THE WEEK THAT WAS – WEEK 12

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SO CLOSE:Through Week 12, there have been 95 games decided by eight points or fewer, the most through the first 12 weeks of a season in NFL history. There have been 86 games decided by seven points or fewer, tied for the third-most during that span.

The most games decided by eight points and seven points or fewer through Week 12:

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MORE TIME:There have been 17 overtime games in 2012, tied for the third-most through Week 12 in league history.

Week 12 featured two overtime games – HOUSTON at DETROIT(Texans 34, Lions 31) and BALTIMORE at SAN DIEGO(Ravens 16, Chargers 13). Houston and Baltimore each overcame 10-point deficits to force extra time. Houston (10-1) reached 10 wins for the second time in franchise history, while Baltimore (9-2) reached nine wins for the fifth consecutive season.

The most overtime games in a season's first 12 weeks:

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PO(INT) OF RETURN:Teams have combined to score 50 interception-return touchdowns through Week 12, the most INT-TD returns through 12 weeks since 1970.

Four players – Pittsburgh linebacker LAWRENCE TIMMONS (53 yards), San Francisco linebacker AHMAD BROOKS(50), San Francisco safety DONTE WHITNER(42) and St. Louis rookie cornerback JANORIS JENKINS(39, 36) – returned interceptions for touchdowns in Week 12.

In St. Louis' 31-17 win over Arizona, Jenkins became the fourth rookie in NFL history to return two interceptions for a touchdown in a game. The other rookies to accomplish the feat were HOOT FLANAGAN (November 29, 1925), DAN SANDIFER (October 31, 1948) and BOBBY FRANKLIN (December 11, 1960). 

The most interception-return touchdowns through Week 12 since 1970:

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SACK ATTACK: San Francisco linebacker ALDON SMITH had 1.5 sacks in the 49ers' 31-21 win at New Orleans. Smith reached 30 sacks (30.5) in his 27th career game and is the fastest to 30 since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. The previous mark was 28 games held by Pro Football Hall of Famer REGGIE WHITE.

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Through 11 games, Smith (16.5), Houston defensive end J.J. WATT(14.5) and Denver linebacker VON MILLER (14) lead the NFL in sacks. Each player is on pace to record at least 20 sacks this season, which would mark the first time since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 that multiple players recorded at least 20 sacks in a season. 

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ROOKIE SENSATIONS:Four rookie quarterbacks – Washington's ROBERT GRIFFIN III, Indianapolis' ANDREW LUCK, Miami's RYAN TANNEHILL and Cleveland's BRANDON WEEDEN – led their teams to victories in Week 12. The 2012 rookie quarterbacks have won 26 starts, the most in a season since the 1970 merger.

Five rookie quarterbacks – Luck (seven), Seattle's RUSSELL WILSON (six), Griffin (five), Tannehill (five) and Weeden (three) – have combined for those 26 wins.

Luck's seven wins are tied for the most by a rookie quarterback who was drafted No. 1 overall since the 1970 merger (SAM BRADFORD, 2010). Luck has passed for 3,205 yards, the most by a rookie quarterback in NFL history through his team's first 11 games.

Entering this season, the most combined wins, passing yards, touchdown passes and completions by rookie quarterbacks all occurred in 2011. This year's crop of rookie QBs surpassed three of those four marks in Week 12 – wins, passing yards and completions.

Following is a look at the combined totals by rookie quarterbacks in the 2011 and 2012 seasons:

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UN-BILL-EVIABLE: With a 49-19 victory on Thanksgiving night against the Jets, New England's BILL BELICHICK became the eighth head coach in NFL history with 200 career wins. With a record of 200-107 (.651), Belichick reached 200 wins in his 307th game, the fourth-fastest of any coach in NFL history.

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MILE-HIGH MANNING:Denver quarterback PEYTON MANNING passed for 285 yards and two touchdowns in the Broncos' 17-9 win at Kansas City. With the victory, Manning (149) passed Pro Football Hall of Famer JOHN ELWAY (148) for the second-most regular-season wins as a starter in NFL history.

Manning has 3,260 passing yards, his 14th season with at least 3,000 yards. He passed Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (13) for the second-most such seasons in NFL history. BRETT FAVRE holds the record with 18 seasons with at least 3,000 passing yards.

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COOL BREES:New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES passed for three touchdowns in the Saints' 31-21 loss to San Francisco. He has 31 touchdown passes, his fifth season with at least 30 TD passes. Brees joined BRETT FAVRE (nine) and PEYTON MANNING (six) as the only quarterbacks in NFL history with at least five seasons with 30 touchdown passes.

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EARNING HIS STRIPES:Cincinnati quarterback ANDY DALTON threw three touchdowns in the Bengals' 34-10 win over the Oakland Raiders, bringing his season total to 23. Dalton (20 in 2011) is one of three players in NFL history to pass for at least 20 touchdowns in each of their first two seasons.    

Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO(20 in 1983; 48 in 1984)*andPEYTON MANNING (26 in 1998 and 1999) *also accomplished the feat.

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CATCHING TEXAN: Houston wide receiver ANDRE JOHNSONcaught nine passes for 188 yards as the Texans defeated Detroit 34-31 in overtime. In Week 11, Johnson recorded a career-high 273 yards in the Texans' 43-37 overtime win over Jacksonville.

Johnson's 461 receiving yards over the past two weeks are the most receiving yards over a two-game span in a single season.

The most receiving yards over a two-game span in a single season: