*
*WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 16
MOST DOUBLE-DIGIT-WIN TEAMS EVER?: Five teams – theTENNESSEE TITANS(12-2),CAROLINA PANTHERS(11-3),NEW YORK GIANTS(11-3),PITTSBURGH STEELERS(11-3) andINDIANAPOLIS COLTS (10-4) – have won at least 10 games. In Week 16, eight clubs will seek to reach double-digit wins, including those in matchups between 9-5 teams (Baltimore at Dallas; Atlanta at Minnesota).
There are 17 teams that can finish the season with at least 10 wins apiece, which would be the most double-digit-win teams in a season in history.
The seasons with the most 10-or-more game winners:
|
Season |
10 Win Teams |
|
2003 |
13 |
|
2005 |
13 |
|
1986 |
12 |
|
1991 |
12 |
|
2000 |
12 |
-- NFL --
FISH ARE FINE: *The *MIAMI DOLPHINS stand in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC East with a 9-5 record. The nine wins are an eight-game improvement for the club over last season. With victories in the final two weeks of the season, the Dolphins can join the 1999 Indianapolis Colts as the clubs with the largest improvements in history from one season to the next.
The biggest improvements in history in wins from one season to the next:
|
Year |
Team |
W-L-T |
Previous |
Increase |
|
1999 |
Colts |
13-3-0 |
3-13-0 |
10 |
|
1929 |
Giants |
13-1-1 |
4-7-2 |
9 |
|
1963 |
Raiders |
10-4-0 |
1-13-0 |
9 |
|
1999 |
Rams |
13-3-0 |
4-12-0 |
9 |
|
2004 |
Steelers |
15-1-0 |
6-10-0 |
9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2008 |
Dolphins |
9-5-0 |
1-15-0 |
* 8 |
* Through Week 15
* *
*ROOKIE QB TANDEM: *The twoquarterbacksselected in the first round of this year's NFL Draft -- **MATT RYAN(Atlanta, No. 3) andJOE FLACCO (Baltimore, No. 18) -- are two weeks away from becoming one of the most prolific rookie quarterback tandems in history.
As starters since Kickoff Weekend, Ryan (9-5) and Flacco (9-5) have led their clubs to a combined 18-10 (.643) record and have thrown for a combined 5,671 yards (Ryan, 3,146; Flacco, 2,525).
With at least one win in their four remaining combined starts, they would finish the season with the highest combined winning percentage (at least .594) by two rookie quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era (since 1966).
With a combined 247 yards passing over the season's final two weeks, Flacco and Ryan also will have the most passing yards ever in a season by a rookie tandem.
The highest combined season winning percentage by two rookie quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era (minimum eight starts each):
|
YEAR |
QUARTERBACKS |
W-L |
PCT. |
|
1983 |
John Elway/Dan Marino |
11-8 |
.579 |
|
1979 |
Steve Fuller/Phil Simms |
12-11 |
.522 |
|
2006 |
Matt Leinart/Vince Young |
12-12 |
.500 |
|
2006 |
Bruce Gradkowski/Vince Young |
11-13 |
.458 |
|
2003 |
Kyle Boller/Byron Leftwich |
10-12 |
.455 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2008 |
Joe Flacco/Matt Ryan |
18-10 |
*.643 |
* 14 starts each
The most combined passing yards by two rookie quarterbacks in a season (all-time):
|
YEAR |
QUARTERBACKS |
COMBINED YARDS |
|
1998 |
Charlie Batch/Peyton Manning |
5,917 |
|
2008 |
Joe Flacco/Matt Ryan |
5,671 |
|
1993 |
Drew Bledsoe/Rick Mirer |
5,327 |
|
1998 |
Ryan Leaf/Peyton Manning |
5,028 |
|
2002 |
David Carr/Joey Harrington |
4,886 |
*Through 15 weeks
* *
*-- NFL --
*DEFENSE FOR THE AGES?: *After limiting the Baltimore offense to 202 yards last week, thePITTSBURGH STEELERSdefense has held opposing offenses to less than 300 total yards in 14 consecutive games.
If the Steelers' defense can accomplish the feat again at Tennessee this Sunday, the 15 consecutive games of less than 300 yards will set the NFL record in the category, surpassing the 1973 Los Angeles Rams.
* *
-- NFL --
* *
*NFC EAST BRINGS THE D: *The four clubs of theNFC EASTcurrently rank as the top four defenses in their conference.
Philadelphia (274.4), Washington (284.8), the New York Giants (285.8) and Dallas (287.0) average 283.0 yards allowed per game as a division.
The four clubs are within striking distance of the NFL record for the fewest yards allowed per game by a division (NFC EAST**, 282.0 in 1991) since the 16-game schedule was instituted in 1978.
The fewest yards per game allowed by a division since 1978:
|
DIVISION |
YEAR |
YARDS PER GAME |
|
NFC East |
1991 |
282.0 |
|
AFC West |
1992 |
284.2 |
|
NFC West |
1978 |
284.9 |
|
NFC East |
1992 |
286.9 |
|
NFC Central |
1978 |
290.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
NFC East |
2008 |
283.0 |
*Through 15 weeks
* *
*-- NFL --
* *
*ROOKIE RB TRIOS:Through 14 games, rookie running backsMATT FORTÉ *of Chicago, CHRIS JOHNSONof Tennessee andSTEVE SLATON** of Houston have each exceeded 1,000 yards and are within reach of 10 rushing touchdowns apiece.
Over the season's final two weeks, Johnson (8), Slaton (8) and Forté (7) can become the first NFL rookie running back trio to each reach the 1,000-yard/10-touchdown level. In NFL history, only three rookie running back duos have reached those milestones.
The three rookie running back duos to each rush for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns:
|
YEAR |
PLAYER |
TEAM |
YARDS |
TDS |
|
1980 |
Joe Cribbs |
Buffalo |
1,185 |
11 |
|
|
Billy Sims |
Detroit |
1,303 |
13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1983 |
Eric Dickerson |
L.A. Rams |
1,808 |
18 |
|
|
Curt Warner |
Seattle |
1,449 |
13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1995 |
Curtis Martin |
New England |
1,487 |
14 |
|
|
Rashaan Salaam |
Chicago |
1,074 |
10 |
|
* |
* * |
* * |
* * |
* * |
| *2008 |
Matt Forté |
Chicago |
1,115 |
7 |
|
|
*Chris Johnson |
Tennessee |
1,159 |
8 |
| * * |
Steve Slaton |
Houston |
1,124 |
8 |
* Through 15 weeks
* *
-- NFL --
* *
*3 FOR 75: *When the ArizonaCardinalsvisit New England this Sunday, they will have three players –ANQUAN BOLDIN(89),LARRY FITZGERALD(88) andSTEVE BREASTON(71) – who have at least 70 receptions.
With four Breaston receptions in the season's final two weeks, the Cardinals would become the fifth club in history with three players with 75 or more receptions -- and only the second with such a wide-receiver trio, joiningART MONK(86),RICKY SANDERS(80) andGARY CLARK** (79) of the 1989 Washington Redskins.
If Breaston registers nine receptions over the season's final two weeks, the Cardinals' wide-receiver trio will become the first in history to each have 80 or more catches in a season.
The teams with three players with 75 or more receptions in a season:
|
YEAR |
TEAM |
PLAYERS (RECEPTIONS) |
|
2002 |
Raiders |
WR Jerry Rice (92), RB Charlie Garner (91), WR Tim Brown (81) |
|
2002 |
Rams |
WR Torry Holt (91), RB Marshall Faulk (80), WR Isaac Bruce (79) |
|
2000 |
Rams |
WR Isaac Bruce (87), WR Torry Holt (82), RB Marshall Faulk (81) |
|
1989 |
Redskins |
WR Art Monk (86), WR Ricky Sanders (80), WR Gary Clark (79) |
|
|
|
|
|
2008 |
Cardinals |
Anquan Boldin (89), Larry Fitzgerald (88) and Steve Breaston (71) |
*Through 15 weeks
* *
* **
