CLIMBING BACK: Since the current playoff system (12 teams) was instituted in 1990, 14 teams have rebounded from being at least three games under .500 after the season’s first five weeks or later to qualify for the postseason. That includes six 1-4 teams that won their division.
Since 1990, teams that were three or more games below .500 after Week 5 or later and made the playoffs:
| YEAR | TEAM | RECORD | FINAL RECORD | ADVANCED TO |
| 1990 | New Orleans Saints | 2-5 | 8-8 | Wild Card |
| 1992 | San Diego Chargers | 1-4 | 11-5 | Divisional |
| 1993 | Houston Oilers | 1-4 | 12-4 | Divisional |
| 1994 | New England Patriots | 3-6 | 10-6 | Wild Card |
| 1995 | Detroit Lions | 2-5, 3-6 | 10-6 | Wild Card |
| 1995 | San Diego Chargers | 4-7 | 9-7 | Wild Card |
| 1996 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 3-6, 4-7 | 9-7 | Championship Game |
| 2002 | Tennessee Titans | 1-4 | 11-5 | Championship Game |
| 2002 | New York Jets | 1-4, 2-5 | 9-7 | Divisional |
| 2004 | Green Bay Packers | 1-4 | 10-6 | Wild Card |
| 2008 | San Diego Chargers | 4-7, 4-8, 5-8 | 8-8 | Divisional |
| 2010 | Seattle Seahawks | 6-9 | 7-9 | Divisional |
| 2011 | Denver Broncos | 1-4, 2-5 | 8-8 | Divisional |
| 2012 | Washington Redskins | 3-6 | 10-6 | Wild Card |
SCORING IN BUNCHES: NFL teams have combined for 3,524 points in 2014.
That total equates to 46.37 points per game, the highest points per game average through five weeks in the NFL since 1970.
The seasons with the highest scoring average since the merger:
| YEAR | POINTS PER GAME |
| 2013 | 46.82 |
| 2012 | 45.51 |
| 2011 | 44.36 |
| 2010 | 44.07 |
| 2008 | 44.06 |
| 2014 | 46.37* |
| * Through Week 5 | |
SAN DIEGO STREAK: San Diego quarterback PHILIP RIVERS completed 20 of 28 passes (71.4 percent) for 288 yards and three touchdowns with one incerception for a 125.3 passer rating in the Chargers’ 31-0 win over the New York Jets last week. It was the fourth consecutive game in which Rivers had a passer rating of 120 or better, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer JOHNNY UNITAS (1965) andKURT WARNER (2009) for the most such consecutive games in NFL history (minimum 15 attempts).
On Sunday against Oakland, Rivers can become the first player to record five consecutive games with a 120+ passer rating in NFL history (minimum 15 attempts).
CONSISTENT QB: Pittsburgh quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER has thrown seven touchdown passes this season.
With three touchdowns on Sunday, Roethlisberger will have passed for 10 or more touchdowns in each of his first 11 seasons, tying Pro Football Hall of Famer JIM KELLY for the fourth-most consecutive seasons with 10 or more touchdown passes to start a career in NFL history.
The most consecutive seasons with 10+ touchdown passes to start a career:
| PLAYER | TEAMS | YEARS OF STREAK | NO. OF CONSECUTIVESEASONS WITH 10+ TDs |
| Fran Tarkenton | Minnesota, New York Giants | 1961-76 | 16 |
| Peyton Manning | Indianapolis | 1998-2010 | 13 |
| Warren Moon | Houston, Minnesota | 1984-95 | 12 |
| Jim Kelly | Buffalo | 1986-96 | 11 |
| Ben Roethlisberger | Pittsburgh | 2004-13 | 10* |
| Dan Marino | Miami | 1983-92 | 10 |
*Active Streak
TE TOUCHDOWNS: Denver tight end JULIUS THOMAS, who leads all NFL players with seven touchdowns this season, had two touchdown catches in the Broncos’ 41-20 win against Arizona last week. Thomas’ seven touchdowns are the most ever by a tight end through his team’s first four games in a season, surpassing the mark of six previously shared by ANTONIO GATES (2010) and JIMMY GRAHAM (2013).
Thomas’ seven touchdowns are also already tied with Gates (2010) and Pro Football Hall of Famer MIKE DITKA (1963) for the most touchdowns by a tight end through his team’s first five games in a season.
With a touchdown catch on Sunday against the New York Jets, Thomas would have the most touchdowns by a tight end through his team’s first five games.
The tight ends with the most touchdown receptions through his team’s first five games:
| PLAYER | TEAM | YEAR | MOST TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONSTHROUGH FIRST 5 GAMES |
| Julius Thomas | Denver | 2014 | 7* |
| Antonio Gates | San Diego | 2010 | 7 |
| Mike Ditka | Chicago | 1963 | 7 |
| Jimmy Graham | New Orleans | 2013 | 6 |
| Julius Thomas | Denver | 2013 | 6 |
| Wesley Walls | Carolina | 1999 | 6 |
| *Through 4 games | |||
KICK CLUB: Indianapolis kicker ADAM VINATIERI has scored 896 points since joining the Colts in 2006, the fifth-most of any active player during that span. Vinatieri scored 1,158 points in 10 seasons (1996-2005) with the New England Patriots before joining the Colts.
Vinatieri needs four points against Houston to become the first player in NFL history to score 900 career points with two different teams.
Vinatieri’s career kicking numbers:
| TEAM | YEARS | FIELD GOALS MADE | EXTRA POINTS MADE | OTHER | TOTAL POINTS |
| New England | 1996-2005 | 263 | 367 | 1* | 1,158 |
| Indianapolis | 2006-Present | 195 | 311 | – | 896 |
| Total | – | 458 | 678 | – | 2,054 |
| *Successful two-point conversion | |||||
In his 19th season, Vinatieri has 2,054 career points scored, the fifth-most in NFL history. With nine points on Thursday night, Vinatieri would surpass JOHN CARNEY (2,062) for the fourth-most points all-time.
The players with the most points in NFL history:
| PLAYER | YEARS | POINTS |
| Morten Andersen | 1982-2007 | 2,544 |
| Gary Anderson | 1982-2004 | 2,434 |
| Jason Hanson | 1992-2012 | 2,150 |
| John Carney | 1988-2010 | 2,062 |
| Adam Vinatieri* | 1996-present | 2,054 |
| *Active |
MONDAY NIGHT MILESTONE: The Week 6 contest featuring the San Francisco 49ers and the St. Louis Rams will mark the 700th game in the history of Monday Night Football, which debuted in 1970.
San Francisco has a 45-25 record (.643) on Monday Night Football, the most wins of any team in the history of the primetime series.
| TEAM | MNF WINS |
| San Francisco 49ers | 45 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 43 |
| Miami Dolphins | 40 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 40 |
| Oakland Raiders | 37 |
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