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Thursday, December 17, 2009

Week 15 NFL Primer

STAYIN’ ALIVE: With three weeks to play in the regular season, 24 teams remain in contention for a playoff berth. That ties for the fifth-most teams remaining in contention for a postseason appearance with three weeks to play since the NFL instituted the 16-game schedule in 1978.



The most teams remaining in playoff contention with three weeks to play since 1978:



YEAR
TEAMS REMAINING IN PLAYOFF CONTENTION

WITH THREE WEEKS TO PLAY

1995
27

2004
27

1994
25

2006
25

2009
24

1983
24




-- NFL--



APPROACHING THEIR THIRTIES: Two of the most-decorated quarterbacks in NFL history are approaching yet another milestone this week. Minnesota Vikings quarterback BRETT FAVRE (27 touchdowns) and Indianapolis Colts quarterback PEYTON MANNING (29 touchdowns) are within reach of 30 touchdown passes for the season.



The quarterbacks with the most 30+ passing touchdown seasons in NFL history:



PLAYER
30+ TD SEASONS

Brett Favre*
8

Peyton Manning*
4

Dan Marino
4

Kurt Warner*
3

11 players tied
2

* Active




Manning is also part of another tandem approaching an historic milestone. Manning (3,905) and New Orleans Saints quarterback DREW BREES (3,832) can extend their streaks of consecutive 4,000 passing yards seasons to four. Manning – who already holds the record for the most consecutive 4,000-yard passing seasons in NFL history with six in a row from 1999-2004 – can also reach his 10th career 4,000-yard season, the most all-time.



PLAYER
CONSECUTIVE

4,000-YARD SEASONS
YEARS

PLAYER
CAREER 4,000-YARD

SEASONS

Peyton Manning
6
1999-2004

Peyton Manning
9*

Dan Fouts
3
1979-1981

Dan Marino
6

Dan Marino
3
1984-1986

Brett Favre
5*

Trent Green
3
2003-2005

Warren Moon
4

Drew Brees
3*
2006-2008

Five tied
3

Peyton Manning
3*
2006-2008

* Active


* Active streak


-- NFL--



EVERY COACH’S DREAM: Tennessee Titans running back CHRIS JOHNSON has rushed for 100+ yards in eight consecutive games and leads the NFL with 1,626 rushing yards. With a 100-yard effort on Sunday against Miami, Johnson will tie for the third longest streak in NFL history (nine). Pro Football Hall of Famer BARRY SANDERS holds the NFL record with 14 consecutive 100+ rushing yard games.



The players with the most consecutive 100-yard rushing games in NFL history:



PLAYER, TEAM
TEAM
YEAR(S)
CONSECUTIVE 100+ RUSHING YARD GAMES

Barry Sanders
Detroit
1997
14

Marcus Allen
LA Raiders
1985-86
11

Walter Payton
Chicago
1985
9

Fred Taylor
Jacksonville
2000
9

Deuce McAllister
New Orleans
2003
9

Larry Johnson
Kansas City
2005
9

LaDainian Tomlinson
San Diego
2006
9






Chris Johnson
Tennessee
2009
8*

* Active







Johnson has been a dual threat this season as a rusher and receiver. He is averaging 155.2 scrimmage yards per game for a total of 2,017 scrimmage yards. These numbers put him on pace to challenge the scrimmage yards and scrimmage yards per game records set by MARSHALL FAULK (2,429 scrimmage yards in 1999) and PRIEST HOLMES (163.4 scrimmage yards per game in 2002), respectively.



The most scrimmage yards in a season and the highest scrimmage yards per game average in NFL history:



YEAR
PLAYER
SCRIMMAGE YARDS

YEAR
PLAYER
SCRIMMAGE YARDS AVG.

1999
Marshall Faulk
2,429

2002
Priest Holmes
163.4

2005
Tiki Barber
2,390

1975
O.J. Simpson
160.2

2003
LaDainian Tomlinson
2,370

2000
Marshall Faulk
156.4

1997
Barry Sanders
2,358

2001
Marshall Faulk
153.4

2006
Steven Jackson
2,334

1963
Jim Brown
152.2









2009
Chris Johnson
2,017*

2009
Chris Johnson
155.2*

* Through Week 14




-- NFL--



PETERSON GOES FOR THREE: Minnesota Vikings running back ADRIAN PETERSON needs 100 yards for his third consecutive 1,300-yard rushing season to start his career. In addition to his 10+ rushing touchdowns in each of those years, Peterson can become just the third player in NFL history to start his career with three consecutive seasons of 1,300 rushing yards and 10+ rushing touchdowns. Pro Football Hall of Famers EARL CAMPBELL, who did it in four consecutive seasons to start his career, and BARRY SANDERS are the only other players to accomplish this feat.



PLAYER, TEAM
YEARS
CONSECUTIVE SEASONS WITH 1,300 RUSHING YARDS

AND 10+ RUSHING TDS TO START A CAREER

Earl Campbell, Houston
1978-81
4

Barry Sanders, Detroit
1989-91
3





Adrian Peterson, Minnesota
2007-08
2*

* Has 14 rushing touchdowns & needs 100 rushing yards for his third consecutive such season




-- NFL--



RICKY RUNS FOR 1,000: Miami Dolphins running back RICKY WILLIAMS needs 25 rushing yards against Tennessee on Sunday to reach 1,000 rushing yards on the season. In doing so, Williams would set the NFL record for longest gap between 1,000-yard rushing seasons in NFL history. His last 1,000-yard season was 2003, when he ran for 1,372 yards.



The longest gap between 1,000-yard rushing seasons in NFL history:



PLAYER
YEARS BETWEEN 1,000-YARD SEASONS
1,000-YARD SEASONS

Mike Garrett
5
1,087 yards in 1967; 1,031 yards in 1972

Otis Anderson
5
1,174 yards in 1984; 1,023 yards in 1989

Ernest Byner
5
1,002 yards in 1985; 1,219 yards in 1990

Gary Brown
5
1,002 yards in 1993; 1,063 yards in 1998

Mike Anderson
5
1,487 yards in 2000; 1,014 yards in 2005





Ricky Williams
6*
(1,372 yards in 2003; ??? yards in 2009)

* Has 975 rushing yards and needs 25 yards for 1,000 yards on season




Williams can also become the seventh running back in NFL history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season in which he was 32+ years old at the start of the season.



-- NFL--



GRAND PASS CATCHERS: Only five players in NFL history have reached 1,000 receptions. Two more players can reach the 1,000-catch milestone this week. Buffalo Bills wide receiver TERRELL OWENS and Atlanta Falcons tight end TONY GONZALEZ have 996 and 991 catches, respectively, and aim to reach 1,000 on Sunday.



Owens (14,827) is also closing in on third on the all-time receiving yards list. With 108 receiving yards against New England he will pass TIM BROWN (14,934) and trail only Pro Football Hall of Famer JERRY RICE and San Francisco 49er ISAAC BRUCE.



The all-time leaders in receptions and receiving yards in NFL history:



PLAYER
RECEPTIONS

PLAYER
RECEIVING YARDS

Jerry Rice
1,549

Jerry Rice
22,895

Marvin Harrison
1,102

Isaac Bruce*
15,208

Cris Carter
1,101

Tim Brown
14,934

Tim Brown
1,094

Terrell Owens*
14,827

Isaac Bruce*
1,024

Marvin Harrison
14,580

Terrell Owens*
996

* Active


Tony Gonzalez*
991




* Active








-- NFL--



THE JACKSON 10: Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver/punt returner DE SEAN JACKSON has 10 touchdowns on the season (seven receiving, two punt returns and one rushing) for an average of 61.3 yards per touchdown (613 yards).



If Jackson maintains his current pace, he will finish with the highest yards per touchdown average in one season in NFL history (min. 10 touchdowns).



In addition, his eight 50+ yard touchdowns tie for the most in a single season in NFL history (ELROY “CRAZY LEGS” HIRSCH, 1951; DEVIN HESTER, 2007).



The players with the highest yards per touchdown average in one season in NFL history (min. 10 touchdowns):



PLAYER, TEAM
TEAM
YEAR
AVG. YARDS PER TD

Harlon Hill
Chicago Bears
1956
50.6

John Gilliam
St. Louis Cardinals
1969
49.3

Jerry Rice
San Francisco
1988
47.9

Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch
LA Rams
1951
47.9

Bucky Pope
LA Rams
1964
46.6






DeSean Jackson
Philadelphia
2009
61.3*

* Through 13 games

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