With the Bills Week 5 matchup already in the books, Sunday and Monday are the perfect opportunity to take a look around the rest of the league.
AFC EAST MATCHUPS:
Patriots (4-0) at Bengals (2-2): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Dolphins (3-1) vs. Ravens (2-2): Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Jets (2-2) at Falcons (1-3): Monday, 8:40 p.m. ET**
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. 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 |
UNBEATEN:Five teams – DENVER, KANSAS CITY, NEW ENGLAND, NEW ORLEANSand SEATTLE– enter Week 5 without a loss. A win by all five teams on Sunday, would tie for the most teams to start 5-0 in a single season in NFL history. Five teams started 5-0 in 2009 (Denver, Indianapolis, Minnesota, New Orleans and the New York Giants).
MANNING ON THE MARK:Denver quarterback PEYTON MANNINGhas 16 touchdown passes, the most through the first four games of a season in NFL history. With three touchdowns passes on Sunday against the Cowboys, Manning will set the record for the most TD passes through the first five games of a season in NFL history.
|
PLAYER |
TEAM |
YEAR |
MOST TD PASSES IN FIRST 5 GAMES |
|
Daunte Culpepper |
Minnesota Vikings |
2004 |
18 |
|
Brett Favre |
Green Bay Packers |
1996 |
16 |
|
Tom Brady |
New England Patriots |
2007 |
16 |
|
Peyton Manning |
Denver Broncos |
2013 |
*16 |
|
Many tied |
|
|
15 |
Additionally, with one touchdown pass and no interceptions, Manning will surpass MILT PLUMfor the most consecutive touchdown passes without an interception to start a season in NFL history.
|
PLAYER |
TEAM |
YEAR |
CONSECUTIVE TD PASSES W/OUT INT TO START SEASON |
|
Milt Plum |
Cleveland Browns |
1960 |
16 |
|
Peyton Manning |
Denver Broncos |
2013 |
*16 |
|
Don Meredith |
Dallas Cowboys |
1966 |
14 |
|
Randall Cunningham |
Minnesota Vikings |
1998 |
14 |
|
*Active | |||
BELICHICK-BRADY CLIMBING CHARTS:Last week, New England head coach BILL BELICHICKregistered his 209th career win (including postseason) in the Patriots' 30-23 victory at Atlanta.
With a win on Sunday at Cincinnati, Belichick can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer CHUCK NOLL(209) for the fifth- most victories all-time among head coaches.
The most career wins all-time among NFL head coaches (including postseason):
|
HEAD COACH |
TEAM(S) |
W-L-T |
WIN PCT. |
|
Don Shula |
Colts, Dolphins |
347-173-6 |
.666 |
|
George Halas |
Bears |
324-151-31 |
.682 |
|
Tom Landry |
Cowboys |
270-178-6 |
.603 |
|
Curly Lambeau |
Packers, Cardinals, Redskins |
229-134-22 |
.631 |
|
Chuck Noll |
Steelers |
209-156-1 |
.572 |
|
Bill Belichick |
Browns, Patriots |
209-109-0 |
.657 |
Patriots quarterback TOM BRADYhas 341 career touchdown passes. With two touchdown passes on Sunday, Brady will pass Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback FRAN TARKENTON(342) for the fourth-most touchdown passes in NFL history.
The quarterbacks with the most career touchdown passes in NFL history:
|
MOST CAREER TD PASSES | |
|
Brett Favre |
508 |
|
Peyton Manning |
452* |
|
Dan Marino |
420 |
|
Fran Tarkenton |
342 |
|
Tom Brady |
*341 |
|
*Active | |
J&J:New Orleans tight end JIMMY GRAHAMis tied for the NFL lead with six touchdown receptions in 2013 (WES WELKER, six) and ranks first among tight ends. With one touchdown catch on Sunday at Chicago, Graham can tie Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end MIKE DITKA (seven) and Chargers tight end ANTONIO GATES (seven) for the most touchdown receptions by a tight end through a team 's first five games of a season in NFL history.
Cleveland tight end JORDAN CAMERONis tied for third in the NFL and ranks second among tight ends with five touchdown receptions this season.
The most touchdown receptions by a tight end thro ugh his te am 's f irst f ive gam es of a season in NFL history:
|
TIGHT END |
TEAM |
YEAR |
TD REC. THROUGH FIRST 5 GAMES |
|
Mike Ditka |
Chicago Bears |
1963 |
7 |
|
Antonio Gates |
San Diego Chargers |
2010 |
7 |
|
Wesley Walls |
Carolina Panthers |
1999 |
6 |
|
Jimmy Graham |
New Orleans Saints |
2013 |
*6 |
|
Many tied |
|
|
5 |
*Through four games
LIONS ROAR:Detroit quarterback MATTHEW STAFFORDwill play in his 50th career game on Sunday at Green Bay. Stafford has totaled 14,069 career passing yards (49 games), the most passing yards in NFL history through a player's first 50 games.
The quarterbacks with the most passing yards through their first 50 career games in NFL history:
|
PLAYER |
PASSING YARDS THROUGH FIRST 50 GAMES |
|
Matthew Stafford |
*14,069 |
|
Kurt Warner |
13,864 |
|
Marc Bulger |
13,551 |
|
Dan Marino |
13,514 |
|
Peyton Manning |
12,939 |
|
*Through 49 games | |
The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft has 87 career touchdown passes. With three touchdown passes on Sunday, Stafford can become the sixth quarterback in NFL history to reach 90 career TD passes in the first 50 games of a career.
The quarterbacks with the most touchdown passes through their first 50 games of a career in NFL history:
|
PLAYER |
TD PASSES THROUGH FIRST 50 GAMES |
|
Dan Marino |
114 |
|
Kurt Warner |
101 |
|
Peyton Manning |
91 |
|
Johnny Unitas |
91 |
|
Carson Palmer |
90 |
|
|
|
|
Matthew Stafford |
*87 |
