‘Six Stats’ you might not know about… Scott Tolzien’s debut as Packers starting QB
Scott Tolzien (Photo credit: eytonz)
When former University of Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien started at QB for the Packers last Sunday against the New York Giants, he became the 25th different QB to make his debut as starting QB for the Packers since 1960. Tolzien was only the fifth QB to make his debut as the Pack’s starting signal-caller since 1992 (Seneca Wallace, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn and Brett Favre). From 1960 to 1991, 20 different QBs made their debut as the starting QB for the Packers. This was the first year since 1990 that two or more players made their debut as a starting QB for the Packers. In 1990, Anthony Dilweg and Blair Kiel both made their first starts at QB for Green Bay.
Here’s a look at six stats from Tolzien’s debut and how it matches up against the other 24 starters.
1. Since 1960, when the Pack has started a new QB, the team has won 12, lost 12 and tied one. Tolzien and Wallace both lost their starts this season; Rodgers won his first Packers start in 2008, making his the last Packers QB to make his debut as a starter in a winning contest. The starting QBs who won their Packers debut: Rodgers (2008), Favre (1992), Dilweg (1990), Alan Risher (1987), Randy Wright (1984), Randy Johnson (1976), John Hadl (1974), Jerry Tagge (1973), Scott Hunter (1971), Don Horn (1969), Zeke Bratkowski (1964), John Roach (1963). Those players who lost their first start as the Packers’ QB: Tolzien (2013), Wallace (2013), Matt Flynn (2010), Mike Tomczak (1991), Kiel (1990), Jim Zorn (1985), David Whitehurst (1977), Lynn Dickey (1976), Carlos Brown (1976), Don Milan (1975), Jack Concannon (1974), Jim Del Gaizo (1973). Don Majkowski started his first Packers game in 1987; that game ended in a tie.
2. Tolzien’s 24 completions against the Giants is tied for the most completions by a Packers QB making his starting debut. Flynn had 24 completions in his first start in 2010 against New England. The most pass attempts by a player making his debut as Packers starting QB was Tomczak in 1991 when he threw 40 passes in his first starting assignment for the Pack.
3. Tolzien became the fourth QB to have a completion rate over 70% in his Packers starting debut. The others were Wallace (100%… he was 5-for-5 before he was injured in his first start for the Packers), Rodgers (81.8%; he was 18-for-22 in his debut as a starter) and Favre (he completed 73.7% of his passes in his first start for Green Bay).
4. Tolzien became the first QB for the Packers to throw for over 300 passing yards in his first start for the team. He had 339 yards passing in his starting debut against the Giants. Tomczak with 271 yards and Flynn with 251 yards are the only other Packers QBs to have over 250 yards passing in their first start with the team.
5. Tolzien became the fourth Packers QB to throw three interceptions in his starting debut. The others: Whitehurst, Brown and Horn. Flynn and Dilweg are the only Packers QBs to have three TD passes in their debut as a starting QB with the Pack.
6. Tolzien had a Passer Rating of 65.7 in his starting debut. Only four Packers QBs had a Passer Rating over 100 in their first start at QB for the team: Favre (144.6), Dilweg (117.7), Rodgers (115.5) and Flynn (100.2). Three QBs had a Passer Rating under 20 in their starting debut for the Packers: Hunter (11.9), Brown (12.8) and Horn (18.5).
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Seneca Wallace joins short list of Green Bay Packers starting QBs
Two of the four starting quarterbacks of the Green Bay Packers since 1992: Don Majkowski and Brett Favre (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
With the injury to Aaron Rodgers, the Packers will look to Seneca Wallace to start behind center in their game this week against the Philadelphia Eagles. Wallace will become only the fifth player to start at QB for the Packers since 1992. It was that year that Brett Favre replaced Don Majkowski at QB and then went on to start 253 games for the Pack. In addition to Majkowski, Favre, Rodgers and Wallace (this week), the only other player to start a game at QB for the Packers since 1992 was Matt Flynn.
Since 1992, Packers quarterbacks have thrown 12,103 passes. Favre and Rodgers threw 11,670 of those passes, an amazing 96.4 percentage of the Packers pass attempts.
Speaking of pass attempts by Green Bay quarterbacks, here’s a little quiz. Since 1992, 11 quarterbacks have attempted 10 or more passes for the Packers. Can you name the 11? (Answer at the end of the column.)
While the Pack has started only four different QBs since 1992 (soon to become five), 10 NFL teams have started 20 or more different QBs in that same timeframe. Heading the list are the Bears and Browns, each with 26.
Here’s another trivia question: Since 1992, only two teams have had two players start at quarterback for their team in 100 or more games. Can you name those two teams?
Number of different quarterbacks started by each NFL team since 1992 (through Week #9 of the 2013 season)
26: Chicago, Cleveland
24: Arizona, Oakland
23: Washington
22: Miami
21: New York Jets, St. Louis
20: Detroit, Minnesota
18: Tampa Bay
17: Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, New Orleans, Philadelphia
16 Baltimore (joined league in 1996), Buffalo, San Francisco, Seattle, Tennessee
15: Jacksonville, Kansas City
14: Carolina (joined league in 1995), Cincinnati, Indianapolis, San Diego
11: Pittsburgh
9: New York Giants
8: Houston (joined league in 2002), New England
4: Green Bay
Quiz answer: The 11 quarterbacks who attempted 10 or more passes for the Packers since 1992 are: Favre (8754), Rodgers (2916), Flynn (132), Doug Pederson (77), Majkowski (55), Craig Noll (48), Matt Hasselbeck (29), Mark Brunell (27), Ty Detmer (21), Seneca Wallace (19) and Steve Bono (10).
Quiz answer #2: The only two teams to have two different players start at QB for 100 or more of their games since 1992 are Dallas (Troy Aikman, 127 and Tony Romo, 102) and the New England Patriots (Tom Brady, 170 and Drew Bledsoe, 123).
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Who’s leading the weapons race in the NFL this season?
Randall Cobb is one of seven Packers with a 100-yard game this season (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Earlier this year we heard a lot about the Green Bay Packers going 44 games without a 100-yard rusher. In their second game of this season, James Starks rushed for 132 yards to break that streak. But the Packers weren’t done… in the following week Johnathan Franklin gained 103 yards on the ground for the Packers’ second 100-yard rusher of the season. But… there was more. A couple of weeks later, Eddie Lacy ran for 120 yards against the Ravens. From no 100-yard rushers in over two years to three different players rushing for 100-plus yards in a game in a matter of one month.
That, however, may not be the most amazing thing about the Packers this season. In addition to three different runners gaining 100-plus yards in a game, they also have had four different receivers amass 100 or more yards receiving in a game through the first six weeks of the season. Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and James Jones each had 100-yard games prior to last week’s contest against the Browns. In last Sunday’s contest against Cleveland, another receiver, Jarrett Boykin had eight receptions for 103 yards, giving the Pack four different players who have had 100 or more yards receiving in a game this season.
Those seven different 100-yard players are the most of any team this year in the NFL. The San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots each have had five players with 100-yard rushing or receiving games this season (both teams have had one rusher and four receivers with 100-yard games).
Following are the number of different players for each team who have had either a 100-yard rushing or receiving game this year.
Number of 100-yard performers, team, (runners/receivers)
7: Green Bay Packers (3 runners-4 receivers)
5: New England (1-4), San Diego (1-4)
4: Dallas (1-3), Detroit (1-3), N.Y. Giants (1-3), N.Y. Jets (2-2), Philadelphia (1-3)
3: Atlanta (0-3), Denver (0-3), Houston (1-2), Jacksonville (0-3), Miami (0-3), Oakland (2-1), San Francisco (1-2), Washington (1-2)
2: Buffalo (1-1), Carolina (1-1), Chicago (0-2), Cleveland (0-2), Indianapolis (0-2), Kansas City (1-1), Minnesota (1-1), New Orleans (0-2), Pittsburgh (0-2), Seattle (2-0), St. Louis (0-2), Tampa Bay (1-1)
1: Arizona (0-1), Baltimore (0-1), Cincinnati (0-1), Tennessee (0-1)
Notes:
* The Packers have the most 100-yard runners with three and are tied with New England and San Diego for most 100-yard receivers.
* Seattle is the only team in the NFL this year that has not had a 100-yard receiver in a game.
* This is the first season since 1980 that the Packers have had seven players with 100-yard rushing or receiving games. In 1980 they had two 100-yard rushers and five 100-yard receivers. It is the first time since 2006 that three players had 100-plus yards rushing in a game in a season for the Pack.
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Redemption for Packers kicker Mason Crosby
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published with a focus on stats that go beyond the numbers.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
For a player who was literally run out of town because of a terrible 2012 season, Green Bay placekicker Mason Crosby has certainly turned things around. After fighting off competition for his job during the pre-season, Crosby, now in his seventh season with the Packers, has made all nine of his field goal attempts this season, including four from 40 yards or more. In fact, if you go back and include the last two weeks of the 2012 season and add the two playoff games, Crosby is on a run of 15 straight made field goals.
This past week Crosby had five field goals against the Lions (most he’s ever made in a game) and added an extra point for 16 points in the Pack’s 22-9 win over Detroit. For his efforts, Crosby was selected as the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
Let’s take a look at the 16 points Crosby scored in last week’s game. The 16 points tied Crosby’s career high (he scored 16 points in a December 11, 2011 game against the Raiders). It also made Crosby the 10th Packers player since 1966 (start of the Super Bowl era) to have two or more games with 16 points. Here’s a look at the players since 1966 who scored 16 or more points in a game for the Packers in two or more games.
Three games: Chris Jacke, Sterling Sharpe
Two games: John Brockington, Mason Crosby, Antonio Freeman, Ahman Green, Dorsey Levens, James Lofton, Ryan Longwell, Jordy Nelson
If we go back a little further in Packers history, that list grows with a pair of Packers legends. Paul Hornung, who performed double-duty as running back and kicker, had 10 games with the Pack where he scored 16-plus points in a contest. Fellow running mate Jim Taylor had seven such games in his career with Green Bay. Hornung holds the Packers record with 33 points scored in a game. He did it on October 8, 1961 in Green Bay’s 45-7 win over Baltimore.
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Failure to capitalize on great starting field position doomed Packers
Green Bay Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy was not smiling about his offense’s execution in the game against the Bengals. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Sports Stats ‘on Tapp’ is a sports statistics blog published with a focus on stats that go beyond the numbers.
Monday Morning quarterbacks and Packers fans in general are trying to figure out how the team could create four takeaways, score 30 unanswered points, and still find a way to lose yesterday’s game to the Cincinnati Bengals, Well, here’s my two cents… this simple stat may be the answer.
The Packers yesterday had great starting field position on six drives. They started at their own 40, twice at their own 42 yard line, once at the Cincinnati 37, and twice inside the Cincinnati 30-yard line. And what did they have to show for those six great starting field positions? Two field goals. Six points. On the other four possessions, the Pack had two punts and two interceptions. Scoring only six points with six starting field possessions with 60 yards or less to go to score is I’m sure not what Mike McCarthy expected.
Here’s a little comparison to put this in perspective: In the first two weeks of the NFL season, there were 134 drives where teams started at their own 40-yard line or better. Of those, 79 resulted in either a TD or field goal (59% of the possessions). The Packers were two of six (only 33%). Of those 134 possessions, TDs were scored on 47 of those drives (35%). The Packers scored zero touchdowns in their six possessions from their own 40-yard line or better. Zero percent!
Scoring only six points on those six possessions was bad enough. But when you play in a close game and lose by only four points, every possession is important. To start at the Cincinnati 37-yard line, lose 15 yards and then have to punt the ball… there’s no excuse for not putting at least three points on the board when you have that kind of starting field position. Then to have to settle for two field goals when they started inside the Cincinnati 30, again… if you’re looking for why the Packers lost yesterday’s game, not capitalizing on great starting field position has to be a key factor.
One final stat: Teams that started two or more drives in their opponents’ territory in games were 18-3 the first two weeks of the NFL season.
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