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 PANTHERS, LOS ANGELES RAMS, NEW 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 ROOKIES: Through 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 COY: Buffalo 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 FAMILY: New 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 GOULD: San 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:
