My life is about numbers. While the NFL is more about a cohesive unit than it is necessarily about an individuals numbers, it's fair to reflect on the numbers individuals produce as a fair approximation of their value. This is obviously so in the fantasy game, so Ray Flowers will look at the numbers each week and try to point out a few numbers that you might have missed in all the excitement. 

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THROWERS

Tom Brady has struggled mightily with the deep ball. He's also struggled with moderately deep balls. Brady is 3-for-20 on passes over 15 yards through two games. Come to think of it, that's not very deep is it? Brady also has a 56.4 completion percentage which is behind only Chad Henne (53.5). He will get better. 

Kirk Cousins looked really good in Week 2 as the o-line of the 'Skins, a unit that struggled in Week 1, gave him a pocket to throw from. In 35 drop backs he was only pressured five times. See what a guy can do if his line gives him a clean pocket to throw from?

Andy Dalton has thrown for 11,913 passing yards through 50 NFL games. That makes him the 5th most effective QB among active signal caller through 50 games. He passed Aaron Rodgers Sunday. Matthew Stafford leads the way at 14,331 by the way. No other passer has hit 13,000 yards. Oh yeah, Dalton's 4th in TD passes through 50 games as well with three more than Aaron Rodgers (Peyton Manning had 91 scores, Dalton has 82). Dalton also leads the NFL with a 9.07 yards per attempt mark through two weeks this season. 

Joe Flacco has a huge arm but he's had success with the short stuff. In Week 2 he completed all 13 of the passes that he threw within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage and between the numbers. Those passes generated 120 yards an a score against the Steelers. He needs to start airing it out to get Torrey Smith involved.
 
Colin Kaepernick cost the Niners the game Sunday night throwing three second half interceptions. Normally when a QB throws an interception it's because he's under duress. None of Colin's three interceptions game on a blitz. 

Eli Manning, when not under pressure in Week 2, excelled. Yes, I used excelled. On the 29 attempts where he had time he completed 23 passes for 255 yards. The offensive line was much better in Week 2 as they held the pocket for manning on 30 of 42 drop backs. 

Peyton Manning has six touchdowns through two games. He had seven touchdowns in Week 1 last season. Did you notice that he's failed to record 270 yards passing in either of his first two games? He threw for 342 yards a game last year. He's still been elite though. His 126.5 QB Rating this year is better than the 115.1 mark he posted last year. Manning also leads the NFL with a 43.5 percent rate of passes that went for first downs. The #2 man on the list is none other than Kirk Cousins at 42.4 percent. 

Tony Romo will be fine. Let me start with that. At the same time he's attempted only five passes over 20 yards through two games. Only one landed in a wideouts hands, a 56 yard grab by Dwayne Harris. Repeat, he will be fine...

Matt Ryan was apparently confused by the Bengals defense as he completed just seven of 20 passes over the middle. Yes his Week 2 effort was poor, but you do know that through two weeks he's averaging 340 passing yards a game and lead the NFL with 679 passing yards, right?

Get rid of the ball quickly Geno Smith. When he let go in 2.5 seconds or less his QB rating was 103.4 in Week 2 (13 passes). When it took longer than that try on 37.2 (19 passes). Smith is second in the NFL in QB Rating with three wide receivers on the field. His 111.6 mark trails only the 115.4 mark of Peyton Manning.  The Colts, Manning's old team, are now run by Andrew Luck. I note that because Luck's QB Rating in this situation is 54.8, the worst mark in the AFC.

Ryan Tannehill still has issues from time to time, but his pass catchers dropped five balls in Week 2. That's unacceptable. He did complete 7-of-8 pass attempts when under pressure. 

RUNNERS

LeGarrette Blount has touched the field for 14 snaps in two weeks. Le'Veon Bell has touched the tundra 109 times. So much for the shared backfield many were worried about.

Reggie Bush is losing ground to Joique Bell. Bush was on the field for 29 plays in Week 2 while Bell had 42 snaps. Bell also has 25 carries and seven receptions through two games while Bush has a mere 15 carries and eight receptions. With Bell getting the goaline looks he's surging while Bush is listing. 

Arian Foster has 55 carries through two games. He'll die by Week 9 at that rate. His pace would equate to 440 carries, more than 20 carries past the league record held by Larry Johnson. Look for Foster to have his workload curtailed a bit but still expect 20 touches a week. He's an RB1 whenever he is on the field. 

Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson each saw 27 snaps Sunday. Clearly Ivory is gaining while CJ2K recedes. Through two games  Johnson has 31 touches on 60 snaps while Ivory has 24 touches on 57 snaps. By the way, Ivory has averaged a whopping 6.30 YPC with two scores. 

Marshawn Lynch always gets positive yards. On 26 carries this season he hasn't been burdened by a single “stuff” this season. 

Bishop Sankey might fall into value at some point but the guy has seen 18 snaps through two games. My goodness, Leon Washington has seen the field for 22 snaps for the Titans. Tells you all you need to know about where Sankey is in the pecking order (4th actually behind Dexter McCluster with 54 snaps and Shonn Greene with 42).

Darren Sproles played 24 snaps, LeSean McCoy 50. I know it's hard to agree with this statement, but Sproles cannot be this effective as we move forward. He looked dynamic with 178 yards an a score in 11 touches on MNF but that's just not who he is. Selling high may not be the worst idea.

Terrance West has the best YPC mark of any runner with at least 20 carries in the second half of games this season at 6.1 YPC. C.J. Spiller is the leader if we drop it down to 15 carries at 6.4.

RECEIVERS

Davonte Adams played two more snaps that Jarrett Boykin in Week 2 (37 to 35). It's fair to wonder if he will emerge as the WR3 of choice in Green Bay.

Doug Baldwin missed three snaps and Jermaine Kearse missed five in Week 2 for the Seahakws. How is it possible that Percy Harvin missed 14 snaps?

Marques Colston had no receptions in Week 2, the first time in 87 games he didn't catch a pass. Sometimes the inexplicable happens. But explain to me how Colston can play a game and not get a single target? Sure the Browns sold out to stop the passing attack, but that just ain't right. Hell, Brandin Cooks had six targets that he turned into three catches for 17 yards. You're Drew Mutha F-ing Brees. Can't you figure out a way to get the ball into your wide receivers hands, especially when Joe Haden spent plenty of time trying to stop Jimmy Graham?

Jerricho Cotchery and Percy Harvin have both seen eight targets and caught them all. Here are the players that round out the top-5 in terms of converting targets: Le'Veon Bell (11/12), Ahmad Bradshaw (10/11) and LeSean McCoy (10/11).

Pierre Garcon caught at least five passes in every game last season. In Week 2 with Kirk Cousins under center he was targeted just four times. Week 3 will be big for Garcon and Cousins to see if there is a trusted connection between the duo.

Antonio Gates caught seven balls for 96 yards and three scores. He caught all seven of his targets. Suck on that Ladarius Green. Gates move in to 11th place on the all-time scoring list with 90 touchdowns. Talk of his demise was obviously exaggerated. 

It's only a matter of time before T.Y. Hilton breaks out. He's seen 11 targets in back-to-back games. 

The Eagles keep throwing it to Jeremy Maclin but through two games he leads the NFL with 13 passes thrown his way that weren't caught. 

Jordy Nelson went for 209 yards and a score in Week 2. He's an elite WR1. Period. He's been targeted on 35.3 percent of his routes this season. 

Steve Smith has 25 targets through two games. Only Jordy Nelson has more (30). Shocking really. 

Julius Thomas is an elite play at the tight end position. At the same time it should be noted that there are currently 10 tight ends who have received more targets than Graham including illustrious names like Niles Paul and Charles Clay. At some point one would have to think the target rate would need to increase for Thomas to retain his elite status all year.  

Sammy Watkins had eight grabs for 117 yards an a score in Week 2. He produced 48 yards after the catch. 

 

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