Who Cares About Going Undefeated? 10 Crazy NFL Records That Could Be Set in 2011

The 2011 NFL season has been dominated by one broken record after another.

Touchdown receptions, passing yards, defense—all are fair game for football players who are tearing through the record books. 

Trends such as the emergence of the tight end as a pass catcher, the disappearance of any semblance of a passing defense and Tebowmania in Denver have combined to create one of the most exciting NFL seasons in recent memory.

The Green Bay Packers failed to do the improbable by going 16-0. The Indianapolis Colts were spared the opposite distinction of going 0-16. 

But there are still plenty more highs (or lows) that NFL players and teams can reach in 2011.

San Francisco 49ers Allow Zero Rushing Touchdowns

Through Week 15, the San Francisco 49ers defense has not allowed any rushing touchdowns.

If they can keep up that feat for the rest of the season, the team will have set a new NFL record. 

Behind first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers defense has improved dramatically. They are allowing a mere 71.5 rushing yards per game, easily first in the league.

San Francisco has allowed opponents to score over 20 points just three times all season as defense has been the driving force behind the 49ers surprising 11-3 record.

A special season in San Francisco just keeps getting better. Next up, an NFL record.

First MVP Award Given to Player Who Did Not Play One Snap

Last season, the Indianapolis Colts were 10-6. The year before that, the team was 14-2 and advanced all the way to the Super Bowl. The reason behind their success? Solely quarterback Peyton Manning, apparently. 

Manning has been sidelined for the entire 2011 season with a neck injury and his loss has crushed the Colts. 

The team is currently 1-13, having picked up their first win of the season in Week 15. Indianapolis has cycled through three quarterbacks already and look absolutely miserable on offense.

Manning could become the first-ever MVP to fail to appear in a regular season game.

There has been much debate about what “most valuable” really means. Do you think Manning’s absence has settled that question?

Drew Brees Breaking Dan Marino’s Passing Record

Quarterback Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints has been dismantling defenses week after week. There are seemingly always open receivers downfield and Brees can practically sit down in the pocket before throwing the football.

In 14 games, Brees has thrown for 4,780 yards. He needs just 305 more to pass Dan Marino’s record of 5,084 passing yards in one season.

Last week against the Minnesota Vikings, Brees threw for 412 yards and he still has two more games left to play. Dan Marino, your record is about to be smashed. 

Brees has also thrown for 37 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions, leading the Saints to an 11-3 record.

New Orleans is simply an offensive juggernaut. The team is also running for 125 yards per game. Brees rightfully commands most of the attention, but he certainly is not a one-man show.

Most Preseason Hype for a .500 Team

The 2011 Philadelphia Eagles were dubbed the “Dream Team,” the NFL’s equivalent to the NBA’s Big Three of the Miami Heat.

They made many blockbuster moves during the offseason, signing cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie as well as backup quarterback Vince Young.

With such a vaunted defense and established playmakers Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy anchoring the offense, Philadelphia was the talk of the NFL. 

Fans and the team expected nothing less than a trip to the Super Bowl. 

But that was where the excitement ended.

After winning their first game, the Eagles lost four in a row. After two straight wins, they then lost four of five. The team currently has a 6-8 record.

Despite (amazingly) not being eliminated from playoff contention yet, Philadelphia has failed miserably to live up to their preseason expectations.

LeSean McCoy Breaking Philadelphia’s Single-Season Touchdown Record

One bright spot in an otherwise dismal Philadelphia Eagles’ season has been running back LeSean McCoy’s performance.

McCoy has 20 touchdowns this season, breaking the franchise's previous record of 18 set by Steve Van Buren in 1945. 

He has rushed for over 1,200 yards and kept the Eagles competitive in many games with his speed and elusiveness.

McCoy has firmly established himself as an elite running back and has an NFL record to prove it.

Cam Newton Breaking Two Records

Before his rookie season began, questions surrounded Cam Newton’s ability to throw the football. Heralded primarily as a rushing quarterback, many wondered whether Newton would be able to lead an NFL offense.

He answered those questions emphatically, throwing for two straight 400-yard games to open the season. 

Newton is currently 19 yards shy of breaking the record for passing yards by a rookie. The record-holder now? Peyton Manning. He turned out to be a pretty decent quarterback if I remember correctly.

Newton has one more accolade to add to his resume. He currently holds the record for most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 13 so far this season.

Newton is one of the most impressive NFL rookies in 2011. If he can continue to build on his success in the years to come, he could become an elite quarterback.

Most Big Comebacks in a Season

The entire NFL set a record this season as five teams came back to win games after trailing by at least 20 points.

The previous record was four teams, set in 1999.

The games?

The Detroit Lions did it twice, first over the Minnesota Vikings 26-23 on September 25. Detroit trailed 20-0. Then on October 2, the Lions beat the Dallas Cowboys 34-30 after trailing 27-3.

The Buffalo Bills beat the New England Patriots 34-31 on Sept. 25th. The Bills trailed 21-0.

On October 2, the San Francisco 49ers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-23 after trailing 23-3.

Lastly, the Baltimore Ravens won against the Arizona Cardinals 30-27 despite trailing 24-3.

Those comebacks have made for quite an interesting season in the NFL. No team can be counted out of a game, regardless of the deficit.

First NFL-Inspired Word to Be Included in Dictionary

Tim Tebow is making history right and left during his run as the Denver Broncos’ starting quarterback. He elicits incredibly strong reactions, both positive and negative for his actions on and off the field.

Tebow’s most enduring mark on the game? The word he created.

The term “tebowing” has been officially recognized as a word by the Global Language Monitor. 

The definition, as relayed by the word’s official website, is "to get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone around you is doing something completely different."

Of course that would be the word Tebow is responsible for.

Football players of all ages have adopted the move with both good and bad results. Kind of similar to Tebow himself.

No matter the reaction, tebowing has the distinction of being one of the fastest growing words in history.

First Successful Red-Haired Quarterback

Yes, Andy Dalton would probably prefer to set a record for something slightly more football-related, but in his rookie season, Dalton must take what he can get. 

For whatever reason, redheads have not had much success in the NFL over the years. In fact, there has not been one ginger quarterback who has truly carved out a place for himself in the league.

Dalton, nicknamed the Red Rifle, is making history as the Cincinnati Bengals’ starting quarterback.

In his first year, taking over a downtrodden franchise that had recently gotten rid of its two biggest stars, Dalton has led the Bengals to an 8-6 record and possible playoff berth. 

He plays so well, causal fans could easily forget about the red locks trapped under his helmet. But not for long.

Dalton’s season should set an example for redheads everywhere: it is possible to succeed in a league that is strict about hair. Just ask Tom Brady.

Rob Gronkowski Breaking Record for TD Receptions by a Tight End

The 2011 NFL season has been the year of the tight end.

At no other point in the league’s history have the pass-catching abilities of tight ends figured so prominently in the balance of power between teams.

Teams that make good use of their larger receivers, such as the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints, are having career passing seasons.

However, no tight end has had as big an impact as the New England Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski.

Gronkowski recently broke the record for most touchdown catches in a season by a tight end with 14 scores so far this year. 

He has great chemistry with quarterback Tom Brady and the two have been instrumental in the Patriots’ success this season.