NFL WEEK 10: WHAT TO LOOK FOR

IT’S HOW YOU FINISH: Since 2000, 29 teams have reached the halfway point of the season with a .500 or below winning percentage and made the playoffs, including at least one in every season. 

Over the past five seasons, 12 teams started 4-4 or worse and rebounded to qualify for the playoffs. Seven of those teams, including the 2011 Denver Broncos, won at least one playoff game.

The teams in the past five seasons (2007-2011) that started the season at .500 or below through eight games and earned a playoff berth:

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FALCONS AIMING HIGH: Atlanta is 8-0 for the first time in franchise history and is the last remaining unbeaten team in the NFL.

With a victory Sunday over New Orleans, the Falcons would become the ninth team since realignment in 2002 to begin a season 9-0. Of the eight teams since 2002 to start 9-0, four went on to play in the Super Bowl and two (2006 Indianapolis and 2009 New Orleans) won it.

The teams to begin a season 9-0 since realignment in 2002:

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MANNING MOVING UP: This season, Denver quarterback PEYTON MANNING has completed 203 of 292 passes (69.5 percent) for 2,404 yards with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions for a league-leading 108.6 passer rating. Manning has thrown 419 touchdown passes in his career, including at least three in each of his past five games.

With two touchdown passes this weekend at Carolina, Manning would surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (420) for the second-most touchdown passes in NFL annals. BRETT FAVRE holds the record with 508.

The players with the most touchdown passes in NFL history:

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Manning has led Denver to a 5-3 record, good for first place in the AFC West. With a victory this Sunday, Manning would notch the 147th win of his career, tying Marino for the third-most regular-season wins as a starter.

The quarterbacks with the most regular-season wins as a starter in NFL history:

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300 CLUB: With 300 passing yards this weekend, three quarterbacks would reach milestones:

• Indianapolis rookie quarterback ANDREW LUCK (four) would surpass PEYTON MANNING (four, 1998) for the most 300-yard passing games ever by a rookie.

• New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES (62) would tie Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (63) for the second-most 300-yard passing games in NFL history.

• New England quarterback TOM BRADY (50) would tie Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN FOUTS (51) for the sixth-most 300-yard passing games in league annals.

The players with the most 300-yard passing games in NFL history:

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TONY FOR 100: Atlanta tight end TONY GONZALEZ has 50 catches for 495 yards and four touchdowns this season for the 8-0 Falcons.

With one touchdown reception against New Orleans this weekend, Gonzalez would record his 100th career touchdown catch and become the first tight end and eighth player overall to accomplish the feat.

The players with 100 career touchdown receptions:

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BE-WARE: Dallas linebacker DE MARCUS WARE has recorded nine sacks this season to bring his career total to 108.5.

Ware has recorded at least 10 sacks in every season since 2006 and has an NFL-best 100.5 from 2006 through Week 9 this year. With a sack this weekend when the Cowboys visit Philadelphia, he would record his seventh-consecutive 10+ sack season and tie Pro Football Hall of Famers LAWRENCE TAYLOR and BRUCE SMITH for the third-longest such streak since the sack became an official statistic in 1982.

The most consecutive seasons of 10 or more sacks (since 1982):

                                    *Needs one sack to reach 10 this season