What to Look For - Week 5
Your favorite team is down a couple of scores or more entering the fourth quarter.
Big problem, right?
This season, it has been no problem.
In each of the National Football League’s first four weeks, a team has rallied from a deficit of 16 points or more in the final quarter to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. That four-week streak had never happened before this season.
A total of 21 games — or roughly five each weekend — have seen teams have come back to win or tie after trailing in the fourth quarter. That’s tied for the second-most through Week 4 in NFL history.
So don’t throw a shoe at the TV if the home team trails early — or even late. This season, you never know what magic might occur in the final 15 minutes.
Here are some other things to watch in Week 5 of the 2020 season:
RECORD-SETTING SCORING, CLOSE GAMES & COMEBACKS: Through Week 4, league-wide scoring continues to trend at a historic rate, as the totals for touchdowns (371) and points scored (3,233) are both the most in NFL history through the first four weeks of a season.
Eight teams are averaging at least 30 points per game, the most ever in a single season through Week 4, and the 51.3 total points per game scored (both teams combined) is the highest total through the first four weeks of a season since 1970.
|
SEASON |
TOUCHDOWNS |
|
SEASON |
POINTS SCORED |
|
SEASON |
TOTAL POINTS PER GAME |
|
2020 |
371 |
|
2020 |
3,233 |
|
2020 |
51.3 |
|
2018 |
344 |
|
2018 |
3,030 |
|
2018 |
48.1 |
While scoring has been up across the league, the games have remained as competitive as ever and are proving that teams are truly never out of a game.
- This season, 45 games have been within one score (eight points or fewer) in the fourth quarter, tied for the third-most in league history through Week 4.
- There have been 21 games in which teams have come back to win or tie after trailing in the fourth quarter, tied for the second-most through Week 4 in NFL history.
- This is the first season in which at least one team has overcome a deficit of 16-or-more points and won in each of the first four weeks of the season in NFL history.
GREEN MACHINES: The GREEN BAY PACKERS and SEATTLE SEAHAWKS are each 4-0 and have scored at least 30 points in each of their first four games of the 2020 season. Seattle hosts Minnesota on Sunday Night Football (8:20 PM ET, NBC) in Week 5, while Green Bay has a bye.
With at least 30 points against the Vikings, the Seahawks would become the sixth team to score at least 30 points in each of their first five games to start a season in NFL history. Four of the previous five teams to accomplish the feat advanced to the Super Bowl.
The teams with the most consecutive games of at least 30 points to start a season in NFL history:
|
TEAM |
SEASON |
CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH 30 POINTS TO START SEASON |
|
Denver Broncos# |
2013 |
8 |
|
New England Patriots# |
2007 |
8 |
|
St. Louis Rams |
2000 |
8 |
|
Los Angeles Rams# |
2018 |
5 |
|
New England Patriots# |
2011 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
Green Bay Packers^ |
2020 |
4* |
|
Seattle Seahawks |
2020 |
4* |
|
*Active streak |
||
|
^Bye in Week 5 |
||
|
#Advanced to Super Bowl |
||
DAK DROPPING DIMES: Dallas quarterback DAK PRESCOTT leads the league with 1,690 pass yards this season, the most passing yards by a player in his team’s first four games of a season in NFL history. Prescott – who passed for 450 yards in Week 3, 472 yards in Week 4 and a career-high 502 yards in Week 4 – is the first player in NFL history with at least 450 passing yards in three consecutive games.
With another performance of at least 400 passing yards this season, Prescott – who faces the New York Giants (4:25 PM ET, FOX) in Week 5 – can become the fourth quarterback with four games of at least 400 passing yards in a single season in NFL history.
The players with the most games with at least 400 passing yards in a single season in NFL history:
|
PLAYER |
TEAM |
SEASON |
GAMES |
|
Ryan Fitzpatrick |
Tampa Bay |
2018 |
4 |
|
Peyton Manning |
Denver |
2013 |
4 |
|
Dan MarinoHOF |
Miami |
1984 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dak Prescott |
Dallas |
2020 |
3 |
Prescott, who has seven career games with at least 400 passing yards, can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (seven games) for the most games with at least 400 passing yards in a player’s first five seasons in league annals.
MAHOMES MAGIC: In 35 career starts, Kansas City quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES has averaged 301.3 passing yards per game, including 19 career games with at least 300 passing yards. Mahomes has reached 300 passing yards twice this season (302 yards in Week 2 and 385 yards in Week 3).
With at least 300 passing yards on Sunday against Las Vegas (1:00 PM ET, CBS), Mahomes can become the fourth quarterback with 20 games of at least 300 passing yards in his first four seasons in league annals.
The players with the most games with at least 300 passing yards in their first four seasons in NFL history:
|
PLAYER |
TEAM |
GAMES |
|
Kurt WarnerHOF |
St. Louis Rams |
26 |
|
Dan MarinoHOF |
Miami |
22 |
|
Andrew Luck |
Indianapolis |
21 |
|
Jared Goff |
Los Angeles Rams |
19 |
|
Patrick Mahomes |
Kansas City |
19* |
|
*in fourth season |
||
MVP VS. NO. 1: Last season, at 22 years, 358 days old, Baltimore quarterback LAMAR JACKSON became the youngest quarterback to win league MVP. In 2020, Jackson has eight touchdowns (seven passing, one rushing), a 111.3 passer rating and ranks second among quarterbacks with 235 rushing yards.
Cincinnati quarterback JOE BURROW, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, ranks second in the NFL with 116 completions this season and became the first rookie quarterback to pass for at least 300 yards in three consecutive games in league annals.
The two AFC North quarterbacks will meet for the first time when the Ravens host the Bengals on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS). It will mark the fifth instance in NFL history in which the reigning league MVP and the most recent No. 1 overall pick meet as starting quarterbacks. The reigning MVP has won three of the previous four meetings.
The games featuring the reigning league MVP and most recent No. 1 overall pick as starting quarterbacks in NFL history:
|
MVP (TEAM) |
NO. 1 OVERALL PICK (TEAM) |
DATE OF GAME |
RESULT |
|
Lamar Jackson (Baltimore) |
Joe Burrow (Cincinnati) |
Oct. 11, 2020 |
??? |
|
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay) |
Andrew Luck (Indianapolis) |
Oct. 7, 2012 |
IND 30, GB 27 |
|
Peyton Manning (Indianapolis) |
Alex Smith (San Francisco) |
Oct. 9, 2005 |
IND 28, SF 3 |
|
Ken StablerHOF (Oakland) |
Steve Bartkowski (Atlanta) |
Nov. 30, 1975 |
OAK 37, ATL 34 |
|
John Brodie (San Francisco) |
Jim Plunkett (New England) |
Oct. 31, 1971 |
SF 27, NE 10 |
80 FOR ODELL: In 79 career games, Cleveland wide receiver ODELL BECKHAM JR. has recorded 480 receptions for 6,747 yards and 51 touchdowns.
With at least 38 receiving yards against Indianapolis (4:25 PM ET, CBS), Beckham would surpass TORRY HOLT(6,784 receiving yards) for the third-most receiving yards by a player in his first 80 career games in NFL history.
The players with the most receiving yards in their first 80 career games in NFL history:
|
PLAYER |
TEAM(S) |
RECEIVING YARDS |
|
Lance AlworthHOF |
San Diego Chargers |
7,854 |
|
Julio Jones |
Atlanta |
7,676 |
|
Torry Holt |
St. Louis Rams |
6,784 |
|
Odell Beckham Jr. |
New York Giants, Cleveland |
6,747* |
|
*in 79 career games |
||
With three receptions on Sunday, Beckham would surpass KEENAN ALLEN (482 receptions) for the third-most receptions yards by a player in his first 80 career games in NFL history.
The players with the most receptions in their first 80 career games in NFL history:
|
PLAYER |
TEAM(S) |
RECEPTIONS |
|
|
Anquan Boldin |
Arizona |
502 |
|
|
Julio Jones |
Atlanta |
501 |
|
|
Keenan Allen |
San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers |
482 |
|
|
Jarvis Landry |
Miami, Cleveland |
481 |
|
|
Odell Beckham Jr. |
New York Giants, Cleveland |
480 * |
|
|
*in 79 career games |
|||
RIDICULOUS ROOKIE RECEIVERS: Minnesota wide receiver JUSTIN JEFFERSON leads all rookies with 348 receiving yards this season, including at least 100 receiving yards in each of the past two weeks.
With at least 100 receiving yards against Seattle on Sunday Night Football (8:20 PM ET, NBC), Jefferson can become the second player with at least 100 receiving yards in three of his first five career games in the Super Bowl era, joining BYRON WILLIAMS (1983).
Dallas wide receiver CEEDEE LAMB leads all rookie with 21 receptions this season and has had at least five receptions in each of his first four games.
With at least five receptions on Sunday against the New York Giants (4:25 PM ET, CBS), Lamb can become the second player with at least five receptions in each of his first five career games in NFL history, joining TERRY GLENN (1996).
ALVIN & THE TOUCHDOWNS: In 49 career games, New Orleans running back ALVIN KAMARA has recorded 5,033 scrimmage yards and 44 scrimmage touchdowns, including 16 career games with at least two touchdowns.
With at least two touchdowns against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football (8:15 PM ET, ESPN), Kamara can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famers MARCUS ALLEN (16 games) and STEVE VAN BUREN (16), as well as CHUCK FOREMAN (16) for the second-most games with at least two touchdowns in their first 50 career games in NFL history. Only LARRY JOHNSON (18 games) had more.
The players with the most games with at least two touchdowns in their first 50 career games in NFL history:
|
PLAYER |
TEAM |
GAMES |
|
|
Larry Johnson |
Kansas City |
18 |
|
|
Marcus AllenHOF |
Los Angeles Raiders |
16 |
|
|
Chuck Foreman |
Minnesota |
16 |
|
|
Steve Van BurenHOF |
Philadelphia |
16 |
|
|
Alvin Kamara |
New Orleans |
16* |
|
|
*in 49 career games |
|||
HERE’S TO YOU, MR. ROBINSON: Jacksonville running back JAMES ROBINSON leads all rookies with 446 scrimmage yards this season, while recording at least 100 scrimmage yards in each of the last three games.
With at least 90 scrimmage yards on Sunday at Houston (1:00 PM ET, CBS), Robinson will become the sixth player with at least 90 scrimmage yards in each of his first five career games in NFL history. He would become the first undrafted player to accomplish the feat.
The players with the most consecutive games with at least 90 scrimmage yards to begin a career in NFL history:
|
PLAYER |
TEAM |
SEASON |
GAMES |
|
Saquon Barkley |
New York Giants |
2018 |
13 |
|
Eric DickersonHOF |
Los Angeles Rams |
1983 |
11 |
|
Kareem Hunt |
Kansas City |
2017 |
7 |
|
Glenn Davis |
Los Angeles Rams |
1950 |
5 |
|
Adrian Peterson |
Minnesota |
2007 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
James Robinson |
Jacksonville |
2020 |
4* |
|
*Active streak |
|||
GARRETT GAME-CHANGER: Cleveland defensive end MYLES GARRETT ties for the NFL lead in sacks (five) and forced fumbles (three) this season. In each of his last three games, Garrett has recorded both a sack and forced fumble.
With a sack and forced fumble on Sunday against Indianapolis (4:25 PM ET, CBS), Garrett will become the fourth player to record a sack and forced fumble in four consecutive games since 2000. Each of the previous three players to accomplish the feat have gone on to lead their respective team in sacks on the way to the postseason.
The players with the most consecutive games with at a sack and forced fumble since 2000:
|
PLAYER |
TEAM |
SEASON |
GAMES |
|
Khalil Mack |
Chicago |
2018 |
4 |
|
Robert Mathis |
Indianapolis |
2005 |
4 |
|
Simeon Rice |
Tampa Bay |
2002 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Myles Garrett |
Cleveland |
2020 |
3* |
|
*Active streak |
|||
Russell Wilson Record-Setting Jersey On Display
Wilson's game-worn jersey from Week 3 of the 2020 Season.
Ryan Fitzpatrick Milestone Jersey Arrives at The Hall
The jersey is on display in the Pro Football Today Gallery.