Drew Brees, Tom Brady make more history with Week 4 performances

SEVEN FROM SUNDAY – WEEK 4

 

A look at seven statistical highlights from games played at 1:00 p.m. ET and 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 30, the fourth week of the 2012 season.

 

• New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES passed for 446 yards and three touchdowns in the Saints’ 28-27 loss at Green Bay. Brees has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer JOHNNY UNITAS (1956-60) for the longest streak in NFL history. Unitas’ mark of 47 consecutive games with a TD pass stood alone for 18,291 days.

 

New England’s TOM BRADY threw three touchdown passes in the Patriots’ 52-28 win at Buffalo. Brady has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 36 consecutive games, tied with BRETT FAVRE (2002-04) for the third-longest streak in NFL history.

 

• The NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS became the second team in NFL history with a 300-yard passer (TOM BRADY, 340 yards), two 100-yard rushers (BRANDON BOLDEN, 137 and STEVEN RIDLEY, 106) and two 100-yard receivers (WES WELKER, 129 and ROB GRONKOWSKI, 104) in the team’s win at Buffalo. The only other team to accomplish the feat was the 2008 Packers (December 28).

 

The Patriots, who trailed 14-7 at halftime, scored 45 second-half points. New England is the first team since the 1950 New York Giants (48 points) to score at least 45 second-half points in a game in which it trailed at halftime.

 

• The MINNESOTA VIKINGS had a kickoff-return touchdown (PERCY HARVIN, 105 yards) and a punt-return touchdown (MARCUS SHERELS, 77) in the Vikings’ 20-13 win at Detroit. Minnesota is the first team in NFL history to record both a kickoff-return touchdown and a punt-return touchdown in a game three different times.

 

Harvin, who is in his fourth NFL season, has five career kickoff-return touchdowns. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer GALE SAYERS (six) has more kickoff-return touchdowns in a player’s first four seasons.

 

• The ARIZONA CARDINALS recorded the franchise’s 500th regular-season victory with a 24-21 overtime win over Miami. The Cardinals are the ninth team in NFL history with 500 regular-season victories. The game also marked the first time since 1999 (September 12) that the Cardinals overcame a halftime deficit of at least 13 points to win.

 

Arizona has won 11 of its past 13 games and has started 4-0 for the first time since 1974. The Cardinals are the 11th team in the past nine years to start a season 4-0 after beginning 1-3 or 0-4 in the previous year. Nine of the previous 10 advanced to the postseason.

 

• Atlanta quarterback MATT RYAN passed for 369 yards and three touchdowns in the Falcons’ 30-28 win over Carolina. Ryan is now 14-0 in his career (3-0 in 2012) when he throws at least three touchdowns in a game. Only DARYLE LAMONICA (19-0) has a better record in games with at least three touchdown passes. Ryan, who posted a 107.2 passer rating, is 27-0 in his career (4-0 in 2012) in games with a 100.0+ rating.

 

• San Diego quarterback PHILIP RIVERS passed for 209 yards and two touchdowns in the Chargers’ 37-20 win at Kansas City. Rivers reached 25,000 (25,182) passing yards in his 104th career game. Only six players in NFL history reached the milestone in fewer games.

 

• St. Louis rookie kicker GREG ZUERLEIN converted all four-field goal attempts (58, 48, 60, 24 yards) in the Rams’ 19-13 win over Seattle. Zuerlein is the first kicker in NFL history to convert a 60-yard field goal and a 50-yard field goal in the same game.

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