The Week That Was – Week 3
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9/26/17 http://twitter.com/NFL345 THE WEEK THAT WAS – WEEK 3 ROCKING ROOKIES: Rookies across the league are off to a fast start. Through the first three weeks of the season, rookies have accumulated 4,308 yards from scrimmage, the most by rookies through Week 3 since 1970. The seasons with the most yards from scrimmage by rookies through Week 3 since 1970: SEASON MOST SCRIMMAGE YARDS BY ROOKIES THROUGH WEEK 3 2017 4,308 2008 3,483 1971 3,427 2014 3,385 2016 3,344 Rookies have also totaled 30 touchdowns through Week 3, the most through the first three weeks of a season since 1970. The seasons with the most touchdowns by rookies through Week 3 since 1970: SEASON MOST TOUCHDOWNS BY ROOKIES THROUGH WEEK 3 2017 30 1978 29 1984 28 1980 26 1975 25 A look at some notable rookie numbers: • Kansas City’s KAREEM HUNT rushed for 172 yards and a touchdown in the Chiefs’ 24-10 win over the Chargers and Minnesota’s DALVIN COOK rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings’ 34-17 win over the Buccaneers. Hunt (401 rushing yards) and Cook (288) rank first and second, respectively, in the NFL in rushing. • Hunt has scored six touchdowns (four rushing, two receiving) in his first three career games, tying BILLY SIMS (1980 Detroit Lions) and DUTCH STERNAMAN (1920 Decatur Staleys) for the most touchdowns by a player in his first three career games. For more on Hunt, see the below note HUNT MAKES HISTORY. • Philadelphia rookie kicker JAKE ELLIOTT converted a 61-yard game-winning field goal as time expired in the Eagles’ 27-24 victory over the New York Giants. Elliott’s 61-yard field goal is the longest by a rookie in NFL history and tied for the third-longest game-ending field goal in league annals, trailing only TOM DEMPSEY (63 yards, November 8, 1970) and MATT BRYANT (62, October 22, 2006). -- NFL -- LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN: Seven quarterbacks passed for at least three touchdowns without an interception in Week 3, tied for the second-most such games in a single week in league annals. The most performances with at least three touchdown passes and no interceptions in a single week in NFL history: SEASON WEEK QUARTERBACKS WITH 3+ TD PASSES & 0 INTS 2013 14 9 2017 3 7 2016 16 7 2015 12 7 2007 14 7 1995 12 7 The quarterbacks with at least three touchdown passes and no interceptions in Week 3: PLAYER TEAM TD PASSES INTERCEPTIONS Tom Brady New England Patriots 5 0 Blake Bortles Jacksonville Jaguars 4 0 Russell Wilson Seattle Seahawks 4 0 Drew Brees New Orleans Saints 3 0 Kirk Cousins Washington Redskins 3 0 Jared Goff Los Angeles Rams 3 0 Case Keenum Minnesota Vikings 3 0 -- NFL -- HUNT MAKES HISTORY: Kansas City running back KAREEM HUNT had a 69-yard touchdown run with 1:49 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Chiefs’ 24-10 win against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3. Hunt has scored a touchdown of at least 50 yards in three consecutive games to start his career, becoming the only player in NFL history to accomplish the feat. Hunt, who has 538 scrimmage yards through three games, surpassed SID BLANKS of the 1964 Houston Oilers (452) for the second-most scrimmage yards by a player in his first three career games. The players with the most scrimmage yards in their first three career games: PLAYER TEAM SEASON SCRIMMAGE YARDS IN 1ST 3 CAREER GAMES Billy Sims Detroit Lions 1980 562 Kareem Hunt Kansas City Chiefs 2017 538 Sid Blanks Houston Oilers 1964 452 Beattie Feathers Chicago Bears 1934 435 Cadillac Williams Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2005 434 Marshall Faulk^ Indianapolis Colts 1994 432 ^Pro Football Hall of Famer -- NFL -- TOM TERRIFIC: New England quarterback TOM BRADY completed 25 of 35 passes (71.4 percent) for 378 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions for a 146.2 passer rating in the Patriots’ 36-33 win over Houston. Brady, who passed for 447 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions in Week 2, has recorded consecutive games with at least 375 passing yards, three touchdown passes and no interceptions for the second time in his career. It marks only the third time in NFL history that a player has reached those passing numbers in back-to-back games and Brady has done it twice. The three instances in NFL history in which a quarterback had at least 375 passing yards, three touchdown passes and no interceptions in consecutive games: PLAYER DATE PASSING YARDS PASSING TDs DATE PASSING YARDS PASSING TDs Tom Brady Sept. 17, 2017 447 3 Sept. 24, 2017 378 5 Kirk Cousins Nov. 20, 2016 375 3 Nov. 24, 2016 449 3 Tom Brady Oct. 9, 2016 406 3 Oct. 16, 2016 376 3 -- NFL -- FALCONS FAST START: The ATLANTA FALCONS defeated the Detroit Lions 30-26 in Week 3 to improve to 3-0 on the season, becoming the sixth team since the current 12-team playoff format was adopted in 1990 to start a season 3-0 after losing the Super Bowl the previous season. The previous five teams to accomplish the feat all advanced to the postseason. The teams since 1990 to start a season 3-0 after losing the Super Bowl in the previous season: TEAM YEAR RECORD SEASON RESULT Atlanta Falcons 2017 3-0* ??? Seattle Seahawks 2006 9-7 Advanced to Divisional Green Bay Packers 1998 11-5 Advanced to Wild Card New England Patriots 1997 10-6 Advanced to Divisional Buffalo Bills 1992 11-5 Advanced to Super Bowl XXVII Buffalo Bills 1991 13-3 Advanced to Super Bowl XXVI *Through three games -- NFL -- POWERFUL PRATER: Detroit kicker MATT PRATER converted all four of his field-goal attempts, including makes of 55 and 57 yards, in the Lions’ Week 3 loss to the Falcons. Through three games, Prater has converted four field goals of at least 55 yards, the most in a single season in NFL history. The players with the most field goals of at least 55 yards in a single season in NFL history: PLAYER TEAM YEAR FGs MADE FGs ATTEMPTED Matt Prater* Detroit Lions 2017 4 4 Blair Walsh Minnesota Vikings 2012 3 3 Greg Zuerlein St. Louis Rams 2012 3 7 Morten Anderson^ Atlanta Falcons 1995 3 4 Fred Steinfort Denver Broncos 1980 3 3 *Through three games ^Pro Football Hall of Famer # # # .