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ARTICLE QUARTER-POINT BRINGS HIGH
PERFORMERS AND MORE WORK TO BE DONE A quarter of the season’s
action is in the books and the engine that is the NFL is hot to the touch,
purring with surprises, new contenders and high
performers. Focusing on your business is
paramount. As the AFC East-leading
Miami Dolphins (2-1) have heard from head coach NICK SABAN, “looking around” is
something to do at the mall – it is not a suggested course of action for NFL
success. “Thinking about anything other
than what we have to do to prepare to play the next game, to minimize our errors
and maximize our performance is out of the question,” says Saban. Head coach BRIAN BILLICK of the 1-2 Baltimore
Ravens knows there is a lot of excitement to come. “We’ll see where we are when
we get to the quarter mark this week, when we get to the halfway mark,” says
Billick. “The NFL is all over the
map. It's fun to
watch." Below
is a team-by-team look at the AFC through the first four weeks of
2005: BALTIMORE: WR DERRICK MASON has 21 catches through
his first three games as a Raven for the second most in his career after three
games (24, 2003). Mason is on pace
to set a club record in single-season receptions (MICHAEL JACKSON, 76, 1996)……The Ravens’
defense has not allowed a rushing touchdown through Week 4 for first time in
club history……Baltimore stands fifth in the NFL with an average time of
possession of 32:35. HOUSTON: RB DOMANICK DAVIS is on pace for his
third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season to begin his career……The Texans’
rushing offense stands fourth in the NFL with an average of 4.7 yards per
carry. Only
INDIANAPOLIS: QB PEYTON MANNING is the NFL’s only
quarterback not to be sacked in 2005 (114 attempts)……DE ROBERT MATHIS has one sack in four
consecutive games to begin the season.
The franchise record for consecutive games with a sack is six (DAN FOOTMAN, 1997)……The Colts’ defense
is allowing an NFL-low 6.5 points per game and has not allowed a touchdown in
the first 55:00 of any game this season……Indianapolis ranks second in the NFL
with 15 sacks – all of which have been chalked-up by
linemen. MIAMI: Rookie RB RONNIE BROWN has 224 rushing yards
in his first three games and aims to become the second Dolphins rookie to rush
for more than 1,000 yards (KARIM
ABDUL-JABBAR; 1,116, 1996)……The Dolphins have not endured consecutive
sub-.500 seasons since 1968-69……With a TD catch against Buffalo this week, TE RANDY MC MICHAEL would join WR MARK DUPER (1984) as the only
Dolphins to post a TD catch in the first four games of a season……Miami’s defense
is permitting an NFL-low 2.8 yards per rush. NEW ENGLAND: The Patriots are the only AFC team and one of three
teams in the NFL (Phil., St.L) to have three players with more than 200
receiving yards: WRs DAVID GIVENS
(283), DEION BRANCH (243) and TROY BROWN (206)……RB COREY DILLON has five rushing
touchdowns and is on track to surpass the franchise’s single-season touchdown
record of 17, set by CURTIS MARTIN
in 1996……QB TOM BRADY (1,172) has
passed for 1,000 yards through his first four starts in a season for the second
time in his six-year career. TENNESSEE: DE KYLE VANDEN BOSCH leads the AFC with 5.0 sacks. No player in team history has the led
the league in sacks for a season……QB
STEVE MC NAIR needs 125 passing yards to be the 49th player in league annals
with 25,000……TE ERRON KINNEY has 21
receptions to top all AFC tight ends.
Kinney’s career-high in receptions is 41 (2003). Kinney aims to join MIKE BARBER, DAVE CASPER and FRANK WYCHECK as the only tight ends to
lead the franchise in receptions for a season since
1980. NFC NEWS ‘N’
NOTES
ALWAYS UNPREDICTABLE NFL
SAILS INTO SECOND QUARTER
As the NFL kicks off the second
quarter of its season this week, only one thing is certain –
uncertainty! The unpredictable nature of the
league has been evident through four weeks. And there’s much more where that came
from, beginning with one of Sunday’s most anticipated matchups – the red-hot
Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) facing their longtime rivals, the Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
at Texas Stadium. After dropping their opener in
“I thought the win last week
was a great accomplishment by our football team against a good football team,”
says Eagles head coach ANDY
REID. “To be able to come back
against a club the caliber of the Chiefs was something
special.” Ten of the NFC’s 16 teams are
2-2 or better. And the six clubs
who are sub-.500 find hope in the fact that since 1990, 11 teams have gone from
three games below .500 to the postseason. A look at some of the NFC’s sizzling starts
through the first quarter of the season: DALLAS:
The Cowboys have specialized in close games this season, as each of their
first four contests have been decided by six points or less for the first time
since 1988……Former New England teammates DREW BLEDSOE and TERRY GLENN have been reunited – for
outstanding results. Bledsoe has
posted a 96.2 passer rating, tossing seven touchdowns to three
interceptions. Glenn meanwhile
leads the NFL by averaging a whopping 25.0 yards per catch (minimum 15 catches),
totaling 400 receiving yards – his most after four games since
1999. DETROIT: The Lions have made life difficult for
opposing passers through three games, allowing foes an average of 6.32 yards per
attempt, sixth lowest in the league.
The defense has posted five interceptions in 105 attempts and ranks fifth
with a 4.8 interception percentage.
Third-year safety TERRENCE HOLT leads the team with two
interceptions.
GREEN BAY:
The Packers last three losses have been by a total of six
points……Quarterback BRETT FAVRE ties
for second in the NFL with nine touchdown passes. If he can lead the league for the fifth
time in his career, Favre will surpass JOHNNY UNITAS, LEN DAWSON and STEVE YOUNG for the most seasons as the
NFL leader in touchdown passes. MINNESOTA:
Second-year running
back MEWELDE MOORE leads the team in
rushing with 187 yards. Moore has
had multiple rushing attempts in six games, posting 526 yards and three 100-yard
rushing games in those contests……Rookie punter CHRIS KLUWE leads the NFL with a
48.8-yard average and a 42.6-yard net punting average. Kluwe earned NFC Special Teams Player of
the Month honors for September. The
last player to post a higher punting average after his first four games was STEVE O’NEAL of the 1969 New York Jets
(50.1). NEW ORLEANS:
Quarterback
AARON BROOKS and wide receiver JOE HORN are both approaching
significant franchise milestones.
Brooks has thrown 109 career touchdowns passes and needs seven to surpass
ARCHIE MANNING for most in franchise history. Horn has 46 TD receptions with New
Orleans and needs three to pass ERIC MARTIN (48) for most in club
annals. NEW YORK:
The Giants lead
the NFL with 136 points scored, an average of 34.0 points per game. If the club continues at this pace, it
will shatter the franchise record of 488 points, set in 1963, and challenge the
1998 Minnesota Vikings’ NFL record of 556……Quarterback ELI MANNING has
not thrown an interception in 110 attempts and ties for second in the NFL with
nine touchdown passes. PHILADELPHIA:
An edge in time of possession has been a great omen for the Eagles under
head coach ANDY REID, as the club
has compiled a 37-3 (.925) mark when earning the time-of-possession
advantage……Quarterback DONOVAN MC NABB has passed for 1,333 yards in four games,
becoming the first player in team history with three consecutive 300-yard
passing games. The Eagles have the
NFL leader in receptions by a wide receiver (TERRELL OWENS, 32) running back (BRIAN WESTRBOOK, 22) and tight end (L.J. SMITH,
26). ST. LOUIS: TORRY HOLT continues to cement his
position as one of the NFL’s premier wide receivers. Holt ranks second in the league with 30
receptions while his 442 yards receiving are third most in the NFL. The former North Carolina State star is
on track for his sixth consecutive 1,300-yard receiving season……The Rams’
defense has done a good job on third downs in 2005, limiting opponents to a 29.5
percent conversion rate, tied for third in the NFL. SAN FRANCISCO: With 17 receptions for 326 yards and
three touchdowns, third-year wide receiver BRANDON LLOYD is off to the best start
of his career……Defensive end BRYANT
YOUNG leads the NFL with 6.0 sacks, his highest total after four games, and
is on track to eclipse his career best of 11.5 in 1996……The club’s special teams
hold opponents to an average of 17.5 yards per kickoff return, tops in the
NFL. SEATTLE:
Running back
SHAUN ALEXANDER has proved extremely proficient at finding the end
zone. Alexander ties for second in
the NFL with six touchdowns and is on pace to extend his NFL record streak of
four consecutive seasons with at least 15 touchdowns. He has 6,392 rushing yards since being
drafted by the club in 2000 and is nearing the franchise record of 6,706 set by
CHRIS WARREN from 1990-97. TAMPA BAY:
The 4-0
Buccaneers seek to equal the best start in franchise history (1979, 1997) and
have risen to first place in the NFC South behind rookie running back CARNELL
“CADILLAC” WILLIAMS. Williams
has rushed for 447 yards, third most in the NFL……The Bucs have the NFL’s
top-ranked defense, allowing 220.3 yards per game. The defense has not allowed a
fourth-quarter touchdown in five consecutive games, the second-longest active
streak (Houston, 7).
WASHINGTON:
The club is off
to a 4-0 start, its best since beginning 11-0 in 1991 en route to a win in Super
Bowl XXVI……Quarterback MARK BRUNELL has enjoyed success on third downs
and is one of five passers with a 100.0 third-down passer rating (102.4)……The
Redskins have allowed 18 points or less in nine consecutive games and have not
allowed a 100-yard rusher in eight in a row, both the longest active streaks in
the NFL. |
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