WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 2
NO NEED TO PANIC: Since realignment in 2002, 108 of the 180 playoff teams (60 percent) began the year at either 1-1 or 0-2, including eight teams last season and five division champions – Atlanta (NFC South), Dallas (NFC East), Green Bay (NFC North), Kansas City (AFC West) and Seattle (NFC West).
A look at how playoff clubs in 2015 and 2016 began their seasons:
2015 2016
| Team | After 2 games | Playoff Result | Team | After 2 games | Playoff Result | |
| Arizona | 2-0 | Advanced to Conf. Champ | Atlanta | 1-1 | Advanced to Super Bowl LI | |
| Carolina | 2-0 | Advanced to Super Bowl 50 | Dallas | 1-1 | Advanced to Divisional | |
| Cincinnati | 2-0 | Advanced to Wild Card | Detroit | 1-1 | Advanced to Wild Card | |
| Denver | 2-0 | Won Super Bowl 50 | Green Bay | 1-1 | Advanced to Conf. Champ | |
| Green Bay | 2-0 | Advanced to Divisional | Houston | 2-0 | Advanced to Divisional | |
| Houston | 0-2 | Advanced to Wild Card | Kansas City | 1-1 | Advanced to Divisional | |
| Kansas City | 1-1 | Advanced to Divisional | Miami | 0-2 | Advanced to Wild Card | |
| Minnesota | 1-1 | Advanced to Wild Card | New England | 2-0 | Won Super Bowl LI | |
| New England | 2-0 | Advanced to Conf. Champ | New York Giants | 2-0 | Advanced to Wild Card | |
| Pittsburgh | 1-1 | Advanced to Divisional | Pittsburgh | 2-0 | Advanced to Conf. Champ | |
| Seattle | 0-2 | Advanced to Divisional | Oakland | 1-1 | Advanced to Wild Card | |
| Washington | 1-1 | Advanced to Wild Card | Seattle | 1-1 | Advanced to Divisional |
— NFL —
SACK MASTERS: The JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, led by defensive end CALAIS CAMPBELL’s four sacks, recorded a league-high 10 sacks in their Week 1 victory at Houston.
With seven sacks on Sunday against Tennessee, the Jaguars will surpass the 1998 Seattle Seahawks (16) for the most team sacks through the first two weeks of a season since the sack became an official statistic in 1982.
The teams with the most sacks through the first two weeks of a season since 1982:
| TEAM | SEASON | MOST TEAM SACKS THROUGH WEEK 2 | |
| Seattle Seahawks | 1998 | 16 | |
| Dallas Cowboys | 1994 | 14 | |
| Houston Oilers | 1982 | 14 | |
| Many tied | 13 | ||
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2017 | 10* | |
| *Entering Week 2 | |||
— NFL —
BURSTING ONTO THE SCENE: Three rookies – Kansas City’s KAREEM HUNT (148), Minnesota’s DALVIN COOK (127) and Jacksonville’s LEONARD FOURNETTE (100) – rushed for at least 100 yards in their NFL debuts last week.
With another 100-yard performance in Week 2, Cook, Fournette and Hunt can each become the first rookie since 2005 (CADILLAC WILLIAMS) with at least 100 rushing yards in each of his team’s first two games of the season.
The last time multiple rookies rushed for 100 yards in each of their team’s first two games of the season was 1979 when OTTIS ANDERSON of the St. Louis Cardinals and WILLIAM ANDREWS of the Atlanta Falcons both accomplished the feat.
The rookies with at least 100 rushing yards in each of his team’s first two games of the season since 1970:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON |
| Cadillac Williams | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2005 |
| Edgerrin James | Indianapolis Colts | 1999 |
| Marshall Faulk | Indianapolis Colts | 1994 |
| Billy Sims | Detroit Lions | 1980 |
| Ottis Anderson | St. Louis Cardinals | 1979 |
| William Andrews | Atlanta Falcons | 1979 |
| Earl Campbell | Houston Oilers | 1978 |
— NFL —
KC COOKING: Kansas City rookie running back KAREEM HUNT amassed 246 scrimmage yards (148 rushing, 98 receiving) and three total touchdowns in the Chiefs’ 42-27 Week 1 win at New England.
With 200 scrimmage yards in Week 2 against Philadelphia, Hunt would surpass BILLY SIMS (445 yards in 1980) for the most scrimmage yards by a rookie in his team’s first two games of the season.
The rookies with the most scrimmage yards in his team’s first two games of the season:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | SCRIMMAGE YARDS IN 1ST 2 GAMES OF SEASON |
| Billy Sims | Detroit Lions | 1980 | 445 |
| Marshall Faulk | Indianapolis Colts | 1994 | 360 |
| Ottis Anderson | St. Louis Cardinals | 1979 | 359 |
| Alan Ameche | Baltimore Colts | 1955 | 347 |
| Sid Blanks | Houston Oilers | 1964 | 320 |
| Kareem Hunt | Kansas City Chiefs | 2017 | 246* |
| *Entering Week 2 | |||
Chiefs wide receiver TYREEK HILL, who had a 75-yard touchdown catch in Kansas City’s Kickoff Weekend victory, can extend his NFL-record streak of five consecutive regular-season games with a touchdown of at least 65 yards.
— NFL —
PROLIFIC PASSERS: Dallas quarterback DAK PRESCOTT has 3,935 passing yards, 24 touchdown passes and four interceptions through 17 career games. If Prescott throws a touchdown pass before an interception on Sunday at Denver, he would reach 25 career touchdown passes with the fewest career interceptions in NFL history.
The players with the fewest career interceptions at the time of their 25th touchdown pass:
| PLAYER | TEAM | INTs AT TIME OF 25TH TD PASS |
| Nick Foles | Philadelphia | 5 |
| Kurt Warner^ | St. Louis Rams | 5 |
| Dan Marino^ | Miami | 6 |
| Chad Pennington | New York Jets | 7 |
| Robert Griffin III | Washington | 8 |
| Dak Prescott | Dallas | 4* |
| *24 career touchdown passes | ||
| ^Pro Football Hall of Famer | ||
Green Bay quarterback AARON RODGERS has 298 career touchdown passes and can become the 11th player in NFL history with 300 touchdown passes. In 12 NFL seasons, Rodgers, who plays Atlanta on Sunday Night Football in Week 2, has 4,699 pass attempts and can surpass PEYTON MANNING (5,306) for the fewest pass attempts at the time of their 300th career touchdown pass.
The quarterbacks with the fewest career pass attempts at the time of their 300th touchdown pass:
| PLAYER | TEAM | PASS ATTEMPTS AT TIME OF 300TH TD PASS |
| Peyton Manning | Indianapolis | 5,306 |
| Tom Brady | New England | 5,321 |
| Dan Marino^ | Miami | 5,460 |
| Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay | 4,699* |
| *298 career touchdown passes | ||
| ^Pro Football Hall of Famer | ||
— NFL —
TERRIFIC TIGHT ENDS: Dallas tight end JASON WITTEN had seven receptions for 59 yards and one touchdown in the Cowboys’ 19-3 victory against the New York Giants in Week 1. Witten, who has spent his entire 15-year career with the Cowboys and has 11,947 career receiving yards, surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer MICHAEL IRVIN (11,904) for the most receiving yards in franchise history.
With 53 receiving yards on Sunday at Denver, Witten will join TONY GONZALEZ (15,127) as the only tight ends in NFL history with at least 12,000 career receiving yards.
The tight ends with the most receiving yards in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | SEASONS | CAREER RECEIVING YARDS | |
| Tony Gonzalez | Kansas City, Atlanta | 1997-2013 | 15,127 | |
| Jason Witten | Dallas | 2003-present | 11,947* | |
| Antonio Gates | Los Angeles Chargers | 2003-present | 11,209* | |
| Shannon Sharpe^ | Denver, Baltimore | 1990-2003 | 10,060 | |
| Ozzie Newsome^ | Cleveland | 1978-90 | 7,980 | |
| *Active | ||||
| ^Pro Football Hall of Famer | ||||
Los Angeles Chargers tight end ANTONIO GATES has 111 career touchdown receptions, tied with Gonzalez for the most all-time by a tight end. With one touchdown catch on Sunday against Miami, Gates will become the NFL’s all-time leader in touchdown receptions among tight ends.
The tight ends with the most touchdown receptions in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | SEASONS | CAREER TOUCHDOWNS | |
| Tony Gonzalez | Kansas City, Atlanta | 1997-2013 | 111 | |
| Antonio Gates | Los Angeles Chargers | 2003-present | 111* | |
| Rob Gronkowski | New England | 2010-present | 68* | |
| Jason Witten | Dallas | 2003-present | 64* | |
| Shannon Sharpe^ | Denver, Baltimore | 1990-2003 | 62 | |
| *Active | ||||
| ^Pro Football Hall of Famer | ||||
— NFL –
HISTORY IN THE MAKING: New England quarterback TOM BRADY and New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES will meet for the third time in their careers when the Saints host the Patriots on Sunday. The game marks the first time in NFL history in which two quarterbacks with at least 10 Pro Bowl selections (Brady, 12; Brees, 10) will face off against each other in the regular season.
