​THE WEEK THAT WAS – WEEK 9

SURGING SAINTS: The NEW ORLEANS SAINTS defeated Tampa Bay 30-10 last week to improve to 6-2.

The Saints, who have won six consecutive games after starting 0-2, are the third team in the Super Bowl era to win its next six games immediately following an 0-2 start. The other two teams to accomplish the feat – 1993 Dallas Cowboys and 2007 New York Giants – both won the Super Bowl in that season.

New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES completed 22 of 27 passes (81.5 percent) for 263 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 131.9 passer rating in the Saints’ win. Brees has 225 career passing touchdowns at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the most in NFL history by a quarterback at a single stadium.

The quarterbacks with the most touchdown passes at a single stadium in NFL history:

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YOUTH MOVEMENT: Philadelphia quarterback CARSON WENTZ passed for four touchdowns in the Eagles’ 51-23 win against Denver in Week 9. Wentz, who leads the NFL with 23 touchdown passes, has the most passing touchdowns by an Eagles quarterback through the team’s first nine games of a season, passing the mark set by Pro Football Hall of Famer NORM VAN BROCKLIN (20) in 1960.

Wentz, who is 24 years old, has the fourth-most touchdown passes in his team’s first nine games of a season by a quarterback at the age of 25 or younger.

The quarterbacks with the most touchdown passes in their team’s first nine games of a season at the age of 25 or younger:

Wentz is the only quarterback in NFL history at the age of 25 or younger with at least 20 touchdown passes (23) and five or fewer interceptions (five) in his team’s first nine games of a season.

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STAFFORD REACHES 200: Detroit quarterback MATTHEW STAFFORD completed 26 of 33 passes (78.8 percent) for 361 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 132.4 passer rating in the Lions’ 30-17 win at Green Bay on Monday Night Football.

Stafford, who is 29 years old, passed for his 200th and 201st career touchdowns on Monday night and became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to reach 200 career touchdown passes before his 30th birthday.

The quarterbacks in NFL history to reach 200 career passing touchdowns before the age of 30: ​

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AGELESS WONDER: Arizona running back ADRIAN PETERSON had a career-high 37 carries for 159 yards in the Cardinals’ 20-10 win at San Francisco in Week 9.

Peterson, who has 19 career games with at least 150 rushing yards, surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famers ERIC DICKERSON (18) and EMMITT SMITH (18) for the fourth-most games with at least 150 rushing yards in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers BARRY SANDERS (25), JIM BROWN (22) and WALTER PAYTON (20) have more such games in their careers.

The players with the most career games with at least 150 rushing yards in NFL history:

Peterson, who is 32 years old, is the third-oldest player in NFL history with at least 150 rushing yards in a game, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famers JOHN RIGGINS (35 years old, 165 rushing yards) and JOHN HENRY JOHNSON (34 years old, 200 rushing yards).

The oldest players with at least 150 rushing yards in a game in NFL history:

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MATTY ICE AT 150: Atlanta quarterback MATT RYAN passed for 313 yards with two touchdowns in the Falcons’ Week 9 loss at Carolina.

Ryan, who played his 150th career game on Sunday, has 39,858 career passing yards, the most by a player in NFL history in his first 150 games.

The quarterbacks with the most passing yards in their first 150 career games in NFL history:

Ryan’s 3,465 career completions are the second most in NFL history by a player in his first 150 career games, trailing only DREW BREES (3,494).

The quarterbacks with the most completions in their first 150 career games in NFL history:

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CLIMBING THE LEADERBOARDS: New York Giants quarterback ELI MANNING passed for 220 yards with two touchdowns in the team’s Week 9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Manning, who has 50,034 career passing yards in 14 seasons with the Giants, became the seventh quarterback in NFL history with at least 50,000 passing yards.

The quarterbacks with at least 50,000 passing yards in NFL history:

Arizona wide receiver LARRY FITZGERALD had five catches for 70 yards in the Cardinals’ 20-10 victory at San Francisco last week.

Fitzgerald, who has 14,953 career receiving yards in 14 seasons with the Cardinals, surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer TIM BROWN (14,934) for the sixth-most receiving yards in NFL history.

The players with the most career receiving yards in NFL history:

Indianapolis kicker ADAM VINATIERI converted both of his field-goal attempts, including a 53-yarder, and both extra-point attempts in the Colts’ 20-14 win at Houston in Week 9.

Vinatieri, who has 2,442 career points, surpassed GARY ANDERSON (2,434) for the second-most points scored in NFL history.

The players with the most points scored in NFL history:

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RISING ROOKIES: Through the first nine weeks of the season, rookies have accumulated 12,146 yards from scrimmage, the second-highest total by rookies through Week 9 since 1970.

The seasons with the most yards from scrimmage by rookies through Week 9 since 1970 (excluding 1987 season):

The rookies with the most scrimmage yards in 2017:

Rookies have also totaled 91 touchdowns through Week 9, the second-most through the first nine weeks of a season since 1970.

The seasons with the most touchdowns by rookies through Week 9 since 1970 (excluding 1987 season):

The rookies with the most touchdowns in 2017: