NFL Football 2011

The NFL is 'Back to Football' in a big way, with records falling and milestones being achieved at seemingly every turn. From the Thursday night opener in Green Bay, to the Monday Night Football doubleheader last night, Kickoff Weekend 2011 is one that will surely be remembered.

Some of the most spectacular achievements of Week 1:

752 points scored ties for the 9th-most in a single week in NFL history and 2nd-most on Kickoff Weekend (788, 2002). The highest scoring weeks in NFL history:

Rank Point Total Dates Week
Source: NFL
1837November 20-24, 200812
2T788December 29-30, 200717
2T788December 5-6, 200413
2T788September 5, 8-9, 20021
5779December 16, 19-20, 201015
6762November 10-11, 199611
7761October 16-17, 19837
8753December 8-9, 200214
9T752September 8, 11-12, 20111
9T752December 23, 25-28, 201016
9T752November 29, December 2-3, 200713

 

89 touchdowns this week tied for the 6th-most in a single week in NFL history and tied for the most ever on Kickoff Weekend (Week 1, 2002). The most touchdowns in a week in NFL history:

Rank Touchdowns Dates Week
Source: NFL *Has happened seven times
194November 20, 23-24, 200812
2T93December 18-20, 200415
2T93November 9-10, 198010
491October 16-17, 19837
590December 29-30, 200717
6T89*Latest: September 8, 11-12, 20111

 

8 combined kick-return touchdowns (5 punt, 3 kickoff) in Week 1 is the most combined kick-return touchdowns in a single week in NFL history.

3 kickoff return touchdowns in Week 1 tied for the most in an opening weekend in NFL history (1970, 1998).

3 kickoff return touchdowns of at least 100 yards -- Green Bay's RANDALL COBB (108 yards), Minnesota's PERCY HARVIN (103) and San Francisco's TED GINN JR. (102) -- marked just the second week in NFL history with 3 KOR touchdowns of 100+ yards (Week 5, 1958).

Cobb's 108-yard kickoff return tied the record for the longest kickoff return in NFL history. The Packers' rookie equaled New England's ELLIS HOBBS, who returned a kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown against the New York Jets on September 9, 2007.

San Francisco's Ginn became the 12th player in NFL history -- and the first on Kickoff Weekend -- to return a kickoff (102 yards) and a punt (55 yards) for a touchdown in the same game. Ginn accomplished the feat just 59 seconds apart, the fastest of the 12 players to do so.

New England quarterback TOM BRADY and wide receiver WES WELKER connected on the 12th 99-yard touchdown pass in NFL history:

Date Team Passer Scorer Yards
Source: NFL
October 15, 1939WashingtonFrank FilchockAndy Farkas99
September 15, 1963WashingtonGeorge IzoBobby Mitchell99
October 16, 1966DetroitKarl SweetanPat Studstill99
September 15, 1968WashingtonSonny JurgensenGerry Allen99
October 2, 1983LA RaidersJim PlunkettCliff Branch99
November 10, 1985PhiladelphiaRon JaworskiMike Quick99
September 18, 1994San DiegoStan HumphriesTony Martin99
September 11, 1995Green BayBrett FavreRobert Brooks99
December 22, 2002Kansas CityTrent GreenMarc Boerigter99
October 17, 2004ClevelandJeff GarciaAndre Davis99
November 30, 2008MinnesotaGus FrerotteBernard Berrian99
September 12, 2011New EnglandTom BradyWes Welker99

 

7,842 net passing yards were the most for a single week in NFL history.

906 net passing yards between the New England Patriots (516) and Miami Dolphins (390) is the most in a game in NFL history.

The Patriots-Dolphins contest was also the first game in NFL history to feature both a 500-yard passer and a 400-yard passer -- TOM BRADY, 517 & CHAD HENNE, 416.

14 300-yard passers in Week 1 were the most in a single week in NFL history. The previous best was 13 in Week 10 of 2010.

5 games in which both quarterbacks threw for at least 300 yards, the most in any week in NFL history.

Quarterback Passing Yards Quarterback Passing Yards
Source: NFL
Tom Brady517Chad Henne416
Cam Newton422Kevin Kolb309
Drew Brees419Aaron Rodgers312
Tony Romo342Mark Sanchez335
Matt Ryan319Jay Cutler312

 

4 400-yard passers in Week 1 were the most in a single week in NFL history, topping the 3 in Week 3, 1986 and Week 13, 2004.

NFL quarterbacks to pass for at least 300 yards in Week 1:

Quarterback Team Quarterback
Source: NFL
Tom BradyNew England517
Cam NewtonCarolina422
Drew BreesNew Orleans419
Chad HenneMiami416
Tony RomoDallas342
Philip RiversSan Diego335
Mark SanchezNew York Jets335
Matt RyanAtlanta319
Jay CutlerChicago312
Aaron RodgersGreen Bay312
Kevin KolbArizona309
Rex GrossmanWashington305
Matthew StaffordDetroit305v
Kyle OrtonDenver304

 

Carolina rookie quarterback CAM NEWTON had 422 passing yards, the most ever by a player in his NFL debut. The previous mark was 346 yards by Pro Football Hall of Famer OTTO GRAHAM in 1950. Newton's 422 yards are tied for the most in a single game by a rookie (MATTHEW STAFFORD, November 22, 2009).

The Thursday night Kickoff opener between Green Bay (AARON RODGERS: 312 yards, 3 TDs) and New Orleans (DREW BREES: 419 yards, 3 TDs) marked the first time in NFL history that opposing quarterbacks both passed for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in their teams' season opener.

Oakland kicker SEBASTIAN JANIKOWSKI connected on a 63-yard field goal last night against the Denver Broncos, tying the record for the longest field goal in NFL history. Janikowski joined TOM DEMPSEY and JASON ELAM in accomplishing the feat.

Cincinnati rookie wide receiver A.J. GREEN caught a game-winning 41-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of the Bengals' 27-17 win at Cleveland. It was the longest fourth-quarter game-winning TD catch in NFL history by a rookie in his team's first game (22 yards, COBB ROONEY of the Duluth Kelleys in 1924).

NFL 2011 Week 1 - Records & Milestones Abound