Monday Nuggets: Week 15

History Published on : 12/15/2014
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Mission is to: Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve its History, Promote its Values & Celebrate Excellence EVERYWHERE. We found many samples from Week 15 that align with our Mission, Vision, and Values!

“Way”ne to Go

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne passed Peyton Manning for the most games and wins in Colts history.


Wayne has amassed 1,065 catches for 14,231 yards and 82 touchdowns during his 14 years with the team.


Patriots Defend Division

The New England Patriots won the AFC East for the 11th time in the past 12 years after their 41-13 win over the Miami Dolphins. New England only fell short in 2008, when Miami won the division after Patriots QB Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener.

The Patriots six consecutive division titles are one short of the NFL record since 1970 set by the Los Angeles Rams from 1973-79.


A major reason for the team’s success in the last couple decades has been head coach Bill Belichick. He won his 12th division title, surpassing Gold Jacket Don Shula for the most career titles since the AFL/NFL merger.

Belichick also earned his 229th career win, tying Hall of Famer Curly Lambeau (229) for the fourth-most total victories by a head coach in NFL history.


Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski booted two field goals (35, 36 yards) and added five extra points for a total of 11 points on Sunday, giving him a franchise record of 1,160 points, two more than Adam Vinatieri.


Bengals D Dominates

The Cincinnati Bengals overwhelmed the Cleveland Browns on the field yesterday beating their AFC North rival 30-0 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The last three shutout victories the Bengals have recorded have all come against the Browns in Cleveland (Dec. 21, 2008,14-0; Nov. 28, 2006, 30-0). 

In all, the Bengals have pitched a shutout against their in-state rival four times in 83 meetings. The first time was also in Cleveland on Dec. 3, 1989 (21-0). Cincinnati now leads the all-time “Battle of Ohio” series 44-39.


Brown on Top

Wide receiver Antonio Brown set a Pittsburgh Steelers franchise record for the most receptions in a season on Sunday. Brown hauled in 10 receptions for 123 yards against the Atlanta Falcons for a season total of 115 catches. He eclipsed Hines Ward, who set the mark in 2002 with 112 catches.

Brown also became the fourth player in NFL history with consecutive 110-catch seasons, joining Gold Jackets Jerry Rice (1994-95) and Cris Carter (1994-95) and Wes Welker (2007-09, 2011-12).



Manning, the Broncos and Others Make History

Peyton Manning led the Denver Broncos to a 22-10 win over the San Diego Chargers. His 233 passing yards in the game gave him 4,143 on the season. This is the 14th time Manning has thrown for 4,000 or more yards, extending his NFL record.

Here is a Top Five list of all the passers who have eclipsed the 4,000-yard mark. This list may change by the end of the years as several other quarterbacks are within striking distance of the milestone.

Most 4,000-yard Passing Seasons
Rank Player Team(s) No. Years
1 Peyton Manning Colts, Broncos 14 1999-2004, 2006-2010, 2012-14
2 Drew Brees Saints 8 2006-2013
3T Tom Brady Patriots 6 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011-13
3T Brett Favre Packers, Vikings 6 1995, 1998-99, 2004, 2007, 2009
3T Dan Marino Dolphins 6 1984-86, 1988, 1992, 1994
4 Phillip Rivers Chargers 5 2008-2011, 2013
5T Warren Moon Oilers, Vikings 4 1990-91, 1994-95
5T Carson Palmer Bengals, Raiders, Cardinals 4 2006-07, 2012, 2013
5T Aaron Rodgers Packers 4 2008-09, 2011-12
5T Tony Romo Cowboys 4 2007, 2009, 2011-12
5T Ben Roethlisberger Steelers 4 2009, 2011, 2013-14
5T Matt Ryan Falcons 4 2011-14

The win Manning helped provide was Denver’s 12th straight division road victory which ties the NFL record set by the San Francisco 49ers from 1987-90. The Broncos have not been defeated by an AFC West opponent on the road since Dec. 19, 2010 (39-23 loss at Oakland).

Denver Divisional Road Streak
No. Date Divisional Road Opponent Score
1 Nov. 6, 2011 Oakland 38-24
2 Nov. 13, 2011 Kansas City 17-10
3 Nov. 27, 2011 San Diego 16-13 (OT)
4 Oct. 15, 2012 San Diego 35-24
5 Nov. 25, 2012 Kansas City 17-9
6 Dec. 6, 2012 Oakland 26-13
7 Nov. 10, 2013 San Diego 28-20
8 Dec. 1, 2013 Kansas City 35-28
9 Dec. 29, 2013 Oakland 34-14
10 Nov. 9, 2014 Oakland 41-17
11 Nov. 30, 2014 Kansas City 29-16
12 Dec. 14, 1014 San Diego 22-10
Snapped ? ? ?
 
San Francisco Divisional Road Streak
No. Date Divisional Road Opponent Score
1 Oct. 11, 1987 Atlanta 25-17
2 Oct. 25, 1987 New Orleans 24-22
3 Nov. 1, 1987 L.A. Rams 31-10
4 Sept. 4, 1988 New Orleans 34-33
5 Oct. 16, 1988 L.A. Rams 24-21
6 Dec. 4, 1988 Atlanta 13-3
7 Oct. 8, 1989 New Orleans 24-10
8 Dec. 3, 1989 Atlanta 23-10
9 Dec. 11, 1989 L.A. Rams 30-27
10 Sept. 10, 1990 New Orleans 13-12
11 Oct. 14, 1990 Atlanta 45-35
12 Dec. 17, 1990 L.A. Rams 26-10
Snapped Nov. 3, 1991 Atlanta 14-17

Demaryius Thomas pitched in during the victory with 6 receptions for 123 yards and 1 TD. The wide receiver now has 8 games with 100-plus receiving yards this season, tying Rod Smith's single-season Broncos record set in 2000. That year Smith posted 100 catches for 1,602 yards and 8 touchdowns. The receiving mark is still a team record.



Rookie Receiving Records

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. became the first rookie in NFL history with at least 12 catches, 140 receiving yards and 3 touchdown catches in a game after his performance against the Washington Redskins.


He has had one of the best rookie seasons in Giants franchise history.


Beckham Jr has compiled 61 catches for 866 yards and six touchdowns in the past seven games. His 61 catches are the most by a rookie in a seven-game span and his 866 receiving yards are the second-most by a rookie over a seven-game span.

The Giants wide reciever has at least 90 receiving yards in seven consecutive games, extending his NFL record streak for a rookie.


The Winning Cards

The Arizona Cardinals won their 11th game of the season with a victory over the St. Louis Rams last Thursday, tying the franchise record for wins in a season. With two games remaining, the win total is the Cards have tallied since 1975, when they played in St. Louis.

Season Location W-L-T
2014 Arizona 11-3-0
1975 St. Louis 11-3-0
1948 Chicago 11-1-0
1925 Chicago 11-2-1


900 Catches

Larry Fitzgerald logged his 900th career catch on Thursday night against the St. Louis Rams. Fitzgerald had 7 catches for 30 yards to become the youngest player to reach the milestone.


Baltimore Ravens WR Steve Smith also reached 900 career catches on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.


Archived Weeks: 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1
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Many active players rank among the career leaders in main statistical categories. See the lists that are updated throughout the 2014 NFL season.
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Earl Campbell

The first player to earn All-Southwest Conference honors four years, Campbell was a consensus All-America and the Heisman Trophy winner in 1977.