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For the first time in 23 years, the NFL playoff field features three franchises that have never played in a Super Bowl: Cleveland, Detroit and Houston.
The last time an NFL postseason included as many franchises without a Super Bowl berth was 2000 (Baltimore, New Orleans and Tampa Bay). After the Ravens captured a Super Bowl XXXV championship in 2000, the Buccaneers followed just two years later by winning Super Bowl XXXVII. And in 2009, the Saints also earned their Lombardi Trophy with a win in Super Bowl XLIV. Could similar futures await Cleveland, Detroit and Houston?
The last time both the Browns and Lions won at least 10 games in the same season was 1953, when Detroit defeated Cleveland in the NFL Championship Game, 17-16.
Two of the best examples of that hope will kick off the 2023 NFL Playoffs when the Cleveland Browns (11-6) meet the Houston Texans (10-7) at NRG Stadium on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, Telemundo).
The Texans completed a worst-to-first turnaround by winning the AFC South the year after finishing in last place. In 19 of the past 21 seasons (2003-23), at least one NFL team has won its division the year after finishing last or tied for last. Houston became the first team with a rookie head coach (DeMeco Ryans) and rookie starting quarterback (C.J. Stroud) to win its division in the Super Bowl era (1966-present).
What’s more, in 25 of the past 28 seasons (1996-2023), at least one team has made the playoffs the year after finishing last or tied for last. This year, both Cleveland and Houston qualified for the postseason after finishing last in their respective divisions in 2022.
Meanwhile, in each of the past four years, a team that started 2-5 has rebounded to earn a playoff berth. This season, the Green Bay Packers (9-8) accomplished the feat, and in the process became the 11th team since 1990 to author such an impressive in-season turnaround. The Packers visit the Dallas Cowboys (12-5) on Sunday (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes). Including the 2023 Cowboys, there has not been a repeat NFC East division winner since 2004, the longest active streak among divisions in the NFL and the longest such streak in league history.
The ultimate reward for that abundance of hope starts to pay dividends this week.
With two games on Saturday, three on Sunday and a primetime finale on Monday, Super Wild Card Weekend begins the 33-day, 12-game march to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas.
Ready or not, the NFL Playoffs are here.
And in the immortal words of Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, here we go.
The age difference in days between Houston rookie C.J. Stroud (22 years, 102 days old on Saturday) and Cleveland’s Joe Flacco (38 years, 362 days old). Only four other games in NFL postseason history have seen a larger gap in the age of starting quarterbacks, and all involved tom brady (7,674 days between Brady and Jalen Hurts on Jan. 16, 2022; 6,619 days between Brady and Patrick Mahomes on Jan. 20, 2019; 6,619 days between Brady and Mahomes in Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, 2021; and 6,281 days between Brady and Jared Goff in Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3, 2019).
When Cleveland (11-6) meets Houston (10-7) on Saturday at NRG Stadium (4:30 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, Telemundo), Flacco is expected to make his first postseason start in nine years, when he started two games for the Ravens in the 2014 NFL Playoffs. Flacco’s 3,290 days between playoff starts will be the second-longest gap ever for a quarterback, behind Doug Flutie, who went 4,382 days between postseason starts on Jan. 3, 1987, and Jan. 2, 1999.
Stroud finished with 4,108 passing yards this season, becoming the fifth rookie all-time with 4,000 passing yards, joining Andrew Luck (4,374 in 2012), Justin Herbert (4,336 in 2020), Cam Newton (4,051 in 2011) and Jameis Winston (4,042 in 2015). Stroud recorded a 100.8 passer rating and became the fourth qualifying rookie quarterback in NFL history with a passer rating of 100-or-higher, joining Dak Prescott (104.9 in 2016), Robert Griffin III (102.4 in 2012) and Russell Wilson (100.0 in 2012). And, Stroud had nine games with 250 passing yards, surpassing Andrew Luck (eight in 2012) for the second most by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. Only Justin Herbert (12 in 2020) had more.
Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski, a Coach of the Year candidate after winning games with four starting quarterbacks this season, is bidding to become the first Browns head coach to win a second career postseason game since Marty Schottenheimer in 1986-87.
The 2023 regular season produced 113 games decided by six-or-fewer points, 135 decided by seven-or-fewer and 147 decided by eight-or-fewer, all the second-most or tied for the second-most single-season marks in league history. And in all three categories, only 2022 had more. That means that over the past two seasons (543 games), 43.3 percent of all NFL contests were separated by no more than six points, 50.8 percent by no more than seven and 55.8 percent by no more than one score (eight points).
When Houston (10-7) has the ball against Cleveland (11-6) at NRG Stadium on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, Telemundo), circle the matchup on the left side of the line of scrimmage. That’s where Texans tackle Laremy Tunsil and Browns defensive end Myles Garrett will engage in a game within the game that features nine combined Pro Bowl selections, five for Garrett and four for Tunsil. Garrett has 14-or-more sacks in each of the last three seasons.
The Eagles’ offensive line includes three players selected as Pro Bowlers this season, guard Landon Dickerson, tackle Lane Johnson and center Jason Kelce. When Philadelphia (11-6) faces off against Tampa Bay (9-8) in the final Wild Card game on Monday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC/ESPN+, ESPN2/ESPN+ ManningCast, ESPN Deportes), that Eagles line will see a Buccaneers front seven that includes former Pro Bowl selections Shaquil Barrett, Lavonte David, Vita Vea and Devin White.
Jan. 5, 1992 – that was the date the Lions last won a postseason game, a 38-6 victory over the Cowboys in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at the Pontiac Silverdome. With a victory over the Los Angeles Rams (10-7) at Ford Field on Sunday (8 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, Universo), Detroit (12-5) would end the third-longest streak without a playoff victory in league history. The Cardinals went 51 years and five days between postseason wins, from Dec. 28, 1947, to Jan. 2, 1999, and the Lions went 34 years and seven days between playoff victories, from Dec. 29, 1957, to Jan. 5, 1992.
The showdown between the Los Angeles Rams (10-7) and Detroit Lions (12-5) at Ford Field on Sunday (8 p.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, Universo) might set a postseason record for most pregame storylines. Among those angles, Lions quarterback Jared Goff, a former first-overall selection who led the Rams to a Super Bowl berth in 2018, faces the team that traded him for Matthew Stafford. Stafford, himself a former No. 1 overall pick who led the Rams to a Super Bowl title in 2021, returns to Detroit to meet his former team. Another individual meeting his former team, Detroit general manager Brad Holmes, spent 18 years (2003-2020) in the Rams’ front office before joining the Lions in 2021. And speaking of front offices, Holmes and counterpart Les Snead of the Rams have engineered some of the most impressive personnel performances in recent memory. Nowhere is that work more evident, in collaboration with their respective coaching staffs, than the wide receiver position.
Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown has memorized each of the 16 wide receivers selected ahead of him in the 2021 NFL Draft, before Holmes drafted him in the fourth round (112th overall). St. Brown has 315 career receptions and surpassed Christian McCaffrey (303) for the third-most catches by a player in his first three career seasons in NFL history. Only Justin Jefferson (324) and Michael Thomas (321) have more.
Nineteen wide receivers were taken before Snead selected Puka Nacua in the fifth round (177th overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. Nacua had 105 receptions and surpassed Jaylen Waddle (104 in 2021) for the most by a rookie in NFL history. Plus, Nacua had 1,486 receiving yards and surpassed Bill Groman (1,473 in 1960) for the most by a rookie all-time.
The Lions – with rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs (11 scrimmage touchdowns), rookie tight end Sam LaPorta (10), veteran running back David Montgomery (13) and St. Brown (10) – were the second team in NFL history with four players with 10 scrimmage touchdowns in a season, joining the 2013 Denver Broncos. Gibbs and LaPorta were the first pair of rookie teammates each with at least 10 scrimmage touchdowns in NFL history.
LaPorta had 86 receptions and surpassed Keith Jackson (81 in 1988) for the most by a rookie tight end in NFL history. With 10 touchdown receptions this season, LaPorta became the third rookie tight end in NFL annals to reach the mark, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (12 in 1961) and Rob Gronkowski (10 in 2010). And among rookies at all positions, LaPorta was the second rookie in NFL history with at least 85 receptions and 10 touchdown catches, joining Odell Beckham Jr. (2014).
The cradle of 2023 NFL playoff coaches is located in Williamsburg, Va. The 1993-94 football rosters at the College of William & Mary listed both wide receiver Mike Tomlin and defensive back Sean McDermott, the respective head coaches for the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) and Buffalo Bills (11-6), who clash at Highmark Stadium on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS, Paramount+). Several other coaches in the 2023 NFL Playoffs also made stops at William & Mary, including Bills interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith.
The Cowboys, the NFL’s only team to go undefeated (8-0) at home this season, have won 16 straight games at AT&T Stadium, the second-longest home winning streak in franchise history (Dallas won 18 consecutive home games from 1980-81). In home games this season, Dallas (12-5) led the NFL in points scored (299), points margin (plus-172), total offense per game (425.8) and turnover margin (plus 1.25 per game). The Cowboys’ Wild Card opponent, Green Bay (9-8) on Sunday (4:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes), won three of its final four road games, a big reason the Packers are in the playoffs.
Thirteen years ago, Mike McCarthy led the Packers to a Super Bowl XLV triumph in Dallas. McCarthy, who now holds the reins of the Cowboys, is 29-9 (.763) at AT&T Stadium, including the postseason. He was 4-0 as Green Bay’s head coach.
Six decades ago, Green Bay used victories over Dallas to earn trips to each of the first two Super Bowls. One year before the Ice Bowl (the 1967 NFL Championship Game), Pro Football Hall of Fame coaches Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry squared off in the first of eight all-time postseason meetings between the Packers and Cowboys (the teams are tied, 4-4). That 1966 NFL Championship Game at the Cotton Bowl, where Green Bay sealed a 34-27 victory with a last-minute interception in the end zone, marked the first of the Packers’ seven all-time postseason trips to Dallas. The Packers have won their last two playoff games in Dallas, a 34-31 thriller in the 2016 NFC Divisional Playoffs and a 31-25 triumph in Super Bowl XLV. Before that, however, the Cowboys ended Green Bay’s hopes in three straight seasons, 1993-95, at Texas Stadium.
Led by Jordan Love, the first Packers quarterback since at least 1950 to lead the team to the playoffs in his first full season as a starter, Green Bay became the youngest team to earn a postseason berth since Pro Football Hall of Famer Walter Payton and the 1977 Chicago Bears.
The Cowboys’ Dak Prescott (36 touchdown passes) became the first Dallas player in 50 years to lead the NFL in touchdown passes, since Pro Football Hall of Famer Roger Staubach in 1973. Prescott also became the first quarterback in NFL history with four games in a season with a completion percentage of 80-or-higher (minimum 30 attempts in each game).
Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb had 12 touchdown catches and a franchise-record 135 receptions, becoming the fourth player all-time with at least 125 receptions and 10 touchdown receptions in a season, joining Antonio Brown (2014 and 2015), Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (2002) and Cooper Kupp (2021). Lamb had seven games with at least 11 receptions, surpassing Michael Thomas (six games in 2019) for the most games with 11-or-more receptions in a season in NFL history.
Joseph Santoliquito can be followed on twitter @JSantoliquito.
About Maxwell Football Club
The Maxwell Football Club has honored excellence at all levels of football since 1935 and the Club's outreach programs provide educational opportunities for student-athletes and coaches. With members in over 40 states the Maxwell Football Club is one of the largest football organizations in America. Become a member by visiting maxwellfootballclub.org.
NOTE: CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is member of the Maxwell Football Club.
by Joseph Santoliquito, MaxwellFootballClub.org
Pro Football Hall of Famer Tom Landry once said football is such an incredible game that at times it can be unbelievable.
Welcome to one of those times.
Just look at some of the historic implications at stake as the NFL closes its 104th regular-season schedule:
Twenty teams remain in Super Bowl contention, tied with 2006 for the most with one week remaining over the last 41 years, since a record 22 were still alive in 1982.
Five playoff berths remain unclaimed, the most entering the final week since there were seven in 2020.
Four division crowns are still undecided, the most entering a season finale since there were also four in 2014. For the 14th consecutive year, the NFL scheduled all 16 games in the final week as division clashes.
So please ensure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full and upright positions, and seatbelts are securely fastened. The NFL is preparing to land a fantastic regular season. Of this week’s 16 games, 14 involve one of those 20 teams still in contention. And 13 of 16 games have playoff implications.
And Super Bowl LVIII is only 40 days away.
Baltimore (13-3) leads the NFL this season in takeaways (29), sacks (57) and scoring defense (16.4 points allowed per game). Since the 1970 merger, no team has finished a season leading the league in all three categories. The Ravens host Pittsburgh (9-7) on Saturday (4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC). The Steelers’ easiest path to the playoffs is a win and help from other teams on Sunday.
Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, who is tied for first in the NFL with 17 sacks, could establish an NFL record by leading the league in sacks for a third season. Watt, who led the league with 15 sacks in 2020 and 22.5 in 2021, is one of eight players who has led the NFL multiple times since sacks became an official individual statistic in 1982.
Baltimore also leads the NFL with a plus-12 turnover margin, while the Steelers (plus-11) rank second.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who turns 27 on Sunday, could become the youngest player to win a second NFL MVP award since Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown won his second NFL MVP at age 22 in 1958.
In last week’s win, Jackson became the second quarterback in NFL history with two career games of at least five touchdown passes and a 158.3 passer rating, joining Ben Roethlisberger. Jackson also had five touchdown passes and a 158.3 rating in Week 1 of the 2019 season. What’s more, Jackson has four career games with at least five touchdown passes, the third most by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history.
Only Patrick Mahomes (six games) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (five) have more.
According to Next Gen Stats, Jackson’s 32-yard completion last week to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had a completion probability of 13.3 percent, the most improbable completion of Jackson's career.
The number of NFL games this year decided by six-or-fewer points. Over a full season, only one other prior campaign has had more, 2022, when 122 games were separated by no more than six points.
Playoff seeding is important, but keep in mind that three of the last six Super Bowl teams, including the world champions in 2020 and 2021, have entered the postseason no better than a fourth seed. Seven Wild Card teams have won the Super Bowl.
In four consecutive seasons, an NFL team has rebounded to clinch a playoff berth after beginning with three or fewer wins over its first nine games. The Los Angeles Rams, who started this season 3-6, extended that streak last week, following the 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars, 2021 Philadelphia Eagles and 2020 Washington Football Team. From 1990-2023, only nine teams have rebounded to reach the postseason after winning three-or-fewer of their first nine games.
Atlanta, Houston and New Orleans enter the season’s final week with an opportunity to complete a worst-to-first turnaround. Those clubs finished last or tied for last in their respective divisions last season. In 18 of the previous 20 seasons (2003-22), at least one team has won its division the year after finishing last or tied for last. Two division champions during that span, the 2009 New Orleans Saints and the 2017 Philadelphia Eagles, rebounded to win the Super Bowl after finishing in last place. Last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars advanced to the AFC Divisional round after finishing last in the AFC South in 2021.
The Detroit Lions (NFC North) already have won their division after missing the playoffs in 2022. Atlanta, Indianapolis, Houston and New Orleans also have that opportunity this week. In 19 of the previous 20 years (2023-22), at least two teams have won their divisions the season after missing the playoffs.
Three teams – Cleveland, Detroit and the Los Angeles Rams – have clinched playoff berths after missing the postseason in 2022. Atlanta, Green Bay, Houston, Indianapolis, New Orleans and Pittsburgh can join them this week. From 1990-2022 – a streak of 33 consecutive seasons – at least four teams have earned playoff berths after missing the postseason the year before.
Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who has a career-high, NFL-leading and franchise-record 1,717 receiving yards this season, is the first player in NFL history to record 1,700 receiving yards in multiple seasons. Hill had 1,710 receiving yards last season. This week, look for Hill lined up against Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas. Since joining the Bills in an Oct. 31 trade, Douglas has four interceptions, tied for second in the NFL during that period, one interception-return touchdown, eight passes defensed, one sack and two fumble recoveries in eight games.
With a home win against Buffalo (10-6), Miami (11-5) can register a 12th victory for the first time since 1990 and secure its first AFC East division title since 2008 in the NFL’s final regular-season game on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC). Buffalo with a win would stamp an exclamation point on an impressive season-ending stretch and give the Bills a fourth consecutive AFC East championship. The last time the Bills captured four straight division titles was 1988-91.
Hill – who has 112 receptions this season and had 119 in 2022 and 111 in 2021 – is the third player ever to record 110 catches in three consecutive seasons, joining Antonio Brown (2013-15) and Wes Welker (2007-09). Hill has 710 receptions for 10,057 yards and 75 touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2016, is the second player in NFL history to reach 700 receptions, 10,000 receiving yards and 75 touchdown receptions in his first eight seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison.
In last week’s win, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen rushed for two touchdowns. Allen has 15 rushing touchdowns this season, tied with Jalen Hurts (15 in 2023) for the most by a quarterback in a season in NFL history. Allen is the fifth quarterback in the Super Bowl era with a rushing touchdown in five consecutive games, joining Justin Fields (six consecutive games in 2022), Joshua Dobbs (five in 2023), Kyler Murray (five in 2020) and Cam Newton (five games in 2021). And, Allen has 12 games with a rushing touchdown this season, the most such games by a quarterback in a season in NFL history.
Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs has 100 receptions this season and became the third player ever with at least 100 in four-or-more consecutive seasons, joining Antonio Brown (six consecutive seasons from 2013-18) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison (four consecutive seasons from 1999-2002). Las Vegas’ Davante Adams can join this group in Week 18 with two receptions.
Houston (9-7) and Indianapolis (9-7) will take the first step toward breaking the logjam atop the AFC South when they meet on Saturday (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC). The winner will also capture the division if Jacksonville (9-7) loses at Tennessee (5-11) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS). The team that loses on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium is eliminated from playoff contention. Regardless, the Jaguars can lock up a second straight South division title with a win over the Titans.
Saturday’s matchup spotlights two of the league’s most remarkable turnaround stories this season. Houston rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans with a victory would improve his team’s record by seven wins compared to 2022, when the Texans finished 3-13-1. Colts rookie head coach Shane Steichen with a victory would improve his club’s record by six wins compared to last year, when Indianapolis was 4-12-1. Last week, Steichen became the seventh rookie head coach since 2019 to improve his team’s record by five-or-more wins, joining Ryans (plus-six in 2023), Brian Daboll (Plus-Five In 2022), Kevin O’Connell (plus-five in 2022), Nick Sirianni (plus-five in 2021), Kevin Stefanski (plus-five in 2020) and Matt LaFleur (plus-seven in 2019).
Also in the division, Jacksonville linebacker Josh Allen recorded three sacks in last week’s win. Allen – who had three sacks in Weeks 1, 4 and 17 and 2.5 sacks in Week 12 – is the second player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least 2.5 sacks in four games within a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor (four games in 1986). This season, Allen ranks third in NFL with a Jaguars franchise-record and career-best 16.5 sacks.
Dallas kicker Brandon Aubrey, officially a first-year NFL player and not a rookie after beginning his pro career in the USFL, has connected on each of his first 35 career field-goal attempts, including nine from 50-or-more yards. Mike Vanderjagt holds the NFL record for most field-goal attempts without a miss in a season, 37 in 2003. Gary Anderson ranks second on that all-time list with 35 in 1998. Aubrey can break that record and Dallas (11-5) can capture the NFC East division title with a win at Washington (4-12) on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX).
In last week’s win, Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb posted the fifth 200-yard receiving game in the NFL this year, the most in a season since there eight in 2014. Lamb, who had 13 receptions for 227 yards and one touchdown last week, has 1,651 receiving yards and an NFL-leading 122 receptions this season to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin (1,603 receiving yards in 1995 and 111 receptions) for the Cowboys’ single-season franchise records in each category.
Lamb also has four games with at least 10 receptions and 150 receiving yards this season (Weeks 8-10 and 17), tied with Pro Football Hall of Famers Tim Brown (1997), Calvin Johnson (2012) and Jerry Rice (1995) as well as Antonio Brown (2017) and Tyreek Hill (2022) for the most such games in a season in NFL history. And, Lamb joined Michael Thomas (six games in 2019) as the only players with six games of 11-or-more receptions in a season in NFL history.
Detroit’s Sam LaPorta has 81 receptions, tied with Keith Jackson (81 in 1988) for the most by a rookie tight end in NFL history. Plus, LaPorta has 860 receiving yards, and last week surpassed Charle Young (854 in 1973) for the fifth most by a rookie tight end in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1,076 in 1961), Kyle Pitts (1,026 in 2021), Jeremy Shockey (894 in 2002) and Keith Jackson (869 in 1988) have more. LaPorta and Detroit (11-5) host Minnesota (7-9) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX).
NFL scouts work every day of the year, covering other pro leagues, college practices and games through the National Championship. They also serve as valuable resources through college all-star games, spring campus pro days, scouting combines and the NFL Draft. And, with respect to NFL players drafted in the fifth round, scout fingerprints are all over some of the success NFL clubs have enjoyed this season.
Specifically, when the Los Angeles Rams (9-7) and San Francisco 49ers (12-4) conclude the regular season on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX), several fifth-round playmakers will be on the field.
In fact, two of the most significant reasons the Rams are returning to the playoffs are their fifth-round selections in each of the last two drafts, wide receiver Puka Nacua (2023) and running back Kyren Williams (2022). Nacua has 101 catches, tied with Anquan Boldin (101 in 2003) for the second-most receptions by a rookie in history. Only Jaylen Waddle (104 in 2021) has more. And, Nacua has 1,445 receiving yards, surpassing Justin Jefferson (1,400 in 2020) for the third most by a rookie all-time. Only Bill Groman (1,473 in 1960) and Ja'Marr Chase (1,455 in 2021) have more. Williams has 1,144 rushing yards, second in the NFL this season behind the 49ers’ Christian McCaffreY (1,459). Williams is also tied for third in the league with 15 scrimmage touchdowns.
Three other fifth-round selections, 49ers tight end George Kittle (2017), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (2019) and tackle COLTON McKivitz (2020), have helped San Francisco to the NFC’s No. 1 seed and lone first-round bye in 2023. Another fifth-round choice, All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga (2021), helped the Niners to the Super Bowl last year. And fifth-round defensive back Deommodore Lenoir (2021) has stepped up to fill the void left by Hufanga’s season-ending injury this year.
Across the NFL, notable fifth-round selections include running backs Tyler Allgeier, Jerome Ford and Aaron Jones, wide receivers Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill Aand Dontayvion Wicks, linebackers Damone Clark, E.J. Speed and Andrew Van Ginkel and cornerbacks Daron Bland and Riq Woolen.
The Rams’ Sean McVay has led his team to a fifth playoff appearance, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer JOHN MADDEN (four) for the most postseason berths ever by an NFL head coach prior to his 38th birthday.
This week, San Francisco’s Deebo Samuel (4,101 receiving yards, 996 rushing yards) can join Pro Football Hall of Famer Charley Taylor as the only players ever to reach 4,000 receiving yards and 1,000 rushing yards within their first five seasons.
Niners running back Christian McCaffrey, who will rest this week with a league-leading 1,459 rushing yards, could become the first player in 28 years and only the fourth since the 1970 merger to lead the NFL in rushing after every week of a full season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith (1995), Walter Payton (1977) and O.J. Simpson (1973 and 1975).
San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy, who leads the NFL with a 113.0 passer rating, could become the youngest player to finish first in that category over a full season since Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (108.9) led the league in 1984.
Since Week 11, the Chicago Bears (7-9) have held opponents to a 61.5 passer rating, lowest in the NFL during that time. Also during that span, the Green Bay Packers (8-8) have a 110.5 passer rating, third in the league.
Chicago travels to Lambeau Field on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS) with an NFL-best 22 interceptions this season. Should the Bears finish the season first in that category, the Bears will establish an NFL record by leading the NFL in interceptions for an 11th season (also 1935-36, 1941-42, 1946, 1963, 1985, 1990, 2012 and 2018). They currently share the mark (10 seasons) with the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers.
Denver cornerback Pat Surtain aligned across from Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston on 32 of 34 routes in Week 17, allowing just two receptions for 20 yards on four targets. When Denver (8-8) visits Las Vegas (7-9) on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX), in the last NFL game at Allegiant Stadium prior to Super Bowl LVIII, Surtain figures to draw Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams. Last week, Adams had 13 receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns. He now has eight career games with at least 10 receptions, 125 receiving yards and two touchdown catches, surpassing Antonio Brown (seven) for the most such games in NFL history. What’s more, Adams has 17 games with at least 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens (17) for the fifth-most such games in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (27), Randy Moss (26), Marvin Harrison (22) and Don Hutson (18) have more.
The Cleveland Browns (11-5) can reach their highest win total in 37 years and match their single-season franchise record with a 12th win when they visit Cincinnati (8-8) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS). Cleveland’s most wins in an NFL regular season was 12 in 1986, when the Browns had one starting quarterback, Bernie Kosar. This year, the Browns have deftly won 11 games with four starting quarterbacks, Joe Flacco, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, P.J. Walker and Deshaun Watson.
Since the 1970 merger, the 2023 Browns are the just the eighth team to earn a postseason berth after starting four-or-more quarterbacks, joining the 2015 Houston Texans, 2013 Green Bay Packers, 2003 Denver Broncos, 1988 Cleveland Browns and the 1987, 1986 and 1984 Chicago Bears.
Cleveland in 2023 also is only the third team over the last 25 seasons (1999-2023) to have four starting quarterbacks win at least one game, joining the 2015 Texans and 2007 Panthers.
Cleveland quarterback Joe Flacco passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns with one interception for a 121.2 rating in the Browns' win last week. Flacco became the first player in NFL history to record at least 250 passing yards and two touchdown passes in each of his first five games with a team.
Flacco also became the second player ever to record at least 300 passing yards in four of his first five games with a team, joining Brian Hoyer (four of his first five games with Chicago in 2016).
Joseph Santoliquito can be followed on twitter @JSantoliquito.
About Maxwell Football Club
The Maxwell Football Club has honored excellence at all levels of football since 1935 and the Club's outreach programs provide educational opportunities for student-athletes and coaches. With members in over 40 states the Maxwell Football Club is one of the largest football organizations in America. Become a member by visiting maxwellfootballclub.org.
NOTE: CollegeFootballPoll.com's Dave Congrove is member of the Maxwell Football Club.