NFL 2013 Week 8: 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 8 of the NFL 2013 season

Perfect Defense, Perfect Record

The Kansas City Chiefs improved to 8-0 with a 23-17 win over the Cleveland Browns to remain undefeated and sit atop the AFC West.

The Chiefs are the first team in NFL history to start 8-0 after posting the worst record in the league the previous season.

In the Super Bowl era, 20 teams have started 8-0 and all 20 qualified for the playoffs. Twelve of those 20 clubs advanced to the Super Bowl and eight won the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs held Cleveland to 17 points and became the fourth team since 1970 to allow 17 points or fewer in each of their first eight games of a season.

Kansas City's Alex Smith became the first quarterback since the 1970 merger to win his first eight games to start a season with a new team.

The Chiefs' defense has allowed 17 points or fewer in each of its first eight games and became the fourth team since 1970 to accomplish the feat.

The NFL teams to allow 17 points or fewer in each of their first eight games of a season since 1970:

Team	Season	Games 17 Points or Less
Source: NFL Active streak*
Atlanta Falcons	1977	9
Kansas City Chiefs*	2013	8
Miami Dolphins	1971	8
Minnesota Vikings	1970	8

Close Calls

Through Week 8 of the NFL 2013 regular season, 80 of 120 games (66.7 percent) have been within seven points in the fourth quarter, the third-most such games through the first eight weeks of a season in NFL history (81 in 2004 and 1984).

The most games within seven points at any time during the fourth quarter through Week 8:

Season	Games
Source: NFL
2004	81
1984	81
2013	80
2010	79
2007	79

Stellar Performances

Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson had 14 catches for 329 receiving yards with one touchdown in the Lions' 31-30 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Johnson's 329 receiving yards were the second-most in a single-game in NFL history. Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Flipper Anderson had 336 receiving yards against the New Orleans Saints on November 26, 1989.

It also marked Johnson's fifth career game with 200+ receiving yards, tying Pro Football Hall of Famer Lance Alworth for the most such games in NFL history.

The most receiving yards in a single-game in NFL history:

Date	Player	Team	Opponent	Receiving Yards
Source: NFL
11/26/89	Flipper Anderson	Los Angeles Rams	New Orleans	336
10/27/13	Calvin Johnson	Detroit	Dallas	329
12/22/85	Stephone Paige	Kansas City	San Diego	309
11/22/45	Jim Benton	Cleveland	Detroit	303
12/3/50	Cloyce Box	Detroit	Baltimore	302

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees passed for 332 yards and five touchdowns in the Saints' 35-17 win over Buffalo. Brees now has eight career games with five+ touchdown passes, the most in NFL history.

New England's Tom Brady threw one touchdown in the Patriots' 27-17 victory over Miami.

Brees (343) and Brady (343) passed Pro Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton (342) for the fourth-most touchdown passes in NFL history.

The most career touchdown passes in NFL history:

Player	Team(s)	Career Passing TDs
Source: NFL Active*
Brett Favre	Packers, Jets, Vikings	508
Peyton Manning*	Colts, Broncos	465
Dan Marino	Dolphins	420
Tom Brady*	Patriots	343
Drew Brees*	Chargers, Saints	343
Fran Tarkenton	Vikings, Giants	342

Denver quarterback Peyton Manning passed for 354 yards and four touchdowns in the Broncos' 45-21 win over Washington. Manning has 2,919 passing yards this season, the most through the first eight games in NFL history.

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning passed for 246 yards in the Giants' 15-7 win at Philadelphia. Eli, who now has 33,694 career passing yards, surpassed Phil Simms (33,462) for the most passing yards in Giants history

Cincinnati wide receiver Marvin Jones had eight catches for 122 yards and four touchdown receptions in the Bengals' 49-9 win over the New York Jets. Jones' four TD catches are the most in a single-game in Bengals history and the most in an NFL game since November 18, 2007 (Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, four each).

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald had four catches for 48 yards with one touchdown in the Cardinals' 27-13 win over Atlanta. Fitzgerald, who now has 800 career catches, became the youngest player in NFL history to reach 800 receptions (30 years and 57 days old).

Raiders quarterback Terrelle Pryor rushed for 106 yards and one touchdown in the Raiders' 21-18 win over Pittsburgh. Pryor's 93-yard rushing touchdown is the longest touchdown run by a quarterback in NFL history. Pryor also surpassed Bo Jackson (92 yards, November 5, 1989) for the longest rushing touchdown by a Raider.

In Week 8, four players -- Cincinnati's Chris Crocker (32 yards), Washington's De Angelo Hall (26), Cincinnati's Adam Jones (60) and Denver's Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (75) -- had interception-return touchdowns, contributing to a league-wide total of 34 this season, the most interception-return touchdowns through eight weeks since 1970 (31 in 2003 and 2012).

Scoring Highs

The Denver Broncos defeated Washington 45-21 and have scored 343 points (42.9 points per game) through the first eight weeks of 2013, the most points at this point of a season in NFL history.

Denver is now the third team in NFL history to score at least 30 points in each of its first eight games. The 2007 New England Patriots and 2000 St. Louis Rams also accomplished the feat.

The teams with at least 30 points in each of their first eight games of a season in NFL history:

Team	Season	30+ Point Games
Source: NFL Active Streak*
Denver Broncos*	2013	8
New England Patriots	2007	8
St. Louis Rams	2000	8

In fact, NFL teams have combined for 5,544 points in 2013, the most points through eight weeks in NFL history. The previous high was 5,384 points last season.

That record total equates to 46.20 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 614 touchdowns, the most at this point in NFL history (593 in 2002). Of the 614 touchdowns, 371 have been TD passes, the most through the first eight weeks of any season. The previous high was 356 in 2012.

Nine NFL teams are averaging at least 25 points per game this season, which is on pace to tie for the most in a season in NFL history (2008 and 2012).

NFL 2013 Points Per Game Leaders thru Week 8

Team	Points / Game
Source: NFL
Denver Broncos	42.9
Chicago Bears	30.4
Green Bay Packers	30.3
Dallas Cowboys	28.8
New Orleans Saints	28.0
San Francisco 49ers	27.3
Detroit Lions	27.1
Indianapolis Colts	26.7
Seattle Seahawks	25.6

Most NFL teams to average 25+ points per game in a season

Season	Teams
Source: NFL Through Week 8*
2012	9
2008	9
2009	8
2007	8
1975	8
1967	8
2013*	9

400-Club

Through Week 8 of the NFL 2013 regular season, there have already been 14 individual 400-yard passing performances, including Matthew Stafford's 488 yards on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. Stafford now has six career games with 400+ passing yards in his first five NFL seasons, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (seven) for the most such games in the first five seasons of a career in NFL history.

The 14 individual 400-yard passing games are already the third-most in a single season of any NFL season (18 in 2011).

The most individual 400-yard passing games in a single season in NFL history:

Season	Games
Source: NFL Through Week 8*
2011	18
2012	15
2013*	14
2004	13
1986	13

Patriots Own Their Division

The New England Patriots defeated division rival Miami 27-17 on Sunday.

The Patriots have now won 14 consecutive home games against AFC East opponents and are the fifth team since 1970 to win at least 14 consecutive home games against division opponents.

The most consecutive home wins against division opponents since 1970:

Team	Years	Streak
Source: NFL Active streak*
Green Bay Packers	1994-1998	18
Buffalo Bills	1988-1992	17
Dallas Cowboys	1991-1995	16
Miami Dolphins	1971-1975	16
New England Patriots*	2009-present	14

The New 30

San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh (30-9-1) guided his team to a 42-10 win over Jacksonville in an International Series game at Wembley Stadium.

Since being hired in 2011, Harbaugh has won 30 regular-season games and became the fourth-fastest head coach to reach the milestone since 1970.

The head coaches who made their debut since the merger with the fewest games to reach 30 wins:

Coach	Team	Years	Games
Source: NFL
George Seifert	San Francisco	1989-1991	36
Chuck Knox	Los Angeles Rams	1973-1975	38
Ted Marchibroda	Baltimore Colts	1975-1977	38
Jim Harbaugh	San Francisco	2011-present	40
Joe Gibbs	Washington	1981-1983	41
Red Miller	Denver	1977-1979	41

This weekend's contest was the 14th international regular-season game in NFL history and the eighth played in the United Kingdom.

The regular-season games played in the United Kingdom:

Date	Team	Score	Team	Score	Attendance
Source: NFL
Oct 28, 2007	Giants	13	Dolphins	10	81,176
Oct 26, 2008	Chargers	32	Saints	37	83,226
Oct 25, 2009	Patriots	35	Buccaneers	7	84,254
Oct 31, 2010	Broncos	16	49ers	24	83,941
Oct 23, 2011	Bears	24	Buccaneers	18	76,981
Oct 28, 2012	Patriots	45	Rams	7	84,004
Sep 29, 2013	Steelers	27	Vikings	34	83,518
Oct 27, 2013	49ers	42	Jaguars	10	83,559

Larry Legend

Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald had four catches for 48 yards with one touchdown in the Cardinals' 27-13 win over Atlanta. Fitzgerald, who now has 800 career catches, became the youngest player in NFL history to reach 800 receptions (30 years and 57 days old).

The youngest players to reach 800 career receptions:

Player	Teams	Years	Days
Source: NFL
Larry Fitzgerald	Arizona	30	57
Jason Witten	Dallas	30	238
Andre Johnson	Houston	31	165
Torry Holt	St. Louis	31	208
Randy Moss	Minnesota, Oakland, New England	31	256
Tony Gonzalez	Kansas City	31	285

Fitzgerald, who has played 148 career games, also reached the milestone in the sixth-fewest games in NFL history. Former Indianapolis wide receiver Marvin Harrison recorded his 800th catch in his 131st game, the fewest of any NFL player.

The players to record 800 receptions in the fewest games in NFL history:

Player	Teams	Games
Source: NFL
Marvin Harrison	Colts	131
Andre Johnson	Texans	137
Torry Holt	Rams	142
Anquan Boldin	Cardinals, Ravens, 49ers	146
Wes Welker	Dolphins, Patriots, Broncos	146
Larry Fitzgerald	Cardinals	148

Return Record

Minnesota Vikings rookie Cordarrelle Patterson returned a kickoff 109 yards for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football. His 109-yard kickoff return is the longest in NFL history and tied the NFL record for longest play in NFL history (Antonio Cromartie).

With the San Diego Chargers, Antonio Cromartie returned a missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown on November 4, 2007 at Minnesota.

The longest kickoff-return touchdowns in NFL history:

Date	Player	Team	Opponent	Yards
Source: NFL
10/27/13	Cordarrelle Patterson	Vikings	Packers	109
10/14/12	Jacoby Jones	Ravens	Cowboys	108
9/8/11	Randall Cobb	Packers	Saints	108
9/9/07	Ellis Hobbs	Patriots	Jets	108
10/2/11	Joe McKnight	Jets	Ravens	107

NFL 2013 Week 8: The Week That Was

NFL 2013 Week 8: The Week That Was

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NFL 2013 Week 8: The Week That Was