CLIMBING BACK: Since the current 12-team playoff format was instituted in 1990, 17 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 seven 1-4 teams that won their division.
Last year, the Houston Texans bounced back from a 2-5 record after 7 games to win the AFC South, while the Kansas City Chiefs rebounded from a 1-5 start and advanced to the AFC Divisional Playoffs.
Since 1990, the 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
|
2014
|
Carolina Panthers
|
3-6-1, 3-7-1, 4-8-1, 5-8-1
|
7-8-1
|
Divisional
|
2015
|
Houston Texans
|
1-4, 2-5
|
9-7
|
Wild Card
|
2015
|
Kansas City Chiefs
|
1-4, 1-5, 2-5
|
11-5
|
Divisional
|
-- NFL --
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: Baltimore wide receiver STEVE SMITH, SR. has 27 catches this season, bringing his career total to 988.
With 12 catches on Sunday against the New York Giants, Smith would become the 14th player in NFL history to record 1,000 career receptions.
The players with 1,000 or more career receptions in NFL history:
PLAYER
|
CAREER RECEPTIONS
|
Jerry Rice
|
1,549
|
Tony Gonzalez
|
1,325
|
Marvin Harrison
|
1,102
|
Cris Carter
|
1,101
|
Tim Brown
|
1,094
|
Terrell Owens
|
1,078
|
Reggie Wayne
|
1,070
|
Andre Johnson
|
1,062
|
Larry Fitzgerald
|
1,049
|
Jason Witten
|
1,044
|
Anquan Boldin
|
1,030
|
Isaac Bruce
|
1,024
|
Hines Ward
|
1,000
|
Steve Smith, Sr.
|
988
|
-- NFL --
AIR SHOW: Pittsburgh’s BEN ROETHLISBERGER leads the NFL with 15 passing touchdowns this season, followed by Atlanta’s MATT RYAN (12), Oakland’s DEREK CARR (11) and San Diego’s PHILIP RIVERS (11).
If Ryan, Carr and Rivers reach 15 touchdown passes this week, it will be the second time in NFL history four different quarterbacks have thrown for at least 15 touchdowns in the first six weeks of a season.
-- NFL --
SACKING THE COMPETITION: Buffalo’s LORENZO ALEXANDER tallied three sacks last week to bring his season total to seven. With another three-sack performance on Sunday against San Francisco, Alexander would be tied for the most sacks through the first six weeks of a season in the past 15 years.
The players with the most sacks through the first six weeks of a season since 2001:
PLAYER
|
TEAM
|
SACKS THROUGH WEEK 6
|
SEASON
| |
Elvis Dumervil
|
Denver Broncos
|
10
|
2009
| |
Jared Allen
|
Minnesota Vikings
|
9.5
|
2011
| |
J.J. Watt
|
Houston Texans
|
9.5
|
2012
| |
Robert Mathis
|
Indianapolis Colts
|
9.5
|
2013
| |
Lorenzo Alexander
|
Buffalo Bills
|
7*
|
2016
| |
*Through Week 5
| ||||
-- NFL --
MAGNIFICENT MARCUS: Tennessee quarterback MARCUS MARIOTA accounted for four touchdowns last week (three passing, one rushing). This marked the fourth time in his career Mariota had four touchdowns in a single game, making him the second quarterback to have four four-touchdown games in the first 17 games of his career (CHARLIE CONERLY, 1948-49).
With another four-touchdown performance on Sunday against Cleveland, Mariota would become the first quarterback to have five four-touchdown games in his first 18 games in NFL history.
-- NFL --
ROLLING ROETHLISBERGER: Pittsburgh’s BEN ROETHLISBERGER threw four touchdown passes last week to bring his league-leading total to 15. With another four-touchdown performance on Sunday against Miami, Roethlisberger would be tied for the fourth-most passing touchdowns through the first six games of a season in the Super Bowl era.
The players with the most passing touchdowns through the first six games of a season in the Super Bowl era:
PLAYER
|
TEAM
|
TOUCHDOWNS
|
SEASON
| |
Peyton Manning
|
Denver Broncos
|
22
|
2013
| |
Tom Brady
|
New England Patriots
|
21
|
2007
| |
Brett Favre
|
Green Bay Packers
|
20
|
1996
| |
Peyton Manning
|
Denver Broncos
|
19
|
2014
| |
Daunte Culpepper
|
Minnesota Vikings
|
19
|
2004
| |
Ben Roethlisberger
|
Pittsburgh Steelers
|
15*
|
2016
| |
*Through five games
| ||||
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