NFL 2014: What To Look For Week 17

NFL 2014: What To Look For Week 17

Here's what to look for during the last week of the NFL regular season

Unpredictable NFL

With one week remaining in the 2014 regular season, at least four teams will advance to the playoffs after missing the postseason in 2013 -- ARIZONA (11-4), DALLAS (11-4), DETROIT (11-4) and PITTSBURGH (10-5). 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.

Three additional teams that missed the playoffs last season are still in contention for a trip to Super Bowl XLIX -- ATLANTA (6-9), BALTIMORE (9-6) and HOUSTON (8-7).

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

Season	Playoff Teams Not In Previous Season's Playoffs
Source: NFL Through Week 16*
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	4* (Arizona, Dallas, Detroit, Pittsburgh)

Marvelous Peyton Manning

Denver quarterback PEYTON MANNING leads the NFL with 39 touchdown passes this season.

With one touchdown pass against Oakland on Sunday, Manning will reach the 40-touchdown mark for the third time in his career (2004, 2013) and become the only player in NFL history to pass for at least 40 touchdowns in three separate seasons.

The quarterbacks with at least 40 touchdown passes in a single season:

Quarterback	Team(s)	Season(s)	40+ TD Seasons
Source: NFL 39 TD passes through Week 16*
Peyton Manning*	Indianapolis, Denver	2004, 2013	2
Drew Brees	New Orleans	2011, 2012	2
Dan Marino	Miami	1984, 1986	2
Tom Brady	New England	2007	1
Aaron Rodgers	Green Bay	2011	1
Matthew Stafford	Detroit	2011	1
Kurt Warner	St. Louis	1999	1

Historic Antonio Gates

San Diego tight end ANTONIO GATES has 9,947 receiving yards and 99 touchdowns in his 12-year career.

Gates' 99 career touchdown catches are tied for ninth in NFL history and with one on Sunday at Kansas City, he would tie Pro Football Hall of Famer STEVE LARGENT and TIM BROWN for seventh all-time. Gates can also join TONY GONZALEZ as the only tight ends in NFL history with 100 touchdown receptions.

The NFL tight ends with the most touchdown receptions in NFL history:

Player	Team(s)	Seasons	TD Receptions
Source: NFL Active*
Tony Gonzalez	Kansas City, Atlanta	1997-2013	111
Antonio Gates*	San Diego	2003-Present	99
Shannon Sharpe	Denver, Baltimore	1990-2003	62
Jerry Smith	Washington	1965-1977	60
Jason Witten*	Dallas	2003-Present	57

With 53 receiving yards on Sunday, Gates can join Gonzalez, JASON WITTEN and Pro Football Hall of Famer SHANNON SHARPE as the only tight ends in NFL history with at least 10,000 career receiving yards.

The NFL tight ends with at least 10,000 career receiving yards:

Player	Team(s)	Seasons	Rec	Yards
Source: NFL Active*
Tony Gonzalez	Kansas City, Atlanta	1997-2013	1,325	15,127
Jason Witten*	Dallas	2003-Present	939	10,453
Shannon Sharpe	Denver, Baltimore	1990-2003	815	10,060
Antonio Gates*	San Diego	2003-Present	784	9,947

Great Gronk

New England Patriots tight end ROB GRONKOWSKI has caught 82 passes for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.

With 76 receiving yards on Sunday against Buffalo, Gronkowski, who had 1,327 receiving yards in 2011, can join TONY GONZALEZ and JIMMY GRAHAM as the only tight ends in NFL history with multiple 1,200-yard receiving seasons.

The tight ends with multiple 1,200-yard receiving seasons in NFL history:

Player	Season	Rec	Yards	TDs
Source: NFL Through Week 16*
Tony Gonzalez	2004	102	1,258	7
Tony Gonzalez	2000	93	1,203	9
Jimmy Graham	2011	99	1,310	11
Jimmy Graham	2013	86	1,215	16
Rob Gronkowski	2011	90	1,327	17
Rob Gronkowski*	2014	82	1,124	12

Booming Beckham

New York Giants rookie wide receiver ODELL BECKHAM, JR. has 90 or more receiving yards in each of his past eight games.

With at least 90 receiving yards on Sunday against Philadelphia, Beckham can join Pro Football Hall of Famer MICHAEL IRVIN (1995) as the only players in NFL history to have at least 90 receiving yards in nine consecutive games.

Beckham's and Irvin's streaks of 90+ receiving yards:

Odell Beckham, Jr.

Week	Rec	Yards	TDs
Source: NFL
9	8	156	0
10	7	108	0
11	6	93	0
12	10	146	2
13	7	90	0
14	11	130	1
15	12	143	3
16	8	148	2

Michael Irvin

Week	Rec	Yards	TDs
Source: NFL
1	7	109	1
2	6	94	0
3	8	107	1
4	5	105	0
5	7	105	1
6	8	150	1
7	7	103	0
9	10	135	1
10	8	115	1

Terrific Trio

New York Giants rookie wide receiver ODELL BECKHAM, JR. and Tampa Bay rookie wide receiver MIKE EVANS each have 11 receiving touchdowns this season, while Carolina rookie KELVIN BENJAMIN has nine touchdown catches.

With one touchdown reception in Week 17 by Benjamin, they can become the first trio of rookies with at least 10 touchdown receptions each in the same season.

The rookie wide receivers through Week 16 with the most touchdown catches:

Player	Team	College	Drafted	Rec	Yards	TDs
Source: NFL
Odell Beckham, Jr.	New York Giants	Louisiana State	No. 12 overall	79	1,120	11
Mike Evans	Tampa Bay	Texas A&M	No. 7 overall	63	997	11
Kelvin Benjamin	Carolina	Florida State	No. 28 overall	72	999	9

Tremendous Teammates

New York Giants rookie wide receiver ODELL BECKHAM, JR. and Miami rookie wide receiver JARVIS LANDRY lead all NFL rookies with 79 receptions each. With five receptions in Week 17, both players can surpass EARL COOPER for the fifth-most receptions in a season by a rookie.

Beckham and Landry, who were college teammates at Louisiana State, can also become the first rookies from the same college to lead their team in receptions in the same season since the 1970 merger.

The NFL players with the most receptions in their rookie season:

Player	Team	Season	Rec
Source: NFL Through Week 16*
Anquan Boldin	Arizona	2003	101
Eddie Royal	Denver	2008	91
Terry Glenn	New England	1996	90
Reggie Bush	New Orleans	2006	88
Earl Cooper	San Francisco	1980	83
Odell Beckham, Jr.*	New York Giants	2014	79
Jarvis Landry*	Miami	2014	79

NFL 2014 - What To Look For Week 17

NFL 2014: What To Look For Week 17

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NFL 2014 - What To Look For Week 17