By Dean Michaels, NFL Writer
A look at seven statistical highlights from games played the second week of the 2012 NFL regular season
The New York Giants gained 604 yards of total offense -- the second-most in Giants team history (609, 12/3/1950) -- in the team's 41-34 come-from-behind victory over Tampa Bay.
The Giants are the second team in NFL history -- 1951 Los Angeles Rams -- to have a 500-yard passer and two 150-yard receivers in the same game.
Giants Quarterback Eli Manning passed for 510 yards -- the second-most in team history (Phil Simms, 513, 10/13/85) -- and wide receivers Hakeem Nicks (199 yards) and Victor Cruz (179) both went over the 150-yard mark.
On September 28, 1951, three Pro Football Hall of Famers accomplished the feat for the Rams. NORM VAN BROCKLIN passed for an NFL-record 554 yards and ELROY (CRAZYLEGS) HIRSH (173 yards) and TOM FEARS (162) each had 150 receiving yards.
Hakeem Nicks had 10 catches for 199 yards with a touchdown and VICTOR CRUZ had 11 receptions for 179 yards with a score in the Giants' 41-34 win. The Giants are the first team in NFL history with two receivers with at least 10 catches and 175 yards in the same game.
The Arizona Cardinals defeated the New England Patriots 20-18.
The Cardinals are the first team to beat the Patriots in a home opener at Gillette Stadium, which opened in 2002. New England had never lost a home opener at Gillette Stadium (10-0) and had the league's longest active such streak.
The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Baltimore Ravens 24-23 as quarterback Michael Vick rushed for the game-winning touchdown with less than two minutes remaining. The Eagles are the first team in NFL history to win each of its first two games of the season by one point. Philadelphia recorded a 17-16 win in Week 1 at Cleveland.
Buffalo running back C.J. Spiller rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the Bills' 35-17 win over Kansas City.
This season, Spiller has rushed for 292 yards on 29 attempts and is averaging 10.1 yards per carry. He is the first player to average at least 10.0 yards per carry through his team's first two games of a season (minimum 25 attempts) since Pro Football Hall of Famer JIM BROWN in 1963 (35 carries for 394 yards; 11.3 average).
Carolina quarterback CAM NEWTON passed for 253 yards with a 129.2 passer rating and rushed for 71 yards with a touchdown in the Panthers' 35-27 win over New Orleans. Newton is the second player in NFL history with at least 250 passing yards with a 125+ passer rating and at least 70 rushing yards with a TD in a single game (MICHAEL VICK, 11/15/10).
Washington quarterback ROBERT GRIFFIN III threw a 68-yard touchdown pass to LEONARD HANKERSON in the Redskins' 31-28 loss at St. Louis. Griffin, who had an 88-yard touchdown pass in Week 1, is the first rookie to throw a 65+ yard TD pass in each of his team's first two games of a season since GREG COOK of Cincinnati in 1969.
Home Sweet Home
The Pittsburgh Steelers returned home in Week 2 after opening the 2012 season on the road. The Steelers, who beat the New York Jets 27-10, now have a 66-22-1 (.747) record at Heinz Field since it opened in 2001, the third-highest winning percentage of any team at a stadium since 1970 (minimum 25 games).
The Steelers have won 10 consecutive home openers, the longest active streak in the NFL.
The teams with the highest winning percentage at a stadium since 1970 (minimum 25 games):
| Team | Stadium | W-L-T | Win Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Source: NFL *Current NFL stadium | |||
| New England Patriots | Gillette Stadium* | 67-14-0 | .827 |
| Miami Dolphins | Orange Bowl | 101-22-1 | .819 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | Heinz Field* | 66-22-1 | .747 |
| Minnesota Vikings | Metropolitan Stadium | 64-23-1 | .733 |
| L.A. Rams | LA Memorial Coliseum | 53-20-2 | .726 |
Tight End Milestone
Dallas tight end JASON WITTEN had four catches in the Cowboys' 27-7 loss to Seattle, becoming the third tight end in NFL history with 700 in his career. In 10 seasons, Witten has 702 receptions.
Witten is also the second player in Cowboys history to reach 700 catches, joining Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver MICHAEL IRVIN (750).
The tight ends with the most receptions in NFL history:
| Player | Team(s) | Years | Receptions | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Source: NFL *Active | ||||||||
| Tony Gonzalez* | Kansas City, Atlanta | 1997-2012 | 1,154 | |||||
| Shannon Sharpe | Denver, Baltimore | 1990-2003 | 815 | |||||
| Jason Witten* | Dallas | 2003-2012 | 702 | |||||
| Ozzie Newsome | Cleveland | 1978-1990 | 662 | |||||
| Antonio Gates* | San Diego | 2003-2012 | 597 | |||||
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