Dean Michaels
In-Sync Standings
After Week 5 of the 2012 NFL Regular season, there are 17 teams with a .500 or better record, including all four NFC West clubs -- ARIZONA, 4-1 (.800); SAN FRANCISCO, 4-1 (.800); ST. LOUIS, 3-2 (.600); and SEATTLE, 3-2 (.600).
Twenty teams are in or within one game of first place of their respective divisions, tied with 2005 and 2010 for the most through Week 5 since realignment in 2002. Only one game separates all four clubs in three divisions (AFC East, NFC East and NFC West), the most through Week 5 since realignment in 2002.
Falcons & Texans 5-0
The Atlanta Falcons and the Houston Texans both improved to 5-0 for the first time in franchise history.
Atlanta, which also started 4-0 in 1986 and 2004, claimed a 24-17 victory at Washington, while Houston defeated the New York Jets 23-17 on Monday Night Football.
Drew Brees: A Great 48
On Sunday Night Football, New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees passed for 370 yards and four touchdowns in the Saints' 31-24 win over San Diego. Brees extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 48, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas (47) for the longest streak in NFL history.
NFL quarterbacks to record one or more touchdown passes in the most consecutive games:
Player | Team | Dates | Consec Games with TD Pass |
---|---|---|---|
Source: NFL *Active streak | |||
Drew Brees | New Orleans | 10/18/2009-present | 48* |
Johnny Unitas | Baltimore Colts | 12/9/1956-12/4/1960 | 47 |
Tom Brady | New England | 9/12/2010-present | 37* |
Brett Favre | Green Bay | 11/4/2002-11/29/2004 | 36 |
Dan Marino | Miami | 11/10/1985-11/22/1987 | 30 |
Unitas surpassed the previous mark held by CECIL ISBELL (22 games) on November 30, 1958 and held sole possession of the record for 19,663 days before Brees tied the mark in Week 4. Brees has thrown 118 touchdowns during his streak, 12 more than Unitas (102) had during his run. During their streaks, Unitas threw a TD pass to seven different players, while Brees has connected with 15 players.
During their record-setting streaks, Brees has recorded 29 300-yard games and passed for four or more touchdowns in nine contests, while Unitas registered six 300-yard games and threw four or more touchdowns in seven games.
Drew Brees' statistics during his 48-game streak and Unitas' numbers during his 47-game streak:
Player | Games | Att | Comp | Yards | TDs | INTs | Rating | Record |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Source: NFL | ||||||||
Drew Brees | 48 | 1,936 | 1,331 | 15,173 | 118 | 51 | 101.4 | 34-14 |
Johnny Unitas | 47 | 1,298 | 697 | 10,645 | 102 | 61 | 87.6 | 31-16 |
In Week 5, New England quarterback Tom Brady passed for 223 yards with one touchdown in the Patriots' 31-21 win over Denver to record his 37th consecutive game with a touchdown pass, surpassing BRETT FAVRE (36) for the third-longest such streak.
So Close
Close games have been a staple of the 2012 season as 44 games have been decided by eight points or fewer, the second-most such games through the first five weeks of a season in NFL history.
Young Arms
Through Week 5, four rookie quarterbacks -- Indianapolis' ANDREW LUCK (three), Washington's ROBERT GRIFFIN III (two), Cleveland's BRANDON WEEDEN (two) and Miami's RYAN TANNEHILL (one) -- have combined for eight individual 300-yard passing games, already the most such games by rookie QBs in any NFL season (seven in 2011).
With four accomplishing the feat this season, 2012 is tied for the most rookie quarterbacks with at least one 300-yard passing game in any NFL season (four in 1987 and 2011). Carolina's CAM NEWTON (three), Cincinnati's ANDY DALTON (two), Minnesota's CHRISTIAN PONDER (one) and Houston's T.J. YATES (one) each registered one or more 300-yard passing games last year.
Andrew Luck is Good Luck
Indianapolis rookie quarterback Andrew Luck passed for 362 yards and two touchdowns in the Colts' 30-27 win over Green Bay. Luck is the first rookie in NFL history to pass for 1,200+ yards (1,208) and record at least two wins in his team's first four games.
Luck and CAM NEWTON are the only players in NFL history to pass for at least 300 yards in three of their first four career games.
Luck, who led the Colts back from a 21-3 deficit, is the first rookie quarterback to overcome an 18+ point deficit to win a game since MATTHEW STAFFORD of the Detroit Lions in 2009 (November 22) and only the fourth to accomplish the feat since 2003.
Arian Foster's Fast 40
Houston Texans running back ARIAN FOSTER amassed 168 yards from scrimmage (152 rushing, 16 receiving) on Monday Night Football. Foster (3,629 rushing, 1,374 receiving) registered more than 5,000 yards from scrimmage in his first 40 career games, reaching the milestone in the third-fewest games in league annals. Only EDGERRIN JAMES (36) and Pro Football Hall of Famer ERIC DICKERSON (39) recorded 5,000 yards from scrimmage in fewer games.
Party On Reggie Wayne
In the Colts' win, Indianapolis wide receiver REGGIE WAYNE totaled a career-best 212 receiving yards on 13 catches, including a four-yard game-winning touchdown with 35 seconds remaining. Wayne became the 16th player in NFL history with 40 career 100-yard receiving games.
300-300 Club
The San Francisco 49ers totaled 621 yards of offense (311 rushing, 310 passing) in a 45-3 win against Buffalo. The 49ers became the first team in NFL history to net more than 300 rushing yards and 300 passing yards in a single game.
San Francisco is averaging 195.8 rushing yards per game (first in the NFL) and ranks first in the league in points allowed per game (13.6), second in yards allowed per game (262.6) and second in passing yards allowed per game (181.2).
Catching On
On Sunday, Cincinnati wide receiver A.J. GREEN caught nine passes for 65 yards and a touchdown against Miami. Green became the eighth player -- and fourth wide receiver -- in NFL history to reach 100 career receptions in 20 or fewer games, tying for the third-fastest all-time.
In his first 20 career games, Green has 101 receptions, 1,550 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is the first player in NFL history with at least 100 receptions, 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first 20 career games.
Week 5 Statistical Highlights
Atlanta quarterback MATT RYAN passed for 345 yards and two touchdowns in the Falcons' 24-17 win over Washington. Ryan led the Falcons to 17 fourth-quarter points as he guided Atlanta to his 18th career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime. That is the most by a quarterback in his first five seasons in the Super Bowl era.
Falcons tight end TONY GONZALEZ had 13 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown. The TD was the 99th of his career, tying Gonzalez for eighth in NFL history with Pro Football Hall of Famer DON HUTSON.
Chicago's CHARLES TILLMAN and LANCE BRIGGS each had an interception-return touchdown in the Bears' 41-3 win at Jacksonville. Tillman and Briggs, who each had an INT-TD last week, are the first set of teammates in NFL history to each return an interception for a touchdown in consecutive games.
Miami rookie quarterback RYAN TANNEHILL passed for 223 yards in the Dolphins' 17-13 win at Cincinnati. Tannehill has passed for 1,269 yards this season and is the first rookie in NFL history to pass for 1,250+ yards and record at least two wins in his team's first five games.
New York Giants running back AHMAD BRADSHAW rushed for 200 yards and wide receiver VICTOR CRUZ had three touchdown catches in the team's 41-27 win over Cleveland. It marked the first time since 1960 that a team had a 200+ yard rusher and a player with at least three touchdown catches in a game. On December 18, 1960, St. Louis' JOHN DAVID CROW (203 rushing yards) and SONNY RANDLE (three receiving TDs) accomplished the feat.
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