Cold Hard Football Facts: A look at what records may fall this season

The Cold, Hard Football Facts copy of the 2007 NFL Record & Fact Book was so tattered and abused that we confused it with Dan Marino's playoff legacy.

So it was with great excitement the other day that we picked up the brand-new 2008 version of this Bible of NFL data.

Of course, not everybody can be bothered to actually read the NFL Record & Fact Book. Even hard-core football fans find it a little daunting. For most of you, it's like Vanity Fair or a book of modern art, something you stick on the coffee table so guests think you're sophisticated, but that you will never actually open and read.

But the compendium is truly an oasis of cool, refreshing knowledge. And the best part? We've done the work for you!

We tore through the pages of the brand-new 2008 NFL Record & Fact book this week, pulling out all the tastiest statistical gossip you need to know about heading into the new season. Naturally, these juicy morsels are highlighted by the records that fell last year and the new milestones likely to be set here in 2008.

• Every football fan knows that if Brett Favre returns in 2008, he'll continue to pad some of the most impressive passing stats in history. He already holds records for virtually every volume stat, including passing yards (61,655), attempts (8,758), completions (5,377) and TDs (442).

But not every fan knows that Favre is also the most prolific turnover machine in league history, coughing up the ball so often Robitussin wants to sign him to a long-term sponsorship deal.

Favre's already the all-time leader in INTs (288), easily surpassing Dead Ball Era dinosaurs such as No. 2 George Blanda (277) and No. 3 John Hadl (268).

But Favre's no regular-season phenom.

He's just as prolific in the postseason, too. Favre's crushing INT in overtime against the Giants not only ruined, in true Favre-ian fashion, an otherwise amazing season for the Pack, it tied him with another postseason INT expert, Jim Kelly, for the most playoff picks in history (28).