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If it’s Sunday (which seems reasonable in that yesterday was Saturday and tomorrow is scheduled to be Monday — well, assuming you are reading this on Nov. 11 or a subsequent Sunday), then it’s time for more NFL picks and pics from the delightful Jaime Edmondson.
Texans cheerleader Charlotte won’t be on the sidelines at Soldier Field for Sunday night’s Bears game. Too bad.
You can follow Jaime on Twitter. To do so, you can click @jaimeedmondson.
The Playboy Playmate’s picks for the Week 10 games: New York Giants over, Cincinnati, Tampa Bay over San Diego, Denver over Carolina, Baltimore over Oakland, Minnesota over Detroit, New England over Buffalo, New Orleans over Atlanta and Miami over Tennessee. A reminder that Jaime always will pick the Dolphins for whom she once was a cheerleader.
The late-afternoon picks: Seattle over New York Jets, San Francisco over St. Louis and Dallas over Philadelphia. In the night game, Jaime says Houston over Chicago (photo will run in Monday’s editions because … because I’m late posting the night game and because I can — thank you for your indulgence).
Speaking of cheerleaders, because the Bears disbanded their cheerleading team — the Honey Bears — after the 1985 season that provided the franchise’s only Super Bowl champion, there is no contemporary photo of a Bears cheerleader. Which explains why instead we are running one of a 2012 Texans cheerleader.
From the NFL’s department of unbridled optimism or maintaining fan interest or information (or whatever it’s called):
Since 2000, 29 teams have reached the halfway point of the season with a .500 or worse winning percentage and made the playoffs, including at least one in every season. In the last five seasons, 12 teams started 4-4 or worse and reached the playoffs. Seven of those teams, including the 2011 Denver Broncos, won at least one playoff game. The teams in the last five seasons (2007-2011) that started the season at .500 or worse through eight games and earned a playoff berth:
2007 San Diego (4-4) finished 11-5, advanced to AFC Championship
2007 Seattle (4-4) finished 10-6, advanced to Divisional
2007 Tampa Bay (4-4) finished 9-7, advanced to Wild Card
2008 Indianapolis (4-4) finished 12-4, advanced to Wild Card
2008 Miami (4-4) finished 11-5, advanced to Wild Card
2008 Minnesota (4-4) finished 10-6, advanced to Wild Card
2008 San Diego (3-5) finished 8-8, advanced to Divisional
2009 Green Bay (4-4) finished 11-5, advanced to Wild Card
2009 New York Jets (4-4) finished 9-7, advanced to AFC Championship
2009 Baltimore (4-4) finished 9-7, advanced to Divisional
2010 Seattle (4-4), finished 7-9, advanced to Divisional
2011 Denver (3-5) finished 8-8, advanced to Divisional
With a victory Sunday over New Orleans, the Falcons would become the ninth team since realignment in 2002 to begin a season 9-0. Of those teams, four went on to play in the Super Bowl and two (2006 Indianapolis and 2009 New Orleans) won it.
The teams to begin a season 9-0 since realignment in 2002 (with final record and postseason result):
2003 Kansas City (13-3), advanced to Divisional
2005 Indianapolis (14-2), advanced to Divisional
2006 Indianapolis (12-4), won Super Bowl XLI
2007 New England (16-0), advanced to Super Bowl XLII
2008 Tennessee (13-3), advanced to Divisional
2009 Indianapolis (14-2), advanced to Super Bowl XLIV
2009 New Orleans (13-3), won Super Bowl XLIV
2011 Green Bay (15-1), advanced to Divisional
Denver quarterback Peyton Manning has completed 203 of 292 passes (69.5 percent) for 2,404 yards with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions for a league-leading 108.6 passer rating. Manning has thrown 419 touchdown passes in his career, including at least three in each of his last five games. With two TD tosses at Carolina, Manning would surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (420) for second place all-time. Brett Favre holds the record with 508.
A Broncos victory would tie Manning with Marino for third place on the all-time list of regular-season victories as a starter. Leaders in career victories as a starter (with record and winning percentage in parentheses):
Brett Favre (186-112-0, .624)
John Elway (148-82-1), .643)
Dan Marino (147-93-0, .613)
Peyton Manning (146-70-0, .676)*
Tom Brady (129-38-0, .772)*
Fran Tarkenton (124-109-6, .531)
*Active
With 300-yard passing games, three quarterbacks would reach milestones:
* Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck (four) would surpass Peyton Manning (four, 1998) for the most 300-yard passing games by a rookie.
* New Orleans’ Drew Brees (62) would tie Marino for the second-most 300-yard passing games in NFL history.
* New England’s Tom Brady (50) would tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Fouts (51) for the sixth-most 300-yard passing games in league annals.
The players with the most 300-yard passing games in NFL history:
Peyton Manning*: 68
Dan Marino: 63
Drew Brees*: 62
Brett Favre: 62
Kurt Warner: 52
Dan Fouts: 51
Tom Brady*: 50
Warren Moon: 49
*Active
Dallas linebacker De Marcus Ware has nine sacks this season for a career total 108.5. He has at least 10 sacks in every season since 2006 and has an NFL-best 100.5 from 2006 through Week 9 this year. With a sack against Philadelphia, he would record his seventh-consecutive 10+ sack season and tie Pro Football Hall of Famers Lawrence Taylor and Bruce Smith for the third-longest such streak since the sack became an official statistic in 1982. The most consecutive seasons of 10 or more sacks (since 1982):
9: Reggie White (Philadelphia, Green Bay) 1985-1993
8: John Randle (Minnesota) 1992-1999
7: Lawrence Taylor (New York) 1984-1990
7: Bruce Smith (Buffalo) 1992-1998
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