2018 NFL PRESEASON INDIVIDUAL & TEAM STATISTICAL LEADERS

Listed below are the final individual and team preseason leaders in the AFC and NFC.

Rookie running back CHRIS WARREN of the Oakland Raiders was the NFL preseason rushing leader with 292 rushing yards. Rookie wide receiver JAVON WIMS of the Chicago Bears led the league in receiving yards with 227. The leading passer was Cincinnati Bengals quarterback ANDY DALTONwith a 130.9 passer rating.

The Carolina Panthers finished the 2018 preseason with the top-ranked offense, averaging 373.3 yards per game. The New Orleans Saints led the league in total defense, allowing 216 yards per game on average.

​2018 NFL PRESEASON LEADERS

Individual

Team

Touchdowns	4 tied, AFC	3		Total Offense	Carolina, NFC	373.3
	2 tied, NFC	3			Cincinnati, AFC	364.5
Rushing Yards	Warren, Oak., AFC (R)	292		Points	Baltimore, AFC	127
	Nall, Chi., NFC (R)	223			Chicago, NFC	121
Rushing TDs	2 tied, AFC	3		Rushing Yds.	Baltimore, AFC	159.0
	Kelly, LAR, NFC (R)	3		Per Game	New Orleans, NFC	155.0
Longest Run	Etling, NE, AFC (R)	86t		Rushing TDs	New Orleans, NFC	8
from Scrimmage	McCaffrey, Car., NFC	71t			Jacksonville, AFC	7
Passer Rating	Dalton, Cin., AFC	130.9		Pass Attempts	Chicago, NFC	189
	Winston, TB, NFC	126.9			Miami, AFC	165
Passing Yards	Bray, Chi., NFC	652		Completions	Chicago, NFC	121
	Mayfield, Cle., AFC (R)	501			Miami, AFC	106
Passing TDs	3 tied, NFC	5		Passing Yards	Tampa Bay, NFC	284.5
	4 tied, AFC	4		Per Game	Kansas City, AFC	274.0
Receptions	3 tied, NFC	16		Passing TDs	Pittsburgh, AFC	9
	Hill, KC, AFC	14			Green Bay, NFC	8
Receiving Yards	Wims, Chi., NFC (R)	227		Fewest Sacks	Cincinnati, AFC	3
	Hill, KC, AFC	182		Allowed	3 tied, NFC	6
Receiving TDs	Hatcher, Oak., AFC	3		Most 2-Point	New Orleans, NFC	3
	Frazier, Car., Car	3		Conversions	2 tied, AFC	3
Longest Rec.	Kumerow, GB, NFC	82t		Total Defense	New Orleans, NFC	216.0
	Smith-Schuster, Pit., AFC	71t			Baltimore, AFC	265.0
Punt Return	McKenzie, Den., AFC	19.8		Pts. Allowed/Game	Cleveland, AFC	11.5
Average	Powell, Det., NFC (R)	15.7			New Orleans, NFC	11.8
Kickoff Return	Tate, NO, NFC	33.0		Rushing Yds.	Tennessee, AFC	77.5
Average	Langley, Den., AFC	27.7		Allowed/Game	New Orleans, NFC	79.3
Punting Average	Koch, Bal., AFC	51.6		Rushing TDs	2 tied, AFC	0
	Martin, Det., NFC	51.2		Allowed	Philadelphia, NFC	1
Points	Parkey, Chi., NFC	37		Passing Yards	New Orleans, NFC	136.8
	2 tied, AFC	35		Allowed/Game	Jacksonville, AFC	156.0
Field Goals	2 tied, AFC	9		Passing TDs	2 tied, AFC	1
	Parkey, Chi., NFC	8		Allowed	3 tied, NFC	2
Interceptions	4 tied, AFC	2		Interceptions	Baltimore, AFC	9
	3 tied, NFC	2			Arizona, NFC	7
Sacks	Ridgeway, Ind., AFC	4		Sacks	Baltimore, AFC	21
	2 tied, NFC	4			Chicago, NFC	20

*(R) - Rookie

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 2018-19 SEASON PRIMER

With the NHL season now less than a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, I focus on the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

LAST SEASON: 47-29-6 record (100 points), second in the Metropolitan Division (lost to Washington in the second round of the playoffs, beat Philadelphia in the first round)

REMAINING CAP SPACE: $1.02MM per CapFriendly

KEY ADDITIONS: F Matt Cullen (free agent, Minnesota), F Derek Grant (free agent, Anaheim), F Jimmy Hayes(free agent, New Jersey), D Jack Johnson (free agent, Columbus)

KEY DEPARTURES: D Matt Hunwick (trade with Buffalo), F Tom Kuhnhackl (free agent, NY Islanders), F Carter Rowney (free agent, Anaheim), F Conor Sheary (trade with Buffalo)

PLAYER TO WATCH: F Derick Brassard – In an effort to strengthen their depth down the middle leading up to the deadline, Pittsburgh swung a three-way trade to bring Brassard in.  In doing so, they gave themselves a legitimate top-six center on the third line which they hoped would really bolster their attack.  Unfortunately for them, that didn’t go as planned as Brassard struggled with his reduced role.

There is certainly cause for optimism to think that a full training camp and regular season would help in this regard but they do have another option that they’re going to try, moving him to the wing.  Doing so would allow him to play in the top six like he has been accustomed to.

Teams are certainly going to be keeping close tabs on him as Brassard is slated to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.  If he fares well on the wing, the extra versatility will certainly strengthen his case on the open market and he’ll give the Penguins another prominent offensive weapon.

On the flip side, if he struggles, he could conceivably become a trade candidate by the deadline as salary cap space will once again be at a premium.  GM Jim Rutherford likes to try to make a big addition each season and if Brassard isn’t getting the job done, it’s certainly possible that he’d be part of a return going the other way or flipped to create the cap space to make that addition.  Suffice it to say, there’s a lot at stake for Brassard heading into 2018-19.

KEY STORYLINE: For the last few years, Pittsburgh has been tweaking their defense corps but now, with all of their top-six options locked up for at least two seasons (five of them for three or more), there is now the potential for a bit more stability at that position.

The addition of Johnson and extension for Jamie Oleksiak gives them a third pairing that can log more ice time than a typical number three unit if need be which should allow them to scale back minutes for someone like Kris Letang if they so desire.  It also gives them a bit more insurance in case of injuries.

While their offense justifiably gets most of the attention, the back end has had some incremental improvements.  However, it still remains a question mark.  Is this group good enough to get the job done or will Rutherford need to continue to make changes?

OVERALL OUTLOOK: The Penguins have been contenders for quite a while now and they should be one once again with the majority of their roster from last year returning for another season.  The Metropolitan Division projects to be quite tight once again so they may not walk away with first place but they’ll undoubtedly be in the mix once the postseason arrives.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

5 PLAYERS WHO STOOD OUT TO ME AGAINST CLEVELAND

The Pittsburgh Steelers opened their season in rainy Cleveland on Sunday. There were five players that stood out in the season’s opener.

It was an ugly game. The weather. The penalties. The turnovers. It was just U-G-L-Y ugly. Players the Steelers usually rely on in the clutch couldn’t get it done. Ben Roethlisberger continues to struggle on the road, and usually clutch kicker Chris Boswell missed a 42-yard field goal try in overtime that would have won the game.

In a game that was lucky to end in a tie, it wasn’t all bad. There were five players that made a huge impact on the positive side.

JAMES CONNER

With Le’Veon Bell continuing to hold out, second-year back James Conner made his first career start. He carried the ball 31 times for 135 yards and punched it in the end zone twice. His second touchdown was an impressive 22-yard scamper.

His only goof in the game was a fumble later on in the game when Pittsburgh had a 21-7 lead that sparked Cleveland’s comeback.

He definitely wore down as the game went on, but if Bell continues to hold out, Conner proved enough that the Steelers can rely on him. Cleveland has a good defense, so 135 yards on the ground in a nasty-weather game is impressive.

TJ WATT

Either T.J. Watt loves playing in Cleveland or he’s on the verge of breaking out as a star in this league. Either way, he was by far and away the most impressive player on defense today.

He recorded 11 total tackles (eight solo) and four sacks on the day. Cleveland doesn’t have Joe Thomas anymore, but their line is still a formidable foe and Taylor is a very good runner and good at escaping under pressure.

Watt, the “savior” of the game, also stuck his hand in front of the Browns’ overtime field goal attempt, keeping the Steelers from walking away with a Week 1 loss.

He was a wrecking ball all game long. If he continues this throughout the season, the Steelers defense will benefit greatly from it.

He’s a force off the edge, early in the season, and should use that to excite the defense. This will benefit the entire pass rush. If Bud Dupree can continue to play well off the other side, the edge rush will be scary this season.

RYAN SWITZER

In his Steelers debut, Ryan Switzer may have established himself as the Steelers full time kick and punt return specialist for good. It sure didn’t seem like a Jacoby Jones debacle.

Switzer was very solid on just about every return, especially on punts. It helped a lot with field position, which in a game where the offense struggled, could not be praised enough.

There isn’t any doubt that Switzer can do the job on both kicks and punts. Now it will be interesting to see what he can do in good weather.

Even when Switzer isn’t returning punts for a touchdown, he’s reliable. Whenever he touches the ball, you expect something to happen. It adds another element to this team, overall.

JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER

JuJu was the Steelers’ leading receiver on the day, tallying 119 yards on five catches. He had a 67-yard catch-and-run that lead to James Conner’s second touchdown of the day.

Antonio Brown was covered up frequently all day and Ben was able to find JuJu for some big catches in the game. JuJu definitely showed that he is still very capable of being a great option when Brown is tightly covered.

Smith-Schuster is going to be something no NFL defense wants to mess with once he and Ben Roethlisberger begin to click. The chemistry will begin to be key, much like Ben and Antonio Brown.

For a second-year player, Smith-Schuster is already a star. He has all the potential and the confidence is there. He’s going to break out with some monster games this season.

CAM HEYWARD

The captain of the defense was more than visible on Sunday. Heyward was constantly applying pressure, both in the run game and going after the quarterback.

The Steelers totaled seven sacks on the game, Heyward getting one of them. He also chased down Tyrod Taylor a couple of times when trying to escape that didn’t go as sacks because Taylor crossed the line of scrimmage. He totaled seven tackles as well.

NEXT: Steelers Bold Prediction for 2018

Heyward anchors the defensive line, the biggest strength of the Steelers’ defense. He was huge today. With the improvement of T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree, and the health of Stephon Tuitt, this pass rush is going to be dangerous in 2018. Something that will make this team a lot better when the offense starts to click.

LE’VEON BELL WOULDN’T HAVE SAVED THE PITTSBURGH STEELERS, BEN ROETHLISBERGER WOULD’VE

With or without Le’Veon Bell, the Pittsburgh Steelers weren’t beating the Cleveland Browns. But if Ben Roethlisberger showed up, they would’ve.

How much more do you want from your running back than James Conner put on the field? 135 yards, two touchdowns and 60 receiving yards. You can’t argue that Le’Veon Bell is one of the best backs in the NFL, but you can argue he wasn’t beating that performance.

Conner looked confident and explosive. He took his first NFL start and put everything on the field. Win, loss or tie, he remains the Steelers’ starter for the time being.

Whether Le’Veon Bell tweets or not, he wouldn’t have won Pittsburgh the game. If anything, you’d have to expect a slow start after missing training camp, which could’ve put the Steelers in an even worse position.

The one player who could’ve saved the Pittsburgh Steelers was Ben Roethlisberger. While the NFL world wanted to jump right to the “Ben is washed” takes, they’re wrong. Even at 36-years-old, Roethlisberger still has enough in the tank to win, and win a lot.

Roethlisberger has a history of underperforming on the road. Against un-pleasurable weather conditions and a revamped Browns defense, the last thing Big Ben needed was poor decision making.

Three sacks and a fumble would’ve removed any chances of winning, against any team outside the Browns. Luckily, they were playing Cleveland, and despite offseason movement, they’re still the Browns.

You can’t blame everything on Ben. He was pressured on nearly every drop back, late in the game. One of his interceptions went right through the hands of Jesse James, and the other was miscommunication with Antonio Brown.

Never finding a rhythm can be put on no one but himself. Throughout the game, James Conner was the only productivity keeping Pittsburgh ahead. And the entire time, fans waited for the moment Roethlisberger would begin to connect on three or four passes in a row. Find Antonio Brown down the sideline. Even look for Jesse James in the middle.

It never happened.

There was never a rhythm. Never did Roethlisberger begin to connect three and four passes in a row, driving Pittsburgh down the field. Instead, he would find one receiver, then miss Justin Hunter from behind, or throw into triple coverage in the redzone.

None of this is a concern until next week. Until this becomes a weekly problem, Roethlisberger is excused. Even when they tie the Browns, it’s not time to jump ship and bench a future Hall of Famer.

It’s Week 1. Ben hasn’t played more than three series in seven months. Chances are you begin to build some rust when you’re 36-years-old.

He could’ve saved the Steelers, yes. But James Conner proved he’s a stud. Meaning all this offense needs to wait on now, is for their quarterback to click.

STARLING MARTE AND THE PURSUIT OF 20 AND 30

The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a long and storied franchise.  The one thing they have lacked has been members of the 20 and 30 club.

If a player has 20 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a season, referred from now on as 20/30, the player has had a marvelous year in demonstrating both power and speed.  The Pittsburgh Pirates have a candidate in Starling Marte who could join that club this season.  The players to do so in any year dating back to 1871 according to the baseball-reference play index are as followed:

Pirates 20/30 Club
Player	Year	HR	SB
Bonds, Barry	1992	23	39
Bonds, Barry	1991	24	43
Bonds, Barry	1990	33	52
Van Slyke, Andy	1988	25	30
Bonds, Barry	1987	25	32
Van Slyke, Andy	1987	21	34

That’s the entire list.  Six player seasons of 20/30 in Pirates history accomplished by two players: Barry Bonds and Andy Van Slyke.  Given the history, it’s surprising only two players have done it, Andrew McCutchen‘s closest year was either 2010 when he went 16/33 or 2013 when he was 21/27.  Nate McLouth was 26/23 in 2008,  Kiki Cuyler was 18/21 in 1925, Al Martin 18/38 in 1996, but not many others were close.

Of the near misses, defined by either missing by exactly one home run or one stolen base, there have only been two in franchise history:

Pirates Near Misses of 20/30
Player	Year	HR	SB
Marte, Starling	2015	19	30
Bonds, Barry	1989	19	32

Bonds missed out on four straight seasons of 20/30, as his streak of three started in the playoff years.  Marte missed out in 2015 and with 17 games left in the season, Marte will be hoping to not miss out on the 20/30 club for the second time in his career by just one home run.

The Pirates center fielder currently sits at 19/31 and with 17 games left (potentially 16 if the Marlins makeup isn’t actually ever played, and not time has been announced), he should have plenty of chances to hit another home run, especially with the Kansas City Royals (seventh in home runs allowed) and Cincinnati Reds (first in home runs allowed and the game being in Cincinnati) left on the schedule.  The Pirates also will travel to Milwaukee for three and Chicago for four.  He’ll have a good chance to do so.

Here are Marte’s home runs per plate appearances and plate appearances per game for each season of his career:

Starling Marte Rates
Year	HR/PA	PA/G
2012	2.75%	3.87
2013	2.12%	4.19
2014	2.39%	4.04
2015	3.00%	4.14
2016	1.70%	4.10
2017	2.06%	4.40
2018	3.51%	4.16
Total	2.52%	4.14

If Marte continues to average 4.14 plate appearances per game (his career rate) and he plays 14 of the remaining 17 (or 16), he’ll have around 58 plate appearances (STEAMER projects for 73 plate appearances in 17 games).  Using his 2018 home run per plate appearance and its two home runs (0.035*58) and using his career rate, its 1.5 home runs (0.0252*58).  STEAMER projects Marte to hit two more home runs in 2018.

Marte’s rate stats if he plays only 14 games the rest of the season is a positive outlook, and his projection has him at 21 home runs for the season.  Marte would have already been 20/30 if not for hitting only one home run in 33 games between July 25 and September 3, but given his full season production of a 4.0 win player (WARP), you can live with it.  Baseball is about total production.  After Gerrit Cole called Marte the only five tool player he’s played with, he has the chance to demonstrate it by becoming the third 20/30 player in club history.