NFL 2013 Week 12: The Week That Was

11 Going for 11,000

Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald had five catches for 52 yards and two touchdowns in the Cardinals' 40-11 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Fitzgerald has 11,019 career receiving yards and became the youngest player in NFL history (30 years, 85 days) to reach 11,000 receiving yards. The previous mark was held by Randy Moss at 30 years, 222 days.

In Arizona's Week 8 victory over Atlanta, Fitzgerald became the youngest player in NFL history (30 years, 57 days) to reach 800 career receptions.

The youngest players to reach 11,000 career receiving yards:

Player Teams Years Days
Source: NFL ^Pro Football Hall of Famer
Larry FitzgeraldArizona3085
Randy MossMinnesota, Oakland, New England30222
Jerry Rice^San Francisco3132
Torry HoltSt. Louis31124
Andre JohnsonHouston31158
Isaac BruceSt. Louis31349

 

Keeping It Close

Through Week 12 of the 2013 NFL regular season, there have been 86 games decided by seven points or fewer, tied for the third-most through the first 12 weeks of a season in NFL history. There have been 93 games decided by eight points or fewer, tied for the fourth-most during that span.

The most games decided by seven points and eight points or fewer through Week 12:

Season 7 or less Season 8 or less
Source: NFL
201189201295
200389201194
201386200394
201286201393
198886200293

 

Point of Return

NFL teams have combined to score 48 interception-return touchdowns through Week 12 this season, the second-most INT-TD returns through 12 weeks since 1970 (50 in 2012).

Three players -- Arizona linebacker Karlos Dansby (22 Yards), Pittsburgh Cornerback William Gay (21) and Tampa Bay Cornerback Leonard Johnson (48) -- returned interceptions for touchdowns in Week 12.

The most interception-return touchdowns through Week 12 since 1970:

Season INT-TD Returns
Source: NFL
201250
201348
200143
200342
199941

 

Manning Up

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning threw two touchdowns in the Broncos' overtime loss to New England on Sunday Night Football.

Manning (36) leads the NFL in TD passes and registered his third season with at least 35 passing TDs, tying Tom Brady and Brett Favre for the most such seasons in NFL history.

The quarterbacks with the most seasons with at least 35 touchdown passes in NFL history:

Quarterback Team(s) Seasons
Source: NFL *Active
Peyton Manning*Indianapolis, Denver3
Brett FavreGreen Bay3
Tom Brady*New England3

 

Undrafted Cowboy

Dallas quarterback TONY ROMO threw for 234 yards and two touchdowns in the Cowboys' 24-21 win over the New York Giants.

Romo (200), who was undrafted out of Eastern Illinois, became the fifth undrafted player in NFL history to reach 200 career touchdown passes (Jim Hart, 209; Dave Krieg, 261; Warren Moon, 291; Kurt Warner, 208)

Open The Gates

San Diego tight end Antonio Gates had three catches for 21 yards in the Chargers' 41-38 win over Kansas City.

Gates now has 701 receptions and 9,006 receiving yards in his career, joining TONY GONZALEZ of the Atlanta Falcons, JASON WITTEN of the Dallas Cowboys and Pro Football Hall of Famer SHANNON SHARPE as the only tight ends in NFL history with 700 receptions and 9,000 receiving yards.

The tight ends with 700 receptions and 9,000 receiving yards in NFL history:

Player Team(s) Receptions Yards
Source: NFL *Active
Tony Gonzalez*Kansas City, Atlanta1,30014,879
Shannon SharpeDenver, Baltimore81510,060
Jason Witten*Dallas8579,517
Antonio Gates*San Diego7019,006

 

Notable Performances

Saint Louis Rams rookie wide receiver-punt returner Tavon Austin had a 65-yard touchdown run in the Rams' 42-21 win over Chicago. Austin had touchdown receptions of 81 and 57 yards and a 98-yard punt-return touchdown in Week 10, the Rams' last game.

Austin is the first player in NFL history to record a 95+ yard punt-return touchdown, an 80+ yard receiving touchdown and a 65+ yard rushing touchdown in a single season.

He joins Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown (1963) and Gale Sayers (1965) as the only players in NFL history to score four touchdowns of at least 50 yards in a two-game span in a single season.

San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers passed for 392 yards and three touchdowns in the Chargers' 41-38 win at Kansas City. Rivers has passed for at least 390 yards in four games in 2013 and tied Pro Football Hall of Famers DAN MARINO (1984) and JOE MONTANA (1990) for the most such games in a single season.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson had seven catches for 115 yards in the Lions' 24-21 loss to Tampa Bay. In his past five games, Johnson has 861 receiving yards, the most in NFL history for a five-game span in a single season. The previous mark was 822 yards set by CHARLEY HENNIGAN in 1961.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon had 14 catches for 237 yards and a touchdown in the Browns' 27-11 loss to Pittsburgh. Gordon, who set a single-game franchise record for receiving yards, recorded the fifth 200-yard receiving games this season. With two games still to play, that total is the second-most through the first 12 weeks of a season since the 1970 merger (six in 2012).

Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen caught the game-winning touchdown pass with 43 seconds remaining in the Panthers' 20-16 win at Miami. Carolina, which extended its winning streak to seven games, is the first team since the 2011 Houston Texans (December 11, 2011) to extend a winning streak to at least seven games with a game-winning, come-from-behind touchdown in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 23 of 33 passes for 278 yards with two touchdowns in the Saints' 17-13 win over Atlanta on Thursday Night Football.

Brees (49,566) surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer WARREN MOON (49,325) for the fifth-most career passing yards in NFL history.

The quarterbacks with the most career passing yards in NFL history:

Quarterback Passing Yards
Source: NFL *Active ^Pro Football Hall of Famer
Brett Favre71,838
Peyton Manning*63,209
Dan Marino^61,361
John Elway^51,475
Drew Brees*49,566

 

Rushing to 100

Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' 26-26 tie with Green Bay. Playing in his 100th career game, Peterson has 9,846 rushing yards, the third-most in NFL history for a player's first 100 games. He passed Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders (9,766) and only trails Pro Football Hall of Famers Eric Dickerson (10,818) and Jim Brown (10,403).

Peterson has 86 rushing touchdowns, the fifth-most in a player's first 100 games. He trails Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith (103), La Dainian Tomlinson (102), Shaun Alexander (91) and Hall of Famer Brown (88).

Peterson has 10 rushing touchdowns this season and joined Tomlinson (nine) and Smith (eight) as the only players in NFL history to rush for at least 10 touchdowns in seven different seasons.

The players with the most rushing yards through their first 100 career games:

Player Rushing Yards
Source: NFL ^Pro Football Hall of Famer
Eric Dickerson^10,818
Jim Brown^10,403
Adrian Peterson9,846
Barry Sanders^9,766
LaDainian Tomlinson9,505

 

NFL running backs with the most seasons with 10+ rushing TDs in NFL history:

Running Back Team(s) Seasons
Source: NFL *Active ^Pro Football Hall of Famer
LaDainian TomlinsonSan Diego9
Emmitt Smith^Dallas8
Adrian Peterson*Minnesota7
Marcus Allen^Los Angeles Raiders, Kansas City6
Barry Sanders^Detroit6

 

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NFL 2013 Week 12: The Week That Was