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What to look for Week 16

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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
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                                                  * Through Week 15                                     
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*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
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*-- NFL --

 
*DEFENSE FOR THE AGES?:  *After limiting the Baltimore offense to 202 yards last week, the
PITTSBURGH 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.
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-- NFL --
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*NFC EAST BRINGS THE D:  *The four clubs of the
NFC 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
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*-- NFL --

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*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
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*2008
Matt Forté
Chicago
1,115
7

*Chris Johnson
Tennessee
1,159
8
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Steve Slaton
Houston
1,124
8

                                             * Through 15 weeks
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-- NFL --
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*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, joining
ART 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
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