What To Look For – NFL Week 11

THE 10-0 CLUB: With a victory Sunday over Jacksonville, the Tennessee Titans can boost their record to 10-0. Prior to this season, 23 teams had posted 9-0 records, with five of them losing in their 10th games. Of the 23, only four finished the regular season undefeated and untied – the 1934 and 1942 Chicago Bears, 1972 Miami Dolphins and 2007 New England Patriots.

This marks the fourth consecutive season in which at least one team has reached the 9-0 benchmark – the longest such streak in NFL history.

The 23 teams to reach 9-0 in the regular season and their eventual records:

HOME SWEET HOME: The four NFC South teams have a combined home record of 17-1 (.944) in 2008. If Carolina (5-0), Tampa Bay (4-0), Atlanta (4-0), and New Orleans (4-1) maintain this pace, the 2008 NFC South will surpass the 2003 NFC West (.813) for the highest combined home winning percentage of any division since 1970.

With 14 NFC South home games remaining, the division must combine for 10 wins in those contests to set the record at .844 (27-5).

One of the Saints’ home games was at London’s Wembley Stadium, a 37-32 victory over San Diego on October 26.

Three NFC South clubs will seek to continue their success at home in Week 11, with Atlanta hosting Denver, Carolina facing Detroit, and Tampa Bay taking on Minnesota.

The divisions with the highest combined home winning percentage in a season (since 1970):

BELIEVE IN NOW: Both the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens have posted 6-3 (.667) records this season with a rookie head coach and rookie quarterback leading the way.

Atlanta hired head coach MIKE SMITH early this year and then picked MATT RYAN with the No. 3 overall choice in the 2008 NFL Draft, while Baltimore selected JOE FLACCO at No. 18 after naming JOHN HARBAUGH head coach.

Each team this week can match the 1995 Carolina Panthers, whose seven wins were the most by an NFL team with a first-time head coach and rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era (since 1966). In Carolina’s inaugural 1995 season, head coach DOM CAPERS chose rookie KERRY COLLINS (No. 5 overall) – who has quarterbacked Tennessee to a 9-0 record this season – to lead the Panthers.

The rookie head coach/rookie QB combinations to lead their teams to the most victories (since 1966):

TRIO OF TIGHT ENDS CHASING HISTORY: Tight end ANTONIO GATES of the San Diego Chargers can reach a milestone for his position this week.

With 49 touchdown receptions in 86 career games, Gates can reach 50 TD catches faster than any tight end in history. Former Washington tight end JERRY SMITH is one of only six tight ends with 50 career touchdowns, and he reached the milestone in an NFL-record 100 games.

The six tight ends with 50 career touchdown receptions and the number of games it took each to reach the mark:

Two more standout NFL tight ends – New Orleans’ JEREMY SHOCKEY and Dallas’ JASON WITTEN – are also approaching notable benchmarks. Shockey (395 receptions in 89 games) and Witten (394 receptions in 88 games) each has a chance this week to reach 400 catches in the second fewest games in history, behind only Pro Football Hall of Famer KELLEN WINSLOW (72 games).

The five tight ends to reach 400 career receptions in the fewest games:

QUITE A RUN: The NFL’s top two rushing teams over the past five seasons will meet in Week 11 when Atlanta hosts Denver. Since 2004, the Falcons rank first in the category with 11,097 rush yards (152.0 per game). Denver ranks second with 9,946 yards (136.2 per game).

The NFL’s top five teams in rushing yards since 2004:

STOVER’S STREAK STILL ALIVE & KICKING: If he converts his next extra point attempt, Baltimore Ravens kicker MATT STOVER, who has made 371 consecutive PATs, will set the NFL record for the most consecutive extra points made, breaking his tie with JASON ELAM and JEFF WILKINS.

The most consecutive extra points made in history:

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