN Chalk noted that the Rams covering against the Seahawks were the biggest bet of the week.  The now-Super Bowl favorite undefeated Rams did NOT cover the 7.5.
• There were SIX 50+ point Vegas totals this week.  The Over was 4-1-1 in those six games.
• There have now been, through Week 5, NINETEEN 50+ point Vegas total.  The Over is 11-7-1! 
• The 58 total on PIT-ATL is the highest Vegas NFL total since the final week of the 2016 season.  New Orleans and Atlanta kicked at 58.5 -- and totaled 70!!!
• According to Pro Football Reference (which also gave the last factoid):  The record for the highest Vegas total in history is The Greatest Show on Turf vs. San Francisco.  That game kicked at SIXTY-THREE.  Total score was 58.  A 60 in Week 16 of 2004 between Kansas City and Oakland totaled 61.
• The 58 total is tied with several other games for the eighth highest Vegas total in history.
• Team with more penalties is 4-9 this week, 26-38 for the year.
• 198 penalties this week, 13.2 a game.  1080 accepted penalties for the year, 13.8 per game.
• 4 Cliffhangers this week, including a 63 yard field goal at the gun for the winner in Carolina.  Last year had 3, two years ago had 2.
• Only 7 of the 15 games finished within 8 points.  Last year had 11, two years ago had 7.
• 5 non-competitive games and only one Last Chance Miss.
• Totals:  17 Cliffhangers (15 past year, 14 two years ago).  
• 44 games end within one score.  (Last year:  40, Two years ago:  53)
• 23 non-competitive games.  (Last year:  27, Two years ago:  19)
• 16 Last Chance Misses (Last year:  15, Two years ago:  19)

And now the early ratings numbers:

• National Window:  14.2 (down 8%)  But if you take out the Cowboys national windows, it's only second to SNF Packers-Bears.
• SNF had the Cowboys instead, and drew 12.4, biggest SNF Week 5 in three years.
• Regional Window:  9.2 (up 5%)
• Singleheader Window:  9.0  (All square)

Orgy of Violence In The Octagon: Don't Look So Shocked

Well, there you go.  I think people like one reader of my blog who is sick of world's lust for bloodsport now have all the ammunition they'll ever need.

Khalib Nurmagomedov exposed Conor McGregor tonight and probably hastened his route to the WWE with a dominant fourth-round stoppage.  (Seeing the fight, the referee should've stopped it in Round 2.)

But almost no one will remember that.  It's what happened afterward that will get all the attention.

For the record, before the fight, Brendan Schaub, an MMA podcaster, said THIS to Dana White's face:

And he was proven 100% correct, as you saw!  Here's a full 2-minute video...

צילום מתוך האולם של הקרב. וגם של הסיום של חביב-מקגרגור pic.twitter.com/7DtRWJK79m

— Ram Gilboa (@RamGilboa) October 7, 2018

Khalib, after submitting Conor, actually begins to bad-mouth Conor and physically push his head down, and referee Herb Dean had to hard-shove Khalib off.  That's one problem for the UFC and the NSAC.

Then, the big one.  Khalib is basically feeling his oats at this point, and points out, and then throws his mouthpiece at, McGregor team member Dillon Danis, at which point he jumps the fence to go after Danis with a dropkick.  An absolute melee, which, counting security, probably numbered over 50, broke out both out and inside the octagon.

McGregor was jumped by a Khalib team member in a red shirt at one point from behind.

Eventually, three men were arrested, but McGregor didn't want to press charges.  That shouldn't have mattered.

They incited a riot halfway up and down the Strip -- at least four or five videos surfaced within minutes of fights throughout the T-Mobile Arena.

Hey, NSAC...  Is THIS going to be the moment you finally bring Dana White under the gun and really investigate UFC for everything it has represented, or will it take another Brock Lesnar failed drug test in the Cormier cash-fest coming up to do it?

If the New York State Athletic Commission follows the law, this doesn't happen.

If the New York courts didn't openly declare Conor McGregor Too Big To Jail, this doesn't happen.

If the Nevada State Athletic Commission did it's damn job, this doesn't happen.

And yet, the vast bulk of responsibility actually goes to the other guy and his team.  Khalib Nurmagomedov should be BANNED from all sports.  I don't give a damn if that's one moment of emotion -- that's Malice in the Palace level shit.

This bloodsport is proving to be everything people wanted to ban (except the "human cockfighting" element, to most extent) back in the day.

NFL Fine Blotter Part Two: And I think here's the start of Week Four!

• Los Angeles Chargers:  Darius Philon:  $20,054 for Roughing the Passer
• Seattle Seahawks:  The continuing saga of Earl Thomas.  He apparently gave the middle finger to the Seahawks' sideline after being carted off in his first action since his holdout for a new deal.  The league gave him a $13,369 fine for it. 
• Kansas City Chiefs:  Kareem Hunt:  $26,739, helmet rule.
• Minnesota Vikings:  Xavier Rhodes:  $13,369 for unsportsmanlike conduct.
• And that makes the Vikings not only five for five in fine reports (including the preseason), but also the first team to get to Level 1, and are fined an additional $50,000 as a result.
• Chicago Bears:  Akiem Hicks should've been suspended for this, but was fined $33,425 for violent contact with an official, for which he was ejected.
• Atlanta Falcons:  Brian Poole, now a THREE-TIME LOSER in two weeks.  $26,739 for helmet to helmet.
• And the Falcons are also five for five - but their total has not quite yet reached Level 1. 
• Poole played for free last week, and then some.  He makes $37,059 a game.  He was fined $40,108 last week, so he OWED $4,049 from that -- now add this $26,739...  He's made only $6,271 for the last two games.  He'd have been better off suspended.
• Green Bay Packers:  Brian Martinez:  $13,369 for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.  You can't remove your helmet in anger on the field, Brian!
• Green Bay Packers:  Josh Jackson:  $10,026 for unnecessary roughness.

Could be more coming -- Week 3 was reported Tuesday, Week 4 dribbling out today.

Couple of interesting notes, as things stand:

• The Vikings are already, with their penalty, over $200,000 in fines, taking just the preseason and four weeks to amass the $140,000+ to get Level 1.
• The league is now over $1.1 million in Player Safety and Conduct fines.
• And, as of right now, there are only four clean sheets left.  Tennessee, Washington, Philadelphia (!!!! -- they were one of the biggies early last season!), and Arizona.

NFL Fine Blotter Part One: FINALLY, I think we get Week 3...

Took a damn long time to do it (the article I'm finding these in was dated the 2nd -- so this Tuesday night)...

But I think, as a result, we get Week 3 from this, and will look for more:

• New York Jets:  Isaiah Crowell was, at least per this article, only fined the $13,369 for the TD celebration.  Should've been fined another $20,054 for firing two balls into the stands, but no word I can find yet as to whether those fines were imposed.
• Atlanta Falcons:  Brian Poole, a TWO-TIME LOSER in Week 3:  $20,054 each for Roughing the Passer and for a horse collar.  $40.108.
• Minnesota Vikings:  Anthony Barr, another TWO-TIME LOSER in Week 3:  $10,026 for a facemask and $20,054 for a horse collar.  $30,080
• San Francisco 49ers:  Antone Exum:  $26,739 for unnecessary roughness
• Jacksonville Jaguars:  Malik Jackson:  $26,739 for a helmet foul on roughing the passer.
• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Darrius Heyward-Bey: You know this from the Monday nighter:  $26,739 for verbal abuse of the officials.
• Buffalo Bills:  Tre'Davious White:  $26,739 for a helmet foul.
• Minnesota Vikings:  Linval Joseph and
• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Sean Davis, each $20.054 for Roughing the Passer
• Denver Broncos:  Philip Lindsay:  $10,026 for the punch which got him tossed.
• Miami Dolphins:  Akeem Spence and
• Miami Dolphins:  Andre Branch, each $10,026 for Unnecessary Roughness.  Branch is now a TWO-TIME LOSER.
• Pittsburgh Steelers:  Jon Bostic, also $10,026 for Unnecessary Roughness
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers:  Peyton Barber:  $10,026 for a Chop Block (thought that one was far higher on the fine schedule).

Suspension Blotter: Both baseball and hockey screw it up.

Baseball first:

• Chicago Cubs:  Addison Russell draws a 40-game domestic violence suspension (the day after the Cubs are eliminated), with credit for time already served, for the rumored incident on his ex-wife's blog.

Once again, a Preferred Six player skates.

Not surprising, if you take a look at the history of the domestic violence suspensions:

• Roberto Osuna of Toronto:  75
• Jose Torres of San Diego:  100
• Steven Wright of Boston:  15
• Hector Olivera of Cobb County got half a season, though
• Jose Reyes of Colorado:  51
• Jeurys Familia of the Mets:  15
• Aroldis Chapman of the Yankees:  30

No favoritism at all here -- nah!!!

It's opening night of the NHL season, and the defending champs have lost someone for a long time:

• Washington Capitals:  Tom Wilson...

Went before Player Safety for this pre-season hit:


Player Safety called for an in-person hearing on it.

Wilson is banned for TWENTY games.

And when you hear the rest of this story, you'll understand why I would start the bidding at Raffi Torres' 41 game suspension a couple years back, and probably accept little less than the entire 2018-2019 season PLUS the playoffs.

He has played 361 NHL regular season games and 62 NHL playoff games since he started with Washington in 2013's playoffs.

43 goals, 909 penalty minutes.

But it's what he's done in the last 374 days which is why I would throw this guy out of the league:

• This isn't his first pre-season suspension either.  Sept. 22, 2017:  2 preseason games for a late hit.
• Last pre-season game 2017 (That's right, this is his THIRD pre-season suspension!!!)   First four games of the year for boarding.
• Playoffs 2017-8:  Three playoff games for a check to the head, causing concussion and broken jaw.
• And now this gets him 20.

GET THIS FUCKER OFF THE ICE PERMANENTLY OR RISK SOMEONE ELSE WILL!

NFL Suspension Blotter But you have no problem publicizing THIS...

• Seattle Seahawks:  Mychal Kendricks thrown out of the league (suspended indefinitely) for his Federal insider trading conviction.

And where's the 15 fineable incidents from Week 3's prime-time games, NFL?

2018 Week 4 NFL Score Report: In full control of the narrative...

• Well, I think it's pretty clear.  How much of this is the new rules and rulings and how much of this was counterprogramming Game 163 and the Divisional Tiebreaker Games, I don't know.
• But the NFL had one of it's highest scoring weeks on record, with an average game of 53.2 points a game.
• Week 14 of 2013 was the highest scoring weekend in the history of the NFL.  859 points on a full schedule for an average of 53.69.  There were two bye teams this week, so one fewer game for 798 points.  If the Sunday nighter hadn't gotten only 40, we probably break the 53.69 record (needing only another 8 points).
• The other MEGA NUMBER:  SEVEN Cliffhangers.  (This has happened before:  Week 4 of 2015 had 7.  Week 5 of that year had six more.  Week 8, six MORE  Also, Week 13 of 2015 had seven..)

That's right.  SEVEN of the fifteen games were decided with a tying or winning score in the last two minutes or one of the three overtime games.  Several had multiple:

1. Kansas City solidified it's position as the early-season choice for the Rams' patsy in SB LIII(e) with a winning touchdown on Monday night to get to 4-0 over Denver in the last two minutes.
2. Seattle beat Arizona with a field goal at the regulation gun.
3. Cincinnati upset Atlanta with a touchdown at five seconds to go -- that game totaled 73!
4. Dallas beat Detroit with a field goal three seconds left.
5. That rigged debacle in Oakland had a DOUBLE.  After the second rig-job (the spotting), Oakland quickly drove for the TD + 2 to tie at :36.  It took until 1:46 to go in the OT for them to get the winning field goal.
6. Tennessee upset Philly with a TRIPLE Cliffhanger.  Philly got a tying field goal to send it to overtime at :16.  Philly then won the toss and got a field goal after about a 4 minute drive.  After a defensive pass-interference call on 4th down extended the game for Tennessee, they get the winning TD at 17 seconds to go in the ten extra minutes.
7. But the honors for the week, and damn near all-time, have to go to the third overtime game, Indianapolis and Houston.  A QUADRUPLE Cliffhanger, PLUS...

• Indianapolis ties the game with a touchdown 45 seconds left in regulation.
• Indy wins the OT toss, drives for a field goal in 4 minutes.
• Houston then drives 4 minutes of it's own to square the game!
• THEN, Indianapolis, in a move many in Indiana are still trying to figure out, goes for it on fourth down at their own 40.  They don't get it...
• ... and Houston promptly wins it at the gun to get the final total to 71.

The four is probably a record.  (Only other two I can find with 4 were Week 8 2015 Carolina winning on MNF with a gun FG to send it to OT and three overtime field goals, and the one I'm about to mention.)

About the closest we've come to beating it was the Baltimore-Minnesota game in 2013 the NFL chronicles the end of in this YouTube video.

• BAL TD to snag the lead 2:07 -- no Cliffhanger there.
• MIN long running TD to retake the lead at 1:27
• Ensuing kickoff returned for a Baltimore TD.  That's 2.
• Next MIN drive:  SEVENTY NINE YARD TD swing pass (all run after the catch) 47 seconds.
• Winning BAL TD with 4 seconds on the clock.

That's a quadruple and a fifth seven seconds from the line!!

Here's the rest of this wild week:

• The season average is back to just a tick over 48.  Just a tick over 44 last year, 45 1/2 two years ago, 46 1/4 three years ago.
• Home teams were 9-6 last week for 39-22-2.  (.635)  Problem is that the first seven to finish all won at home.  7-8 last year for 33-28.  7-7 two years ago for 34-28.
• The Over was also 9-6, and now 34-29 makes the over a slight winning proposition for bettors if they consistently played it.  9-7 last year for still a game under .500.
• First week for this year that the favorites came in decently.  8-6-1 against the number, 12-3 straight up.  27-34-2 against the number for the year.  39-22-2 straight up.
• Four non-competitive games, 1 Last Chance Miss (Monday night!), and a total of nine games decided within eight points.
• 13 Cliffhangers for the season.  (Yep, more Cliffhangers this week than the first three combined!)  Last two years had 12, three years ago also had 13!
• 37 of the 63 games have finished 8 points or within.  29 last year.
• 15 total Last Chance Misses.
• Team with more penalties this week was 7-7 for 22-29.

And now for the most important numbers to the NFL, the early ratings numbers from Sports Media Watch:

• Week 4 National up over 10% to a 12.3, but the 12.3 is the lowest National this year and not close.
• Sunday Night was also a 12.3, and that was up 12%!
• Singleheader for FOX didn't do so well, an 11.7, down 7%.  Highest Singleheader window of the year, though.
• The Regional half of the CBS doubleheader only did a 9.2, but that was up 14%.