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FOR USE AS DESIRED September 3, 2008 WHAT TO LOOK…
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September 3, 2008
WHAT TO LOOK FOR NFL KICKOFF 2008 WEEKEND
SUPER STARTERS: There are never any guarantees in the NFL, but there are trends. And they start as early as Kickoff
Weekend. History indicates that the best way for a team to start its drive towards a possible Super Bowl championship is
to win in Week 1.
The 42 Super Bowl winners have a 34-7-1 record in the Kickoff Weekend games of their title seasons. However, as the
Super Bowl XLII champion New York Giants proved, a loss on Kickoff Weekend can still lead to a championship season.
Since 1978, when the NFL went to the 16-game schedule, and excluding the abbreviated season of 1982, teams that are
victorious on Kickoff Weekend are more than twice as likely to reach the playoffs than losers of an opening game:
Of the 426 teams which won openers...225 went to the playoffs (130 won division titles).
Of the 426 teams which lost openers...99 went to the playoffs (55 won division titles).
In 2007, nine of the 12 playoff teams Dallas, Green Bay, Indianapolis, New England, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Seattle,
Tennessee and Washington were victorious on Kickoff Weekend.
"Season openers," says Washington Redskins tight end CHRIS COOLEY, "set a standard for your team."
KICKOFF WINNERS: The season kicks off on Thursday night when the Super Bowl XLII champion NEW YORK
GIANTS host the WASHINGTON REDSKINS. The contest will feature two of the NFL's most successful teams in season
openers. The Giants rank second in history with 46 Kickoff Weekend victories and the Redskins tie for sixth with 37 wins.
The teams with the most wins on Kickoff Weekend:
TEAM KICKOFF-WEEKEND WINS
Chicago 49
Green Bay 48
New York Giants 46
Detroit 42
St. Louis 38
Pittsburgh 37
Washington 37
-- KICKOFF 2008 WEEKEND --
STREAKING INTO HISTORY: The NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS became the first team in NFL history with a perfect 16-0
regular-season record last year. Dating back to the last three weeks of 2006, New England has won 19 consecutive
regular-season games, the longest streak in league annals.
The Patriots, who also have the second-longest such streak in history (18 games, 2003-04), will seek to reach 20 in a row
on Sunday when they host Kansas City.
Following are the teams with the longest regular-season winning streaks in NFL history:
TEAM YEARS STREAK
New England 2006-07 19*
New England 2003-04 18
Chicago Bears 1933-34 17
Chicago Bears 1941-42 16
Miami Dolphins 1971-73 16
Miami Dolphins 1983-84 16
Pittsburgh Steelers 2004-05 16
*Active streak
MVP QBs: Last season, New England quarterback TOM BRADY was named the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable
Player after setting an NFL record with 50 touchdown passes. Brady, who led New England to Super Bowl XLII, hopes to
continue the success of MVP quarterbacks this Sunday. The past 10 QBs to be named the NFL MVP have posted a
passer rating of at least 88.5 on Kickoff Weekend the following season.
The past 10 MVP quarterbacks and their performances on Kickoff Weekend the following season:
NAME TEAM DATE ATT. COMP. PCT. YARDS TD INT RATING
Steve Young SF 9/3/95 27 21 77.8 260 2 0 131.5
Brett Favre GB 9/1/96 27 20 74.1 247 4 0 141.5
Brett Favre GB 9/1/97 22 15 68.2 226 2 1 113.1
Brett Favre GB 9/6/98 32 24 75.0 277 2 0 121.5
Kurt Warner StL 9/4/00 35 25 71.4 441 3 3 106.5
Kurt Warner StL 9/8/02 41 32 78.0 315 0 1 88.5
Rich Gannon Oak. 9/7/03 38 24 63.2 264 2 0 101.2
Peyton Manning Ind. 9/9/04 29 16 55.2 256 2 1 93.5
Steve McNair Ten. 9/11/04 14 9 64.3 73 1 0 101.2
Peyton Manning Ind. 9/11/05 36 21 58.3 254 2 0 98.6
-- KICKOFF 2008 WEEKEND --
THANK DEVIN: Chicago Bears return specialist DEVIN HESTER has scored 14 touchdowns (seven punt-return TDs,
four kickoff-return TDs, two receiving TDs and a missed-FG return TD) in his first two NFL seasons. The two-time All Star
averages 80.9 yards per touchdown, the highest such mark in NFL history (minimum 10 touchdowns).
The players with the highest yards-per-touchdown average in history (minimum 10 TDs):
PLAYER TEAM(S) TDs YARDS AVG.
Devin Hester Chicago 14 1,132 80.9*
Mel Gray NO, Detroit, Hou./Tenn., Philadelphia 10 781 78.1
Tamarick Vanover Kansas City, San Diego 11 757 68.8
Dante Hall Kansas City, St. Louis 21 1,438 68.5*
Deion Sanders Atlanta, SF, Dallas, Washington, Baltimore 22 1,461 66.4
*Active
Hester's 11 combined kick-return touchdowns (seven PR-TDs, four KR-TDs) already rank as the third most in history.
With another kick-return touchdown, Hester will tie DANTE HALL and ERIC METCALF (12) for second all-time, one
behind BRIAN MITCHELL's NFL mark (13).
The players with the most combined kick-return touchdowns in history:
PLAYER TEAM(S) YEARS PR-TDs KR-TDs COMBINED TDs
Brian Mitchell Washington, Philadelphia, NY Giants 1990-03 9 4 13
Dante Hall Kansas City, St. Louis 2000-07 6 6 12*
Eric Metcalf Cle., Atl., SD, Ari., Car., Was., GB 1989-02 10 2 12
Devin Hester Chicago 2006-07 7 4 11*
Three Tied -- -- -- -- 9
*Active
TDs FOR T.O.: Entering his 13th NFL season, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver TERRELL OWENS has 129 receiving
touchdowns, the third most in history. With two touchdowns this Sunday against Cleveland, Owens will move past CRIS
CARTER (130) into second place all-time in the category. Owens had two touchdowns on Kickoff Weekend last year and
has six receiving TDs in his past four openers.
The players with the most receiving touchdowns in NFL history:
PLAYER TEAM(S) YEARS REC. TDs
Jerry Rice SF, Oak., Sea. 1985-2004 197
Cris Carter Phi., Min., Mia. 1987-2002 130
Terrell Owens SF, Phi., Dal. 1996-Present 129*
Randy Moss Min., Oak., NE 1998-Present 124*
Marvin Harrison Indianapolis 1996-Present 123*
*Active