“One and out” in the NFL playoffs
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Five teams that made the playoffs in 2012 had a quick exit from last season’s postseason. Cincinnati, Denver, Indianapolis, Minnesota and Washington each played only one game in the playoffs last season because they lost their first playoff game… a “one and out” experience. For the Bengals, it was the second consecutive season they lost their first playoff game.
Here’s a look at the teams/franchises that have had the most “one and out” in the NFL playoffs during the Super Bowl era (since 1966).
Playoff seasons with ‘One & Out”
13 Indianapolis/Baltimore Colts, Minnesota
12 Dallas
11 Kansas City
10 Miami, Tennessee/Houston Oilers
9 Denver, Detroit, St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams
8 Cincinnati, Cleveland, New England, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
7 Buffalo, Chicago
6 Atlanta, Green Bay, New York Giants, New York Jets, San Francisco, Tampa Bay, Washington
5 New Orleans, San Diego, Seattle
3 Arizona/St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
2 Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville
1 Carolina
0 Houston Texans
Did you know? Three NFL franchises experienced three straight “One & Out” postseasons. Detroit went one and out in the playoffs in 1993, 1994 and 1995; the Baltimore Colts went one and out in 1975, 1976 and 1977; and Philadelphia went one and out in 1988, 1989 and 1990.
The Indianapolis Colts have the most “one and out” appearances in the NFL playoffs since 2000. The Colts have been one and out seven times since 2000. The Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants and Tampa Bay Bucs have each been one and out four times since 2000.
Inside the Numbers: NFL Wild Card Weekend
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This coming weekend four games highlight the first round of the 2013 NFL playoffs. Here’s a snapshot of the four games and some numbers from the previous head-to-head matchups between the teams.
SATURDAY
Kansas City @ Indianapolis
All-time series: Indianapolis leads the series 15-8.
Last meeting: The Colts defeated the Chiefs 23-7 on December 22, 2013.
All-time playoff series: Indianapolis has won all three playoff meetings.
Last playoff meeting: The Colts won 23-8 in a 2006 AFC First Round game.
Noteworthy: Indianapolis is 12-2 against the Chiefs since 1990… Indy had won five of the last six against the Chiefs at home… The Chiefs have scored under 14 points in five of the last six games against the Colts.
New Orleans @ Philadelphia
All-time series: Philadelphia leads the series 16-12.
Last meeting: The Saints defeated the Eagles 28-13 on November 5, 2012.
All-time playoff series: The teams have each won one playoff games in the series.
Last playoff meeting: The Saints won 27-24 in a 2006 NFC Divisional game.
Noteworthy: New Orleans has won the last two and four of the last five against the Eagles… The Eagles have won three of the last four home games against the Saints… The Saints have scored 23 or more points in five straight games against Philadelphia.
SUNDAY
San Diego @ Cincinnati
All-time series: San Diego leads the series 19-14.
Last meeting: The Bengals defeated the Chargers 17-10 on December 1, 2013.
All-time playoff series: The Bengals won the only playoff game played between the teams.
Last playoff meeting: The Bengals won 27-7 in the 1981 AFC Championship Game.
Noteworthy: Cincinnati has won the last three games in the series… The Chargers have won three of the last four games played in Cincinnati… Five of the last six games in the series were decided by eight points or less.
San Francisco @ Green Bay
All-time series: Green Bay leads the series 34-29-1.
Last meeting: The 49ers defeated the Packers 34-28 on September 18, 2013.
All-time playoff series: The Packers have won four of the six playoff games between the two franchises.
Last playoff meeting: The 49ers won 45-31 in a 2012 NFC Division game.
Noteworthy: The 49ers have won the last three games against the Packers… The Packers have won eight of the last nine at home against San Francisco… Green Bay has scored 20-plus points in 19 games versus the 49ers.
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Final game history may be on Packers side in game against Bears
(Photo credit: Mike Morbeck)
This could be great news for the Packers and not-so-great news for the Bears…
Since 1990, the Green Bay Packers are 18-5 (.783 winning percentage) in their final regular season game of the season. That is the best record in the NFL. The worst record? The Chicago Bears, who are 7-16 (.304 winning percentage) in their final game of the season from 1990-2012. The Packers have won their final game of the season 17 of 19 times since 1994.
Looking at the other winner-take-all game on Sunday, the NFC East battle between the Cowboys and Eagles, the numbers favor a Philadelphia victory. The Eagles are 13-10 in their last game of the season since 1990, while the Cowboys are 8-15.
Following is a look at each team’s record in their last game of the season since 1990.
Green Bay Packers 18-5 .783
Tennessee Titans 16-7 .696
New England Patriots 15-8 .652
San Diego Chargers 15-8 .652
Baltimore Ravens 11-6 .647
Carolina Panthers 11-7 .611
Pittsburgh Steelers 14-9 .609
Kansas City Chiefs 13-10 .565
New York Giants 13-10 .565
Philadelphia Eagles 13-10 .565
San Francisco 49ers 13-10 .565
Washington Redskins 13-10 .565
Atlanta Falcons 12-11 .522
Indianapolis Colts 12-11 .522
Cincinnati Bengals 11-12 .478
Denver Broncos 11-12 .478
Miami Dolphins 11-12 .478
Minnesota Vikings 11-12 .478
New York Jets 11-12 .478
Seattle Seahawks 11-12 .478
Houston Texans 5-6 .455
Jacksonville 8-10 .444
St. Louis Rams 10-13 .435
Tampa Bay Bucs 10-13 .435
New Orleans Saints 9-14 .391
Cleveland Browns 7-13 .350
Buffalo Bills 8-15 .348
Arizona Cardinals 8-15 .348
Dallas Cowboys 8-15 .348
Detroit Lions 8-15 .348
Oakland Raiders 8-15 .348
Chicago Bears 7-16 .304
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Shayne Graham kicks his way into the NFL record book
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
NFL placekickers have a way of staying anonymous… that is until they make a big kick, or worse, when they miss a big kick.
New Orleans Saints kicker Shayne Graham quietly made a pair of second quarter field goals in his team’s 17-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week #16. In the process, he became the first placekicker in NFL history to make field goals for eight different NFL teams.
Graham, who is best known for a seven-year career as kicker for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2003-09 where he made 177 field goals, signed with the Saints on December 17, replacing Garrett Hartley (ironically, Graham signed his first professional contract with the Saints back in 2000 after being undrafted). Through games of December 23, 2013, Graham has made 247 field goals. In addition to the two he made last week with New Orleans, Graham has now made field goals with Baltimore, Buffalo, Carolina, Cincinnati, Houston, Miami and New England.
Graham is one of 18 kickers to make field goals with five or more NFL teams. Here’s a list of those players (also noted is the career years for each kicker and the number of career made field goals):
Field Goals with 8 NFL teams
Shayne Graham, 2001-active (247 field goals made)
Field Goals with 7 NFL teams
Joe Nedney, 1996-2010 (256)
Eddie Murray, 1980-2000 (352)
Field Goals with 6 NFL teams
Doug Brien, 1994-2005 (207)
Greg Davis, 1989-98 (224)
Todd Peterson, 1994-2005 (235)
Matt Bahr, 1979-95 (300)
John Carney, 1988-2010 (478)
Field Goals with 5 NFL teams
Fred Steinfort, 1976-83 (63)
Dave Raynor, 2005-11 (65)
Brett Conway, 1998-2003 (69)
Benny Ricardo, 1976-84 (92)
Tom Dempsey, 1969-79 (159)
Cary Blanchard, 1992-2000 (165)
Jay Feely, 2001-active (327)
Olindo Mare, 1997-2010 (356)
Gary Anderson, 1982-2004 (538)
Morten Andersen, 1982-2007 (565)
* To qualify for the above list, player must have had a minimum of 50 made field goals and played a majority of his career in the Super Bowl era.
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Receiving duos reach exclusive NFL milestone
Eric Decker (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A pair of receiving duos, the Bears’ Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall, and Denver’s Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas, both reached a milestone in Week #16 games. These duos became the 18th and 19th set of teammates to each gain over 1,200 yards in receiving in the same year.
Marshall gained 36 yards receiving in Sunday night’s game against Philadelphia to give him 1,221 receiving yards for the season, joining Jeffery, who went over the 1,300-receiving yard mark with 76 yards receiving in that same game. Both Decker and Thomas had over 100 yards receiving in the Broncos’ win over Houston. Thomas now has 1,317 yards receiving for the season, Decker is at 1,261.
For both duos, there is an outside chance that with big games this Sunday, they could join a more elite receiving duo list. Only three teams have ever had two receivers gain over 1,400 yards in the same season: Detroit, 1995 (Moore and Perriman); St. Louis, 2000 (Bruce and Holt); and Arizona, 2005 (Boldin and Fitzgerald).
Here’s a look at the 19 receiving teammates that each gained 1,200 or more yards receiving in a season.
San Diego, 1980: Winslow (1,290) and Jefferson (1,340)
Miami, 1984: Clayton (1,389) and Duper (1,306)
Detroit, 1995: Moore (1,686) and Perriman (1,488)
Minnesota, 1999: Carter (1,241) and Moss (1,413)
Denver, 2000: McCaffery (1,317) and Smith (1,602)
Jacksonville, 2000: Smith (1,213) and McCardell (1,207)
Kansas City, 2000: Alexander (1,391) and Gonzalez (1,203)
Minnesota, 2000: Carter (1,274) and Moss (1,437)
St. Louis, 2000: Holt (1,635) and Bruce (1,471)
Buffalo, 2002: Moulds (1,292) and Price (1,252)
Pittsburgh, 2002: Ward (1,329) and Burress (1,325)
Green Bay, 2004: Walker (1,382) and Driver (1,208)
St. Louis, 2004: Holt (1,372) and Bruce (1,292)
Arizona, 2005: Boldin (1,402) and Fitzgerald (1,409)
Indianapolis, 2006: Wayne (1,310) and Harrison (1,366)
New England, 2009: Moss (1,264) and Welker (1,348)
New England, 2011: Gronkowski (1,327) and Welker (1,569)
Chicago, 2013: Jeffery and Marshall (final yardage TBD)
Denver, 2013: Decker and Thomas (final yardage TBD)
Note: Of the 17 duos before this year’s pair, only two (1984 Miami duo of Clayton and Duper; 2011 New England duo of Gronkowski and Welker) saw their team make it to the Super Bowl that year. In both cases, their teams lost in that game. Thirteen of the 17 made the playoffs.
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