Football Reporters Online

By David Levy-Fan Experience Reporter-FRO

The New York Jets controlled the big apple during the post season over the last two years. In fact, Jets fans like myself anticipated that the team would finally be the Kings of New York instead of the Giants. After all, since 2008 the Giants hadn’t come close to returning to the Super Bowl, while their former weak sisters nearly went there twice.  The Jets had control for once in New York.

But a whole new season can make a really big difference, considering where New York’s two teams are right now. Not only have the Jets free fallen into the murky abyss, they may have lost their chance to seize control of New York permanently at this rate while the Giants approach another Super Bowl.  Both teams were in control of their destiny this season.  The Giants took control while the Jets let control slide from their hands.

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2011 NFL Playoff Scenarios for Week 13

11/29/2011

From NFLMedia.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AFC

None

NFC

GREEN BAY PACKERS

Green Bay clinches NFC North division with:

1) GB win + DET loss or tie OR

2) GB tie + CHI loss or tie + DET loss OR

3) CHI loss + DET loss

Green Bay clinches a playoff spot with:

1) GB win OR

2) GB tie + CHI loss or tie OR

3) CHI loss OR

4) ATL loss OR

5) DET loss OR

6) NO loss + ATL tie

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

San Francisco clinches NFC West division with:

1) SF win or tie OR

2) SEA loss or tie + ARI loss or tie

FOR USE AS DESIRED

http://twitter.com/NFLFootballInfo

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 8

2011 GAMES ARE THISCLOSE: Seven games in Week 7 were decided by seven points or fewer, four of which featured pivotal scores in the game’s waning moments. Thus far in 2011, 54 games have been decided by seven points or fewer, tied for the second-most such contests ever through the first seven weeks.

The most games decided by seven or fewer points through Week 7 and Week 8:

– NFL –

MORE SCORES: There have been 4,629 points scored in 2011, the most through seven weeks in NFL history. The 44.9 points per game average is the highest through seven weeks since 1970.

Nine teams in 2011 are averaging at least 25 points per game, on pace to tie 2008 for the highest number of teams to average 25+ points per game in NFL history.

– NFL –

HOME IS WHERE THE START IS: The Buffalo Bills will play a regular-season home game at the Rogers Centre in Toronto for the fourth consecutive year when they host the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

Buffalo has won its first three home games this season, bettering or matching its home win total of each of the past three seasons. With a victory in Toronto, Buffalo would become theeighth team in NFL history to win its first four home games after starting the previous season 0-4 at home.

– NFL –

ONES VS. ONES: In Week 8, the NFL’s top passing and rushing attacks will face their defensive counterparts.

Division leaders New England and Pittsburgh own the best passing offense (NE, 350.4 net pass yards per game) and passing defense (Pit., 171.9 net pass yards allowed per game), respectively, and meet this Sunday at Heinz Field.

In Week 14 of 2007, the Patriots and Steelers ranked first in the same categories entering their matchup, a game that resulted in a 34-13 Patriots’ home victory.

Sunday Night Football features an NFC East tilt between Philadelphia’s top-rated rush offense (170 yards per game) and Dallas’ top-ranked rush defense (69.7 yards allowed per game).

– NFL –

GIVE ME FIVE: Minnesota Vikings running back ADRIAN PETERSON leads the league in rushing yards (712) and rushing touchdowns (8) this season. Peterson, who has been selected to the Pro Bowl the past three years (2008-2010), needs 38 rushing yards this weekend at Carolina to register his fifth consecutive season with at least 750 rush yards and eight touchdowns.

Peterson can join Pro Football Hall of Famers JIM BROWN and EMMITT SMITH and LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON as the only running backs to register 750 rushing yards and eight touchdowns or more in five consecutive seasons to start a career.

– NFL –

CAM CAN: 2011 first-round draft choices CAM NEWTON (No. 1, Carolina) and CHRISTIAN PONDER (No. 12, Minnesota) will start at quarterback in the Vikings-Panthers game. Newton, who started opposite of rookie quarterback BLAINE GABBERT (No. 10, Jacksonville) in Week 3, will become the first rookie quarterback selected in the first round to start against two first-round quarterbacks from his class since the advent of the common draft in 1967.

Last week, Newton passed for 256 yards with one touchdown to record his fourth 250-yard passing game. If he passes for at least 250 yards against Minnesota, Newton will become the fourth quarterback since 1960 to reach 250 passing yards in five games during his rookie campaign.

– NFL –

CHIEF CHANGE: The Kansas City Chiefs started the season 0-3 and have won their past three games. With a win on Monday Night Football against AFC West rival San Diego, Kansas City can become the first team since the 2000 Pittsburgh Steelers to start a season 0-3 and win its next four games.

FOR USE AS DESIRED

October 19, 2011

http://twitter.com/nflfootballinfo

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – WEEK 7

NO LEAD IS SAFE: Last week, the San Francisco 49ers overcame a 10-0 deficit to defeat the Detroit Lions 25-19.  With that result, there have now been 19 games in which a team trailed by at least 10 points and came back to win – the most through Week 6 in NFL history.

The 19 double-digit comebacks are already the second-most through the first seven weeks of a season all-time.

                                                                *Through Week 6

– NFL –

CLOSE GAMES: Entering Week 7, 52.2 percent of NFL games (47 of 90) have been decided by seven points or fewer.  At this pace, the league will play the highest percentage of seven-point games since 1970 (1994, 115 of 224, 51.3 percent).

– NFL –

LONDON CALLING: The NFL International Series returns to London’s Wembley Stadium this Sunday when the Chicago Bears face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Bears and Buccaneers have played three consecutive games against each other decided by three points or fewer, tying for the longest current streak in the league.

The past two meetings between Chicago and Tampa Bay have been decided in overtime, most recently in Week 3 of the 2008 season (Buccaneers 27, Bears 24).  Since overtime was instituted in 1974, there have been three instances of teams playing three consecutive overtime games against each other.

*Current streak

The contest will be the ninth international regular-season game in NFL history and the fifth played in the United Kingdom.

The regular-season games played in the United Kingdom:

– NFL –

WINNING WAYS: The defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers are 6-0 – the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL this season.  The 6-0 start is their first since 1965 and gives the teams 12 consecutive victories including the postseason, tying a franchise record.

The Packers currently hold a 699-540-36 all-time record, including the postseason.  With a win over Minnesota on Sunday, Green Bay would become just the second franchise in NFL history to reach 700 total wins.  Including the postseason, the Chicago Bears have a record of 724-533-42.

Last week, Green Bay became the seventh defending Super Bowl champion to start a season 6-0. All six of those teams won at least 10 games and advanced to the playoffs, and two of them repeated as Super Bowl champions – the 1998 Denver Broncos and 2004 New England Patriots.

With a victory this Sunday, the Packers would become just the fourth defending Super Bowl champion to start a season 7-0. Most recently, the Super Bowl XLI Champion Indianapolis Colts began the 2007 season at 7-0.

– NFL –

MOVIN’ ON UP: Atlanta Falcons tight end TONY GONZALEZ has 30 receptions for 318 yards and four touchdowns this season.  For his career, Gonzalez has now recorded 1,099 receptions, already fourth-most all-time.

With four catches this weekend against Detroit, Gonzalez would surpass CRIS CARTER (1,101) and MARVIN HARRISON (1,102) for the second-most receptions in NFL history.  Pro Football Hall of Famer JERRY RICE holds the record with 1,549.

The players with the most receptions in NFL history:

*Active

WEEK 6 @NFLFOOTBALLINFO AND @NFLHISTORY

TWEETS OF THE WEEK

Following are the “Tweets of the Week” from the @NFLFootballInfo and @NFLhistory Twitter feeds.

• @NFLFootballinfo: Continuity at QB. Thru 5 weeks, 30 clubs started same QB in every game, most ever. Previous best 27 in 2003.

With passing and scoring numbers at record levels, quarterback play may be at an all-time high.

Thirty clubs have started the same quarterback in every game this season – the most through the first five weeks of any season – surpassing the previous high of 27 in 2003. Only two clubs (Indianapolis and Jacksonville) have not started the same quarterback in every game this season, with Indianapolis being the only injury-related change.

– Tweets of the Week –

• @NFLFootballinfo: Year of great comebacks. KC win marks 7th time a team trailing by at least 17 points comes back to win – most thru 5 weeks EVER.

Last week, the Kansas City Chiefs overcame a 24-7 deficit to defeat Indianapolis 28-24. It marked the seventh time this season that a team trailed by at least 17 points and came back to win the game. That is the most through the first five weeks of any season in NFL history.

The seven comebacks of at least 17 points in 2011 through Week 5:

*Overtime

– Tweets of the Week –

• @NFLFootballinfo: NFL unpredictable as ever. Compared to 2010 division champs, every division has at least 1 new team in or tied for 1st place.

Through the first five weeks of the 2011 season, all eight divisions have at least one new team either in first place or tied for the top spot. If that holds, it will be the most new division winners in a single season.

Three teams that started 1-5 or worse in 2010, Buffalo (0-6 in 2010, 4-1 in 2011), Detroit (1-5, 5-0) and San Francisco (1-5, 4-1), are in first place or tied for their division lead. If the Bills and 49ers both win this Sunday, this season would be the first in NFL history featuring three teams with 5-1 or better records that started 1-5 or worse the previous year.

Nine teams since 1990, including this year’s Lions, have rebounded from a 1-5 or worse start to a 5-1 or better record the following season. All eight teams to previously accomplish this feat since 1990 finished 9-7 or better:

– Tweets of the Week –

• @NFLhistory: Thru Wk 5, @NFL games avging 46.31 points per contest, on pace for 2nd-highest scoring avg of any season in NFL history (1948, 46.48).

NFL teams have combined for 3,566 points in 2011, the most points through five weeks in NFL history.

That record total equates to 46.31 points per game. If the current average stays at this pace, it would rank as the second-highest of any season in history (1948, 46.48 points per game).

The seasons with the highest scoring average in NFL history:

– Tweets of the Week –

• @NFLFootballinfo: 10 individual 400-yard games is most ever thru 1st 5 weeks & already ranks 4th most in single season all-time

There have been 10 individual 400-yard passing performances so far in 2011. That total is the most ever through the first five weeks of a season and already ranks as the fourth-most for a single season (13 in 1986 and 2004; 11 in 2010).

The most individual 400-yard passing games through Week 5 and for a season in NFL history:

* Through Week 5

###

From NFLMedia.com

Image via Wikipedia

32 NFL GREATS TO ANNOUNCE SECOND ROUND DRAFT PICKS IN PRIMETIME ON FRIDAY APRIL 29

The National Football League announced that 32 legendary NFL alumni, one representing each team, will announce live on Friday every selection of the second round. This will mark the first time in NFL Draft history every selection in a round has been announced by former players.

The NFL alumni scheduled to be on-hand at Radio City Music Hall to make the announcements from the podium includes:

Arizona Cardinals, Aeneas Williams (CB)

Atlanta Falcons, Jessie Tuggle (LB)

Baltimore Ravens, Peter Boulware (LB)

Buffalo Bills, Andre Reed (WR)

Carolina Panthers, Brad Hoover (FB)

Chicago Bears, Richard Dent (DE)

Cincinnati Bengals, Anthony Muñoz (OT)

Cleveland Browns, Paul Warfield (WR)

Dallas Cowboys , Charles Haley (DE)

Denver Broncos, Shannon Sharpe (TE)

Detroit Lions, Barry Sanders (RB)

Green Bay Packers, Jim Taylor (FB)

Houston Texans, Aaron Glenn (CB)

Indianapolis Colts, Jeff Herrod (LB)

Jacksonville Jaguars, Donovin Darius (S)

Kansas City Chiefs, Willie Lanier (LB)

Miami Dolphins, Sam Madison (CB)

Minnesota Vikings, Chris Doleman (DE)

New England Patriots, Andre Tippett (LB)

New Orleans Saints, Willie Roaf (OT)

New York Giants, Joe Morris (RB)

New York Jets, Marty Lyons (DT)

Oakland Raiders, Willie Brown (DB)

Philadelphia Eagles, Troy Vincent (DB)

Pittsburgh Steelers, Franco Harris (RB)

St. Louis Rams, Marshall Faulk (RB)

San Diego Chargers, Natrone Means (RB)

San Francisco 49ers, Dwight Clark (WR)

Seattle Seahawks, Cortez Kennedy (DT)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, John Lynch (S)

Tennessee Titans, Jevon Kearse (DE)

Washington Redskins, Doug Williams (QB)

The Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets do not have Second Round picks. Their player representatives will announce their Third Round picks.

The 2011 NFL Draft will continue the three-day format introduced in 2010, with the first three rounds broadcast in primetime at 8:00 pm ET on Thursday, April 28 and 6:00 pm ET on Friday, April 29, and concluding with Rounds 4-7 on Saturday, April 30 at 12:00 pm ET. The NFL Draft will be broadcast on NFL Network and ESPN/ESPN2. Fans also may watch the live NFL Network stream on NFL Mobile.

For more information on the 2011 NFL Draft, including how to attend, visit www.nfl.com/draft or www.1iota.com.

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

This past Thursday evening was very special for us at The FRO! Not only was it our annual Mock Draft-A-Palooza Show it was also the 3rd Anniversary of our First Broadcast on Blog Talk radio! To date we have had over 1.7 Million live listeners and total downloads. We want to thank our listeners for their support, and to all of our Mock Draft GM’s, Our regular staff that took part, Bill Carroll, Don Stokes, and Ralph Garcia, Anthony Carrillo, Our new writing intern Mark Kern of Kansas State, as well as several Guest GM’s for the evening, Matt Elder, Eric Dolan, Joel Barker from First Round Exchange, and our “Celebrity” Draft Prospect who joined us, Mike Montoya, a RB from Laurier College in Canada. Here then we present our 2011 Mock Draft-a-Palooza!