Sports Then and Now

The Saints’ offense, led by Jimmy Graham and Darren Sproles (43), has them off to a 4-0 start.

For the first time in 2013, the NFL traveled across the pond to Wembley Stadium in Week 4 for a matchup of a couple of surprise 0-3 teams and did not disappoint the locals. Also featured is Andrew Luck matching an impressive quarterback mark, a double-digit, fourth-quarter comeback in Houston, Denver scoring and then scoring some more and the Chiefs improving to 4-0. Perhaps more notably, the blue team in New York is now 0-4.

The 49ers and Rams began the week in an NFC West showdown on Thursday night and after two straight losses in Weeks 2 and 3, the Niners kept a three-game losing streak off of Jim Harbaugh’s resume with a 35-11 rout of St. Louis. Harbaugh has still never lost three in a row as 49ers head coach. The Rams finished the night with 18 total rushing yards on 19 attempts. They have now recorded less than 100 yards on the ground in nine straight games. Also, they were the first team since 2008 with 19-plus rush attempts and 18 or fewer yards. They were also the last team to do that. San Fran improved to 5-0 all-time when Colin Kaepernick throws two or more touchdown passes.

The Vikings scored a first-quarter touchdown for the eighth straight game as Christian Ponder connected with Greg Jennings from 70 yards out to help them get up, 10-0, on the Steelers in London. The eight straight with a touchdown in the first quarter is a team record for them. Pittsburgh is 0-4 for the first time since 1968. Jennings needs just two more 70-yard touchdown receptions to tie the all-time record of nine held by Jerry Rice.

Despite finally committing their first turnover of the season in their fourth game, the Chiefs remained perfect with a 31-7 win over the Giants. Last season, they committed 15 turnovers in their first four games.  After four weeks, Kansas City has twice as many wins as they had last year and are 4-0 for the first time since 2003. New York is 0-4 for the first time since 1987 and their minus-85 point differential is their worst ever four games into a season.

Jay Cutler heads off the field following a four-turnover performance in Sunday’s loss to the Lions.

Reggie Bush had 139 yards rushing as the Lions outlasted Chicago, 40-32. For Bush, it was the first time in his professional career that he had 100 rushing yards in the first half of a game. The teams combined to go 3-of-23 on third down in the game and Detroit tied Chicago atop the NFC North with the win as both teams are 3-1 after four weeks. The Bears turned the ball over a total of four times. Jay Cutler threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. Detroit’s 40 points were the most they have put up against Chicago since scoring 55 against them in 1997 – 27 of them came in the second quarter.

The Bills hung on to top the Ravens, 23-20, with the help of a career-high five interceptions from Joe Flacco. It was Buffalo’s first win against a defending Super Bowl champion since beating the Cowboys in 1996. They had lost seven straight such games.

Jake Locker threw three touchdown passes in the first half, matching his number of incompletions from the first two quarters as the Titans rolled to 3-1 with a 38-13 win over the Jets. Tennessee has not committed a turnover in their first four games, becoming only the second team in NFL history to do that (1995 Rams).

Luck threw for 260 yards and tied John Elway for the most wins by a quarterback drafted No. 1 overall in his first 20 career starts with win No. 14. The Colts dominated the Jaguars, 37-3. After getting out to a 3-0 lead, Jacksonville gave up 37 in a row and have managed just 31 points this season (7.75 ppg).

For the 10^th time in their history, the Bucs have started a season 0-4 as they fell to the Cardinals, 13-10. Their 10 0-4 starts tie the Bengals for the most by a team since the merger. They fell to the Cardinals, 13-10, in rookie Mike Glennon’s debut after they entered the fourth quarter up, 10-0. Jay Feely hit the winning field goal for Arizona with 1:29 left.

Russell Wilson celebrates a second-half touchdown, getting the Seahawks back in it.

After trailing by 14 points in the fourth quarter, the Seahawks came back from down 20-6 to beat the Texans in overtime. It was the first time in their history that they won a game in which they trailed by at least 14 entering the fourth. It is the fourth time since 2002 that Houston has lost a home game when leading by at least 14 in the fourth, according to Elias.

The Redskins finally got in the win column as they topped the Raiders in Oakland, 24-14. Robert Griffin III finished the game with a 38.1 quarterback rating and has now been under 50 in that category in all four of his starts this year. Washington sacked Matt Flynn seven times on 40 dropbacks – the second-highest sack percentage this season. They were the most sacks allowed by the Raiders since allowing nine in 2006. The Washington’s London Fletcher set a record for the most consecutive games played by a defensive player since the merger with his 244^th straight start.

This just in: the Broncos are good. Peyton Manning and his supporting cast put up 52 points on their way to dominating the Eagles, who fell to 1-3. Trindon Holliday also returned his fourth kick for a touchdown in his last five games dating back to 2012. Manning has thrown 16 touchdown passes through four games – an NFL record – and he has also tied the record for the most touchdown passes thrown without an interception to open a season. Denver’s 176 points scored through four games (44 points per game) are the second-most all-time to the 1966 Cowboys, who scored 183. The 52 points were the most the Eagles have given up since 1972 and the most the Broncos have ever scored in a game. Denver has won 15 straight regular-season games.

Dez Bryant had two TD catches, but the Cowboys fell to 1-6 in games when he finds the endzone twice as Philip Rivers led the Chargers to the 30-21 victory with three touchdown passes of his own. Sean Lee returned an interception for a touchdown in the second quarter, giving Dallas their third defensive TD of the season, which matched their total from all of last year. Rivers’ 56-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates was the tight end’s longest receiving touchdown since 2006. Rivers also set an NFL record with the highest completion percentage in a 400-yard passing game (83.3 percent).

Danny Woodhead hauls in one of his two touchdown receptions in San Diego’s 30-21 win over the Cowboys.

Tom Brady threw a touchdown pass in his 52^nd consecutive game – now two shy of tying the all-time record – and the Falcons have lost consecutive games for the first time since 2009 as the Patriots improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2007 with a 30-23 win on Sunday night. LeGarrette Blount’s 47-yard touchdown dash was the second-longest of his career (54). Matt Ryan completed only one pass on the night when targeting receivers covered by Aqib Talib, who also picked up his league-leading fourth interception. Ryan has now only lost six home games as a starting NFL quarterback.

On Monday night, Drew Brees had the Saints looking like they did in their pre-bounty suspension days as he won his ninth straight start on Monday Night Football, dominating the Dolphins, 38-17. His nine-game winning streak on Monday nights is tied for the third-best all-time. Darren Sproles had 114 receiving yards in the first half alone. Brees picked up his 21^st career four-touchdown game – the third-most all-time. Jimmy Graham became only the second tight end in league history to catch six touchdowns in the first four games of a season (Gates in 2010). New Orleans became the sixth team since 1990 to begin a season 4-0 after beginning the previous one 0-4.

Carolina and Green Bay had the week off. Through four weeks, four teams are winless: the Giants, Steelers, Bucs and Jags, while five teams remain perfect, including the Patriots, Seahawks, Broncos, Chiefs and Saints.

Some information taken from ESPN Stats & Info.

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