FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 1

PEY DAY: Indianapolis Colts quarterback PEYTON MANNING tied his career high with six touchdown passes last week, setting an NFL record with his fifth consecutive game with at least four passing TDs. Manning has thrown for multiple touchdowns in 11 consecutive games this season and can tie JOHNNY UNITAS (12) for the longest such streak in history this Sunday against Tennessee.

Following are the quarterbacks with the most consecutive games of two or more touchdown passes in a season:

QUARTERBACK	TEAM	YEAR	STREAK	TOTAL TDs DURING STREAK
Johnny Unitas	Baltimore Colts	1959	12	32
*Peyton Manning*	*Indianapolis Colts*	*2004*	11*	41
Dan Marino	Miami Dolphins	1984	10	29
Y.A. Tittle	New York Giants	1963	9	26
Many tied	--	--	8	--

Manning has 41 touchdown passes this season. He reached 40 TDs in the fewest number of games (11) in history, besting DAN MARINO’s mark of 14 games set in 1984. Only two other times have quarterbacks thrown for at least 40 touchdowns in a season (Marino, 1986; KURT WARNER, 2000). The quarterbacks with 40 touchdowns in a season:

QUATERBACK	TEAM	YEAR	TD PASSES	GAMES TO REACH 40 TDs
Dan Marino	Miami Dolphins	1984	48	14
Dan Marino	Miami Dolphins	1986	44	15
*Peyton Manning*	*Indianapolis Colts*	*2004*	41*	11
Kurt Warner	St. Louis Rams	2000	41	16

COOL BREES: San Diego Chargers quarterback DREW BREES has completed 206 of 313 passes (65.8 percent) for 2,458 yards with 21 touchdowns and three interceptions for a 108.0 passer rating, which ranks third in the NFL. Brees posted a 67.5 passer rating last year. His 40.5-point increase between seasons would be the highest in the NFL since the passer rating system was instituted in 1973.

Following are the quarterbacks who have posted increases of 30.0 points or more in passer rating from the previous season since 1973 (minimum 200 attempts in each season):

QUARTERBACK	TEAM	YEAR	PASSER RATING	PREVIOUS RATING	INCREASE
Ken Stabler	Oakland	1976	103.4	67.4	36.0
Steve DeBerg	San Francisco	1979	73.1	40.0	33.1
Ken Anderson	Cincinnati	1981	98.4	66.9	31.5
Scott Mitchell	Detroit	1995	92.3	62.0	30.3

*Drew Brees*	*San Diego*	2004*	*108.0*	*67.5*	*40.5*

BILL OF RIGHTS: New England head coach BILL BELICHICK, who has posted a 49-26 (.653) regular-season record in five years with the Patriots, returns to Cleveland this Sunday to face the Browns, where he had a 36-44 (.450) mark as head coach from 1991-95. Belichick’s winning percentage increase (.203) between head-coaching positions with the clubs is the second highest in NFL history. The head coaches with the largest increases in winning percentage between successive jobs (minimum 40 games with each team):

MORE TDs THAN INTs: This season, four quarterbacks are averaging at least four touchdowns per interception. San Diego’s DREW BREES (21 TDs, 3 INTs, 7.00) leads the NFL with the best such ratio, followed by Indianapolis’ PEYTON MANNING (41 TDs, 7 INTs, 5.86), Philadelphia’s DONOVAN MC NABB (23 TDs, 5 INTs, 4.60) and Minnesota’s DAUNTE CULPEPPER (28 TDs, 7 INTs, 4.00). Only one quarterback in NFL history has posted a four-to-one ratio for a single season (VINNY TESTAVERDE, 4.14 (29 TDs, 7 INTs) with the New York Jets in 1998).

The quarterbacks with the highest touchdown-to-interception ratios for a single season (minimum 25 touchdowns) and 2004 leaders:

SINGLE-SEASON LEADERS (MIN. 25 TDs)						2004 LEADERS (4.00 RATIO THRU 12 WEEKS)
QUARTERBACK	TEAM	YEAR	TDs	INTs	RATIO	QUARTERBACK	TEAM	TDs	INTs	RATIO
Vinny Testaverde	NYJ	1998	29	7	4.14	Drew Brees	SD	21	3	7.00
Steve Young	SF	1992	25	7	3.57	Peyton Manning	Ind.	41	7	5.86
Steve Young	SF	1994	35	10	3.50	Donovan McNabb	Phi.	23	5	4.60
Randall Cunningham	Minn.	1998	34	10	3.40	Daunte Culpepper	Minn.	28	7	4.00
Joe Montana	SF	1989	26	8	3.25

PATRIOT GAMES: The NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS have won 36 games when leading entering the fourth quarter, tying for the longest such streak since 1970. The Patriots can move into sole possession of first place in the category this Sunday when they play in Cleveland. New England has also won 29 consecutive games when leading at halftime, tying for the second best streak since 1970. The Patriots Sunday can tie the Denver Broncos (1996-98) for the most consecutive wins when leading at halftime (since 1970). Following are the leaders in each category:

LEADING ENTERING FOURTH QUARTER			LEADING AT HALFTIME
TEAM	YEARS	STREAK	TEAM	YEARS	STREAK
Pittsburgh	1972-75	36	Denver	1996-98	30
San Diego	1992-96	36	Pittsburgh	1992-96	29
*New England*	*2001-04*	36*	*New England*	*2001-04*	29*
Denver	1996-98	33	Miami	1971-74	28
Three tied	--	32	Three tied	--	24

RUSH HOUR: Baltimore Ravens running back JAMAL LEWIS has rushed for 948 yards in seven games against the Cincinnati Bengals (135.4 yards per game), registering at least 100 yards in each of those contests. Lewis is tied for the longest streak of consecutive games with 100 rushing yards versus one opponent since 1970, and can move into sole possession of first place in the category this Sunday when the Ravens host the Bengals. Following are the longest such streaks since 1970:

PLAYER	TEAM(S)	OPPONENT	YEARS	STREAK
Terrell Davis	Denver	Seattle	1996-01	7
*Jamal Lewis*	*Baltimore*	*Cincinnati*	*2000-04*	7*
Earl Campbell	Houston	Cincinnati	1978-81	6
Freeman McNeil	New York Jets	Indianapolis	1982-86	6
Eric Dickerson	LA Rams, Indianapolis	Miami	1983-89	6
Emmitt Smith	Dallas	New York Giants	1992-95	6
Stephen Davis	Washington	Arizona	1999-02	6

BIG BEN: Pittsburgh rookie quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER has won his first nine career starts, the only rookie in history to accomplish the feat. This Sunday night when the Steelers face Jacksonville, Roethlisberger can become the first rookie to win 10 games, and the second QB since 1970 to win his first 10 career starts.

The quarterbacks with the most wins in their rookie season, and the QBs with the most victories in their first 10 career starts (since 1970):

MOST WINS BY ROOKIE QB				MOST WINS IN FIRST 10 STARTS
QUARTERBACK	TEAM	YEAR	WINS	QUARTERBACK	TEAM	WINS
Joe Ferguson	Buffalo	1973	9	Mike Tomczak	Chicago	10
Chris Chandler	Indianapolis	1988	9	*Ben Roethlisberger*	*Pittsburgh*	9*
*Ben Roethlisberger*	*Pittsburgh*	*2004*	9*	Jay Schroeder	Washington	9
*Through 12 weeks				Eight tied	--	8