Stats & milestones: Favre, CJ, Manning aim to pad record streaks

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.

 

 

 

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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

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:

 

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:

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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.

 

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.

 

 

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 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):