Fifty things about the NFL: Penn State RBs, Andy Reid’s offense, brushing teeth with Andrew Luck
Stats, trivia and other notes, including Matt Ryan's quest to make Super Bowl history
Some serious musical chairs was being played among quarterbacks, the Giants haven't seen a rookie buzz like this since Lawrence Taylor, and a Chiefs wide receiver says Andy Reid will do something he's never done before.
Here are 50 things to know about the upcoming NFL season.
1. Bengals running back Giovani Bernard donated the minivan he was driving as a rookie in 2013, which was featured in that season's edition of Hard Knocks. The Honda Odyssey was actually his mother-in-law's and they donated it to Marine veteran Dustin Hoog, who was wounded in Iraq.
2. "It was amazing, just that entire experience," Bernard told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "And honestly, it wasn't all me, it was Anita, my mother-in-law, that really kind of put it forward. She's the one that was donating the vehicle. She loaned it to me years back, so it was pretty cool to have that experience and to see it go to a family in need was an awesome experience."
3. Ranking the opposing quarterbacks the Eagles, as things stand today, will face in 2018: Drew Brees (Saints), Matt Ryan (Falcons), Cam Newton (Panthers), Marcus Mariota (Titans), Alex Smith (Redskins), Deshaun Watson (Texans), Jared Goff (Rams), Kirk Cousins (Vikings), Eli Manning (Giants), Blake Bortles (Jaguars), Andrew Luck (Colts), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), and Ryan Fitzpatrick (Buccaneers).
4. Notable suspensions to start the season for various transgressions: Nigel Bradham, Eagles, LB (1 game); Vontaze Burfict, Bengals, LB (4); Thomas Davis, Panthers, LB (4); Julian Edelman, Patriots, WR (4); Reuben Foster, 49ers, LB (2); Mark Ingram, Saints, RB (4); Aaron Jones, Packers, RB (2); Jimmy Smith, Jaguars, CB (4); Jameis Winston, Buccaneers, QB (3).
5. "I've learned that you view it as a one-game-at-a-time opportunity," said Ryan Fitzpatrick, who will start the first three games, including Week 2 against the Eagles, while Winston serves his suspension. "That's just the way it is in this league."
6. Fitzpatrick, 48-70-1 as a starter in 13 years, could pass Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, Terry Bradshaw, and Ron Jaworski on the all-time career passing yardage list this year.
7. Trivia question: Who are the only two quarterbacks to pass for at least 50,000 yards but never win a Super Bowl? See below for the answer.
8. Patrick Robinson, whose scintillating pick-six turned around last year's NFC championship game for the Eagles, is back with the Saints. New Orleans drafted Robinson in the first round in 2010.
9. The last time a team won consecutive Super Bowls was New England in 2003-04. That's also the last time a team defended its NFC East title, when the Eagles won their fourth straight. That's more remarkable than the Super Bowl note.
10. Giants rookie Saquon Barkley wasn't shy whenever he was confused during camp. "My mom and dad used to say I used to ask them questions like, 'Why this? Why that? Why this? Why that?' " he said. "That's just [my] approach … I'm always going to have even when – God-willing – I play 10 years in this league. Asking questions is how you figure it out."
11. The Giants rookie record for rushing yards was set 82 years ago when Tuffy Leemans put up 830 yards in 1936. Leemans went on to a Hall of Fame career and was honored by the Giants six years later before the final game of the season – on Dec. 7, 1941.
12. The NFL record for rushing yards by a rookie is held by Eric Dickerson (1,808 yards), who also was a No. 2 overall pick, in 1983. LeSean McCoy (637 in 2009) holds the Eagles record and the mark for Penn State backs is held by former Seahawk Curt Warner (1,449 in 1983).
Notable Penn State RBs/rookie year
13. The Eagles play the Giants in Week 6 (Oct. 11) and Week 12 (Nov. 25). The Week 6 game is a Thursday nighter up at the Meadowlands.
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14. Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine is back in coaching after spending last season consulting for the Seahawks. In his five seasons running defenses (2009-12 Jets; 2013 Bills), Pettine's teams have always been in the top 10 in fewest yards allowed.
15. Buffalo's surprise appearance in last year's postseason means that Cleveland now has the longest active playoff drought. The Browns last made the playoffs following the 2002 season.
16. This comes up every year and just keeps getting more ridiculous. The Browns have lost their last 13 season openers. They host Pittsburgh for the second year in a row.
17. Cleveland, as has been well documented, is 1-31 over the last two seasons. They Browns are 9-23 against the spread during this span. Vegas sees improvement, however. Their over/under win total is 5.5.
18. The Eagles, counting playoffs, are 21-14 against the spread the last two seasons.
19. The Broncos hold the longest Week 1 winning streak at six. Denver hosts Seattle in its opener.
20. "I feel like I thought a lot about different things last year within the games and that's something I'm going to try to eliminate," Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott trying to explain how he went from throwing four interceptions in 2016 to 13 last season. Dez Bryant and Jason Witten are gone, but watch Tavon Austin, who is in a contract season.
21. Penn wide receiver Justin Watson, a Buccaneers fifth-round pick, credited Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson with helping him transition to the pro game. Watson, the first Penn player drafted since 2002, had a terrific touchdown catch in the third preseason game.
22. Jacob Martin, a sixth-round pick out of Temple, had a good summer for the Seahawks and could be used as either a defensive end or outside linebacker, according to the Tacoma News Tribune . Martin was Temple's first football recruit from Colorado.
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23. Though the Redskins have won one playoff game this century, there is typical summertime optimism in Washington now that they've turned the quarterback page from Kirk Cousins to Alex Smith. "From my perspective, everybody wants to win a championship until you get hit in the mouth," warned Washington defensive lineman Ziggy Hood.
24. What are the chances that Adrian Peterson is still carrying the ball for the Redskins the first time they meet the Eagles, in Week 13? Peterson, 33, hasn't played against the Eagles since 2010.
25. Sites for the next six Super Bowls: Atlanta, Miami, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and New Orleans. So much for that outdoor, cold-weather experiment of New York in 2014.
26. Dallas (following the 1993 season) and the Rams (1999) won the only two Super Bowls played in Atlanta. Matt Ryan and the Falcons could be the first team ever to have a home game for the Super Bowl.
27. Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian's seat is pretty warm after Atlanta dipped from 34 points per game in its Super Bowl season in 2016 to a mediocre 22 last year in Sark's first campaign running the offense. Atlanta has three consecutive home games (Carolina, New Orleans, Cincy) after the season opener at the Eagles.
28. Right after he was drafted last year, Denver tight end Jake Butt signed an endorsement deal with Charmin. That's some cool marketing. Butt, who had 97 catches in his final two seasons at Michigan, had to sit out his rookie year with a torn ACL.
29. New Lions coach Matt Patricia's defensive coordinator is Paul Pasqualoni, who hired Patricia as a graduate assistant at Syracuse in 2001.
30. Patricia, a former Patriots coordinator whose defense was last seen getting carved up by Nick Foles, won 21 playoff games in his 14 seasons as an assistant in New England. In the last 60 years, the Lions have won one (1991 playoffs).
31. The Giants tabbed South Philly native Jackie Miles as head equipment manager. Miles had held the same title with Carolina, where current Giants general manager Dave Gettleman was GM from 2013 to 2017. New York turned over its equipment staff following the scandal involving Eli Manning memorabilia.
32. "We're going to put on a big show this year," said DeMarcus Lawrence, referring also to Cowboys defensive line teammates Taco Charlton and Randy Gregory, who has returned from a season-long suspension.
33. Charlton got the nickname "Taco" when his grandmother joked about his premature birth during a time Taco Bell had the slogan "rushing to the border" (i.e. he was "rushing" to get out of mom's womb). Just a hunch that jingle wouldn't work in our divisive 2018 culture.
34. Since the current alignment was adopted in 2002, the Eagles are the second team to win the Super Bowl a season after finishing last in their division. The 2009 Saints were the other. Teams that finished last in 2017: Giants (3-13), Bears (5-11), Buccaneers (5-11), 49ers (6-10), Jets (5-11), Browns (0-16), Colts (4-12), and Broncos (5-11).
35. The seven new head coaches, with previous jobs in parentheses: Oakland's Jon Gruden (ESPN analyst), Chicago's Matt Nagy (Chiefs offensive coordinator), Detroit's Matt Patricia (Patriots DC), Indianapolis' Frank Reich (Eagles OC), N.Y. Giants' Pat Shurmur (Vikings OC), Tennessee's Mike Vrabel (Texans DC), Arizona's Steve Wilks (Panthers DC).
36. Wilks, according to the Arizona Republic, has the contract from his first coaching job framed in his office. He made $2,500 a month as an assistant at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte.
37. As if the Cardinals weren't going through enough upheaval with a new coach, coordinators, and quarterback (Sam Bradford, for now), reliable center A.Q. Shipley tore his ACL during a practice. They're going with rookie Mason Cole, who was the first Michigan offensive lineman ever to start as a true freshman. Cole has a remarkable record, especially for his position, of not having missed a start in high school or college.
38. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill predicted that the Chiefs "will have the best offense in [the] National Football League, without a doubt." Chiefs coach Andy Reid has never had a No. 1 offense. His best was the 2010 Eagles, which finished third in points and second in yards and lost to the Packers in a wild-card game. K.C. was sixth in points and fifth in yards, and also lost in the wild-card round last season.
39. Nov. 14 is the 25th anniversary of Don Shula's becoming the NFL's all-time leader in coaching wins when Miami beat the Eagles at Veterans Stadium. Doug Pederson relieved Scott Mitchell at quarterback that day and rallied the Dolphins with two second-half drives that resulted in field goals for the victory.
40. Imhotep was one of 12 high schools to have multiple players drafted in April. Speedy wide receiver D.J. Moore went to Carolina in the first round and running back David Williams was picked by Denver in the seventh round. Williams was cut by the Broncos.
41. Moore, who apologized to teammates after making headlines for being cited doing 113 mph in a 65-mph zone in August, will be one of Cam Newton's top weapons.
42. Longtime Penn State assistant Tom Bradley is the defensive backs coach for the Steelers. It's the first NFL job for Bradley, who took over when Joe Paterno was fired in 2011. Bradley had been the defensive coordinator at UCLA the last three seasons.
43. "We were 31st in the league in missed tackles," said Steelers safety Sean Davis. "We all know 31st is unacceptable. And for us to be world champions, that needs to be worked on and corrected."
44. Rocky Bleier is among this year's class going into the Steelers' Hall of Honor. Must confess to being stunned that he wasn't already in until we realized that Pittsburgh started this tradition just last year. Ceremonies take place the weekend of Sept. 30, when the Steelers host Baltimore in a Sunday night game.
45. Sports bettors, take note. Teams no longer must kick the extra point after scoring a touchdown at the gun. They usually took a knee anyhow, but now they won't have to do een that.
46. Trivia answer (from item No. 7): The only two quarterbacks to pass for at least 50,000 yards, but never win a Super Bowl are Dan Marino (61,361) and Philip Rivers (50,348).
47. Count Villanova product Tanoh Kpassagnon among defenders stupefied by the new rules trying to legislate safety into a sport that is inherently violent. He drew one of the penalties in the preseason for a hit that used to be routine.
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48. The hit by Minnesota's Anthony Barr that virtually ended Aaron Rodgers' season last year would be a penalty this year. Quarterbacks are not fair game just because they're out of the pocket.
49. Tennessee made Taylor Lewan the highest paid offensive lineman with a five-year, $80 million deal that included $50 million guaranteed. Lewan showed up to the news conference dressed as Boss Hogg from the 1980s TV show Dukes of Hazzard; with a full white suit and cigar. Naturally, he also brought Steve, the stuffed beaver that he keeps in his locker. The Eagles visit the Titans in Week 4.
50. It didn't take long during training camp for Colts quarterback Andrew Luck to reestablish his chemistry with wide receiver T.Y. Hilton. Luck missed last season with a shoulder injury. "It's like when you wake up and brush your teeth," Hilton said. "It's easy for us, man."