AFC NEWS ‘N’ NOTES

FIRST FOUR WEEKS MEAN FAST STARTS & HEART-POUNDING FINISHES

Pull the shoulder harness to your stomach and fasten your safety belt – the thrill ride known as the NFL’s 2004 season has more than three-quarters of track to run before pulling into Super Bowl XXXIX on February 6 in Jacksonville. 

And if the rest of the season is like anything we’ve seen, there’s no knowing where the next turn will take you.

In the AFC, rookie quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER has the Steelers (3-1) leading the AFC North.  A rejuvenated CURTIS MARTIN has helped the Jets reach 3-0 for the third time in club history, tying them for the AFC East lead with New England, which this Sunday goes for its 19th consecutive win, including playoffs, for the longest winning streak in NFL history.  Also, a team that has mastered the power of positive thinking – Jacksonville’s 3-1 “Cardiac Cats” Jaguars – has claimed its three wins by a 2.3-point average margin of victory.

Eleven of the AFC’s 16 teams are 2-2 or better.  And the five clubs who are sub-.500 find hope in the fact that since 1990, 10 NFL teams have gone from three games below .500 to the postseason.

“The NFL is a competitive league,” says JEFF GARCIA, quarterback of the 2-2 Browns.  “Nothing comes easy and every week is a challenge.”  A challenge and a thrill ride.

A team-by-team look at AFC players off to standout starts in 2004:

BALTIMORE:  WR RANDY HYMES leads the Ravens with 14 receptions and two touchdowns.  Hymes entered 2004 with seven NFL games played and a total of six catches……LB TERRELL SUGGS has 3.0 sacks in four games.  He is on track to join REGGIE WHITE (1985-86) as the only other player to register 12.0 sacks in each of his first two seasons. 

BUFFALO:  WR ERIC MOULDS has 20 receptions, the second most of his nine-year career after the first three games of a season.  Moulds is on target to surpass his franchise record of 100 catches in a season with 106, and leads Buffalo in scoring (18 points).  The last time a non-kicker led the Bills in scoring was RB GREG BELL in 1984……On eight kickoff returns, CB-KR TERRENCE MC GEE is averaging an NFL-best 33.4 yards.

CINCINNATI:  QB CARSON PALMER stands fourth in the AFC with 875 passing yards……RB RUDI JOHNSON has rushed for the sixth-most first downs (18) in the conference……RB KENNY WATSON has eight third-down receptions, tied for third most in the AFC……CB TORY JAMES leads the Bengals with four passes defensed……K SHAYNE GRAHAM is 7-of-8 on field-goal attempts, including 2-for-2 from beyond 45 yards.

CLEVELAND:  In his first taste of 2004 action last week against Washington, RB LEE SUGGS ran for 82 yards off the bench, including 25 yards on his first carry……DE KENARD LANG leads the AFC with 4.0 sacks.  No Browns player has ever led the AFC in sacks for a season……K PHIL DAWSON has made the most field goals in the NFL without a miss this season (8) and has converted 18 consecutive field goals for the league’s longest active streak.

DENVER:  WR ROD SMITH leads the team with 22 receptions.  With 53 career touchdowns, Smith needs three to surpass SHANNON SHARPE (55) for the most career TD catches by a Bronco……FB-KR REUBEN DROUGHNS stands second in the AFC with a 28.9 kick-return average……S KENOY KENNEDY is tied for the AFC lead for most forced fumbles by a defensive back with two……K JASON ELAM leads the AFC in scoring with 37 points.

HOUSTON:  The Texans aim for their first three-game win streak Sunday at home against the Vikings……QB DAVID CARR ranks second among AFC passers with 1,003 yards (250.8 per game).  The 25-year-old Carr is the NFL’s No. 1 fourth-quarter passer with a 140.9 passer rating  (0 INTs)……Second-year WR ANDRE JOHNSON owns the NFL’s best yards-per-catch average of 20.9 among players with at least 12 catches……Rookie CB DUNTA ROBINSON recorded a pair of interceptions last week against Oakland. 

INDIANAPOLIS:  QB PEYTON MANNING tops the NFL with 11 touchdown passes and is second in the league in passer rating (115.4) and passing yards (1,123)……WR BRANDON STOKLEY has caught nine touchdowns in his past 10 games, including playoffs……Indianapolis’ offensive line has allowed two sacks, tied with Denver for the fewest in the NFL……DE DWIGHT FREENEY has 2.0 sacks and a club-best 14 quarterback pressures.

JACKSONVILLE:  QB BYRON LEFTWICH has led his team to a 3-1 record, thanks to key throws in clutch situations.  In the fourth quarter, Leftwich has completed 21 of 36 passes (58.3 percent) with two touchdowns and no interceptions. ……Rookie WR ERNEST WILFORD scored touchdowns on each of his first two receptions and both accounted for the Jaguars’ margins of victory……DT JOHN HENDERSON leads the Jaguars with seven quarterback pressures.

KANSAS CITY:  RB PRIEST HOLMES is tied for the NFL lead for most rushing touchdowns with six……LBs MONTY BEISEL and SHAWN BARBER are two of 11 AFC linebackers with an interception.  The Chiefs are the only AFC team with more than one linebacker with an interception……S ERIC WARFIELD leads the AFC with three interceptions ……WR-KR-PR DANTE HALL tops the NFL with a punt-return average of 14.0 yards.

MIAMI:  TE RANDY MC MICHAEL leads AFC tight ends in catches (24) and receiving yards (274).  He is tied for the most AFC third-down receptions with nine……DT JEFF ZGONINA has recorded a sack in the last two games.  The Dolphins’ team total of 11.0 sacks is five more than they had last season after four games……Miami owns the NFL’s second longest streak of 14 games without allowing a 100-yard receiver (Jacksonville, 15).

NEW ENGLAND:  TE DANIEL GRAHAM has scored four of the Patriots’ nine touchdowns, tied for third-most in the AFC.  Graham scored five touchdowns in his previous 26 games entering the season……Led by LB WILLIE MC GINEST’s 3.0 sacks, New England leads the AFC with 13……Club aims for its 19th consecutive win Sunday at home against Miami to claim the league’s all-time longest win streak, including playoffs.

NEW YORK:  CHAD PENNINGTON is the AFC’s only quarterback to start all of his team’s games and have only one interception.  Pennington stands second on the AFC passer rating chart (104.4)……RB CURTIS MARTIN has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the first three games of a season for the first time in his career.  He leads the NFL with a 141.7 per game rushing average……Rookie CB ERIK COLEMAN had an interception in his first two games.

OAKLAND:  WR-KR DOUG GABRIEL is tied for the AFC’s fifth-most combined total yards (484) with 346 on kick returns, 131 receiving and 7 rushing……In the past three games, WR RONALD CURRY has racked up 11 catches for 177 yards (16.1-yard average) and a pair of touchdowns……DE TYLER BRAYTON and LB DE LAWRENCE GRANT both have 2.5 sacks for the team lead.  The Raiders have 12.0 quarterback sacks as a team, the second most in the AFC (New England, 13.0).

PITTSBURGH:  Rookie QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER has four touchdown passes in his past nine quarters and is completing 61.2 percent of his passes……WR HINES WARD leads the AFC in receptions (28) and receiving yards (394)……RB JEROME BETTIS‘ five touchdowns tie him with the Jets’ Martin for the second most touchdowns in the AFC……S TROY POLAMALU and CB DESHEA TOWNSEND both have two interceptions.  In 2003, Polamalu had none and Townsend three.

SAN DIEGO:  QB DREW BREES owns the NFL’s third highest fourth-quarter passer rating of 125.5, buoyed by three touchdowns and no interceptions……RB LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON is the first AFC player in 2004 to reach 500 scrimmage yards, and last week became the Chargers’ all-time leading rusher with 4,979 yards, surpassing PAUL LOWE (4,972)……TE ANTONIO GATES is tied for the most third-down catches in the AFC with nine (McMichael, Miami; Johnnie Morton, KC) and has caught the conference’s second-most passes for a tight end (23).

TENNESSEE:  QB STEVE MC NAIR needs one more victory to surpass WARREN MOON (70) for most by a starting quarterback in club history……WRs DERRICK MASON (27) and DREW BENNETT (25) comprise the AFC’s top duo in receptions with 52……RB CHRIS BROWN owns the AFC’s top per-carry average (5.1) among rushers with 200 yards.  Brown has three 100s in first four starts……DT KEVIN CARTER paces the Titans with eight quarterback pressures.