oddball stuff you track

[rhickok1109]

About an hour after the Packers-Seahawks game ended last night, I saw something odd on Twitter. A guy indicated that since 2015 the Packers lead the league in most timeouts used prior to the 5:00 mark of the 4th quarter. (I wish I noted who put this out there. I can say it was an individual I never heard of before as opposed to the Elias Sports Bureau account or USA Today Sports or whatever).

I found it to be interesting although I don't know if it proves anything. The guy did seem to indicate that it proves Mike McCarthy does not know how to properly use timeouts. I think a lot of that kind of thing is circumstantial, but that maybe it just me.

Anyway, wow! People will track just about anything. I wonder what team leads in the department of most timeouts used prior to the 11:35 mark of the 4th quarter in all games since October 25, 2016. Somebody get on this now. I want an answer by 4 pm.

As a Packer fan, it's been quite noticeable to me that the Packers take an inordinate number of timeouts because the play clock is running out. That goes well back before 2015 but I don't think it pre-dates McCarthy's arrival.

[JWL]

^Yeah, I didn't doubt that Packers time out stat for a second. It does seem that the Packers do tend to use timeouts prior to the final few minutes of games. It's funny to me that somebody went through the trouble of doing the research on it. It is commendable too.

[JuggernautJ]

Re: Packers timeouts.

It may be the way in which McCarthy values the time out versus a delay penalty.
Some coaches would rather take the delay of game and save a timeout.
McCarthy seems to value the five yards more than the TO.

[rhickok1109]

Re: Packers timeouts.

It may be the way in which McCarthy values the time out versus a delay penalty.
Some coaches would rather take the delay of game and save a timeout.
McCarthy seems to value the five yards more than the TO.

I can't complain about that. But it does bother me that they often seem to have figuring out what play they're calling. It seems to happen much too often.

[Evan]

A while back I put together a list of "fumbles per touches" for about 50 historic running backs. I counted rushing attempts, receptions, kickoff and punt returns, even pass attempts, and divided by fumbles, with data from pro football reference.

The top six were Curtis Martin (1 every 138 touches), Ladainian Tomlinson (123), Warrick Dunn (123), Fred Taylor (105), Corey Dillon (102) and Marshall Faulk (100). I was surprised that Dunn was so high, he wasn't a big guy and I would think defenders would have tried extra hard to pop that ball away from him. Good on you Warrick.

The worst were Terry Metcalf (1 every 20 touches), Tommy Mason (22), Greg Pruitt (22), Ollie Matson (24), Wendell Tyler (25) and Hugh McElhenny (26). I wonder how many of those fumbles came on blind-side tackles in the open field where they slung the ball out away from their bodies while making a cut.

Also, not that I'm tracking the following tidbits per se, but kind of noticing them, and could use some help from the Forum:

Was Jim O'Brien in 1972 the last player to kick a FG, an extra point, and catch a TD pass on a play from scrimmage (not on a fake FG attempt) in the same game?

Placekick holders also intrigue me, as I think that is a very tough job that is taken for granted. The most famous placekick holder play might have been Tony Romo's bumble.

Most people can't name the holders on the most famous FGs in NFL history, such as those kicked by Summerall, Myhra, Yepremian, Vinatieri, Dempsey etc. (Joe Scarpati is one of my favorite names).

I kind of track starting QBs who have been holders. I think the only Hall of Fame QBs who also held for at least a portion of their careers were: Layne, Starr, Dawson, Tarkenton, Griese, Jurgensen, Stabler, Montana. Other notable QBs who held were Conerly, Lamonica, Morrall. Others who come to mind?

Anyone know if Tittle, Van Brocklin, Waterfield, Luckman, Baugh, Graham, Herber held? I don't believe Unitas, Staubach, Namath, Bradshaw or any of the modern QBs (Favre, Marino, Aikman, Young, Elway, Fouts, Kelly, Moon, Warner) ever held.

The last starting QB to hold for kicks in the Super Bowl was Theismann in Jan. 1983 I believe.

Also, I can't seem to think of a single African-American placekick holder. Anyone?

Other non-quarterback Hall of Famers who held were Krause, Wehrli, Largent, Larry Wilson. Anyone else?

[JWL]

I have football cards that show Jay Novacek holding for kicks. If I noticed it at the time, then I didn't find it odd. Here in 2018, if we saw a tight end holding, I think most of us would find it odd.

[Rupert Patrick]

The last starting QB to hold for kicks in the Super Bowl was Theismann in Jan. 1983 I believe.

Just checked it on the Youtube to verify - Theismann held for Moseley in Super Bowl XVIII also.

[JeffreyMiller]

Most people can't name the holders on the most famous FGs in NFL history, such as those kicked by Summerall, Myhra, Yepremian, Vinatieri, Dempsey etc. (Joe Scarpati is one of my favorite names).

Conerly, Taseff, Morrall, … don't know, Scarpati … How'd I do?

Also, Marlin Briscoe held for Bills kickers in the early 70s

[SixtiesFan]

A while back I put together a list of "fumbles per touches" for about 50 historic running backs. I counted rushing attempts, receptions, kickoff and punt returns, even pass attempts, and divided by fumbles, with data from pro football reference.

The top six were Curtis Martin (1 every 138 touches), Ladainian Tomlinson (123), Warrick Dunn (123), Fred Taylor (105), Corey Dillon (102) and Marshall Faulk (100). I was surprised that Dunn was so high, he wasn't a big guy and I would think defenders would have tried extra hard to pop that ball away from him. Good on you Warrick.

The worst were Terry Metcalf (1 every 20 touches), Tommy Mason (22), Greg Pruitt (22), Ollie Matson (24), Wendell Tyler (25) and Hugh McElhenny (26). I wonder how many of those fumbles came on blind-side tackles in the open field where they slung the ball out away from their bodies while making a cut.

Also, not that I'm tracking the following tidbits per se, but kind of noticing them, and could use some help from the Forum:

Was Jim O'Brien in 1972 the last player to kick a FG, an extra point, and catch a TD pass on a play from scrimmage (not on a fake FG attempt) in the same game?

Placekick holders also intrigue me, as I think that is a very tough job that is taken for granted. The most famous placekick holder play might have been Tony Romo's bumble.

Most people can't name the holders on the most famous FGs in NFL history, such as those kicked by Summerall, Myhra, Yepremian, Vinatieri, Dempsey etc. (Joe Scarpati is one of my favorite names).

I kind of track starting QBs who have been holders. I think the only Hall of Fame QBs who also held for at least a portion of their careers were: Layne, Starr, Dawson, Tarkenton, Griese, Jurgensen, Stabler, Montana. Other notable QBs who held were Conerly, Lamonica, Morrall. Others who come to mind?

Anyone know if Tittle, Van Brocklin, Waterfield, Luckman, Baugh, Graham, Herber held? I don't believe Unitas, Staubach, Namath, Bradshaw or any of the modern QBs (Favre, Marino, Aikman, Young, Elway, Fouts, Kelly, Moon, Warner) ever held.

The last starting QB to hold for kicks in the Super Bowl was Theismann in Jan. 1983 I believe.

Also, I can't seem to think of a single African-American placekick holder. Anyone?

Other non-quarterback Hall of Famers who held were Krause, Wehrli, Largent, Larry Wilson. Anyone else?

Out of curiosity, I went to Pro Football Reference and checked fumbles for touches on four historic running backs. Jim Brown (1 every 43 touches), Jim Taylor (64), O.J. Simpson (43), Walter Payton (51).

[John Grasso]

Also, I can't seem to think of a single African-American placekick holder. Anyone?

That's probably because the holder is more often than not the punter and
there have been very few black punters.