NEW YORK – Tom Brady has fueled a record start by NFL quarterbacks and might make more history this weekend.

Brady, a two-time NFL MVP for the New England Patriots, and Cam Newton, the league’s No. 1 draft pick this year by the Carolina Panthers, can become the first players to pass for more than 400 yards in three consecutive games.

They already are among just seven quarterbacks who have thrown for 400 yards in back-to-back starts and the first duo to do it in the same season.

The NFL’s 15,711 passing yards are the most through the first two weeks of a season, and teams have scored a record 1,502 points and 172 touchdowns.

“Offense is about everybody really being on the same page,” said Brady, who will lead the Patriots against the Buffalo Bills in a battle of unbeaten teams on Sunday.

Brian Billick, the Super Bowl-winning former coach of the Baltimore Ravens and now an analyst for Fox Sports and the NFL Network, said the unprecedented offensive numbers are the result of more quarterback talent and the residue of the league lockout that shortened preseason practice.

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“We always talk about offenses lagging a little bit with the lack of offseason and training camp, but defenses are very complex now,” Billick said. “I’ve never seen so many guys so wide open. That’s rare and I think that will diminish.”

Brady has thrown for 940 yards and seven touchdowns in wins against Miami and San Diego.

The Patriots-Bills matchup showcases two of the league’s top three scoring offenses as well as a pair of the NFL’s seven unbeaten teams.

Buffalo has averaged an NFL-high 39.5 points in wins against Kansas City and Oakland, and New England has averaged 36.5 points. The Patriots have surrendered an average of 479 yards in their first two games, the second most in the NFL.

The Bills’ offense is led by former Harvard quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, whose seven touchdown passes are tied with Brady and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford for the league high.

“We’re a team full of guys looking to make a name for ourselves and make a name for our team,” Fitzpatrick said. “For us, it’s keeping that confidence and the swagger we have right now.”

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New England has won 15 in a row against its AFC East division rival, dating back to the opening game of the 2003 season. Ten of those games were decided by 10 or more points and the Patriots are 81/2-point favorites this week.

The Bills haven’t made the playoffs since 1999 and are one of three teams not to qualify for the postseason since the league’s realignment in 2002. All three — Buffalo, Detroit and Houston — are 2-0 this season.

“They’re playing good football,” Brady said of the Bills. “They’re good in all phases and Buffalo is always a tough place to play.”

Brady averaged 300 passing yards a game in 2007, when he finished with 4,806 yards — the fourth-highest total in NFL history — and a record 50 touchdown passes. He started this season by throwing for 517 yards against Miami and followed with 423 yards against San Diego.

“You couldn’t even get on the video game right now and put up those kinds of numbers,” said Matthew Slater, a Patriots receiver and special teams captain. “But anyone around here will tell you, we have to worry about this week.

“(Brady) doesn’t get caught up about what he did last week, he’s focused on this week.”

Dan Fouts, Dan Marino, Phil Simms, Billy Volek and Matt Cassel were the only quarterbacks to pass for more than 400 yards in consecutive games before this season.

Marino was the only one to top 300 yards in his next game, with 340 during the 1984 season.

 


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