# NFL: Week 1 - "We're back baby!"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1-were-back-baby/595679>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [September 9, 2011, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1-were-back-baby/595679 "2011-09-09T01:33:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 11

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**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1-were-back-baby/595679/201 "2011-09-14T19:57:07Z")

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Fair enough on the Raiders, I guess, but the Chargers still have a darned good offense and defense. San Diego is unlikely to have a historically bad special teams unit every year.

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**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\
**Post date:** [September 14, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1-were-back-baby/595679/202 "2011-09-14T22:47:45Z")

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WRT Woodson throwing that punch, a 10 grand fine – which [PFT breaks down rather nicely](http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/09/14/nfl-fines-charles-woodson-10000-for-punch/):

> [@](#):
>
> So Woodson did something that’s indisputably unacceptable — punching an opponent — and got fined 0.1 percent of his salary. Jaguars practice squad linebacker Mike Lockley did something that’s at least arguably acceptable — a borderline hit while trying to break up a pass — and got fined more than 20 percent of his salary.

Eesh…

> [@Mince](#):
>
> My argument isn’t that a QB shouldn’t receive credit for passing yards because of a defensive lapse. My argument is that the QB shouldn’t get credit for things that a receiver does after the catch. Yards After Catch is a receiver-only stat after all. “Poor tackling” and “defensive breakdown” was simply narrative describing the play (as I saw it).

I’ve been noodling around with a revised version of passer rating for awhile now, and one of the stats would be that QB’s are only credited with yardage up to the point a receiver is touched. If the QB finds an open man and hits him in stride allowing him to run untouched for six, then the QB gets credit. But if the receiver makes the catch in traffic and has to break three tackles en route to scoring, then it’s all on him.

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**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1-were-back-baby/595679/203 "2011-09-15T05:46:20Z")

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> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#):
>
> I sure am glad I don’t live there then!
> 
> **Beef** , you wear it well! Its a badge of honor to be posting from the AFCN basement. I should know, as my team is there a lot!
> 
> 🙂
> 
> So what’s the deal…you keep that thing if the Bengals win and the Browns win because you’ll still be in last place? Do you get to get rid of it if the Browns win and the Steelers lose because then _they_ will be in last place if the Benagls also win? I think I like the latter scenario the best. It’ll be tough talking **AirmanDoors** into wearing the tag, though.
> 
> 😃

I discussed earlier that I didn’t want to make either of us wear the title for potentially the whole year. I was originally going to propose a month or something but then I said let’s just do it [until the team that lost the game gets a win.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14171846&postcount=557)

[And you accepted.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14238130&postcount=660)

So I’m stuck with this until the Browns win one. If they play like they did last week, it’ll be by mid-season. If the first game was a fluke, they can probably knock off the Colts next week.

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**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1-were-back-baby/595679/204 "2011-09-15T07:20:49Z")

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> [@Hal\_Briston](#):
>
> I’ve been noodling around with a revised version of passer rating for awhile now, and one of the stats would be that QB’s are only credited with yardage up to the point a receiver is touched. If the QB finds an open man and hits him in stride allowing him to run untouched for six, then the QB gets credit. But if the receiver makes the catch in traffic and has to break three tackles en route to scoring, then it’s all on him.

Thank you, Hal. You’ve evoked the key word which I’ve lamentably neglected thus far, though I’ve been arguing its merit the whole way. “Touched,” of course, is the key word. IMHO, you cannot determine a QB’s contribution to the pass play beyond the moment the receiver is touched, and, therefore, cannot credit him with any yardage beyond that point. Again, IMHO. I know it would destroy the historical dynamic of football to not give QBs credit for yards beyond the catch, but I think it’s at least considerable. The receiver gets himself into position for a long run, the pass accommodates the position, it doesn’t create it.

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**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1-were-back-baby/595679/205 "2011-09-15T07:59:04Z")

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I’d also like to add that a QB has no influence on a receiver’s abilities, like speed and maneuverability (among many others), and that if Welker greatly lacked any of them, Brady doesn’t get credit for a “99-yard pass.”

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**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1-were-back-baby/595679/206 "2011-09-15T08:38:35Z")

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> [@Mince](#):
>
> I’d also like to add that a QB has no influence on a receiver’s abilities, like speed and maneuverability (among many others), and that if Welker greatly lacked any of them, Brady doesn’t get credit for a “99-yard pass.”

In fairness, nobody who “greatly lacked any of them” would have been running that route in that situation to begin with.

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**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1-were-back-baby/595679/207 "2011-09-15T09:20:56Z")

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> [@EllisDee](#):
>
> In fairness, nobody who “greatly lacked any of them” would have been running that route in that situation to begin with.

Correct; and Brady doesn’t even have a chance at a “99-yard pass.” Or at least not a very good chance.

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**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1-were-back-baby/595679/208 "2011-09-15T09:27:11Z")

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> [@SenorBeef](#):
>
> I discussed earlier that I didn’t want to make either of us wear the title for potentially the whole year. I was originally going to propose a month or something but then I said let’s just do it [until the team that lost the game gets a win.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14171846&postcount=557)
> 
> [And you accepted.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14238130&postcount=660)
> 
> So I’m stuck with this until the Browns win one. If they play like they did last week, it’ll be by mid-season. If the first game was a fluke, they can probably knock off the Colts next week.

You’re right…kinda forgot. Sorry!

And in other news, former Patriots really have taken a shine to Ochocinco…

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**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1-were-back-baby/595679/209 "2011-09-15T12:01:16Z")

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As much as it pains me I have to say Ocho really didn’t do anything wrong in my opinion. Bruschi comes off as looking desperately for something to bitch about with him, and looks like an ass.

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**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1-were-back-baby/595679/210 "2011-09-15T12:15:40Z")

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> [@Hal\_Briston](#):
>
> WRT Woodson throwing that punch, a 10 grand fine – which [PFT breaks down rather nicely](http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/09/14/nfl-fines-charles-woodson-10000-for-punch/):  
> Eesh…

The NFL doesn’t base the fines on the amount of money a player makes. Charles Woodson, in his 14 year career, has been fined all of one prior time, for $7500. So this fine was for $10,000. NOTE: I’m not defending his conduct whatsoever.

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**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\
**Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1-were-back-baby/595679/211 "2011-09-15T12:32:12Z")

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> [@Mince](#):
>
> Correct; and Brady doesn’t even have a chance at a “99-yard pass.” Or at least not a very good chance.

I meant that if Welker greatly lacked in any of the abilities, he wouldn’t be on the team and a different WR who had the skillset would have been running that route.

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**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2011, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-1-were-back-baby/595679/212 "2011-09-16T06:37:33Z")

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> [@EllisDee](#):
>
> I meant that if Welker greatly lacked in any of the abilities, he wouldn’t be on the team and a different WR who had the skillset would have been running that route.

Ah, ok.

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