TheSTN – NFL: The Week That Was… Week 3

THREE FOR 3-0 – Three NFL teams – Arizona, Atlanta and Houston – are undefeated through Week 3.  Since 1990, 75.7 percent of teams (84 of 111) that started 3-0 made the playoffs.

With a 27-6 win over Philadelphia, Arizona improved to 3-0 for the first time since 1974. Dating back to last season, Arizona has won 10 of its past 12 games.

The Falcons and Texans both claimed their second road victory of the season in Week 3. Atlanta, which won 27-3 at San Diego, started 3-0 for the first time since 2004 (4-0 start), while Houston reached 3-0 for the first time in franchise history with a 31-25 win at Denver.

IT’S STILL EARLY: In the first three weeks of 2012, 30 of the 32 clubs (93.8 percent) earned one or more wins, including 27 (84.4 percent) which own a 2-1 or 1-2 record. Both are the highest such totals in a season through three games since realignment in 2002.

The most teams with at least one win and the most with a 2-1 or 1-2 record through three games since 2002:

SCORES GALORE: NFL teams scored 731 points in Week 3 to bring the season total to 2,287 points, the most scored in any three-week span of an NFL season.  Teams combined to score more than 725 points in three consecutive weeks (791, Week 1; 765, Week 2) for the second time in NFL history (Weeks 10-12, 2010) and the only time to begin a season.

The most points scored in three consecutive weeks and through the first three weeks of an NFL season:

LEAD MANNING: Denver quarterback PEYTON MANNING passed for 330 yards in the Broncos’ 31-25 loss to Houston. The performance marked Manning’s 64th career 300-yard game, passing Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback DAN MARINO (63) for the most in NFL history.

The quarterbacks with the most career 300-yard passing games:

FINE FINISHES: Three games – Detroit at Tennessee (Titans win, 44-41), Kansas City at New Orleans (Chiefs win, 27-24) and the New York Jets at Miami (Jets win, 23-20) – were decided in overtime. It marked the first day with three overtime games since November 7, 2010. The NFL record for the most overtime games in a single day is four.

All three games featured scores in the final 16 seconds of the fourth quarter to force overtime. The Lions, who trailed the Titans 41-27, became the first team in NFL history to score two touchdowns in the final 18 seconds of regulation to either take the lead or force overtime. Detroit quarterback SHAUN HILL threw a three-yard touchdown pass to CALVIN JOHNSON with 18 seconds remaining and then connected withTITUS YOUNG on a 46-yard TD as time expired to force overtime.

In addition to the overtime games, two kickers converted game-winning field goals on the final play of regulation last week. Oakland kicker SEBASTIAN JANIKOWSKI made a 43-yard field goal as time expired to give the Raiders a 34-31 win over Pittsburgh, while Baltimore rookie kicker JUSTIN TUCKER converted a 27-yard attempt as the game ended to lift the Ravens to a 31-30 victory over New England on Sunday Night Football.

THURSDAY NIGHT NOTES: Notes from the New York Giants’ 36-7 win at Carolina on NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football:

Carolina’s CAM NEWTON registered his 16th career rushing touchdown on a one-yard run in the third quarter, surpassing STEVE GROGAN (15, 1975-76) for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in his first two seasons.

With his fourth-quarter interception, New York linebacker MICHAEL BOLEY became the fourth NFL linebacker since 1970 to record at least one interception in each of his team’s first three games of a season. He joins Green Bay’s JOHN ANDERSON (1978), Tampa Bay’s DERRICK BROOKS (2002) and Oakland’s KIRK MORRISON (2007).

Boley is the first Giants player to accomplish the feat since cornerback TERRY JACKSON in 1978.