FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2004

NFL PRESS BOX NOTES – WEEK 4

PATS SEEK 18TH IN ROW:  When the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS take the field Sunday in Buffalo, more than an entire calendar year will have elapsed since they lost a football game (9/28/03, 20-17 to Washington).

Since then, the Patriots have won 17 consecutive regular and postseason contests.  That marks only the seventh time in history that a team has won that many games in a row.  New England is one victory shy of equaling the all-time record of 18 consecutive wins.  Teams that have won 17 or more consecutive games:

BYE, BYE:  The Bills and Patriots both come off byes.  Buffalo is one of the league’s most successful teams in the first game after a bye, winning 10 of 15 (.667) such games.  The Bills are one of eight teams with a .667-or-better post-bye record (New England’s post-bye mark is 6-9):

MANNING THE MARK:  Indianapolis Colts quarterback PEYTON MANNING will start in his 100th NFL game Sunday against Jacksonville.  Manning’s attempts, yards and touchdowns totals through 99 games would already rank him in the top five of each category for quarterbacks in their first 100 starts.  The top five in each category, and Manning’s totals:

                                                            * 99 starts

EAGLE FLYING HIGH:  Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver TERRELL OWENS has five touchdown receptions in his first three games with the club – the most of any player in his first three games with the Eagles.

In Week 1, Owens had three TD receptions against the New York Giants, his 22nd multiple-TD catch game (two or more).  Owens ranks fifth among active players with the most multiple-touchdown games:

SLIM PICKIN’S:  The Philadelphia Eagles’ DONOVAN MC NABB and New York Giants’ KURT WARNER lead active NFL quarterbacks in consecutive passes without an interception.

McNabb, who faces Chicago this Sunday, has not thrown an interception in 138 attempts.  He last threw one against San Francisco on December 21 of last year. 

Warner has not thrown an interception in 119 attempts.  He was last picked off by the Giants on September 7 of last season.  This week, Warner will seek to extend his streak against Green Bay. 

The five longest active streaks of consecutive passes without an interception:

BROWN’S RENOWN:  Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver TIM BROWN caught his 100th career touchdown pass last week, becoming one of only four players with that total.

With a TD reception this Sunday against Denver, Brown can break his tie in the category with Pro Football Hall of Famer STEVE LARGENT and become the player with the third-most TD catches in history:

The players with 100 or more career TD receptions:  

                                                                   * Active

OCTOBER SUCCESS:  The NFL concludes the first quarter of its season this weekend with its first October games.   Through the past five years, the St. Louis Rams have posted the league’s best record in October (15-4, .789).  The top five October records since 1999: