NEW YORK –– Dec. 24, 2023 –– A look at seven statistical highlights from games played on Thursday, Dec. 21, Saturday, Dec. 23 and during the 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET windows on Sunday, Dec. 24, the 16th week of the 2023 season.
- DETROIT defeated Minnesota, 30-24, and clinched their first division title since 1993.
MIAMI defeated Dallas, 22-20, to clinch a postseason berth for the second-consecutive season.
KANSAS CITY, who faces Las Vegas on Monday, can clinch the AFC West with a win.
Five teams recorded the game-winning score in the final two minutes of regulation in Week 16: BUFFALO (game-winning field goal with 28 seconds remaining), GREEN BAY (game-winning field goal with 19 seconds remaining), MIAMI (game-winning field goal with no time remaining), the NEW YORK JETS (game-winning field goal with five seconds remaining) and SEATTLE (game-winning touchdown with 57 seconds remaining).
Seattle is the third team since 1970 with four game-winning touchdowns in the final two minutes of regulation or in overtime in a season, joining the 2004 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (four) and 2012 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (four). - Cleveland wide receiver AMARI COOPER had 11 receptions for a single-game franchise-record 265 yards and two touchdowns in the Browns’ 36-22 win over Houston.
Cooper is the fourth player in NFL history with three career games with at least 200 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer DON HUTSON (four games), CHARLIE HENNIGAN (three) and TYREEK HILL (three).
Cooper is the sixth player in NFL history with four career games with at least 200 receiving yards, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers LANCE ALWORTH (five games), CALVIN JOHNSON (five), DON HUTSON (four) and JERRY RICE (four) as well as CHARLIE HENNIGAN (four).
Cooper has five touchdown receptions this season and is the fourth player with at least five touchdown receptions in each of his first nine seasons in NFL history, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers MARVIN HARRISON and DON HUTSON as well as MARQUES COLSTON. - Detroit wide receiver AMON-RA ST. BROWN had 12 receptions for 106 yards and one touchdown in the Lions’ Week 16 victory.
St. Brown has 302 career receptions and is the fourth player with at least 300 receptions in his first three seasons in NFL history, joining JUSTIN JEFFERSON (324 receptions), MICHAEL THOMAS (321) and CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY (303).
St. Brown, who has 106 receptions this season and had 106 receptions in 2022, is the sixth player in NFL history with at least 100 receptions in two of his first three career seasons, joining ANQUAN BOLDIN, JUSTIN JEFFERSON, BRANDON MARSHALL, CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY and MICHAEL THOMAS.
St. Brown has 18 career games with at least eight receptions and surpassed ANQUAN BOLDIN (17 games) for the second-most such games by a player in his first three seasons in NFL history. Only JUSTIN JEFFERSON (19 games) has more. - Minnesota wide receiver JUSTIN JEFFERSON had six catches for 141 yards and one touchdown in Week 16.
Jefferson has 5,648 career receiving yards and surpassed MICHAEL THOMAS (5,512 receiving yards) for the most receiving yards by a player in his first four seasons in NFL history.
Jefferson, currently in his fourth season, has 28 career games with at least 100 receiving yards, tied with JULIO JONES (28 games) for the second-most such games by a player in his first five career seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS (30 games) has more. - Tampa Bay wide receiver MIKE EVANS had seven receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns in the Buccaneers’ 30-12 win over Jacksonville.
Evans has 13 touchdown receptions this season and is the fifth player in NFL history to record at least 12 touchdown receptions in five-or-more seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers JERRY RICE (eight seasons), TERRELL OWENS (seven), MARVIN HARRISON (six) and RANDY MOSS (six). - Buffalo quarterback JOSH ALLEN totaled three touchdowns (two rushing, one passing) in the Bills’ 24-22 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday night.
Allen has 51 career rushing touchdowns and joined CAM NEWTON (75 rushing touchdowns) as the only quarterbacks with at least 50 rushing touchdowns in NFL history.
Allen has a career-high 13 rushing touchdowns this season and is the third quarterback in NFL history with at least 13 rushing touchdowns in a season, joining JALEN HURTS [14 rushing touchdowns in 2023 (entering Monday) and 13 in 2022] and CAM NEWTON (14 in 2011).
Allen has 11 games with both a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown, the most such games in a season in NFL history, and his 11 games with a rushing touchdown are the most by a quarterback in a season all-time. Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts can reach both of these marks on Monday in Week 16. - Los Angeles Rams rookie wide receiver PUKA NACUA had nine receptions for 164 yards and one touchdown in the team’s 30-22 win over New Orleans on Thursday.
Nacua has 96 receptions this season and surpassed MICHAEL THOMAS (92 receptions in 2016) for the third-most receptions by a rookie in NFL history. Only JAYLEN WADDLE (104 receptions in 2021) and ANQUAN BOLDIN (101 in 2003) have more.
Nacua has 1,327 receiving yards this season and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS (1,313 in 1998) for the fifth-most receiving yards by a rookie in NFL history. Only BILL GROMAN (1,473 receiving yards in 1960), JA’MARR CHASE (1,455 in 2021), JUSTIN JEFFERSON (1,400 in 2020) and ANQUAN BOLDIN (1,377 in 2003) have more.
Nacua is the fifth rookie in NFL history with three games of 150-or-more receiving yards, joining BILL GROMAN (four games in 1960), BILLY HOWTON (four in 1952), JA’MARR CHASE (three in 2021) and Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS (three in 1998).
Nacua became the third rookie in the Super Bowl era with at least 100 receiving yards in six games, joining ODELL BECKHAM JR. (seven games in 2014) and JUSTIN JEFFERSON (seven in 2020). - Additional notes from Sunday include:
- Tennessee running back DERRICK HENRY had his third-career game with both a touchdown pass and rushing touchdown in Week 16.
Henry, who has 11,585 scrimmage yards and five touchdown passes in 124 career games (including the postseason), is the fourth player in NFL history, including the postseason, with at least 10,000 scrimmage yards and five touchdown passes, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers MARCUS ALLEN, WALTER PAYTON and LADAINIAN TOMLINSON.
Henry is the fifth running back with at least five career touchdown passes, including the postseason, since 1980, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers WALTER PAYTON (eight touchdown passes), LADAINIAN TOMLINSON (seven) and MARCUS ALLEN (six) as well as KEITH BYARS (six).
Henry is the fourth running back in the Super Bowl era with three career games with both a touchdown pass and a rushing touchdown, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers LADAINIAN TOMLINSON (five games) and WALTER PAYTON (three) as well as CHUCK MUNCIE (three). - New York Jets running back BREECE HALL had 12 receptions, 191 scrimmage yards (96 receiving, 95 rushing) and two rushing touchdowns in the team’s 30-28 win over Washington.
Hall is the second player in NFL history with at least 10 receptions, 95 rushing yards, 95 receiving yards and two rushing touchdowns in a game, joining FRANK GORE (Nov. 25, 2007).
Hall is the fifth running back since 2000 with at least 10 receptions, 190 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns in a game, joining FRANK GORE (Nov. 25, 2007), CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY (Sept. 8, 2019), RAY RICE (Oct. 18, 2009) and Pro Football Hall of Famer LADAINIAN TOMLINSON (Dec. 1, 2002). - Miami running back RAHEEM MOSTERT had one touchdown reception in the Dolphins’ Week 16 victory.
Mostert has 21 scrimmage touchdowns this season and surpassed AUSTIN EKELER (20 touchdowns in 2021) for the second-most touchdowns by an undrafted player in a season since 1967. Only PRIEST HOLMES (27 touchdowns in 2003 and 24 in 2002) has more.
- Tennessee running back DERRICK HENRY had his third-career game with both a touchdown pass and rushing touchdown in Week 16.
