The PHILADELPHIA EAGLES improved to 11-2 and clinched the NFC East division title with a 43-35 victory at the Los Angeles Rams. The Eagles, who finished in last place in the division in 2016, completed a “worst-to-first” turnaround.
At least one team has won its division the season after finishing in or tied for last place in 14 of the past 15 seasons.
The Rams and Eagles entered the game each averaging 30.1 points per game, tied for the highest mark in the NFL this season. Today’s contest was the second matchup in December or later between two teams averaging at least 30 points per game since the 1970 merger. The only other instance since 1970 took place on December 11, 1983 between Washington and Dallas.
- Los Angeles Chargers quarterback PHILIP RIVERS passed for 319 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s 30-13 win over Washington. Rivers has 3,611 passing yards this season and reached the 3,500-yard mark for the 10th consecutive season (2008-17).
Rivers is the third quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least 3,500 yards in 10 consecutive seasons, joining PEYTON MANNING (13, 1998-2010) and DREW BREES (13, 2005-17).
- Carolina quarterback CAM NEWTON had a 62-yard run to the Minnesota eight-yard line to set up the game-winning touchdown in the Panthers’ 31-24 win over the Vikings. Newton, who had a 69-yard run in Week 10, is the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to have multiple 60+ yard rushes in a single season.
Panthers running back JONATHAN STEWART, who scored the game-winning touchdown on a one-yard run with 1:47 remaining in the game, rushed for 103 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries. He is the second player in franchise history (TIM BIAKABUTUKA, October 3, 1999) to rush for at least 100 yards and three touchdowns on fewer than 20 carries.
- Arizona wide receiver LARRY FITZGERALD had 44 receiving yards in the Cardinals’ 12-7 win over Tennessee. Fitzgerald has 15,311 career receiving yards and surpassed RANDY MOSS (15,292) to move into third place on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards list. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer JERRY RICE (22,895) and TERRELL OWENS (15,934) have more career receiving yards in league history.
- Chicago running back JORDAN HOWARD rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns in the Bears’ 33-7 win at Cincinnati. Howard, who rushed for 1,313 yards as a rookie last year, has 1,032 rushing yards this season. He is the first player in franchise history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first two NFL seasons.
Bears rookie quarterback MITCHELL TRUBISKY passed for 271 yards with a touchdown and added a four-yard touchdown run in today’s win. He is the first rookie quarterback in team history with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown in a single game since JIM MC MAHON in 1982 (December 5, 1982).
- The GREEN BAY PACKERS defeated Cleveland 27-21 in overtime. Green Bay wide receiver DAVANTE ADAMS had two touchdown catches – a one-yard score with 17 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and the game-winning 25-yarder in overtime – in the win.
The Packers, who won on a 20-yard touchdown run by rookie AARON JONES in overtime last week, have scored a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in overtime in the same season for the first time in franchise history.
Green Bay has won back-to-back games in overtime for the first time in team annals.
- Kansas City rookie running back KAREEM HUNT had 138 scrimmage yards (116 rushing, 22 receiving) and a rushing touchdown in the Chiefs’ 26-15 win against Oakland.
Hunt, who has 1,435 scrimmage yards (1,046 rushing, 389 receiving) this season, is the second rookie in franchise history with at least 1,400 scrimmage yards, joining ABNER HAYNES (1,451 scrimmage yards in 1960).
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