99 Stats Until Kickoff (#89) Best individual performances in a Super Bowl loss
Jake Delhomme (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
From May 30 and every day until September 5… the start of the 2013 NFL season… Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ will publish “99 Stats Until Kickoff” a daily dose of NFL stats that will get you ready for the 2013 NFL season.)
We all remember Joe Montana, Dwight Clark and “The Catch.” Or Joe Namath’s guarantee. Or Lynn Swann’s great catch. Or how about Jerry Rice… Bart Starr’s two MVP awards. Yes, we remember the great performances from the teams that won the Super Bowl.
But what about the great performances from players whose team lost? Here’s my list of the 20 best (offensive) performances from players who were on the losing side of the Super Bowl. Had things been a little different, some of these listed may have been hoisting an MVP trophy.
What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Who would be at the top of your list?
1. Jake Delhomme, Carolina, QB (Super Bowl 38; lost to New England 32-29) 16 of 33, 323 yards, three TDs, no interceptions. 113.6 passer rating. Nine of 13 in the fourth quarter for 212 yards and two scores.
2. Thurman Thomas, Buffalo, RB (Super Bowl 25; lost to New York Giants 20-19) 15 rushing attempts for 135 yards, one touchdown. Five receptions for 55 yards. Had 68 yards on four carries in the fourth quarter.
3. Kurt Warner, Arizona, QB (Super Bowl 43; lost to Pittsburgh 27-23) 31 of 43, 377 yards, three TDs and one interception. 112.3 passer rating. Fourteen of 19 in the fourth quarter with two TDs. Second most passing yards in a Super Bowl game.
4. Antonio Freeman, Green Bay, WR (Super Bowl 32; lost to Denver 31-24) Nine catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Also returned six kickoffs for 104 yards.
5. Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona, WR (Super Bowl 43, lost to Pittsburgh 27-23) Seven catches for 127 yards and two scores. Six of his seven catches came in the fourth quarter.
6. Eddie George, Tennessee, RB (Super Bowl 34; lost to St. Louis 23-16) Rushed for 92 yards on 28 carries with two touchdowns. Two receptions for 35 yards.
7. Dan Ross, Cincinnati, TE (Super Bowl 16; lost to San Francisco 26-21) Eleven receptions for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Six of his 11 catches and his two TDs came in the fourth quarter. Tied with three other players for most receptions in a Super Bowl game.
8. Andre Reed, Buffalo, WR (Super Bowl 27; lost to Dallas 52-17) Eight catches for 152 yards. Tied for fifth on the all-time list for most receiving yards in a Super Bowl.
9. Tom Matte, Baltimore, RB (Super Bowl 3; lost to New York Jets 16-7) Eleven carries for 116 yards. Two receptions for 30 yards. Second-most rushing yards for a player from the losing team.
10. Joseph Addai, Indianapolis, RB (Super Bowl 44; lost to New Orleans 31-17) Thirteen carries for 77 yards and a touchdown; seven receptions for 58 yards.
11. Brett Favre, Green Bay, QB (Super Bowl 32; lost to Denver 31-24) Completed 25 of 42 passes for 256 yards. Three TDs and one interception. Passer rating of 91.0.
12. Dorsey Levens, Green Bay, RB (Super Bowl 32; lost to Denver 31-24) Nineteen carries for 90 yards; six receptions for 56 yards. Had four runs of 10 yards or more. Had five catches in the fourth quarter.
13. Terrell Owens, Philadelphia, WR (Super Bowl 39; lost to New England 24-21) Nine catches for 122 yards.
14. Muhsin Muhammad, Carolina, WR (Super Bowl 38; lost to New England 32-29) Four receptions for 140 yards (three catches for 117 yards in the fourth quarter).
15. Tony Dorsett, Dallas, RB (Super Bowl 13; lost to Pittsburgh 35-31) Ninety-six yards on 18 carries. Five catches for 44 yards.
16. Roger Staubach, Dallas, QB (Super Bowl 13; lost to Pittsburgh 35-31) Seventeen completions in 30 pass attempts for 228 yards. Three TDs and one interception. Passer rating of 100.4. Rushed for 37 yards on four carries. Completed 11 of 16 with two scores in the final period.
17. Vance Johnson, Denver, WR (Super Bowl 21; lost to New York Giants 39-20) Five receptions for 121 yards. Had catches of 47 and 54 yards.
18. Bill Miller, Oakland, WR (Super Bowl 2; lost to Green Bay 33-14) Had a pair of 23-yard touchdowns. Five catches for 84 yards.
19. Kenny Anderson, Cincinnati, QB (Super Bowl 16; lost to San Francisco 26-21) Completed 25 of 34 passes for 300 yards with two TDs and two picks. Passer rating of 95.2. Rushed for a TD. Completed 10 of 12 with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
20. Wes Welker, New England, WR (Super Bowl 42; lost to New York Giants 17-14) Had 11 catches for 103 yards. Also returned a punt 15 yards. Tied with three other players for most receptions in a Super Bowl game.
“99 Stats Before Kickoff” (Stats you need to know before the start of the 2013 NFL season) is available from e-book publisher Smashwords. Go to www.smashwords.com to download a copy, including a pdf version which can be viewed on your home computer. Cost is $2.99.
NFL ‘Big Game’ players ready for some football!
Drew Brees... Image via Wikipedia
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a biweekly blog published every Wednesday and Sunday with a bonus “SIX STATS…” posting every Friday.
The 2011 NFL regular season begins tomorrow night with a match-up between the past two Super Bowl champions… the Packers and the Saints.
As the season kicks off, each team is looking to their “big game” players to lead the way to success. It seems as though we have an unofficial definition of “big game” for quarterbacks, running backs and receivers in the NFL: For QBs it’s a 300-yard passing game; for running backs and receivers it’s a game with 100 or more yards in a game.
Who have been the top “big game” players in the NFL over the past three seasons? Here’s a look at those players who have had at least 10 “big games” over the past three seasons. In addition, their team’s record in those games is also listed.
Quarterbacks (300-yard passing games/W-L in those games)
Drew Brees 24 18-6
Peyton Manning 20 16-4
Matt Schaub 20 10-10
Tony Romo 16 11-5
Philip Rivers 16 10-6
Aaron Rodgers 14 7-7
Jay Cutler 12 5-7
Tom Brady 11 9-2
Ben Roethlisberger 11 8-3
Running Backs (100-yard rushing games/W-L in those games)
Chris Johnson 24 17-7
Michael Turner 19 17-2
Adrian Peterson 18 13-5
Steven Jackson 15 4-11
Thomas Jones 14 8-6
Maurice Jones-Drew 14 11-3
Cedric Benson 12 10-2
Frank Gore 12 8-4
Deangelo Williams 12 8-4
Jamaal Charles 10 6-4
WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG FOR A TRIVIA QUESTION. Four different Green Bay Packers players had a “big game” in the playoffs last season. Aaron Rodgers had two games with 300 or more yards passing (366 vs. the Falcons and 304 yards passing in the Super Bowl). Greg Jennings also had two “big games”… 101 yards receiving against Atlanta and 130 yards vs. the Bears. Can you name the other two Green Bay players who had 100 or more yards in a playoff game last year? Answer at end of blog.
Receivers (100-yard receiving games/W-L in those games)
Andre Johnson 20 12-8
Roddy White 16 10-6
Greg Jennings 15 9-6
Larry Fitzgerald 13 6-7
Hines Ward 13 10-3
Reggie Wayne 13 10-3
Calvin Johnson 12 3-9
Miles Austin 11 5-6
Desean Jackson 11 9-2
Wes Welker 11 9-2
Vincent Jackson 10 9-1
Brandon Marshall 10 3-7
Steve Smith 10 7-3
TRIVIA ANSWER: Running back James Starks had 123 yards rushing against the Eagles in the Wild Card game; Jordy Nelson had 140 yards receiving in the Super Bowl.
Sports Stats 'on Tapp' 