STILL IN THE MIX: History shows that a losing record at this point in the season does not negate a team’s chances of making the playoffs. Since 2000, 35 teams have reached the halfway point of their season with a .500 or below winning percentage and proceeded to the playoffs, including at least one in each season.
Of those 35 clubs, five have advanced to the Conference Championship Game, including the 2001 New England Patriots, who won Super Bowl XXXVI.
– NFL –
7-0 STARTS: The GREEN BAY PACKERS and the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS will both face opponents with 6-0 records or better for the second consecutive week. Previously, only the 1934 Detroit Lions and 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers have played teams 6-0 or better in consecutive games.
The Packers, who played the 6-0 Broncos in Week 8, travel to Carolina (7-0), while the Colts, who played the 6-0 Panthers on Monday Night Football last week, host Denver (7-0).
The teams to face opponents with 6-0 records or better in consecutive weeks:
TEAM YEAR OPPONENT (RECORD) NEXT OPPONENT (RECORD)
Detroit Lions 1934 Chicago (11-0) Chicago (12-0)
Pittsburgh Steelers 2004 New England (6-0) Philadelphia (7-0)
Green Bay Packers 2015 Denver (6-0) Carolina (7-0)
Indianapolis Colts 2015 Carolina (6-0) Denver (7-0)
– NFL –
MARVELOUS MANNING: Denver quarterback PEYTON MANNING, who has 71,555 career passing yards, would surpass BRETT FAVRE (71,838) for the most career passing yards in NFL history with 284 yards on Sunday against Indianapolis.
The players with the most career passing yards in NFL history:
PLAYER YEARS CAREER PASSING YARDS
Brett Favre 1991-2010 71,838
Peyton Manning* 1998-present 71,555
Dan Marino 1983-1999 61,361
Drew Brees* 2001-present 58,409
Tom Brady* 2000-present 55,668
*Active
Manning, who will play in his 264th career game on Sunday, would surpass Favre’s (302) record in 38 fewer games.
Manning already holds the record for most career passing touchdowns (537), surpassing Favre (508) in Week 7 of 2014.
With a victory on Sunday, Manning (186) can also surpass Favre for the most career regular season wins of any starting quarterback in NFL history.
The quarterbacks with the most regular season wins:
PLAYER TEAM(S) YEARS REGULAR SEASON WINS
Peyton Manning Indianapolis, Denver 1998-present 186*
Brett Favre Green Bay, New York Jets, Minnesota 1991-2010 186
Tom Brady New England 2000-present 167*
John Elway Denver 1983-98 148
Dan Marino Miami 1983-99 147
* Active
– NFL –
ROLLING RIVERS: San Diego quarterback PHILIP RIVERS has passed for at least 300 yards and two touchdowns in five consecutive games.
With another performance of 300+ yards and two touchdowns against Chicago on Monday Night Football, Rivers would become the fourth player in NFL history to accomplish the feat in six straight games. DREW BREES (eight), PEYTON MANNING (seven) and Pro Football Hall of Famer STEVE YOUNG (six) are the only other quarterbacks to pass for 300 yards and two touchdowns in at least six consecutive games.
Rivers’ previous five starts:
WEEK OPPONENT COMP-ATT (PCT.) YARDS PASS TDs INTs RATING
4 Cleveland 23-38 (60.5) 358 3 0 118.1
5 Pittsburgh 35-48 (72.9) 365 2 1 99.7
6 at Green Bay 43-65 (66.2) 503 2 0 99.7
7 Oakland 38-58 (65.5) 336 3 2 83.7
8 at Baltimore 28-37 (75.7) 301 3 0 126.1
– NFL –
FANTASTIC FOLLOW-UP: New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES completed 39 of 50 passes (78.0 pct.) for 505 yards and seven touchdowns in the Saints’ 52-49 Week 8 victory over the New York Giants.
With at least four touchdown passes against Tennessee on Sunday, Brees would surpass NICK FOLES (three) AND Y.A. TITTLE (three) for the most touchdown passes following a seven touchdown performance in NFL History.
The quarterbacks who have passed for seven touchdowns in a single game and their next performance:
QUARTERBACK TEAM TDs OPPONENT DATE TDs NEXT GAME OPPONENT DATE
Nick Foles Philadelphia 7 Oakland 11/3/13 3 Green Bay 11/10/13
Y.A. Tittle New York Giants 7 Washington 10/28/62 3 St. Louis 11/4/62
Peyton Manning Denver 7 Baltimore 9/5/13 2 NY Giants 9/15/13
George Blanda Houston 7 NY Titans 11/19/61 1 Denver 11/26/61
Joe Kapp Minnesota 7 Baltimore 9/28/69 0 Green Bay 10/5/69
Drew Brees New Orleans 7 NY Giants 11/1/15 ??? Tennessee 11/8/15
With at least 350 passing yards on Sunday, Brees would surpass his own performance (349 in 2006) for the second-most passing yards following a 500-yard performance in NFL history.
The quarterbacks who have passed for 500 yards in a single game and had the most passing yards the following week:
QUARTERBACK TEAM YARDS OPPONENT DATE YARDS NEXT GAME OPPONENT DATE
Tom Brady New England 517 Miami 9/12/11 423 San Diego 9/18/11
Drew Brees New Orleans 510 Cincinnati 11/19/06 349 Atlanta 11/26/06
Ben Roethlisberger Pittsburgh 522 Indianapolis 10/26/14 340 Baltimore 11/2/14
Philip Rivers San Diego 503 Green Bay 10/18/15 336 Oakland 10/25/15
Matt Schaub Houston 527 Jacksonville 11/18/12 315 Detroit 11/22/12
Warren Moon Houston Oilers 527 Kansas City 12/16/90 288 Cincinnati 12/23/90
Eli Manning New York Giants 510 Tampa Bay 9/16/12 288 Carolina 9/20/12
Drew Brees New Orleans 505 NY Giants 11/1/15 ??? Tennessee 11/8/15
– NFL –
HOME SUCCESS: Pittsburgh quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 34 consecutive home games.
With at least one touchdown pass in Week 9 against Oakland, Roethlisberger would tie AARON RODGERS (35) for the fourth-longest streak of consecutive home games with at least one touchdown pass.
New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES, who has 50 consecutive games at home with at least one touchdown pass, can extend his record streak in Week 9 when the Saints host Tennessee.
The players with the most consecutive home games with at least one touchdown pass:
PLAYER TEAM DATES CONSECUTIVE HOME GAMES WITH AT LEAST ONE TOUCHDOWN PASS
Drew Brees New Orleans 10/18/2009-present 50*
Tom Brady New England 9/14/2009-12/14/2014 47
Dan Marino Miami 10/9/1983-11/14/1988 39
Aaron Rodgers Green Bay 10/5/2008-12/2/2012 35
Ben Roethlisberger Pittsburgh 12/19/2010-present 34*
Johnny Unitas Baltimore 12/23/1956-9/30/1962 34
* Active streak
