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SO CLOSE:Through Week 13, 55.7 percent of games (107 of 192) have been decided by eight points or fewer. The 107 games decided by that margin are the most through the first 13 weeks of a season in NFL history.
There have been 97 games decided by seven points or fewer, also the most ever through this point of any season.
The most games decided by eight points and seven points or fewer through Week 13:
MOST GAMES DECIDED BY
EIGHT POINTS OR FEWER
* *
MOST GAMES DECIDED BY
SEVEN POINTS OR FEWER
SEASON
THROUGH WEEK 13
* *
SEASON
THROUGH WEEK 13
2012
107
2012
97
2002
105
2011
96
2003
102
2003
96
2011
101
2002
95
Three tied
99
2006
93
-- NFL --
MORE TIME:There have been 19 overtime games this season, one shy of the NFL record for the most in league annals through Week 13 (20 in 1995 and 2002).
Rookies propelled their teams to victory in each of last week's two overtime games.
Seattle rookie quarterback RUSSELL WILSON, who tied a career best with 293 passing yards and added a career-high 71 rushing yards, threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to SIDNEY RICEon the extra period's opening possession to claim a 23-17 win at Chicago. Wilson posted 38 passing yards with one touchdown and 28 rushing yards during the 12-play, 80-yard drive that sealed the victory.
During St. Louis' 16-13 win over San Francisco, Rams rookie kicker GREG ZUERLEIN converted a 53-yard field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter and a game-winning 54-yard field goal in overtime. Rams rookie cornerback JANORIS JENKINS also scored his third touchdown in two weeks on a two-yard fumble return in the fourth quarter.
The most overtime games in a season's first 13 weeks:
MOST OVERTIME GAMES
SEASON
THROUGH WEEK 13
2002
20
1995
20
2012
19
2003
19
1983
17
-- NFL --
* *
CLINCHING CROWNS:Four teams clinched a playoff berth in Week 13, including three division winners:
- The ATLANTA FALCONS, who defeated New Orleans 23-13 on Thursday night, clinched the NFC South on Sunday with Tampa Bay's loss at Denver.
- The NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS clinched the AFC East with their 23-16 win at Miami.
- The DENVER BRONCOSclinched the AFC West with their 31-23 win over Tampa Bay.
- The HOUSTON TEXANSclinched a playoff berth with their 24-10 win at Tennessee.
On Sunday, Patriots quarterback TOM BRADYbecame the first starting quarterback in NFL history to win 10 division titles, while Broncos quarterback PEYTON MANNINGtied Pro Football Hall of Famer JOE MONTANA for the second-most division titles in NFL history with nine.
-- NFL --
PATRIOT WAY:With*their 23-16 win at Miami, theNEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS *clinched their fourth consecutive AFC East title and ninth division championship since 2003.
The Patriots (9-3) are guaranteed to finish the year with a winning record for the 12th consecutive season, the longest active such streak and tied for the seventh-longest all-time. New England is the first team to accomplish the feat since the San Francisco 49ers (1983-1998) posted a winning record in 16 consecutive seasons.
The teams with the most consecutive winning seasons in NFL history:
TEAM
YEARS
CONSEC. WINNING SEASONS
Dallas Cowboys
1966-1985
20
San Francisco 49ers
1983-1998
16
Oakland Raiders
1965-1980
16
Chicago Bears
1930-1944
15
Green Bay Packers
1934-1947
14
Cleveland Browns
1957-1969
13
New England Patriots
2001-2012
*12
Green Bay Packers
1921-1932
12
*Active streak
-- NFL --
NO LUCK NEEDED:Indianapolis rookie quarterback ANDREW LUCK passed for 391 yards and four touchdowns in the Colts' 35-33 victory over the Detroit Lions. Luck directed a 75-yard game-winning scoring drive in the final 1:07 of the contest, his fifth game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime this season. That total is tied for the most among rookie quarterbacks since the merger (BEN ROETHLISBERGER in 2004; VINCE YOUNG in 2006).
Luck has thrown for 3,596 yards this season, the most ever by a rookie in his first 12 games. His total (3,596) already ranks third-most in NFL history for a rookie, trailing only CAM NEWTON (4,051) and PEYTON MANNING (3,739).
The rookies with the most passing yards in NFL history:
PLAYER
TEAM
YEAR
PASSING YARDS
Cam Newton
Carolina
2011
4,051
Peyton Manning
Indianapolis
1998
3,739
Andrew Luck
Indianapolis
2012
*3,596
Sam Bradford
St. Louis
2010
3,512
Matt Ryan
Atlanta
2008
3,440
*Through 12 games
Luck has recorded eight wins and surpassed SAM BRADFORD (seven in 2010) for the most by a rookie quarterback who was drafted number one overall in the Super Bowl era.
The players selected number one overall with the most wins in their rookie seasons in the Super Bowl era:
PLAYER
TEAM
YEAR
WINS
Andrew Luck
Indianapolis
2012
*8
Sam Bradford
St. Louis
2010
7
Cam Newton
Carolina
2011
6
Jim Plunkett
New England
1971
6
Drew Bledsoe
New England
1993
5
Jeff George
Indianapolis
1990
5
*Through 12 games
-- NFL --
ROBERT'S RUSHING RECORD:Washington rookie quarterback ROBERT GRIFFIN IIIrecorded 72 rushing yards on five carries (14.4 average) in the Redskins 17-16 win over the NFC East-rival New York Giants on Monday Night Football.
Through 12 games, Griffin has 714 rushing yards, already the most by a rookie quarterback in NFL history (CAM NEWTON, 706 in 2011). He is one of only five quarterbacks since 1970 to reach 700 rushing yards in a single season, joining RANDALL CUNNINGHAM, BOBBY DOUGLASS, Newton and MICHAEL VICK(three times).
-- NFL --
GOLD RUSH:San Francisco linebacker ALDON SMITH recorded one sack in the 49ers' 16-13 overtime loss to the St. Louis Rams.
Smith has 31.5 career sacks and passed Pro Football Hall of Famer REGGIE WHITE (31) for the most by a player in his first two NFL seasons since the sack became an official statistic in 1982.
Smith leads the NFL with 17.5 sacks, the second-most through a team's first 12 games since 1982. MARK GASTINEAU of the New York Jets had 18.5 sacks through 12 games in 1984.
The players with the most sacks through a team's first 12 games since the sack became an official statistic in 1982:
PLAYER
TEAM
YEAR
SACKS THROUGH 12 GAMES
Mark Gastineau
NY Jets
1984
18.5
*Aldon Smith *
San Francisco
2012
17.5
Michael Strahan
NY Giants
2001
16.5
Lawrence Taylor
NY Giants
1986
16.5
La'Roi Glover
New Orleans
2000
16
Reggie White
Philadelphia
1987
16
Doug Betters
Miami
1983
16
