NFL Week 9 That Was

LEAGUE:

• Teams have combined to score 711 touchdowns and have thrown 459 touchdown passes, both of which are the most ever through Week 9. The previous highs were 692 TDs and 415 TD passes last season.

• Passers are also on pace to set NFL records with a combined 91.2 passer rating (86.0 in 2013), 63.1 completion percentage (61.2 in 2007 and 2013) and 487.8 net passing yards per game average (471.2 in 2013).

• The league-wide kickoff-return average of 23.9 yards is on pace to be the highest of any season in NFL history (23.8 in 2011).

TEAMS:

• All four teams in the AFC North – the BALTIMORE RAVENS (5-4), the CINCINNATI BENGALS (5-2-1), the CLEVELAND BROWNS (5-3) and the PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-3) – have winning records. Only four times previously has a division had all four teams with winning records this late in a season since realignment in 2002.

• The ARIZONA CARDINALS (7-1) own the best record in the league following a 28-17 win at Dallas (6-3). This season marks the first time that the Cardinals have had the best record in the NFL outright in November or later since 1966, when they started 7-1-1.

• Three teams – the CLEVELAND BROWNS (5-3; 4-12 in 2013), the HOUSTON TEXANS (4-5; 2-14 in 2013) and theWASHINGTON REDSKINS (3-6; 3-13 in 2013) – have already matched or surpassed their win totals from last season.

• The DENVER BRONCOS scored 21 points in Week 9 against New England. It was Denver’s 29th consecutive regular-season game scoring at least 20 points, breaking the NFL record of 28 consecutive games set by the St. Louis Rams (1999-2000).

PLAYERS:

TOM TERRIFIC: New England quarterback TOM BRADY has passed for 2,392 yards this season, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer JOHN ELWAY (51,475) for the fifth-most passing yards all-time.

The players with the most career passing yards in NFL history:

Brady earned his 155th victory in his 200th career regular-season start, the most of any starting quarterback through his first 200 regular-season starts in NFL annals.

The most wins by starting quarterbacks through 200 regular-season starts in NFL history:

BIG BEN AGAIN: Pittsburgh quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER threw six touchdown passes in the Steelers’ 43-23 victory over the Ravens. Roethlisberger, who passed for six touchdowns against Indianapolis last week, is the first player in NFL history with at least six touchdown passes in back-to-back games. He joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Y.A. TITTLE (1962) as only players with two six-touchdown games in one season.

Roethlisberger also improved his record to 101-50 (.669) as a starter in the regular season. His 100th victory came in his 150th career start, joining TOM BRADY (116) and Pro Football Hall of Famers JOE MONTANA (108) and TERRY BRADSHAW (102) as the only quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to win at least 100 games in their first 150 career starts.

GOOD LUCK: Indianapolis quarterback ANDREW LUCK passed for 354 yards and four touchdowns in the Colts’ 40-24 win against the Giants on Monday Night Football, the seventh consecutive game he has passed for at least 300 yards, tyingPEYTON MANNING for the third-longest such streak in NFL history.

The players with the most consecutive 300-yard passing games in NFL history:

Luck leads the NFL with 3,085 passing yards this season, joining TOM BRADY, DREW BREES (twice) and Manning as the only players in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards in their team’s first nine games to begin a season.

The players with the most passing yards through their team’s first nine games to begin a season:

QB DASH: Miami quarterback RYAN TANNEHILL passed for 288 yards with three touchdowns in the Dolphins’ 37-0 shutout victory over San Diego. Tannehill also rushed for 47 yards with a long run of 22 yards and had a rush of at least 20 yards in each of his past four games. Tannehill joins Pro Football Hall of Famer STEVE YOUNG and MICHAEL VICK as the only quarterbacks with a 20+ yard run in at least four consecutive games in the past 25 years.

QUICK TO 50: New England tight end ROB GRONKOWSKI had nine catches for 105 yards and one touchdown in the Patriots’ 43-21 win against Denver. He recorded his 50th career touchdown catch in his 59th game, tying RANDY MOSS as the second-fastest players in NFL history to reach 50 career touchdown receptions. Pro Football Hall of Famer LANCE ALWORTH (54 games) is the only player to reach the milestone in fewer games.

SPECIAL RETURNER: Baltimore wide receiver-kick returner JACOBY JONES had a 108-yard kickoff return touchdown against Pittsburgh in Week 9 on Sunday Night Football. It was his NFL-record third career regular-season touchdown of at least 105 yards. Jones also scored on a 108-yard kickoff return touchdown in Super Bowl XLVII.

BIG MAC: Philadelphia wide receiver JEREMY MACLIN had six catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns in the Eagles’ 31-21 win at Houston. Maclin, who had 12 catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns in Week 8 against Arizona, is the first player in franchise history with at least 150 receiving yards and multiple touchdown catches in back-to-back games in a single season.