A look at Week 16 in the NFL, by the numbers:
5,000
Need any more proof the NFL is a passing league? A year after three quarterbacks passed for more than 5,000 yards -- one more than had done it previously in NFL history -- three more (actually two are holdovers from 2011) are within reach of the once rare mark with one week to go. Drew Brees needs 219 passing yards (he's averaging 318.7 per game this season), Matthew Stafford is 305 yards away (313.0), and Tony Romo needs 315 (312.3). If the Cowboys lose in Week 17, all three will miss the playoffs.
4,355
Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has thrown for 4,355 yards this season. In 16 games last year, the Broncos produced 2,708 passing yards with Kyle Orton (979) and Tim Tebow (1,729) under center. Interestingly, the Broncos became only the eighth team since the 1970 merger to win back-to-back division titles with different primary starting quarterbacks.
529
The New England Patriots have scored 529 points this season. They are the first franchise in NFL history to score 500-plus points in four different seasons. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs have scored a combined 420 points … in 31 games over the past two seasons (212 in 2011, 208 over 15 games in 2012).
460
The Oakland Raiders and Carolina Panthers produced just 460 total yards of offense between the two teams. The Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints combined to produce 1,008 yards.
63
Andrew Luck's completion percentage is low (54.3) but he leads the NFL in completions of 20-plus yards with 63. By the way, Luck quietly passed Cam Newton on Sunday and now owns the rookie record for most passing yards in a season. With a game to go, he has thrown for 4,183 yards.
14
In a game in which they clinched a playoff spot, the Cincinnati Bengals rushed for just 14 yards. Their longest run against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday was four yards.
9
The Chicago Bears punted nine times Sunday in their 28-13 victory at Arizona. Seattle has punted a total of six times in their past three games -– games in which they have scored a total of 150 points.
4
After scoring on an interception return in St. Louis' 28-13 win at Tampa Bay, Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins now has four defensive touchdowns on the season … one fewer than the Rams' offense has produced on the ground.
0
Tony Romo's stats against New Orleans: 416 yards, 4 TDs, O INTs. Jamaal Charles' stats against Indianapolis: 226 rushing yards, 1 TD. Total wins for their two teams Sunday? Zero.
Follow Daniel Jeremiah on Twitter @MoveTheSticks
