NFL by the Numbers

NFL by the Numbers

AP

2 ... Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler threw two touchdown passes against Arizona Sunday, giving him two touchdowns in each of his first three starts. He's the first quarterback in 23 years with two or more TDs in each of his first three starts. In 1983, Dan Marino had three against the Bills, three against the Jets and two against the Colts in his first three starts. The only other QB in NFL history to begin his career with two or more TDs in his first three starts was Charlie Conerly of the Giants, who had two against the Boston Yankees, four against the Chicago Cards and two against the Steelers in 1948.

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9 ... The Cowboys have allowed nine touchdown passes in their last two games, the first team to do so since the Houston Texans allowed nine to the Broncos and Colts in October 2004.

Heinz Kluetmeier/SI

125 ... Bears tight end Desmond Clark had seven catches for 125 yards against the Buccaneers, the most receiving yards by a Bears tight end in 42 years, since Mike Ditka was 13-for-168 against the Redskins on Oct. 25, 1964. Clark is the first Chicago tight end with 100 receiving yards in 21 years, since Emery Moorehead was 8-for-114 against the Buccaneers on Oct. 6, 1985, in Tampa.

AP

21 ... The Dolphins and Sammy Morris lost 21-0 to the Bills a week after beating the Patriots 21-0. They're the first team in 29 years to get shut out by 21 or more a week after winning a shutout by 21 or more. The Bears beat the Packers 26-0 on Oct. 30, 1977, then lost 47-0 to the Oilers on Nov. 6.

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3.4 ... Edgerrin James has 988 rushing yards without a run over 18 yards. Nobody in NFL history has rushed for 1,000 yards in a season without benefit of at least one run of 19 yards or more. Three backs have had 1,000 yards with a long gain of 19 yards -- Franco Harris and Marcus Allen in 1983 and Jerome Bettis in 1994. The next-most rushing yards this year by a player without a 19-yard run is Dominic Rhodes' 532.

Robert Beck/SI

172 ... Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 199 yards against the Chiefs, his fourth game this year with 172 or more rushing yards. He's the first player in 26 years with four games of 172 or more yards. In 1980, Oilers running back Earl Campbell had five such games. Tomlinson only needs three points to break Paul Hornung's 46-year-old record of 176 points in a season. One scoring record that will likely survive Tomlinson's onslaught is Hornung's 1960 NFL record for points per game. Hornung scored 176 points in 12 games that year, or 14.7 per game. Tomlinson has 174 points, or 13.4 per game, with two games left and would need 62 points -- or 11 touchdowns -- to surpass Hornung.

AP

4.3 ... Larry Johnson has 1,516 yards and a 4.3 average and is on pace to become the first player in NFL history to rush for 1,700 or more yards without averaging at least 4.4 yards per carry. The lowest average per-carry by a 1,700-yard back in NFL history is Edgerrin James' 4.4 in 2000 with the Colts.

Heinz Kluetmeier/SI

3 ... Backup Tim Rattay threw three touchdown passes in the second half of the Buccaneers' loss to the Bears. That's as many TD passes as starter Bruce Gradkowski threw in his last six starts combined.

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173 ... Michael Vick is five yards shy of becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards. And with only 116 carries, he'll become the first player in 72 years to rush for 1,000 yards on fewer than 173 carries. The only player in history to rush for 1,000 yards on fewer than 173 carries was Bears rookie Beattie Feathers, who was 119-for-1,004 in 1934. Since then, the mark for fewest carries for a 1,000-yard rusher belongs to Joe Perry of the 49ers, who in 1954 was 173-for-1,049.

Matt Stamey/US PRESSWIRE

8 ... Drew Brees has eight 300-yard passing games this year. If he adds a ninth one in either of the last two games, he'll post the second-highest total of 300-yard games in NFL history. Only Rich Gannon (10 in 2002), Dan Marino (nine in 1984), Warren Moon (nine in 1990) and Kurt Warner (nine each in 1999 and 2001) have had more 300-yard games than Brees.

AP

0.00 ... Joey Harrington became the first quarterback this decade to record a passer rating under 10 in two starts. Harrington's passer rating in the Dolphins' loss to the Bills was 0.00. While with the Lions in 2003, Harrington had a rating of 7.1 in a game against the Cowboys. Since 2000, there have been 11 games where a starting quarterback had a rating under 10, and Harrington has two of them. Harrington's 20 passing yards are the fewest on 17 or more attempts since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Seattle's Jim Zorn had 25 yards on 17 attempts against the Rams on Nov. 4, 1979.

John Biever/SI

463 ... Vince Young's 463 rushing yards are the most in 45 years by a rookie quarterback. The Titans' rookie has the highest total since Billy Kilmer of the 49ers ran for 509 yards in 1961. Young has the third-highest rookie rushing total in NFL history and needs 81 yards to break the mark of 543 set in 1949 by Joe Geri of the Steelers.

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1,001 ... Saints receiver Marques Colston had 84 receiving yards against the Redskins, giving him 1,001 yards this year and making him the first player drafted in the seventh round or later with 1,000 yards in his rookie season.