News » The Chicago Bears (10-4) already won the NFC North

There’s hope in 2019 for the Jaguars http://www.oaklandraidersteamonline.com/josh-jacobs-jersey , Raiders, Giants and other teams who will finish last in the division this year.to complete a worst-to-first turnaround, and the Houston Texans (10-4) are on the verge of securing the AFC South to become the second team to do it this season.At least one team has finished in first place in its division the year after finishing last or tied for last place in 15 of the past 16 seasons. Since the playoff format was expanded to 12 teams in 1990, at least four teams have reached the postseason each year after not qualifying the previous season.In 2017, the Philadelphia Eagles went from last place to winning a Super Bowl title. The Bears and Texans are hoping to duplicate that feat this year.Here’s a look inside more numbers entering Week 16:COUNTDOWN TO 50: Patrick Mahomes needs five touchdown passes to become the third quarterback to throw for 50 in a season. Peyton Manning had 55 in 2013, breaking Tom Brady’s mark of 50 set in 2007. Manning also threw 49 TDs in 2004, Dan Marino had 48 in 1984 and Drew Brees tossed 46 in 2011.RUNNING RAVENS: Led by quarterback Lamar Jackson and rookie running back Gus Edwards, the Ravens have rushed for at least 190 yards in five consecutive games. Baltimore is the first team since the 1976 Steelers to do so five straight games.MACK ATTACK: Indianapolis Colts running back Marlon Mack joined Eric Dickerson and Edgerrin James as the only players in franchise history with multiple games of at least 125 yards rushing yards and two TDs rushing in a season.JULIO’S WAY: Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons is the fifth player with at least three seasons of at least 1,500 yards receiving. Jerry Rice had four. Marvin Harrison Ben Banogu Jersey , Antonio Brown and Andre Johnson also did it three times.DUAL THREAT: Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey needs nine receptions to break Matt Forte’s (102) record for most catches by a running back in a season.DUAL THREAT II: New York Giants star Saquon Barkley needs seven receptions to break Reggie Bush’s (88) record for most receptions by a rookie back.TIGHT END TAKEDOWN: Kansas City’s Travis Kelce needs 108 yards receiving to break the single-season record for tight ends held by Rob Gronkowski (1,327).TIGHT END TAKEDOWN II: Philadelphia’s Zach Ertz is 10 receptions away from breaking the single-season record for tight ends held by Jason Witten (110).4K CLUB: Brady (3,979) and Rivers (3,951) are close to joining Manning and Brees as the only quarterbacks to throw for 4,000 yards 10 times. Manning did it in 14 seasons. Brees needs 334 yards to reach that number for the 13th time. The Dallas Cowboys made DeMarcus Lawrence the highest-paid player in franchise history and gave him a pass-rushing partner on the other side in a trade for Robert Quinn.Even after the two biggest offseason moves for owner/general manager Jerry Jones and company, defensive line remains a high priority in the draft.The Cowboys probably won’t pick until the second round Friday after trading their first-round choice to Oakland for receiver Amari Cooper last season.“We think it’s probably the deepest position in this draft,” said executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones, Jerry’s oldest son. “We think it’s deeper than it’s been in many years.”Coming off their second NFC East title and first playoff win in three seasons with the star pairing of quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys have the 58th overall pick in the second round.The signing of Lawrence to a $105 million Parris Campbell Jersey , five-year contract after a second consecutive Pro Bowl season answered the most pressing question for Dallas going into the draft. At $21 million per year, the deal surpasses retired quarterback Tony Romo and other big-name predecessors. It also gives the Cowboys a feeling of freedom.“That’s our goal every offseason is to accomplish that and not feel like, ‘Hey we’ve got to take a certain position with the first pick or this second pick or we’ve got to address this position at least by the second or third round,'” Stephen Jones said. “It’s nice not to be able to do that, and I think that’s why we’ve had success in the draft.”Before the addition of Quinn, the two best pass rushers on the Dallas roster were second-rounders.One was early in the second with Lawrence, the first defensive end taken by the Cowboys after they released franchise sacks leader DeMarcus Ware in 2014. The other was late in the second in Randy Gregory, drafted in 2015 after he slid out of the first round because of off-field concerns.Gregory is suspended indefinitely, his fourth ban for substance-abuse violations Bobby Okereke Jersey , and 2017 first-rounder Taco Charlton has not progressed as hoped. Because of that, the Cowboys won’t rule out taking another pass rusher with their first pick.But it wouldn’t be a shock if Dallas drafted an interior defensive lineman before the third round for the first time since taking Russell Maryland No. 1 overall in 1991.Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli believes in making productive tackles out of lower-round picks. But if Dallas breaks that mold, Miami’s Gerald Willis could be among the prospects.Safety is also a popular choice in mock drafts.“We’ve put ourselves in a position to have total flexibility as to taking care of a need,” Jerry Jones said. “We’re still looking at defensive line. We’ve got some options at tight end. We’ve got some options at safety.”SPEAKING OF TIGHT ENDThe return of Jason Witten makes tight end one of the more intriguing topics. The 11-time Pro Bowler is poised to set the club record with his 16th season after deciding to come back following a one-year retirement to be the lead analyst for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football.”Witten, who signed a one-year deal worth up to $5 million, will be 37 and supposedly won’t take virtually every snap the way he did for 15 years. But even Jerry Jones admits he’ll have to see that to believe it.The Cowboys drafted Dalton Schultz in the fourth round last year, and 24-year-old Blake Jarwin tied a club record for a tight end with three touchdown catches in the regular-season finale, a 36-35 win over the New York Giants. Dallas likes both, but still might be looking for its next two-way standout at tight end.SPEAKING OF SAFETYDallas never got serious in the bidding for free agent Earl Thomas (the three-time All-Pro went to Baltimore) and settled for inexpensive and steady seven-year veteran George Iloka. There’s little question safety tops the list of positions needing a young potential star for the Cowboys.The most recent time they drafted a safety higher than the third round was Roy Williams Khari Willis Jersey , a 2002 first-rounder. Byron Jones, a late first-round pick in 2015, played safety early in his career after getting drafted as a cornerback.ELLIOTT’S BACKUPIt seems crazy to consider running back a position of need for a team with a starter who will be 24 and already has two rushing titles in three seasons (Elliott).But seldom-used Rod Smith hasn’t re-signed, and the Cowboys would be intrigued if one of the draft’s better backs were available late in the second round.“We can’t and I don’t expect to have a substitute for Zeke,” Jerry Jones said. “But someone that can do what Zeke does, which is not necessarily a change-of-pace guy, is the preference for me.”