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Home , 2020 NFL season, AFC North, AFC West, Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers

FOR USE AS DESIRED (updated 10/14/20)

SPOTLIGHT ON SCORING, CLOSE GAMES & COMEBACKS AS NFL ENTERS WEEK 6

To say the 2020 NFL season has been a high-scoring campaign might rank among the top understatements of all-time.

That’s because, speaking of all-time, none of the previous 100 NFL seasons through five weeks have produced more points or than 2020.

Two of those high-scoring teams, the BROWNS (4-1) and STEELERS (4-0) – go head to head Sunday in an AFC North showdown at Field (1:00 PM ET, CBS). Cleveland, off to its best start since 1994, has scored 30-or-more points in four consecutive contests, its longest streak since a seven-game stretch in 1968. The Browns lead the AFC with 19 total touchdowns. Pittsburgh is coming off its highest-scoring game in nearly two years, a 38-29 win over the Eagles in Week 5. In the victory, Steelers , a native of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, became the first rookie in NFL history to score three receiving touchdowns and one rushing in the same game. Claypool leads all rookies with five touchdowns (four receiving, one rushing) in 2020.

BATTLE OF THE BAYS: The highest-scoring team this year, the (38.0 points per game), emerges from a and travels to meet the on Sunday (4:25 PM ET, FOX). Green Bay (4- 0) is off to its best start since beginning the 2015 season 6-0. Packers AARON JONES and Buccaneers wide receiver MIKE EVANS are tied for third in the NFL with six touchdowns each, as both players have reached the in each of their team’s games this season. (13) and (12) have combined for 25 touchdown passes this season. They square off in the rubber match of their series as starting quarterbacks, with each player winning one of the first two meetings.

The seasons with the most points and touchdowns scored through five weeks in NFL history:

MOST POINTS THROUGH MOST TOUCHDOWNS THROUGH WEEK 5, NFL HISTORY WEEK 5, NFL HISTORY 2020 453 2020 3,958 2018 424 2018 3,739 2015 404 2011 3,566 2019 403 2013 3,566 2011 396 2015 3,562

NORTHERN EXPOSURE: Entering Week 6, the AFC North has three teams with at least four wins: the RAVENS (4-1), (4-1) and (4-0).

Since realignment in 2002, the NFL only three times has seen a with three-or-more teams with at least four wins after five weeks. In the NFC East in 2008, the (2-3) actually weren’t one of the three clubs in that division to begin with four-or-more wins but went 7-3-1 over the season’s final 11 weeks, won their first two playoff games and advanced to the NFC Championship. In 2002, the Raiders (4-0) emerged from an early season AFC West logjam to advance to XXXVII.

The divisions with three-or-more teams with at least four wins through a season’s first five weeks, since 2002:

SEASON DIVISION TEAMS 2020 AFC North Pittsburgh (4-0), Baltimore (4-1), Cleveland (4-1) 2008 NFC East (4-0), Dallas (4-1), Washington (4-1) 2002 AFC West Oakland Raiders (4-0), Denver (4-1), Chargers (4-1)

NO LEAD IS SAFE: After the clawed back from a 17-point deficit to win in on , the 2020 season continues to write a consistent message: Teams are never out of games.  In fact, 2020 is the first year in NFL history in which at least one team has overcome a deficit of at least 16 points to win in each of the first five weeks of a season. Six games this season have seen a team victoriously battle back from at least 16. Only the 2011 season (seven) has had more games in the first five weeks in which one team has trailed by 16-or-more points and won.  Four teams erased deficits of at least 13 points and won in Week 5 alone. The Saints (trailed 20-3), (13-0), (17-3) and SEAHAWKS (13-0) each earned Week 5 victories after overcoming such deficits. In 10 games this year, a team has wiped out deficits of at least 13 to win, the second-most such games in NFL history through five weeks. Only the 2011 season (12) had more such games through Week 5.  In 17 games this season, a team has overcome a deficit of at least 10 points and won, the second-most such games through Week 5 of a season in NFL history.

Chicago (4-1) is off to its best start since opening 7-1 in 2012 and this week travels to play the (3-2), who have won three straight under first-year . The Bears in three of their wins this year – Week 1 at Detroit, Week 3 at Atlanta and Week 5 vs. Tampa Bay – have erased deficits of 13-or-more points.

The Cowboys, who host Arizona this week in the second Monday night game (8:15 PM ET, ESPN), have registered wins after trailing by 19 points in Week 2 and 14 points in Week 5. Dallas rookie CEEDEE LAMB has been front and center in each of those comeback wins. Lamb, who leads all rookies in both receptions (29) and receiving yards (433), can become the first player in league history with at least five receptions in each of his first six NFL games.

COMPETITION MAKES YOU BETTER: Nine of 14 games in Week 5 were within one score in the fourth quarter. Overall this season, more than 70 percent of games (54 of 77) have been within one score in the fourth quarter.

The Rams’ , who leads into San Francisco for a Sunday Night Football matchup (8:20 PM ET NBC), has an NFL-best fourth-quarter passer rating of 155.8. Defensive lineman tied his career high with four sacks in Week 5, while teammate registered three sacks. Donald and Reeder are the first pair of teammates to each record at least three sacks in the same game since 's (3.5 sacks) and J.J. WATT (three sacks) in Week 17 of the 2015 season.

THREE YOUNG QUARTERBACKS ON THE MARQUEE FOR MONDAY NIGHT: Three of the NFL’s brightest young quarterbacks take the primetime stage on Monday night in Week 6.  In the first of two Monday night games (5:00 PM ET, FOX/NFLN/), when the (4- 1) go on the road against the (4-1), meets for the first time. Last week, Mahomes became just the fourth player in NFL history to reach 20 games of 300-or-more passing yards in his first four seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers (26 games) and (22), as well as (21). Allen leads the AFC with 14 touchdown passes in 2020.  In the nightcap, makes his first career start on Monday Night Football when the meet the DALLAS COWBOYS at AT&T Stadium (8:15 PM ET, ESPN). Murray, who has five rushing touchdowns in 2020, is the fourth since 1970 with at least five rushing touchdowns in his team's first five games, joining (2011), (1997) and Pro Football Hall of Famer (1972).

WEEK 6 NFL SCHEDULE SUNDAY & MONDAY, OCTOBER 18-19 (All times Eastern) Sunday, October 18 Sunday, October 18 Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers 1:00 PM FOX Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers 1:00 PM CBS Bengals at 1:00 PM FOX at 1:00 PM CBS at 1:00 PM FOX at 4:05 PM CBS at 1:00 PM FOX Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4:25 PM FOX at 1:00 PM CBS at 8:20 PM NBC at New York Giants 1:00 PM FOX Monday, October 19 at Philadelphia Eagles 1:00 PM CBS Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills 5:00 PM FOX/NFLN/Amazon Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys 8:15 PM ESPN Byes: , L.A. Chargers, New Orleans, Seattle