NFL Research presents the best nuggets from the NFL’s game of the week. Here are the most eye-catching stats from Week 16 of the 2022 NFL season.
1) Vikings continue to end close games The theme of the Beijingers’ 2022 season. After leading the greatest comeback in NFL history in Week 15 against the Colts, Cousins led another fourth-quarter comeback on Saturday against the Giants, his NFL-high eighth of the season. Minnesota is 11-0 in a single game this season, the most in a single game in NFL history.
2) Justin Jefferson weekly rewrite RECORD BOOKS
Jefferson seems to be doing something every week that has never been done before. In this week’s game, Jefferson broke the century mark for the 24th time in his career, the most of any player in his first four NFL seasons. 2022 marks Jefferson’s third season. Hall of Famer Randy Moss holds the previous record with 23 such games. Jefferson has hit the threshold in 50 percent of his career games (24 in 48 games), the most in NFL history. The next player is Julio Jones, shooting 38.6 percent (59 of 153).
Jefferson’s 123 catches and 1,756 receiving yards this season are the most in franchise history. He passed Moss (1,632 yards in 2003) and Chris Carter (122 yards in 1994 and 1995) on Saturday with those good marks. Jefferson needed 209 yards in his final two games to break Calvin Johnson’s single-season NFL record of 1,964 yards (in 2012).
3) Brock Purdy and Kurt Warner joins exclusive list
Purdy, 2022’s Mister Irrelevance, has been a revelation in San Francisco and looks perfectly capable of leading A playoff team. Purdy has a passer rating of 121.4 through his first three career starts, third best in the Super Bowl era behind Patrick Mahomes (130.1) and Kurt Warner (125.0). Undrafted free agents (Pro Football Hall of Famers) Warner and Purdy were the only quarterbacks in that span with multiple passing touchdowns and won their first three career starts. The common denominator between Mahomes and Warner is what 49ers fans want Purdy to be at the end of the season: a Super Bowl champion. The defense should hang on — the team has allowed fewer than 80 rushing yards in eight straight wins, the longest streak since the Lions in 1934.
4) Josh Allen broke Record for most offensive touchdowns in first five seasons Earned the top seed in the AFC with three offensive touchdowns and the Bills’ fastest rushing yards (254 yards) in the Allen era. Those scores brought Allen’s total touchdowns over the first five seasons to 174, the most by any player in the Super Bowl era. Allen surpassed Hall of Famer Dan Marino (171) for the record Saturday in Chicago.
5) Can’t stop , also couldn’t stop the Eagles’ pass rush
Eagles’ pass rush continues despite their loss to the Cowboys produced at a historic pace. That topped their NFL-leading 61.0 sacks and fell short of the franchise record (62.0) set by Hall of Famer Reggie White and company in 1989. The defense has four straight games with at least six sacks, tying the 1976 49ers (also four games) for the longest streak in the Super Bowl era. If Brandon Graham can record a sack in the last two games, the Eagles will become the first team to have four players record double-digit sacks in the same season since they officially recorded sacks in 1982 record team. The Eagles are one win away from winning the NFC East and the top seed in the playoffs.
6) CeeDeez Data: CeeDee Lamb Another big day
In Dallas’ win over Philly, Lamb completes his second career game , with at least 10 receptions, 100 yards and two touchdowns, tying with former teammate Amari Cooper for the most Cowboys players in franchise history. Lamb is the only Cowboy to do that in one season. In fact, Lamb has more such games (two) than the rest of the 88 Club (Dez Bryant, Michael Irvin and Drew Pearson) combined (0).
7) Marcus Jones Ready for Prime Time
Jones scored with 9 career comebacks (6 Kicks, 3 punts) tied for the NCAA record, and he was great with the ball in limited opportunities. Jones is the only player in the past 75 years to complete a catch, return and interception return touchdown in the same season. He also joined Hall of Famer Deion Sanders as the only players in the Super Bowl era to hit a 40-plus-yard TD on catches, returns and interceptions.
bonus: Patrick Mahomes has won at least 12 games in each of the past three seasons, tied for the third-longest winning streak since the 1970 merger. Only Peyton Manning (seven seasons, 2003-2009) and Tom Brady (six seasons, 2010-2015) have longer hitting streaks.
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