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What To Look For -- Week 4
2007, Week 4, 09/26/2007

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 4
FULL THROTTLE: Through the first three games of the season, the Dallas Cowboys (116 points) and New England Patriots (114) have scored the second- and fifth-most points in that time span since 1970, respectively (the 2000 St. Louis Rams, with 119 points, hold the top spot in the three-week category).

When the 3-0 Cowboys host St. Louis Sunday and the 3-0 Patriots travel to Cincinnati on Monday, both clubs can enter the top five for most points scored through a season’s first quarter since 1970.


The most points scored through the first four games of a season since 1970:

TEAM
YEAR
POINTS
PTS PER GAME
Oakland 2002
162
40.5

St. Louis 2000
160
40.0

Buffalo 1992
153
38.3

Washington 1999
150
37.5

Buffalo 1975
148
37.0

Dallas
2007
116*
38.7

New England
2007
114*
38.

* Through three games



The Patriots enter Week 4 ranked second in points (114), third in points allowed (35), and lead the league with a +79 point differential (+26.3 per game).

With a 30-point victory this week, the Patriots can post the largest point differential through the first quarter of a season since the advent of the 16-game schedule in 1978. The largest point differentials through the first four games of a season (since 1978):

TEAM
YEAR
OWN PTS
OPP. PTS
DIFFERENTIAL

Buffalo
1992
153
45
+108

St. Louis
1999
142
47
+95

New England
1997
130
40
+90

Washington
1991
146
58
+88

Chicago
2006
116
29
+87


New England
2007
114
35
+79*

* Through three games



RECORD REVERSE: When the Green Bay Packers travel to Minnesota and the Pittsburgh Steelers to Arizona this Sunday, both clubs will seek to start the season at 4-0 after each began last season at 1-3.

With wins, the teams would become the eighth and ninth clubs in the past five years to start a season 4-0 after beginning 1-3 or 0-4 the previous season. Six of those seven teams qualified for the playoffs.

Teams over the past five years to open a season 4-0 after a 1-3 or 0-4 start the previous year:

TEAM
YEAR
PREVIOUS YEAR
SEASON RESULT

Minnesota
2003
0-4
Missed Playoffs

Atlanta
2004
1-3
Reached Conference Championship

N.Y. Jets
2004
0-4
Reached Divisional Playoffs

Cincinnati
2005
1-3
Reached Wild Card

Tampa Bay 2005
0-4
Reached Wild Card

Baltimore
2006
1-3
Reached Divisional Playoffs

Chicago
2006
1-3
Reached Super Bowl XLI

Green Bay
2007
1-3
???

Pittsburgh
2007
1-3
???


I’M JUST WAITING ON A FRIEND: When the Cleveland Browns host the AFC North-rival Baltimore Ravens this Sunday, it will mark Browns running back JAMAL LEWIS’ first game against his former club.

In seven years (2000-06) with the Ravens, Lewis rushed for a club career-record 7,801 yards, including the second- highest season rushing total (2,066) in NFL history in 2003.

It will mark the 20th time in history that a running back has gained at least 5,000 rushing yards with one club and then played against that club.

The most rushing yards in a first game against a running back’s former club for which he ran for 5,000 career yards:


PLAYER, TEAM
FORMER CLUB
DATE
YARDS
Marshall Faulk, St. Louis
Indianapolis
12/30/01
118

Eric Dickerson, Indianapolis
L.A. Rams
9/17/89
116

Stephen Davis, Carolina
Washington
11/16/03
92

Corey Dillon, New England
Cincinnati
12/12/04
88

Gerald Riggs, Washington
Atlanta
12/17/89
84


Jamal Lewis, Cleveland
Baltimore
9/30/07
???

-- NFL --

HIGH RATING: New England Patriots quarterback TOM BRADY leads the league in completion percentage (79.5), average yards per completion (10.08), touchdowns (10) and passer rating (141.8). After posting a career-high 150.9 rating in Week 3, Brady is on track for the highest rating through the first quarter of a season since the 16-game schedule was instituted in 1978 (minimum 100 attempts).

The highest passer ratings through the first quarter of a season (minimum 100 attempts) and the final rating/ranking of those quarterbacks since 1978:

PLAYER
YEAR
RTG. THROUGH 4 GAMES
FINAL RTG. & NFL RANK
Kurt Warner, St. Louis
1999
137.7
109.2 (1)

Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota
2004
126.0
110.9 (2)

Steve Bartkowski, Atlanta
1983
122.0
97.6 (1)

Brad Johnson, Washington
1999
119.9
90.0 (5)

Dan Marino, Miami
1984
117.6
108.9 (1)


Tom Brady, New England
2007
141.8*
???

*Through three games


-- NFL --

RACE TO 100: Entering this Sunday’s game against San Francisco, Seattle Seahawks running back SHAUN ALEXANDER has 98 rushing touchdowns in 109 career games. With two such TDs Sunday, Alexander can become the eighth player in history to rush for 100 touchdowns and would accomplish the feat in the third-fewest games.

The seven players in history with 100 rushing touchdowns and the five to reach the milestone in the fewest games played:

PLAYER
RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS

PLAYER
GAMES PLAYED

Emmitt Smith
164

LaDainian Tomlinson
93

Marcus Allen
123

Emmitt Smith
99

Walter Payton
110

Jim Brown
113

Jim Brown
106

Marshall Faulk
152

John Riggins
104

Walter Payton
164

LaDainian Tomlinson *
101


Marshall Faulk
100

Shaun Alexander
109

Shaun Alexander *
98

* Active