NFL 2013 Week 7: The Week That Was

A look back at the statistical highlights, achievements and milestones plus a review of the week that was for games played Week 7 of the NFL 2013 season

Lucky 7

The Kansas City Chiefs improved to a perfect 7-0 with their 17-16 win over Houston.

In the Super Bowl era, 31 teams have started 7-0 and all 31 qualified for the playoffs. Fifteen of those 31 clubs advanced to the Super Bowl and nine won the Super Bowl.

Kansas City's Jamaal Charles had 123 scrimmage yards (86 rushing, 37 receiving) and a touchdown in the Kansas Chiefs' win over Houston. Charles has at least 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in each of the first seven games to start the season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson (1975) as the only players in NFL history to accomplish the feat.

With the Chiefs' win, Alex Smith ties Dieter Brock of the 1985 Los Angeles Rams for the most consecutive wins to start an NFL 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	Wins
Source: NFL Active streak*
Alex Smith*	Kansas City Chiefs	2013	7
Dieter Brock	Los Angeles Rams	1985	7
Brett Favre	Minnesota Vikings	2009	6
John Hadl	Los Angeles Rams	1973	6
Craig Morton	Denver Broncos	1977	6
Kyle Orton	Denver Broncos	2009	6

Close Games the Norm

In Week 7, nine of 15 games were within seven points at some point during the fourth quarter. Through Week 7, 74 of 107 games (69.2 percent) have been within seven points in the fourth quarter, the most such games through the first seven weeks of a season in NFL history.

The most games within seven points at any time during the fourth quarter through Week 7:

Season	Games within 7 Points
Source: NFL
2013	74
2004	73
2007	71
1984	71
2011	70
1999	70

Scoring Highs

NFL teams have combined for 4,928 points so far in 2013, the most points through seven weeks in NFL history. The previous high was 4,803 points last season.

That record total equates to an average of 46.10 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).

Teams have combined to score 542 touchdowns, the most at this point in NFL history (529 in 2002). Of the 542 touchdowns, 331 have been TD passes, the most through the first seven weeks of any season. The previous high was 314 in 2012.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who made his 100th career start, passed for 317 yards in the Cowboys' 17-3 win at Philadelphia. Romo has 27,485 passing yards, the most in NFL history by a player in his first 100 career starts.

Washington's Roy Helu, Jr. and Chicago's Matt Forte each rushed for three touchdowns in the Washington's 45-41 win. It is only the fourth game in NFL history in which opposing players each ran for at least three touchdowns.

Never Give Up

New York Jets' rookie quarterback Geno Smith passed for a touchdown and rushed for a score in the Jets 30-27 overtime victory over the New England Patriots. Smith has led a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime in all four of the Jets' wins.

Smith is the only quarterback since the 1970 merger with four game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime in his first seven career games.

There have been many memorable comeback victories in the NFL so far this season -- and it's only October. Through the first seven weeks, 29 of 106 games (27.4 percent) have been decided by a fourth-quarter comeback victory. That puts the NFL 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	Pct.
Source: NFL Through Week 7*
1989	224	70	31.3
2001	248	67	27.0
1982	126	33	26.2
2008	256	67	26.2
1999	248	64	25.8
2013*	106	29	27.4

Passing Fancy

Quarterbacks have been historically efficient through Week 7 of the 2013 season, combining for a league-wide passer rating of 87.1 and a completion percentage of 61.6. 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 7*
2011	7.20
1983	7.18
1989	7.15
1984	7.14
2012	7.08
2013*	7.29

Pick 6 Game-Changing Plays

In Week 7, five teams -- Buffalo, Carolina, New England, the New York Jets and Washington -- all had interception-return touchdowns, contributing to a league-wide total of 30 this season, the second-most interception-return touchdowns through seven weeks since 1970 (31 in 2003).

Game-Changing Returns

Chicago's Devin Hester returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown in the Bears' loss at Washington. Including the postseason, Hester now has 20 return touchdowns in his career (including the postseason), passing Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders (19) for the most in NFL history.

The players with the most return touchdowns in NFL history (including playoffs):

Player	Return TDs
Source: NFL Active*
Devin Hester*	20
Deion Sanders	19
Rod Woodson	17
Rondé Barber	15
Aeneas Williams	15

Hester is also the NFL all-time leader in punt-return touchdowns (13) and combined kick-return touchdowns (18 in the regular season and 19 overall).

Player	Punt-Return TDs	Kick-Return TDs	Combined
Source: NFL Active*

Devin Hester*	13	5	18
Brian Mitchell	9	4	13
Dante Hall	6	6	12
Eric Metcalf	10	2	12
Joshua Cribbs*	3	8	11

Hester's 13 career punt-return touchdowns are the most in NFL history.

Player	Punt-Return TDs
Source: NFL Active*

Devin Hester*	13
Eric Metcalf	10
Brian Mitchell	9
Jack Christiansen	8
Desmond Howard	8
Rick Upchurch	8

Charging Rivers

San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers completed 22 of 26 (84.6 percent) passes for 285 yards and a touchdown for a 125.2 passer rating in the Chargers' win over Jacksonville. Rivers has completed 20+ passes while completing at least 80 percent of his pass attempts in three games this season, tying for the most such games in a season in NFL history (BRETT FAVRE in 2009; DREW BREES in 2011).

Rivers (30,023) became the 37th player in NFL history to reach 30,000 career passing yards and reached the milestone in his 123rd game, the fifth fastest ever.

The players to reach 30,000 career passing yards in the fewest games in NFL history:

Player	Games
Source: NFL
Dan Marino	114
Kurt Warner	114
Peyton Manning	115
Drew Brees	120
Phillip Rivers	123

NFL 2013 Week 7: The Week That Was

NFL 2013 Week 7: The Week That Was

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NFL 2013 Week 7: The Week That Was