What To Look For - Week 17

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 17

RACE TO 5,000: New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES (4,858), Washington quarterback KIRK COUSINS (4,630) and Atlanta quarterback MATT RYAN (4,613) are the NFL’s top three passing yardage leaders this season.

Brees, Cousins and Ryan can each reach 5,000 yards passing on Sunday and would become the second trio of quarterbacks to reach 5,000 passing yards in the same season, joining Brees (5,476), TOM BRADY (5,235) and MATTHEW STAFFORD (5,038) who all accomplished the feat in 2011.

The quarterbacks with 5,000 passing yards in a season:

PLAYER	SEASON	TEAM	PASSING YARDS
Peyton Manning	2013	Denver	5,477
Drew Brees	2011	New Orleans	5,476
Tom Brady	2011	New England	5,235
Drew Brees	2012	New Orleans	5,177
Drew Brees	2013	New Orleans	5,162
Dan Marino^	1984	Miami	5,084
Drew Brees	2008	New Orleans	5,069
Matthew Stafford	2011	Detroit	5,038
Drew Brees	2016	New Orleans	4,858*
Kirk Cousins	2016	Washington	4,630*
Matt Ryan	2016	Atlanta	4,613*
*Through 15 games
^Pro Football Hall of Famer

Brees, who has recorded four of the NFL’s eight 5,000-yard passing seasons, is the only quarterback in league history to pass for at least 5,000 yards in multiple seasons.

--- NFL ---

BRADY BARELY BLEMISHED: New England quarterback TOM BRADY has passed for 25 touchdowns with two interceptions and leads the NFL with a 12.5 touchdown-to-interception ratio this season.

With three touchdowns and no interceptions at Miami on Sunday, Brady would have the highest single-season touchdown-to-interception ratio in NFL history (minimum 20 passing touchdowns).

The highest single-season touchdown-to-interception ratios in NFL history (minimum 20 passing touchdowns):

PLAYER	SEASON	TEAM	TOUCHDOWN PASSES	INTERCEPTIONS	TD/INT RATIO
Nick Foles	2013	Philadelphia	27	2	13.5
Tom Brady	2016	New England	25*	2*	12.5*
Tom Brady	2010	New England	36	4	9.0
Aaron Rodgers	2014	Green Bay	38	5	7.6
Aaron Rodgers	2011	Green Bay	45	6	7.5
*Through Week 16

--- NFL ---

ZOOMING ZEKE: Dallas rookie running back EZEKIEL ELLIOTT leads the NFL with 1,631 rushing yards, the third-highest rushing total by a rookie in NFL history.

With 69 rushing yards at Philadelphia on Sunday, Elliott would become the second rookie in NFL history with 1,700 rushing yards in a season. Elliott needs 178 rushing yards against the Eagles to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer ERIC DICKERSON (1,808) as the NFL’s all-time rookie rushing leader.

The rookies with the most rushing yards in NFL history:

PLAYER	SEASON	TEAM	RUSHING YARDS
Eric Dickerson^	1983	Los Angeles Rams	1,808
George Rogers	1981	New Orleans	1,674
Ezekiel Elliott	2016	Dallas	1,631*
Alfred Morris	2012	Washington	1,613
Ottis Anderson	1979	St. Louis Cardinals	1,605
Edgerrin James	1999	Indianapolis	1,553
*Through 15 games
^Pro Football Hall of Famer

Elliott ranks second in the league with 1,994 yards from scrimmage (1,631 rushing, 363 receiving), the third-highest total by a rookie in NFL history.

With six scrimmage yards on Sunday, Elliott would become the third rookie in NFL history to reach 2,000 scrimmage yards, joining Dickerson (2,212 in 1983) and EDGERRIN JAMES (2,139 in 1999).

The rookies with the most yards from scrimmage in NFL history:

PLAYER	SEASON	TEAM	SCRIMMAGE YARDS
Eric Dickerson^	1983	Los Angeles Rams	2,212
Edgerrin James	1999	Indianapolis	2,139
Ezekiel Elliott	2016	Dallas	1,994*
Doug Martin	2012	Tampa Bay	1,926
Billy Sims	1980	Detroit	1,924
*Through 15 games
^Pro Football Hall of Famer

--- NFL ---

DAK DAZZLES: Dallas quarterback DAK PRESCOTT leads all rookie quarterbacks with 3,630 passing yards, 23 touchdown passes and a 105.6 passer rating this season while helping guide the Cowboys to a 13-2 record and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

With a victory at Philadelphia on Sunday, Prescott would record his 14th win as a starting quarterback, passing BEN ROETHLISBERGER (13 in 2004) for the most by a rookie starting quarterback in NFL history.

Prescott (23) needs four touchdown passes on Sunday to surpass PEYTON MANNING (26) and RUSSELL WILSON (26) for the most touchdown passes by a rookie quarterback in NFL history.

The most touchdown passes by a rookie quarterback in NFL history:

PLAYER	SEASON	TEAM	TOUCHDOWN PASSES
Russell Wilson	2012	Seattle	26
Peyton Manning	1998	Indianapolis	26
Dak Prescott	2016	Dallas	23*
Andrew Luck	2012	Indianapolis	23
*Through 15 games

Prescott has thrown only four interceptions in 451 passing attempts this season and ranks third among qualifying quarterbacks with a 0.9 interception percentage, trailing only TOM BRADY (0.5 percent) and SAM BRADFORD (0.8 percent).

Prescott is on pace to record the lowest interception percentage by a rookie quarterback in NFL history (minimum 200 passing attempts).

The rookie quarterbacks with the lowest interception percentages in NFL history (minimum 200 attempts):

PLAYER	SEASON	TEAM	PASSING ATTEMPTS	INTERCEPTIONS	INT PERCENTAGE
Dak Prescott	2016	Dallas	451*	4*	0.9*
Robert Griffin III	2012	Washington	393	5	1.3
Nick Foles	2012	Philadelphia	265	5	1.9
Charlie Batch	1998	Detroit	303	6	2.0
Derek Carr	2014	Oakland	599	12	2.0
*Through 15 games

--- NFL ---

PROLIFIC PASSERS: Green Bay quarterback AARON RODGERS passed for 347 yards with four touchdown passes for a 136.6 passer rating and added a rushing touchdown in the Packers’ 38-25 win vs. Minnesota last week. Rodgers leads the NFL with 36 passing touchdowns this season. New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES ranks second in the league with 35 touchdown passes in 2016.

With four touchdown passes at Detroit on Sunday Night Football, Rodgers would become the fourth quarterback in NFL history with at least 40 touchdown passes in multiple seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (1984, 1986), PEYTON MANNING (2004, 2013) and Brees (2011, 2012).

With five touchdown passes at Atlanta on Sunday, Brees can become the first quarterback in NFL history with three seasons of at least 40 touchdown passes.

The quarterbacks with at least 40 touchdown passes in multiple seasons:

PLAYER	SEASONS	TEAM(S)	SEASONS WITH 40+ TD PASSES
Peyton Manning	2004, 2013	Indianapolis, Denver	2
Drew Brees	2011, 2012	New Orleans	2*
Dan Marino^	1984, 1986	Miami	2
Aaron Rodgers	2011	Green Bay	1**
*Has 35 touchdown passes through 15 games
**Has 36 touchdown passes through 15 games
^Pro Football Hall of Famer

--- NFL ---

GOOD COMPANY: Green Bay wide receiver JORDY NELSON had 154 receiving yards and two touchdowns in Week 16.

Nelson, who has 91 catches for 1,191 yards and a league-leading 14 touchdown receptions this season, can become the fifth player in NFL history to record at least 100 catches, 1,200 receiving yards and 15 touchdown catches in a single season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers CRIS CARTER (1995), JERRY RICE (1995) and MARVIN HARRISON (2001) and RANDY MOSS (2003).

The players with at least 100 catches, 1,200 receiving yards and 15 touchdown catches in a season:

PLAYER	SEASON	TEAM	RECEPTIONS	REC. YARDS	TD CATCHES
Randy Moss	2003	Minnesota	111	1,632	17
Marvin Harrison^	2001	Indianapolis	109	1,524	15
Cris Carter^	1995	Minnesota	122	1,371	17
Jerry Rice^	1995	San Francisco	122	1,848	15
Jordy Nelson	2016	Green Bay	91*	1,191*	14*
*Through 15 games
^Pro Football Hall of Famer

--- NFL ---

ROCKING RAIDER: Oakland wide receiver AMARI COOPER has 78 catches for 1,110 receiving yards and four touchdowns this season.

With one touchdown catch on Sunday at Denver, Cooper would become the third player in NFL history to have at least 70 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards and five touchdown catches in each of his first two career seasons, joining ODELL BECKHAM JR. (2014-2015) and MARQUES COLSTON (2006-2007).

The players with at least 70 catches, 1,000 receiving yards and five touchdown catches in each of their first two seasons:

PLAYER	SEASONS	TEAM	SEASONS WITH 70+ CATCHES, 1,000+ REC. YARDS &  5+ TD CATCHES IN FIRST 2 YEARS
Odell Beckham Jr.	2014-2015	New York Giants	2
Marques Colston	2006-2007	New Orleans	2
Amari Cooper	2015-2016	Oakland	1*
*Through 15 games

--- NFL ---

RINGING THE BELL: Pittsburgh running back LE’VEON BELL ranks third in the NFL with 1,884 yards from scrimmage (1,268 rushing, 616 receiving) this season, despite only appearing in 12 games.

With 116 yards from scrimmage against Cleveland on Sunday, Bell, who had 2,215 scrimmage yards in 2014, can become the seventh player in NFL history to record multiple seasons with at least 2,000 scrimmage yards in his first four career seasons.

The most seasons with at least 2,000 scrimmage yards in a player’s first four seasons:

PLAYER	TEAM	SEASONS WITH 2,000+ SCRIMMAGE YARDS IN FIRST 4 YEARS
Eric Dickerson^	Los Angeles	3
Terrell Davis	Denver	2
Edgerrin James	Indianapolis	2
Larry Johnson	Kansas City	2
Ray Rice	Baltimore	2
LaDainian Tomlinson	San Diego	2
Le’Veon Bell	Pittsburgh	1*
*Has 1,884 scrimmage yards through Week 16  ^Pro Football Hall of Famer

Bell leads the NFL with a 157.0 scrimmage yards per game average in 2016, the third-highest single-season average in NFL history.

The highest single-season scrimmage yards per game averages in NFL history:

PLAYER	SEASON	TEAM	SCRIMMAGE YARDS PER GAME AVERAGE
Priest Holmes	2002	Kansas City	163.4
O.J. Simpson^	1975	Buffalo	160.2
Le’Veon Bell	2016	Pittsburgh	157.0*
Chris Johnson	2009	Tennessee	156.8
Marshall Faulk^	2000	St. Louis	156.4
*Through 15 games
^Pro Football Hall of Famer

--- NFL ---

CATCH IT LIKE BECKHAM: New York Giants wide receiver ODELL BECKHAM JR. had 11 catches for 150 yards in the Giants’ Week 16 loss to Philadelphia, his 19th career game with at least 100 receiving yards, tying RANDY MOSS (19) for the most by a player in his first three seasons.

With 100 receiving yards at Washington on Sunday, Beckham would become the only player in NFL history with 20 career games of at least 100 receiving yards in his first three seasons.

The most 100-yard receiving games by a player in his first three seasons in NFL history:

PLAYER	SEASONS	TEAM	100-YARD RECEIVING GAMES IN FIRST 3 SEASONS
Odell Beckham Jr.	2014-2016	New York Giants	19*
Randy Moss	1998-2000	Minnesota	19
T.Y. Hilton	2012-2014	Indianapolis	16
John Jefferson	1978-1980	San Diego	16
Bill Groman	1960-1962	Houston	16
Harlon Hill	1954-1956	Chicago	16
*Through 15 games in third season
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