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Monday, December 17, 2012

Record Chasing

     With two weeks remaining in the NFL's regular season, there are four notable records that have been set by NFL greats, that could be broken before the season ends. Four legends of the game might have to take a step back. Jerry Rice's 1995, 1,848 yard receiving season, Michael Strahan's 2001, 22.5 sack season, Eric Dickerson's 1984, 2,105 yard rushing season, and Peyton Manning's 1998, 26 rookie passing touchdowns are all at risk this season. Let's break them all down.

     Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson has had a spectacular season at his position. However, he is knocking on the door of breaking an NFL receiving record held by the one and only, Jerry Rice. Aside from having his first one hundred plus reception season in his career and tying an NFL record with seven straight one hundred plus yard games, Johnson is going for a higher record. Johnson has a chance to hold the most receiving yards in a season. Johnson has 1,667 yards with two games remaining in the regular season. He is just 182 yards shy of breaking the record held by an NFL legend, Jerry Rice.

     Two players are tied in leading the NFL in sacks, but are just three sacks shy of breaking Michael Strahan's outstanding 22.5 sacks in 2002. Texans defensive end JJ Watt and 49ers defensive end Aldon Smith are tied at 19.5 sacks on the season. If one of the two were to rack up just 3.5 more sacks in the final two games, they will hold the single-season sack record.

     Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is 293 yards from tying Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing yard record. I don't know what is more impressive, Peterson's chances of breaking the record set by an NFL great, or the fact that he could be doing it after having knee surgery when a lot thought he would never be the same runner. Peterson blew his ACL and MCL about a year ago and has made a remarkable comeback. If  Peterson averages 147 yards in the next two games, he will in fact break the record.

     Seahawks rookie quarterback Russell Wilson has twenty-one passing touchdowns on the season. That stands five short of Peyton Manning's twenty-six touchdown season in 1998. Five passing touchdowns may seem like a lot with just two games left in the regular season, but not so much from a team that has scored fifty plus points in two straight weeks. It will be interesting to see exactly how many records will be broken by the end of this bizarre 2012 regular season.

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