Sunday all teams in the NFL will play their final game of the 2008 regular season. Many teams are and have been out of the play-off picture for some time and Sunday provides a final chance for players to show their skills before packing it in this year.
Other teams are still in the race and Sunday becomes a do or die game to make it into the post-season.
Others can win but still need help from other teams for them to see a spot as a wild card or better contender.
The NFL has changed some time starts for the games and they have chosen the Denver Bronco-San Diego Charger game as the final game of the season with a 8:15PM ET start. The winner of this game clinches the AFC West Division, no strings attached.
The NFC bunched as it is, will begin at 1:00 PM ET with Tampa Bay hosting the Oakland Raiders. The outcome will be huge if Tampa loses. It will really have an impact on the Dallas-Eagles game later that day. The scenarios are numerous and we will need help from the "Experts" as the day goes on. Teams involved with the NFC scenarios include the Bears , Vikings, Buc’s, Eagles, Cowboys and more.
Should be an interesting day for any NFL fan.
On the final day of the regular season records can be broken and players and teams have a chance to put their names in the books.
The Atlanta Falcons can set a NFL record for fewest punt- return yards allowed in a season (since the 16 game schedule in 1978). To date Atlanta has allowed ony 49 punt- return yards. The record is held by the Buffalo Bills 53, in 1991.
Terrell Owens of the Dallas Cowboys needs 51 receiving yards to reach the 1,000Yard/10 touchdown season for the eighth time in his career. Randy Moss with the New England Patriots needs five receiving yards to accomplish the same feat for the seventh time in his career.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees can tie the record for 300 yard games at 10 for the season if he can throw for 300 on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Rich Gannon holds the record of ten in 2002 playing for the Oakland Raiders. Should Brees have a better day, say 402 yards for the day, he will break the great Dan Marino’s record for most passing yards in a season, 5,084 in 1984.
Running back Adrian Peterson is only two yards away from joining the short list of players who ran for 3,000 yards in their first two seasons in the NFL. There is another elite list for him to join, that is for leading his conference in rushing yards his first two seasons. He did so last year with 1,341and leads the NFL this year with 1,657.
There are more records that will be broken and plenty of good football this week, all leading to the start of the play-offs next week and the Super Bowl to end it all. So watch, enjoy and good luck!
Old Head