Seven & Out – Week #12

Seven & Out – Week #12
By Michael – Louis Ingram
BASN/FRO
 
PHILADELPHIA (BASN/FRO): We interrupt this Seven & Out to throw down on some thanks -and some giving; and a reminder that there is a place for all God’s creatures – right next to the mashed sweet potatoes, collard greens and gravy!!!
 
(Burp – excuse me);
 
Okay, hand me a napkin – new shooter coming out…
 
 
DUELING DUOS:  A record that hadn’t been topped since 1964 was surpassed twice on Sunday.  The Chicago Bears tandem of wide receiver JOHNNY MORRIS (77) and Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end MIKE DITKA (59) combined for 136 catches through the first 10 games of the 1964 season.  In 1995, the Detroit Lions wide receiver duo of HERMAN MOORE (73) and BRETT PERRIMAN (63) equaled that total.
 
(Somewhere Wayne Fontes is smiling; and the police are still looking for Scott Mitchell – for stealing that money that should’ve gone to getting Barry Sanders some real help!)
 
 
 
During the Indianapolis Colts’ 17-15 win against Baltimore in yesterday’s 1:00 PM ET game, wide receiver REGGIE WAYNE (76 catches through 10 games) and DALLAS CLARK (65) combined for eight catches, establishing a record of 141 combined catches through the first 10 games of the season.
 
(Everyone knows he’s good; but no one ever says how great Reggie Wayne really is!)
 
 
Later on Sunday, the New England Patriots wide receiver combo of WES WELKER (79) and RANDY MOSS (63) combined for 20 catches in a 31-14 win over the New York Jets in a 4:15 PM ET contest, giving the pair 142 combined receptions through 10 games to surpass the hours-old record set earlier in the day by Wayne-Clark.
 
 
(If he hasn’t already, Welker should name his first/next kid Randy)
 
 
The most combined receptions by teammates in the first 10 games of a season in NFL history:
 
TEAM
PLAYERS (RECEPTIONS)
COMBINED REC.
2009 New England Patriots
WR Wes Welker (79) & WR Randy Moss (63)
142
2009 Indianapolis Colts
WR Reggie Wayne (76) & TE Dallas Clark (65)
141
1964 Chicago Bears        
WR Johnny Morris (77) & TE Mike Ditka (59)
136
1995 Detroit Lions
WR Herman Moore (73) & WR Brett Perriman (63)
136
2007 Cincinnati Bengals
WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (76) & WR Chad Ochocinco (59)
135
1994 Minnesota Vikings
WR Cris Carter (77) & WR Jake Reed (58)
135
 
 
 
MANNING STREAK CONTINUES:  Indianapolis quarterback PEYTON MANNING passed for 299 yards against Baltimore.  Manning, who has 3,171 passing yards this year, has now thrown for at least 3,000 yards in 12 consecutive seasons, the most to start a career in NFL history.
 
 
(The best just keep getting better…)
 
 
SUCCESS ON THE ROAD:  Three teams successfully defended their undefeated road records yesterday to improve to 5-0 away from home: Arizona (21-13 win at St. Louis), Indianapolis (17-15 win at Baltimore) and New Orleans (38-7 win at Tampa Bay). 
 
 
(Give Arizona credit for doing a 180 degree turnabout on road games; they’ve gone from terrible – to terror…)
 
 
With three 5-0 road teams, the 2009 season is now tied for the most ever.  There have been three other seasons in which three teams started 5-0 on the road (1983, 2001, 2007).  All three of this year’s 5-0 road teams are in first place in their respective divisions.
 
(But I see only one of those teams in Miami come February – The Indianapolis Colts)
 
 
DRIVE TIME UPDATE:  Sustaining drives on offense has long been an indicator of NFL success.  This year, the top five NFL offenses in yards per drive have a combined record of 40-10 (.800).  Four of those five teams currently sit atop their respective divisions – Indianapolis, New England, New Orleans, and Dallas.
 
 
The NFL’s two remaining undefeated teams, the Colts (36.9 yards per drive) and Saints (34.7), rank first and third in the category.
 
 
The top NFL offenses in average yards per drive in 2009:
 
TEAM
AVG. YARDS PER DRIVE
RECORD
Indianapolis Colts*  
36.9
10-0
New England Patriots*   
36.2
7-3
New Orleans Saints*  
34.7
10-0
Pittsburgh Steelers
34.2
6-4
Dallas Cowboys*  
34.0
7-3
* Division leader
 
 
 
T-WHOA!:  Buffalo wide receiver TERRELL OWENS posted a season-high 197 receiving yards in the Bills’ 18-15 loss at Jacksonville.  Owens’ 98-yard touchdown reception, the longest in team history, gives him 25 career 50-yard touchdowns from scrimmage (rushing or receiving), tying him with Pro Football Hall of Famer LENNY MOORE for the fourth-most in NFL history.
 
 
(Yet we know scumbags like Skip Bayless constantly lobby against Owens and his inevitable first ballot inclusion into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Again – the man has never committed any criminal offense, but is made a caricature by the likes of invertebrates like Bayless & Ed Werder, who Owens said was a straight up liar; and was not proven to be wrong; one can only imagine the discussion in that smoke-filled room!)
 
 
The players with the most 50-yard touchdowns from scrimmage (rushing or receiving) in NFL history:
 
PLAYER
50-YARD TDs
Jerry Rice
36
Randy Moss*
27
Lance Alworth
27
Terrell Owens*
25
Lenny Moore
25
* Active
 
 
 
 
WHAT A CATCH:  New England wide receiver WES WELKER had 15 catches for 192 yards in the Patriots’ 31-14 win over the New York Jets.  Welker has 302 receptions in his first 40 games with the Patriots and is the first player in NFL history to record 300 catches in the first 40 games with a new team.  The previous record for the most receptions in a player’s first 40 games with a new team was 269 by Denver’s LIONEL TAYLOR. 
 
The players with the most receptions in their first 40 games with a new team (rookies and veterans):
 
PLAYER
TEAM
RECEPTIONS
WR Wes Welker
Patriots
302
WR Lionel Taylor
Broncos
269
WR Anquan Boldin
Cardinals
259
WR Terance Mathis
Falcons
239
RB Marshall Faulk
Rams
228
WR Tom Fears
Rams
228
 
 
 
 
(Here’s the unfairness in it all; some fantasy football asswipe will make a case for Welker as a HOF receiver; but won’t do the research to make a similar argument for Harold Carmichael, Harold Jackson – or Lionel Taylor).
 
 
 
As always, gang – once the point is made, don’t throw a seven – or you will…crap out!