NFL Week 5 - What to Watch For

DOMINANT DENVER D:  The Denver Broncos have compiled a 4-0 record under rookie head coach JOSH MCDANIELS.  Their offense has been helped immeasurably by the team’s tough defense.  Through four games, the Broncos’ defense has yielded 26 points (6.5 per game).

The fewest points allowed through the first five games of a season since 1970:

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20TH CENTURY BRONCO:  With one catch this Sunday against New England, wide receiver EDDIE ROYAL will become the seventh player, and third wide receiver, in NFL history to reach 100 career receptions in 20 or fewer games, tying for the third-fastest on the all-time list.  In his first 19 career games, Royal has 99 receptions.

The fewest games to reach 100 receptions in NFL history:

TURN AROUND:  History shows that a losing record at this point in the season does not negate a team’s chances of making the playoffs.

Since the current playoff system (12 teams) was instituted in 1990, 22 teams have rebounded from a losing record through a season’s first four weeks to qualify for the postseason.

Four of those clubs advanced to their conference championship games, including the 2001 New England Patriots (1-3) en route to their Super Bowl XXXVI victory.

Since 1990, teams that started 1-3 or worse and made the playoffs:

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NO PASSING FANCY:  Through Week 4, teams with 300-yard passers have a combined record of 18-7 (.720).  The 18 combined wins are the most in NFL history through the first four weeks of a season.

The highest winning percentages of teams with 300-yard passers over the first five weeks of a season (since 1970):

NIFTY FIFTY:  Arizona Cardinals quarterback KURT WARNER has 49 300-yard passing games in his career.  With 300 yards this week against the Texans, Warner can become the fifth quarterback in NFL history with 50 such games.

Warner, who has passed for 300 yards in 49 of 112 games (43.8 percent), can also become the fastest quarterback to reach the 50-game mark, surpassing DAN MARINO (176 games).

The most 300-yard passing games by a quarterback in NFL history:

Warner (12,953) also needs 47 yards to reach 13,000 passing yards as a Cardinal.  He threw for 14,447 with the St. Louis Rams and would become just the second player in NFL history to throw for 13,000 yards with two different teams.  Pro Football Hall of Famer FRAN TARKENTON, who threw for 33,098 yards with Minnesota and 13,905 with the New York Giants, is the only player to accomplish the feat.

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JOINING THE 40 CLUB:  Minnesota Vikings quarterback BRETT FAVRE will celebrate his 40th birthday on Saturday, October 10.  When the Vikings play St. Louis the next day, he can become the 12th 40-year-old quarterback to start an NFL game in the Super Bowl era (since 1966).

Only four quarterbacks have started at least 5 games after their 40th birthday since 1966:

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 PEYTON’S PLACE:  With a passer rating of 100.0 or better this weekend against the Tennessee Titans in Week 5, Indianapolis Colts quarterback PEYTON MANNING can become the third quarterback in NFL history with 70 such games (minimum 14 attempts).  The Colts have a record of 62-7 (.899) when Manning posts a 100+ passer rating, including 3-0 in 2009.

The most 100+ passer ratings games by a quarterback in NFL history (min. 14 attempts):