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| Thursday, November 28, 2024 |
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| Check it out -- Beyond the Box Score Part Two! |
| Happy Thanksgiving! Thanks for being here! Today's newsletter will be quick and to the point. |
| Here are some fun stats for you to have in your back pocket this Thanksgiving! |
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| De'Von Achane is the fastest RB to play on Thanksgiving since CJ2k in 2008 |
| There have only been four running backs, in NFL history, who ran an official 40-time clocked at a 4.36 seconds or faster and then went on to play on Thanksgiving. This particular Thanksgiving will feature two of such running backs -- De'Von Achane (4.32) and Jahmyr Gibbs (4.36). What a time to be alive! |
| Below are the super fast running backs who recorded a 40-time of 4.36 seconds or faster and also recorded positive rushing yardage in an NFL game on Thanksgiving: |
Gibbs (4.36)
Justin Fargas (4.35)
Darren McFadden (4.33)
Chris Johnson (4.24) |
| Casually drop this one and impress all of the ball knowers in your family: |
| "Number 28 for the Dolphins is the second-fastest RB to ever play on Thanksgiving! Pretty cool!" |
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| Malik Nabers is one of the most electrifying young receivers to ever grace a Thanksgiving day TV set |
| New York's rookie receiver has slowed down after a hot start to the season, as his offensive environment in New York has hardly been capable of sustaining enough passing volume for any of the receivers to compile counting stats. And still, statistically, even though he missed two games, Nabers has provided of the most productive seasons for a receiver under the age of 22 who will play on Thanksgiving day. |
| Displayed below are the most productive receivers aged-22 or younger to play on Thanksgiving day, in terms of receiving yards per game compiled prior to the Thanksgiving day game: |
84.5 yards - Randy Moss
74.6 yards - Nabers
64.6 yards - DeSean Jackson
59.8 yards - Hakeem Nicks
59.1 yards - CeeDee Lamb
49.7 yards - Dez Bryant
48.5 yards - Calvin Johnson |
| We've had some pretty awesome young receivers featured on Thanksgivings over the years! Statistically, it appears as if Nabers may just belong among those names. And again, he has played in one of the league's most dysfunctional passing offenses! |
| How did those youngsters perform in their Thanksgiving debut? What can we expect from Nabers? Well, if he has his third 100+ yard game of the season, it would make Nabers the second-most productive WR under the age of 22 to ever play on Thanksgiving. To take the number one spot, he would have to have his best game of the season. Catching up to Randy Moss is no easy feat! |
| Most receiving yards on Thanksgiving day for receivers under the age of 22: |
163 yards - Randy Moss (1988)
85 yards - Tamarick Vanover (1995)
84 yards - Mike Williams (2005)
83 yards - Calvin Johnson (2007)
76 yards - DeSean Jackson (2008) |
| Imagine the look of shock on your grandpa's face when Nabers goes for 81 yards and you exclaim: |
| "Wow, 80+ yards on Thanksgiving at the age of 21?! That's something that only Randy Moss, Calvin Johnson, Mike Williams, and Tamarick Vanover have ever done!" |
| Statistically, the 2024 Detroit Lions are one of the most supreme juggernauts to play on Thanksgiving during the 2000's |
| The 2024 Lions are averaging 31.4 points per game. Only four teams (since 2000) have entered a Thanksgiving game with a higher point per game average: the Drew Brees-led 2018 New Orleans Saints (averaging an insane 37.1 points through 11 weeks), the Tom Brady-led 2012 New England Patriots (32.1 points), the Aaron Rodgers-led 2011 Green Bay Packers (32 points), and the Peyton Manning-led 2004 Indianapolis Colts (31.9 points). |
| Here's where Detroit stacks up, among those teams, in terms of record, entering Thanksgiving day: |
2011 Packers -- 10-0
2024 Lions -- 10-1
2018 Saints -- 9-1
2012 Patriots -- 7-3
2004 Colts -- 7-3 |
| Where the Lions really stand out compared to these teams is on the defensive side of the ball. The Lions have allowed the second-fewest points per game (16.6) in 2024. None of the high-flying offenses that we just examined had an opponent point per game rate below 21, meaning the Lions have by far the best point differential (+14.8) per game of any team entering a Thanksgiving game. |
| If you want to start a fight this Thanksgiving, tell your old-head relatives that this Jared Goff-led Lions team is: |
| "The best modern-era team that we've seen on Thanksgiving!" |
| That'll do it! Surely, between Brady, Manning, Brees, and Rodgers, enough ground is covered that someone will be livid to hear such a claim. Go for it! You have the stats to back you up! |
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| Jared Goff vs. Caleb Williams brings us the second-ever Thanksgiving meeting between two number one overall selections at the QB position |
| The first time that two quarterbacks who went first overall in the NFL Draft faced off on Thanksgiving day was a 2015 showdown between Matthew Stafford and Sam Bradford. At the time, Bradford was a Philadelphia Eagle. Like Goff, he was on his second team after being selected first overall by the Rams. Unlike Goff, things weren't going so well. Bradford's Eagles were 4-6, he was injured and didn't play in the game, and the Lions crushed the Eagles 45-14. The next year, Bradford was back for vengeance! It was 2016, Bradford was now a Minnesota Viking, and he had another crack at the Lions on Thanksgiving day. This time, he was healthy. The Lions didn't even have Calvin Johnson who burned Bradford's Eagles for three Thanksgiving touchdowns the year prior. And still, Bradford wasn't able to overcome Stafford and the Lions. |
| Nearly 10 years later, Caleb Williams takes on an even scarier version of the Lions. Detroit replaced Stafford with a different number one overall selection, and he's backed up by one of the league's most stifling defenses. No QB has thrown for multiple touchdowns vs. this Lions defense all year! |
| The odds are stacked against Williams. But, he just had by far his best game as a pro, and it came against a Brian Flores-led Vikings defense that has been chewing up quarterbacks all year! |
| It's fun to feel hopeful or even excited for Williams entering this game, but it would truly be unprecedented for him to have a productive game. Even just being here in this moment is already rather unprecedented! There have only ever been nine quarterbacks aged 23 or younger to start on Thanksgiving, and they have not fared well. Troy Aikman lost 0-27 in his first crack at it and only threw for 54 yards on 21 attempts! This is a tough task! |
| If looking for optimism, here are the best performances for a QB at the age of 23 or younger on Thanksgiving: |
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| If you have any feedback on the newsletter, feel free to send it my way! Thank you for reading! And please, do check out Beyond the Boxscore on FFT! Adam, Dan, and I put a lot of work into that podcast project and aim to make it fun and accessible for any level of NFL fan! |
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| | | | | NFL | | College Football | The John Madden Thanksgiving Celebration returns with a classic Midwest matchup! Watch the Bears take on the Lions live this Thanksgiving at 12:30 ET on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
Watch Live
| | Dig into College Football this Thanksgiving starting with a Friday doubleheader between Minnesota at Wisconsin at 12 PM ET and Stanford at San Jose St at 4 PM ET. Then catch a Saturday matchup between rivals Notre Dame and USC at 3:30 PM ET, all on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
Watch Live
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