Christmas is creeping ever nearer, and our beloved Green Bay Packers are setting all kinds of records this year. According to Bleacher report:During the Packers' current 19-game winning streak, the team has decided to rewrite the history books. Plenty of records have already fallen victim and many more are still possible.
With an incredibly deep roster, the Packers success this season has been a team effort. Along with the near-perfect play of Aaron Rodgers, different Packers have stepped up each week to help the team win. Injuries haven't slowed the Packers as the next-man-up mantra has never been truer.
Looking at the statistics for the 2011 Green Bay Packers, some explain the success that the team has had this season, some are mind-boggling, and others are meaningless but still fascinating at the same time.
The Green Bay Packers have had no problems taking the ball from opposing quarterbacks. In 13 games, the Packers have collected 27 interceptions. Tied for second, the Detroit Lions, New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers each have 18 picks.
Leading the pack, Charles Woodson has seven interceptions on his own. He has collected more interceptions than the whole Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings teams who have six each.
Individually, Woodson has single-handedly countered the Packers' quarterbacks interceptions, a combined seven (Rodgers-six, Flynn-one).
Nine different players on the Packers roster have come up with interceptions this season. Five have come from linebackers, seven from safeties and 15 from cornerbacks.
Through 13 games, three quarterbacks have a realistic shot of taking down Dan Marino's single-season yardage record. Drew Brees and Tom Brady are on pace to shatter the record, while Aaron Rodgers is on pace to finish just over seven yards shy.
To this point, Brees and Brady are only outpacing Rodgers based on their number attempts. Brees is on pace to finish the season with 5,376 yards on 668.3 attempts, Brady is on pace to finish with 5259.2 yards on 610.5 attempts and Rodgers' current pace would leave him with 5076.8 yards on just 539 attempts.
It took Marino 564 yards to reach his record 5,084 yards.
Brees and Brady will likely break the record, but as the Packers near home-field advantage, it is unlikely that Rodgers plays enough and throws enough to reach the record. It's noteworthy however, that Rodgers is putting up incredible yardage on far fewer attempts.
The 2011 Green Bay Packers have already scored more points than any other Packers team in history. Coming into their Week 14 game against the Oakland Raiders 41 points shy of the team record, the Packers broke the record and added an extra five points bringing their total to 466 points.
Every point the Packers score from now until the end of the regular season will help to create a healthy distance between the 2011 Packers and the other Packers teams that came before. Through 13 games, 20 different players have contributed to scoring record (19 players have scored touchdowns and Crosby in the kicking game).
The previous record for total points in a season was the 2009 Packers teams that scored 461 points in 16 games. Including this record-breaking season, the two highest-scoring Packers teams have been led by Aaron Rodgers.
It's no secret that Jordy Nelson is having a breaking season. He started it off with a magnificent performance in the Super Bowl and has carried that momentum through 2011. Nelson leads the Packers in receiving yards and touchdowns.
This year has been far and away his best season in the league with career highs across the board. In 2010, his best year previously, Nelson caught 45 passes for 582 yards and two touchdowns. This year, Nelson has caught six more passes for a total of 51 but has gained 957 yards.
Nelson has increased his yards per reception from 12.9 yards in 2010 to a juicy 18.8 yards in 2011. While bringing up his average, Nelson has turned into a variable threat. He can beat corners deep, while also having the speed to take a short pass the distance.
Coming into this season, under Mike McCarthy's leadership, the Packers had struggled with special teams. In the majority of games, the Packers were outmatched by opposing teams' special teams units. They were missing that return that could flip field position and change a game in an instant.
When the Packers drafted Randall Cobb, they believed they got their man. Cobb wasted no time proving the Packers' front office correct as he erupted for a 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the Packers' season opener.
This season, the Packers currently are ranked seventh in average yards per kickoff return with an average of 25.4 yards and fifth in average yards per punt return with an average of 12 yards. The addition of Randall Cobb has done wonders for the Packers' special teams.
This season, the Packers have scored a ridiculous amount of touchdowns. Through 13 games, the team has 57 total touchdowns—nine more than any other team.
While the end zone has been a familiar hang-out spot for the Green and Gold, other teams haven't been quite as successful. Through the first 13 games of the season, the St. Louis Rams have found the end zone a lowly 14 times.
Jordy Nelson (10) and Greg Jennings (nine), each, have more receiving touchdowns than the entire Rams team combined (seven).
The Packers have scored more than four times as many touchdowns as the St. Louis Rams. A ridiculous amount.
One of the most impressive stats of the 2011 Packers is that they have never been behind in the fourth quarter. If you include last season's playoff run, the Packers haven't trailed in the fourth quarter since their Week 15 loss to the New England Patriots—19 games ago.
A true testament to the Packers success, the stat is mind-blogging and demonstrates just how dominant the Packers have been over the last calendar year.
This season, the closest they have come to trailing was against the New York Giants as Eli Manning led a game-tying drive leaving 58 seconds remaining. Rodgers immediately rushed the Packers down the field for a game-winning field goal.
GO, PACK, GO!
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