PLAYOFF PUSH
As the NFL enters its final two weeks of the regular season, three teams have clinched division titles. The BUFFALO BILLS (AFC East), GREEN BAY PACKERS (NFC North) and KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (AFC West). Three others have clinched playoff berths. The NEW ORLEANS SAINTS, PITTSBURGH STEELERS and SEATTLE SEAHAWKS.
Pittsburgh (AFC North) and the WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM (NFC East) can each clinch their respective division titles this weekend after missing the postseason in 2019. In each of the past 42 seasons (1977-2019, excluding 1982, when divisional play did not occur), at least one team has won its division the season after missing the playoffs. At least two teams have won their divisions the season after missing the playoffs in 16 of the past 17 years.
Additionally, the ARIZONA CARDINALS (8-6) can clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2015. The CLEVELAND BROWNS (10-4) can return to the postseason for the first time since 2002 and the TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (9-5) can secure a playoff spot for the first time since 2007, while the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (10-4) and LOS ANGELES RAMS (9-5) can each return to the postseason after missing it last year. Since 1990, at least four teams every season have qualified for the playoffs after failing to make the postseason the year before.
For the full Week 16 playoff scenarios, click here.
CAREER PASSING LEADERS
Last week, Atlanta quarterback MATT RYAN surpassed 4,000 passing yards for the 10th time in his career. He is becoming the fifth player to reach the mark in at least 10 seasons in NFL history.
Matt Ryan arriba de 300 yardas y 3 TD's sin Julio contra la secundaria de los #GoBucs
— Joshúa Maya (@PlaysOfTheWeek) December 20, 2020
In Week 16, Tampa Bay quarterback TOM BRADY (3,886 passing yards) and Indianapolis quarterback PHILIP RIVERS (3,725) can each surpass 4,000 passing yards for the 12th time, tying DREW BREES (12 seasons) for the second-most seasons with 4,000 passing yards in league history. Only PEYTON MANNING (14 seasons) has more.
Green Bay quarterback AARON RODGERS (3,828 passing yards) can reach the mark for the ninth season, the sixth-most in NFL history.
"Negativity is at the heart of way too much media coverage"@AaronRodgers12 on trying to keep things positive #PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/okvxyoVWiu
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 22, 2020
The players with the most career seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards in NFL history:
PLAYER |
TEAM(S) |
SEASONS |
Peyton Manning | Indianapolis, Denver | 14 |
Drew Brees | New Orleans | 12* |
Tom Brady | New England | 11* |
Philip Rivers | San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers | 11* |
Matt Ryan | Atlanta | 10* |
Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay | 8* |
*Active |
With two touchdown passes at Pittsburgh on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS), Rivers, who has 419 career touchdown passes, will surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (420 career touchdown passes) for the fifth-most touchdown passes in NFL history.
The players with the most career touchdown passes in NFL history:
PLAYER |
TEAM(S) |
SEASONS |
Tom Brady | New England, Tampa Bay | 573* |
Drew Brees | San Diego Chargers, New Orleans | 568* |
Peyton Manning | Indianapolis, Denver | 539 |
Brett FavreHOF | Green Bay, New York Jets, Minnesota | 508 |
Dan MarinoHOF | Miami | 420 |
Philip Rivers | San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, Indianapolis | 419* |
*Active |
RECORD-BREAKING ROOKIES
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback JUSTIN HERBERT leads all rookies with 3,781 passing yards, 27 touchdown passes and a 96.3 rating (minimum 100 attempts).
Offensive Rookie of the Year?
Justin Herbert’s best plays on TNF! #LACvsLV pic.twitter.com/8BDFy6o9Ah
— NFL (@NFL) December 18, 2020
With a touchdown pass on Sunday against Denver (4:05 PM ET, CBS), Herbert will surpass BAKER MAYFIELD (27 touchdown passes in 2018) for the most touchdown passes by a rookie in NFL history.
The rookie quarterbacks with the most touchdown passes in NFL history:
PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | TOUCHDOWN PASSES | |
Justin Herbert | Los Angeles Chargers | 2020 | 27* | |
Baker Mayfield | Cleveland | 2018 | 27 | |
Peyton Manning | Indianapolis | 1998 | 26 | |
Russell Wilson | Seattle | 2012 | 26 | |
*Entering Week 16 | ||||
With at least 219 passing yards on Sunday, Herbert will become the fourth rookie in league history with at least 4,000 passing yards. He will be joining ANDREW LUCK (4,374 in 2012), CAM NEWTON (4,051 in 2011), and JAMEIS WINSTON (4,042 in 2015).
The rookie quarterbacks with at least 4,000 passing yards in NFL history:
PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | PASSING YARDS |
Andrew Luck | Indianapolis | 2012 | 4,374 |
Cam Newton | Carolina | 2011 | 4,051 |
Jameis Winston | Tampa Bay | 2015 | 4,042 |
Justin Herbert | Los Angeles Chargers | 2020 | 3,781* |
*Entering Week 16 |
Last week, Philadelphia quarterback JALEN HURTS became the first rookie in the Super Bowl era to throw at least three touchdown passes and rush for a touchdown in his first career road start. He also rushed for 63 yards, his second-consecutive start with at least 50 rushing yards.
JALEN HURTS 😱
📺: #PHIvsAZ on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/4dWJuGxOxQ pic.twitter.com/SvLF9AHTXL— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2020
With at least 50 rushing yards on Sunday at Dallas (4:25 PM ET, FOX), Hurts will join LAMAR JACKSON (first five starts) as the only quarterbacks with at least 50 rushing yards in each of their first three career starts in the Super Bowl era.
SUNDAY NIGHT SHOWDOWN
The TENNESSEE TITANS (10-4) and GREEN BAY PACKERS (11-3) meet on Sunday Night Football (8:20 PM ET, NBC) in matchup of two of the league’s top offenses.
Titans-Packers is going to light up the scoreboard. @CSimmsQB would be SHOCKED if it didn't. @awscloud pic.twitter.com/AP2v1W3Qzw
— Sunday Night Football (@SNFonNBC) December 23, 2020
The two teams tie for the league lead with 55 total touchdowns and each average at least 30 points per game. The Titans tie for the NFL lead with 31.1 points per game, while the Packers rank third with 31.0. The primetime meeting will mark the first game between two teams each averaging at least 30 points per game in Week 16 or later in NFL history.
Green Bay quarterback AARON RODGERS enters the game with a league-high 40 touchdown passes and has only four interceptions this season. In his last seven games on Sunday Night Football, Rodgers has recorded 17 touchdown passes and zero interceptions. He has passed for at least one touchdown and zero interceptions in each of those seven games, the longest such streak on Sunday Night Football in NFL history.
IDP Pickup für Week 16 🔥 #FFIDP
Krys Barnes #51 / ILB Packers 🧀
Hat Kirksey als All-Down-LB abgelöst –
vs CAR 31 Snaps / 6 Solo TKL / FF
Musste zur Halbzeit wegen Dreck im Auge raus – sollte aber gegen Titans & Derrick Henry wieder starten.pic.twitter.com/v4ALZ7whSi— DettiFBei (@DettiFBei) December 22, 2020
Packers wide receiver DAVANTE ADAMS ranks second in the league with 14 touchdown receptions this season and has recorded a touchdown reception in eight consecutive games on Sunday Night Football, tied with ANTONIO BROWN (2013-16) and ROB GRONKOWSKI (2013-15) for the longest such streak in NFL history.
Green Bay tight end ROBERT TONYAN ties for the league lead among tight ends with a career-high 10 receiving touchdowns this season. He has recorded a touchdown catch in each of his last five games.
Robert Tonyan Grabs TE-Leading 10th TD of the Season! pic.twitter.com/QDR60s7Bqq
— Clutch Plays (@ClutchPlays7) December 20, 2020
With a touchdown reception on Sunday night, Tonyan will become the fifth tight end to record a touchdown reception in at least six consecutive games in NFL history.
The tight ends with a receiving touchdown in the most consecutive games in history:
PLAYER |
TEAM(S) |
SEASON(S) |
GAMES |
Antonio Gates | San Diego Chargers | 2009-10 | 9 |
Tony GonzalezHOF | Kansas City, Atlanta | 2008-09 | 6 |
Jimmy Graham | New Orleans | 2011-12 | 6 |
Rob Gronkowski | New England | 2011 | 6 |
Robert Tonyan | Green Bay | 2020 | 5* |
*Active streak |
Tennessee running back DERRICK HENRY leads the NFL with 1,679 rushing yards. He ties for the lead with 15 rushing touchdowns. He has recorded at least 100 rushing yards in nine consecutive road games. The second-longest streak in NFL history.
Derrick Henry with the MEAN stiff arm! 👑
📺: Watch #DETvsTEN on CBS pic.twitter.com/1jhPLFZncg
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) December 20, 2020
With at least 100 rushing yards on Sunday night, Henry will tie Pro Football Hall of Famer BARRY SANDERS (10 consecutive road games from 1996-97) for the most consecutive road games with at least 100 rushing yards in league history.
RIDICULOUS RECEIVERS
Kansas City wide receiver TYREEK HILL leads the NFL with 17 touchdowns (15 receiving, two rushing) entering Week 16.
"How do you not double-team a guy whose Twitter handle is @cheetah?" – Tony Romo pic.twitter.com/VwioWWVEPU
— NFLonCBS (@NFLonCBS) December 20, 2020
With a touchdown on Sunday against Atlanta (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Hill will tie MARK CLAYTON (18 touchdowns in 1984), BILL GROMAN (18 in 1961) and STERLING SHARPE (18 in 1994) for the third-most touchdowns by a wide receiver in a single season in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers RANDY MOSS (23 in 2007) and JERRY RICE (23 in 1987) have more.
Tyreek Hill now tied for the most receiving touchdowns in a season in franchise history 🐆
📺: https://t.co/m7Z375tRik pic.twitter.com/J0MOsrFPO9
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 20, 2020
The wide receivers with the most touchdowns in a single season in NFL history:
PLAYER |
TEAM |
SEASON |
TOUCHDOWNS |
||
Randy MossHOF | New England | 2007 | 23 | ||
Jerry RiceHOF | San Francisco | 1987 | 23 | ||
Mark Clayton | Miami | 1984 | 18 | ||
Bill Groman | Houston Oilers | 1961 | 18 | ||
Sterling Sharpe | Green Bay | 1994 | 18 | ||
Tyreek Hill | Kansas City | 2020 | 17* | ||
*Entering Week 16 | |||||
Buffalo wide receiver STEFON DIGGS leads the league with 111 receptions this season. He has recorded at least 10 catches in three consecutive games.
55 yards. Wow.
📺: #BUFvsDEN on @NFLNetwork
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/TYgmNmXBkP pic.twitter.com/HcsEQoXqWD— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2020
With 10 receptions at New England on Monday Night Football (8:15 PM ET, ESPN), Diggs will tie CALVIN JOHNSON (four games in 2012) for the most consecutive games with at least 10 receptions in NFL history.
Minnesota wide receiver JUSTIN JEFFERSON leads all rookies with 1,182 receiving yards this season. With 12 receiving yards at New Orleans on Friday (4:30 PM ET, FOX/NFLN/Amazon), Jefferson will become the fourth rookie with at least 1,200 receiving yards in the Super Bowl era, joining ANQUAN BOLDIN (1,377 receiving yards in 2003), Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS (1,313 in 1998) and ODELL BECKHAM JR. (1,305 in 2014).
“F*** Kirk!”- Justin Jefferson needs out of Minneapolis already 😂 pic.twitter.com/0cODtCQS4D
— @crazythrows on IG 🪐 (@ThrowsCrazy) December 20, 2020
The rookies with the most receiving yards in the Super Bowl era:
PLAYER |
TEAM |
SEASON |
RECEIVING YARDS |
Anquan Boldin | Arizona | 2003 | 1,377 |
Randy MossHOF | Minnesota | 1998 | 1,313 |
Odell Beckham Jr. | New York Giants | 2014 | 1,305 |
Justin Jefferson | Minnesota | 2020 | 1,182* |
*Entering Week 16 |