Week 13 NFL Primer

RESILIENT FAVRE: Minnesota quarterback BRETT FAVRE will play in his 283rd consecutive regular-season game on Sunday night when the Vikings travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals. Favre will pass Vikings’ legend JIM MARSHALL (282) for the longest such streak in NFL history by a non-kicker/punter.



The most consecutive regular-season games played by a non-kicker/punter:



PLAYER
TEAMS
YEARS
CONSECUTIVE GAMES

Jim Marshall
Browns, Vikings
1960-1979
282

Brett Favre
Packers, Jets, Vikings
1992-Present
282*


*Active



At 40 years old, Favre is tied for second in the NFL with 24 touchdown passes this season. Favre needs two touchdown passes on Sunday to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer WARREN MOON (25 in 1997) for the most touchdown passes in a single season among quarterbacks who were at least 40 years old by the end of a season in NFL history.



PLAYER
TEAM
YEAR
TD PASSES

Warren Moon
Seattle Seahawks
1997
25

Brett Favre
Minnesota Vikings
2009
24*


*Through Week 12



-- NFL --



STILL TIME FOR A TURNAROUND: Since the current 12-team playoff system was instituted in 1990, 13 teams have reached the postseason despite having a losing record after 11 games. This includes the current streak in which a sub-.500 team has reached the playoffs for five consecutive seasons. And in four of those five seasons the team has advanced to the Divisional playoffs.



Since 1990, teams with a losing record after 11 games that rebounded to make the playoffs:



YEAR
TEAM
RECORD AFTER 11 GAMES
FINAL RECORD
ADVANCED TO

1990
New Orleans Saints
5-6
8-8
Wild Card

1993
Minnesota Vikings
5-6
9-7
Wild Card

1994
Detroit Lions
5-6
9-7
Wild Card

1994
New England Patriots
5-6
10-6
Wild Card

1995
Detroit Lions
5-6
10-6
Wild Card

1995
San Diego Chargers
4-7
9-7
Wild Card

1996
Jacksonville Jaguars
4-7
9-7
AFC Championship

1997
Detroit Lions
5-6
9-7
Wild Card

2004
St. Louis Rams
5-6
8-8
Divisional

2005
Washington Redskins
5-6
10-6
Divisional

2006
Philadelphia Eagles
5-6
10-6
Divisional

2007
Washington Redskins
5-6
9-7
Wild Card

2008
San Diego Chargers
4-7
8-8
Divisional




-- NFL --



COMING TO A STREAKING HALT: The Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans meet on Sunday with two winning streaks on the line. Indianapolis has won 20 consecutive regular-season games and can tie the 2006-2008 New England Patriots (21) for the longest winning streak in NFL history. The Titans are the first team ever to win five consecutive games after starting the season 0-6 and aim to extend that mark.



The two teams have totaled 16 consecutive wins in 2009, tied for the longest combined winning streak for a game in Week 13 since 1970.



A look at the longest combined winning streaks for a game in Week 13 of a season since 1970:



YEAR
MATCHUP (WIN STREAK)
COMBINED WINNING STREAK
WINNER

1984
Denver (10) vs. Seattle (6)
16
Seattle, 27-24

2009
Indianapolis (11) vs. Tennessee (5)
16
???

1985
Miami (3) vs. Chicago (12)
15
Miami, 38-24




With a win, Tennessee can become only the fifth team in NFL history to record a six-game winning streak and a six-game losing streak in the same season.



Following are the teams with a six-game winning streak and a six-game losing streak in the same season in NFL history:



TEAM
YEAR
FINAL RECORD

New York Giants
1994
9-7

San Diego Chargers
1987
8-7

New York Jets
1974
7-7

Cincinnati Bengals
1970
8-6




-- NFL --



C.J. CAN JOIN ELITE GROUP: Tennessee Titans running back CHRIS JOHNSON leads the NFL with 1,396 rushing yards. With 104 rushing yards on Sunday, Johnson will become only the fifth player all-time to reach 1,500 yards in his team’s first 12 games. Pro Football Hall of Fame running back WALTER PAYTON is the only player to accomplish the feat in 11 games.



The fewest team games to reach 1,500 rushing yards:



PLAYER
TEAM
YEAR
FEWEST TEAM GAMES TO

1,500 RUSHING YARDS
SEASON RUSHING TOTAL

Walter Payton*
Chicago
1977
11
1,852

Jim Brown*
Cleveland
1958
12
1,527

Jim Brown*
Cleveland
1963
12
1,863

O.J. Simpson*
Buffalo
1973
12
2,003

O.J. Simpson*
Buffalo
1975
12
1,817

Terrell Davis
Denver
1998
12
2,008


*Denotes members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame



-- NFL --



DECADE OF DOMINANCE: With two rushing touchdowns on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON of the San Diego Chargers will tie EMMITT SMITH (136) for the most rushing touchdowns in one decade.



The most rushing touchdowns in one decade all-time:



DECADE
PLAYER/TEAMS
MOST RUSHING TDs IN A DECADE

1990s
Emmitt Smith, Dallas
136

2000s
LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego
134*

2000s
Shaun Alexander, Seattle, Washington
100

1990s
Barry Sanders, Detroit
85

1980s
Eric Dickerson, L.A. Rams, Indianapolis
82


*Active



Tomlinson ranks second all-time with 134 career rushing touchdowns. He also ranks 10th all-time with 12,257 rushing yards and needs 23 yards to surpass MARSHALL FAULK (12,279) for the ninth-most rushing yards all-time and needs 56 yards to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer JIM BROWN (12,312) for eighth all-time.



-- NFL --



BETTER WITH AGE: At age 32, Miami Dolphins running back RICKY WILLIAMS has rushed for 100 yards in three consecutive games entering Week 13.



With a 100-yard performance on Sunday against the New England Patriots, Williams can join JEROME BETTIS (2004) as the only players to rush for 100 yards in four consecutive games in a single season at the age of 32 or older in NFL history.



PLAYER
AGE
YEAR
TEAM
CONSECUTIVE GAMES WITH 100 RUSH YARDS

Jerome Bettis
32
2004
Steelers
4 (149, 103,129, 100)


Ricky Williams
32
2009
Dolphins
3 (102, 119, 115)