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:
TEAM |
YEAR |
POINTS ALLOWED |
PTS. ALLOWED PER GAME |
Atlanta |
1977 |
22 |
4.4 |
Baltimore |
1971 |
24 |
4.8 |
Indianapolis |
2005 |
29 |
5.8 |
Denver |
1977 |
33 |
6.6 |
Minnesota |
1970 |
36 |
7.2 |
Chicago |
2006 |
36 |
7.2 |
|
|||
Denver |
2009 |
26* |
6.5* |
* Through four games |
-- NFL --
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:
PLAYER |
NO. OF GAMES |
WR Anquan Boldin, Arizona |
16 |
RB Reggie Bush, New Orleans |
19 |
WR Terry Glenn, New England |
20 |
TE Keith Jackson, Philadelphia |
20 |
TE Jeremy Shockey, N.Y. Giants |
20 |
TE Kellen Winslow, Cleveland |
20 |
|
|
WR Eddie Royal, Denver |
19* |
* 99 career receptions |
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:
YEAR |
TEAM (RECORD) |
ADVANCED TO: |
1990 |
New Orleans (1-3) |
Wild Card Playoffs |
1990 |
Philadelphia (1-3) |
Wild Card Playoffs |
1991 |
NY Jets (1-3) |
Wild Card Playoffs |
1992 |
San Diego (0-4) |
Divisional Playoffs |
1993 |
Green Bay (1-3) |
Divisional Playoffs |
1993 |
Houston (1-3) |
Divisional Playoffs |
1995 |
Detroit (1-3) |
Wild Card Playoffs |
1995 |
Philadelphia (1-3) |
Divisional Playoffs |
1996 |
Dallas (1-3) |
Divisional Playoffs |
1996 |
Jacksonville (1-3) |
Championship Game |
1997 |
NY Giants (1-3) |
Wild Card Playoffs |
1998 |
Buffalo (1-3) |
Wild Card Playoffs |
2000 |
New Orleans (1-3) |
Divisional Playoffs |
2001 |
New England (1-3) |
Won Super Bowl XXXVI |
2002 |
Atlanta (1-3) |
Divisional Playoffs |
2002 |
Tennessee (1-3) |
Championship Game |
2002 |
NY Jets (1-3) |
Divisional Playoffs |
2002 |
Pittsburgh (1-3) |
Divisional Playoffs |
2004 |
Green Bay (1-3) |
Wild Card Playoffs |
2005 |
Chicago (1-3) |
Divisional Playoffs |
2007 |
San Diego (1-3) |
Championship Game |
2008 |
Minnesota (1-3) |
Wild Card Playoffs |
-- NFL --
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):
YEAR |
RECORD |
WIN PCT. |
1976 |
6-1-0 |
.857 |
2001 |
15-4-0 |
.789 |
1974 |
1-0-1 |
.750 |
1987 |
10-5-0 |
.667 |
2008 |
15-8-0 |
.652 |
|
||
2009 |
18-7-0* |
.720* |
* Through Week 4 |
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:
PLAYER |
300-YARD GAMES |
GAMES PLAYED |
PCT. |
TEAM RECORD (WIN PCT.) IN 300-YARD GAMES |
Dan Marino * |
63 |
242 |
26.0 |
37-26 (.587) |
Brett Favre ** |
56 |
277 |
20.2 |
37-19 (.660) |
Peyton Manning ** |
51 |
180 |
28.3 |
30-21 (.588) |
Dan Fouts * |
51 |
181 |
28.2 |
26-25 (.510) |
Warren Moon * |
49 |
208 |
23.6 |
26-23 (.531) |
Kurt Warner ** |
49 |
112 |
43.8 |
30-19 (.612) |
* In Pro Football Hall of Fame; ** Active |
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.
-- NFL --
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:
PLAYER |
STARTS |
RECORD* |
COMP. |
ATT. |
YARDS |
TD |
INT |
RATING |
Warren Moon |
25 |
11-14 |
474 |
823 |
5,538 |
37 |
25 |
80.4 |
Vinny Testaverde |
25 |
8-17 |
453 |
776 |
5,290 |
24 |
32 |
72.3 |
Doug Flutie |
6 |
3-3 |
119 |
226 |
1,466 |
10 |
4 |
80.4 |
Len Dawson |
5 |
1-4 |
93 |
140 |
1,095 |
5 |
4 |
90.0 |
* Record only applies to games started. All other statistics apply to all games played. |
-- NFL --
The most 100+ passer ratings games by a quarterback in NFL history (min. 14 attempts):
PLAYER |
100+ RATING GAMES |
TEAM RECORD (WIN PCT.) IN 100+ RATING GAMES |
Brett Favre** |
96 |
88-8 (.917) |
Fran Tarkenton* |
74 |
59-15 (.797) |
Peyton Manning** |
69 |
62-7 (.899) |
Dan Marino* |
67 |
53-14 (.791) |
Joe Montana* |
62 |
59-3 (.952) |
Steve Young* |
62 |
54-8 (.871) |
* In Pro Football Hall of Fame; ** Active |