NFL 2009 | Brett Favre Minnesota Vikings QB
Brett Favre

After three weeks, seven teams are a perfect 3-0. But there's a lot of football left to be played!

"Right now, we can't be any better than 3-0," says Denver Broncos head coach JOSH MC DANIELS, "but we also are very humble and understand that we've got a long way to go."

And while a strong start to the season is a good thing -- 75.5 percent of teams (74 of 98) that started 3-0 since 1990 made the playoffs -- it is hardly a guarantee of future success. There are still 14 weeks remaining.

"We can make the playoffs," says linebacker KEITH BULLUCK of the 0-3 Tennessee Titans. "We made the playoffs in 2002 when we started 1-4. I look around here and see guys that are ready to play."

Bulluck, who was a member of the 2002 Titans team that started 1-4 but rebounded to win the AFC South with an 11-5 record and advance to the AFC Championship Game, is right -- there is still time to turn your season around.

In fact, since 1990, 51 teams with a losing record after the first three games have made the playoffs.

So entering Week 4, hope is still very much alive.

And like the first three weeks of the season, there are plenty of enticing games on the schedule in Week 4. Among them:

PERFECT STARTS:

The seven teams this year with 3-0 records are the most in a season since 2002 (seven). The last time there were more than seven 3-0 clubs was 1998, when eight teams accomplished the feat.

NEW YORK JETS (3-0) at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (3-0)
(Sunday, CBS, 4:05 PM ET)

"The Superdome should be rocking!" says New Orleans Saints safety DARREN SHARPER. "With two undefeated teams playing, it should be fun."

It should be fun, especially with the Saints' high-powered offense facing the Jets' shutdown defense. New Orleans leads the league with 120 points scored, the most by a team through the first three weeks of a season since 1968 (Dallas, 132) and the fourth-highest all-time. New York has allowed just 33 points, the second-fewest in the NFL, and the Jets' defense has given up only two touchdowns.

The game also features two red-hot quarterbacks.

DREW BREES of the Saints leads the league in passer rating (118.1) and touchdown passes (nine). MARK SANCHEZ of the Jets is the first rookie QB since 1969 to start and win his team's first three games of a season.

"That's pretty special to me," says Sanchez of the milestone. "But as fast as these wins come, we have to forget them and move on. We have another big game in New Orleans next. It's a special honor, but I'm not winning these games. We are winning these games."

BALTIMORE RAVENS (3-0) at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
(2-1) (Sunday, CBS, 1:00 PM ET)

Sunday's matchup at Gillette Stadium features two of the most complete teams in the NFL.

Baltimore's offense (430.3 yards per game) ranks No. 1 in the AFC and No. 2 in the NFL while the defense (282.7) is fourth and seventh. New England ranks No. 3 in the AFC and No. 5 in the NFL in offense (395.0) and third in the conference and sixth in the league in defense (262.3).

Both teams also feature two marquee quarterbacks in Baltimore's JOE FLACCO and New England's TOM BRADY.

Flacco, who last year became the first rookie QB in NFL history to start all 16 games and lead his team to the AFC Championship Game, is currently fifth in the NFL with a 101.4 passer rating. Brady, who is in his 10th season from Michigan, has been selected to four Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowls, compiling a 103-28 (.786) record (including playoffs) along the way. He also threw his 200th career touchdown pass last week in his 116th game to become the fourth-fastest QB in NFL history to reach that mark.

This week, Flacco will be making his 20th career NFL start. Like Brady, the second-year quarterback out of Delaware has won 14 of his first 19 starts.

DALLAS COWBOYS (2-1) at DENVER BRONCOS (3-0)
(Sunday, FOX, 4:15 PM ET)

"We're 3-0 and we've shown improvement from week to week," says Denver's KYLE ORTON, who is just the fourth quarterback since 1960 to win his first three starts for a team while throwing at least one touchdown pass and no interceptions in each game.

"That's a direct reflection of the way we practice. If we keep doing that, we'll have a good chance for the rest of the year."

The Broncos have allowed just 16 points this season, the fewest in the NFL. Denver has not surrendered a touchdown in the past two games and has outscored opponents 50-9 during that span.

Dallas, on the other hand, has scored 86 points this year, the fifth-most in the league. The Cowboys have rushed for at least 200 yards in two consecutive games, the first time since 1979 that the club has recorded back-to-back 200-yard rushing contests.

"We need to be able to run the football to be successful," says Dallas head coach WADE PHILLIPS. "That's what we do well. So part of our identity is certainly running the football."

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (2-1) at PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1-2)
(Sunday, NBC, 8:20 PM ET)

For the third time in less than a year, these two AFC powerhouses will meet in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers won both meetings last season -- 11-10 in Week 11 of the regular season and 35-24 in the AFC Divisional Playoffs -- and have won all 13 regular-season games at home versus the Chargers.

San Diego has won the past three AFC West titles and Pittsburgh has captured the past two AFC North crowns.

A big reason for each team's success has been the play of the quarterbacks, both first-round selections in the 2004 NFL Draft -- PHILIP RIVERS (No. 4) of the Chargers and BEN ROETHLISBERGER (No. 11) of the Steelers.

Rivers has compiled a 35-16 (.686) record as San Diego's starting quarterback while Roethlisberger has posted a 52-22 (.703) record for Pittsburgh, including leading the Steelers to two Super Bowl championships (XL, XLIII).

This Sunday, the Steelers will look to bounce back from a tough 23-20 loss to Cincinnati, just the second time in the past 20 seasons Pittsburgh (142-2-1) has lost a game when leading by at least 10 points. The Chargers, meanwhile, are coming off a 23-13 win at home over Miami.

"I like our team's mental and physical toughness," says San Diego head coach NORV TURNER. "We kept our focus against the Dolphins."

GREEN BAY PACKERS (2-1) at MINNESOTA VIKINGS (3-0)
(Monday, ESPN, 8:30 PM ET)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback BRETT FAVRE has defeated 31 different NFL teams and can become the first player in league history to beat all 32. The team standing in his way is the one he played 16 seasons for -- the Green Bay Packers.

Favre, who set numerous Packers records including most games (255), wins (160), attempts (8,754), completions (5,377), yards (61,655), touchdowns (442) and passer rating (85.8), now finds himself on the other side of this NFC North rivalry.

Both teams are coming off victories.

Green Bay defeated St. Louis 36-17 behind quarterback AARON RODGERS, who scored three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) and threw for 269 yards. Wide receiver DONALD DRIVER had 95 yards and a touchdown and GREG JENNINGS hauled in receptions of 50 and 53 yards. In Minnesota, the Vikings improved to 3-0 with a 27-24 win over San Francisco. Favre threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver GREG LEWIS with two seconds remaining, the first game-winning TD pass ever thrown by Favre in the last 10 seconds of the fourth quarter.

"This one was pretty special," Favre said after the game.

NFL 2009 Week 4 Schedule

(All times local)

 

Detroit at Chicago, 12:00 PM

Buffalo at Miami, 4:05 PM

Cincinnati at Cleveland, 1:00 PM

N.Y. Jets at New Orleans, 3:05 PM

Oakland at Houston, 12:00 PM

Dallas at Denver, 2:15 PM

Seattle at Indianapolis, 1:00 PM

St. Louis at San Francisco, 1:15 PM

Tennessee at Jacksonville, 1:00 PM

San Diego at Pittsburgh, 8:20 PM (NBC)

N.Y. Giants at Kansas City, 12:00 PM

Baltimore at New England, 1:00 PM

Tampa Bay at Washington, 1:00 PM

Green Bay at Minnesota, 7:30 PM (ESPN)

Bye Week: Arizona, Atlanta, Carolina, Philadelphia

 

NFL 2009 Week 3 Results

(Home Team in CAPS)

 

BALTIMORE 34, Cleveland 3

New Orleans 27, BUFFALO 7

DETROIT 19, Washington 14

Chicago 25, SEATTLE 19

Jacksonville 31, HOUSTON 24

CINCINNATI 23, Pittsburgh 20

MINNESOTA 27, San Francisco 24

Denver 23, OAKLAND 3

NEW ENGLAND 26, Atlanta 10

SAN DIEGO 23, Miami 13

N.Y. JETS 24, Tennessee 17

Indianapolis 31, ARIZONA 10

PHILADELPHIA 34, Kansas City 14

Green Bay 36, ST. LOUIS 17

N.Y. Giants 24, TAMPA BAY 0

DALLAS 21, Carolina 7

 

NFL 2009 Week 4 Preview - More Big Games Ahead as NFL 2009 Rolls into October