WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 17

UNPREDICTABLE PLAYOFF PARTICIPANTS: For the 13th consecutive season, five or more teams will qualify for the playoffs that were not in the postseason the year before. Arizona, Atlanta and Carolina did not make the playoffs last year but have done so this season.

This Sunday, that number will jump to four teams with either Minnesota or Chicago winning the NFC North. The fifth (and potentially sixth) team will come from the pool of Baltimore, Miami and the New York Jets, who are competing with New England (2007 AFC East champion) for two AFC playoff berths. The number can jump to as high as eight if Denver emerges as the AFC West champion and Philadelphia or Chicago takes the final NFC wild card spot.

The teams since 1996 to make the playoffs a season after failing to qualify:

SEASON	PLAYOFF TEAMS NOT IN PREVIOUS SEASON’S PLAYOFFS
1996	5 (Carolina, Denver, Jacksonville, Minnesota, New England)
1997	5 (Detroit, Kansas City, Miami, New York Giants, Tampa Bay)
1998	5 (Arizona, Atlanta, Buffalo, Dallas, New York Jets)
1999	7 (Detroit, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Washington)
2000	6 (Baltimore, Denver, New Orleans, New York Giants, Oakland, Philadelphia)
2001	6 (Chicago, Green Bay, New England, New York Jets, Pittsburgh, San Francisco)
2002	5 (Atlanta, Cleveland, Indianapolis, New York Giants, Tennessee)
2003	8 (Baltimore, Carolina, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, New England, St. Louis, Seattle)
2004	5 (Atlanta, Minnesota, New York Jets, Pittsburgh, San Diego)
2005	7 (Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, New York Giants, Tampa Bay, Washington)
2006	7 (Baltimore, Dallas, Kansas City, New Orleans, New York Jets, Philadelphia, San Diego)
2007	6 (Green Bay, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Washington)
2008	??? (Arizona, Atlanta, Carolina) *

* Minnesota or Chicago will represent the NFC North and at least one of Baltimore, Miami and the New York Jets will qualify in the AFC.

NEW LEADERSHIP ATOP DIVISIONS: Heading into Week 17, there are already five divisions guaranteed to have a different champion from last year. The Pittsburgh Steelers are the only repeat division winner at this point. The potential seven new division winners would set a record since realignment in 2002, topping the six new division winners of 2003.

The teams that have clinched their division as well as potential division winners (in bold and italics) in 2008:

	AFC EAST	AFC NORTH	AFC SOUTH	AFC WEST	NFC EAST	NFC NORTH	NFC SOUTH	NFC WEST
2007	New England	Pittsburgh	Indianapolis	San Diego	Dallas	Green Bay	Tampa Bay	Seattle
2008	Miami, N.E. or N.Y. Jets	Pittsburgh	Tennessee	Denver or San Diego	N.Y. Giants	Minnesota or Chicago	Carolina or Atlanta	Arizona

-- NFL --

PETERSON RUNNING TOWARDS ELITE COMPANY: Second-year running back ADRIAN PETERSON of the Minnesota Vikings needs only two yards to join a short list of players who have rushed for at least 3,000 yards in their first two NFL seasons. Peterson also is poised to enter an even more exclusive category of players who have led their conference in rushing in each of their first two seasons. Peterson rushed for an NFC-best 1,341 yards in being named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2007 and currently leads the NFL with 1,657 yards.

Running backs who have rushed for 3,000 yards in their first two seasons:

PLAYER	YEARS/TEAM	RUSHING YARDS
Eric Dickerson	1983-84 Los Angeles Rams	3,913
Edgerrin James	1999-00 Indianapolis Colts	3,262
Earl Campbell	1978-79 Houston Oilers	3,147
Clinton Portis	2002-03 Denver Broncos	3,099
Adrian Peterson	2007-08 Minnesota Vikings	2,998*

* With one game remaining in second NFL season

Running backs who have lead their conference in rushing yards in their first two seasons:

PLAYER	TEAM	YEAR	RUSHING YARDS
Earl Campbell	Houston Oilers	1978	1,450
		1979	1,697
Eric Dickerson	Los Angeles Rams	1983	1,808
		1984	2,105
Edgerrin James	Indianapolis Colts	1999	1,553
		2000	1,709
Adrian Peterson	Minnesota Vikings	2007	1,341
		2008	1,657 *

* Leads with one game remaining in season

-- NFL --

HEY, ROOK!: With 10 and 12 yards, respectively, running backs STEVE SLATON (1,190) of Houston and MATT FORTÉ (1,188) of Chicago can join Tennessee’s CHRIS JOHNSON (1,228) as the first trio of rookie backs in history to each rush for 1,200 yards. The only other times two rookie backs rushed for 1,200 yards were in 1983 (ERIC DICKERSON; 1,808 and CURT WARNER; 1,449) and 2000 (MIKE ANDERSON; 1,487 and JAMAL LEWIS; 1,364).

DYNAMIC DUOS: The New York Giants’ BRANDON JACOBS (1,089) and DERRICK WARD (948) seek to become only the fourth set of running-back teammates to rush for 1,000 yards each in the same season. The last running back duo to reach the milestone was KEVIN MACK and EARNEST BYNER of the 1985 Cleveland Browns.

Jacobs and Ward give a big amount of the credit for their seasons to their offensive line of LT DAVID DIEHL, LG RICH SEUBERT, C SHAUN O’HARA, RG CHRIS SNEE and RT KAREEM MC KENZIE.

The running back duos to rush for 1,000 yards apiece in the same season and the men who blocked for them:

YEAR/TEAM	RUNNING BACKS (YARDS)	OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
1985 Cleveland Browns	Kevin Mack (1,104), Earnest Byner (1,002)	C Mike Baab, G George Lilja, G Dan Fike, T Paul Farren, T Cody Risien
1976 Pittsburgh Steelers	Franco Harris (1,128), Rocky Bleier (1,036)	C Mike Webster, G Sam Davis, G Jim Clack, T Jon Kolb, T Gerry Mullins
1972 Miami Dolphins	Larry Csonka (1,117), Mercury Morris (1,000)	C Jim Langer, G Bob Kuechenberg, G Larry Little, T Norm Evans, T Doug Crusan
2008 New York Giants	Brandon Jacobs (1,089), Derrick Ward (948) *	C Shaun O’Hara, G Rich Seubert, G Chris Snee, T Kareem McKenzie, T David Diehl

* Through 15 games

THE FINE FIFTEEN: Entering Week 17, there are four running backs with 15 or more rushing touchdowns apiece, tying 2002 for the most such backs in a season. New York Jets running back THOMAS JONES can join the club by adding two touchdowns to his franchise record 13.

The seasons with the most running backs with 15 or more rushing touchdowns:

YEAR	RUNNING BACKS
2008	4 (DeAngelo Williams, Michael Turner, Brandon Jacobs, LenDale White)
2002	4 (Priest Holmes, Shaun Alexander, Ricky Williams, Clinton Portis)
2005	3 (Shaun Alexander, Larry Johnson, LaDainian Tomlinson)
Nine different seasons have had two
Twenty different seasons have had one

CARDS ENTER NEW MILLENIUM: With 85 yards on Sunday against Seattle, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver STEVE BREASTON can reach the 1,000-yard mark and join teammates ANQUAN BOLDIN and LARRY FITZGERALD as only the fifth trio with 1,000 receiving yards apiece in a season. Breaston needs eight catches for the threesome to be the first in history with 80 receptions each.

The trios in NFL history to reach 1,000 receiving yards each in a season:

YEAR/TEAM	PLAYERS (YARDS)
2004 Indianapolis Colts	Reggie Wayne (1,210), Marvin Harrison (1,113), Brandon Stokley (1,077)
1995 Atlanta Falcons	Eric Metcalf (1,189), Bert Emanuel (1,039), Terance Mathis (1,039)
1989 Washington Redskins	Gary Clark (1,229), Art Monk (1,186), Ricky Sanders (1,138)
1980 San Diego Chargers	John Jefferson (1,340), Kellen Winslow (1,290), Charlie Joiner (1,132)
2008 Arizona Cardinals*	Larry Fitzgerald (1,301), Anquan Boldin (1,038), Steve Breaston (915)

* Through 15 games

WINTER BREES: New Orleans Saints quarterback DREW BREES has thrown for 300 yards in nine games this season. With a 300-yard passing day against Carolina on Sunday, Brees can tie the NFL season record of RICH GANNON in 2002. Brees also is 402 yards away from breaking DAN MARINO’s record for most passing yards in a season (5,084 in 1984).

The most 300-yard passing games in a season in history:

PLAYER	YEAR/TEAM	NO. OF 300-YARD GAMES
Rich Gannon	2002 Oakland Raiders	10
Drew Brees	2008 New Orleans Saints	9*
Kurt Warner	2001 St. Louis Rams	9
Kurt Warner	1999 St. Louis Rams	9
Warren Moon	1990 Houston Oilers	9
Dan Marino	1984 Miami Dolphins	9

* Through 15 games

Quarterbacks with most passing yards in a season:

PLAYER	YEAR/TEAM	PASSING YARDS
Dan Marino	1984 Miami Dolphins	5,084
Kurt Warner	2001 St. Louis Rams	4,830
Tom Brady	2007 New England Patriots	4,806
Dan Fouts	1981 San Diego Chargers	4,802
Dan Marino	1986 Miami Dolphins	4,746
Drew Brees	2008 New Orleans Saints	4,683*

* Through 15 games

T.O.WARDS THE TOP: Dallas Cowboys wide receiver TERRELL OWENS, with 10 touchdown catches, needs 51 receiving yards to reach the 1,000-yard/10-touchdown plateau in a season for the eighth time in his career, tying him for second all-time (MARVIN HARRISON). New England Patriots wide receiver RANDY MOSS needs only five receiving yards to accomplish the feat for the seventh time.

The wide receivers with the most 1,000-yard/10-touchdown seasons:

PLAYER (TEAMS)	1,000-YARD/10-TD SEASONS
Jerry Rice (San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle)	9
Marvin Harrison (Indianapolis)	8*
Terrell Owens (San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas)	7*
Randy Moss (Minnesota, Oakland, New England)	6*
Lance Alworth (San Diego, Dallas)	5
Cris Carter (Philadelphia, Minnesota, Miami)	5

* Active

NO RETURNS ACCEPTED: The Atlanta Falcons have a chance to set the NFL record for fewest punt-return yards allowed in a season (since the 16-game schedule in 1978). Through 15 games, the Falcons coverage unit has surrendered only 49 punt-return yards, four below the record (53, 1991 Buffalo Bills). Falcons punter MICHAEL KOENEN has punted 59 times, allowing only 20 returns.