FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 21, 2016 http://twitter.com/NFL345 WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 3 FRESH START: Eight teams are undefeated through the first two weeks of the season – BALTIMORE, DENVER, HOUSTON, MINNESOTA, NEW ENGLAND, the NEW YORK GIANTS, PHILADELPHIA and PITTSBURGH – and hope to move to 3-0 this weekend. While no guarantee of future success, a strong start to the season is a good omen – 75.6 percent of teams (99 of 131) that started 3-0 since 1990 made the playoffs. And don’t count out any of the 1-1 or 0-2 teams. Since realignment in 2002, 99 of the 168 playoff teams (58.9 percent) began the year at either 1-1 or 0-2, including five teams last year. -- NFL – IT’S STILL EARLY: History shows that 0-2 teams advance to the playoffs more often than people might think. Since the current playoff format was instituted in 1990, 26 teams started 0-2 and still qualified for the postseason. Last season, the HOUSTON TEXANS started the season 0-2 and went on to win the AFC South. The 1993 Dallas Cowboys started 0-2 before winning Super Bowl XXVIII. The 0-2 New England Patriots of 1996 played in Super Bowl XXXI, and in 2001, the 0-2 Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI. The 2007 New York Giants started 0-2 before winning Super Bowl XLII. The 0-2 teams since 1990 to qualify for the playoffs: SEASON TEAM WINLESS START ADVANCED TO: 1990 Houston Oilers 0-2 Wild Card Playoffs Philadelphia Eagles 0-2 Wild Card Playoffs New Orleans Saints 0-2 Wild Card Playoffs 1991 Atlanta Falcons 0-2 Wild Card Playoffs 1992 San Diego Chargers 0-4 Divisional Playoffs 1993 Pittsburgh Steelers 0-2 Wild Card Playoffs Dallas Cowboys 0-2 Won Super Bowl XXVIII 1994 New England Patriots 0-2 Wild Card Playoffs 1995 Detroit Lions 0-3 Wild Card Playoffs 1996 New England Patriots 0-2 Lost Super Bowl XXXI 1998 Arizona Cardinals 0-2 Divisional Playoffs Buffalo Bills 0-3 Wild Card Playoffs New York Jets 0-2 Championship Game 2001 New England Patriots 0-2 Won Super Bowl XXXVI 2002 Atlanta Falcons 0-2 Divisional Playoffs Pittsburgh Steelers 0-2 Divisional Playoffs 2003 Philadelphia Eagles 0-2 Championship Game 2006 Kansas City Chiefs 0-2 Wild Card Playoffs 2007 New York Giants 0-2 Won Super Bowl XLII 2008 Miami Dolphins 0-2 Wild Card Playoffs Minnesota Vikings 0-2 Wild Card Playoffs San Diego Chargers 0-2 Divisional Playoffs 2013 Carolina Panthers 0-2 Divisional Playoffs 2014 Indianapolis Colts 0-2 Championship Game 2015 Houston Texans 0-2 Wild Card Playoffs Seattle Seahawks 0-2 Divisional Playoffs -- NFL -- COMPLETE SUCCESS: In 2016, quarterbacks have completed 1,481 of 2,343 passes for a 63.2 completion percentage, the third-highest league-wide completion percentage through Week 2 in NFL history. If the current percentage stays at this pace, it would rank as the highest of any season. The highest league-wide completion percentage after Week 2 and the highest in a season in NFL history: THROUGH WEEK 2 SEASON YEAR HIGHEST COMPLETION PERCENTAGE YEAR HIGHEST COMPLETION PERCENTAGE 2015 64.9 2016 63.2* 2014 63.5 2015 63.0 2016 63.2 2014 62.6 2012 62.6 2013 61.2 2013 62.1 2007 61.2 *Through Week 2 -- NFL -- CHASING PERFECTION: Quarterbacks have gotten off to a fast start this season. Arizona’s CARSON PALMER, New Orleans’ DREW BREES and San Diego’s PHILIP RIVERS have all thrown for five touchdowns and no interceptions this season. With three touchdown passes and no interceptions this week, these quarterbacks would tie for the fourth-most touchdown passes without an interception through a team’s first three games of any season. Denver quarterback PEYTON MANNING had 12 touchdown passes and no interceptions through the Broncos’ first three games in 2013. The most TD passes without an INT through a team’s first three games of a season in NFL history: THROUGH TEAM’S FIRST THREE GAMES OF ANY SEASON PLAYER TEAM YEAR MOST TD PASSES W/OUT INT Peyton Manning Denver Broncos 2013 12 Peyton Manning Indianapolis Colts 2010 9 Don Meredith Dallas Cowboys 1966 9 Donovan McNabb Philadelphia Eagles 2004 8 Randall Cunningham Philadelphia Eagles 1992 8 Roman Gabriel Los Angeles Rams 1969 8 Carson Palmer Arizona Cardinals 2016 5* Drew Brees New Orleans Saints 2016 5* Philip Rivers San Diego Chargers 2016 5* *Through two games -- NFL -- WONDERFUL WENTZ: Philadelphia rookie quarterback CARSON WENTZ has completed 43 of 71 passes for 468 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions for a 94.1 passer rating this season, while leading the Eagles to a 2-0 record. With a win against Pittsburgh on Sunday, Wentz would join MARK SANCHEZ (2009) as the only rookie quarterbacks since 1970 to start and win each of their teams’ first three games of the season. - NFL -- CATCHING ON: Houston rookie wide receiver WILL FULLER has recorded at least 100 receiving yards in each of his first two games. With 100+ yards against New England on Thursday, Fuller would become the first player in NFL history to record 100+ receiving yards in each of the first three games of his career. -- NFL -- AGELESS WONDER: Steelers running back DEANGELO WILLIAMS leads the NFL with 237 rushing yards. With 63 yards against Philadelphia, Williams (33 years old) would pass Pro Football Hall of Famer WALTER PAYTON (32) as the oldest player to rush for 300 yards in the first three weeks of a season. ### .