NFL 2010: WHAT TO LOOK FOR WEEK-5

10/07/2010

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 5

STILL IN THE MIX: 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 after 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 —

STILL STANDING: The 3-0 Kansas City Chiefs are the only NFL team with an undefeated record. The Chiefs, who are returning from a bye in Week 4, visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. With a win, Kansas City can become the eighth team in NFL history to begin a season 4-0 after starting the previous season 0-4.

YEAR
TEAM
RECORD
ADVANCED TO:

1956
Detroit
9-3 (.750)
Missed Playoffs

1982
Washington
8-1 (.889)
Won Super Bowl XVII

1986
Atlanta
7-8-1(.469)
Missed playoffs

1997
Tampa Bay
10-6 (.625)
Divisional Playoffs

2003
Minnesota
9-7 (.562)
Missed Playoffs

2004
New York Jets
10-6 (.625)
Divisional Playoffs

2005
Tampa Bay
11-5 (.688)
Wild Card Playoffs

— NFL —

MANNING FOR 60: Indianapolis quarterback PEYTON MANNING has 59 300-yard passing games in his career. With 300 yards this week against the Chiefs, Manning can become the third quarterback in NFL history with 60 such games.

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

PLAYER
TEAM(S)
300-YARD
GAMES
TEAM RECORD (WIN PCT.)
IN 300-YARD GAMES

Dan Marino
Dolphins
63
37-26 (.587)

Brett Favre
Packers, Jets, Vikings
61*
40-21 (.656)

Peyton Manning
Colts
59*
36-23 (.610)

*Active

Manning and wide receiver REGGIE WAYNE have combined for 63 touchdowns. With one more Manning-to-Wayne touchdown, the tandem can pass the former Colts duo of JOHNNY UNITAS and RAYMOND BERRY for the fifth-most touchdowns by a quarterback-wide receiver tandem in NFL history.

Manning and former Colts wide receiver MARVIN HARRISON hold the record among QB-WR teammates with 112 touchdowns.

QUARTERBACK
WIDE RECEIVER
TEAM
TDs

Peyton Manning
Marvin Harrison
Indianapolis Colts
112

Steve Young
Jerry Rice
San Francisco 49ers
85

Dan Marino
Mark Clayton
Miami Dolphins
79

Jim Kelly
Andre Reed
Buffalo Bills
65

Johnny Unitas
Raymond Berry
Baltimore Colts
63

Peyton Manning
Reggie Wayne
Indianapolis Colts
63*

*Active

— NFL —

THE LEAGUE LEADER: Through Week 4, Denver Broncos quarterback KYLE ORTON leads the NFL with 1,419 passing yards. With 332 passing yards on Sunday, Orton can rank in the top five for the most passing yards through a team’s first five games of a season:

QUARTERBACK
TEAM
YEAR
MOST PASSING YARDS THROUGH 1ST FIVE GAMES

Kurt Warner
St. Louis Rams
2000
1,947

Joe Montana
San Francisco 49ers
1990
1,792

Daunte Culpepper
Minnesota Vikings
2004
1,766

Drew Bledsoe
Buffalo Bills
2002
1,762

Drew Bledsoe
New England Patriots
1994
1,751

Kyle Orton
Denver Broncos
2010
1,419*

*Through four games

— NFL —

TRIO OF PASSERS: Through four games, quarterbacks KYLE ORTON (1,419) of the Broncos, PEYTON MANNING (1,365) of the Colts and PHILIP RIVERS (1,328) of the Chargers are on pace to reach 1,500 passing yards in their team’s first five games in 2010. If Orton, Manning and Rivers each reach 1,500 yards on Sunday, they will tie the mark set in 2002 for the most quarterbacks with 1,500-plus yards through their teams’ first five games in NFL history.

The quarterbacks in 2002 to pass for more than 1,500 yards through the team’s first five games:

QUARTERBACK
TEAM
YEAR
PASSING YARDS THROUGH FIRST 5 GAMES

Drew Bledsoe
Buffalo Bills
2002
1,762

Rich Gannon
Oakland Raiders
2002
1,687

Tom Brady
New England Patriots
2002
1,566

— NFL —

STREAKING GATES: San Diego Chargers tight end ANTONIO GATES leads the NFL with six touchdown receptions. Gates has at least one touchdown catch in each of the first four games of the season. With a TD reception on Sunday against Oakland, Gates can join WESLEY WALLS (1999, Carolina) as the only tight ends in NFL history to record a touchdown reception in each of the team’s first five games of a season.

— NFL —

KING SAM: St. Louis rookie quarterback SAM BRADFORD has led the Rams to a 2-2 start, including two consecutive wins. With a victory on Sunday at Detroit, Bradford can become only the third quarterback selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft to win three consecutive starts in his rookie season since 1970.

QUARTERBACK
TEAM
YEAR
WIN STREAK

Drew Bledsoe
New England Patriots
1993
4

Jeff George
Indianapolis Colts
1990
3

— NFL —

WELCOME BACK: Acquired via trade from New England, wide receiver RANDY MOSS returns to Minnesota where he spent the first seven years of his career (1998-2004). With the Patriots on a bye this week and the Vikings returning from a bye, Moss has a chance to become the sixth player since the bye was instituted in 1990 to play in 17 regular-season games in a season.

The players who appeared in 17 regular-season games in a season since the bye was instituted in 1990:

YEAR
PLAYER
TEAMS
GAMES

1993
Chris Singleton
New England-Miami
17

1995
Dexter Carter
New York Jets-San Francisco
17

2004
Jerry Rice
Oakland-Seattle
17

2004
Micah Ross
San Diego-Carolina
17

2009
Will Witherspoon
St. Louis-Philadelphia
17

NFL