SEVEN FROM SUNDAY – WEEK 3
A look at seven statistical highlights from games played at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 27, the third week of the 2020 season.
- With two games remaining in Week 3, five teams – BUFFALO, CHICAGO, PITTSBURGH, SEATTLE and TENNESSEE – are 3-0 to begin the 2020 season. Baltimore (Monday Night Football),Green Bay (Sunday Night Football) and Kansas City (Monday Night Football) can also advance to 3-0.
Two teams – Chicago and Pittsburgh – are 3-0 after missing the postseason in 2019. Since 1990, at least four teams every season have qualified for the playoffs after failing to make the postseason the year before.
Three teams overcame deficits of at least 10 points to win in Week 3: the CHICAGO BEARS (16 points), PITTSBURGH STEELERS (11 points) and TENNESSEE TITANS (12 points).
With two games remaining in Week 3, there have been 10 games during the 2020 season in which teams overcame a deficit of at least 10 points to win, tied with the 1987 season (10) for the second-most such games through the first three weeks of a season in NFL history. Only the 2011 season (11 such games) had more. - Seattle quarterback RUSSELL WILSON passed for 315 yards with five touchdowns and zero interceptions for a 130.7 passer rating in the Seahawks’ 38-31 win over Dallas.
Wilson, who had five touchdown passes in Week 2 and four touchdown passes in Week 1, is the first player with at least four touchdown passes in each of his team’s three games of a season in NFL history.
Wilson is the fifth quarterback in league annals to record at least five touchdown passes in consecutive games, joining TOM BRADY (Weeks 6-7, 2007), DAUNTE CULPEPPER (Weeks 5-6, 2004), TOM FLORES (Weeks 15-16, 1963) and BEN ROETHLISBERGER (Weeks 8-9, 2014).
Wilson has 14 touchdown passes in 2020 and surpassed PATRICK MAHOMES (13 in 2018) for the most by a player through his team’s first three games of a season in league annals.
Dallas quarterback DAK PRESCOTT passed for 472 yards with three touchdowns against Seattle in Week 3.
Prescott, who has 102 touchdown passes and 24 rushing touchdowns in his career, is the third quarterback with at least 100 touchdown passes and 20 rushing touchdowns in his first five seasons in NFL history, joining JEFF GARCIA (113 passing, 21 rushing) and CAM NEWTON (117 passing, 43 rushing). - Buffalo quarterback JOSH ALLEN passed for 311 yards with four touchdowns and one interception for a 128.9 rating and added a rushing touchdown in the Bills’ 35-32 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3.
In his first three games of the 2020 season, Allen has 1,038 passing yards with 10 passing touchdowns and a 124.8 rating, along with two rushing touchdowns. He is the first player with at least 10 touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns in his team’s first three games of a season in NFL history.
Allen is the fourth quarterback with at least 1,000 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns and a rating of 120-or-higher through his team’s first three games of a season in NFL history, joining RYAN FITZPATRICK (2018), PATRICK MAHOMES (2019) and PEYTON MANNING (2013).
Allen, who has 19 career rushing touchdowns, surpassed DAK PRESCOTT (18) for the second-most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in his first three seasons in NFL history. Only CAM NEWTON (28 rushing touchdowns) has more. - Indianapolis quarterback PHILIP RIVERS threw the 400th touchdown pass of his career in the Colts’ 36-7 win over the New York Jets in Week 3.
Rivers is the sixth quarterback with at least 400 career touchdown passes in NFL history, joining DREW BREES (550, entering Sunday Night Football), TOM BRADY (547), PEYTON MANNING (539) and Pro Football Hall of Famers BRETT FAVRE (508) and DAN MARINO (420). - Cincinnati rookie quarterback JOE BURROW completed 31 of 44 pass attempts (70.5 percent) for 312 yards and two touchdowns for a 105.5 rating in the Bengals’ 23-23 tie against Philadelphia in Week 3.
Burrow has 91 completions through his first three career games and surpassed KYLER MURRAY (84 completions in 2019) for the most completions by a rookie quarterback in his first three career games in NFL history.
Arizona quarterback KYLER MURRAY totaled three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in Week 3 against Detroit.
Murray, who had one rushing touchdown on Kickoff Weekend and two rushing touchdowns in Week 2, joins Pro Football Hall of Famer TERRY BRADSHAW (1972) and CHARLIE FRYE (2006) as the only quarterbacks with a rushing touchdown in each of their teams’ first three games of a season since 1970. - Tennessee kicker STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI connected on a 55-yard field goal with 1:44 remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Titans a 31-30 win at Minnesota in Week 3.
Gostkowski, who kicked a game-winning field goal with 25 seconds remaining in Week 1 and a 49-yard game-winning field goal with 1:36 remaining in Week 2, is the first kicker to kick a game-winning field goal in the final two minutes of regulation in each of his team’s first three games of a season since 1970.
Titans running back DERRICK HENRY had 26 rushing attempts for 119 yards and two touchdowns in Week 3. Henry, who had 31 attempts in Week 1 and 25 attempts in Week 2, is the fifth running back with at least 25 rushing attempts in each of his team’s first three games of a season in NFL history, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers EDGERRIN JAMES (2002), O.J. SIMPSON (1975) and EMMITT SMITH (1994) as well as ARIAN FOSTER (2012). - Chicago tight end JIMMY GRAHAM had six receptions for 60 yards and two touchdowns in the Bears’ 30-26 victory at Atlanta in Week 3.
Graham has 16 career games with at least two touchdown receptions, tied with ROB GRONKOWSKI (16) for the third-most such games by a tight end in NFL history. Only ANTONIO GATES (21) and Pro Football Hall of Famer TONY GONZALEZ (18) have more.
