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Brady, Brees Could Trade Hallowed Record During Game As Nfl Kicks Off Season’S Second Half

Brady, Brees Could Trade Hallowed Record During Game As Nfl Kicks Off Season’S Second Half

FOR USE AS DESIRED 11/3/20

BRADY, BREES COULD TRADE HALLOWED RECORD DURING GAME AS NFL KICKS OFF SEASON’S SECOND HALF

The NFL’s trade deadline is today. But the trading of the league’s record for the most career passes could continue for the rest of the season.

Tampa Bay (561) and quarterback (560) rank first and second, respectively, and could exchange the record multiple times in the same game on Sunday Night Football when the Saints travel to meet the Buccaneers (8:20 PM ET, NBC).

In one of the more exciting chases in sports history, the two this season have already traded the record three times – all in the past two weeks. In Week 8, Brees held the mark for 28 hours before Brady surpassed him again on against the Giants.

Since Pro Football Hall of Famer surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer on Sept. 23, 1962, nine players have held the all-time passing mark. Baugh, who served as a key catalyst in evolving the into more of a staple of NFL offenses, became the all-time leader in 1943. Until Brees and Brady engaged in their chase, the shortest amount of time any player held the mark in the modern era was Layne, who spent one year and 356 days in the lead until Pro Football Hall of Famer Y.A. TITTLE captured it in 1963.

The players to hold the NFL record for most career touchdown passes, since 1943:

RECORD HOLDER TD PASSES HELD OR SHARED RECORD SURPASSED BY DATE Sammy BaughHOF 187 18 years, 341 days Bobby LayneHOF 9/23/1962 Bobby LayneHOF 196 1 year, 356 days Y.A. TittleHOF 12/1/1963 Y.A. TittleHOF 212 2 years, 291 days Johnny UnitasHOF 9/18/1966 Johnny UnitasHOF 290 9 years, 93 days Fran TarkentonHOF 12/20/1975 Fran TarkentonHOF 342 19 years, 341 days Dan MarinoHOF 11/26/1995 Dan MarinoHOF 420 11 years, 314 days Brett FavreHOF 9/30/2007 Brett FavreHOFp 508 7 years, 26 days 10/19/2014 Peyton Manning 539 5 years, 58 days Drew Brees 12/16/2019 Drew Brees 558 314 days Tom Brady 10/25/2020 Tom Brady 559 7 days Drew Brees 11/1/2020 Drew Brees 560 1 day Tom Brady* 11/2/2020 *Brady enters Week 9 as all-time leader with 561 career touchdown passes

Brady is tied for third in the NFL this season with 20 touchdown passes. He’s on pace to throw his most touchdown passes since leading the league with 50 in 2007.

Brees, meanwhile, leads all qualified passers in completion percentage (73.1) and is on pace to become the third player ever to lead the league in that category in at least four consecutive seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers (six straight years, 1964-69) and (four straight years, 1994-97).

SPEAKING OF LEAD CHANGES: NFL games this past weekend produced 23 lead changes, or 1.6 per game on average. Two games – narrow wins by and Tampa Bay – had four lead changes. Seven of the 14 games in Week 8 were within one score on the last possession. The , one of the teams that prevailed in a close game in Week 8, host the LIONS on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS). Last week, Vikings DALVIN COOK became the fifth player in the era with at least 200 scrimmage yards, three rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown in a single game, joining (Week 4, 2002), (Week 15, 2002), FRED TAYLOR (Week 12, 2000) and Pro Football Hall of Famer (Week 7, 2002).

COMEBACKS ARE IN STYLE: In NFL annals, 2020 is one of only two seasons in which at least one team has come back to win after erasing a deficit of at least 13 points in each of the first eight weeks. It also happened in 2015. Additionally, at least one team has overcome a deficit of 16-or-more points to win in seven of the first eight weeks of the 2020 season.

There have been 26 games in which a team has overcome a deficit of at least 10 points to win, tied for the most such games through Week 8 in NFL history. Only the 1987 season (also 26 games) had as many. In three games this year, including the Broncos’ 21-point comeback win in Week 8, a team has erased a deficit of at least 20 points to win. Only 2011 (five) and 1999 (four) have had more such comebacks through eight weeks.

FIRST EPISODE OF MURRAY-TAGOVAILOA ON TAP: Returning from their bye, the on Sunday host the (4:25 PM ET, CBS) in a matchup of young quarterbacks. The Dolphins’ , who won his first career start last week, plays his first NFL road game. In Week 7, Arizona’s became the first player in NFL history with at least 350 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, 50 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in a single game.  Miami’s defense is allowing 18.6 points per game, the fewest in the NFL this season. With 13 takeaways, the Dolphins have 1.9 takeaways per game, tied for second in the NFL behind (2.0). Cornerback , tied for the NFL lead with four , is one of four Miami players with an this season, including defensive tackle . Defensive end EMMANUEL OGBAH leads the team and ranks tied for third in the AFC with a career-best six sacks.  Arizona’s DEANDRE HOPKINS leads the NFL in both receptions (57) and receiving yards (704).

GROUNDING OUT PAYDIRT: NFL teams have combined for 245 rushing touchdowns this season, the most through eight weeks in league history. The 49ERS (14) and ARIZONA CARDINALS (12) lead the league in the category, followed by the RAMS (11) and MINNESOTA VIKINGS (11). The NFL’s single-season record is 487 rushing touchdowns in 1979.  Rookies have scored 35 of those rushing touchdowns, led by three players with four apiece: Washington’s ANTONIO GIBSON, Jacksonville’s JAMES ROBINSON and Detroit’s DEANDRE SWIFT.  Minnesota’s DALVIN COOK (10) leads the league in rushing touchdowns, followed by the Falcons’ (8) and the Titans’ (8). Cook’s 10 rushing touchdowns in his first six games this season are tied for the fourth-most by a player in his first six games of a season in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers (14 in 1958) and (11 in 1995) as well as SHAUN ALEXANDER (12 in 2005) had more.  In addition, NFL games are averaging 238.4 rushing yards through eight weeks this season. That’s the highest mark in 32 years, since NFL teams averaged 240.3 rushing yards per game through eight weeks in 1988. Among players who have appeared in at least four games this season, Henry leads the NFL with 110.7 rushing yards per game, followed by Cook (108.7).

MOVING BACK THE CLOCKS: The NFL’s lone undefeated team, the , travels to play the COWBOYS on Sunday (4:25 PM ET, CBS) in a rematch of three prior Super Bowls (X, XIII, XXX).  The Steelers (7-0) are off to their best start since 1978. A franchise that has won six Super bowls, tied with New England for the most in NFL history, can achieve its best start ever with a win on Sunday.  Pittsburgh head coach MIKE TOMLIN, who took the reins of the Steelers in 2007, has never had a losing season. With a win on Sunday, Tomlin can tie the NFL record held by (14 seasons, 1984- 97) by beginning his career with 14 consecutive seasons with a record of .500 or better. Pro Football Hall of Famers (13 from 1963-75), GEORGE ALLEN (12 from 1966-77) and (12 from 1921-32) are the only other coaches in NFL history without a losing season over at least their first 12 years.  The Steelers have 30 sacks and 10 interceptions this season and are the fourth team since 1990 with at least 30 sacks and 10 interceptions in their first seven games of a season, joining the 2019 , 2017 and 2013 .

ROOKIES ARE FINDING : The BRONCOS travel to meet the FALCONS on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS) in a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIII, the last NFL game played in the Hall of Fame career of , now the Broncos’ president of football operations and general manager. Last week, current Broncos quarterback threw three fourth-quarter touchdowns, including a 1-yard strike to rookie KJ HAMLER with no time remaining, to win in thrilling fashion. Hamler is one of 36 NFL rookies this season with at least one scrimmage touchdown.

CHARM CITY CONNECTIONS: The COLTS, who played in from 1953-83, host the on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS). The two franchises have combined for four Super Bowl titles. Rushing is deeply woven into each franchise’s DNA, and this season is no different. The Ravens enter Sunday’s game leading the NFL with 178.7 rushing yards per game while the Colts’ rushing defense ranks second in the league, allowing 79.9 yards on the ground per game.  Baltimore has scored least 20 points in 30 consecutive regular-season games, tied with the (30 from 2012-14) for the longest streak of regular-season games with at least 20 points in NFL history.

FAMILIAR FOES: Green Bay and San Francisco kick off Week 9 on (8:20 PM ET, FOX/NFLN/) in a rematch of the 2019 NFC Championship Game. The two teams have met eight times in the playoffs since Pro Football Hall of Famers and STEVE YOUNG first squared off in the 1995 NFC Divisional round. Since that game, no other NFL teams have met more often in the playoffs than the Packers and 49ers.

REID CAN SURPASS LAMBEAU: Kansas City head coach (229 wins) needs a victory on Sunday vs. Carolina (1:00 PM ET, FOX) to eclipse Pro Football Hall of Famer CURLY LAMBEAU and take sole possession of fifth place on the NFL’s all-time wins list. Since the Chiefs named Reid head coach prior to the 2013 season, he is 89-41-0 (.685) including the postseason, tied with Seattle’s (89-42-1, .678) for the second-most wins in that span behind (101-35-0, .743). Overall during his 22-year career, including postseason, Reid is 229- 143-1 (.615).

The coaches with the most wins in league history, including postseason:

Rk Coach Team(s) Yrs Won Lost Tied Pct 1 Don ShulaHOF Baltimore Colts, Miami Dolphins 33 347 173 6 .666 2 George HalasHOF Bears 40 324 151 31 .680 3 Bill Belichick Browns, 26 306 144 0 .686 4 Tom LandryHOF 29 270 178 6 .603 5 Curly LambeauHOF , Chicago Cardinals, Washington Redskins 33 229 134 22 .631 Andy Reid Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs 22 229 143 1 .615

WILSON CONTINUES WINNING WAYS: Seattle’s leads the Seahawks into Buffalo Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX). Selected by the Seahawks in the third round (75th overall) of the 2012 , Wilson has 92 wins during his nine-year career, tied with PEYTON MANNING for the most regular-season victories by a quarterback in his first nine seasons in NFL history. Including the postseason, Wilson has 101 career wins, tied with TOM BRADY for the most victories, including the postseason, by a quarterback in his first nine seasons in league annals.

HERBERT HAS HISTORY IN SIGHT: Quarterback on Sunday vs. Las Vegas (4:05 PM ET, FOX) can become the first rookie in NFL history to throw three-or-more touchdown passes in five consecutive games. (2017) is the only other rookie to pass for at least three touchdowns in four straight contests.

WEEK 9 NFL SCHEDULE THURSDAY, SUNDAY-MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 8-9 (All times Eastern)

Thursday, November 5 Green Bay Packers at 8:20 PM FOX/NFLN/Amazon Sunday, November 8 Denver Broncos at 1:00 PM CBS at 1:00 PM FOX Baltimore Ravens at 1:00 PM CBS at Jacksonville Jaguars 1:00 PM CBS Carolina Panthers at Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 PM FOX at Minnesota Vikings 1:00 PM CBS at 1:00 PM FOX at 1:00 PM FOX at 4:05 PM FOX Miami Dolphins at Arizona Cardinals 4:25 PM CBS Pittsburgh Steelers at Dallas Cowboys 4:25 PM CBS at 8:20 PM NBC Monday, November 9 New England Patriots at 8:15 PM ESPN

Week 9 Byes: Bengals, , ,

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