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Some of us never were much good at math. Which explains why some of us ended up typing writing for a living. So we leave it to others to handle the numerical nuances in the world of sport.
Cheerleaders always are welcome around here (in case you haven't figured that out yet).
Say hello to the NFL, which is more than happy to provide numerous numbers and statistical stuff. Among the tidbits tossed out Monday was the fact that the Chicago Bears’ victory Sunday gave them 52 victories on ”Kickoff Weekend.” That ties the Bears with the Green Bay Packers for the most all-time for what some of us used to regard as the season opener. The Bears’ 63 home-opening victories are the most in league history. Then again, the Bears have been around since the league’s inception, so there is a slight advantage over the Dallas Cowboys and former American Football League teams, among others.
Other tidbits courtesy the NFL:
* Three kickoff returns for touchdowns (Packers’ Randall Cobb, 108 yards; 49ers’ Ted Ginn Jr., 102 yards; and Vikings’ Percy Harvin, 103 yards) tie for the most in NFL history on Kickoff Weekend (1970, 1998).
* Ginn also had a 55-yard punt-return touchdown in the 49ers’ 33-17 win over the Seattle Seahawks, becoming the first player to have a kickoff-return touchdown and punt-return touchdown in the same game on Kickoff Weekend. He is also the 12th player in NFL history to have both a KR-TD and PR-TD in the same game.
* Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick had 98 rushing yards in the Eagles’ 31-13 win over the St. Louis Rams. Vick (4,728 career rushing yards) joins Randall Cunningham (4,928) as the only quarterbacks in NFL history with at least 4,700 rushing yards.
* Vick’s 98 rushing yards were the second-most by a QB in a season opener. He holds the record with 103 rushing yards last year (September 12, 2010 against Green Bay).
* Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton passed for 422 yards against the Arizona Cardinals in his NFL debut, tying Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (422 on Nov. 22, 2009) for the most passing yards in a game by an NFL rookie QB.
* Newton’s 422 passing yards are the most by a rookie on Kickoff Weekend and fifth-most all-time by any player on Kickoff Weekend.
* Baltimore safety Ed Reed had two interceptions in the Ravens’ 35-7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Reed has 12 games with at least two interceptions, the most by any player who began his career in the Super Bowl era. Ronnie Lott is second with 11. Lem Barney, Dave Brown and Everson Walls each had nine.
* The Houston Texans became the first team since the 1994 Indianapolis Colts to score at least 34 points on the first half of a season opener. The Texans beat the Colts 34-7. In 1994, the Colts scored 35 against the Houston Oilers.
For those wondering what a Miami Dolphins cheerleader is doing atop this post, well, Miami did have a game Monday night that offered the possibility of providing more figures worth a second look. As if there needs to be justification for the photo.