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THE WEEK THAT WAS – WEEK 7

THE WEEK THAT WAS – WEEK 7

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SO CLOSE:Close games have been a staple of the 2012 season as 62 games have been decided by eight points or fewer, the most such games through the first seven weeks of a season in NFL history. That total is already tied for the third-most games determined by eight points or fewer in the first eight weeks of any year (66 through Week 8 in 1999).

Last week, 11 of 13 games (84.6 percent) were decided by eight points or fewer, including all three primetime contests. That is the highest such percentage since the single-week record was set in 2001 (Week 5: 12 of 14; 85.7 percent).

Including the two in Week 7, there have been nine overtime games in 2012, the most through Week 7 of a season since 2003 (10).

The most games decided by eight points or fewer in a season's first seven weeks and eight weeks:

MOST GAMES DECIDED BY

EIGHT POINTS OR FEWER

* *

MOST GAMES DECIDED BY

EIGHT POINTS OR FEWER

SEASON

THROUGH WEEK 7

* *

SEASON

THROUGH WEEK 8

2012

62

1999

66

2010

60


2010

65

1999

59

2012

*62

2011

56

1983

62

1982

55

2011

61

2002

61

*Through Week 7

 

-- NFL --

 

WE MEET AGAIN:In Week 7, two of the NFL's most historic rivalries resumed as the NEW YORK GIANTShosted WASHINGTONand DETROITtraveled to CHICAGOfor *Monday Night Football. *

* *

In their 165th matchup, the Bears defeated the Lions, 13-7, at Soldier Field in the 69th game determined by seven or fewer points since the clubs first played in 1930. Only Chicago and Green Bay (183 games) have faced off more times in league history.

The Giants' claimed a 27-23 win over the Redskins in the 159th game between the two franchises, the fourth-most games played between two teams in NFL annals.  With 1:13 remaining in the fourth quarter, New York's VICTOR CRUZhauled in a 77-yard touchdown pass from quarterback ELI MANNING for the longest game-winning touchdown in the final two minutes of a game in Giants' history.

The most head-to-head regular-season games between two clubs:

CURRENT CLUBS

FIRST GAME

HEAD-TO-HEAD MEETINGS

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

11/27/1921

183

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

10/22/1930

165

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

11/2/1930

163

New York Giants

Washington Redskins

10/9/1932

159

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

10/15/1933

155

-- NFL --

GOING TO GRONK:In the Patriots' 29-26 overtime win against the New York Jets, New England tight end ROB GRONKOWSKI caught six passes for 78 yards with two touchdowns. It marked Gronkowski's 10th game with two or more touchdown receptions, tied with wide receiver BILL GROMANfor the most through any player's first 39 games.

The players to record the most games with two or more touchdown receptions in their first 39 games:

PLAYER

POSITION

TEAM

YEARS

TWO TD REC. GAMES

Rob Gronkowski

TE

New England Patriots

2010-present

10

Bill Groman

WR

Houston Oilers

1960-1962

10

John Jefferson

WR

San Diego Chargers

1978-1980

9

Bob Hayes

WR

Dallas Cowboys

1965-1967

9

-- NFL --

* *

PROLIFIC PASSERS:New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES passed for 377 yards with four touchdowns in the Saints' 35-28 win at Tampa Bay. Brees has 16 career games with four touchdown passes and 300 passing yards, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO for the most in NFL history.

The quarterbacks with the most 300-yard passing, four-touchdown pass games in NFL history:

PLAYER

300-YD, FOUR TD PASS GAMES

*Drew Brees

16

Dan Marino

16

Tom Brady*

12

Peyton Manning*

11

*Active

Brees registered the 62nd 300-yard passing game of his career, tying BRETT FAVRE (62) for the third-most 300-yard passing games in NFL history. Denver's PEYTON MANNING (67 games) holds the record, while Marino (63) has the second-most all-time.

The quarterbacks with the most 300-yard passing games in NFL history:

PLAYER

300-YARD GAMES

*Peyton Manning

67

Dan Marino

63

*Drew Brees

62

Brett Favre

62

Kurt Warner

52

  • Active

Green Bay quarterback AARON RODGERSpassed for 342 yards with three touchdowns in the Packers' 30-20 win at St. Louis. Rodgers reached 150 touchdown passes (151) in the second-fewest games (76 games) in NFL history, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (62 games).

The quarterbacks to reach 150 touchdown passes in the fewest games:

PLAYER

FEWEST GAMES TO 150 TDs

Dan Marino

62

Aaron Rodgers

76

Brett Favre

84

Peyton Manning

86

Johnny Unitas

87

-- NFL --

WHAT A KICK:In the interest of player health and safety, the spot of the kickoff was moved up five yards from the 30- to the 35-yard line prior to the 2011 season. But there has been plenty of excitement on kickoffs since.

The league-wide kickoff-return average of 24.9 yards in 2012 is on pace to be the highest of any season in NFL history, which would eclipse the previous record set last season (23.8).

New England's DEVIN MC COURTY helped buoy the average with a 104-yard kickoff-return touchdown in the Patriots' 29-26 overtime win against the Jets. It marked the fifth 100 yard kickoff-return touchdown this season. 

The 100 yard kickoff-return touchdowns in 2012:

PLAYER

TEAM

OPPONENT

DATE

100 YD. KR-TD

Jacoby Jones

Baltimore

Dallas

10/14/12

108 yards

Percy Harvin

Minnesota

Detroit

9/30/12

105 yards

Darius Reynaud

Tennessee

Detroit

9/23/12

105 yards

Devin McCourty

New England

New York Jets

10/21/12

104 yards

Joe McKnight

New York Jets

Houston

10/8/12

100 yards

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