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Monday, September 26

7 Awesome Stats from NFL Week 3

Week 3 of the NFL season has nearly come and gone. Let's look back at 7 feats of statistical awesomeness.

1. The Buffalo Bills erased a 21-0 deficit to defeat New England 34-31. Last week, the Bills recorded a 38-35 win over Oakland after trailing 21-3. Buffalo is the first team in NFL history to win consecutive games in which it trailed by at least 18 points in each contest.

In addition to the Bills’ comeback, the Detroit Lions rallied from a 20-0 deficit to defeat Minnesota 26-23 in overtime. It marked the first time since September 12, 1999 that two teams overcame 20+ point deficits on the same day.
2. New England quarterback Tom Brady passed for 387 yards at Buffalo. Brady has passed for 1,327 yards in the first three weeks (517 yards in Week 1, 423 yards in Week 2), the most ever by a player in any three-week span in a single season. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees held the previous mark of 1,257 yards in 2006.
 
3. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees passed for 370 yards and three touchdowns in the Saints’ 40-33 win over Houston. Brees is the fourth player in NFL history to throw a touchdown pass in 30 consecutive games and tied Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino for the third-longest streak all-time. Pro Football Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas (47 consecutive games) and Brett Favre (36) hold the two longest such streaks.
 
4. Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson had seven catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns in the Lions’ 26-23 overtime win at Minnesota. Johnson is the first player in NFL history to have at least two receiving touchdowns in each of a team’s first three games of a season.
 
5. New York Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson had an 18-yard touchdown reception at Oakland. LT has 160 career touchdowns and joined Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (208) and Emmitt Smith (175) as the only players in NFL history to score 160 total touchdowns.
 
6.  Baltimore rookie wide receiver Torrey Smith had three touchdown receptions (74, 41 and 18 yards) in the first quarter of the Ravens’ 37-7 win at St. Louis. Smith is the first rookie in NFL history with three touchdown receptions in the first quarter of a game. 

7. Although Week 3 isn't completely over, there have been 33 individual 300-yard passing performances this season, including 10 on Sunday. That total is the most through the first three weeks of a season in NFL history.  The previous record was 21 individual 300-yard passing games through the first three weeks of the 2009 season.