After Exciting Kickoff Week, Here Comes NFL 2013 Week 2

The NFL got "Back to Football" with a thrilling Kickoff Weekend. There were close games, standout performances and stars rising to the occasion. Among the highlights of Kickoff Weekend:

Twelve games were decided by seven points or fewer, the most for a season-opening weekend and tied for the most in any week in NFL history (Week 15, 1993; Week 12, 2003; Week 3, 2011).

NFL teams combined to throw for 8,143 net passing yards, the highest total in any week in NFL history.

There were 63 touchdown passes, the most in any week in NFL history

Six players had at least 350 passing yards, the most ever on Kickoff Weekend. The six quarterbacks to pass for 350+ yards: Denver's PEYTON MANNING (462), the 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).

Denver quarterback Peyton Manning tied an NFL single-game record with seven touchdown passes and joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Y.A. TITTLE (October 28, 1962) as the only quarterbacks with seven passing touchdowns and no interceptions in a game. Manning also became the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least six touchdowns in three different games and tied DREW BREES' NFL record with a seventh game throwing at least five touchdowns.

San Francisco wide receiver ANQUAN BOLDIN had 13 catches for 208 yards, the first 200-yard receiving game in a season opener since Boldin accomplished the feat (217) in his NFL debut in 2003 (September 7, 2003). There have been only three 10+ catch, 200+ yard receiving games on Kickoff Weekend in NFL history and Boldin has two of them. Boldin, who was making his 49ers debut, is the first player in NFL history to record a 100-yard receiving game in his debut for three different teams (Arizona, Baltimore).

Minnesota running back ADRIAN PETERSON followed up his MVP season with a 78-yard touchdown run on his first carry of 2013. That's the longest touchdown run on a player's first carry since the 1970 merger.

New England quarterback TOM BRADY improved to 11-1 (.917) in season openers, the best such mark among QBs in the Super Bowl era.

New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES recorded his sixth consecutive 300-yard passing game, tied for the second-longest streak in NFL history. Brees also holds the NFL record with nine 300-yard games in a row.

Indianapolis quarterback ANDREW LUCK notched his eighth career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime, the most through a player's first 17 games by any QB who began his career since 1970. Luck is also the first quarterback since the merger to win each of his first seven starts that were decided by four points or fewer.

Detroit running back REGGIE BUSH became the first player since 1972 (CID EDWARDS) with at least 100 receiving yards and 90 rushing yards in his first game with a new team.

New York Jets rookie quarterback GENO SMITH led the team to an 18-17 come-from-behind victory as the Jets became the first team since the merger to open the season with a one-point win when starting a rookie QB.

What's in store for us this week? Here's a look at a few interesting storylines entering Week 2:

Dallas Cowboys (1-0) At Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)

(Sunday, FOX, 1:00 PM ET)

The Cowboys forced six turnovers in their Week 1 victory over the New York Giants. On offense, TONY ROMO threw two touchdowns, both to tight end JASON WITTEN.

"This is a smart, tough, relentless group of guys who understand how to play winning football and play 60 minutes," says Dallas head coach JASON GARRETT. "They always have each other's backs and do the right things to help us win games."

In head coach ANDY REID's debut for Kansas City, the Chiefs recorded a 28-2 victory at Jacksonville. Quarterback ALEX SMITH, also making his Chiefs debut, threw two touchdown passes and JAMAAL CHARLES added a rushing score.

"That was a team victory," says Reid. "I was proud of the guys for that. Everyone seemed to be into it. Like you should in the National Football League, they cherished the victory."

Denver Broncos (1-0) at New York Giants (0-1)

(Sunday, CBS, 4:25 PM ET)

The Manning brothers will meet at MetLife Stadium, the home of Super Bowl XLVIII, in what they hope is the first of two meetings this season. This game will mark the first time in NFL history that the opposing starting quarterbacks will have each thrown for at least 400 yards in the previous week.

Denver is coming off a 49-27 win over Baltimore, the largest margin of victory against a defending Super Bowl champion in a season opener. PEYTON MANNING completed 27 of 42 passes (64.3 percent) for 462 yards with an NFL-record tying seven touchdowns and no interceptions for a 141.1 passer rating. Three Broncos -- DEMARYIUS THOMAS, JULIUS THOMAS and WES WELKER -- each had two touchdown catches, joining the 1989 Cincinnati Bengals as the only teams to have three different players with multiple touchdown receptions in the same game.

"It's fun to play quarterback when you have a lot of guys working hard and making a lot of plays for you," says Manning.

The Giants look to rebound from a 36-31 defeat at Dallas. In that game, ELI MANNING threw for 450 yards and four touchdowns. For the first time in franchise history, three different players -- VICTOR CRUZ (118 yards), HAKEEM NICKS (114) and RUEBEN RANDLE (101) -- each had at least 100 receiving yards.

"Now we have to look ahead to the Denver Broncos," says Giants safety ANTREL ROLLE. "We all know what Peyton Manning brings to the table. We just have to play our best football and continue to grow."

San Francisco 49Ers (1-0) at Seattle Seahawks (1-0)

(Sunday, NBC, 8:30 PM ET)

Two of the NFL's best will meet in a key NFC West showdown on Sunday night in Seattle.

The defending NFC champion 49ers opened the season by knocking off Green Bay 34-28. San Francisco wide receiver ANQUAN BOLDIN, who last year played for the Super Bowl champion Ravens, had 13 catches for 208 yards and became the first player to score a touchdown in his debut for a team that he faced in the previous season's Super Bowl. Quarterback COLIN KAEPERNICK threw for a career-high 412 yards with three touchdowns and a 129.4 passer rating.

"It was great to go out there and get this win," says Kaepernick. "You always want to win your opener; it sets the tone for the season."

The Seahawks traveled to Carolina in Week 1 and defeated the Panthers 12-7. Quarterback RUSSELL WILSON threw for 320 yards and a touchdown with a 115.7 passer rating.

"It's about overcoming adversity," says Seahawks cornerback RICHARD SHERMAN about the team's hard-fought victory. "Getting this type of game early is going to help us throughout the season."

Last year, Seattle was a perfect 8-0 at home as Wilson became the first rookie in NFL history to win all eight home games. In those eight contests, Wilson threw for 17 touchdowns and only two interceptions for a 123.6 passer rating.

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After Exciting Kickoff Week, Here Comes NFL 2013 Week 2