If the playoffs started today there would be a lot of new faces

Posted Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009 Comments   (0) Print Share Share Reprints
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If the playoffs started today, the AFC teams would be: 1. Denver; 2. Indianapolis; 3. Cincinnati; 4. New England; 5. Pittsburgh; and 6. Jacksonville. The NFC teams would be: 1. Minnesota; 2. New Orleans; 3. New York Giants; 4. San Francisco; 5. Atlanta; and 6. Green Bay. Seven of those teams did not make the postseason in 2008.

Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub is on pace to throw for 4,832 yards, 37 touchdowns with 13 interceptions. In his 17-year NFL career, including 10 with the Houston Oilers, Warren Moon’s single-season career bests were 4,690 passing yards and 33 touchdowns.

Peyton Manning is completing a league-best 73.5 percent of his passes, which if he could continue on that pace, would shatter the single-season record of 70.55 percent, set by Cincinnati’s Ken Anderson in a

strike-shortened 1982 season.

The Philadelphia Eagles have had 31 third-down opportunities this season with Donovan McNabb at quarterback. They have passed on 30 of those 31 third-down plays.

Cedric Benson had only two 100-yard games in 35 games with the Bears. He has five in 18 games with the Cincinnati Bengals, including two this year.

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson had 143 yards rushing against the Baltimore Ravens last week. According to Elias Sports Bureau, it was the most yards rushing against a Ray Lewis-led defense since 1998, when Bears running back James Allen rushed for 163 yards.

The Oakland Raiders used the No. 7 overall draft choice on Darrius Heyward-Bey and signed him to a contract with $23.5 million guaranteed. Heyward-Bey has started all six games, but he has only two receptions — making him the Raiders’ ninth-leading receiver — for 36 yards. He has two dropped passes, according to Stats, Inc.

The San Diego Chargers’ safeties have struggled. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the team’s safeties have been responsible for three touchdowns in the past two games, allowing 13 completions on the 18 passes they were targets.

St. Louis Rams rookie linebacker James Laurinaitis was credited with 10 more tackles, according to the coaches’ video review, last week. He has a team-leading 59. Laurinaitis also had an interception in each of the past two games.

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