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	NESS NOTES (NFL) There was much made during the off season that the NFL's new 'no-chuck' rule was going to open up the passing games and therefore scoring in 2004. That hasn't been the case through four weeks of play as NFL scoring has been down. In fact, the average score of an NFL game has yet to top 40 points in any week with the weekly averages of NFL games from Week 1 through Week 4 coming in at 38.8, 37.8 39.0 and 38.6 points per game, respectively.... The old mantra that said "run the ball to win" is still applicable! Week 4 was the best example, as the team with the most rushing yards in a game went 13-1 (12-1-1 ATS)! Teams that have outrushed their opponents in a game are 40-20 SU (35-22-3 ATS) on the season. Just being able to get more rushing attempts in a game has been a great harbinger of success. The team with the most rushing attempts in a game has gone 44-14 (39-16-3 ATS) through the season's first four weeks.... Having a player run for 100 yards in a game usually spells success for that team. From 2001 through 2003 teams with 100-yard rushers in a game went 298-113, for a winning percentage of .725. There were a record 21 players that topped the 100-yard mark in the season's first two weeks and after teams went 9-2 SU and ATS in Week 4 when featuring 100-yard rushers they are at 30-11 SU and (30-10-1 ATS) for the year.... How about the passing game? Having a QB pass for 300 yards in a game is not necessarily a good thing! From 2001 through 2004 teams with QBs that have thrown for 300 yards or more in a game are just 111-100. That's a winning percentage of just .526 compared to the .725 mark held by teams that had a 100-yard rusher during the same time span! Teams with 300-yard passers in 2004 are 9-11 SU and just 5-12-1 ATS through the first four weeks.... Home-field advantage has not been such a big deal so far! Home teams are just 31-29 through the first four weeks of the 2004 season while visiting teams have an excellent ATS mark of 34-23-3 or 59.2 percent. Home dogs are struggling with a SU record of 7-13 and an ATS mark of 8-11-1.... There must be something in the water at the Meadowlands. The Giants have the most takeaways in the NFL with 13, while the Jets have the league's fewest giveaways with two. The Giants are number one with a turnover ratio of plus-13 and the Jets are second at plus-eight.... The St Louis Rams finally forced some turnovers last week. The Rams had led the league with 46 takeaways in 2003 but became the last team to get their initial takeaway of the 2004 season with two last week against the 49ers. While every team has forced turnovers, the Vikings are the only NFL team without and interception while the Cowboys are the only team without a recovered fumble.... Jacksonville made headlines the first three weeks by starting 3-0 SU and ATS while scoring just 35 points. The Jaguars lost last week to the Colts 24-17 and have now scored 52 points and allowed 52 points in their 3-1 start! The only winning teams to have allowed more points than they've scored in the season's first four weeks are the 2-1 Cowboys (57-65) and the 2-1 Lions (61-62).... There may be hope yet for the Arizona Cardinals. Despite a 1-3 start, the Cardinals are plus-five in turnover ratio, are the ONLY team in the NFL with a losing record that's scored more points (59) than they've allowed (56) and their defense has not allowed an offensive TD in 10 quarters! The last time a Cardinal team has gone two consecutive games without allowing a TD was in 1970 (a span of 512 games)!.... From the "be careful of what you wish for" department comes my closing fact. The Atlanta Falcons began playing in the NFL in 1966 and have matched the club's best-ever start by going 4-0. Only once before have the Falcons started a season 4-0 and that was in 1986, when they finished 7-8-1 and OUT of the playoffs. The Jets have also matched the franchise's best-ever start by going 3-0. The Jets previously opened 3-0 in both 19666 and 2000 but like the Falcons, finished out of the playoffs in each of those two years.... Back to articles
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