What To Look For: Week 13

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 13

RESILIENT FAVRE:  Minnesota quarterback BRETT FAVRE will play in his 283rd consecutive regular-season game on Sunday night when the Vikings travel to Arizona to face the Cardinals.  Favre will pass Vikings’ legend JIM MARSHALL (282) for the longest such streak in NFL history by a non-kicker/punter. 

The most consecutive regular-season games played by a non-kicker/punter:

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At 40 years old, Favre is tied for second in the NFL with 24 touchdown passes this season.  Favre needs two touchdown passes on Sunday to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer WARREN MOON (25 in 1997) for the most touchdown passes in a single season among quarterbacks who were at least 40 years old by the end of a season in NFL history.

                        *Through Week 12

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STILL TIME FOR A TURNAROUND:  Since the current 12-team playoff system was instituted in 1990, 13 teams have reached the postseason despite having a losing record after 11 games.  This includes the current streak in which a sub-.500 team has reached the playoffs for five consecutive seasons.  And in four of those five seasons the team has advanced to the Divisional playoffs.

Since 1990, teams with a losing record after 11 games that rebounded to make the playoffs:

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COMING TO A STREAKING HALT:  The Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans meet on Sunday with two winning streaks on the line.  Indianapolis has won 20 consecutive regular-season games and can tie the 2006-2008 New England Patriots (21) for the longest winning streak in NFL history.  The Titans are the first team ever to win five consecutive games after starting the season 0-6 and aim to extend that mark.

The two teams have totaled 16 consecutive wins in 2009, tied for the longest combined winning streak for a game in Week 13 since 1970. 

A look at the longest combined winning streaks for a game in Week 13 of a season since 1970:

With a win, Tennessee can become only the fifth team in NFL history to record a six-game winning streak and a six-game losing streak in the same season.

Following are the teams with a six-game winning streak and a six-game losing streak in the same season in NFL history:

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C.J. CAN JOIN ELITE GROUP:  Tennessee Titans running back CHRIS JOHNSON leads the NFL with 1,396 rushing yards.  With 104 rushing yards on Sunday, Johnson will become only the fifth player all-time to reach 1,500 yards in his team’s first 12 games.  Pro Football Hall of Fame running back WALTER PAYTON is the only player to accomplish the feat in 11 games.  

The fewest team games to reach 1,500 rushing yards:

                        *Denotes members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame

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DECADE OF DOMINANCE:  With two rushing touchdowns on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON of the San Diego Chargers will tie EMMITT SMITH (136) for the most rushing touchdowns in one decade. 

The most rushing touchdowns in one decade all-time:

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Tomlinson ranks second all-time with 134 career rushing touchdowns.  He also ranks 10th all-time with 12,257 rushing yards and needs 23 yards to surpass MARSHALL FAULK (12,279) for the ninth-most rushing yards all-time and needs 56 yards to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer JIM BROWN (12,312) for eighth all-time.

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BETTER WITH AGE:  At age 32, Miami Dolphins running back RICKY WILLIAMS has rushed for 100 yards in three consecutive games entering Week 13. 

With a 100-yard performance on Sunday against the New England Patriots, Williams can join JEROME BETTIS (2004) as the only players to rush for 100 yards in four consecutive games in a single season at the age of 32 or older in NFL history.

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