NFL Week 3 Musings: Jimmy Clausen Continues to Chase Records, Big Ben's Injury Not Part of Bigger Trend

Every week we’ll break down the biggest stories and issues with the NFL Sunday games. Here is week 3, where we started to get some separation between teams and some better sense of who might turn it around.

THE JIMMY CLAUSEN EXPERIENCE RETURNS FOR JOHN FOX IN CHICAGO

Jimmy Clausen is marching toward history. Yes, judging bad quarterbacking is always in the eye of the beholder. If you aren’t good enough, you never get on the field. Then there are the guys who are third-stringers but forced into action because of injuries (Ryan Lindley, Rusty Smith), who put up dreadful numbers in a limited number of starts.

Then, there are the guys drafted with some expectation of being good, who get more than a handful of starts. Yesterday marked Clausen’s 12th start in the NFL, 11 of which have now come with John Fox as head coach. Among all quarterbacks who have at least 300 pass attempts since the merger in 1970, he is now 2nd worst all-time in yards per attempt, trailing only Akili Smith. Lower it to 250 career passes and he is marginally better than Ryan Lindley, Gary Marangi, and the immortal Kim McQuilken, so there’s that.

Seattle played sluggishly on offense in the first half, but once Tyler Lockett returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, I wrote “game over” in the fictional notebook I had by my side. Clausen managed something that’s really hard to do, getting shutout while having no turnovers. It’s probably worse, in fact, I mean, at least go out trying to force a ball into coverage to make a play rather than like this.

I know Alshon Jeffery is out as well, but it’s hilarious that John Fox hates someone like Tebow, who he also labored with, so much that he’d rather just lose a game with Jimmy Clausen on his roster. Clausen’s teams have averaged 11.1 points per start, and his teams are 1-11 when he starts. (Tebow, by contrast, has been the quarterback on teams that averaged 19.9 per start).

Maybe he’s just hoping Clausen does what he did at his last stop, deliver the next Cam Newton. We don’t know how much longer Cutler is out, as info has been pretty inconsistent. But in 86 plays with Clausen at QB, the Bears have 299 total yards, and 9 points (6 of which came on field goals after turnovers, with 6 total yards gained on offense).

ROETHLISBERGER’S INJURY IS NOT PART OF A LARGER TREND. QUARTERBACKS GET HURT AND ALWAYS HAVE

Ben Roethlisberger is out for at least four weeks now with a knee injury sustained in yesterday’s 12-6 win in St. Louis. Michael Vick will be the starter in the short term in Pittsburgh as they try to get through this stretch. Roethlisberger joins Drew Brees and Tony Romo as prominent veteran quarterbacks who have already been knocked out of a game due to injury. Josh McCown in Cleveland–on a diving attempt for a touchdown–and of course Cutler in Chicago–which came on an interception tackle attempt and not offensive blocking, are the others.

But, these are big names so expect some attempts at broader trends. Over at Pro Football Talk, Mike Florio cites league sources who are concerned that the more limited contact practice times since the 2011 CBA are affecting offensive line continuity and QB injuries.

"As one source put it in the aftermath of the latest multi-week injury to a starting quarterback, defenses have an edge over offensive lines in the early portion of the season, as teams with new players and/or new coaches and/or new systems are trying to figure out how to work together. That cooperation and synchronization applies no more clearly than along the five-man wall of blockers, who hope to collectively create a layer of protection that four or more individuals operating with far less harmony will aggressively try to pierce."

I can find an example to try to persuade someone of anything. But in this case, it’s better to look at all the data. Through three weeks in 2015, 38 different quarterbacks have thrown at least 10 passes in a game. From 2006 to 2010, an average of 39.2 quarterbacks threw at least 10 passes in one or more games in the opening three weeks.

Other indicators are just as unconvincing. There have been 187 QB sacks in the opening three weeks (with Kansas City and Green Bay pending). Teams are throwing it slightly more than five years ago, but the current sack rate (5.3% of all passes) is lower than the average from five years ago, at 6.2%. In fact, this year is the lowest sack rate through three weeks, with 2014 being the other lowest year of the last decade.

Also, interception rates are slightly down, touchdown passes are nearing the most in the last decade (with a combined 4 tonight it would tie 2013), and teams are averaging a whopping 6.6 net yards per pass. The all-time NFL record for a season, which was 6.4 last year.

The offenses are continuing to explode. Sacks and bad plays are occurring less frequently. And yes, sometimes quarterbacks still get hurt despite the NFL’s best efforts to preserve them. Twenty years ago, ten different teams had multiple quarterbacks throw at least 10 passes in a game within the first three weeks.

JULIO JONES DOMINATES

Through 35 minutes, the Dallas Cowboys had largely contained Julio Jones. Matt Ryan completed only 4 of the 12 passes targeted for him, for 41 yards. The second half, though, belonged to Julio. Ryan completed his last 8 passes to Jones, for 123 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a complete reversal of the game. Jones was the passing game in the second half, getting targeted on 12 of the 17 passes thrown.

Going back to at least 1960, Jones has the most catches (34) through the first three games in a season. (you could probably win some bar bets knowing that 2nd place is a three-way tie at 31 between Troy Brown, Wes Welker, and former Jets fullback Clark Gaines).

While “on pace” stats are usually premature and sometimes humorous, given Jones’ talent, I don’t think it’s too early to put him on Marvin Harrison reception record watch (143 in 2002) if he can stay healthy. Over his last 16 games, he’s had 124 catches and 1,829 yards. Only Antonio Brown (125 last year) and Harrison have had more than that over a full NFL season.

ARIZONA CARDINALS, SUPER BOWL CONTENDER

If there was any doubt, Arizona is a legitimate threat to take home the title this year. They have a two game lead still over Seattle. Arizona is also in the top 6 in points and yards on offense and defense, and near the top in both pass offense efficiency, pass defense efficiency, and rushing yards per carry and yards per carry allowed. The opponents are a combined 1-5 so far in other games, but Arizona has also stomped them by an average of 25.7 points.

I expect Colin Kaepernick’s performance and status in San Francisco to become a bigger point. But let’s not forget just how amazing the transformation in the desert has been with Bruce Arians. Last year, Palmer’s injury sunk their season. If he is healthy and dealing, and Larry Fitzgerald is back, and the running back group now has David Johnson and Chris Johnson to go with Andre Ellington when he gets back, this is a scary offense.

EAGLES BOUNCE BACK AS THE TURNOVERS TURN

Philadelphia took a beating, while the Jets bathed in the afterglow of the Monday Night win in Indianapolis. I highlighted the nature of turnovers when it comes to the future, and our perceptions, in a post about the Colts. That game featured a 5 to 1 turnover ratio in favor of the Jets.

This one, long term, bodes well for the Jets and not so much for the Eagles, but short term, it’s Philly that got the road win.

It was the Jets turning it over early and often, highlighted by Brandon Marshall’s lateral attempt, and that combined with Darren Sproles’ punt return TD made the difference. Still, it has to be concerning longterm that the Eagles, despite those advantages and having a 24-0 lead, had to hold on. They had 3 total first downs in the second half, the final one coming on a penalty for illegal hands to the face after a 3rd and 16 run for no gain. Sam Bradford passed for only 118 yards on 28 attempts. Bradford is now averaging 5.8 yards per attempt in Philadelphia, even lower than his paltry numbers in St. Louis.

CAM NEWTON VERSUS ED HOCHULI

We’ll see where it goes from here, but Cam Newton and Ed Hochuli are now embroiled in a “he said, he said” situation about what Hochuli said to him after Newton appealed for a late hit. You can’t see the actual hit on the game footage, but it certainly looks like Newton throws it away more than 5 yards from the sideline, and then ends up well past the white chalk on the ground with the defender laying beside him.

It’s also clear that Cam reacted strongly to something that Hochuli said, and gave a “can you believe what this guy just said?” type motion after their exchange.

NO-HUDDLE

Cincinnati 28, Baltimore 24: The Bengals get to 3-0 for the second straight year, while Baltimore is in real trouble at 0-3. It’s the first time the Ravens have started with that record since moving to Baltimore.

Oakland 27, Cleveland 20: Derek Carr, Latavius Murray and Amari Cooper are starting to build hope in Oakland. The Raiders are off to a 2-1 start, and expect plenty of Manziel vs. McCown questions, as unfair as that might be.

Houston 19, Tampa Bay 9: this exciting contest featured both teams missing extra points, so there’s that.

Minnesota 31, San Diego 14: Bridgewater didn’t have a particular good day, but the Vikings pass rush and Adrian Peterson running has been a winning combination at home for two weeks. We’ll see if the Vikings can take it on the road to prove week 1 was a fluke.

New England 51, Jacksonville 14: The Patriots might be just a bit ready to roll some people this year. Belichick decided to give LeGarrette Blount the three touchdowns in a name the score game.

Indianapolis 35, Tennessee 33: The Colts go from 0-2 disaster to now tied for the lead in the AFC South after coming back to beat the Titans on the road. Ahh, those division imbalances.

Buffalo 41, Miami 14: Feels like things could go south in Miami. Tannehill’s numbers look like Tannehill’s numbers in the other years. It’s year 4 of Philbin era and this team continues to come out highly inconsistent from week to week. Meanwhile, Buffalo is going to be a tough out each week.

Denver 24, Detroit 12: Matthew Stafford isn’t making it through this year without missing games.