What to Look For - Week 8
Defense might “win championships,” but offense can at least get you there.
Green Bay could become the team in 2020 to ride a powerful offense all the way through a conference title. With 35 or more points Sunday against the Vikings, the Packers would become the sixth team to reach that level of scoring in at least five of its first seven games to open a season.
In three of the previous instances — Denver in 2013, New Orleans in 2009 and New England in 2007 — the teams went on to play in the Super Bowl, but only the Saints managed to come away with the Lombardi Trophy.
With scoring at record levels across the league, the Baltimore Ravens also are poised to set an NFL record this week. To learn more and for a look at other things to watch for this week, read on…
SCORING STREAKS: Entering Week 8, scoring continues to trend at an unprecedented level across the league. The 5,329 points scored are the most in NFL history through seven weeks, while the 50.8 total points per game (both teams combined) is the highest through Week 7 since at least 1970. Overall, seven teams are averaging at least 30 points per game, the most such teams at this point of a season since 1970.
The GREEN BAY PACKERS – who rank second in the league with 32.8 points per game – have scored at least 35 points in four of their first six games this season, including in their 35-20 victory at Houston last week.
With at least 35 points on Sunday against Minnesota (1:00 PM ET, FOX), the Packers will become the sixth team to score 35 points in at least five of their first seven games of a season in the Super Bowl era. Three of the previous five teams to accomplish the feat advanced to the Super Bowl that season.
The teams with 35-or-more points scored in at least five of their first seven games of a season in the Super Bowl era:
|
TEAM |
SEASON |
GAMES |
|
|
Denver Broncos# |
2013 |
6 |
|
|
St. Louis Rams |
2000 |
6 |
|
|
Kansas City Chiefs |
2018 |
5 |
|
|
New Orleans Saints# |
2009 |
5 |
|
|
New England Patriots# |
2007 |
5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Green Bay Packers |
2020 |
4* |
|
|
*Through first six games |
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#Advanced to Super Bowl |
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The BALTMORE RAVENS are averaging 29.8 points per game this season and are averaging 32.3 points per game since the beginning of the 2019 season, the highest mark in the league over that span. Baltimore has scored at least 20 points in every regular-season contest since Week 11 of the 2018 season, a streak of 29 games.
With at least 20 points on Sunday against Pittsburgh (1:00 PM ET, CBS), Baltimore will tie the DENVER BRONCOS (30 consecutive games from 2012-14) for the longest streak of regular-season games scoring at least 20 points in NFL history.
The teams with at least 20 points scored in the most consecutive regular-season games in NFL history:
|
TEAM |
SEASONS |
GAMES |
|
|
Denver Broncos |
2012-14 |
30 |
|
|
Baltimore Ravens |
2018-2020 |
29* |
|
|
St. Louis Rams |
1999-2000 |
28 |
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*Active streak |
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It will mark the sixth divisional matchup where both teams have one-or-fewer losses in Week 8 or later since 1970. The eventual division winner won three of the past four matchups.
The divisional matchups where both teams have one-or-fewer losses in Week 8 or later since 1970:
|
MATCHUP |
DIVISION |
WEEK |
RESULT |
|||
|
Pittsburgh (6-0) at Baltimore (5-1) |
AFC North |
Week 8, 2020 |
??? |
|||
|
Kansas City (9-0) at Denver (8-1) |
AFC West |
Week 11, 2013 |
DEN* 27, KC 17 |
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Miami (5-1) at New York Jets (5-1) |
AFC East |
Week 8, 2000 |
NYJ 40, MIA* 37 |
|||
|
Denver (7-1) at Los Angeles Raiders (7-1) |
AFC West |
Week 9, 1984 |
DEN* 22, LA 19 |
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Houston Oilers (6-1) at Pittsburgh (6-1) |
AFC Central |
Week 8, 1975 |
PIT* 24, HOU 17 |
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Buffalo (6-1) at New England (6-1) |
AFC East |
Week 8, 1974 |
BUF 29, NE 28 |
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*Won division |
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With a touchdown pass on Sunday against San Francisco (4:25 PM ET, FOX), Wilson will become the third player to reach 250 touchdown passes in his first nine seasons in NFL history, joining PEYTON MANNING (275 touchdown passes) and Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (266).
The players with the most touchdown passes in their first nine seasons in NFL history:
|
PLAYER |
TEAM |
TOUCHDOWN PASSES |
|
Peyton Manning |
Indianapolis |
275 |
|
Dan MarinoHOF |
Miami |
266 |
|
Russell Wilson |
Seattle |
249* |
|
*In ninth season |
With at least three touchdown passes on Sunday, Wilson will have reached 25 touchdown passes in a season for the seventh time in his career and will join Manning (nine seasons) as theonly players in NFL history with at least 25 touchdown passes in seven of their first nine seasons.
Last season, Wilson became the first quarterback in league history with a winning record in each of his first eight seasons. With a win on Sunday, Wilson will tie Manning (92 wins) for the most regular-season wins by a quarterback in his first nine seasons in NFL history. Wilson will also tie TOM BRADY (101) for the most wins, including the postseason, by a quarterback in his first nine seasons in NFL history.
MONDAY NIGHT MAGIC: Last week, Tampa Bay quarterback TOM BRADY passed for 369 yards and totaled five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing), his second game of the season with five total touchdowns. The 21-year veteran ranks second in the league this season with 18 touchdown passes.
Brady will make his 25th career appearance on Monday Night Football when Tampa Bay travels to face the New York Giants this week (8:15 PM ET, ESPN). With a touchdown pass on Monday, Brady will become the fourth player with at least 50 career touchdown passes on Monday Night Football, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers DAN MARINO (74 touchdown passes) and BRETT FAVRE (69), as well as DREW BREES (58).
The players with the most career touchdown passes on Monday Night Football:
|
PLAYER |
TEAM(S) |
TOUCHDOWN PASSES |
|
Dan MarinoHOF |
Miami |
74 |
|
Brett FavreHOF |
Green Bay, New York Jets, Minnesota |
69 |
|
Drew Brees |
San Diego Chargers, New Orleans |
58 |
|
Tom Brady |
New England |
49 |
The rookies with four 100-yard receiving games in a five-game span in NFL history:
|
PLAYER |
TEAM |
SEASON |
|
Odell Beckham Jr. |
New York Giants |
2014 |
|
Bill Groman |
Houston Oilers |
1960 |
|
Jimmy Orr |
Pittsburgh |
1958 |
|
|
|
|
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Justin Jefferson |
Minnesota |
2020* |
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*At least 100 receiving yards in three of his past four games |
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With at least four receptions at Chicago on Sunday (4:25 PM ET, FOX), Kamara will become the third running back with at least 50 receptions in each of his first four seasons in NFL history, joining MATT FORTE and Pro Football Hall of Famer LADAINIAN TOMLINSON.
The running backs with at least 50 receptions in each of their first four seasons in NFL history:
|
PLAYER |
TEAM |
SEASONS |
||
|
Matt Forte |
Chicago |
2008-11 |
||
|
LaDainian TomlinsonHOF |
San Diego Chargers |
2001-04 |
||
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|
|
|
||
|
Alvin Kamara |
New Orleans |
2017-20* |
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|
*Has 46 receptions in 2020 entering Sunday |
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With a sack and forced fumble on Sunday against Las Vegas (1:00 PM ET, FOX) Garrett will join TRACE ARMSTRONG (2000) as the only players since 1999 with at least 10 sacks and five forced fumbles in their team’s first eight games of a season.
Garrett has totaled 39.5 sacks in 44 career games and can become the fifth player with at least 40 sacks in his first 45 career games since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.
The players with the most sacks in their first 45 career games since 1982:
|
PLAYER |
TEAM |
SACKS |
||
|
Reggie WhiteHOF |
Philadelphia |
57 |
||
|
Aldon Smith |
San Francisco |
44 |
||
|
Derrick ThomasHOF |
Kansas City |
43.5 |
||
|
Von Miller |
Denver |
41 |
||
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|
|
|
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|
Myles Garrett |
Cleveland |
39.5* |
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*In 44 games |
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Stories From The Hall of Fame Archives: As many NFL coaching careers go, 85 games a lifetime
Unfortunately, few head coaches get a chance to lead a franchise for as long as Quinn (85 regular-season games) and O’Brien (100 regular-season games) did.
Trick or Trade
One of the largest trades ever made in NFL history occurred on Halloween Day in 1987.