Week 6 NFL Primer

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 6



CLIMBING BACK: Teams off to a slow start are justified in believing that they can turn it around.



Since the current playoff system (12 teams) was instituted in 1990, 11 teams have rebounded from being at least three games under .500 after the season’s first five weeks or later to qualify for the postseason. That includes five 1-4 teams that ultimately won their division.



Since 1990, teams that were three or more games below .500 after Week 5 or later and made the playoffs:



YEAR
TEAM (RECORD)
ADVANCED TO
ADDITIONAL NOTES

1990
New Orleans Saints (2-5)
Wild Card Playoffs
Finished second in NFC West

1992
San Diego Chargers (1-4)
Divisional Playoffs
Won AFC West

1993
Houston Oilers (1-4)
Divisional Playoffs
Won AFC Central

1994
New England Patriots (3-6)
Wild Card Playoffs
Finished 10-6 (tied for best in division)

1995
Detroit Lions (2-5, 3-6)
Wild Card Playoffs
Finished 10-6

1995
San Diego Chargers (4-7)
Wild Card Playoffs
Finished 9-7

1996
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6, 4-7)
Championship Game
Won two playoff games

2002
Tennessee Titans (1-4)
Championship Game
Won AFC South

2002
New York Jets (1-4, 2-5)
Divisional Playoffs
Won AFC East

2004
Green Bay Packers (1-4)
Wild Card Playoffs
Won NFC North

2008
San Diego Chargers (4-7, 4-8, 5-8)
Divisional Playoffs
Won AFC West




-- NFL –



PETERSON ON POINT: Minnesota Vikings running back ADRIAN PETERSON has an NFL-best 3,582 rushing yards since entering the league in 2007, including 3,185 yards in his 29 starts. With 133 yards in his start against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Peterson will have the third-highest rushing yards per game average of any running back since 1970 in his first 30 starts. Peterson averages 134.1 rushing yards per game in his eight career games against the AFC.



The players with a 100+ rushing yards per game average in their first 30 career starts, since 1970:



PLAYER, TEAM
YEARS
RUSHING YPG (TOTAL)

Eric Dickerson, Los Angeles Rams
1983-84
120.0 (3,600)

Larry Johnson, Kansas City Chiefs
2004-07
117.1 (3,514)

Clinton Portis, Denver Broncos
2002-04
110.6 (3,317)

Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
2007-09
109.8 (3,185)*

Gerald Riggs, Atlanta Falcons
1982-85
104.7 (3,142)

Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers
1978-79
103.2 (3,096)

Edgerrin James, Indianapolis Colts
1999-2000
100.7 (3,022)

George Rogers, New Orleans Saints
1981-83
100.6 (3,019)


* Through 29 starts



-- NFL --



DOME SWEET DOME: With two touchdown passes against the Ravens on Sunday, Minnesota Vikings quarterback BRETT FAVRE will record his 11th consecutive two-plus passing touchdown game at the Metrodome (eight with Green Bay, three with Minnesota).



Favre passed for at least two touchdowns in 12 consecutive games at Lambeau Field from 1994-96, a streak equaled by Arizona Cardinals QB KURT WARNER at the Trans World Dome (now Edward Jones Dome) from 1999-2000, the longest such streaks in NFL history.



The most consecutive games with two-plus touchdown passes in a stadium:



GAMES
PLAYER
STADIUM
YEARS

12
Brett Favre
Lambeau Field
1994-96

12
Kurt Warner
Trans World Dome (Edward Jones Dome)
1999-2000

11
Jim Everett
Anaheim Stadium
1989-90

10
Brett Favre
Metrodome
2000-present

9
Many tied




-- NFL --



BIG GAME TORRY HOLT: Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver TORRY HOLT will face his former team, the St. Louis Rams, for the first time on Sunday. Holt spent 10 seasons with the Rams after they selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, totaling 12,670 receiving yards with the club. Holt will become just the sixth player in NFL history to face a team for which he had 10,000+ receiving yards.



The players with 10,000+ receiving yards with one team who later faced that team:



PLAYER
PREVIOUS TEAM, YEARS
NEW TEAM, YEAR
YARDS WITH

PREVIOUS TEAM

Jerry Rice
San Francisco 49ers, 1985-2000
Oakland Raiders, 2002 & 2004
19,247

Tim Brown
Los Angeles-Oakland Raiders, 1988-2003
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2004
14,734

Isaac Bruce
St. Louis Rams, 1994-2007
San Francisco 49ers, 2008
14,109

Torry Holt
St. Louis Rams, 1999-2008
Jacksonville Jaguars, 2009
12,670

Cris Carter
Minnesota Vikings, 1990-2001
Miami Dolphins, 2002
12,383

Stanley Morgan
New England Patriots, 1977-1989
Indianapolis Colts, 1990
10,352




Holt is also 34 receiving yards from 13,000. If he reaches the mark against the Rams, he will have done so in 164 career games, making him the third-fastest to 13,000 receiving yards in NFL history.



The fewest number of games to reach 13,000 receiving yards in NFL history:



PLAYERS, TEAM(S)
NO. OF GAMES TO 13,000 RECEIVING YARDS

Jerry Rice, San Francisco
154

Marvin Harrison, Indianapolis
162

Randy Moss, Minnesota /Oakland /New England
167

Terrell Owens, San Francisco /Philadelphia /Dallas
172

Isaac Bruce, St. Louis
179




Torry Holt, St. Louis /Jacksonville
163*


* Has 12,966 career receiving yards in 163 career games



-- NFL --



STORM THE GATES: Coming off of a two-touchdown performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers prior to their bye week, San Diego Chargers tight end ANTONIO GATES is one receiving touchdown from tying five-time All-Star WESLEY WALLS for fourth on the all-time list by a tight end. Gates will look to notch his 54th career receiving touchdown on Monday Night against the division-leading Denver Broncos.



The most receiving touchdowns by a tight end in NFL history:



PLAYER
YEARS
RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS
TOTAL GAMES

Tony Gonzalez*
1997-2009
78
194

Shannon Sharpe
1990-2003
62
204

Jerry Smith
1965-1977
60
168

Wesley Walls
1989-2003
54
196

Antonio Gates*
2003-2009
53
97


* Active



-- NFL --



TOP-RATED QB PLAY: Entering Week 6, there are eight qualifying (min. 14 attempts/game) quarterbacks with a passer rating of 100.0 or better, including New York Giants QB ELI MANNING and New Orleans Saints QB DREW BREES, who meet on Sunday. If that number holds, it would surpass 2007 and 2008 (five) for the most quarterbacks with a 100+ rating through Week 6 since the passer rating system was officially implemented in 1973. The record for most 100+ rated passers in a season is four (1998, 2004).



The quarterbacks with a 100+ rating this season as compared to the record-setting seasons of 1998 and 2004:



1998
2004
2009*

PLAYER, TEAM
PASSER RATING
PLAYER, TEAM
PASSER RATING
PLAYER, TEAM
PASSER RATING

Randall Cunningham, Minnesota
106.0
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
121.1
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
114.1

Vinny Testaverde,

NY Jets
101.6
Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota
110.9
Eli Manning,

NY Giants
111.7

Steve Young,

San Francisco
101.1
Drew Brees,

San Diego
104.8
Drew Brees,

New Orleans
108.4

Chris Chandler,

Atlanta
100.9
Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia
104.7
Brett Favre,

Minnesota
104.1

* 1998 and 2004 are for full season, 2009 is through Week 5.
Matt Hasselbeck, Seattle
103.1





Matt Ryan,

Atlanta
102.9





Ben Roethlisberger,

Pittsburgh
102.6





Aaron Rodgers,

Green Bay
101.1




-- NFL --



HEAD START: Denver Broncos head coach JOSH MC DANIELS and Indianapolis Colts head coach JIM CALDWELL are each off to 5-0 starts in their first season as a head coach. With a Broncos win on Monday night against San Diego, McDaniels can tie for the best start by a rookie head coach since 1970. Jim Caldwell and the Colts have a bye.



The best starts by a rookie head coach since 1970:



HEAD COACH
TEAM
RECORD TO START CAREER
FINAL RECORD IN FIRST SEASON

Chuck Knox
1973 Los Angeles Rams
6-0
12-2

Red Miller
1977 Denver Broncos
6-0
12-2

Mike Martz
2000 St. Louis Rams
6-0
10-6

Josh McDaniels
2009 Denver Broncos
5-0
??

Jim Caldwell
2009 Indianapolis Colts
5-0
??




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