Because history was made this past week, and there is no reason to believe history won't repeat on this one.

Teams leaguewide topped 800 points in a single weekend for the first time in history this past week.

In fact, the 837 points scored in the 16 games broke the old record by a tidy 49 points.

And if your job is to prevent points, stop touchdowns, and keep people from trampling across your end zone, the rundown will give you hives. Eighteen teams scored at least 27 points, 12 teams scored at least 30 points, four teams scored at least 45 points and two teams - Buffalo and New Orleans - cleared the 50 mark.

It was a weekend five years in the making.

It can be traced to early 2004 when the league's competition committee - it recommends potential rules changes each year - crunched the numbers and discovered that the 200.4 yards passing per game during the '03 season was the lowest average in 11 years.

There also was an almost unanimous opinion among the league's coaches, especially those with resumes that leaned to the offensive side of the ball, that teams - specifically New England - had gotten away with too much physical play in the postseason to end '03.

So defensive backs and linebackers were given the hands-off edict and officials were told - in a formal "point of emphasis" - that the 5-yard contact zone should be strictly enforced.

"At the time, you had linebackers engaging 10 yards down the field," said Broncos coach Mike Shanahan. "So there has been an adjustment."

Titans coach Jeff Fisher and Rich McKay, co-chairmen of the committee, contended at the time that the move would raise passing numbers and scoring.

It has done that, as defenses struggle to find a consistent answer.

Teams are averaging a combined 45 points a game this season. If that holds, it will be the highest average since the league went to the 16-game schedule in 1978.

The current record is 43.7 combined points per game, in 1983.

LenDale's troubles

Just last month, Denver native LenDale White said he didn't mind sharing carries with rookie Chris Johnson as long as the team was winning.

"I'm not going to cry about winning," he said.

Well, technically he didn't. But as the Titans were headed for their first loss of the year last Sunday, White lost the cool he had said he was trying so hard to keep this season. He confronted Earnest Byner, the team's running backs coach, on the sideline during the game.

White played just three snaps in the game and had one carry for minus-1 yard. After the loss to the New York Jets , White took it to the next level when he said: "I don't really know. I wasn't paying attention. I didn't care really. Three plays. I don't know what you want me to do with three plays. I don't know what three plays is helping me to do."

White met with Fisher on Monday and Fisher said he and the former Denver South and Chatfield running back have "an understanding."

White led the Titans in rushing last season with 1,110 yards, but this season his playing time has taken a significant dip with the arrival of Johnson, the Titans' first-round pick in April.

Last month, when White was asked about trying to overcome concerns over his maturity, he said that how he handled sharing the load with Johnson would help people see a difference.

"Yards and carries - that's glory stuff," White said then. "I want to win games, maybe set myself and my family up for when I don't play any more . . . you got to take the good with the bad, take the bad with the bad. Suck it up, fight through it."

He's going to have to find a way to live by those words, because the Titans like Johnson's explosiveness and big-play potential.

Also, with the Titans having had so much success this season, there is going to be plenty of internal pressure in the locker room for White, and any other player who may have concerns about his playing time, to simply toe the line.

New York, New York

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell already has a contingency plan in place if the New York Giants and New York Jets , who share Giants Stadium, each end up being the home team in the conference championship games.

As it stands, both the NFC and AFC championship games are to be played Sunday, Jan. 18. However, if the Jets (8-3) and Giants (10-1) end up being the home teams, one of the conference championships would be played Sunday and the other on Monday night.

INFOBOX

GAMES TO WATCH * Panthers (8-3) at Packers (5-6) 11 a.m. Sunday

The Panthers have found something in running back DeAngelo Williams. He has four consecutive 100-yard rushing games going into this one, and the team is 10-1 when he reaches 80 yards. The Packers have won four of the past five meetings between these two. * Saints (6-5) at Buccaneers (8-3) 11 a.m. Sunday

Saints quarterback Drew Brees leads the league in passing with 3,574 yards and the Saints lead the league in total offense at 411.9 yards a game. Brees already has had at least 320 yards passing in eight games. The Buccaneers have won two of the last three with the Saints. * Giants (10-1) at Redskins (7-4) 11 a.m. Sunday

The Giants are the league's top-ranked running team, while the Redskins, fueled by league rushing leader Clinton Portis (1,206 yards), are No. 3. The Giants have won 14 of their last 15 games on the road. * Steelers (8-3) at Patriots (7-4) 2:15 p.m. Sunday

The Steelers are 7-1 against the AFC this season and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has thrown five touchdown passes and no interceptions in his previous meetings against the Patriots. The Patriots, however, have won five of the last six games against the Steelers since the start of the 2000 season.

NUMBERS GAME

2Chicago Bears running backs - Hall of Famer Walter Payton and Neal Anderson - have finished a season with at least 1,000 yards rushing and at least 50 receptions. Bears rookie Matt Forte is on pace to be the third.

Run it up

The league's top six teams in scoring, after 11 games, are a combined 44-22 this season.

Team Points Points per game Record

New York Giants 329 29.9 10-1

New York Jets 323 29.4 8-3

Arizona 318 28.9 8-3

New Orleans 317 28.8 6-5

Green Bay 303 27.5 5-6

Atlanta 276 25.1 7-4