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Krykslants: NFL scoring on pace to be lowest since 1994

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Insight, hindsight and foresight as we segue from Week 2 to Week 3 in NFL action:

OPENING KICKOFF

For starters: perspective on the big news

Scoring is down in the NFL. Significantly.

Including Detroit’s 24-10 win Monday night at the New York Giants, teams this season are averaging 20.1 points per outing. That’s on pace to be the league’s lowest since 1993, according to annual stats posted at Pro-Football-Reference.com.

To put the 20.1 per-game output in further perspective, from 1994 to 2007 NFL teams averaged in the range of 20-21 points per game. From 2008 through last season, the average range rose to 22-23 -- making it the NFL’s highest-scoring era since the early 1960s. Indeed, the past five seasons produced the highest such averages of any five-year span in NFL history, with scoring ranging annually from 22.6 to 23.4 points per game.

Suddenly this season, however -- pffffft.

Two weeks isn’t much of a trend, granted. But, as we Canadians all know, at this time of year you only have to take one whiff at night to know if a skunk’s nearby. What reeks, reeks. NFL teams averaged 20.2 points per game in Week 1, and after Monday night averaged barely 20.1 in Week 2, for a 20.1 two-week average. You have to go back to 1993 for a lower average, of 18.7 points per game.

The deeper into this you look, the uglier it gets.

Six of 30 teams this week amassed single-digit point totals. Eleven teams scored fewer than 14, and 20 teams (nearly two-thirds of the league) scored fewer than 21. And the weather again on Sunday and Monday night was absolutely beautiful, everywhere -- so no excuses there.

Ugly yardage totals further reflect the drop in offensive production.

Fourteen of 30 teams playing in Week 1 (Miami and Tampa Bay had emergency byes owing to Hurricane Irma) failed to gain as many as 300 total yards. While that number dropped in Week 2 to 11 teams, if you raise that threshold by just 20 yards, to 320, you find that 15 teams failed to hit it this week.

And only four teams cracked the 400-yard threshold, one week after only three teams did.

Probably the worst offensive showing by any team thus far occurred at Carolina on Sunday, where QB Tyrod Taylor and the Buffalo Bills gained just 176 total yards -- 52 of which came against soft coverage on Buffalo’s final desperation drive, which died 13 yards shy of the red zone. The Bills could barely advance the ball before that last drive, picking up just seven first downs while averaging an abysmal 3.4 yards per play.

Part and parcel is the dearth of touchdowns. Two teams haven’t even scored one yet: Cincinnati and San Francisco. After two games! Four other teams this week didn’t score a touchdown.

Reasons for all this? Pretty simple: (1) too many bad quarterbacks, (2) too many bad offensive lines and (3) some defences are better than expected.

Look, the winds of late autumn and the biting cold and snow of early winter are coming. Offences had better start scoring while the sun shines, or that 20.1 number will look good come the new year.

TRENDS NOT COINCIDENCES

It happened again, so it probably will happen again

1. Need anymore proof that Kansas City Chiefs rookie running back Kareem Hunt is the real deal? I don’t. That Eagles front seven he burst through, on his latest exhilarating long TD run, is good. The kid is fun to watch, he opens up things offensively for Alex Smith and his receivers and has to be the sure-fire frontrunner for NFL rookie-of-the-year.

2. For the fourth consecutive season Sean Payton’s New Orleans Saints aren’t just 0-2, but an ugly 0-2. Points allowed in those eight games, in order: 35, 16, 31, 26, 37, 26, 29, 36. Even worse news for Saints fans? The three previous teams kept struggling, especially on defence. All were 1-3 after four games. It’s rare to make the playoffs out of such a deep hole.

3. Under head coach Bruce Arians since 2013, the Arizona Cardinals have not lost in overtime. They’re 3-0-1. Probably a big reason is that Arians by nature is an aggressive coach, and come overtime he becomes even more so. Conservativism doesn’t usually win in OT.

HERO

Trevor Siemian, QB, Denver Broncos

Seen last year as the one-year placeholder QB between Peyton Manning and Paxton Lynch, Siemian had to fight for his starting job all over in spring and summer. It was no contest; Siemian was better by far than Lynch. He’s continuing to prove his doubters wrong, and is flourishing within Mike McCoy’s aggressive passing concepts. Four TD throws on 22-of-32 throwing against Dallas showed the third-year Siemian is in his element.

ZERO

Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys.

If you haven’t seen it yet, look it up. In the third quarter of the Cowboys’ loss at Denver, Dallas QB Dak Prescott was intercepted. There’s TV footage showing Elliott literally just standing there, hands on hips, as the Broncos’ interceptor raced away. Elliott made zero effort to try to track him down. Listen, Elliott deserved much fairer treatment by the NFL over allegations of his domestic-violence. But the kid has some serious entitlement/attitude issues. Was he pouting over his NFL-worst eight-yard rushing output? Shouldn’t matter, of course. Is Elliott gong to wind up a bright star who burns out fast?

STOCK UP

Philadelphia Eagles

No team looked better in defeat Sunday. With a promising young hotshot QB in Carson Wentz, better receivers this year, and a defence boasting one of the league’s top front-sevens, the Eagles should surprise teams all season long. As they did in Kansas City on Sunday, in a close game eventually won 27-20 by the Chiefs. The Philly line has to run-block better, and the secondary is pure patchwork, but the Eagles are 1-1 heading home for the first time in 2017, after a pair of promising road efforts.

STOCK DOWN

Younghoe Koo, PK, Los Angeles Chargers.

Born in South Korea and an undrafted rookie from Georgia Southern University, Koo’s pro kicking career has begun horribly. He had a game-winning 44-yard field goal blocked at the end of LA’s Week 1 loss at Denver, then had another such 44-yarder sail wide right at the end of Sunday’s Week 2 loss to Miami, after earlier missing a 43-yarder.

INSIDE FOOTBALL

Shining more light on a strategic decision

Seems it isn’t just a handful of teams anymore that have different running backs for entirely different purposes. Like the Patriots or Saints. The way Bill Belichick shuffles his New England lineups, a back who stars one week might not even start, or even dress, in another.

Looks like you can add the Eagles to that group.

In Week 1’s win at Washington, newly acquired LeGarrette Blount (the ex-Patriot) -- a downhill pounder -- started, got 23 snaps and led the Eagles in rushing with a modest 46 yards on 14 carries. Backups Wendell Smallwood (a speed back) and Darren Sproles (a classic, shifty, good-hands third-down back) added six yards on six carries, combined.

Totally different story at Kansas City on Sunday.

Sproles started and was on the field for 50 snaps, more than two-thirds of Philly’s offensive plays. Blount got in for only six plays and didn’t carry the ball once. Even Smallwood saw more playing time (14 snaps) than Blount.

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson on Monday was asked to explain.

“We’ve got roles for all the guys,” he said. “LeGarrette has a role, Sproles has a role, Wendell Smallwood and we even had (RB) Corey (Clement) a little role, a little piece of the pie.”

Pederson was criticized for calling so many pass plays (46) compared to runs (17), even though the game at KC was close, except for part of the final half-quarter.

“A lot of times, when you’re in these games like this, and you struggle to run your core runs, it becomes hard,” he said. “Yesterday I believe we had seven 3rd-and-10-pluses again, and then there were another five 3rd-and-7s, and that’s unacceptable. We can’t be in that many long-yardage situations in these football games. We’ve got to focus on the run game and we’ve got to get the run game fixed.”

In other words, expect more Blount.

NOW THAT WAS COOL

Did you see Marshawn Lynch dancing up a crazy storm in the fourth quarter of Oakland’s blowout homefield win over the New York Jets? When the rap song I’m Really From Oakland by Vell and DJ Mustard boomed over the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum PA system, that city’s favoured son, Lynch, couldn’t contain himself and danced demonstrably along the Raiders’ sideline, as you’ve never seen any football player do on a sideline during a game. Not everybody liked it, however …

ACTUAL QUOTE

“It irks my ever-living nerves. When I saw it happening, it was infuriating … That pissed me off. I’m an old-school guy. I don’t like when things like that happen. That was embarrassing, losing like that (45-20) and having Marshawn dance like that … That should infuriate (our) whole team.”

-- Jordan Jenkins, Jets LB, on Lynch’s sideline dance.

ACTUAL TWEET

“How to properly celebrate 10k snaps, should you ever find yourself in that situation [with accompanying photo of a glass and bottle of bourbon].”

-- Browns LT Joe Thomas (@joethomas73), after playing in his 10,000th consecutive play Sunday at Baltimore.

QUARTERBACK RANKINGS

My Top 20 active and available QBs, after Sunday games.

1. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay

2. Tom Brady, New England

3. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh

4. Derek Carr, Oakland

5. Matt Ryan, Atlanta

6. Drew Brees, New Orleans

7. Matthew Stafford, Detroit

8. Dak Prescott, Dallas

9. Alex Smith, Kansas City

10. Phil Rivers, LA Chargers

11. Russell Wilson, Seattle

12. Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay

13. Cam Newton, Carolina

14. Marcus Mariota, Tennessee

15. Carson Wentz, Philadelphia

16. Kirk Cousins, Washington

17. Eli Manning, NY Giants

18. Carson Palmer, Arizona

19. Joe Flacco, Baltimore

20. Jay Cutler, Miami

EXPORTS, EH?

Eye on Canadian-connected NFLers

Maybe it’ll go down as the Luke Leap. Midway through the second quarter of the Seahawks’ 12-9 defeat of San Francisco, Seahawks tight end Luke Willson of LaSalle, Ont., took a dump pass from Russell Wilson, charged up field and timed perfectly a hurdle leap over submarining 49ers tackler Jaquiski Tartt, to gain another five yards or so -- as Tartt wrapped up air behind him and tackled it to the ground. Willson caught three passes for 25 yards.

5 FAST FACTS

1. The Niners on third down so far are 4-of-23 (.174).

2. The Chiefs are averaging 10.04 yards per play on first down. Nuts.

3. The Pats have advanced into the red zone 13 times. Only one other team has done it more than eight times, the Broncos (9).

4. Three AFC West teams are undefeated: Raiders, Chiefs, Broncos.

5. NFL’s highest-scoring teams: Raiders (71 points), Chiefs (69), Broncos (66), Rams (66).

KNOW YOUR HISTORY

Thirty years ago this week, and two Atlanta stadiums ago, the Falcons’ Billy (White Shoes) Johnson became the NFL’s career leading punt returner after handling his 259th return, in a 21-20 upset win against the Washington Redskins. Johnson might have been the first NFLer to have creative, over-the-top fun in celebrating his touchdowns. He’d famously wiggle his knees before slam-spiking the ball.

THIS WEEK

Quick thoughts on Week 3 games (all on Sunday unless noted)

— Rams at 49ers, Thursday, 8:25 ET: Niners might not score a TD this week either. LA takes this.

— Ravens ‘at’ Jaguars, 9:30 am ET: Note the time. First of four London games. Ravens D will make Bortles look bloody awful.

— Broncos at Bills, 1 ET: If Denver D could do that to Ezekiel Elliott & Big D, imagine how easy this week’s task is.

— Saints at Panthers, 1 ET: Cam and Carolina need a bad defence to restore confidence. Tada! Here come the Saints.

— Steelers at Bears, 1 ET: Chicago’s brutal opening schedule continues. Poor Mike Glennon.

— Falcons at Lions, 1 ET: Duck, Detroit. Atlanta has its mojo working again after Sunday’s swamping of the Packers.

— Browns at Colts, 1 ET: No coaching seat ever would be as hot as Chuck Pagano’s if Indy loses this and falls to 0-3.

— Buccaneers at Vikings, 1 ET: Let’s see how Jameis Winston and high-voltage Bucs attack fares against a stout D.

— Texans at Patriots, 1 ET: Bill Belichick almost never loses to rookie QBs. Deshaun Watson, study hard this week.

— Dolphins at Jets, 1 ET: First home game for Jets, meaning it’s first time locals can mock-cheer them on.

— Giants at Eagles, 1 ET: Will be hard for Philly to get run game going against New York’s D. Lotsa sacks in this one.

— Seahawks at Titans, 4:05 ET: Apparently the only people shocked that Seattle O-line is lousy are Carroll and Schneider.

— Bengals at Packers, 4:25 ET: A new Cinci offensive coordinator wants playmakers to get more touches. Won’t matter this week.

— Chiefs at Chargers, 4:25 ET: For a third straight week will LA’s game come down to a game-losing missed 44-yard FG?

— Raiders at Redskins, 8:30 ET: Raiders in prime time. Yes, please. Oakland loves a good shootout. Pass the popcorn.

— Cowboys at Cardinals, Monday, 8:30 ET: What’s happening to this disappearing Arizona offence? Had better reappear fast.

BYES: None.

GUARANTEED LOSERS

Two teams that won’t win this week

Kinda the opposite of a suicide pool. I can pick a team only once all season, so each of 32 teams over the NFL schedule’s final 16 weeks. Last week’s inaugural picks: San Francisco (which nearly won at Seattle) and Chicago (which got obliterated at Tampa Bay). This week’s picks: Cincinnati (at Green Bay) and Houston (at New England).

Season record: 2-0.

TAKING A KNEE

This week’s winder-upper

If you discount the freebies and 500 seats reserved for those with disabilities, the Los Angeles Chargers can sell just 25,800 seats at their tiny, temporary home for the next three years, the StubHub Center in south-suburban Carson.

Sunday’s announced crowd at the Chargers’ first home game in LA since 1960? Not quite a sellout: 25,381. That is, 119 unsold.

If that’s not embarrassing enough for the Chargers, there were hundreds -- if not thousands -- of Miami Dolphins fans on hand.

ESPN had some crowd-noise gizmo to measure how loud it got, and five of the 12 loudest moments came after positive plays for the Dolphins.

The loudest moment of the day came after Chargers kicker Younghoe Koo missed a potential game-winning 44-yard field goal attempt.

Imagine how much larger the percentage of visiting-team fans will become if the 0-2 Chargers keep on losing, and their fans dump their tickets on resale websites?

What a disastrous relocation this is turning out to be.

Till next week …

jokryk@postmedia.com

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