NFL 2011 Week 1 - Records and Milestones Abound

Records and Milestones Abound
NFL 2011

The NFL is 'Back to Football' in a big way, with records falling and milestones being achieved at seemingly every turn. From the Thursday night opener in Green Bay, to the Monday Night Football doubleheader last night, Kickoff Weekend 2011 is one that will surely be remembered.

Some of the most spectacular achievements of Week 1:

752 points scored ties for the 9th-most in a single week in NFL history and 2nd-most on Kickoff Weekend (788, 2002). The highest scoring weeks in NFL history:

Rank	Point Total	Dates	Week
Source: NFL
1	837	November 20-24, 2008	12
2T	788	December 29-30, 2007	17
2T	788	December 5-6, 2004	13
2T	788	September 5, 8-9, 2002	1
5	779	December 16, 19-20, 2010	15
6	762	November 10-11, 1996	11
7	761	October 16-17, 1983	7
8	753	December 8-9, 2002	14
9T	752	September 8, 11-12, 2011	1
9T	752	December 23, 25-28, 2010	16
9T	752	November 29, December 2-3, 2007	13

89 touchdowns this week tied for the 6th-most in a single week in NFL history and tied for the most ever on Kickoff Weekend (Week 1, 2002). The most touchdowns in a week in NFL history:

Rank	Touchdowns	Dates	Week
Source: NFL Has happened seven times*
1	94	November 20, 23-24, 2008	12
2T	93	December 18-20, 2004	15
2T	93	November 9-10, 1980	10
4	91	October 16-17, 1983	7
5	90	December 29-30, 2007	17
6T	89	*Latest: September 8, 11-12, 2011	1

8 combined kick-return touchdowns (5 punt, 3 kickoff) in Week 1 is the most combined kick-return touchdowns in a single week in NFL history.

3 kickoff return touchdowns in Week 1 tied for the most in an opening weekend in NFL history (1970, 1998).

3 kickoff return touchdowns of at least 100 yards -- Green Bay's RANDALL COBB (108 yards), Minnesota's PERCY HARVIN (103) and San Francisco's TED GINN JR. (102) -- marked just the second week in NFL history with 3 KOR touchdowns of 100+ yards (Week 5, 1958).

Cobb's 108-yard kickoff return tied the record for the longest kickoff return in NFL history. The Packers' rookie equaled New England's ELLIS HOBBS, who returned a kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown against the New York Jets on September 9, 2007.

San Francisco's Ginn became the 12th player in NFL history -- and the first on Kickoff Weekend -- to return a kickoff (102 yards) and a punt (55 yards) for a touchdown in the same game. Ginn accomplished the feat just 59 seconds apart, the fastest of the 12 players to do so.

New England quarterback TOM BRADY and wide receiver WES WELKER connected on the 12th 99-yard touchdown pass in NFL history:

Date	Team	Passer	Scorer	Yards
Source: NFL
October 15, 1939	Washington	Frank Filchock	Andy Farkas	99
September 15, 1963	Washington	George Izo	Bobby Mitchell	99
October 16, 1966	Detroit	Karl Sweetan	Pat Studstill	99
September 15, 1968	Washington	Sonny Jurgensen	Gerry Allen	99
October 2, 1983	LA Raiders	Jim Plunkett	Cliff Branch	99
November 10, 1985	Philadelphia	Ron Jaworski	Mike Quick	99
September 18, 1994	San Diego	Stan Humphries	Tony Martin	99
September 11, 1995	Green Bay	Brett Favre	Robert Brooks	99
December 22, 2002	Kansas City	Trent Green	Marc Boerigter	99
October 17, 2004	Cleveland	Jeff Garcia	Andre Davis	99
November 30, 2008	Minnesota	Gus Frerotte	Bernard Berrian	99
September 12, 2011	New England	Tom Brady	Wes Welker	99

7,842 net passing yards were the most for a single week in NFL history.

906 net passing yards between the New England Patriots (516) and Miami Dolphins (390) is the most in a game in NFL history.

The Patriots-Dolphins contest was also the first game in NFL history to feature both a 500-yard passer and a 400-yard passer -- TOM BRADY, 517 & CHAD HENNE, 416.

14 300-yard passers in Week 1 were the most in a single week in NFL history. The previous best was 13 in Week 10 of 2010.

5 games in which both quarterbacks threw for at least 300 yards, the most in any week in NFL history.

Quarterback	Passing Yards	Quarterback	Passing Yards
Source: NFL
Tom Brady	517	Chad Henne	416
Cam Newton	422	Kevin Kolb	309
Drew Brees	419	Aaron Rodgers	312
Tony Romo	342	Mark Sanchez	335
Matt Ryan	319	Jay Cutler	312

4 400-yard passers in Week 1 were the most in a single week in NFL history, topping the 3 in Week 3, 1986 and Week 13, 2004.

The quarterbacks to pass for at least 300 yards in Week 1:

Quarterback	Team	Quarterback
Source: NFL
Tom Brady	New England	517
Cam Newton	Carolina	422
Drew Brees	New Orleans	419
Chad Henne	Miami	416
Tony Romo	Dallas	342
Philip Rivers	San Diego	335
Mark Sanchez	New York Jets	335
Matt Ryan	Atlanta	319
Jay Cutler	Chicago	312
Aaron Rodgers	Green Bay	312
Kevin Kolb	Arizona	309
Rex Grossman	Washington	305
Matthew Stafford	Detroit	305v
Kyle Orton	Denver	304

Carolina rookie quarterback CAM NEWTON had 422 passing yards, the most ever by a player in his NFL debut. The previous mark was 346 yards by Pro Football Hall of Famer OTTO GRAHAM in 1950. Newton's 422 yards are tied for the most in a single game by a rookie (MATTHEW STAFFORD, November 22, 2009).

The Thursday night Kickoff opener between Green Bay (AARON RODGERS: 312 yards, 3 TDs) and New Orleans (DREW BREES: 419 yards, 3 TDs) marked the first time in NFL history that opposing quarterbacks both passed for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in their teams' season opener.

Oakland kicker SEBASTIAN JANIKOWSKI connected on a 63-yard field goal last night against the Denver Broncos, tying the record for the longest field goal in NFL history. Janikowski joined TOM DEMPSEY and JASON ELAM in accomplishing the feat.

Cincinnati rookie wide receiver A.J. GREEN caught a game-winning 41-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of the Bengals' 27-17 win at Cleveland. It was the longest fourth-quarter game-winning TD catch in NFL history by a rookie in his team's first game (22 yards, COBB ROONEY of the Duluth Kelleys in 1924).

Billick: NFL Power Rankings

Billick: Week 1 Recap

Brady Throws for 517 Yards in Pats Victory