SIX-AND-WHOA!

Tied atop the NFC North with 5-0 records, the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers are the last remaining undefeated

NFL teams this season. If both win this Sunday, it would mark the second time since the divisional structure was implemented in 1933 that two teams in the same division started 6-0.

In 1934, Detroit and the Chicago Bears, then members of the NFL's Western Division, each started 10-0. Chicago finished 13-0 before losing the 1934 NFL Championship game by a score of 30-13 to the New York Giants. The Lions (10-3) finished second in the Western Division.

SCORING IN BUNCHES

NFL teams have combined for 3,566 points in 2011, the most points through five weeks in NFL history.

That record total equates to 46.31 points per game. If the current average stays at this pace, it would rank as the second-highest of any season in history (1948, 46.48 points per game).

The seasons with the highest scoring average in NFL history:

 

Year	Points Per Game
Source: NFL (* Through Week 5)
1948	46.48
1950	45.88
1960	45.29
1962	45.21
1958	45.18
2011	46.31*

 

CLIMBING BACK

Teams off to a slow start are justified in believing that they can turn it around.

Since the current playoff system (12 teams) was instituted in 1990, 12 teams have rebounded from being at least three games under .500 after the season's first five weeks or later to qualify for the postseason. That includes five 1-4 teams that ultimately won their divisions.

Since 1990, teams that were three or more games below .500 after Week 5 or later and made the playoffs

 

Year	Team	Record	Advanced To	Of Note
Source: NFL
1990	New Orleans Saints	2-5	Wild Card	Finished second in NFC West
1992	San Diego Chargers	1-4	Divisional	Won AFC West
1993	Houston Oilers	1-4	Divisional	Won AFC Central
1994	New England Patriots	3-6	Wild Card	Finished 10-6 (tied for best in division)
1995	Detroit Lions	2-5, 3-6	Wild Card	Finished 10-6
1995	San Diego Chargers	4-7	Wild Card	Finished 9-7
1996	Jacksonville Jaguars	3-6, 4-7	Championship Game	Won two playoff games
2002	Tennessee Titans	1-4	Championship Game	Won AFC South
2002	New York Jets	1-4, 2-5	Divisional	Won AFC East
2004	Green Bay Packers	1-4	Wild Card	Won NFC North
2008	San Diego Chargers	4-7, 4-8, 5-8	Divisional	Won AFC West
2010	Seattle Seahawks	6-9	Divisional	Won one playoff game

 

TURNAROUND TEAMS

Hope springs eternal in the NFL. Through the first five weeks of the 2011 season, all eight divisions have at least one new team either in first place or tied for the top spot. If that holds, it will be the most new division winners in a single season.

Three teams that started 1-5 or worse in 2010, Buffalo (0-6 in 2010, 4-1 in 2011), Detroit (1-5, 5-0) and San Francisco (1-5, 4-1), are in first place or tied for their division lead. If the Bills and 49ers both win this Sunday, this season would be the first in NFL history featuring three teams with 5-1 or better records that started 1-5 or worse the previous year.

Nine teams since 1990, including this year's Lions, have rebounded from a 1-5 or worse start to a 5-1 or better record the following season. All eight teams to previously accomplish this feat since 1990 finished 9-7 or better:

 

Team	1-5 or Worse Start	Next Season (1st 6)	Next Season (Final)
Source: NFL (* Through five games)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1-5 in 1996	5-1 in 1997	10-6
Atlanta Falcons	1-5 in 1997	5-1 in 1998	14-2
New York Jets	1-5 in 1999	5-1 in 2000	9-7
Chicago Bears	1-5 in 2000	5-1 in 2001	13-3
Minnesota Vikings	1-5 in 2002	6-0 in 2003	9-7
Seattle Seahawks	1-5 in 2002	5-1 in 2003	10-6
Atlanta Falcons	1-5 in 2003	5-1 in 2004	11-5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1-5 in 2004	5-1 in 2005	11-5
Detroit Lions	1-5 in 2010	5-0 in 2011*	??
Buffalo Bills	0-6 in 2010	4-1 in 2011*	??
San Francisco 49ers	1-5 in 2010	4-1 in 2011*	??

 

POWER PAIR

With a win against Dallas on Sunday, New England's TOM BRADY and BILL BELICHICK can tie Pro Football Hall of Famers DAN MARINO and DON SHULA of Miami for the most wins (116) by a quarterback-head coach duo in the Super Bowl era (since 1966).

Marino and Shula combined for 116 wins from 1983-1995 with the Dolphins, while Brady and Belichick have combined for 115 victories with the Patriots since 2000.

The most wins by a quarterback-head coach combo (since 1966):

 

QB	Coach	Team	Years	Wins
Source: NFL
Dan Marino	Don Shula	Miami Dolphins	1983-1995	116
Tom Brady	Bill Belichick	New England Patriots	2000-Present	115
Terry Bradshaw	Chuck Noll	Pittsburgh Steelers	1970-1983	107
Jim Kelly	Marv Levy	Buffalo Bills	1986-1996	99
Donovan McNabb	Andy Reid	Philadelphia Eagles	1999-2009	92

 

PASSING FANCY

Green Bay Packers quarterback AARON RODGERS is the first player in NFL history with a 110+ passer rating in each of his first five games to start a season. He had six such games in both the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

If Rodgers posts his sixth game with a 110+ passer rating this weekend against St. Louis, he would become the second quarterback since 1970 with at least six such games in three consecutive seasons (STEVE YOUNG, 1992-94).

 

CAM-TASTIC

Carolina's CAM NEWTON, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, leads all quarterbacks with five rushing touchdowns (no other QB has more than two).

Through just five games, Newton's five rushing touchdowns already tie for the fourth-most by a rookie QB in a season since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. He will look to move up the list this Sunday against Atlanta and needs two rushing touchdowns to tie VINCE YOUNG (seven in 2006) for the most by a rookie QB during that span.

The most rushing touchdowns in a season by a rookie quarterback (since 1970):

 

Year	QB	Team	Rush TDs
Source: NFL (* Through 5 games)
2006	Vince Young	Tennessee Titans	7
2001	Chris Weinke	Carolina Panthers	6
2010	Tim Tebow	Denver Broncos	6
1979	Jack Thompson	Cincinnati Bengals	5
2011	Cam Newton	Carolina Panthers	5*

 

COOL BREES

New Orleans Saints quarterback DREW BREES needs to pass for at least 350 yards against Tampa Bay in Week 6 to become the first player in NFL history with 350+ passing yards in four consecutive games.

Brees is one of eight players in NFL history with 350+ passing yards in three consecutive games, and he's the only player to do it twice.

The players with three consecutive games with 350+ passing yards:

 

QB	Team	Dates	Streak
Source: NFL (* Active)
Dan Fouts	San Diego Chargers	10/12/80-10/26/80	3
Lynn Dickey	Green Bay Packers	10/7/84-10/21/84	3
Drew Bledsoe	New England Patriots	9/4/94-9/18/94	3
Kurt Warner	St. Louis Rams	9/4/00-09/17/00	3
Rich Gannon	Oakland Raiders	9/15/02-10/06/02	3
Daunte Culpepper	Minnesota Vikings	9/26/04-10/17/04	3
Drew Brees	New Orleans Saints	12/21/08-9/13/09	3
Tom Brady	New England Patriots	9/12/11-9/25/11	3
Drew Brees	New Orleans Saints	9/25/11-10/9/11	3*

 

 

Billick: NFL Week 6 Preview

 

Cosmic Picks: NFL 2011 Week 6

 

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