Week 4 NFL Primer

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 4


PASSING FRENZY: Teams have totaled 21,077 net passing yards (439.1 per game) through Week 3 of the 2009 season. With 5,635 passing yards this week (an average of 402.5 per game), 2009 would surpass the record for most net passing yards through the first four weeks of a season in NFL history.

The most net passing yards through the first four weeks of a season in NFL history:

SEASON
MOST NET PASSING YARDS THROUGH WEEK 4
2007
26,711
2002
26,016
2005
25,835
2006
25,142
2004
25,141
2009
21,077*
*Through Week 3

-- NFL --

REVENGE OF THE VIKES: When the Minnesota Vikings face the Green Bay Packers this Monday night, they will seek to start 4-0 after beginning 2008 at 1-3.

With a win, the Vikings would become the ninth club in the past six years to start a season 4-0 after beginning 1-3 or 0-4 the previous year. Seven of the eight teams qualified for the playoffs.

Teams the past six years to start a season 4-0 after a 1-3 or 0-4 start the previous year:

YEAR
TEAM
PREVIOUS YEAR
SEASON RESULT
2004
Atlanta
1-3
Reached Conference Championship
2004
N.Y. Jets
0-4
Reached Divisional Playoffs
2005
Cincinnati
1-3
Reached Wild Card
2005
Tampa Bay
0-4
Reached Wild Card
2006
Baltimore
1-3
Reached Divisional Playoffs
2006
Chicago
1-3
Reached Super Bowl XLI
2007
Green Bay
1-3
Reached Conference Championship
2008
Buffalo
1-3
Missed Playoffs
2009
Minnesota*
1-3
???
*3-0 record in 2009

-- NFL –

ONE FOR ALL: Minnesota Vikings quarterback BRETT FAVRE has defeated 31 different teams as a starter in his career. The 19-year veteran, who spent 16 seasons (1992-2007) in Green Bay, can become the first quarterback to beat all 32 current teams when the Vikings host the Packers on Monday night.

Favre can also become the first quarterback to play at least 16 years for one team and to later start against that team.





MOST IN A DECADE: The Indianapolis Colts are off to a 3-0 start this season and with a win on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks the Colts can extend their record for most 4-0 starts since the 2000 season to five.

Following are the teams with the most 4-0 starts since the 2000 season:

TEAM
NUMBER OF 4-0 STARTS SINCE 2000
Indianapolis Colts
4
Minnesota Vikings
2
New England Patriots
2
New York Jets
2
St. Louis Rams
2

*In bold are teams that can extend the mark in Week 4.

-- NFL --

WHAT A CATCH: New England Patriots wide receiver RANDY MOSS is off to the best start of his 12-year career with a league-high 26 receptions in 2009. Moss, who has recorded double digit receptions in two games (10, 12) this season, needs 11 receptions on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens to surpass Phoenix Cardinals wide receiver J.T. SMITH (36 in 1989) for most receptions through a team’s first four games of a season for players in their 10th season or later.

The most receptions through the first four games of a season for players in their 10th season or later:

PLAYER
TEAM
YEAR/SEASON
RECEPTIONS
J.T. Smith
Phoenix Cardinals
1989/12th
36
Jerry Rice
San Francisco 49ers
1995/11th
34
Tim Brown
Oakland Raiders
1997/10th
33
Derrick Mason
Baltimore Ravens
2007/11th
33
Issac Bruce
St. Louis Rams
2004/11th
32
Terrell Owens
Philadelphia Eagles
2005/10th
32
Randy Moss
New England Patriots
2009/12th
26*
*Through Week 3

-- NFL --

EARLY SUCCESS: First-year head coaches JIM CALDWELL of the Indianapolis Colts, JOSH MC DANIELS of the Denver Broncos and REX RYAN of the New York Jets have led their respective teams to 3-0 starts. If all three clubs win this Sunday, Caldwell, McDaniels and Ryan will become the first three rookie head coaches to lead their teams to 4-0 starts in the same season in the Super Bowl era (since 1966).

The rookie head coaches to have led their team to 4-0 starts in the same season in the Super Bowl era:

ROOKIE HEAD COACHES
YEAR

START

FINAL RECORD
SEASON RESULT
Al Groh, New York Jets
2000
4-0
9-7
Missed Playoffs
Mike Martz, St. Louis Rams
2000
6-0
10-6
Reached Wild Card


Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts
2009
3-0
???
???
Josh McDaniels, Denver Broncos
2009
3-0
???
???
Rex Ryan, New York Jets
2009
3-0
???
???