A Look Back at NFL Week 17

UNPREDICTABLE NFL: 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.

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Four teams – HOUSTON (9-7, AFC South champions), KANSAS CITY (11-5, Wild Card), MINNESOTA(11-5, NFC North champions), and WASHINGTON (9-7, NFC East champions) – accomplished the feat this season.

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The teams since 1990 to make the playoffs a season after failing to qualify:

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SEASON	PLAYOFF TEAMS NOT IN PREVIOUS SEASON’S PLAYOFFS
1990	7 (Cincinnati, Chicago, Kansas City, Los Angeles Raiders, Miami, New Orleans, Washington)
1991	5 (Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, New York Jets)
1992	6 (Miami, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Diego, San Francisco)
1993	5 (Denver, Detroit, Green Bay, Los Angeles Raiders, New York Giants)
1994	5 (Chicago, Cleveland, Miami, New England, San Diego)
1995	4 (Atlanta, Buffalo, Indianapolis, Philadelphia)
1996	5 (Carolina, Denver, Jacksonville, Minnesota, New England)
1997	5 (Detroit, Kansas City, Miami, New York Giants, Tampa Bay)
1998	5 (Arizona, Atlanta, Buffalo, Dallas, New York Jets)
1999	7 (Detroit, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Washington)
2000	6 (Baltimore, Denver, New Orleans, New York Giants, Oakland, Philadelphia)
2001	6 (Chicago, Green Bay, New England, New York Jets, Pittsburgh, San Francisco)
2002	5 (Atlanta, Cleveland, Indianapolis, New York Giants, Tennessee)
2003	8 (Baltimore, Carolina, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, New England, St. Louis, Seattle)
2004	5 (Atlanta, Minnesota, New York Jets, Pittsburgh, San Diego)
2005	7 (Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, New York Giants, Tampa Bay, Washington)
2006	7 (Baltimore, Dallas, Kansas City, New Orleans, New York Jets, Philadelphia, San Diego)
2007	6 (Green Bay, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Washington)
2008	7 (Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore, Carolina, Miami, Minnesota, Philadelphia)
2009	6 (Cincinnati, Dallas, Green Bay, New England, New Orleans, New York Jets)
2010	5 (Atlanta, Chicago, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Seattle)
2011	6 (Cincinnati, Denver, Detroit, Houston, New York Giants, San Francisco)
2012	4 (Indianapolis, Minnesota, Seattle, Washington)
2013	5 (Carolina, Kansas City, New Orleans, Philadelphia, San Diego)
2014	5 (Arizona, Baltimore, Dallas, Detroit, Pittsburgh)
2015	4 (Houston, Kansas City, Minnesota, Washington)

 

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HIGH SCORES: NFL teams combined to score 11,680 points (45.6 points per game) this season,surpassing 2012 (11,651) for the second-most points scored in a single season in NFL history (11,985 in 2013).

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The most combined points scored in a single season in NFL history:

SEASON	MOST COMBINED POINTS SCORED
2013	11,985
2015	11,680
2012	11,651
2014	11,565
2011	11,356

 

 

30 CLUB: Eleven different quarterbacks have passed for 30 or more touchdowns in 2015, the most in a single season in NFL history. The previous high was nine in 2014.

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The quarterbacks to throw at least 30 touchdown passes this season:

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PLAYER	TEAM	TOUCHDOWN PASSES
Tom Brady	New England	36
Blake Bortles	Jacksonville	35
Eli Manning	New York Giants	35
Cam Newton	Carolina	35
Carson Palmer	Arizona	35
Russell Wilson	Seattle	34
Drew Brees	New Orleans	32
Derek Carr	Oakland	32
Matthew Stafford	Detroit	32
Ryan Fitzpatrick	New York Jets	31
Aaron Rodgers	Green Bay	31

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FANTASTIC RECEIVERS: Atlanta wide receiver JULIO JONES had nine receptions for 149 yards against New Orleans.

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Jones, who had the most receiving yards in the NFL this season with 1,871, surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer JERRY RICE (1,848 yards in 1995) for the second-most receiving yards in a season in NFL history.

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Pittsburgh wide receiver ANTONIO BROWN finished the season with 1,834 yards, the fourth-most receiving yards in a season in NFL history.

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The players with the most receiving yards in a season in NFL history:

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PLAYER	TEAM	YEAR	RECEIVING YARDS
Calvin Johnson	Detroit	2012	1,964
Julio Jones	Atlanta	2015	1,871
Jerry Rice	San Francisco	1995	1,848
Antonio Brown	Pittsburgh	2015	1,834
Isaac Bruce	St. Louis	1995	1,781

 

 

KICKING THE RECORD BOOKS:  New England kicker STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI led the NFL in scoring for the fifth time in his career with 151 points, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer DON HUTSON(five) and GINO CAPPELLETTI (five) as the only players to lead the league in points scored at least five times.