UNPREDICTABLE PLAYOFF PARTICIPANTS: For the 14th consecutive season, five or more teams will qualify for the playoffs that were not in the postseason the year before. Cincinnati, Dallas, Green Bay, New England and New Orleans did not make the playoffs in 2008 but have done so this season.
This Sunday, that number may grow to as many as seven. Of the seven teams in contention for the final two AFC Wild Card playoff spots, four did not qualify for the postseason in 2008: Denver, Houston, Jacksonville and the New York Jets. Those clubs are in competition with Pittsburgh (Super Bowl XLIII champion), Miami (2008 AFC East champion) and Baltimore (2008 Wild Card team) for the remaining AFC playoff berths.
The teams since 1996 to make the playoffs a season after failing to qualify:
SEASON
PLAYOFF TEAMS NOT IN PREVIOUS SEASON’S PLAYOFFS
1996
5 (Carolina, Denver, Jacksonville, Minnesota, New England)
1997
5 (Detroit, Kansas City, Miami, New York Giants, Tampa Bay)
1998
5 (Arizona, Atlanta, Buffalo, Dallas, New York Jets)
1999
7 (Detroit, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Washington)
2000
6 (Baltimore, Denver, New Orleans, New York Giants, Oakland, Philadelphia)
2001
6 (Chicago, Green Bay, New England, New York Jets, Pittsburgh, San Francisco)
2002
5 (Atlanta, Cleveland, Indianapolis, New York Giants, Tennessee)
2003
8 (Baltimore, Carolina, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, New England, St. Louis, Seattle)
2004
5 (Atlanta, Minnesota, New York Jets, Pittsburgh, San Diego)
2005
7 (Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, New York Giants, Tampa Bay, Washington)
2006
7 (Baltimore, Dallas, Kansas City, New Orleans, New York Jets, Philadelphia, San Diego)
2007
6 (Green Bay, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Washington)
2008
7 (Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore, Carolina, Miami, Minnesota, Philadelphia)
2009
??? (Cincinnati, Dallas, Green Bay, New England, New Orleans)
* Of the seven teams in contention for the remaining two playoff spots in the AFC, four did not qualify for the postseason in 2008: Denver, Houston, Jacksonville and the N.Y. Jets.
NEW LEADERSHIP ATOP DIVISIONS: Entering Week 17, five divisions are guaranteed to have a different champion from last year. Minnesota, San Diego and Arizona are the only repeat division winners in 2009.
The teams that have clinched their division as well as potential division winners (in bold and italics) in 2009:
AFC EAST
AFC NORTH
AFC SOUTH
AFC WEST
NFC EAST
NFC NORTH
NFC SOUTH
NFC WEST
2008
Miami
Pittsburgh
Tennessee
San Diego
N.Y. Giants
Minnesota
Carolina
Arizona
2009
New England
Cincinnati
Indianapolis
San Diego
Dallas or
Philadelphia
Minnesota
New Orleans
Arizona
-- NFL --
YEAR OF THE QB: NFL quarterbacks are having a banner year. Eight QBs have each passed for at least 4,000 yards, already the most 4,000-yard passers in a single season in NFL history (seven in 2007). With one week to play, three others are within 300 yards of 4,000 – BRETT FAVRE (3,886), ELI MANNING (3,880) and KURT WARNER (3,722).
Nine quarterbacks have passed for 25 or more touchdowns in 2009. That number may grow in Week 17 as TONY ROMO (24), JAY CUTLER (23) and BEN ROETHLISBERGER (23) are each in range of the 25-TD milestone. The NFL record for the most quarterbacks with at least 25 touchdowns in a season is 10, which also occurred in 2007.
Five quarterbacks currently sport a passer rating of 100.0 or better, which would also be the most in a season in NFL annals (four in 1998 and 2004). Two others – MATT SCHAUB (99.1) and Roethlisberger (98.9) – are within 2.0 rating points of the mark with one game to play.
The quarterbacks with 4,000+ yards, 25+ touchdowns or a 100.0+ passer rating in 2009:
4,000 YARDS
25 TDs
100.0 PASSER RATING
PLAYER
YARDS
PLAYER
TDs
PLAYER
RATING
Matt Schaub
4,467
Drew Brees
34
Drew Brees
109.6
Peyton Manning
4,405
Peyton Manning
33
Philip Rivers
104.5
Drew Brees
4,388
Brett Favre
29
Brett Favre
104.3
Tom Brady
4,212
Aaron Rodgers
29
Aaron Rodgers
102.4
Aaron Rodgers
4,199
Tom Brady
28
Peyton Manning
101.0
Tony Romo
4,172
Eli Manning
27
Philip Rivers
4,155
Philip Rivers
27
Ben Roethlisberger
4,108
Matt Schaub
27
Kurt Warner
26
-- NFL --
SAINTS ALIVE!: Last week, New Orleans became the 12th team in NFL history to score 500 points in a season. The Saints, who have clinched homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, lead the league in scoring with 33.3 points per game.
With 27 points in Week 17 against Carolina, New Orleans will pass the Super Bowl XXXIV champion St. Louis Rams for the fifth-most points in a season in NFL history.
The teams with the most points scored in a season in NFL history:
YEAR
TEAM
POINTS
FINAL RECORD
ADVANCED TO
2007
New England Patriots
589
16-0
Super Bowl XLII
1998
Minnesota Vikings
556
15-1
NFC Championship
1983
Washington Redskins
541
14-2
Super Bowl XVIII
2000
St. Louis Rams
540
10-6
Wild Card
1999
St. Louis Rams
526
13-3
Won Super Bowl XXXIV
2009
New Orleans Saints
500*
13-2*
???
*Through 15 games
-- NFL --
JOHNSON CLIMBS THE CHARTS: Tennessee running back CHRIS JOHNSON has 2,355 scrimmage yards in 15 games (1,872 rushing, 483 receiving). Johnson, who already has the fifth-most scrimmage yards in a season in NFL history, needs 75 yards from scrimmage in the Titans’ regular-season finale against Seattle to surpass MARSHALL FAULK’s NFL record (2,429 in 1999).
Johnson also needs 128 rushing yards to become the sixth player in NFL history with 2,000 in a season.
The players with the most scrimmage yards in a season in NFL history:
YEAR
PLAYER
TEAM
SCRIMMAGE YARDS
1999
Marshall Faulk
St. Louis
2,429
2005
Tiki Barber
N.Y. Giants
2,390
2003
LaDainian Tomlinson
San Diego
2,370
1997
Barry Sanders
Detroit
2,358
2009
Chris Johnson
Tennessee
2,355*
*Through 15 games
The five players to rush for 2,000 yards in a season in NFL history:
YEAR
PLAYER
TEAM
RUSHING YARDS
1984
Eric Dickerson
L.A. Rams
2,105
2003
Jamal Lewis
Baltimore
2,066
1997
Barry Sanders
Detroit
2,053
1998
Terrell Davis
Denver
2,008
1973
O.J. Simpson
Buffalo
2,003
2009
Chris Johnson
Tennessee
1,872*
*Through 15 games
TOTAL PLAYERS: Chris Johnson and Cleveland’s all-purpose dynamo JOSHUA CRIBBS are both having historically productive seasons in terms of all-purpose yardage.
Cribbs leads the NFL with 2,405 total yards (1,502 kick return, 434 punt return, 334 rushing, 135 receiving) while Johnson ranks second with 2,355 yards (1,872 rushing, 483 receiving).
The players with the most total yards in a season in NFL history:
YEAR
PLAYER
COMBINED NET YARDS
2000
Derrick Mason, Tennessee
2,690
2002
Michael Lewis, New Orleans
2,647
1985
Lionel James, San Diego
2,535
1994
Brian Mitchell, Washington
2,477
1975
Terry Metcalf, St. Louis
2,462
2009
Joshua Cribbs, Cleveland
2,405*
2009
Chris Johnson, Tennessee
2,355*
*Through 15 games
-- NFL --
ANDRE THE GIANT: Following up his NFL-best 1,575 receiving yards in 2008, Houston wide receiver ANDRE JOHNSON is once again tops in the league with 1,504 yards this season. If Johnson is the 2009 receiving yardage leader, he will join JERRY RICE as the only players since 1970 to lead the league in consecutive seasons. Rice accomplished the feat twice (1989-90 and 1993-95).
PLAYER
YEAR
YARDS
PLAYER
YEAR
YARDS
Jerry Rice, San Francisco
1989
1,483
Andre Johnson, Houston
2008
1,575
1990
1,502
2009
1,504*
Jerry Rice, San Francisco
1993
1,503
1994
1,499
*NFL leader through Week 16
1995
1,848
-- NFL --
FAB-U-WES: New England wide receiver WES WELKER has 122 receptions, which already ties for the third-most in a season in NFL history. With two catches against Houston in Week 17, Welker can surpass HERMAN MOORE for No. 2 on the all-time list.
Welker, who missed two games this season due to injury, is averaging 9.4 catches per game in 13 games played. He needs four catches to surpass MARVIN HARRISON’s NFL-record season average of 8.9 catches per game in 2002 (minimum 10 games played).
The players with the most receptions in a season NFL history:
YEAR
PLAYER
TEAM
RECEPTIONS
2002
Marvin Harrison
Indianapolis
143
1995
Herman Moore
Detroit
123
2009
Wes Welker
New England
122*
1994
Cris Carter
Minnesota
122
1995
Jerry Rice
San Francisco
122
1995
Cris Carter
Minnesota
122
*Through 15 games
The players with the highest receptions-per-game average in a season in NFL history (min. 10 games played):
YEAR
PLAYER
TEAM
REC./GAME
GAMES, RECEPTIONS
2009
Wes Welker
New England
9.4
13 games*, 122 rec.
2002
Marvin Harrison
Indianapolis
8.9
16 games, 143 rec.
1995
Herman Moore
Detroit
7.7
16 games, 123 rec.
1960
Lionel Taylor
Denver
7.7
12 games, 92 rec.
1995
Cris Carter
Minnesota
7.6
16 games, 122 rec.
1995
Jerry Rice
San Francisco
7.6
16 games, 122 rec.
1994
Cris Carter
Minnesota
7.6
16 games, 122 rec.
*Through Week 16
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