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AFC NEWS AND NOTES
COLTS' LUCK EXCELLING IN YEAR 2, LEADS COMEBACKS
LUCK TO MAKE FIRST CAREER APPEARANCE ON MNF VS. SAN DIEGO **
Through Week 5, there have been 25 fourth-quarter comebacks, fourth-most at this point in NFL history.
Colts quarterback ANDREW LUCK is no stranger to comebacks. In Indianapolis' 34-28 win against Seattle on Sunday, Luck led Indianapolis to 11 fourth-quarter points as the Colts came back from a 28-23 deficit.
"He just wills this team to victory," says Colts head coach CHUCK PAGANO. "He's unbelievable. He's able to stick to the process. It doesn't matter what the score is, what the situation is, the guy just finds a way to make plays, finds a way to get out of the pocket, finds a way to extend. Obviously the guys believe in him. We can jump on his shoulders, jump on his back. We're very, very fortunate that we have him."
The second-year quarterback has now engineered nine game-winning drives in the fourth-quarter or overtime, the most through a player's first 21 games by any quarterback that began his career since the 1970 merger.
Luck is currently tied with JAKE PLUMMER for the most game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime in the first two seasons of a career since 1970.
"No situation is too big for this kid," says former Patriots linebacker and ESPN analyst TEDY BRUSCHI. "This guy doesn't blink. His mentality is always the same and he does not get intimidated. I just see endless poise and composure from him."
Added former NFL quarterback and CBS Sports' NFL TODAY analyst BOOMER ESIASON, "Overall he is everything as advertised when he came out of Stanford. A can't miss player. If you ask any one of his teammates or coaches, he is the quintessential guy you want leading your franchise."
The most game-winning drives in the fourth quarter/overtime in the first two seasons of career since 1970:
PLAYER
TEAM
GAME-WINNING DRIVES
Jake Plummer
Arizona Cardinals
9
Andrew Luck
Indianapolis Colts
*9
Peyton Manning
Indianapolis Colts
8
Many
7
*Through 21 career games
Luck, who has led Indianapolis to a 4-1 record atop the AFC South this season, is 15-6 (.714) as a starter and reached 15 wins the fastest by a quarterback drafted No. 1 overall since the 1970 merger (21 starts).
In 2013, Luck can challenge BEN ROETHLISBERGER's (22) record for the most wins among quarterbacks in their first two seasons of a career since 1970.
"I don't even look at Andrew Luck as a young quarterback anymore," says former NFL head coach and NFL Network analyst STEVE MARIUCCI. "He plays like a veteran; he's never out of a game. He's smart and he's tough. He plays like an eight-year veteran. The sky is the limit."
The most wins among quarterbacks through the first two seasons of a career since 1970:
PLAYER
TEAM
WINS
Ben Roethlisberger
Pittsburgh Steelers
22
Dan Marino
Miami Dolphins
21
Joe Flacco
Baltimore Ravens
20
Matt Ryan
Atlanta Falcons
20
Additionally, Luck passed for an NFL-rookie record 4,374 yards a season ago and has totaled 5,518 passing yards in 21 career games.
In the remaining 11 games of the 2013 season, Luck needs 2,403 passing yards for the most passing yards in the first two seasons of a career in NFL history.
The most passing yards through the first two seasons of a career in NFL history:
PLAYER
TEAM
PASSING YARDS
Cam Newton
Carolina Panthers
7,920
Peyton Manning
Indianapolis Colts
7,874
Dan Marino
Miami Dolphins
7,294
Andy Dalton
Cincinnati Bengals
7,067
Drew Bledsoe
New England Patriots
7,049
NFC NEWS AND NOTES
TIGHT ENDS MAKING IMPACT IN NFL
As passing offenses around the NFL evolve, more teams are factoring the tight end into the game plan.
"I've never seen this many tight ends this good at one particular time," says CBS analyst SHANNON SHARPE, one of eight tight ends enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "We've never seen the position this dominant. This is the golden age of tight ends."
Through the first five weeks of the NFL season, tight ends have combined for 765 catches for 8,992 yards and 76 touchdowns. That is the most by players at that position in all three categories through the first five weeks of any season in NFL history.
YEAR
RECEPTIONS
* *
YEAR
REC. YARDS
* *
YEAR
REC. TDs
2013
765
2013
8,992
2013
76
2012
748
2011
8,435
2011
67
2010
725
2010
8,124
2012
67
2011
699
2012
8,117
2010
55
In each of the past four years, NFL tight ends broke the single-season record for the most receptions for the position. Last year, players at the position combined for 2,401 catches. Tight ends also combined for 26,197 receiving yards and 197 touchdown catches in 2012, both of which rank second to 2011's record totals (27,080 yards, 198 TDs).
Tight ends are putting up numbers at a record pace this season, with projected totals for the season of 2,543 receptions, 29,895 receiving yards and 252 receiving touchdowns.
SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS FOR TIGHT ENDS
YEAR
RECEPTIONS
* *
YEAR
REC. YARDS
* *
YEAR
REC. TDs
2012
2,401
2011
27,080
2011
198
2011
2,341
2012
26,197
2012
197
2010
2,256
2010
24,969
2010
190
2013
*2,543
2013
*29,895
2013
*252
*Projection for 2013 season based on numbers through first 77 games
"The importance of the tight end position has increased with the new emphasis on the passing game," says NFL Network analyst and former NFL head coach STEVE MARIUCCI. "Teams are throwing the ball more often.
"The way to create mismatches with defenses is to have versatile tight ends. That's why we're seeing a lot of basketball player tight ends – TONY GONZALEZ, JIMMY GRAHAM and ANTONIO GATES. You can play them in line and run some regular offense, and also stand them up and split them out in the slot or wide out and play them in a spread out type offense. Now you pose a problem to defenses and how do we match? Do we substitute nickel? Do we play base defense? It's a problem. Teams are utilizing two tight ends very well and it's hard to substitute with them. You don't know what you're going to get; either bunched up run plays or spread them out wide pass plays."
New Orleans' Graham leads the NFL with 593 receiving yards and is tied for second with 37 catches and six touchdowns. He has recorded a 100-yard performance in each of his past four games, tying the record for the longest streak by a tight end in NFL history. Gonzalez accomplished the feat in 2000 and Graham did it in 2011. Graham is the only tight end in league annals to record two separate such streaks. During this streak, Graham has 548 yards, the most by a tight end over any four-game span in a single season in NFL history.
Gonzalez, who is the all-time leader at the position with 1,275 receptions, 14,607 receiving yards and 106 touchdowns, has recorded a catch in 200 consecutive games, the second-longest streak by any player in NFL history (Pro Football Hall of Famer JERRY RICE, 274 games). Last week, he surpassed MARVIN HARRISON and moved into sixth place all-time in career receiving yards. Gonzalez already ranks second in NFL history in receptions and is sixth in touchdown catches.
Earlier this season, Dallas' JASON WITTEN (834) passed Shannon Sharpe (815) and moved into second place among tight ends in career receptions. San Diego's Gates is fourth all-time with 674 catches. Witten (9,261) and Gates (8,759) rank third and fourth among tight ends in receiving yards and Gates' 85 touchdown catches are the second-most by any player at the position.
"I think KELLEN WINSLOW and OZZIE NEWSOME really revolutionized the position and now you're seeing more and more of these guys," says NBC analyst and former NFL head coach TONY DUNGY. "They're difficult to defend and I think you're going to continue to see more tight ends become big-time playmakers."
Tight ends have put up big numbers through the first five weeks of the season and a number of them rank among the leaders in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches.
The tight ends who rank in the top 25 among all NFL players in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns this season:
MOST RECEPTIONS
* *
MOST RECEIVING YARDS
* *
MOST RECEIVING TDs
NAME
REC
RANK
* *
NAME
YDS
RANK
* *
NAME
TDs
RANK
Jimmy Graham
37
T2
Jimmy Graham
593
1
Jimmy Graham
6
T2
Jordan Cameron
33
T6
Antonio Gates
438
7
Julius Thomas
6
T2
Tony Gonzalez
33
T6
Jordan Cameron
396
14
Jordan Cameron
5
T5
Antonio Gates
32
T8
Julius Thomas
359
22
Vernon Davis
4
T7
Jason Witten
28
T19
Martellus Bennett
3
T12
Julius Thomas
27
T25
Owen Daniels
3
T12
Tony Gonzalez
3
T12
Garrett Graham
3
T12
Jason Witten
3
T12
