NEW YORK –– Sept. 21, 2025 –– A look at seven statistical highlights from games played during the 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET windows on Sunday, September 21, the third week of the 2025 season.
- With two games remaining in Week 3, eight games were within one score in the fourth quarter and seven games were decided by one score (eight points or fewer), all by teams – Cleveland, Jacksonville, the Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Tampa Bay – that recorded the game-winning score in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter.
The seven games with a game-winning score in the final three minutes of regulation or in overtime ties for the most such games in a single week since 1970 (most recently: Week 15, 2022).
Tampa Bay is the first team in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to record a game-winning score in the final minute of the fourth quarterback in each of its first three games of a season. The Buccaneers are also the third team since 1970 to record a game-winning score in the final minute of regulation in three consecutive games at any point in a single season, joining the 2017 Pittsburgh Steelers (Nov. 26-Dec. 10) and 1994 New York Giants (Dec. 4-18).
Six teams – Buffalo, Indianapolis, the Los Angeles Chargers, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Tampa Bay – improved to 3-0.
With divisional wins over Kansas City (Week 1), Las Vegas (Week 2) and Denver (Week 3), the Chargers became the third team since realignment in 2002 to defeat division opponents in each of their first three games of a season, joining the 2006 Chicago Bears and 2003 Minnesota Vikings. - Philadelphia overcame a 19-point second-half deficit to win while Cleveland overcame a 10-point deficit in the final four minutes to earn their first win of the season. The Eagles are the first team to overcome a second-half deficit of 19-or-more points since Denver in Week 4 of the 2023 season (overcame 21-point deficit to win at Chicago).
Eagles defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis each blocked a field goal in the fourth quarter in the team’s Week 3 win over the Los Angeles Rams. Philadelphia is the first team since at least 1978 to block two field goals in the fourth quarter of the same game.
Per Next Gen Stats, Davis – who blocked a potential game-winning field goal and returned it 61-yards for a touchdown as time expired – is the heaviest player (336 pounds) in NFL history to return a blocked kick 50-or-more yards for a touchdown and reached a top speed of 18.59 mph on the return, the fastest speed by a player over 330 pounds since at least 2017.
With Davis and the New York Jets’ Will McDonald (50-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown against Tampa Bay) each returning a blocked field goal for a touchdown, it marks the third week since 2000 with multiple blocked field goal return touchdowns of 50-or-more yards, joining Week 5 of the 2024 season and Week 16 of the 2012 season.
For more information on Next Gen Stats, check out NFL Pro, available within NFL+ Premium. With NFL+ Premium, get access to NFL Pro and track advanced analytics powered by Next Gen Stats and watch All-22 film. Available on desktop and mobile web, visit pro.nfl.com for more information. - Seattle rookie wide receiver Tory Horton (95 yards) and Washington rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane (90 yards) each recorded a punt return for a touchdown in Week 3, marking the first week in NFL history with multiple rookies recording punt return touchdowns of 90-or-more yards.
It also marks the first time in 42 seasons (Week 5, 1983) that there were two punt returns of 90-or-more yards in the same week.
Horton’s 95-yard punt return for a touchdown is the longest by a rookie in nine seasons, since Tyreek Hill with Kansas City on Jan. 1, 2017 (95-yard punt-return touchdown). - The Indianapolis Colts defeated Tennessee, 41-20, as running back Jonathan Taylor rushed for 102 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
The Colts are the sixth team since 2002 to begin 3-0 and score at least 28 points in each win the season after missing the playoffs, joining the 2021 Arizona Cardinals, 2016 Philadelphia Eagles, 2011 Buffalo Bills, and 2008 and 2003 Denver Broncos.
Taylor has 7,535 scrimmage yards and 60 scrimmage touchdowns in 70 career games and is the fourth player since 2000 with at least 7,500 scrimmage yards and 60 touchdowns in his first 70 career games, joining Arian Foster, Adrian Peterson and Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson. - Minnesota cornerback Isaiah Rodgers recorded two forced fumbles, an 87-yard interception return for a touchdown and a 66-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the Vikings’ 48-10 win over Cincinnati.
Rodgers became the first player in NFL history with an interception return touchdown of 85-or-more yards and a fumble return touchdown of 65-or-more yards in the same game.
Rodgers is the first player since 2000 with two forced fumbles and two touchdowns in the same game. - Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers passed for 139 yards and two touchdowns while linebacker T.J. Watt had two sacks in the Steelers’ 21-14 win at New England.
Rodgers has 510 career regular-season touchdown passes and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre (508 touchdown passes) for the fourth-most in NFL history.
Rodgers has 63,538 career regular-season passing yards and surpassed Philip Rivers (63,440 passing yards) for the sixth-most in NFL history.
Watt has 110 sacks in 124 career games and joined Pro Football Hall of Famers Reggie White (125.5 sacks) and DeMarcus Ware (110.5) as the only players since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least 110 sacks in his first 125 career games. - Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had two touchdown passes while wide receiver Puka Nacua had 11 receptions for 112 yards at Philadelphia in Week 3.
Stafford has 382 career regular-season touchdown passes and surpassed Matt Ryan (381 touchdown passes) for the ninth-most in NFL history.
Nacua became the fifth player all-time with at least 10 receptions and 100 receiving yards in six games within his first three career seasons, joining Ja’Marr Chase (seven games), Justin Jefferson (seven), Michael Thomas (seven) and Odell Beckham Jr. (six).
