NFL 2013 Week 7 Preview: What to Look For

A preview of what to look for during the 7th week of the NFL 2013 regular season.

Lucky 7

Kansas City newcomer Alex Smith has led the Chiefs to a 6-0 start. With a win on Sunday against the Houston Texans, Smith can tie DIETER BROCK of the 1985 Los Angeles Rams for the most consecutive wins to start a season in a quarterback's first year with a team since 1970.

The most consecutive wins to start a season in a quarterback's first year with a team since 1970:

Player Team Year Consecutive Wins
Source: NFL * Active streak
Dieter BrockLos Angeles Rams19857
Brett FavreMinnesota Vikings20096
John HadlLos Angeles Rams19736
Craig MortonDenver Broncos19776
Kyle OrtonDenver Broncos20096
Alex Smith*Kansas City Chiefs20136*

 

Play 60

There have been many memorable comeback victories in the NFL so far this season -- and it's only October.

Through the first six weeks, 27 of 92 games (29.3 percent) have been decided by a fourth-quarter comeback win. That puts the 2013 season on pace for the second-highest percentage of games with a fourth-quarter comeback victory since 1970.

The seasons with the highest percentage of fourth-quarter comeback wins since 1970:

Season Games 4th-Quarter Comebacks Percentage
Source: NFL * Through Week 6
19892247031.3
20012486727.0
19821263326.2
20082566726.2
19992486425.8
2013*922729.3

 

Passing Fancy

Quarterbacks have been historically efficient through Week 6 of the 2013 season, combining for a league-wide passer rating of 86.8 and a completion percentage of 61.7. Both are on pace to be the highest of any season in NFL history and would surpass records set in 2012 (85.6 passer rating) and 2007 (61.2 completion percentage), respectively.

The league-wide yards-per-pass attempt average, currently at 7.29, is also on pace to be the highest of any season in the Super Bowl era.

The seasons with the highest league-wide yards-per-pass attempt average in the Super Bowl era (since 1966):

Season Yards / Pass Attempt
Source: NFL * Through Week 6
20117.20
19837.18
19897.15
19847.14
20127.08
2013*7.29

 

One's the Number

In Week 7, Denver quarterback Peyton Manning returns to Indianapolis for the first time since joining the Broncos after spending the first 14 years of his career with the Colts.

Manning concluded his Colts tenure as the franchise leader in attempts (7,210), completions (4,682), passing yards (54,828) and touchdowns (399).

Sunday's matchup features two quarterbacks, Manning (Indianapolis, 1998) and ANDREW LUCK (Indianapolis, 2012), who were both No. 1 overall selections by Indianapolis in their respective drafts. It will mark the first time in the common draft era that two quarterbacks selected No. 1 overall and played for that team will meet.

Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback JOHN ELWAY (Baltimore Colts, 1983) and quarterback JEFF GEORGE (Indianapolis, 1990) were also selected first overall by the same franchise and faced each other four times during their careers. Elway, however, was traded to Denver prior to ever playing a game with the Colts.

Chief D

The 6-0 Kansas City Chiefs have placed a high emphasis on getting to the passer. The Chiefs defensive unit ranks first in the NFL with 31 sacks this season, tied for the fifth-most sacks in the first six games of a season since 1963, when team sacks became an official NFL statistic (individual sacks became an official statistic in 1982).

Last week, Kansas City had 10 sacks and forced three turnovers in the Chiefs' 24-7 victory over Oakland.

In Week 7, Kansas City can challenge to rank among the top three teams with the most sacks through the first seven weeks of a season since 1962.

Teams with the most sacks in the first seven games of a season since 1963:

Team Year Most 1st 7 Games
Source: NFL * Through Week 6
Chicago Bears198745
Oakland Raiders196741
Los Angeles Rams198838
3 TeamsTied37
Kansas City Chiefs*201331

 

Return To Sender

Last week, four teams -- Chicago, Jacksonville, Kansas City and St. Louis -- all had interception-return touchdowns, contributing to a league-wide total of 25 this season, the third-most interception-return touchdowns through six weeks since 1970.

With seven more interception-return touchdowns in Week 7, 2013 would surpass 2003 for the most interception-return touchdowns through the first seven weeks of a season.

The most interceptions returned for a touchdown through week 7 (since 1970):

Season INT-Return TDs Through First 7 Weeks
Source: NFL * Through Week 6
200331
201229
198428
198326
200225
2013*25

 

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NFL 2013 Week 7 Preview: What to Look For