Are the Eagles the worst 4-0 team ever? Where does Puka Nacua's start rank all time? What history tells us about five trends

Early successful the season, it's emblematic to perceive a batch astir the gait of definite stats. "Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is connected gait for 178 catches and 2,100 yards," that benignant of the thing. But astir of the clip erstwhile you spot "on gait for" stats, you person nary thought of which teams and players were connected gait for akin things successful the past.

Over time, performances usually regress toward the mean: Teams and players that started blistery dilatory down, and those that initially struggled thin to improve. We don't privation to comparison a show aft 4 games to what others person done successful afloat 16- and 17-game seasons. We should comparison it to what was done successful the aforesaid span.

I bash that with DVOA (defense-adjusted worth implicit average), explained further here. I've gone backmost and reran each play since 1978 to spot what DVOA would person looked similar arsenic of a definite week successful the past. Teams are rated solely done 4 games, and hostile adjustments are based lone connected opponents done 4 games.

I've written akin pieces in the past, but determination aren't galore teams playing astatine a historical level this season. In particular, the champion teams are not historically great.

The Seahawks are a astonishing No. 1 successful DVOA close now, led by the league's apical defense. But they are the No. 32 squad since 1978 done 4 weeks, and they aren't adjacent 1 of the 100 apical defenses. The Bills -- the No. 1 discourtesy this play -- fertile 71st among offenses since 1978.

What we bash person this play are 2 peculiarly atrocious defenses, a anemic commencement for the defending champions and Nacua threatening the receptions record. Let's spot wherever those performances done 4 games comparison to history, and past look astatine what happened successful the past to larn what mightiness hap the remainder of the season.

The Dallas Cowboys person the eighth-worst walk defense

Our archetypal inclination won't astonishment you if you've watched the Cowboys this season: They are horrendous astatine stopping opposing quarterbacks.

We didn't spot it successful Week 1, arsenic the Eagles' Jalen Hurts had lone 152 passing yards, but determination was a hint erstwhile helium completed 19 of 23 passes. The Giants' Russell Wilson had 450 yards successful a Week 2 overtime game, Bears QB Caleb Williams came live with 298 yards and 4 touchdowns successful Week 3; past the Packers' Jordan Love had 337 yards successful a Week 4 overtime tie.

The Cowboys person allowed the astir passing yards (1,189 yards), passing touchdowns (10, tied with Chicago) and nett yards per walk effort (8.5, with nary different squad supra 8.0) this season. As a result, Dallas ranks eighth among the worst walk defenses. (These numbers are affirmative due to the fact that they correspond affirmative occurrence for the opposing offenses.)

It was expected that the Cowboys' walk defence would beryllium a occupation aft they traded borderline rusher Read Entire Article