NFL 2009 Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning QB, Indianapolis Colts

The second half of the NFL season gets underway this week and the race to the playoffs is on.

Two teams -- the Indianapolis Colts (8-0) and New Orleans Saints (8-0) -- remain undefeated, marking the first time since 1990 (New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers) that the league has had a pair of 8-0 teams.

"We're halfway through the season," says Saints head coach SEAN PAYTON.

"It's a very competitive NFC right now. We're seeing a lot of good football teams that are going to be playing well here in November. Our emphasis is to play well and keep getting better."

The Saints stayed perfect last week with a come-from-behind 30-20 win over Carolina. New Orleans trailed 14-0 and became just the third team in NFL history to maintain a perfect record this far into a season by winning a game in which it trailed by at least 14 points.

"The more you win games like this," says Saints quarterback DREW BREES, "the more that you believe you can come back to win games."

New Orleans heads to St. Louis this weekend with a chance to get to 9-0 for the first time in franchise history. The Saints leads the league with 303 points through their first eight games (37.9 average).

Meanwhile, the league's other unbeaten team, the Colts, will host the New England Patriots on Sunday night.

"As this decade comes to a close," says NBC's AL MICHAELS, who will call the game, "there's no question that the best rivalry game for this decade has been Indianapolis against New England."

Here are some of the headline games in Week 10:

CINCINNATI BENGALS (6-2) at PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-2)

First place in the AFC North is on the line when the 6-2 Bengals visit the 6-2 Steelers.

Cincinnati is coming off a 17-7 win over Baltimore and improved to 4-0 in the division. Running back CEDRIC BENSON, who ranks second in the NFL with 837 rushing yards, rushed for 117 yards against the Ravens and became the first player since Pittsburgh's JEROME BETTIS (1997) to rush for 100 yards twice in one season against Baltimore.

"We're in a good spot," says Bengals quarterback CARSON PALMER, who passed for 224 yards and a touchdown. "But in no way are we satisfied or patting ourselves on the back. There is still a lot of football to be played. We still have to play a lot of good football teams. We are going to get every team's ‘A' game, especially this week in Pittsburgh."

The Steelers defeated Denver 28-10 this past Monday night and have now won five in a row. Pittsburgh has scored at least 27 points in each of its past five games, the longest such streak in franchise history. Quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER threw three touchdown passes, including two to HINES WARD, and running back RASHARD MENDENHALL rushed for 155 yards in the win over the Broncos. Pittsburgh's defense held the Broncos to 27 rushing yards and did not allow an offensive touchdown, the first time Denver has rushed for fewer than 30 yards and didn't score an offensive touchdown at home in franchise history.

"I'm thankful to play with people like this," says Steelers rookie defensive end ZIGGY HOOD. "It's not only the kind of players they are, but the kind of people. To be able to play on a defense like this is just unbelievable. It's a blessing."

Pittsburgh has a 4-0 record at home this season and can become the ninth defending Super Bowl champion to start the following season 5-0 at home. All eight of these clubs reached the playoffs and four went on to win consecutive Super Bowl titles.

Third-year Steelers head coach MIKE TOMLIN is 7-0 at home against AFC North opponents since the start of his career. With a Steelers victory over the Bengals, Tomlin will tie for the second-most consecutive wins (8) at home to start a career against divisional opponents since 1970.

DALLAS COWBOYS (6-2) at GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-4)

The surging Cowboys, who lead the NFC East, head to Lambeau Field to face the Packers.

Dallas has won four games in a row and the club is 5-1 in the conference. Last week, the Cowboys defeated Philadelphia 20-16 on Sunday night. Quarterback TONY ROMO passed for 307 yards and threw the game-winning 49-yard touchdown to MILES AUSTIN in the fourth quarter. Romo has now won 13 consecutive November starts, tied for the longest streak by a quarterback since 1950.

"Every game is bigger," says Cowboys defensive end MARCUS SPEARS. "You don't think about the number of weeks left in the season or any other opponents in front of you. We've got Green Bay next and that's the focus."

The Packers will look to get back on track after a 38-28 road loss at Tampa Bay. Quarterback AARON RODGERS has posted a passer rating of at least 100 in five of the past six games and ranks fifth in the league with a 103.3 mark.

"I have all the confidence in this team that we'll get ready and we'll move on and win a big game here at home against Dallas," says Packers head coach MIKE MC CARTHY.

Since 2006, Dallas Cowboys quarterback TONY ROMO has won 13 consecutive starts in November. With a win on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, Romo can set the record for the most consecutive wins in November since 1970.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (6-2) at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-0)

The decade's two winningest teams will meet on Sunday night in Indianapolis. The Colts have won an NFL-best 109 regular-season games since 2000 while the Patriots are second with 108 victories. The teams have combined for four Super Bowl championships this decade.

Since 2003, these two teams have met at least once every year for a total of nine games -- six in the regular season and three in the playoffs. Six of those nine meetings have been decided by seven points or fewer. New England has won five of the nine contests, but Indianapolis has won four of the past five, including last year's 18-15 win at home.

"It's going to be a great game," says NBC analyst and former Colts head coach TONY DUNGY, "and it's going to boil down to what it always does: two great quarterbacks (NE's TOM BRADY and Ind.'s PEYTON MANNING), which team can get pressure on the other quarterback, and which quarterback can make the plays without turning the ball over."

The Colts have won 17 consecutive regular-season games dating back to last year and can tie the 2003-04 Patriots for the second-longest streak (18) in NFL history. With the victory over Houston last week, JIM CALDWELL became the second rookie head coach in the past 80 years to start a season 8-0 (POTSY CLARK, 1931 Portsmouth Spartans).

"It's a big game," says Caldwell, "and it's against a very talented opponent. It's the next game for us. The next one for us is the most important one."

The Patriots have won three in a row and sit atop the AFC East with a 6-2 mark after defeating Miami 27-17 last week.

"We always enjoy playing them," says Brady of the Colts. "They're a great team. They seem to always be one of the best teams in the league and they're good in all three phases and very well-coached. It will be a great challenge for us."

MVP quarterbacks TOM BRADY of the New England Patriots and PEYTON MANNING of the Indianapolis Colts represent the two teams with the most wins this decade (Indianapolis, 109; New England, 108).

With a win and a 300-yard performance, Brady will have 15 consecutive wins when passing for 300 yards and would be one shy of tying JOHNNY UNITAS (16) for the most consecutive wins with 300 passing yards in NFL history.

Manning has won 12 consecutive games when passing for 300 yards. He can tie Y.A. TITTLE (13) for the third-most consecutive wins when reaching the 300-yard passing mark.

 

Arizona Cardinals quarterback KURT WARNER has 198 career touchdown passes in his 12-year NFL career. With two touchdown passes against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Warner will reach 200 touchdowns passes in 118 career games, making him the fifth-fastest player in NFL history to reach the milestone.

 

NFL 2009 Week 9 Highlights

There have been 651 touchdowns scored this season. That is the third-most through the first nine weeks of a season in NFL history and the most since 655 in 2002. The record for the most touchdowns through the first nine weeks of a season is 667 set in 1983.

The INDIANAPOLIS COLTS defeated the Houston Texans 20-17 and have won a franchise-record 17 consecutive regular-season games dating back to 2008. The Colts are now tied with the 1933-34 Chicago Bears for the third-longest such streak in NFL history.

Three-time MVP PEYTON MANNING of the Indianapolis Colts became the first player in NFL history with 40,000 passing yards in one decade after passing for 318 yards in a win over the Houston Texans

New England wide receiver RANDY MOSS had six catches for 147 yards with one touchdown in the Patriots' 27-17 win over Miami. Moss, who now has 140 career touchdown receptions, tied Buffalo's TERRELL OWENS for second-most all-time. JERRY RICE holds the NFL record with 197 career touchdown receptions.

Tampa Bay cornerback RONDE BARBER registered his 13th career return touchdown on a blocked punt in the Buccaneers' 38-28 win over the Green Bay Packers. Barber is now tied for the third-most return touchdowns all-time. He trails only DEION SANDERS (19) and Pro Football Hall of Famer ROD WOODSON (17) for the most return touchdowns in NFL history.

Jacksonville wide receiver TORRY HOLT had four receptions in the Jaguars' 24-21 win against the Kansas City Chiefs. Holt, who has 902 career receptions in 166 games, ranks second in NFL history for the fewest number of games to reach 900 catches. Holt trails only MARVIN HARRISON, who accomplished the feat in 149 games.

Indianapolis defensive end DWIGHT FREENEY registered 1.5 sacks in the Colts' win over Houston. Freeney has recorded a sack in each of the Colts' first eight games of the season and tied teammate ROBERT MATHIS (eight games, 2005) for the longest such streak since the sack became an official statistic in 1982.

In addition, Freeney has recorded a sack in nine consecutive games overall, tying him with Pro Football Hall of Famer BRUCE SMITH and KEVIN GREENE for the third-longest streak since 1982.

Green Bay running back AHMAN GREEN gained 45 rushing yards on six attempts in the Packers' 38-28 loss at Tampa Bay. Green, who now has 8,208 rushing yards with the Packers, surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer JIM TAYLOR (8,207) for the most rushing yards in franchise history.

New England quarterback TOM BRADY passed for 332 yards in the Patriots' victory against Miami. Brady recorded his 27th 300-yard passing game of his career, surpassing DREW BLEDSOE (26) for the most 300-yard games in franchise history.

Tennessee Titans running back CHRIS JOHNSON leads the NFL with 959 rushing yards and a robust 6.7 yards per carry average.

Johnson's 6.7 yards per carry average is the highest for the NFL rushing leader through Week 9 since 1970 (ADRIAN PETERSON, 6.6 in 2007).

Indianapolis Colts defensive end DWIGHT FREENEY has recorded a sack in each of the Colts' first eight games of the season tying ROBERT MATHIS (eight games, 2005) for the longest such streak since the sack became an official statistic in 1982.

Rookie head coach JIM CALDWELL of the Indianapolis Colts has started his rookie season at 8-0, tied for the best start to a season by a rookie head coach since 1930 (POTSY CLARK, 1931 Portsmouth Spartans).

The Pittsburgh Steelers have 100 wins since the start of the 2000 season. With their victory over Denver on Monday night, the Steelers became the third team this decade with 100 regular-season wins, joining the Indianapolis Colts (109) and New England Patriots (108). The Colts and Patriots are within striking distance of the all-time win mark for a decade held by the San Francisco 49ers of the 1990s (113).

 

NFL 2009 Week 10 - Patriots and Colts Renew Rivalry