FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 7, 2015 http://twitter.com/NFL345

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 5

STILL IN THE MIX: History shows that a losing record at this point in the season does not negate a team’s chances of making the playoffs.

Since the current playoff format (12 teams) was instituted in 1990, 25 teams have rebounded from a losing record after four weeks to qualify for the postseason. Four of those clubs advanced to their Conference Championship Games, including the 2001 New England Patriots (1-3) en route to their Super Bowl XXXVI victory.

Since 1990, teams that started 1-3 or worse and made the playoffs:

YEAR TEAM RECORD ADVANCED TO: 1990 New Orleans 1-3 Wild Card Playoffs 1990 Philadelphia 1-3 Wild Card Playoffs 1991 NY Jets 1-3 Wild Card Playoffs 1992 San Diego 0-4 Divisional Playoffs 1993 Green Bay 1-3 Divisional Playoffs 1993 Houston 1-3 Divisional Playoffs 1995 1-3 Wild Card Playoffs 1995 Philadelphia 1-3 Divisional Playoffs 1996 Dallas 1-3 Divisional Playoffs 1996 Jacksonville 1-3 Championship Game 1997 NY Giants 1-3 Wild Card Playoffs 1998 Buffalo 1-3 Wild Card Playoffs 2000 New Orleans 1-3 Divisional Playoffs 2001 New England 1-3 Won Super Bowl XXXVI 2002 Atlanta 1-3 Divisional Playoffs 2002 Tennessee 1-3 Championship Game 2002 NY Jets 1-3 Divisional Playoffs 2002 Pittsburgh 1-3 Divisional Playoffs 2004 Green Bay 1-3 Wild Card Playoffs 2005 Chicago 1-3 Divisional Playoffs 2007 San Diego 1-3 Championship Game 2008 Minnesota 1-3 Wild Card Playoffs 2011 Denver 1-3 Divisional Playoffs 2013 Carolina 1-3 Divisional Playoffs 2013 Philadelphia 1-3 Wild Card Playoffs

-- NFL --

SIX AT 4-0?: Five teams have gotten off to 4-0 starts in 2015 – ATLANTA, CAROLINA, CINCINNATI, DENVER and GREEN BAY – tied for the most in a season in NFL history (1968, 2003, 2009 and 2013). NEW ENGLAND – who had a bye in Week 4 – is 3-0 and, with a win on Sunday at Dallas (4:25 PM ET, CBS), can be the sixth team to start the season 4-0, which would be the most in a season in NFL history.

-- NFL --

OPULENT OCTOBER: New England’s high-powered offense, which leads in scoring (39.7 points per game) and total offense (446.3 yards per game), has the Patriots atop the AFC East with a 3-0 record.

Since 2000, the year was named head coach and the franchise drafted quarterback , the Patriots lead the NFL with a .738 winning percentage (45-16) in games played in the month of October.

The teams with the best records in the month of October since 2000:

TEAM WINS LOSSES WIN PCT. New England 45 16 .738 Pittsburgh 42 17 .712 New York Giants 40 19 .678 Indianapolis 38 19 .667 Green Bay 36 21 .632

-- NFL --

BLAZING BENGALS: The CINCINNATI BENGALS have begun the season 4-0 for the first time since 2005 and will host the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday seeking a 5-0 start.

With a win on Sunday, the Bengals will have started 5-0 for the third time in franchise history (1975, 1988). In 1988, Cincinnati finished the season 12-4 en route to a Super Bowl XXIII appearance.

Quarterback ANDY DALTON, who carries an AFC-best 123 passer rating into this week’s matchup, has earned a passer rating of 115 or better in each of the team’s first four contests. Dalton is the second quarterback to begin a season with four such performances (, 1973) since the NFL implemented the passer rating system in 1973.

With a passer rating of 115 or better on Sunday, Dalton would become the first quarterback in NFL history to begin a season with five such consecutive games since the NFL implemented the passer rating system in 1973.

Andy Dalton’s passing performances in 2015:

WEEK OPPONENT PASSING YARDS TD-INT RATING 1 at Oakland 269 2-0 115.9 2 vs. San Diego 214 3-0 126.1 3 at Baltimore 383 3-1 122.3 4 vs. Kansas City 321 1-0 127.1

5 vs. Seattle ??? ??? ???

-- NFL --

DIVISIONAL DOMINANCE: The visit the AFC South-rival Houston Texans this week on Thursday Night Football. The Colts enter the contest having won 15 consecutive divisional games, which is tied with the 1972-73 Miami Dolphins for the longest streak since 1970. Indianapolis’ active win streak against AFC South opponents began on December 30, 2012, when the Colts earned a 28-16 win against Houston.

With a win at Houston on Thursday night, Indianapolis would have the longest win streak against opponents in their own division since 1970.

The teams with the longest divisional win streaks since 1970:

TEAM DIVISION SEASONS STREAK Dolphins AFC East 1972-73 15 Colts AFC South 2012-15 15* Cowboys NFC East 1993-94 14 Raiders AFC West 1975-77 13 Titans AFC Central 1998-99 13 *Active -- NFL --

TREMENDOUS TIGHT ENDS: New England has four receiving touchdowns this season, which ranks first amongst NFL tight ends. Since entering the league in 2010, Gronkowski leads all players with 58 touchdown catches.

When Dallas hosts New England this Sunday, Dallas tight end (59 career touchdowns) and Gronkowski can join (111), ANTONIO GATES (99), Pro Football Hall of Famer (62) and JERRY SMITH (60) as the only tight ends in NFL history with 60 career touchdowns.

With a touchdown reception against Pittsburgh on Monday Night Football, Gates would become the second tight end in league annals with 100 receiving touchdowns.

The tight ends with the most receiving touchdowns in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM(S) REC. TDs Tony Gonzalez Atlanta, Kansas City 111 Antonio Gates* San Diego 99 Shannon Sharpe Baltimore, Denver 62 Jerry Smith Washington 60

Jason Witten* Dallas 59 Rob Gronkowski* New England 58 *Active -- NFL --

FRANTIC FREEMAN: Atlanta running back DEVONTA FREEMAN leads the league with seven rushing touchdowns this season. He is the first player to rush for at least seven touchdowns in his team’s first four games to start a season since LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON (eight) in 2005.

With at least one rushing touchdown this Sunday versus Washington, Freeman would become the first player with eight or more rushing touchdowns in their team’s first five games of a season since Tomlinson (9) and (8) each did so in 2005.

Pro Football Hall of Famer JIM BROWN (13 in 1958) is the only player in NFL history with at least 10 rushing touchdowns in his team’s first five games. -- NFL --

RISING ROOKIE: Buffalo rookie running back KARLOS WILLIAMS (No. 155 overall, Florida State) became the fourth rookie since 1960 to score a touchdown in each of his team’s first four games with a 23-yard touchdown reception in the Bills’ Week 4 game against the New York Giants.

With a touchdown on Sunday, Williams would become just the fifth rookie in NFL history to score a touchdown in each his team’s first five games, joining ROBERT EDWARDS (six in 1998), ALAN AMECHE (five in 1955), JOE CRIBBS (five in 1980) and BILLY HOWTON (five in 1962).

###