WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 3

 

NFL CELEBRATES HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH:  The NFL will salute Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) Sunday night in Chicago when the Bears host the Dallas Cowboys on NBC. 

 

Five-time Grammy Award-winner GLORIA ESTEFAN will sing the national anthem live on NBC and the Grammy-winning group OZOMATLI will perform at halftime with portions of the show televised on NBC.  Many NFL teams will designate their home games in the next several weeks in honor of the month with in-stadium festivities.

 

DOWN BUT NOT OUT:  History shows that 0-2 teams advance to the playoffs more often than people might think.  Since 1990, 18 teams have begun 0-2 and still qualified for the postseason.  The 0-2 Dallas Cowboys in 1993 won Super Bowl XXVIII, the 0-2 New England Patriots of 1996 played in Super Bowl XXXI, and in 2001, the 0-2 Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI. 

 

Following are the 0-2 teams since 1990 to qualify for the playoffs:

 

 

TOUGH VS. TEXANS:  The Houston Texans will host the Super Bowl XLI-champion Indianapolis Colts this Sunday with both teams tied for first place in the AFC South with 2-0 records.  Houston has won four games in a row dating back to last season, with the first of those victories coming over Indianapolis.   

 

The Texans will face a quarterback who has had considerable success against them.  The Colts’ PEYTON MANNING has tallied 25 touchdowns versus only four interceptions for a 119.3 passer rating against Houston.

 

In each of his past three meetings with the Texans, Manning has thrown three touchdowns with no interceptions and this week can become the first quarterback in history to accomplish that feat in four consecutive games against one opponent.

 

Manning’s TD-INT ratio against Houston is 6.25, which is the second highest ratio for a quarterback against an opponent in history (NEIL O’DONNELL vs. Cincinnati, 22 TDs vs. 3 INTs, 7.33 ratio).  He needs five touchdowns and no interceptions this weekend to surpass O’Donnell’s record.

 

The quarterbacks with the highest TD-INT ratio versus one opponent in history (min. 20 TD passes):

 

 

NEW FACES EXCELLING IN NEW PLACES:  Three players who changed teams this offseason – New England wide receiver RANDY MOSS, Denver running back TRAVIS HENRY and Cleveland running back JAMAL LEWIS – have made big impacts with their new clubs.  Each has the opportunity to make history in Week 3.

 

Moss amassed 183 yards in Week 1 against the Jets and 105 yards in Week 2 against San Diego.  In his Week 3 meeting with Buffalo, he can become the first player in history -- rookie or veteran -- to register three 100-yard receiving games in his first three games with a new team.

 

Moss also needs 135 yards against the Bills to post more receiving yards in his first three games with a new team than any player in history.  ART POWELL, who totaled 422 yards in his first three contests with the Oakland Raiders, owns the record.

 

The players with the most receiving yards in their first three games with a new team (includes rookies and veterans):

 

 

Meanwhile, Henry and Lewis rank Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, among NFL rushers in 2007.

 

Henry (267 yards through two games) faces Jacksonville in Week 3 and needs 168 yards to record more rushing yards in his first three games with a new team than any player in history (rookies and veterans).  Tampa Bay’s CARNELL “CADILLAC” WILLIAMS, who rushed for 434 yards in his first three games as a rookie in 2005, owns the distinction.  Lewis (251 yards through two games) faces Oakland this week and needs 184 yards to eclipse Williams’ three-game record.

 

The players with the most rushing yards in their first three games with a new team (includes rookies and veterans):

 

 

SUPER SACKERS TO MEET:  When the Chargers travel to Green Bay to face the Packers in Week 3, the game will feature the NFL’s top two sack leaders from 2006 – San Diego’s SHAWNE MERRIMAN (17.0) and Green Bay’s AARON KAMPMAN (15.5). 

 

The game will mark the 11th time in history that the teams of the previous season’s Nos. 1 and 2 sack leaders met the following season since 1982, when sacks became an official statistic.  This will be only the fourth time that those two players also led their respective conferences in the category.

 

Following is a list of those 11 games (since 1982; both players had to participate in the game):

  

1985 Mark Gastineau (NYJ) & Andre Tippett (NE) (2 gms.)		1997 Kevin Greene (SF) & Lamar Lathon (CAR) (2 gms.)
1990 Chris Doleman (MIN) & Tim Harris (GB) (2 gms.)		1998 John Randle (MIN) & Dana Stubblefield (WAS)
1992 Pat Swilling (NO) & Reggie White (PHI)		2001 La’Roi Glover (NO) & Warren Sapp (TB)
1994 Neil Smith (KC) & Bruce Smith (BUF)		2004 Michael Strahan (NYG) & Adewale Ogunleye (CHI)* **
1995 Kevin Greene (PIT) & John Randle (MIN) *
1996 Bryce Paup (BUF) & William Fuller (PHI) *		2007 Shawne Merriman (SD) & Aaron Kampman (GB) *