NFC NEWS ‘N’ NOTES

FOR USE AS DESIRED  

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION,
NFC-N-13 11/9/04  

CONTACT: MICHAEL SIGNORA (212/450-2076)

HALFWAY HOME: NFC MIDSEASON PROJECTIONS

ARIZONA: Running back EMMITT SMITH has rushed for six touchdowns and is on track for 12, which would be the second-most in team history (JOHN DAVID CROW, 14, 1962)……The Cardinals could become the first team with consecutive 50-catch seasons by rookie wide receivers since the 1995-96 New York Jets (WAYNE CHREBET, 66, 1995; KEYSHAWN JOHNSON, 63, 1996). First-round pick LARRY FITZGERALD has 31 catches and is on target for 62. WR ANQUAN BOLDIN set the NFL rookie record in 2003, posting 101 receptions.

ATLANTA: Quarterback MICHAEL VICK has 463 rushing yards and is on pace for 926, which would make him the third QB since 1970 to rush for at least 900 yards in a season, joining BOBBY DOUGLASS (968, 1972) and RANDALL CUNNINGHAM (942, 1990)……TE ALGE CRUMPLER leads the team with 31 receptions for 441 yards and is on pace for 62 catches and 882 yards, eclipsing the franchise records for tight ends held by JUNIOR MILLER (46, 1980) and JIM MITCHELL (650, 1970)……DE PATRICK KERNEY has 7.0 sacks and is on pace for a team-record 14.0.

CAROLINA: Rookie WR KEARY COLBERT, a second-round draft choice from Southern California, has been a big play threat for the Panthers. If Colbert maintains his current 16.8-yards per catch average, it will be the second highest in team history (PATRICK JEFFERS, 17.2, 1999). With 27 receptions for 453 yards, the Oxnard, California native is on pace for 54 and 906, which would both be franchise records for rookies (RAE CARRUTH, 44 for 595, 1997).

CHICAGO: In his first season with the Bears, RB THOMAS JONES has been a threat both rushing and receiving. He leads the club with 511 rushing yards and 26 receptions (191 yards) and may become the first Bear to lead the team in both categories since NEAL ANDERSON in 1989 (1,275 rushing, 50 receptions)……Perennial All-Star LB BRIAN URLACHER has 4.0 sacks and is on pace to equal his career-high of 8.0 in 2000.

DALLAS: Second-year TE JASON WITTEN is rapidly emerging as one of the NFL’s best. Witten has a team-leading 45 receptions for 488 yards and is on pace for 90 catches and 976 yards. Those totals would rank first in tight-end team history, surpassing the previous mark of 68 by JAY NOVACEK in 1992 and 793 by DOUG COSBIE in 1985……DE GREG ELLIS leads the club with 6.0 sacks and is on track for 12.0, which would be Dallas’ most since 1996 (TONY TOLBERT, 12.0).

DETROIT: Quarterback JOEY HARRINGTON has tossed 13 touchdowns versus five interceptions and is on pace to join SCOTT MITCHELL (32, 1995) and BOBBY LAYNE (26, 1951) as the only players in franchise history with 25 touchdown passes in a single season. If Harrington maintains his current 87.9 passer rating, it will be the third-highest rating in team history.

GREEN BAY: Quarterback BRETT FAVRE has 14 touchdown passes and is on pace for 28, which would be his 11th consecutive season with 20 touchdown passes, eclipsing DAN MARINO (10) for the most in NFL history. Favre has passed for 2,007 yards and could top 4,000 for the fourth time in his career. If he reaches 3,000 yards he will tie Marino with 13 3,000-yard seasons, the most all-time……Third-year WR JAVON WALKER has an NFL-best 783 receiving yards (46 catches) and is on target for the first 1,500-yard (1,566) season in franchise annals.

MINNESOTA: Quarterback DAUNTE CULPEPPER is on pace for one of the most prolific passing seasons in NFL history. The two-time All-Star has 21 touchdown passes and is on track for 42, which would be the third-most all-time, trailing DAN MARINO, who tossed 48 in 1984 and 44 in 1986……Rookie RB MEWELDE MOORE, a fourth-round draft choice, leads the club with 376 rushing yards and is on pace for 752, which would be the most by a Vikings’ rookie since ALFRED ANDERSON’s 773 yards in 1984.

NEW ORLEANS: Wide receiver JOE HORN is on track to continue his club record streak of consecutive seasons with at least 75 receptions. Horn has accomplished the feat four years in a row and with 49 receptions (591 yards), he is on pace for 98 in 2004……Defensive end CHARLES GRANT has 7.5 sacks and is on target to post 15.0, which would make him only the fifth player in team history with a 15.0-sack season.

NEW YORK: Running back TIKI BARBER has rushed for 820 yards in eight games and is on pace for 1,640 yards, which would top JOE MORRIS’ franchise-record 1,516 yards in 1986. Barber may also surpass the NFL record for yards from scrimmage (MARSHALL FAULK; 2,429, 1999), as he is on pace for 2,462……Rookie safety GIBRIL WILSON, a fifth-round pick from Tennessee and the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for October, ties for the league rookie lead with three interceptions. Wilson is on pace for six, the most by a Giants rookie since TERRY JACKSON’s seven in 1978.

PHILADELPHIA: Quarterback DONOVAN MC NABB is enjoying one of the best seasons an Eagles’ passer has ever had. McNabb has 2,081 passing yards and 14 touchdown passes and is on pace for a franchise-record 4,162 yards – topping RANDALL CUNNINGHAM’s 3,808 yards in 1988. If McNabb maintains his current 98.7 passer rating, it will be the highest in team history, besting TOMMY THOMPSON’s 98.4 rating in 1948……WR TERRELL OWENS’ first season in Philadelphia has been a memorable one. The big-play threat has nine touchdown receptions and is on track for 18, which would tie for the second most in NFL history (MARK CLAYTON and STERLING SHARPE; first, JERRY RICE, 22).

ST. LOUIS: Quarterback MARC BULGER has passed for 2,270 yards this season and is on target for 4,540, which would make him the third player in franchise history with 4,000 passing yards in a season, joining KURT WARNER and JIM EVERETT. Warner accomplished the feat in 1999 (4,353) and 2001 (4,830) while Everett did it 1989 (4,310).

SAN FRANCISCO: Fourth-year TE ERIC JOHNSON from Yale has been a prolific receiving threat all season, with 51 receptions for 547 yards. He is on pace for 102 catches and 1,094 yards, which would surpass the NFL record for receptions by a tight end, currently held by BEN COATES, who had 96 in 1994 for the New England Patriots……LB JAMIE WINBORN leads the team with 4.5 sacks, tops among NFC linebackers, and is on pace for a career-high 9.0

SEATTLE: With a 5-3 record, the Seahawks are on target for their second consecutive 10-win season……RB SHAUN ALEXANDER has 879 yards rushing and is on track for 1,758 yards, which would be the most in franchise history……CB KEN LUCAS leads the NFC with four interceptions and if he finishes with eight, it will equal the most by a Seahawk since EUGENE ROBINSON totaled nine in 1993.

TAMPA BAY: Rookie first-round draft choice MICHAEL CLAYTON has been one of the year’s top newcomers. Clayton leads rookies with 42 receptions and 595 receiving yards and is on pace for 84 catches and 1,190 yards receiving. The 84 catches would pass EARL COOPER, who totaled 83 for San Francisco in 1980, for the third-most among rookies in NFL history. Arizona’s ANQUAN BOLDIN set the mark with 101 receptions in 2003, followed by TERRY GLENN’s 90 catches for the 1996 New England Patriots.

WASHINGTON: Running back CLINTON PORTIS is bidding to make NFL history this season and is on track to do just that. Portis has rushed for 810 yards in eight games and is on pace for a 1,620-yard season, which would make him the first player in the 85-year history of the NFL to rush for at least 1,500 yards in each of his first three seasons.