TERRIFIC TURNAROUND: The PHILADELPHIA EAGLES lead the NFC East and are tied for the best record in the NFL at 10-2. The Eagles, who finished in last place in the division with a 7-9 record in 2016, can clinch the NFC East on Sunday with a win at the Los Angeles Rams or a loss by Dallas.
It would mark the 14th season in the past 15 years that at least one team won its division the season after finishing in last or tied for last place. In fact, of the 44 teams in league history to go from “worst-to-first,” 21 of them have done so in the past 14 years (2003-16), including an NFL-record three such teams in 2005 and 2006.
The teams to go from “worst-to-first” in their division since 2003:
SEASON
TEAM
RECORD
PRIOR SEASON RECORD
2003
Carolina
11-5
7-9
2003
Kansas City
13-3
8-8**
2004
Atlanta
11-5
5-11
2004
San Diego
12-4
4-12**
2005
Chicago
11-5
5-11
2005
New York Giants
11-5
6-10**
2005
Tampa Bay
11-5
5-11
2006
Baltimore
13-3
6-10**
2006
New Orleans
10-6
3-13
2006
Philadelphia
10-6
6-10
2007
Tampa Bay
9-7
4-12
2008
Miami
11-5
1-15
2009
New Orleans***
13-3
8-8
2010
Kansas City
10-6
4-12
2011
Denver
8-8
4-12
2011
Houston
10-6
6-10**
2012
Washington
10-6
5-11
2013
Carolina
12-4
7-9**
2013
Philadelphia
10-6
4-12
2015
Washington
9-7
4-12
2016
Dallas
13-3
4-12
2017
Philadelphia
10-2*
7-9
* Through Week 13
** Tied for last place
*** Won Super Bowl
— NFL —
THE CLIMB CONTINUES: Arizona wide receiver LARRY FITZGERALD has 15,267 receiving yards in his 14-year career.
With 26 receiving yards on Sunday against Tennessee, Fitzgerald will surpass RANDY MOSS (15,292) for the third-most receiving yards in NFL history.
The players with the most receiving yards in NFL history:
PLAYER
TEAM(S)
CAREER RECEIVING YARDS
Jerry Rice^
San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle
22,895
Terrell Owens
San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas, Buffalo, Cincinnati
15,934
Randy Moss
Minnesota, Oakland, New England, Tennessee, San Francisco
15,292
Larry Fitzgerald
Arizona
15,267*
*Active
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
— NFL –
CENTENNIAL BROWN: Pittsburgh wide receiver ANTONIO BROWN leads the NFL with 88 receptions this season.
Brown, who plays against Baltimore on Sunday night, can become the first player in NFL history with at least 100 catches in five consecutive seasons. Pro Football Hall of Famer MARVIN HARRISON (1999-2002)is the only other player to accomplish the feat in four consecutive seasons.
The players with the most consecutive 100-catch seasons in NFL history:
PLAYER
TEAM
SEASONS
MOST CONSECUTIVE 100-CATCH SEASONS
Antonio Brown
Pittsburgh
2013-16
4*
Marvin Harrison^
Indianapolis
1999-2002
4
*Has 88 catches through Week 13
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
— NFL —
SIXTH & SEVENTH SEASON SUCCESSES: Indianapolis wide receiver T.Y. HILTON has 791 receiving yards and four touchdown catches this season.
Hilton, who plays at Buffalo on Sunday, can join GARY CLARK (1985-92) and RANDY MOSS (1998-2003) as the only players in NFL history to have at least 850 receiving yards and five touchdown catches in each of their first six seasons to start a career.
The players with the most consecutive seasons with at least 850 receiving yards and five touchdown catches to begin their career:
PLAYER
TEAM
SEASONS
CONSEC. SEASONS WITH 850+ REC. YARDS & 5+ TDS TO BEGIN CAREER
Gary Clark
Washington
1985-92
8
Randy Moss
Minnesota
1998-2003
6
T.Y. Hilton
Indianapolis
2012-16
5*
*Has 791 rec. yards and four TDs in sixth season
Cincinnati wide receiver A.J. GREEN ties for fifth in the AFC with 886 receiving yards. Green, who plays against Chicago on Sunday, can become the first player in NFL history with at least 950 receiving yards in each of his first seven seasons. Green and RANDY MOSS are the only players to accomplish the feat in each of their first six NFL seasons.
The players with the most consecutive seasons with at least 950 receiving yards to begin their career:
PLAYER
TEAM
SEASONS
CONSEC. SEASONS WITH 950+ REC. YARDS TO BEGIN CAREER
A.J. Green
Cincinnati
2011-16
6*
Randy Moss
Minnesota
1998-2003
6
*Has 886 rec. yards in seventh season
— NFL —
ALL-PURPOSE ALL-STARS: Pittsburgh running back LE’VEON BELL (1,559 scrimmage yards) and Los Angeles Rams running back TODD GURLEY (1,502) rank first and second in the NFL in scrimmage yards.
Bell (1,057 rushing yards and 502 receiving yards) and Gurley (939 and 563) can become the seventh and eighth players in NFL history with at least 1,100 rushing yards and 600 receiving yards in their team’s first 13 games of a season. They would become the first pair of players to accomplish the feat in the same season.
Bell can join Pro Football Hall of Famer MARSHALL FAULK (1998 and 1999) as the only players to accomplish the feat twice. In 2014, Bell had 1,231 rushing yards and 693 receiving yards in the Steelers’ first 13 games of the season.
The players with 1,100+ rushing yards and 600+ receiving yards in their team’s first 13 games to start a season in NFL history:
PLAYER
TEAM
SEASON
RUSH YARDS
REC. YARDS
Marshall Faulk^
Indianapolis
1998
1,113
823
Marshall Faulk^
St. Louis
1999
1,180
720
Priest Holmes
Kansas City
2002
1,454
650
Steven Jackson
St. Louis
2006
1,109
680
Brian Westbrook
Philadelphia
2007
1,110
642
Le’Veon Bell
Pittsburgh
2014
1,231
693
Le’Veon Bell*
Pittsburgh
2017
1,057
502
Todd Gurley*
LA Rams
2017
939
563
*Through 12 games
^Pro Football Hall of Famer
— NFL —
ELITE COMPANY: Since the start of November, New Orleans rookie running back ALVIN KAMARA leads the NFL with 720 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns. Kamara has eclipsed 100 scrimmage yards and scored at least one touchdown in each of his past five games.
On Thursday Night Football at Atlanta, Kamara can tie Pro Football Hall of Famer FRANCO HARRIS (six in 1972) for the second-longest streak of consecutive games with at least 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown by a rookie. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer ERIC DICKERSON (10 in 1983) had a longer streak as a rookie.
The rookies with at least six consecutive games with 100+ scrimmage yards and a touchdown in NFL history:
PLAYER
TEAM
SEASON
ROOKIES WITH 100+ SCRIMMAGE YARDS & TD IN 6 CONSEC. GAMES
