FOR USE AS DESIRED 9/19/18 http://twitter.com/NFL345

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 3

FAST START: Through the first two weeks of the season, there have been 174 total scored, the most in NFL history through Week 2, and the 1,506 total points are the second-most in league annals (1,556 in 2012) through the first two weeks of a season.

MOST TOUCHDOWNS IN FIRST MOST TOTAL POINTS IN FIRST TWO WEEKS, NFL HISTORY TWO WEEKS, NFL HISTORY SEASON TOUCHDOWNS SEASON TOTAL POINTS 2018 174 2012 1,556 2011 172 2018 1,506 2015 170 2011 1,502 2012 170 2015 1,488

Close games continue to be the norm in 2018, as 25 of the 32 games (78.1 percent) through two weeks of the season have been within one score in the fourth quarter, tied for the third-most in NFL history through Week 2. Twenty-one games have been decided by eight or fewer points through Week 2, the third-most in league history through the first two weeks of a season. Nine teams, including four last week (Denver, Minnesota, New Orleans and Tennessee), have won or tied after trailing in the fourth quarter this season.

-- NFL --

FITZ-MAGICAL: Tampa Bay completed 27 of 33 attempts (81.8 percent) for 402 yards with four touchdowns and one for a 144.4 in the Buccaneers' Week 2 win over Philadelphia.

Fitzpatrick, who passed for 417 yards and four touchdowns in Week 1 and plays against Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football (8:15 PM ET, ESPN), can become the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least 400 yards and four touchdowns in three consecutive games.

The players with at least 400 passing yards and four passes in consecutive games in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM SEASON CONSEC. GAMES WITH 400 PASS YARDS & 4 TDs Ryan Fitzpatrick Tampa Bay 2018 2* Billy Volek Tennessee 2004 2 ^ Miami 1984 2 *Active streak ^Pro Football Hall of Famer

With another 400-yard performance, Fitzpatrick would become the first quarterback in NFL history to record three consecutive games with at least 400 passing yards.

-- NFL --

CHILLING WITH MAHOMES: Kansas City quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES completed 23 of 28 attempts (82.1 percent) for 326 yards with six touchdowns and no for a 154.8 passer rating in the Chiefs’ Week 2 victory at Pittsburgh. At 22 years, 364 days old, Mahomes became the youngest quarterback in NFL history with at least six touchdown passes in a single game.

Mahomes, whose 10 touchdown passes through Week 2 are the most by a quarterback in NFL history through his team's first two games, needs three touchdown passes on Sunday against San Francisco (1:00 PM ET, FOX) to surpass PEYTON MANNING (12 in 2013) for the most touchdown passes in NFL history by a quarterback through his team’s first three games of a season.

The with the most touchdown passes through his team’s first three games of a season in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM SEASON TOUCHDOWN PASSES IN TEAM’S 1ST 3 GAMES Peyton Manning Denver 2013 12 New England 2011 11 Many tied 10

Patrick Mahomes Kansas City 2018 10* *Through first two games

-- NFL --

COMPLETE CONTROL: New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES has 6,287 career completions during his 18-year NFL career.

With 14 completions on Sunday at Atlanta (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Brees would surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer BRETT FAVRE (6,300) for the most completions in NFL history.

The players with the most career completions in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM(S) COMPLETIONS Brett Favre^ Green Bay, New York Jets, Minnesota 6,300 Drew Brees San Diego, New Orleans 6,287 ^Pro Football Hall of Famer

Brees has at least 30 pass attempts and completed at least 80 percent of his passes in each of his past two games. He can surpass PEYTON MANNING (2013) as the only quarterback in NFL history with three consecutive games with at least 30 pass attempts and a completion percentage of 80 or higher.

The players with the most consecutive games with at least 30 pass attempts and a completion percentage of 80 or higher in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM SEASON CONSEC. GAMES WITH 30+ ATTEMPTS & 80%+ COMP. PCT. Drew Brees New Orleans 2018 2* Peyton Manning Denver 2013 2 *Active streak

-- NFL --

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: Indianapolis quarterback ANDREW LUCK has 19,576 career passing yards in 72 career games.

Luck, who will play at Philadelphia on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX), needs 424 passing yards to join Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (74 games) and MATTHEW STAFFORD (71 games) as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to pass for 20,000 yards in 75 games or fewer.

The players to reach 20,000 career passing yards in the fewest number of games in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM(S) GAMES TO REACH 20,000 PASSING YARDS Matthew Stafford Detroit 71 Dan Marino^ Miami 74 Kurt Warner^ St. Louis, New York Giants, Arizona 76 Peyton Manning Indianapolis 78

Andrew Luck Indianapolis 72* *Has 19,576 career passing yards ^Pro Football Hall of Famer

-- NFL --

DEEP THREAT: Buccaneers DE SEAN JACKSON had 129 receiving yards, including a 75-yard touchdown catch, in Tampa Bay’s Week 2 victory.

Jackson, who had 146 receiving yards and two touchdowns in Week 1, can become the fifth player in NFL history to record at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in each of his team’s first three games of a season.

The players with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in each of their team’s first three games of a season in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM SEASON ^ New England 2007# ^ Indianapolis 1999 ^ San Francisco 1989 Dwight Clark San Francisco 1982

DeSean Jackson Tampa Bay 2018* *Through first two games #Had 100+ rec. yards and TD in team’s first four games ^Pro Football Hall of Famer

-- NFL --

GREEN IS GOOD: Cincinnati wide receiver A.J. GREEN had three touchdown receptions in the Bengals’ Week 2 victory over Baltimore.

Green, who has four touchdown receptions through two games, needs two touchdowns at Carolina (1:00 PM ET, CBS) to become the fourth player in the Super Bowl era to record six touchdown catches through his team’s first three games of a season.

The players with the most touchdown receptions through his team’s first three games of a season in the Super Bowl era:

PLAYER TEAM SEASON TOUCHDOWN CATCHES IN TEAM’S 1ST 3 GAMES Detroit 2011 6 Marvin Harrison^ Indianapolis 1999 6 Daryl Turner Seattle 1985 6

A.J. Green Cincinnati 2018 4* *Through first two games ^Pro Football Hall of Famer

-- NFL --

LIKE MIKE: New Orleans wide receiver MICHAEL THOMAS recorded 12 receptions for 89 yards and two touchdowns in the Saints’ Week 2 win over Cleveland. Thomas has 28 receptions in the Saints’ first two games, the most by a player in his team’s first two games in NFL history.

Thomas needs seven receptions at Atlanta (1:00 PM ET, FOX) to surpass JULIO JONES (34 in 2015) for the most catches by a player in his team’s first three games to start a season in NFL history.

The players with the most receptions in his team’s first three games of the season in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM SEASON RECEPTIONS IN TEAM’S 1ST 3 GAMES Julio Jones Atlanta 2015 34 Troy Brown New England 2002 31 Clark Gaines New York Jets 1980 31 Wes Welker New England 2011 31

Michael Thomas New Orleans 2018 28* *Through first two games