Of Note (Week 16, 2012)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays...

Every Tuesday, we’ll recap the previous week with a few things of note. Sometimes the obvious is the most interesting, while we’ll try and mix in a surprise or two along the way…

Under the radar perhaps is the fact that there have now been 123 passing performances of 300 or more yards in 2012, 2 more than the previous record set last season (121) and with 1 week to play. There have also been 180 100-yard receiving games after 16 weeks of play this season, that mark within range of the record (192) also set in 2011…

Big turnarounds have become old hat for the Indianapolis Colts, who have gone from 2-12 to 10-5 in one season and still have 1 game to play. It marked the 14th time in NFL history that a team won at least 8 more games than they did the previous season but it’s the fourth time for this franchise. In 1975, the Baltimore Colts finished 10-4 and won the AFC East after a 2-12 campaign in 1974. A mere 18 years later, the Indianapolis Colts posted a 9-7 record in 1992 one season after finishing 1-15 in 1991. And most recently, Peyton Manning rookie season in 1998 produced a 3-13 mark but a season later, the Colts were 13-3 and AFC East champions…

Sunday night’s season finale between the 8-7 Dallas Cowboys and 9-6 Washington Redskins will decide the NFC East and if the Pokes come away with a win, they will continue a trend that began last season. Since the NFC East was formed in 1970 and excluding the 1982 strike season (when division titles were not awarded during a 9-game season), 2011 marked the first time in the division’s history that no team won at least 10 games. And if the Cowboys win at Washington on Sunday evening, the NFC East will have its second consecutive 9-7 champion…

What’s wrong with the Seattle Seahawks? After a 58-0 win over the Cardinals 2 weeks ago, Pete Carroll’s club scored only 50 points in a 33-point win over the Bills at Toronto (50-17). And in last week’s Sunday night showdown with the 49ers, the ‘Hawks once again scored 8 fewer points than the previous week in a 42-13 victory over San Francisco. All kidding aside, Seattle’s 150 points in a 3-game stretch are simply astounding. And when you consider that a mere 20 years ago this franchise set the NFL record for fewest points in a 16-game season (140), you’re left saying nothing but WOW!...

There could be one of the all-time cases of déjà vu if the Denver Broncos defeat the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. In 2008, the San Diego Chargers won the AFC West with an 8-8 mark, surprised the Indianapolis Colts in overtime in the Wild Card Playoffs then lost to Pittsburgh (who went onto the Super Bowl) in the Divisional Playoffs. Just 1 year later (2009), the Bolts overcame a 2-3 start by winning their final 11 games to finish 13-3. In 2010, the Broncos won the AFC West with an 8-8 record, then stunned the Steelers in overtime in the Wild Card Playoffs then lost to New England (who went onto the Super Bowl) in the Divisional Playoffs. This season, Denver opened 2-3 but is riding a 10-game winning streak and can cap off a 13-3 campaign Sunday with a win over the Chiefs. Of course, the ’09 Chargers were surprised by the Jets in the Divisional Playoffs, so no doubt Peyton Manning and company would be happy with the déjà and not with the vu…