Week Four of the NFL came and went last weekend. Here are some tidbits of information I picked up last weekend while watching some games. I will use numbers to share the info.

Zero – I actually read this stat and am still amazed by it. Last week was the second consecutive week that the Atlanta Falcons had 0 turnovers and over 400 yards of total offense and 36+ points at home and lost. The Falcons were 11-of-15 on 3rd down vs Cincinnati, had 495 yards of offense, averaged 7.5 yards per play, and they were 3-for-5 in the red zone, and still lost. I guess that illustrates just how bad their defense is.

I also read this. Since 1940, teams scoring over 36 points at home without a turnover are 402-4. Atlanta has two of the four losses. And they came in back to back weeks.

Two – The Carolina Panthers are coming off their bye week and return to play this week with a 2-1 mark that places them in second place in the NFC South, behind only New Orleans who is 3-1. The Panthers host the New York Giants this week.

Four – Khalil Mack has gone four straight games with at least one sack and a forced fumble for his new team, the Chicago Bears. The best pass rusher in the NFL now has five sacks. The team that traded him, Oakland, has a combined total of five sacks. Hence, Chicago is 3-1. Oakland is 1-3.

Six – Speaking of Da Bears, second year quarterback Mitch Trubisky threw six touchdown passes last week as the Bears blew Tampa Bay out. As a full time starter last season, he compiled a season total of seven scoring passes.

12 – It’s only been four weeks, but there have already been 12 games this season in which a QB has passed for 400+ yards. There were five alone this week. I looked it up. A decade ago, there were just eight 400+ yard passing games the entire season.

USA Golf Drama

The United States lost the 2018 Ryder Cup to Europe last week by a 17 ½ to 10 ½ count. The competition took place in Europe this year and it has been decades since America won across the pond. So falling to the European squad is not all that newsworthy. What is newsworthy though is the drama that has surfaced from the USA team. News reports from across the globe have the Americans fighting and arguing before, during, and after the matches.

According to the London Telegraph, once-buddies Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka nearly came to blows in the European team room on Sunday night after being invited in when the event had ended. Johnson and Koepka were paired together in Saturday afternoon foursomes and lost 2 & 1 to Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose. Koepka halved his Sunday singles match against Paul Casey and Johnson lost his to Ian Poulter.

I find this both surprising and amusing. It is not a secret that these two are not only workout partners, but also good friends.

And then there is Patrick Reed. Nicknamed Captain America during the 2016 Ryder Cup, Reed was a non-factor this year. He was used to being paired with Jordan Spieth, but instead found himself teamed with Tiger Woods. The duo lost both their doubles matches.

Reed publicly wondered why he was not teamed up with Spieth again. Reports popped up all weekend of Spieth not wanting to play with the moody Reed and this set Reed off. He then questioned why he sat out two matches after being so successful in 2016.

I can answer that question. Reed clearly played at a lower level than his teammates. What is obvious when you watch Ryder Cups is that the European players are a close-knit group that clearly enjoy each other’s company. Historically, the same cannot be said about the Americans. Especially this year.

Image: Patrick Reed & Tiger Woods