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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, 23 teams have rebounded from a losing record after four weeks to qualify for the postseason, including the Denver Broncos last season. 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
2011
Denver
1-3
Divisional Playoffs
-- NFL --
ONE TO GO: Last Sunday, New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES threw for three touchdowns at Green Bay and extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 47, tying Pro Football Hall of Famer JOHNNY UNITASfor the longest streak in NFL history.
With a touchdown pass against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday Night Football, Brees will surpass* *Unitas for the most consecutive games with a touchdown pass.
The quarterbacks to throw one or more touchdown passes in the most consecutive games:
PLAYER
TEAM
DATES
CONSEC. GAMES W/ TD PASS
Drew Brees
New Orleans
10/18/2009-present
*47
Johnny Unitas
Baltimore Colts
12/9/1956-12/4/1960
47
Tom Brady
New England
9/12/2010-present
*36
Brett Favre
Green Bay
11/4/2002-11/29/2004
36
Dan Marino
Miami
11/10/1985-11/22/1987
30
*Active streak
Unitas surpassed the previous mark held by CECIL ISBELL (22 games) on November 30, 1958 and held sole possession of the record for 19,663 days before Brees tied the mark last Sunday. Brees has thrown 114 touchdowns during his streak, 12 more than Unitas (102) had during his streak. During their streaks, Unitas threw a TD pass to seven different players, while Brees has connected with 15 players.
A look at each quarterback's numbers during their 47-game streaks:
PLAYER
ATT
COMP
YARDS
TDs
INTs
RATING
RECORD
Johnny Unitas
1,298
697
10,645
102
61
87.6
31-16
Drew Brees
1,891
1,302
14,803
114
50
101.2
33-14
Meanwhile in New England, with a touchdown pass against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, quarterback TOM BRADY(36) will surpass BRETT FAVRE for the third-most consecutive games with a touchdown pass.
-- NFL --
DOWN TO THE WIRE: Close games have been a staple of the 2012 season as 36 games have been decided by eight points or fewer, tied for the third-most such games through the first four weeks of a season in NFL history. In the past two weeks, there have been 10 games in which the game-winning points were scored in the final minute of the fourth quarter or overtime.
If 10 games in Week 5 are decided by eight points or fewer, 2012 will feature the most such games through the first five weeks of a season in NFL history.
The most games decided by eight points or fewer in a season's first four weeks and five weeks:
MOST GAMES DECIDED BY
EIGHT POINTS OR FEWER
MOST GAMES DECIDED BY
EIGHT POINTS OR FEWER
SEASON
THROUGH FOUR WEEKS
SEASON
THROUGH FIVE WEEKS
2011
37
1999
45
1988
37
1988
43
2012
36
2011
42
2010
36
2010
41
1999
35
Two tied
40
-- NFL --
HIGH FIVE: In 2012, teams have combined to score 2,986 points and 327 touchdowns. Meanwhile, quarterbacks have recorded 40 individual 300-yard passing games. Teams can add to these totals this week:
- With 658 points in Week 5, 2012 will feature the most points of any five-week span in NFL history (3,643 in 2011, Weeks 13-17).
- With 70 touchdowns in Week 5, 2012 will feature the most touchdowns through the first five weeks of any NFL season (396 in 2011).
- With 11 individual 300-yard passing games in Week 5, 2012 will feature the most 300-yard passing games through the first five weeks (50 in 2011).
-- NFL --
ROOKIE SUCCESS: Last Sunday, rookie quarterbacks ROBERT GRIFFIN III (1,070) of the Redskins and RYAN TANNEHILL(1,046) of the Dolphins joined CAM NEWTONas the only rookie quarterbacks to pass for 1,000 yards in their team's first four games.
Griffin and Tannehill need 180 and 204 passing yards, respectively, on Sunday to join Newton* *(1,610 in 2011) as the only rookies in NFL history with at least 1,250 passing yards through a team's first five games.
The most passing yards by a rookie quarterback through his team's first five games:
QUARTERBACK
TEAM
YEAR
PASSING YARDS THROUGH FIRST 5 GAMES
Cam Newton
Carolina Panthers
2011
1,610
Sam Bradford
St. Louis Rams
2010
1,159
Chris Weinke
Carolina Panthers
2001
1,130
Peyton Manning
Indianapolis Colts
1998
1,129
Robert Griffin III
Washington Redskins**
2012
*1,070
Ryan Tannehill
Miami Dolphins **
2012
*1,046
- Through four games
Following a bye week, Indianapolis rookie quarterback ANDREW LUCK(846) will play his fourth game on Sunday and can join Griffin, Newton and Tannehill as the only rookie quarterbacks to pass for 1,000 yards in their team's first four games.
-- NFL --
10,000 CLUB:Arizona wide receiverLARRY FITZGERALD (9,860) needs 140 receiving yards on Thursday Night Football to reach 10,000 career receiving yards. Fitzgerald will be 29 years, 34 days old on Thursday night and can become the second youngest to reach 10,000 career receiving yards and only the second player to reach the milestone before turning 30.
Houston wide receiver ANDRE JOHNSON (9,924) needs 76 receiving yards on *Monday Night Football *to reach 10,000 career receiving yards. Johnson will be 31 years, 89 days old on Monday night and could join the list.
The youngest players to reach 10,000 career receiving yards:
PLAYER
TEAM(S)
AGE
*YEARS *
DAYS
Randy Moss
Minnesota, Oakland
28
314
Jerry Rice
San Francisco
30
54
Torry Holt
St. Louis
30
132
Isaac Bruce
St. Louis
30
343
Steve Largent
Seattle
31
83
*Larry Fitzgerald
Arizona
29
34
*Andre Johnson*
Houston
31
89
* Needs 140 rec. yards
** Needs 76 rec. yards
-- NFL --
CATCHING ON: *With eight catches this Sunday against Miami, wide receiver *A.J. GREENwill become the eighth player – and fourth wide receiver – in NFL history to reach 100 career receptions in 20 or fewer games, tying for the third-fastest on the all-time list. In his first 19 career games, Green has 92 receptions.
The fewest games to reach 100 receptions in NFL history:
PLAYER
TEAM
NO. OF GAMES
WR Anquan Boldin
Arizona
16
RB Reggie Bush
New Orleans
19
WR Terry Glenn
New England
20
WR Eddie Royal
Denver
20
TE Keith Jackson
Philadelphia
20
TE Jeremy Shockey
New York Giants
20
TE Kellen Winslow
Cleveland
20
WR A.J. Green
Cincinnati
*19
- 92 career receptions
-- NFL --
SEVENTH HEAVEN:There have been seven punt-return touchdowns through Week 4, the second most through four weeks since 1970 (eight in 1998). The seven PR-TDs through Week 4 are already tied for the second most through Week 5 since 1970 (eight in 1998; seven in 1996 and 2002).
* *
The seven punt return touchdowns through Week 4:
* *
PLAYER
TEAM
WEEK
PUNT RETURN TD LENGTH
Leodis McKelvin
Buffalo Bills
2
88
Adam Jones
Cincinnati Bengals
2
81
Marcus Sherels
Minnesota Vikings
4
77
Randall Cobb
Green Bay Packers
1
75
Marcus Thigpen
Miami Dolphins
1
72
Jeremy Kerley
New York Jets
1
68
Tommie Campbell
Tennessee Titans
3
65
