Bye Week Odds & Ends

Following up on the Mikell post from yesterday, I thought it would be helpful to show just how much better Mikell is playing this year than last.  The original version of this chart first appeared here.  I've updated it with a 16-game extrapolation of his 2008 numbers:

Can he keep this up all season?  Who knows.  But that's some serious production.

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Continuing the theme of updating graphics with 2008 projections, here's a look at how the ball has been spread around in the passing game the last six seasons (click for pdf):

 

Two things really jump out there.  The first is how remarkably similar are the numbers for Kevin Curtis in 2007 and the 16-game extrapolation for DeSean Jackson in 2008.  The second is how unbelievably limited has been the contribution of the tight ends. 

It's definitely a chicken-and-egg question:  are the tight ends not producing because their numbers aren't being called or are their numbers not being called because they're not producing.  Either way, that eight percent yardage figure is frankly unbelievable. 

Other notes on this:

The yards/catch figure for the receivers is climbing up nicely from last year, but it's still a long way from the 2004 and 2006 numbers.

I don't think it's likely that Tony Hunt reaches those projected numbers for the Eagles.

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Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?  Check out how much better Donovan McNabb has been this season avoiding sacks than he has throughout the rest of his career:

 

Those are three different ways of measuring the same thing (take your pick as to which you feel is most accurate).  The bottom line is the same, though.  McNabb has never been this good at avoiding sacks.  The emphasis on throwing the ball away and living to fight another day has definitely taken hold.

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Wondering why the percentage rate is so much more changed than the per game rate?  That would be because McNabb is on pace to throw 587 passes this season, easily the highest number of his career.  He's slightly below the attempts/game mark he set in 2005, but hopefully he'll stay healthy this year.

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Last chart update:

 

There's some ambiguity between the blue and red since I don't know how to classify Darren Howard.  But since I called him a DE last year, I'll do that again this year.

Note, however, that the big change is coming from all the non-DEs.  That's huge after a couple of years when the back seven just wasn't getting to the QB.