Drew Brees and Tom Brady are leading NFL quarterbacks on a record-setting pace this season.
New Orleans Saints star Brees has 11 300-yard passing games in 2011, the most in a single season. There have been 105 300-yard passing performances this year, the most collectively in a season — with two weeks remaining on the schedule.
Brees threw for 412 yards in Sunday’s win at Minnesota. He went over 40,000 yards passing for his career and became the first quarterback to top 350 yards passing in a game seven times in one season.
“I’m as comfortable now in this offense as I’ve ever been,” Brees said.
New England’s Brady threw for two TDs in a win at Denver and has 35 touchdowns passing in 2011. He joins Brett Favre as the only quarterbacks with at least 35 TD passes in three seasons.
NOW YOU SEE IT
Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski has a bag full of tricks and he’s not afraid to use them – even if it means borrowing a play from a kids’ movie.
With Cam Newton under center, Chudzinski is finding fun news ways to use the talented rookie’s athleticism to his advantage.
The latest twist was borrowing a hidden-ball trick very loosely adapted from a play called “the annexation of Puerto Rico” from the 1994 movie the “Little Giants” to help the Panthers beat the Texans, 28-13. The play resulted in a 7-yard touchdown run by fullback Richie Brockel and landed the Panthers on highlight reels across the country.
And it had the Texans chasing an empty-handed Newton, who sold the play perfectly.
“When we put that play in, I never thought in a million years that that play was going to work, let alone get a touchdown,” said Panthers wide receiver Brandon LaFell.
TEBOW RATES HIGH
The matchup of Tim Tebow’s Denver Broncos and Brady’s Patriots gave CBS its best preliminary rating for a regular-season game in more than four years.
Sunday’s game in Denver, which the Patriots won, 41-23, was seen in an average of 19.5 percent of homes in the top 56 U.S. television markets, the most since a Patriots-Indianapolis Colts game in November 2007 drew a 22.5 metered-market rating, the CBS network said.
EXTRA POINTS
Bears receiver Johnny Knox was placed on injured reserve and will miss the rest of the season after undergoing back surgery. Knox was taken from the field on a cart early in Sunday’s blowout loss to Seattle and had surgery a day later to stabilize a vertebra in his lower to mid back. … Patriots defensive end Andre Carter is not expected to play again this season, with the team planning to place him on injured reserve, league sources said. Carter is expected to undergo surgery for a “quad-related injury” suffered in Sunday’s victory over the Broncos. … Vikings left guard Steve Hutchinson is recovering from a concussion. Hutchinson got hurt Sunday against New Orleans. The former Seahawks lineman must pass the league’s required protocol this week to be cleared to return. … Tests revealed the discomfort Falcons coach Mike Smith felt in his chest following the Falcons’ win Sunday was not heart-related.
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