Week 1 NFL Notes
Seattle Seahawks at New Orleans Saints
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Seahawks
-team has worst winning % (.286) in NFL in openers as they have won only 8 of their 28 openers (8-20)
-QB Matt Hasselbeck set club record with 3,841 passing yards in ?03, earning 1st trip to Pro Bowl. Since becoming starting QB in ?01, has thrown 33 TDs vs. 1 INT in red zone
-team is 7-2-1 ATS in last 10 games played
-under is 8-2-1 in last 11 September games.
-Mike Holmgren is 4-0 in his career vs Saints
Saints
-team have won five of their past six home openers.
-team is 11-28 in history in openers, 2nd worst winning % in NFL
-QB Aaron Brooks is the only player in Saints history with three consecutive 20 TD-pass seasons. He enters the year with a streak of 232 consecutive passes without an interception, the longest active streak in the NFL.
-home team is 4-0 ATS in last 4 meetings between clubs.
Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Bengals
-QB Carson Palmer will make his 1st NFL start.
-team has not scored more than 14 points in last 4 meetings vs Jets
-club posted NFL-best 6-win improvement in 2003 (8-8, .500) vs. 2002 (2-14, .125).
-RB Rudi Johnson became 1st Bengal to record 150+ rush yards in 3 games during same season in ?03 & did not fumble in 215 carries.
-team is 2-6 ATS in last 8 September games,
Jets
- team opens the season at home for just the 12th time in the club?s 45-year history.
-when passing inside the red zone, Chad Pennington has 27 TDs vs. 0 INTs for a 64.8 completion percentage, the NFL?s top such mark since 2002. In 21 career starts, he has passed for more TDs than INTs in 15 games while throwing more INTs than TDs in only one game.
-team has won the past 4 meetings and is 5-1 ATS in last 6 meetings
-team is 6-16 ATS in last 22 meetings vs AFC North teams
Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Cards
-for the 16th time in the past 17 years they have opened on the road.
-head coach Dennis Green joins club after leading Vikings to playoffs 8 times from 92-01
-team is 3-13 ATS in last 16 game played on road and 1-6 ATS in last 7 played on turf.
-RB Emmitt Smith has 76 career 100-yard rushing games & seeks 1st vs. Rams. Needs 100-yard game to tie Walter Payton (77) for most 100-yard rushing games in NFL history
-TE Freddie Jones led NFC TEs in ?03 with 55 receptions (517 yards). Has 359 career catches, 3rd-most among active TE?s.
Rams
-QB Marc Bulger has a career 18-4 record as the starter; has won 13 consecutive home games, 3rd-longest such streak to start career since 1970
-team has won the past 4 meetings and have scored an average of 31 points in those 4 meetings.
-in 2 meetings last season, WR Torry Holt had 21 rec. and 278 yds receiving and 1 TD
-the offense totaled 817 yards in the 2 meetings vs Cards in 2003 season. (401, 416)
-RB Marshall Faulk has 131 career TDs & needs 1 to pass Cris Carter (131) for sole possession of 4th place all-time. Faulk has 97 career rushing TDs & needs 3 to become 6th player in NFL history with 100
Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Titans
-QB Steve McNair was the NFL?s best passer on third down last season with a 117.7 passer rating. McNair was named 2003 AP co-MVP & was Pro Bowl starter. Led NFL with 100.4 passer rating & was 1 of only 2 QBs to produce TD in every game played (Favre). Was 1st QB since 1995 to average 8+ yards per attempt (8.04). Posted 129.1 passer rating in victory over Miami last year
-team defeated Miami 31-7 last season
-Head coach Jeff Fisher has 56 regular-season wins over past 5 years, most in NFL
-Offense scored franchise-record 435 points last year
-RB Chris Brown makes 1st NFL start
-defense ranked 1st against run (80.9 yards/game) & held Miami to 59 rush yards.
Dolphins
-since the 1970 merger, the team is 29-5 (.853) in home openers, the best mark in the NFL during that time and have won 11 of their past 12 openers.
-team has won 5 of the past 6 meetings vs Titans
-WR Chris Chambers led AFC with 11 rec. TDs last year, most by Dolphin since 1991.
-QB Jay Fiedler is 36-17 (.679) as NFL starter and will start over AJ Feeley
-defense allowed AFC 2nd-best 261 points & 26 TDs. Team has won 14 of past 15 when CB Patrick Surtain has INT.
-team had 5 turnovers in meeting last season vs Titans
-team is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 home games
Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Raiders
-team is 27-6-1 (.809) in home openers since 1970.
-only 4th time since 1981 that Oakland has played in Pittsburgh, however, teams have now played in Pittsburgh 3 consecutive years.
-Norv Turner makes Raider debut as head coach
-team is 5-18 ATS in last 23 games vs AFC North opponents.
-under is 10-4 in last 14 games as the underdog
Steelers
-QB Tommy Maddox has more career 300-yard passing games (6) than any Steelers QB in club history.
-team has won 4 of the past 5 meetings. And have averaged 23 points/game in those meetings.
-team is 8-1 ATS in last 9 at home when the total is between 38.5-42 pts.
-RB Jerome Bettis recorded his 1st 100 yd game of season vs Raiders (wk 14)
-RB Duce Staley ranked #1 in NFL in yards-per-touch in 2003 (6.4)
-in past 3 Kickoff Weekends, WR Hines Ward has no fewer than 7 rec. and 82 rec. yds. --in last meeting, defense did not allow Raiders 1 snap inside Steelers? 20
San Diego Chargers at Houston Texans
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Chargers
-Drew Brees will start for team and Doug Flutie will be backup.
-Marty Schottenheimer needs 1 win for 170 and 8th place moving past Paul Brown
-RB La Dainian Tomlinson is only player in NFL history to post 100 catches & 1,000 rush yards in same season. Also led AFC in receptions. He led NFL with 2,370 scrimmage yards in 2003 (1,645 rush, 725 rec), 2nd-most in NFL history.
-defense held Texans QB Carr to 8.2 passer rating (6 of 25, 87 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs) & posted 9 sacks in only meeting. SD held Houston to 3 points, 118 yards & 7 1st downs.
Texans
- team have never lost an opener in the franchise?s history (2-0).
-RB Domanick Davis led NFL rookies with 1,031 rushing yards. Set 16 team rushing records in 2003
-LB Jamie Sharper led NFL with 195 tackles & had team-best 4.0 sacks & 3 forced fumbles. Aims for 6th consecutive 100-tackle season.
-team is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games played in regular season
Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Jags
-have won six of their past eight openers for an AFC-best 6-3 (.667) opening-game record (minimum five games).
-team is 3-1 on the road in openers
-RB Fred Taylor rushed for career-best 1,572 yards in ?03 & ran for 71 yards on 14 carries (5.1 avg.) vs. Bills last season
-defense surrendered 2003 NFL-low 3.2 yards per carry & ranked No. 2 in NFL vs. run overall (87.9 yds/game)
-under is 6-1 in last 7 games played overall
Bills
-since joining the team in 2002, Drew Bledsoe has started all 32 games for the Bills ? the longest such streak by a Bills QB since Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly?s?s 46 from 1992-94.
-team has won the past 3 meetings vs Jags and covered all 3.
-team led AFC in total defense last season (269.6)
-Mike Mularkey makes NFL debut as head coach
-in 3 career games vs. Jaguars, QB Drew Bledsoe has thrown 5 TDs vs. 1 INT and has 104.0 passer rating. Threw for season-high 314 yards vs. Jax in ?03 (wk 2)
-team is 1-10 ATS in last 11 when the total is set at 35 pts or less.
-under is 13-1 in last 14 games overall.
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Lions
-QB Joey Harrington endured only a sack per 57.8 career attempts, the best sack-per-pass-attempt ratio in NFL history.
-team has lost 24 consecutive road games, an NFL record
-team was last in NFL in total offense in 2003 season (266.4)
-team is 3-1 ATS in last 4 meetings (2-2 SU)
-under is 4-1 in last 5 meetings
Bears
-team has won 5 of the past 7 meetings vs Lions.
-team finished preseason with +6 turnover ratio, tied for 2nd-best in NFL
-RB Thomas Jones joins club from TB. Has increased rushing yards & avg. per carry in each of past 3 years.
-DE Adewale Ogunleye has 32 sacks in 39 career games, was traded to Bears from Dolphins for Marty Booker
-team is 1-6 ATS in last 7 played on grass
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Ravens
-RB Jamal Lewis set NFL record for most rush yds in season vs. 1 team in ?03 (500 vs. Cle) & posted 2nd-most single-season rushing yds in league annals w/ 2,066 (Eric Dickerson, 2,105, 1984). Wk 2- 30-295, 2 TD?s, wk 15- 22-205, 2 TD?s.
-Ray Lewis led NFL LBs w/ 6 INTs last season & is tied for club?s all-time INT lead (20).
-game marks Ravens debut & NFL return for 8-time NFL All-Star CB Deion Sanders
-K Matt Stover was 2nd in AFC in scoring with 134 points.
-team outscored Browns 68-13 last season in 2 meetings. Over is 5-2 in last 7 meetings
Browns
-team has lost their last 6 openers, longest active streak in NFL.
-no QB in Browns history has thrown for more TDs in a single season than Garcia did for San Francisco in 2000 (31) and 2001 (32).
-team opens season at home for 6th consecutive year.
-QB Jeff Garcia makes Cleveland debut. Ranks 4th all-time w/ 88.3 career NFL passer rating (min. 1,500 att.).
-red zone defense ranked No. 3 in NFL; 18 TDs in 48 trips (37.5 pct.) in 2003 season
Seattle Seahawks at New Orleans Saints
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Seahawks
-team has worst winning % (.286) in NFL in openers as they have won only 8 of their 28 openers (8-20)
-QB Matt Hasselbeck set club record with 3,841 passing yards in ?03, earning 1st trip to Pro Bowl. Since becoming starting QB in ?01, has thrown 33 TDs vs. 1 INT in red zone
-team is 7-2-1 ATS in last 10 games played
-under is 8-2-1 in last 11 September games.
-Mike Holmgren is 4-0 in his career vs Saints
Saints
-team have won five of their past six home openers.
-team is 11-28 in history in openers, 2nd worst winning % in NFL
-QB Aaron Brooks is the only player in Saints history with three consecutive 20 TD-pass seasons. He enters the year with a streak of 232 consecutive passes without an interception, the longest active streak in the NFL.
-home team is 4-0 ATS in last 4 meetings between clubs.
Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Bengals
-QB Carson Palmer will make his 1st NFL start.
-team has not scored more than 14 points in last 4 meetings vs Jets
-club posted NFL-best 6-win improvement in 2003 (8-8, .500) vs. 2002 (2-14, .125).
-RB Rudi Johnson became 1st Bengal to record 150+ rush yards in 3 games during same season in ?03 & did not fumble in 215 carries.
-team is 2-6 ATS in last 8 September games,
Jets
- team opens the season at home for just the 12th time in the club?s 45-year history.
-when passing inside the red zone, Chad Pennington has 27 TDs vs. 0 INTs for a 64.8 completion percentage, the NFL?s top such mark since 2002. In 21 career starts, he has passed for more TDs than INTs in 15 games while throwing more INTs than TDs in only one game.
-team has won the past 4 meetings and is 5-1 ATS in last 6 meetings
-team is 6-16 ATS in last 22 meetings vs AFC North teams
Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Cards
-for the 16th time in the past 17 years they have opened on the road.
-head coach Dennis Green joins club after leading Vikings to playoffs 8 times from 92-01
-team is 3-13 ATS in last 16 game played on road and 1-6 ATS in last 7 played on turf.
-RB Emmitt Smith has 76 career 100-yard rushing games & seeks 1st vs. Rams. Needs 100-yard game to tie Walter Payton (77) for most 100-yard rushing games in NFL history
-TE Freddie Jones led NFC TEs in ?03 with 55 receptions (517 yards). Has 359 career catches, 3rd-most among active TE?s.
Rams
-QB Marc Bulger has a career 18-4 record as the starter; has won 13 consecutive home games, 3rd-longest such streak to start career since 1970
-team has won the past 4 meetings and have scored an average of 31 points in those 4 meetings.
-in 2 meetings last season, WR Torry Holt had 21 rec. and 278 yds receiving and 1 TD
-the offense totaled 817 yards in the 2 meetings vs Cards in 2003 season. (401, 416)
-RB Marshall Faulk has 131 career TDs & needs 1 to pass Cris Carter (131) for sole possession of 4th place all-time. Faulk has 97 career rushing TDs & needs 3 to become 6th player in NFL history with 100
Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Titans
-QB Steve McNair was the NFL?s best passer on third down last season with a 117.7 passer rating. McNair was named 2003 AP co-MVP & was Pro Bowl starter. Led NFL with 100.4 passer rating & was 1 of only 2 QBs to produce TD in every game played (Favre). Was 1st QB since 1995 to average 8+ yards per attempt (8.04). Posted 129.1 passer rating in victory over Miami last year
-team defeated Miami 31-7 last season
-Head coach Jeff Fisher has 56 regular-season wins over past 5 years, most in NFL
-Offense scored franchise-record 435 points last year
-RB Chris Brown makes 1st NFL start
-defense ranked 1st against run (80.9 yards/game) & held Miami to 59 rush yards.
Dolphins
-since the 1970 merger, the team is 29-5 (.853) in home openers, the best mark in the NFL during that time and have won 11 of their past 12 openers.
-team has won 5 of the past 6 meetings vs Titans
-WR Chris Chambers led AFC with 11 rec. TDs last year, most by Dolphin since 1991.
-QB Jay Fiedler is 36-17 (.679) as NFL starter and will start over AJ Feeley
-defense allowed AFC 2nd-best 261 points & 26 TDs. Team has won 14 of past 15 when CB Patrick Surtain has INT.
-team had 5 turnovers in meeting last season vs Titans
-team is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 home games
Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Raiders
-team is 27-6-1 (.809) in home openers since 1970.
-only 4th time since 1981 that Oakland has played in Pittsburgh, however, teams have now played in Pittsburgh 3 consecutive years.
-Norv Turner makes Raider debut as head coach
-team is 5-18 ATS in last 23 games vs AFC North opponents.
-under is 10-4 in last 14 games as the underdog
Steelers
-QB Tommy Maddox has more career 300-yard passing games (6) than any Steelers QB in club history.
-team has won 4 of the past 5 meetings. And have averaged 23 points/game in those meetings.
-team is 8-1 ATS in last 9 at home when the total is between 38.5-42 pts.
-RB Jerome Bettis recorded his 1st 100 yd game of season vs Raiders (wk 14)
-RB Duce Staley ranked #1 in NFL in yards-per-touch in 2003 (6.4)
-in past 3 Kickoff Weekends, WR Hines Ward has no fewer than 7 rec. and 82 rec. yds. --in last meeting, defense did not allow Raiders 1 snap inside Steelers? 20
San Diego Chargers at Houston Texans
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Chargers
-Drew Brees will start for team and Doug Flutie will be backup.
-Marty Schottenheimer needs 1 win for 170 and 8th place moving past Paul Brown
-RB La Dainian Tomlinson is only player in NFL history to post 100 catches & 1,000 rush yards in same season. Also led AFC in receptions. He led NFL with 2,370 scrimmage yards in 2003 (1,645 rush, 725 rec), 2nd-most in NFL history.
-defense held Texans QB Carr to 8.2 passer rating (6 of 25, 87 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs) & posted 9 sacks in only meeting. SD held Houston to 3 points, 118 yards & 7 1st downs.
Texans
- team have never lost an opener in the franchise?s history (2-0).
-RB Domanick Davis led NFL rookies with 1,031 rushing yards. Set 16 team rushing records in 2003
-LB Jamie Sharper led NFL with 195 tackles & had team-best 4.0 sacks & 3 forced fumbles. Aims for 6th consecutive 100-tackle season.
-team is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games played in regular season
Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Jags
-have won six of their past eight openers for an AFC-best 6-3 (.667) opening-game record (minimum five games).
-team is 3-1 on the road in openers
-RB Fred Taylor rushed for career-best 1,572 yards in ?03 & ran for 71 yards on 14 carries (5.1 avg.) vs. Bills last season
-defense surrendered 2003 NFL-low 3.2 yards per carry & ranked No. 2 in NFL vs. run overall (87.9 yds/game)
-under is 6-1 in last 7 games played overall
Bills
-since joining the team in 2002, Drew Bledsoe has started all 32 games for the Bills ? the longest such streak by a Bills QB since Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly?s?s 46 from 1992-94.
-team has won the past 3 meetings vs Jags and covered all 3.
-team led AFC in total defense last season (269.6)
-Mike Mularkey makes NFL debut as head coach
-in 3 career games vs. Jaguars, QB Drew Bledsoe has thrown 5 TDs vs. 1 INT and has 104.0 passer rating. Threw for season-high 314 yards vs. Jax in ?03 (wk 2)
-team is 1-10 ATS in last 11 when the total is set at 35 pts or less.
-under is 13-1 in last 14 games overall.
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Lions
-QB Joey Harrington endured only a sack per 57.8 career attempts, the best sack-per-pass-attempt ratio in NFL history.
-team has lost 24 consecutive road games, an NFL record
-team was last in NFL in total offense in 2003 season (266.4)
-team is 3-1 ATS in last 4 meetings (2-2 SU)
-under is 4-1 in last 5 meetings
Bears
-team has won 5 of the past 7 meetings vs Lions.
-team finished preseason with +6 turnover ratio, tied for 2nd-best in NFL
-RB Thomas Jones joins club from TB. Has increased rushing yards & avg. per carry in each of past 3 years.
-DE Adewale Ogunleye has 32 sacks in 39 career games, was traded to Bears from Dolphins for Marty Booker
-team is 1-6 ATS in last 7 played on grass
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns
Sunday Sept. 12- 1:00 ET
Ravens
-RB Jamal Lewis set NFL record for most rush yds in season vs. 1 team in ?03 (500 vs. Cle) & posted 2nd-most single-season rushing yds in league annals w/ 2,066 (Eric Dickerson, 2,105, 1984). Wk 2- 30-295, 2 TD?s, wk 15- 22-205, 2 TD?s.
-Ray Lewis led NFL LBs w/ 6 INTs last season & is tied for club?s all-time INT lead (20).
-game marks Ravens debut & NFL return for 8-time NFL All-Star CB Deion Sanders
-K Matt Stover was 2nd in AFC in scoring with 134 points.
-team outscored Browns 68-13 last season in 2 meetings. Over is 5-2 in last 7 meetings
Browns
-team has lost their last 6 openers, longest active streak in NFL.
-no QB in Browns history has thrown for more TDs in a single season than Garcia did for San Francisco in 2000 (31) and 2001 (32).
-team opens season at home for 6th consecutive year.
-QB Jeff Garcia makes Cleveland debut. Ranks 4th all-time w/ 88.3 career NFL passer rating (min. 1,500 att.).
-red zone defense ranked No. 3 in NFL; 18 TDs in 48 trips (37.5 pct.) in 2003 season
