| A look at seven statistical highlights from games played at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 14, the 10th week of the 2021 season. For the second consecutive week, four teams – CAROLINA, MIAMI, MINNESOTA and WASHINGTON – entered the week with a .500-or-below winning percentage and defeated a team that began the week in first place or tied for first place in their division. The eight wins by teams with a .500-or-below winning percentage against division leaders over the past two weeks are the most such wins to occur during Weeks 9-10 of a single season since 1970. With two games remaining in Week 10, there have been 39 games that have been decided by three points or fewer, tied with the 1997 season for the fifth-most such games at this point of a season all-time. Only 1999 (47 games), 1988 (40), 2006 (40) and 2010 (40) had more. The Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers tied, 16-16, in Week 10. There have been 14 overtime games this season, tied with the 1983, 2002, 2003 and 2015 seasons for the second-most overtime games at this point of a season all-time. Only 1995 (18 overtime games) had more. The TENNESSEE TITANS defeated New Orleans, 23-21, and have won six consecutive games, including five consecutive victories over 2020 playoff teams. The Titans are the second team ever to win five consecutive games with each win coming against a team that made the playoffs the previous season, joining the 2003 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (Weeks 7-11). Minnesota quarterback KIRK COUSINS passed for 294 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 109.5 rating while wide receiver JUSTIN JEFFERSON recorded nine receptions for 143 yards in the Vikings’ 27-20 win at the Los Angeles Chargers. Cousins became the sixth player ever with at least two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in seven consecutive road games, joining CARSON PALMER (eight games from 2004-05), TOM BRADY (seven from 2011-12), PATRICK MAHOMES (seven from 2018-19), TONY ROMO (seven in 2014) and AARON RODGERS (seven in 2011). Jefferson, appearing in his 25th career game, has 2,175 receiving yards and surpassed VICTOR CRUZ (2,032) for the second-most receiving yards by a player in his first 25 games in the Super Bowl era. Only ODELL BECKHAM JR. (2,625) had more. Jefferson recorded his 10th-career game with at least 100 receiving yards and joined ODELL BECKHAM JR. (15 games) as the only players in the Super Bowl era with 100-or-more receiving yards in at least 10 of their first 25 career games. Los Angeles Chargers running back AUSTIN EKELER recorded his 20th career touchdown reception on Sunday and joined CHUCK FOREMAN (21 touchdowns) as the only running backs with at least 20 touchdown receptions in their first five seasons in NFL history. New England rookie quarterback MAC JONES completed 19 of 23 attempts (82.6 percent) for 198 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions for a 142.1 rating while rookie running back RHAMONDRE STEVENSON rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns in the Patriots’ 45-7 win over Cleveland. The Patriots are the fifth team since 1970 to have a rookie quarterback throw at least two touchdown passes and a rookie running back rush for at least two touchdowns in a single game, joining CLEVELAND in 2018 (Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb), DALLAS in 2016 (Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott), WASHINGTON in 2012 (Kirk Cousins and Alfred Morris; Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris) and DENVER in 2006 (Jay Cutler and Mike Bell). Jones’ 142.1 rating is the fifth-highest single-game passer rating by a rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era (minimum 20 attempts), trailing only BAKER MAYFIELD (151.3 rating on November 11, 2018 and 143.9 rating on November 25, 2018), DAK PRESCOTT (148.3 rating on December 26, 2016) and GENO SMITH (147.7 rating on October 7, 2013). Jones joined DAK PRESCOTT (nine games in 2016) as the only rookie quarterbacks to record at least six games with a completion percentage of 70-or-higher (minimum 20 attempts) in NFL history. Dallas quarterback DAK PRESCOTT passed for 296 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions for a 127.9 rating and added a rushing touchdown, while cornerback TREVON DIGGS registered his eighth interception of the season in the Cowboys’ 43-3 victory over Atlanta. Prescott has 126 touchdown passes and 25 rushing touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2016 and joins DAUNTE CULPEPPER and CAM NEWTON as the only players with at least 125 touchdown passes and 25 rushing touchdowns in their first six seasons in league annals. Prescott has 17 career games with both a passing and rushing touchdown, the fourth-most such games by a quarterback in his first six seasons in NFL history. Only CAM NEWTON (35), DAUNTE CULPEPPER (20) and JOSH ALLEN (19) have more. Diggs’ eight interceptions are tied with JAIRUS BYRD (eight interceptions in 2009) and TIM JENNINGS (eight in 2012) for the most interceptions by a player in his team’s first nine games of a season since 1990. Carolina quarterback CAM NEWTON recorded two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) and running back CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY registered 10 receptions and 161 scrimmage yards (95 rushing, 66 receiving) in the Panthers’ 34-10 win at Arizona. Newton has 71 career rushing touchdowns and 43 career games with both a passing and rushing touchdown, both the most by a quarterback in NFL history. McCaffrey has 11 career games with at least 10 receptions, the most by a running back in NFL history and surpassed JULIO JONES (10 games) for the third-most such games by a player in his first five career seasons in league annals. Only MICHAEL THOMAS (18 games) and BRANDON MARSHALL (12) have more. Indianapolis running back JONATHAN TAYLOR rushed for 116 yards and one touchdown in the Colts’ 23-17 win over Jacksonville. Taylor is the fourth player to register at least 100 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in seven consecutive games in NFL history, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer LADAINIAN TOMLINSON (eight consecutive games in 2006), LYDELL MITCHELL (eight from 1975-76) and LARRY JOHNSON (seven in 2005). Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. WATT, appearing in his 70th career game, registered one sack on Sunday against Detroit. Watt has 62 career sacks and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer DERRICK THOMAS (61 sacks) and his brother J.J. WATT (61) for the second-most sacks by a player in his first 70 career games since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer REGGIE WHITE (79 sacks) had more. |
