Happy holidays! Your playoff picture should be wrapping up if it hasn't already. Hopefully you made some solid managerial decisions, snagged a little luck, and rolled to sweet victory. If you still have games to be played, this is the trickiest week of the season to figure out who might be playing and who won't. For some players, it might be a gametime decision pending on what happens in the preceding games this weekend. You won't get much help here, but you will find some interesting and entertaining numbers of the NFL. Good luck, and enjoy!
5 - Teams in the NFC with a 7-8 record through Week 16. Yes, it's true. An 8-8 team will likely make the playoffs. Actually, it's even possible that they all lose in Week 17, and then a 7-9 team will make the playoffs. The Giants are in the driver's seat, but the Panthers, Falcons, Rams, and Packers are all in the hunt. And what's even more interesting is that they all play on the road this week.
1-6 - That's the New York Giants record over the last seven weeks. And they're in the driver's seat for the final playoff spot in the NFC? Yes. After going 6-2 to start the season, the Giants have been far from even mediocre. In that disastrous run the last seven games, Eli Manning has thrown just eight touchdown passes compared to nine interceptions. As for Tiki Barber, during the same stretch, he has reached the century mark rushing the ball just twice and has one measly touchdown. Then again, he's only got two this season - the same number as his twin brother and Tampa Bay defensive back Ronde Barber.
36, 525 vs. 70, 1032 - Receptions and receiving yards for Isaac Bruce last season compared to the same statistical categories for 2006. In his 13th season in the NFL and with the St. Louis Rams, Bruce is showing he's still got the goods to be a top-notch receiver in the NFL. He might only have three touchdowns this season, but with 148 yards this Sunday afternoon he's over the 1,000-yard mark for the eighth time in his career and continues to reign as one of the best possession receivers in the game.
22 - Interceptions this season by Ben Roethlisberger. He threw two last Sunday against that brutal Baltimore defense. In just 14 games this season, Big Ben has managed to surpass his interception total for his career leading up to this season (20 picks in 26 games).
8 - Number of years Donald Driver has been in the NFL and playing for the Green Bay Packers. You better believe he still likes having Brett Favre on the field slinging him the ball downfield and giving him piggyback rides. With 89 receptions and 1,272 yards receiving this year, Driver has set personal best marks.
12.0 - Sacks this season by Chicago Bears rookie defensive end Mark Anderson. That puts the young QB-tormentor seventh in the league. Analysts can say all they want about players picked in the first round of the NFL draft, but big-money general managers show their true colors in the later rounds. Anderson was the Bears' 26th pick of the 5th round, and stud return man and defensive back Devin Hester was selected 25th in the 2nd round.
4 vs. 7 - Touchdowns the past four weeks for Pro Bowl quarterback Tony Romo compared to his interceptions throw in the same timeframe. Defenses are starting to figure Romo out, and it's showing. Since that fabulous five-touchdown Thanksgiving performance, he's managed a passer rating above 60 just once in those four weeks.
1 - Sacks given up by the Baltimore Ravens in the past five weeks. And Kyle Boller was the unlucky victim of that lone slip-up, not Steve McNair. On the converse, the Ravens defense has hammered opposing quarterbacks to the turf 27 times.
32, 153, 2 - Rushing attempts, yards, and touchdowns on Sunday for Houston Texans running back Ron Dayne. The former Wisconsin Badgers standout has been somewhat of a bust in the NFL, and after a few years of little activity, he burst onto the scene once again and thumped the Colts porous defense.
102.0 - Passer rating for Jeff Garcia in four games this December. In those games he completed 70 of 113 passes for 951 yards and has seven touchdowns against just two interceptions. One might have thought the Eagles season was over when Donovan McNabb went down, but Jeff Garcia has proven to be quite the insurance policy. With wins on the road in Washington, New York, and Dallas, the streaking Eagles are now poised to win the NFC East and steal the three spot in the NFC playoff picture.
Got questions or comments? Email them to pete@petekhazen.com.