Tomorrow marks the final regular season game of 2012, and several players are looking to break long lasting records. Three players in particular should be watched as they fight to be number one in any given statistic. Calvin Johnson, who broke Jerry Rice's receiving yard record last year, looks to become the first wide receiver of all time to gain 2,000 yards in a single season. JJ Watt needs 2.5 sacks in his final game against the Colts in order to snap Michael Strahan's single season sack record. Finally, the most important of records to be challenged this weekend, will be Eric Dickerson's single season rushing record, where Adrian Peterson hopes to rush for 208 yards against the Packers. So will these three players accomplish what they set out to do? The NFL Report will analyze all three scenarios, along with our opinion on the likeness of the record being snapped. Be sure to comment subscribe, or like us on Facebook at
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| Calvin Johnson |
Calvin Johnson and 2,000 Receiving Yards: With 3:02 minutes left to play in Detroit's game against Atlanta, Calvin Johnson broke Jerry Rice's receiving yard record for a 49-yard gain. Though it may appear as if Johnson has checked everything off of the to-do list as the season comes to a close, Johnson says he is not ready to call it a year. Detroit, after an embarrassing 4-11 record as of Week 17, will not be playing for the Super Bowl in January. Even after surpassing Jerry Rice, Calvin, according to NFL.com, said about the 2,000 receiving yard mark, "(It) would be big--kind of almost put that (record) away for a while." At 1,892 receiving yards for the year, Johnson needs 108 yards in his final game against Chicago in order to become the first wide receiver in the history of the game to acquire 2,000 receiving yards in a single season. Back in Week 7, when Chicago played Detroit at home, Johnson was shut down completely by the Bears defense, catching just three passes for 34 yards (both season lows). Unfortunately for Chicago, the Week 7 game came before Megatron's historic hot streak, and now that Detroit is out of the playoffs, they have no reason not to help Calvin reach 2,000. Charles Tillman, Chicago's number one cornerback, and likely the player to be matched up against Calvin for the majority of Sunday's game, said Johnson was the Lebron James of football. "It would be cool if we did," says Tillman, as he talks about ways to shut down Calvin Johnson. "But I don't know how." Mathew Stafford will consistently fire the football towards Johnson, with little worry of throwing a pick as Detroit's playoff chances are no longer affected. There is little doubt in my mind that Calvin Johnson will become the first 2,000 yard receiver on Sunday.
Calvin Johnson: 7 receptions, 115 receiving yards against Bears
Record: Broken
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| JJ Watt |
JJ Watt and 22.5 Sacks: If any season deserved to have a defensive MVP winner, 2012 is the year. Three sophomore defenders have wreaked havoc since Week 1, and two are chasing one of the most important defensive records in the book. JJ Watt and Aldon Smith are extremely close to snapping the sack record, which requires a defender to sack a quarterback 23 times in order to be named the new sack champion. Last season, defensive end Jared Allen needed just one sack in order to break the record, but Allen was unsuccessful. However, JJ Watt of the Houston Texans looks to become the king of sacking the quarterback as he plays Indianapolis in the final game of 2012. Watt, nicknamed JJ "Swatt" for his ability to knock down passes, has not focused recently on knocking down passes, which means he is focused more on bringing down the quarterback. Watt has acquired 2.5 sacks or more in three games this season, one against Denver, one against Detroit, and the last one against Sunday's opponent, Indianapolis. Even though Indianapolis has a very spotty offensive line, a group of five ranked 20th in the NFL in pass protection, this team does not wish to give Watt the record. That being said, Luck may prefer to throw the ball away when Watt sprints towards him, rather than let Watt tackle him, becoming one step closer towards the record. Double teaming Watt on Sunday will be expected, so it is unlikely he can reach the quarterback before the ball is thrown away. Maybe Watt does well under pressure, but all the signs point in the opposite direction. Michael Strahan's record will stand for another year.
JJ Watt: 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks against Colts
Record: Intact
Adrian Peterson and 2,105 rushing yards: For an average human being, it is nearly impossible to return to full health after suffering from an ACL tear, especially when your job requires you to take constant shots from 275 pound defenders as they dive at your knees at full speed. However, Adrian Peterson is not average, nor is he human. Adrian Peterson is a beast, and defenses are still trying to figure out how to stop him. After suffering an ACL injury on Christmas Eve, Peterson performed serious rehab in order to rehabilitate his knee, and clearly his hard work paid off, as he needs just 208 yards in order to break the single season rushing record. The Vikings running back rushed for over 100 yards in eight straight games, but was bumped around by the Houston defense, rushing for just 86 yards. Minnesota has the potential to earn a spot in the postseason for the first time since Brett Favre and his 2009 playoff run. In an interview, Minnesota quarterback Christian Ponder said about Peterson and the rushing yard record, "That is not really our focus. Obviously, our focus is to keep our wild-card spot that we have right now, and making the playoffs is our number one goal." He went on to say that they do indeed wish Peterson breaks the record, but clearly, Minnesota has a lot more on their plate. As Minnesota looks to beat Green Bay tomorrow, Peterson and his quest for 2,000 may take a back seat to a spot in the playoffs. The last time Peterson played Green Bay, he rushed for a whopping 210 yards with one score. If this outstanding statistical performance were to repeat itself, Peterson would be named king of the running backs. The past four running backs to gain 2,000 yards or more in a single season all had big Week 17 games in order to reach the milestone, and we have seen Adrian Peterson work hard for the things he wants. It is hard to predict the game plan of Minnesota and how many times they are willing to hand off the ball. Either way, Peterson will get the 2,000 yards, but Eric Dickerson's record will likely stay intact.
Adrian Peterson: 22 attempts, 135 rushing yards, 2 TDs against Packers
Record: Intact
Bengals over Ravens
Bengals over Ravens
