Drew Brees breaks Dan Marino's record; Indianapolis Colts don't #SuckforLuck; and who will reach the playoffs?
Drew Brees breaks Dan Marino's record; Indianapolis Colts don't #SuckforLuck; and who will reach the playoffs?
Brees breaks Marino's record
One of the great NFL landmarks has finally fallen: Drew Brees took the single season passing record set by Dan Marino in 1984. Both the original and the new record were set on Monday Night Football, with Brees moving past 5,084 yards with a nine-yard touchdown pass to Darren Sproles. And with a game to spare.
Brees, 32, came close to setting the single-season passing yardage mark in 2008 but finished 15 yards short.
Dan Marino said: "Congrats to @drewbrees. Great job by such a special player." After beating the Atlanta Falcons as well as Marino's mark, a humble Brees gave credit to his teammates for the record.
Here's some Brees brilliance:
And, for old times' sake, here's some magnificent Marino:
Does this mean Brees is a better QB than Marino? Let the heated debate begin. SB
All that sucking might have been for nought
All of a sudden, the teams who have sucked hardest all season long, positioning themselves for a shot at the No1 pick in next year's draft ? and hence at Stanford's Andrew Luck ? seem to have come alive. At 0-13, the Indianapolis Colts had a two-game lead in the 'race' to finish 2011 with the NFL's worst record, but that was before two wins in as many weeks: both of them against playoff contenders.
Then, on Christmas Eve, Minnesota ? having been brought back into contention at 2-12 ? killed off their hopes for good with a hard-fought win over Washington. With Adrian Peterson leaving that game with a cruciate ligament injury so severe that many analysts are already questioning whether he can ever be the same again, this might go down as the most pyrrhic victory in Vikings history.
Of course, as has been covered in this blog before, no NFL team ever truly sets out to lose, but it is certainly true that at a certain point of such a miserable season, many fans do begin to root against their own side. Luck will hardly be the only blue-chip prospect available next April ? indeed, the draft class of 2012 looks especially deep at quarterback ? but there is no doubting that the holder of that top pick is either going to get an exceptional talent, or some incredible trade opportunities.
For now, the Colts remain in the driving seat, continuing to hold the tie-breaker over the NFL's only other two-win team: St Louis. But should they win against a bad Jacksonville in week 17, and the Rams lose against the NFC West champion San Francisco 49ers, it's safe to assume there won't be too many fans celebrating in Indianapolis. PB
Cam Newton is pretty special
He might have been a Heisman winner, he might have just led Auburn to a BCS title, yet Cam Newton still had plenty of doubters when he was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the first overall pick in this year's draft. He had played only a single season of major college football as a starter ? transferring to Auburn from Blinn (Texas) Junior College ? and had done so in a spread offence quite unlike the systems used in the pros. His accuracy was questioned, but most of all so was his focus after he told Sports Illustrated: "I see myself not only as a football player, but an entertainer and icon."
Well guess what: Newton is all of those things. On Sunday he broke Peyton Manning's record for most passing yards in a season by a rookie quarterback, and he did it in style too ? connecting with Brandon LaFell at one point on a 91-yard touchdown pass that was the longest in Panthers history, and running one in himself from 49 yards out. It might not have been enough for the Panthers to contend this year, but they have certainly been fun to watch. Next season they will aspire to do both. PB
The Cincinnati Bengals deserve a better crowd
Victory over the Arizona Cardinals secured a winning season for Cincinnati ? just their third in 21 years ? and also put them back on course for a wildcard berth, as the Jets lost out to the Giants. And yet it was seen live by just 41,273 fans ? Paul Brown stadium sitting more than a third empty ? as it often has this season.
Afterwards the players called on fans to turn out in better numbers for their New Year's day appointment with the Baltimore Ravens, though there could be no better sales pitch than Jerome Simpson's second quarter touchdown. Taking Dalton's pass at the 18 on an underneath crossing route, Simpson raced down the touchline to the endzone, only to find his path blocked by a Cardinals defender. So he somersaulted over him.
Having said all that, the Bengals could count themselves lucky too ? were it not for Early Doucet slipping at the key moment, they might just have lost a game which they led 23-0 going into the fourth quarter. PB
Playoff picture
AFC
The gag going round before the Broncos' game against the Bills on Christmas Eve was that Tim Tebow couldn't possibly lose on the day before His birthday. But lose he did ? meaning that Denver must either beat Kansas City in week 17, or hope that Oakland lose at home to San Diego. That would be the same Kansas City team, of course, that is now being quarterbacked by Kyle Orton: the man who lost his job to Tebow earlier in the year. The NFL couldn't have scripted things any better if they had tried.
As for Cincinnati, they essentially need to beat Baltimore. In theory they could still get in with a loss, but in practice they would require each of the Raiders, Jets and Titans to lose ? as all would beat them on a tie-breaker by virtue of their superior conference records.
Qualified: Patriots, Ravens, Steelers, Texans
Control their own destiny: Broncos, Bengals
Need others to slip: Raiders, Titans, Jets
NFC
And so the Giants and Cowboys will meet again with all to play for. New York's win in Dallas a couple of weeks ago kept the Giants in the playoff picture. Now they will play again on the last day of the regular season, this time in New Jersey, with the winner advancing, the loser missing out.
The Falcons' thumping at the hands of Brees and the Saints on the last Monday Night Football of the season means that they may find themselves as the number six seed, and possibly facing another trip to...New Orleans.
Qualified: Packers, 49ers, Saints, Lions, Falcons
Control their own destiny: Giants, Cowboys
Click here for a full breakdown of all clinching scenarios. PB/SB
NFL results and schedule
NFL standings
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/dec/27/drew-brees-dan-marino-record-suckforluck
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