Packers set an NFL record at Lambeau
The Packers defeated the Vikings at Lambeau Field, 38–25, to set up a winner-takes-the-division game in Detroit next Sunday. The victory was the Packers’ 217th at Lambeau Field, which opened in 1957, and with Saturday’s victory, they set a new NFL record for most victories at one particular venue. The previous mark: 216 victories by the Bears at Wrigley Field.
Aaron Rodgers had a hand in all five Green Bay touchdowns, throwing for four and running for another. He’s thrown four TD passes and run for at least one in two other games as a pro, once in the regular-season (against Denver in 2011) and once in the postseason (in 2010 against Arizona).
Vikings stumbling to the finish line
Minnesota will miss the playoffs after starting the season with five straight wins. Since 1990, when the NFL expanded its postseason format to include 12 teams, five other teams have missed the playoffs after a 5–0 start (final record in parentheses): New Orleans in 1993 (8–8); Minnesota in 2003 (9–7); Denver in 2009 (8–8); New York Giants in 2009 (8–8); and Atlanta in 2015 (8–8).
Belichick wins 200th with Patriots
The Patriots demolished the Jets, 41–3, to give Bill Belichick his 200th regular-season win as New England’s head coach. He’s the fifth head coach to win 200 games for one NFL team, joining George Halas (318 for the Bears), Don Shula (257 for the Dolphins), Tom Landry (250 for the Cowboys), and Curly Lambeau (209 for the Packers).
Paired with their 16–3 win in Denver last week, the Patriots have gone two straight games without allowing a touchdown for the first time since October 1986.
Ajayi mimics O.J. (and Lewis)
Jay Ajayi ran for 206 yards in Miami’s overtime win in Buffalo after he ran for 214 yards against the Bills in Miami on October 23. He’s the third player in NFL history to have a pair of 200-yard rushing games against an opponent in one season, joining O.J. Simpson, who had two against New England in 1973, and Jamal Lewis, who had two against Cleveland in 2003.
Ryan has Falcons’ offense soaring
Matt Ryan threw two touchdown passes to set a team single-season record with 34 TD strikes and the Falcons scored 33 points to become the 20th team in NFL history to score at least 500 points in a season. Atlanta already has the second-most losses among those 500-point teams; the St. Louis Rams went 10–6 in 2000 while scoring 540 points.
Ryan has thrown touchdown passes to 13 different players this season, breaking the previous NFL record of 12 established by Brad Johnson for Tampa Bay in 2003 and matched by Tom Brady in 2005.
One sack too many for Carr
Derek Carr suffered a broken leg on a sack late in the Raiders’ win over the Colts on Saturday, to finish the season with 575 passing plays and only six interceptions and 16 sacks. Carr’s rate of 26.1 dropbacks per sack or pick is the third-best rate among passing qualifiers since the 1970 merger. Steve Walsh averaged a sack or interception every 28.7 plays for the Saints in 1991, and Kerry Collins averaged one every 28.2 plays for the Titans in 2008.
Jackson has found fountain of youth
DeSean Jackson produced his third consecutive game with 100 receiving yards in Washington’s win in Chicago on Saturday. Jackson, who turned 30 on December 1, never had a streak of three games with 100 receiving yards while in his 20s. Jackson is the oldest player in Redskins history to have three straight games with 100 receiving yards.
Brees so close to another 300-yard game
Drew Brees threw for 299 yards in the Saints’ win over the Buccaneers on Saturday. Brees, who has the most 300-yard games in NFL history (105), has finished a game one yard short of 300 one other time, for the Chargers against the Eagles in 2005.
Johnson keeps impressive streak going
David Johnson gained 136 yards from scrimmage in the Cardinals’ win over the Seahawks, giving him 100 scrimmage yards in all 15 of Arizona’s games this season. The only other players in NFL history to gain 100 yards from scrimmage in 15 straight regular-season games were Marcus Allen (17, 1985–86), Lydell Mitchell (16, 1975–76), and Barry Sanders (15 in 1997).
Browns earn their first W
The Browns eked out their first win of the 2016 season, 20–17, as the Chargers’ Josh Lambo missed two field goals, including one at the end of the fourth quarter. The only other NFL team to win a game after starting a season with 14 consecutive losses was the Saints, on December 14, 1980 against the Jets, 21–20.
Bortles to Lee and vice versa
Blake Bortles threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Marqise Lee to open the scoring in Jacksonville’s win over Tennessee on Saturday and Lee later returned the favor, throwing a 20-yard TD pass to Bortles. They are the first pair of teammates in NFL history to throw 20-yard TD passes to each other in one game.
49ers have two wins, both against Rams
The 49ers defeated the Rams on Saturday for their second win of the season, both of which have come against their newest in-state rival. San Francisco is the fifth team in NFL history to bookend a winless streak of 13 or more games with wins over the same team.
Texans need only 12 to top Bengals
The Texans defeated the Bengals on Saturday, 12–10, after Cincinnati missed a field goal in the final seconds. Houston has won only two other games in team history when scoring 12 or fewer points: a 10–6 win over the Bengals last year and a 12–10 win over Buffalo in 2003.
