NFL 2013 Week 5: The Week That Was

NFL 2013 Week 5 continued the trend of exciting finishes and close games.

On Monday Night Football, rookie quarterback Geno Smith led the New York Jets to a 30-28 win over Atlanta. New York trailed 28-27 with 1:54 remaining and Smith drove the Jets 55 yards to the Falcons 25 yard line to set up Nick Folk's game-winning 43-yard field goal as time expired.

Four teams came back from fourth-quarter deficits to win. There have been 25 fourth-quarter comebacks so far in 2013, the fourth-most through Week 5 of any season in NFL history.

The most fourth-quarter comebacks through the first five weeks of a season:

Season 4th Qtr Comebacks
Source: NFL
201128
199926
198926
201325
201224

 

Five of the 14 games in Week 5 were decided by seven points or fewer, bringing the season total to 38. That is the fifth-most through Week 5 in NFL history (41 in 1999).

After Week 5, there are 17 teams with a .500 or better record. Twenty teams are in or within one game of first place of their respective divisions, tied with 2005, 2010 and 2012 for the most through Week 5 since realignment in 2002

Undefeated Starts

The Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs And New Orleans Saints all improved to 5-0. Since 1990, when the 12-team playoff format was adopted, 36 of the 40 (90 percent) previous teams to start 5-0 made the playoffs.

The Broncos won 51-48 at Dallas, the Chiefs defeated the Tennessee Titans 26-17 while the Saints recorded a 26-18 victory at Chicago.

Denver's 16 regular-season game winning streak is the longest active streak in the NFL. Kansas City became the first team in NFL history to start 5-0 after losing at least 14 games in their previous season. New Orleans is 5-0 for the first time since 2009 when the team went on to win Super Bowl XLIV.

 

Cowboys Unable to Bust Broncos

Denver quarterback Peyton Manning passed for 414 yards and four touchdowns in the Broncos' win. Manning has 20 touchdown passes this season, the most through the first five games in NFL history.

Player Team Season TD Passes in First 5 Games
Source: NFL
Peyton ManningDenver Broncos201320
Daunte CulpepperMinnesota Vikings200418
Brett FavreGreen Bay Packers199616
Tom BradyNew England Patriots200716

 

Additionally, Manning threw four touchdown passes on Sunday before his first interception. Manning passed for 20 touchdowns before his first interception surpassing Cleveland Browns quarterback Milt Plum's record of 16 set in 1960.

Player Team Season Consecutive TD Passes
Source: NFL
Peyton ManningDenver Broncos201320
Milt PlumCleveland Browns196016
Don MeredithDallas Cowboys196614
Randall CunninghamMinnesota Vikings199814

 

With 414 yards, Manning now has 61,371 career passing yards and passed Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (61,361) for the second most in NFL history.

The Broncos have scored 230 points, the most by a team through the first five games of a season in NFL history.

Dallas quarterback Tony Romo passed for a franchise-record 506 yards with five touchdowns. He is the fifth quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least 500 yards and five touchdowns in a game.

The Broncos (51) and Cowboys (48) combined for 99 points, tied for the fourth most in a game in NFL history.

 

400 Club

Week 5 featured three 400-yard passing performances -- Tony Romo, 506 yards; Peyton Manning, 414 yards; Philip Rivers, 411 -- bringing the season total to 13. The 13 individual 400-yard passing games are the most through the first five weeks of any NFL season.

The most individual 400-yard passing games through Week 5 in NFL history:

Season 400 Yard Passing Games
Source: NFL
201313
201110
20107
20024
19894
19854

 

The 920 combined passing yards between Manning and Romo were the fifth-most in a single game in NFL history.

 

Pass Frenzy

There were eight 300-yard passing performances in Week 5, bringing the season total of such games to 47. The 47 individual 300-yard passing games are the second-most through the first five weeks of any NFL season.

The most individual 300-yard passing games through Week 5 in NFL history:

Season 300-Yard Pass Games
Source: NFL
201150
201347
201246
200931
201026
200226

 

Teams have combined for 247 touchdown passes through Week 5, the most TD passes through the first five weeks of any season in NFL history. The previous high was 241 in 2011.

Season Most TD Passes
Source: NFL
2013247
2011241
2012234
2002226
1985217

 

 

Scores Galore

The Denver Broncos defeated Dallas 51-48 on Sunday, bringing their season total to 230 points. That is the most points in a team's first five games in NFL history.

The teams with the most points in the first five games of a season:

Team Season Points
Source: NFL
Denver Broncos2013230
St. Louis Rams2000217
Chicago Bears1941209
Dallas Cowboys1966193
Dallas Cowboys1968193

 

Luck Had Something to Do With It

Sunday's Seattle vs. Indianapolis contest was the first game in NFL history in which both starting quarterbacks -- Russell Wilson of the Seahawks and Andrew Luck of the Colts -- were second-year quarterbacks who started a playoff game as a rookie in the previous season.

Indianapolis quarterback ANDREW LUCK passed for 229 yards and two touchdowns in the Colts' 34-28 win over Seattle. Luck led Indianapolis to 11 fourth-quarter points as the Colts came back from a 28-23 deficit. In his career, he has guided Indianapolis to nine game-winning drives in the fourth-quarter or overtime, the most through a player's first 21 games by any quarterback that began his career since the 1970 merger.

Luck is now 15-6 as a starter and he is the fastest quarterback drafted No. 1 overall since the 1970 merger to reach 15 wins (21 starts).

 

Racking Up the Receiving Yards

New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham had 10 catches for 135 yards in the Saints' win at Chicago. Graham has 100+ receiving yards in four consecutive games, tied for the longest streak in NFL history by a tight end. Tony Gonzalez accomplished the feat in 2000 and Graham did so in 2011.

Graham is the first tight end in NFL history to have two separate streaks with 100+ yards in four consecutive games.

 

Randall Cobb's Lofty Achievement

Green Bay's Randall Cobb had a career-long 67-yard run in the Packers' 22-9 win over Detroit. Cobb joins Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers as the only players in NFL history with a 60+ yard run, 60+ yard reception, 100+ yard kickoff return and 80+ yard punt return in his first three seasons.

 

Lions Roar

Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford played in his 50th career game on Sunday at Green Bay.

Stafford has totaled 14,331 career passing yards, the most passing yards in NFL history through a player's first 50 games.

The NFL quarterbacks with the most passing yards through their first 50 career games in NFL history:

Player Passing Yards
Source: NFL
Matthew Stafford14,331
Kurt Warner13,864
Marc Bulger13,551
Dan Marino13,514
Peyton Manning12,939

 

Eagles Offense Piling Up the Yards

The Philadelphia Eagles gained 299 net passing yards and 140 rushing yards in the team's 36-21 win at the New York Giants. This season, Philadelphia has gained 1,341 net passing yards and 933 rushing yards.

The Eagles are the first team in NFL history to gain at least 1,300 net passing yards and 900 rushing yards through the first five games of a season.

 

Manning The Record Books

Denver quarterback Peyton Manning joined New England's Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to win at least 16 consecutive regular-season games multiple times in a career.

Manning and Brady's winning streaks of at least 16 regular-season games as starters:

Player Team Streak Date Streak
Source: NFL *Active
Peyton ManningIndianapolis Colts11/2/2008-12/17/200923
Tom BradyNew England Patriots12/17/2006-9/14/200921
Tom BradyNew England Patriots10/5/2003-10/24/200318
Peyton Manning*Denver Broncos10/15/2012-present16

 

Manning (61,371) passed for 414 yards and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (61,361) for the second most career passing yards in NFL history.

The quarterbacks with the most career passing yards in NFL history:

Quarterback Yards
Source: NFL *Active
Brett Favre71,838
Peyton Manning*61,371
Dan Marino61,361
John Elway51,475
Warren Moon49,325

 

 

Charles In Charge

Oakland safety Charles Woodson recorded an interception and returned a fumble 25 yards for a touchdown in the Raiders' 27-17 win over San Diego. Woodson now has 13 combined return touchdowns off of turnovers (11 interceptions and two fumble recoveries), tying for the most in NFL history.

The most returned touchdowns scored off opponents' turnovers in NFL history:

Player Teams TDs
Source: NFL
Charles WoodsonOakland, Green Bay13
Rod WoodsonPittsburgh, San Francisco, Baltimore, Oakland13
Darren SharperGreen Bay, Minnesota, New Orleans13

 

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NFL 2013 Week 5: The Week That Was