Week 8 Review: Saints and Giants Set Record

A look back at Week 8 of the 2015 NFL season including the Saints and Giants record-setting shoot out.

Giants vs Saints: TD Pass Bonanza

The New Orleans Saints and New York Giants combined for 13 touchdown passes and 101 points in the Saints' 52-49 win.

The 13 combined touchdown passes are the most in NFL history in a single game, surpassing the previous record of 12 on November 2, 1969 by the Saints (six) and Cardinals (six). The teams' combined total of 101 points tied for the third-highest single-game total ever and was the most since November 28, 2004, when the Bengals (58) and Browns (48) combined for 106 points.

New Orleans' Drew Brees (seven) tied the single-game NFL record for touchdown passes, while Eli Manning of the Giants posted a career-high six touchdowns. The performance marked Brees' 10th career game with at least five touchdown passes, as he eclipsed Peyton Manning (nine) for the most such games in NFL history.

 

Sports Illustrated's Boomer Esiason explains why he enjoyed the unexpected offensive displays of Drew Brees and Eli Manning.

 

Bengals Stay on Undefeated Track

The CINCINNATI BENGALS defeated Pittsburgh 16-10 and improved to 7-0 for the first time in franchise history.

Bengals quarterback ANDY DALTON passed for 231 yards and connected with wide receiver A.J. GREEN on a go-ahead nine-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to give Cincinnati a lead it would not relinquish. Dalton earned his 23rd career road victory, tying Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO, BEN ROETHLISBERGER and MATT RYAN for the most road wins by a starting quarterback in his first five seasons during the Super Bowl era (since 1966).

Four NFL teams -- Carolina, Cincinnati, Denver and New England -- remain undefeated having started the season 7-0, the most in a single season in NFL history.

Fantastic Finishes

Three teams -- BALTIMORE, MINNESOTA and NEW ORLEANS -- won on game-winning scores in the fourth quarter as time expired in Week 8, the first time there have been three such game-winning scores on the same day since 1970.

The games decided on a game-winning score as time expired in the fourth quarter in Week 8:

- RAVENS 29, Chargers 26: Justin Tucker, 39-yard field goal

- VIKINGS 23, Bears 20: Blair Walsh, 36-yard field goal

- SAINTS 52, Giants 49: Kai Forbath, 50-yard field goal

40,000 Club

Pittsburgh quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER passed for 262 yards against Cincinnati and now has 40,231 career passing yards in 12 seasons.

Roethlisberger is the fifth active quarterback to reach 40,000 passing yards, which is the most active QBs ever to have 40,000+ passing yards at one time. PEYTON MANNING (71,555), DREW BREES (58,415), TOM BRADY (55,668) and ELI MANNING (41,881) are the other four active quarterbacks to reach the milestone.

Roethlisberger also became the ninth quarterback in NFL history to reach the mark with one team and the first to do so with the Steelers.

Roethlisberger reached 40,000 yards in his 163rd game, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer WARREN MOON (165 games) for the fifth fewest games to reach the milestone.

Chiefs Prevail Across the Pond

The KANSAS CITY CHIEFS defeated the Detroit Lions 45-10 at London's Wembley Stadium in this season's third and final game of the NFL International Series in the United Kingdom.

Four different Kansas City players rushed for a touchdown -- quarterback ALEX SMITH, running backs SPENCER WARE and CHARCANDRICK WEST and wide receiver DE' ANTHONY THOMAS -- marking the first time since October 2, 1960, when the team was known as the Dallas Texans, that four different players rushed for at least one touchdown in the same game for the franchise.

The game also marked the first time in 54 years in which three different players (Smith, Thomas and West) scored a rushing touchdown in the first half for the club, when Pro Football Hall of Famer LEN DAWSON, ABNER HAYNES and CURTIS MC CLINTON accomplished the feat for the Dallas Texans on November 11, 1962.

Another INT for Charles Woodson

Oakland safety CHARLES WOODSON had one interception in the Raiders' 34-20 win against the New York Jets. Woodson now has 65 career interceptions, tying KEN RILEY for fifth on the all-time list.

Gurley & Peterson Keep on Rushing

St. Louis Rams rookie running back TODD GURLEY rushed for 133 yards including a 71-yard touchdown run in the Rams' 27-6 win against San Francisco. Gurley is the first rookie in NFL history to rush for at least 125 yards in four consecutive games.

Gurley's 566 rushing yards are the most through four starts by any NFL player that began his career in the Super Bowl era (since 1966).

Gurley's 575 rushing yards in his first five games are the third-most yards by a player in his first five games in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer ERIC DICKERSON (645) and ADRIAN PETERSON (607) gained more yards in their first five NFL games.

Minnesota Vikings running back ADRIAN PETERSON rushed for 103 yards in the Vikings' 23-20 win against Chicago. The performance marked Peterson's 45th career 100-yard rushing game, tying Pro Football Hall of Famer TONY DORSETT for No. 13 on the all-time list.

Cardinals Offense Racking Up the Numbers

Arizona Cardinals quarterback CARSON PALMER passed for 374 yards and four touchdowns in the Cardinals' 34-20 win at Cleveland. Palmer has 20 touchdown passes in 2015, surpassing KURT WARNER (16 in 2008 and 2009) for the most ever by a Cardinals player through the first eight games of a season.

Cardinals running back CHRIS JOHNSON rushed for 109 yards against the Browns and is the first Cardinal with four 100-yard rushing games in a season since 1985 (STUMP MITCHELL, four).

Peyton Keeps Tacking on the Records

With Denver's 29-10 victory over Green Bay on Sunday Night Football, Broncos quarterback PEYTON MANNING has registered 186 career regular-season wins as a starting quarterback in his 18-year career, tied with BRETT FAVRE for the most wins by a starting quarterback in NFL history.

Peyton Manning completed 21 of 29 passes for 340 yards as the Broncos improved to 7-0 with their 29-10 victory over Green Bay on Sunday night.

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Saints' Brees & Giants' Manning Set TD Pass Record - NFL 2015