Today’s Sportstat: September 19, 2019
Most NFL touchdowns this decade
Which NFL player has had the most touchdowns this decade? Which player will end this decade with the most TDs?
The 2019 NFL season will be the last of this decade. When we close the book on this season, who will be the league’s most prolific TD machine?
After the second week of this season, we have a three-way tie for the most TDs this decade. The three? The recently-retired (but will he stay retired?) Rob Gronkowski, new Kansas City running back LeSean McCoy, and a player who has been in the news a bit these last few weeks… Antonio Brown. Each player has 80 TDs this decade. Brown scored a TD last week in his first game with his new team, the New England Patriots, to create the three-way tie.
If you were a betting man (or woman) who would you think would end the decade with the league’s most TDs? You might lean towards McCoy, especially if he becomes a major cog in the Chiefs’ offense. Gronk is probably a long, long shot, but who knows, he could come out of retirement at some time this campaign. Brown, on the other hand, might be a good bet, but with the black cloud hanging over him because of his off-the-field escapades, he may not even finish the year on an NFL roster.
Behind this trio are a pair of “retired” players, Dez Bryant and Marshawn Lynch, both with 75 TDs this decade. Tight End Jimmy Graham and running back Adrian Peterson have both scored a TD this season and are tied for sixth on the list with 72 touchdowns. Neither look like prime candidates to approach double-figures in TDs this season and seriously challenge for the title of most TDs this decade, but you never know.
Here is a look at the players who have scored 60 or more TDs this decade.
80-Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, LeSean McCoy
75-Dez Bryant, Marshawn Lynch
72-Jimmy Graham, Adrian Peterson
68-Jordy Nelson
65-Arian Foster
63-A.J. Green
62-Calvin Johnson, Demaryius Thomas
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Today’s Sports Stat: January 20, 2018
Here’s a quick trivia question: The New England Patriots on Sunday January 21 will appear in their seventh consecutive AFC Championship Game. That means they have appeared in seven championship games since 2011. Which NFL team has appeared in the second most championship games since 2011? (Answer at the end of this column.)
Following are a few “leftover” stats from last week’s NFL playoff games.
- The Pittsburgh Steelers last week became seventh team to lose two playoff games in their history when they scored 30 or more points (the Steelers lost to Jacksonville 45-42 last Sunday). The other teams on this list: Cleveland, Dallas, Green Bay, Kansas City, Miami and New Orleans.
- The Steelers also have now lost 10 home playoff games in their history (since the start of the Super Bowl era in 1966), most in the NFL. Dallas is second with nine home playoff losses followed by Minnesota and San Francisco with eight.
- Teams that are scoreless at halftime in a playoff game have not had much success. Teams that are scoreless at half in a playoff game are 17-88 (.162 winning percentage) since 1966.
- Turnovers are another important part of the NFL’s post-season. Since the 2010 post-season, NFL teams that do not commit a turnover in a playoff game are 29-12 (.707 winning percentage). Teams that have turned the ball over three or more times in a playoff game since 2010 are 5-28 (.152).
- Tom Brady had another playoff game (in the Pats win over Tennessee) where he had three or more TD passes and more than 300 yards passing. That was the seventh time Brady reached those stats in a playoff game in his career, most in league history. Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers have had three or more TD passes and 300 or more yards passing in five different playoff games, tied for second on this list.
- Jacksonville rookie running back Leonard Fournette had three TDs in his team’s big win over Pittsburgh, making him only the fourth rookie in history to score three or more TDs in a playoff game. The others: Craig Baynham (Dallas, 12-24-1967), William Floyd (San Francisco, 1-7-1995) and Ryan Grant (Green Bay, 1-12-2008).
- Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski had a TD reception in New England’s win last week over the Titans. That was his 10th playoff TD in his career. Those 10 playoff TDs since 2010 are the most of any player; Gronkowski also became the 18th player in NFL history to score 10 or more TDs in the post-season. Jerry Rice tops the list with 22 playoff TDs.
- With their 10-3 win over Buffalo in the Wild Card Game and their 45-42 win over Pittsburgh in the divisional round, the Jacksonville Jaguars became the first team in NFL history to win two playoff games in one season…one with 10 or fewer points scored and one with 40 or more points scored.
- With their game tomorrow against the Jacksonville Jags, the Patriots will have appeared in seven championship games since 2011. They are followed by the San Francisco 49ers with three title game appearances since 2011. The Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks have each appeared in two conference title games since 2011. Eight teams will have appeared in one conference championship game from 2011-17 (Arizona, Carolina, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Minnesota, New York Giants, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh). Did you get the San Francisco 49ers right in the answer to the trivia question?
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