Statistical recap of Week 15 in the NFL

TERRIFIC TURNAROUNDS: The PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (NFC East, first-round bye), MINNESOTA VIKINGS(NFC North) and JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (playoff berth) have clinched at least a playoff berth. All three teams finished in either third or fourth place in their divisions last year and missed the postseason.

Entering Week 16, five of the eight divisions have a team either in or tied for first place that finished in third or fourth place in the division last season.

This weekend, four clubs – the CAROLINA PANTHERSLOS ANGELES RAMSNEW ORLEANS SAINTS andTENNESSEE TITANS – have a chance to join Philadelphia, Minnesota and Jacksonville as teams who clinched a playoff spot after not qualifying for the postseason in 2016.

Since the 12-team playoff format was adopted in 1990, at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs in every season that were not in the postseason the year before.

— NFL —

KANDID KAMARA: New Orleans rookie running back ALVIN KAMARA had 89 scrimmage yards (45 receiving, 44 rushing) and a receiving touchdown in the Saints’ 31-19 win over the New York Jets last week.

Kamara, who has seven rushing touchdowns and five receiving touchdowns this year, is the fourth rookie in NFL history with at least five rushing and five receiving touchdowns, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers DOAK WALKER (1950), CHARLEY TAYLOR (1964) and GALE SAYERS (1965).

The rookies with at least five rushing and five receiving touchdowns in NFL history:

PLAYER

TEAM

SEASON

RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS

RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS

Doak Walker^

Detroit

1950

5

6

Charley Taylor^

Washington

1964

5

5

Gale Sayers^

Chicago

1965

14

6

Alvin Kamara

New Orleans

2017

 7*

5*

*Through Week 15

^Pro Football Hall of Famer

— NFL —

BIG GAME HUNTING: Kansas City rookie running back KAREEM HUNT had 206 scrimmage yards (155 rushing, 51 receiving), one rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the Chiefs’ 30-13 win against the Los Angeles Chargers last week.

Hunt, who had 246 scrimmage yards (148 rushing, 98 receiving), one rushing touchdown and two receiving touchdowns in Week 1, is the only rookie in NFL history to have two games with at least 200 scrimmage yards, a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown.

— NFL —

RISING ROOKIESThrough the first 15 weeks of the season, rookies have accumulated 22,219 yards from scrimmage, the second-most through Week 15 since 1970, excluding the 1987 season.

The seasons with the most yards from scrimmage by rookies through Week 15 since 1970 (excluding the 1987 season):

SEASON

MOST SCRIMMAGE YARDS BY ROOKIES THROUGH WEEK 15*

2014

22,229

2017

22,219

2013

19,771

2012

19,523

2015

19,086

*Excludes 1987 season

The rookies with the most scrimmage yards in 2017:

PLAYER

TEAM

SCRIMMAGE YARDS

Kareem Hunt

Kansas City

1,641

Alvin Kamara

New Orleans

1,336

Leonard Fournette

Jacksonville

1,136

Christian McCaffrey

Carolina

974

Cooper Kupp

Los Angeles Rams

804

Rookies have also totaled 157 touchdowns through Week 15, the second-most through the first 15 weeks of a season since 1970, excluding the 1987 season.

The seasons with the most touchdowns by rookies through Week 15 since 1970 (excluding 1987 season):

SEASON

MOST TOUCHDOWNS BY ROOKIES THROUGH WEEK 15*

2014

160

2017

157

2013

154

1983

142

2010

135

*Excludes 1987 season

The rookies with the most touchdowns in 2017:

PLAYER

TEAM

TOTAL TDS

Alvin Kamara

New Orleans

12

Leonard Fournette

Jacksonville

9

Kareem Hunt

Kansas City

9

Christian McCaffrey

Carolina

7

Many tied

6

— NFL —

MARVELOUS MC COYBuffalo running back LE SEAN MCCOY rushed for 50 yards and scored two touchdowns in the Bills’ 24-16 win over Miami in Week 15.

McCoy reached 10,000 career rushing yards on his 2,145th carry, becoming the fifth-fastest player in NFL history to achieve the milestone. The only players to reach 10,000 career rushing yards in fewer attempts are JIM BROWN (1,936), ADRIAN PETERSON (2,004), BARRY SANDERS (2,020) and O.J. SIMPSON (2,085). Brown, Sanders and Simpson are all enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The players with the fewest attempts to reach 10,000 rushing yards in NFL history:

PLAYER

TEAM(S)

FEWEST ATTEMPTS TO REACH 10,000 RUSHING YARDS

Jim Brown^

Cleveland

1,936

Adrian Peterson

Minnesota

2,004

Barry Sanders^

Detroit

2,020

O.J. Simpson^

Buffalo

2,085

LeSean McCoy

Philadelphia, Buffalo

2,145

^Pro Football Hall of Famer

— NFL —

GRON-K: New England tight end ROB GRONKOWSKI had nine receptions for 168 yards in the Patriots’ 27-24 win at Pittsburgh in Week 15.

Gronkowski, who leads all NFL tight ends with 1,017 receiving yards, reached 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth time in his career. Gronkowski tied TONY GONZALEZ (four) and JASON WITTEN (four) for the most seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards among tight ends in NFL history.

The tight ends with the most 1,000+ receiving yard seasons in NFL history:

PLAYER

TEAM

SEASONS WITH 1,000+ RECEIVING YARDS

Tony Gonzalez

Kansas City

4

Rob Gronkowski

New England

 4*

Jason Witten

Dallas

 4*

Todd Christensen

LA Raiders

3

Greg Olsen

Carolina

 3*

Shannon Sharpe^

Denver

3

Kellen Winslow^

San Diego

3

*Active

^Pro Football Hall of Famer

— NFL —

FOOTBALL IS FAMILYNew York Giants quarterback ELI MANNING passed for 434 yards and three touchdowns in the team’s Week 15 loss to Philadelphia.

Manning’s first touchdown pass of the day, the 336th of his career, gave the Manning family 1,000 total combined regular-season touchdown passes over their careers. Eli’s brother, PEYTON, threw 539 touchdown passes in his 17-year career, the most in NFL history. Their father, ARCHIE, recorded 125 touchdown passes during his 14-year career.

PLAYER

TEAM

CAREER TD PASSES

Peyton Manning

Indianapolis, Denver

539

Eli Manning

New York Giants

 338*

Archie Manning

New Orleans, Houston Oilers, Minnesota

125

Total

 

1,002

*Active

— NFL —

TOSS IT TO THOMAS: New Orleans wide receiver MICHAEL THOMAS had nine receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown in the Saints’ win against the Jets.

Thomas, who had 92 catches as a rookie last season, has a career-high 94 receptions in 14 games this year. He joins ODELL BECKHAM, JR. as the only players in NFL history to have at least 90 catches in each of their first two NFL seasons. Beckham (2014-16) reached 90+ receptions in each of his first three NFL seasons.

The players to record at least 90 catches in each of their first two seasons in NFL history:

PLAYER

TEAM

SEASON

RECEPTIONS

Michael Thomas

New Orleans

2016

92

New Orleans

2017

 94*

Odell Beckham, Jr.

New York Giants

2014

91

New York Giants

2015

96

New York Giants

2016

101

*Through Week 15

— NFL —

BLOCK PARTY: Philadelphia rookie defensive end DEREK BARNETT blocked a PAT, linebacker KAMU GRUGIER-HILL blocked a punt and safety MALCOLM JENKINS blocked a field goal in the Eagles’ 34-29 win over the Giants in Week 15.

The Eagles are the first team since the 1979 Minnesota Vikings (November 25, 23-22 win at Tampa Bay) to block all three types of kicks in a win.

— NFL —

GOOD AS GOULDSan Francisco kicker ROBBIE GOULD converted all six field-goal attempts, including the game-winning 45-yard field goal as time expired, in the 49ers’ 25-23 win over the Titans last week.

Gould, who made five field goals at Chicago in Week 13 and four at Houston in Week 14, is the first player in NFL history to make at least 15 field goals over a three-game span.

The most made field goals over a three-game span in NFL history:

PLAYER

TEAM

SEASON(S)

WEEKS

FIELD GOALS MADE

Robbie Gould

San Francisco

2017

13-15

15

Neil Rackers

Arizona

2005

2-4

14

Olindo Mare

Miami

1999

4-6

14

John Carney

San Diego

1992-93

16-17, 1

14

Jim Turner

New York Jets

1968

9-11

14

Gino Cappelletti

Boston Patriots

1964

2-4

14

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