The Week That Was - NFL Kickoff Weekend 2013

Kickoff Weekend featured many exciting finishes and close games.

Twelve of the 16 games in Week 1 were decided by seven points or fewer, tied for the most of any weekend in NFL history.

The most games decided by seven points or fewer in NFL history:

Season Week Games
Source: NFL
2013112
2011312
20031212
19931512

 

Passing Frenzy

In NFL 2013 Week 1, six quarterbacks -- Denver's Peyton Manning (462), New York Giants' Eli Manning (450), San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick (412), Baltimore's Joe Flacco (362), New Orleans' Drew Brees (357) and Detroit's Matthew Stafford (357) -- passed for at least 350 yards, the most ever on Kickoff Weekend. Manning and Flacco combined for 824 passing yards, the third most in a season opening game.

A look at the six 350-yard passing performances on Kickoff Weekend:

Player Team Attempts Completions Yards TDs INTs Rating
Source: NFL
Peyton ManningDenver422746270141.4
Eli ManningNew York Giants422745043102.3
Colin KaepernickSan Francisco392741230129.4
Joe FlaccoBaltimore62343622269.4
Drew BreesNew Orleans352635721113.6
Matthew StaffordDetroit43283572196.8

 

Week 1 also featured 12 individual 300-yard passing games, the second most in Week 1 in NFL history (14 in 2011).

NFL quarterbacks threw 63 touchdown passes on Kickoff Weekend, the most combined TD passes in any week in NFL history. The previous high was 58 (Week 13 in 2004; Week 17 in 2007).

Season Week Most Combined TD Passes
Source: NFL
2013163
20071758
20041358
19951257
20101056
19981356

 

100+ Club

Eleven quarterbacks recorded a passer rating of at least 100 (min. 20 attempts) on Kickoff Weekend, tied for second-most ever on the opening weekend of a season since 1970.

The quarterbacks with a 100+ passer rating (min. 20 attempts) on Kickoff Weekend 2013:

Player Passer Rating
Source: NFL
Peyton Manning, Den.141.1
Colin Kaepernick, SF129.4
Andrew Luck, Ind.127.9
Russell Wilson, Sea.115.7
Drew Brees, NO113.6
Michael Vick, Phi.112.6
Matt Schaub, Hou.110.0
EJ Manuel, Buf105.5
Aaron Rodgers, GB102.6
Eli Manning, NYG102.3
Sam Bradford, StL100.7

 

The most quarterbacks with a 100+ passer rating (min. 20 attempts) in season openers since 1970:

Season QBs 100+ Rating
Source: NFL
201212
201311
201111
200711
200210
199910

 

Young Quarterbacks

Since 2011, teams have started nine rookie quarterbacks in Week 1, the most during a three-year span since at least 1950.

New York Jets rookie quarterback GENO SMITH threw for 256 yards and a touchdown in the Jets' 18-17 win over Tampa Bay. Smith, who led the team on a 50-yard drive to set up the game-winning field goal with two seconds remaining, is the first rookie quarterback drafted in the second round or later to pass for at least 250 yards and win on Kickoff Weekend since the 1970 merger.

Buffalo Bills rookie quarterback EJ MANUEL completed 18 of 27 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns versus zero interceptions for a 105.5 passer rating in the Bills' 23-21 loss to the New England Patriots.

The nine rookie quarterbacks to start their team's first game of the season since 2011:

Rookie Year Quarterback Team Opponent Result
Source:
2011Andy DaltonCincinnatiClevelandWon, 27-17
2011Cam NewtonCarolinaArizonaLost, 28-21
2012Robert Griffin IIIWashingtonNew OrleansWon, 40-32
2012Andrew LuckIndianapolisChicagoLost, 41-21
2012Ryan TannehillMiamiHoustonLost, 30-10
2012Brandon WeedenClevelandPhiladelphiaLost, 17-16
2012Russell WilsonSeattleArizonaLost, 20-16
2013EJ ManuelBuffaloNew EnglandLost, 23-21
2013Geno SmithNew York JetsTampa BayWon, 18-17

 

NFL 2013 Kickoff Notes

A look at some team notes from across the league on Kickoff Weekend 2013:

The CHICAGO BEARS, who defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 24-21 on Kickoff Weekend, have won 54 season openers, the most wins all-time on Kickoff Weekend.

The DALLAS COWBOYS, who defeated the New York Giants 36-31 on Sunday Night Football, improved their NFL-best winning percentage in season openers to 36-17-1 (.679).

The Denver Broncos defeated the reigning Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens 49-27 in the NFL's annual primetime kickoff game last Thursday night. Denver owns the top winning percentage in home openers (.750, 40-13-1) and currently has the second-best winning percentage in season openers (.639, 34-19-1) in the NFL. The win marked the Broncos 12th consecutive regular-season win, the longest active streak in the NFL.

On the Monday Night Football doubleheader, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated Washington 33-27 at FedExField, while the Houston Texans won 31-28 against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Both teams have now won five consecutive road openers, sharing the longest active such streak in the league.

The Detroit Lions defeated the Minnesota Vikings 34-24 on Kickoff Weekend at Ford Field. The Lions now have 51 wins in home openers, the second-most in NFL history.

Safety First

Week 1 featured four safeties league-wide, the most ever on Kickoff Weekend. The Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers each recorded a safety in Week 1, which all occurred in the first quarter.

The previous record on Kickoff Weekend was three in 1970, 1993 and 1999, while the single-week record since the 1970 merger is five, set in Week 14, 2011.

The Steelers took a 2-0 lead with a safety on the opening kickoff in their game against Tennessee. It marked the first safety on an opening kickoff since the New York Giants recorded one against Dallas on September 18, 1988. It also was the fastest score -- three seconds into the game -- to begin a game since RANDAL WILLIAMS had a 37-yard onside-kick return touchdown at 0:03 for Dallas against Philadelphia (October 12, 2003).

Manning The Offense

With the victory against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, Denver quarterback PEYTON MANNING became the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to win at least 12 consecutive regular-season games three separate times in a career. Manning's win streaks of at least 12 regular-season games:

Team Streak Date Streak
Source: NFL
Indianapolis Colts9/11/2005 - 12/11/200513
Indianapolis Colts11/2/2008 - 12/17/200923
Denver Broncos10/15/2012 - Present12

 

Manning completed 27 of 42 passes for 462 yards and seven touchdowns versus zero interceptions for a 141.1 passer rating in Thursday night's win. His seven touchdown passes ties the single-game NFL record (Sid Luckman, 1943; Adrian Burk, 1954; George Blanda, 1961; Y.A. Tittle, 1962; Joe Kapp, 1969). Manning and Tittle are the only quarterbacks in NFL history to have at least seven touchdowns passes without an interception in a single game.

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The Week That Was - NFL Kickoff Weekend 2013