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IT'S HOW YOU FINISH:Since 2000, 29 teams have reached the halfway point of the season with a .500 or below winning percentage and made the playoffs, including at least one in every season.
Over the past five seasons, 12 teams started 4-4 or worse and rebounded to qualify for the playoffs. Seven of those teams, including the 2011 Denver Broncos, won at least one playoff game.
The teams in the past five seasons (2007-2011) that started the season at .500 or below through eight games and earned a playoff berth:
YEAR
TEAM
RECORD
(8 GAMES)
FINAL
RECORD
PLAYOFF RESULTS
2007
San Diego
4-4
11-5
Advanced to AFC Championship
2007
Seattle
4-4
10-6
Advanced to Divisional
2007
Tampa Bay
4-4
9-7
Advanced to Wild Card
2008
Indianapolis
4-4
12-4
Advanced to Wild Card
2008
Miami
4-4
11-5
Advanced to Wild Card
2008
Minnesota
4-4
10-6
Advanced to Wild Card
2008
San Diego
3-5
8-8
Advanced to Divisional
2009
Green Bay
4-4
11-5
Advanced to Wild Card
2009
N.Y. Jets
4-4
9-7
Advanced to AFC Championship
2009
Baltimore
4-4
9-7
Advanced to Divisional
2010
Seattle
4-4
7-9
Advanced to Divisional
2011
Denver
3-5
8-8
Advanced to Divisional
-- NFL --
FALCONS AIMING HIGH:Atlanta is 8-0 for the first time in franchise history and is the last remaining unbeaten team in the NFL.
With a victory Sunday over New Orleans, the Falcons would become the ninth team since realignment in 2002 to begin a season 9-0. Of the eight teams since 2002 to start 9-0, four went on to play in the Super Bowl and two (2006 Indianapolis and 2009 New Orleans) won it.
The teams to begin a season 9-0 since realignment in 2002:
YEAR
TEAM
FINAL REG. SEASON RECORD
PLAYOFF RESULT
2003
Kansas City
13-3
Advanced to Divisional
2005
Indianapolis
14-2
Advanced to Divisional
2006
Indianapolis
12-4
Won Super Bowl XLI
2007
New England
16-0
Advanced to Super Bowl XLII
2008
Tennessee
13-3
Advanced to Divisional
2009
Indianapolis
14-2
Advanced to Super Bowl XLIV
2009
New Orleans
13-3
Won Super Bowl XLIV
2011
Green Bay
15-1
Advanced to Divisional
-- NFL --
MANNING MOVING UP:This season, Denver quarterback PEYTON MANNING has completed 203 of 292 passes (69.5 percent) for 2,404 yards with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions for a league-leading 108.6 passer rating. Manning has thrown 419 touchdown passes in his career, including at least three in each of his past five games.
With two touchdown passes this weekend at Carolina, Manning would surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (420) for the second-most touchdown passes in NFL annals. BRETT FAVRE holds the record with 508.
The players with the most touchdown passes in NFL history:
PLAYER
TEAM(S)
TOUCHDOWN PASSES
Brett Favre
Green Bay, N.Y. Jets, Minnesota
508
Dan Marino
Miami
420
*Peyton Manning
Indianapolis, Denver
419
*Active
Manning has led Denver to a 5-3 record, good for first place in the AFC West. With a victory this Sunday, Manning would notch the 147th win of his career, tying Marino for the third-most regular-season wins as a starter.
The quarterbacks with the most regular-season wins as a starter in NFL history:
MOST CAREER WINS AS STARTER
PLAYER
RECORD
WIN PCT.
Brett Favre
186-112-0
.624
John Elway
148-82-1
.643
Dan Marino
147-93-0
.613
*Peyton Manning
146-70-0
.676
Tom Brady*
129-38-0
.772
Fran Tarkenton
124-109-6
.531
*Active
-- NFL –
300 CLUB:With 300 passing yards this weekend, three quarterbacks would reach milestones:
- Indianapolis rookie quarterback ANDREW LUCK (four) would surpass PEYTON MANNING (four, 1998) for the most 300-yard passing games ever by a rookie.
- New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES (62) would tie Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (63) for the second-most 300-yard passing games in NFL history.
- New England quarterback TOM BRADY (50) would tie Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN FOUTS (51) for the sixth-most 300-yard passing games in league annals.
The players with the most 300-yard passing games in NFL history:
PLAYER
300-YARD GAMES
Peyton Manning*
68
Dan Marino
63
*Drew Brees
62
Brett Favre
62
Kurt Warner
52
Dan Fouts
51
*Tom Brady
50
Warren Moon
49
*Active
-- NFL --
TONY FOR 100:Atlanta tight end TONY GONZALEZ has 50 catches for 495 yards and four touchdowns this season for the 8-0 Falcons.
With one touchdown reception against New Orleans this weekend, Gonzalez would record his 100th career touchdown catch and become the first tight end and eighth player overall to accomplish the feat.
The players with 100 career touchdown receptions:
PLAYER
TEAM(S)
REC. TOUCHDOWNS
Jerry Rice
San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle
197
Randy Moss*
Minnesota, Oakland, New England, San Francisco
155
Terrell Owens
San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas, Buffalo, Cincinnati
153
Cris Carter
Philadelphia, Minnesota, Miami
130
Marvin Harrison
Indianapolis
128
Tim Brown
Los Angles/Oakland, Tampa Bay
100
Steve Largent
Seattle
100
*Tony Gonzalez
Kansas City, Atlanta
99
*Active
-- NFL --
BE-WARE:Dallas linebacker DE MARCUS WARE has recorded nine sacks this season to bring his career total to 108.5.
Ware has recorded at least 10 sacks in every season since 2006 and has an NFL-best 100.5 from 2006 through Week 9 this year. With a sack this weekend when the Cowboys visit Philadelphia, he would record his seventh-consecutive 10 sack season and tie Pro Football Hall of Famers LAWRENCE TAYLOR and BRUCE SMITH for the third-longest such streak since the sack became an official statistic in 1982.
The most consecutive seasons of 10 or more sacks (since 1982):
PLAYER
TEAM(S)
YEARS
SEASONS WITH 10 SACKS
Reggie White
Philadelphia, Green Bay
1985-1993
9
John Randle
Minnesota
1992-1999
8
Lawrence Taylor
N.Y. Giants
1984-1990
7
Bruce Smith
Buffalo
1992-1998
7
DeMarcus Ware
Dallas
2006-2011
*6
*Needs one sack to reach 10 this season
