Tag: History

Luke Fickell’s Badgers have yet to beat a team as good as the 2024 Minnesota Golden Gophers

Luke Fickell’s Badgers have yet to beat a team as good as the 2024 Minnesota Golden Gophers

The following statistic tells an accurate story for those in search of a glimpse at Wisconsin football’s current state of affairs under head coach Luke Fickell: the Badgers are 0-and-9 against teams ranked higher than No. 50 in ESPN FPI since the start of 2023.

Looking a year-end FPI numbers from 2023 and the updated rankings entering the final week of 2024, the Badgers’ best win was against Rutgers (No. 50) last season. Otherwise, Wisconsin has lost every game against a team inside FPI’s top 50.

Those losses include the following:

Fickell was hired to not only win those matchups but elevate the Badgers toward the top tier of the Big Ten. Obviously, that has yet to come to fruition.

That reality sets up the Badgers’ upcoming rivalry matchup against Minnesota. The Gophers enter 6-5 on the season and 4-4 in Big Ten play. Their quality is better than the record suggests — FPI currently ranks the team No. 33 in the nation.

That ranking can be attributed to narrow losses to North Carolina, Michigan and top-ranked Penn State, plus statement wins over USC and Illinois. The Gophers are a few bounces of the football away from 9-2 and long-shot College Football Playoff contention.

Of note, Wisconsin has not beaten a team close to the quality of the 2024 Gophers, according to FPI, during the Fickell era. That reality creates an opportunity for a defining victory, but it also paints a negative light on the team’s chances. That 0-for-9 mark against top-50 teams is a significant trend that doesn’t come as some large fluke.

The Badgers need a win to clinch bowl eligibility for the 23rd consecutive season. Maybe most importantly, they need a win to show some life under the no-longer-new regime.

Wisconsin and Minnesota will kick off at noon ET, 11 a.m. CT on Friday afternoon.

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Broncos QB Bo Nix continues making NFL history

Bo Nix continues to break many Broncos franchise records and he’s breaking several NFL records along the way.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix made history again in the team’s 38-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11.

Nix became only the second rookie quarterback in NFL history to record at least 200 passing yards and two touchdown passes in four straight home games. The other quarterback to accomplish such a feat? Hall of Famer Peyton Manning, who did so with the Indianapolis Colts in 1998.

In his last four home games against the Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers and Falcons, Nix has thrown for a combined 1,013 yards and 11 passing touchdowns against just one interception. He has also rushed for two scores in those contests.

After going 28-of-33 passing for 307 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions (145.0 rating) against the Falcons, Nix joined C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans in 2023) as one of just two rookie QBs in NFL history with at least 300 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and a passer rating of at least 140 in a single game.

Nix’s 84.4% completion rate is the third-best by a rookie QB in NFL history (minimum 30 attempts) and the second-best by a quarterback (of any experience) in Broncos history.

Nix became the first rookie QB in NFL history to complete at least 80% of his passes while totaling at least 300 yards and four passing touchdowns in a game.

Nix now has 14 touchdown passes this fall, which ties Marlin Briscoe (1968) for the most touchdown passes by a rookie QB in franchise history. That record will undoubtedly belong to Nix soon.

Nix leads all rookie quarterbacks this year with 18 total touchdowns (14 passing, four rushing) and is second in passing yards (2,275).

Nix has already set multiple franchise and NFL historical marks this fall. He’ll look to continue his impressive rookie campaign when Denver goes on the road to face the Las Vegas Raiders (2-8) in Week 12.

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Drew Brees on keeping playmakers like Michael Thomas engaged in games

Drew Brees joined ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown set and shared his experience in engaging hungry playmakers — like Michael Thomas:

Legendary former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees joined ESPN’s pregame set for Monday Night Countdown before kickoff between the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams, and a key point of discussion was the trouble offenses loaded with weapons like Miami experienced in spreading the ball around.

Tyreek Hill. Jaylen Waddle. De’Von Achane. Raheem  Mostert and Jaylen Wright. Those are just some of the playmakers clamoring for touches. And Brees knows a thing or two about keeping his superstars happy. He and Michael Thomas made a lot of history together with the Saints, and he shared some insight into managing that relationship with a player who has drawn so much attention — both from opposing defenses and spectators on social media.

“Look you’re always thinking matchups. And you’re always thinking we’ve got a lot of mouths to feed, how are we going to get all these guys opportunities, especially early in the game,” Brees said on the pregame show. He pointed to how opening scripts would set up the defense to tip their hand  and show who they’re focused on taking away, at which point he and the offense could counter.

It’s just an approach that took a lot of patience. Brees continued: “And a lot of times I’d come to the sideline after Drive 1, Drive 2, and I’d look at Mike Thomas and be like ‘Hey Mike T, stay patient. Alright? They’re going to be doubling you here for a while. Alright? Young bucks, alright, you guys are going to get the ball, you’re going to get the opportunities when we’re start to make them pay here, Mike T you’re going to get your opportunities.'”

Managing that relationship was something Derek Carr struggled with after taking the reins from Brees, which led to a messy divorce between Thomas and the Saints that has repeatedly spilled out onto social media. Thomas has joined dissatisfied fans in calling for Carr’s job, and when one of Brees’ co-hosts brought that up, he gamely laughed it off.

It’s a shame things have taken such a turn for Thomas and the Saints. But if teams like the Dolphins are going to get where Brees and New Orleans have gone (Miami hasn’t won a playoff game since before Brees was drafted by the San Diego Chargers way back in 2001), they’ll need to do more to follow in his footsteps. That’s true for Carr and the modern-day Saints, too.

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Throwback Thursday: Wild stat that only applies to the Seahawks

Throwback Thursday: Wild stat that only applies to the Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks have been around since the 1976 season. When they entered into the league, they were initially in the NFC, and that conference has been their home from 2002 until present day. But from 1977-2001, the Seahawks were an AFC team, and many older fans still surely think of them as such. At least in the back of their minds.

Seattle is not the only team to flip flop conferences, but they are the only team to have achieved something truly unique. The Seahawks are the only franchise in NFL history to have played in both an NFC and AFC Championship game.

Fans today are intimately familiar with the fact Seattle has been to three Super Bowls since the 2005 season, their only appearances to date. Of course, in order to reach the Super Bowl, a team obviously needs to win their conference championship. The Seahawks as a franchise are 3-0 in the NFC title game.

However, their time competing for a spot atop the conference did not begin in the 2005 season. When Seattle first earned a playoff berth during the 1983 season, they took their opportunity and ran with it. Chuck Knox’ team defeated rookie John Elway’s Broncos 31-7 in the Wild Card round, then upset Dan Marino’s Dolphins on the road in the Divisional. Those wins earned them a spot in the AFC Championship.

Unfortunately, that was the end of the road for the Seahawks that year, as the Los Angeles Raiders trounced Seattle 30-14 in another AFC West showdown. While the Seahawks were unable to advance to their first Super Bowl then, their mere appearance in the AFC title game would prove to help the franchise make history.

History that might not ever be replicated.

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Dennis Allen and Derek Carr make unfortunate history together

Dennis Allen and Derek Carr made unfortunate history together. Allen is the first NFL coach to be fired by two teams with the same starting quarterback:

There are many head coaches who have been fired from multiple teams. Dennis Allen is the first head coach in NFL history, however, to be fired from two teams with the same quarterback at the helm.

Derek Carr was with Allen with the Oakland Raiders for a year and has been a part of of the New Orleans Saints since 2023. You may wonder why Allen would partner up with Carr again if the first attempt ended so badly.

In Allen’s defense, it wouldn’t be fair to point to Carr as the reason he was fired in Oakland. Allen lasted just four games into Carr’s rookie season. Not only is a player not truly developed as a rookie, the partnership lasted less than a handful of games. The issues in Oakland went further back than Carr’s tenure.

Allen handpicked the veteran version of Carr as the quarterback who was supposed to solve the issues. That didn’t happen. Unlike in Oakland, Carr played a big role in this firing.

Long stint or less than a season, veteran or rookie. The fact each time Dennis Allen lost his job as head coach Derek Carr was the quarterback is a very unfortunate piece of history that likely won’t be replicated any time soon

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Derek Carr just tied an unfortunate Archie Manning record

Derek Carr’s loss to the Panthers on Sunday tied an unfortunate record with former Saints quarterback Archie Manning:

New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr has tied one the most unfortunate records a signal-caller can have as of Sunday afternoon, in addition to the fact he has now been defeated by 31 different teams.

That’s not precisely the return he wanted after missing several weeks due to injury, and there were several Saints fans were hoping that Carr’s return would instill some new life into the offense. Instead, Carr just tied former Saints quarterback Archie Manning’s to hold one of the NFL’s most unfortunate records.

Over 11 seasons, Manning lost a total of 91 games. Carr has officially matched that exact number. His brother, David Carr, is also high on the list in terms of losses as a starting quarterback. Here’s a look at the full breakdown of all of that:

  • 4 seasons: David Carr (43)
  • 5 seasons: David Carr (53)
  • 6 seasons: David Carr (56)
  • 7 seasons: Derek Carr (63)
  • 8 seasons: Derek Carr (70)
  • 9 seasons: Derek Carr (79)
  • 10 seasons: Derek Carr (87)
  • 11 seasons: Derek Carr and Archie Manning (91)

While it was technically a close game, not a lot went incredibly right for the Saints as they faced one of the worst teams in the NFL in the Carolina Panthers, still managing to fall 23-22 while being a slight favorite.

Carr finished the game 18-for-31 passing for 236 yards with 1 touchdown. His injury did hinder the Saints, but it is apparent there are far more things wrong with the team than just injured players and it’s reasonable to expect there will be a large amount of turnover when the season concludes.

With that, the Saints are now on a seven-game losing streak. They will face a tough task in snapping that with the risk of getting swept in the series by the Atlanta Falcons in New Orleans next Sunday.

For now, the Saints simply have a lot of thinking to do.

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Broncos QB Bo Nix made history with his touchdown catch

Bo Nix is one of three rookie QBs in NFL history to throw, catch and run for a TD. He’s Denver’s first QB to catch a TD since John Elway.

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix is making a lot of franchise history in 2024, and on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens, he made a little more.

After catching a two-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver Courtland Sutton, Nix became only the second Broncos quarterback to have a receiving touchdown since 1986, when Hall of Famer John Elway caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from running back Steve Sewell.

Nix continues to show the abilities that made him the 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He became the first player in 2024 to have a passing, receiving and rushing touchdown.

According to NextGen Stats, Nix only had 0.7 yards of separation and a 21.9% completion probability on the touchdown catch, making it the most improbable reception by a QB since 2018.

As for his passing stats, Nix fished the game 19-of-33 for 223 yards, giving him 1,753 passing yards on the season. Nix has now passed Mickey Slaughter for the most passing yards by a rookie QB in franchise history.

Nix is the third quarterback in NFL history to throw a touchdown pass, catch a touchdown pass and rush for a touchdown in his rookie season, joining Marcus Mariota (2015) and Kordell Stewart (1995). Nix now has 13 total touchdowns this season.

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Teams that hit the Saints’ benchmarks vs. Panthers are now 275-1

The Saints’ 23-22 loss to the Panthers was historically bad in many ways, especially in this one stat. Teams that hit their benchmarks are now 275-1:

The New Orleans Saints losing to the previously 1-7 Carolina Panthers was brutal in its own right, but when looking at the statistics that led to that point, it’s even worse. According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, the Saints were the first team in the last 20 years to lose a game in which they:

  • Outgained the opponent by 150-plus yards
  • Ran for 150-plus yards
  • And won the turnover battle

On top of that, these three qualifiers have occurred in 275 prior games during that 20 year span, and the Saints are the only team to have lost in a matchup containing all three. So teams that dominate that well are now 275-1, with New Orleans as an outlier. That’s embarrassing.

This loss primarily resides on coaching, as they knew what was working in the run game and yet managed to still lose the game due to poor play-calling and decision-making when it came to timeout utilization. An ugly loss all around for New Orleans as they move to 2-7.

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Saints starting cornerback was a street free agent just two weeks ago

From street free agent to starting on Sunday: Recapping the last month for New Orleans Saints cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles

It’s been a busy couple of months for Shemar Jean-Charles. The New Orleans Saints cornerback has bounced on and off of the team’s practice squad after a standout performance during the preseason; if not for rookie sensation Rico Payton, he likely would’ve made the roster outright. Instead, he’s gone from being a street free agent to a game-day starter in a matter of weeks.

Let’s recap his experience. Jean-Charles was waived during final roster cuts on Aug. 27 and re-signed with the Saints practiice squad a few weeks later on Sept. 11, only to be let go again on Oct. 15. His return was announced the next week on Oct. 22, after Paulson Adebo’s season-ending injury. He was promoted to the 53-man roster on Nov. 2, just in time to start in Adebo’s place against the Carolina Panthers on Nov. 3.

Not bad for a former late-round draft pick. Payton is dealing with a back  issue and hamstring injuries have sidelined both Marshon Lattimore and  Kool-Aid McKinstry, so Jean-Charles is one of a couple of new faces in the Saints secondary on Sunday. Here’s hoping he makes some plays and hangs tough against a Panthers offense desperate to end their losing streak.

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Even if Dennis Allen gets the Saints out of this mess, keeping him is a mistake

Even if Dennis Allen gets the Saints out of this mess, keeping him is a mistake. Teams that recover from a 2-6 slump tend to fall right back into it:

The New Orleans Saints are in a very bad place logistically, as they sit at 2-6 for the first time since 2005, and no Saints team has ever made the playoffs after starting off with this record. In fact, only three teams have done so since 1970 when the NFL merger occurred, who are the Cincinnati Bengals in 1970, the Washington Commanders in 2020, and the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022. Of these three teams, each of them kept their head coach for at least two more years, and if history is any indication, this would be a mistake if Dennis Allen manages to turn things around for the Saints in a similar manner.

Starting with the 1970 Bengals, they started 2-6 before winning out to go to 8-6, and won their division with that record, however they ultimately lost in the divisional round by a score of 17-0 to the Baltimore Colts. Coach Paul Brown was there at the time, and he got a whopping five more seasons after this turnaround, and had a mixed bag of results which is more than we can say for the other two. In his five remaining seasons, here are the Bengals’ results:

  • 1971: 4-10 record, fourth in the division
  • 1972: 8-6 record, third in the division
  • 1973: 10-4 record, first in the division, playoffs but lost in the divisional round by a score of 34-16 to Miami Dolphins
  • 1974: 7-7 record, third in the division
  • 1975: 11-3 record, second in the division, playoffs but lost in the divisional round by a score of 31-28 to Oakland Raiders
  • Overall since 2-6 comeback: 40-30 record, two playoff appearances which were both divisional round losses

That is where things stop being so good, as the remaining two coaches faltered after their turnarounds. First up, Ron Rivera, who pulled off the 2-6 comeback in his first season as the head coach of the then Washington Football Team, finishing with a 7-9 record. They ultimately lost in the wild card round however by a score of 31-23 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After that, it was all downhill:

  • 2021: 7-10 record, third in the division
  • 2022: 8-8-1 record, fourth in the division
  • 2023: 4-13 record, fourth in the division
  • Overall since 2-6 comeback: 19-31-1 record, no additional playoff appearances before firing

Then finally we have Doug Pederson, who also completed this comeback in his first season as a head coach, finishing with a 9-8 record and bringing the Jaguars to the divisional round due to winning their division, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 27-20. Pederson still remains employed through early 2024, where they now funny enough sit at 2-6 through eight weeks. Here is their history since 2022:

  • 2023: 9-8 record, second in the division
  • 2024: 2-6 record, currently third in the division
  • Overall since 2-6 comeback: 11-14 record, no playoff appearances (pending 2024 results)

Between all three of these coaches in the nine and a half seasons they got after their 2-6 comeback seasons, they had a combined record of 70-75-1 and two playoff appearances. That’s 146 games with a combined 47.9% win rate, and if that’s good enough to remain head coach of the New Orleans Saints, there are bigger discussions to be had.

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