A look at seven statistical highlights from games played during the 9:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET windows on Sunday, October 1, the fourth week of the 2023 season.
- With two overtime games so far in Week 4, at least one game has gone to overtime in each of the first four weeks of the season for the sixth time in NFL history (2023, 2021, 2018, 2002, 1983 and 1979). The LOS ANGELES RAMS defeated Indianapolis, 29-23, in overtime while PHILADELPHIA improved to 4-0 for the second consecutive season with a 34-31 overtime win over Washington.
Three teams overcame deficits of 10-or-more points to win in Week 4: DENVER (21 points), MINNESOTA (10 points) and PHILADELPHIA (10 points).
With Denver’s 21-point second-half comeback in Week 4 and the New York Giants’ 21-point second-half comeback in Week 2, 2023 is the second season to feature multiple 21-point second-half comeback wins within the first four weeks of a season, joining 1999. - Buffalo quarterback JOSH ALLEN completed 21 of 25 pass attempts (84 percent) for 320 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions for a 158.3 rating and added one rushing touchdown in the Bills’ 48-20 win over Miami.
Allen is the second player in NFL history with at least 300 passing yards, four touchdown passes, one rushing touchdown and a 158.3 passer rating – the highest attainable mark – in a game, joining AARON RODGERS (Week 7, 2019).
Allen is the third player in NFL history with three career games with at least four touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown, joining DREW BREES (four games) and AARON RODGERS (three).
Allen has 10 career games with at least four touchdown passes and is the fourth player in NFL history with 10 such games in his first six career seasons, joining PATRICK MAHOMES (16) as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers DAN MARINO (16 games) and BRETT FAVRE (10).
Allen recorded his 40th career rushing touchdown and became the fourth quarterback in NFL history with 40 career rushing touchdowns, joining CAM NEWTON (75), Pro Football Hall of Famer STEVE YOUNG (43) and JACK KEMP (40).
Allen has 187 combined passing and rushing touchdowns and surpassed CAM NEWTON (184 touchdowns) for the third-most combined passing and rushing touchdowns by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history. Only PATRICK MAHOMES (204) and Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (199) have more.
Miami rookie running back DE’VON ACHANE had 120 scrimmage yards (101 rushing, 19 receiving) and two rushing touchdowns on Sunday.
Achane, who has four rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns this season, is the fourth player in NFL history with six touchdowns through his first three career games, joining KAREEM HUNT (2017), BILLY SIMS (1980) and DUTCH STERNAMAN (1920).
Miami has 2,044 total yards of offense this season, surpassing Dallas in 2020 (2,038 total yards) for the most total yards of offense by a team through their first four games of a season in NFL history. - Houston rookie quarterback C.J. STROUD passed for 306 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions for a 111.2 rating in the Texans’ 30-6 win over Pittsburgh.
Stroud has 1,212 passing yards this season and surpassed ANDREW LUCK (1,208 passing yards) for the second-most passing yards ever by a player in his first four career games. Only CAM NEWTON (1,386) had more.
Stroud is the second quarterback in NFL history with no interceptions in each of his first four career starts (minimum 30 attempts in each start), joining GARDNER MINSHEW (2019). - Los Angeles Rams rookie wide receiver PUKA NACUA registered nine receptions for 163 yards, including the game-winning 22-yard touchdown reception in overtime of the team’s 29-23 win over Indianapolis.
Nacua has 39 receptions and surpassed ANQUAN BOLDIN (30 receptions in 2003) for the most receptions ever by a player in his first four career games. He also surpassed REGGIE BUSH (34 receptions in 2006) for the most receptions by a player in his first five career games in NFL history.
Nacua has 501 receiving yards and surpassed ANQUAN BOLDIN (464 yards in 2003) for the most receiving yards ever by a player in his first four career games.
Nacua, who had 119 receiving yards in Week 1 and 147 receiving yards in Week 2, is the second player in NFL history with at least 100 receiving yards in three of his first four career games, joining HARLON HILL (1954).
Indianapolis rookie quarterback ANTHONY RICHARDSON totaled three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) on Sunday.
Richardson, who had one rushing touchdown in Week 1 and two rushing touchdowns in Week 2, is the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era with a rushing touchdown in each of his first three career games. - San Francisco quarterback BROCK PURDY completed 20 of 21 pass attempts (95.2 percent) for 283 yards and had two total touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) while running back CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY registered 177 scrimmage yards (106 rushing, 71 receiving) and four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) in the 49ers’ 35-16 win over Arizona.
San Francisco won their 14th consecutive regular-season game and improved to 4-0 for the first time since 2019.
San Francisco became the first team since the 2012-13 DENVER BRONCOS (11 consecutive games) to score 30-or-more points in seven consecutive regular-season games.
Purdy’s 95.2 completion percentage is the fourth-highest single-game completion percentage in NFL history (minimum 20 pass attempts), trailing only DREW BREES on December 16, 2019 (96.7 percent – 29 of 30), PHILIP RIVERS on November 25, 2018 (96.6 percent – 28 of 29) and MARCUS MARIOTA on November 26, 2018 (95.7 percent – 22 of 23).
McCaffrey is the fourth player in the Super Bowl era with at least 70 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, 70 receiving yards and one receiving touchdowns in a game, joining SHAUN ALEXANDER (September 29, 2002), CLINTON PORTIS (December 15, 2002) and Pro Football Hall of Famer LADAINIAN TOMLINSON (November 19, 2006).
McCaffrey joins Pro Football Hall of Famer EMMITT SMITH (14 consecutive games from 1995 and 13 consecutive games from 1994-95) and ARIAN FOSTER (13 consecutive games from 2011-12) as the only players since 1990 with at a touchdown in 13 consecutive games, including the postseason.
McCaffrey recorded his 12th career game with both a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer LENNY MOORE (12 games) and BRIAN WESTBROOK (12) for the second-most such games in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer MARSHALL FAULK (15 games) has more. - Baltimore quarterback LAMAR JACKSON recorded four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) with a 142.5 rating in the Ravens’ 28-3 win at Cleveland.
Jackson has six career games with a passer rating of 140-or-higher, tied with KEN ANDERSON (six), Pro Football Hall of Famer BRETT FAVRE (six) and DAK PRESCOTT (six) for the second-most such games by a quarterback in his first six career seasons all-time (minimum 15 pass attempts per game). Only Pro Football Hall of Famer KURT WARNER (seven) has more.
Jackson is the fifth player in the Super Bowl era with at least four career games with a passing touchdown and multiple rushing touchdowns, joining CAM NEWTON (eight games), KORDELL STEWART (five), Pro Football Hall of Famer STEVE YOUNG (five) and JALEN HURTS (four).
Cleveland defensive end MYLES GARRETT recorded his 80th career sack on Sunday in his 88th career game, tied with T.J. WATT (88 games) as the second-fastest player to reach 80 career sacks since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer REGGIE WHITE (71 games) reached the mark in fewer NFL games. - Los Angeles Chargers linebacker KHALIL MACK registered six sacks and two forced fumbles in the Chargers’ 24-17 win against Las Vegas.
Mack tied ADRIAN CLAYBORN (six sacks on November 12, 2017), Pro Football Hall of Famers FRED DEAN (six on November 13, 1983) and DERRICK THOMAS (six September 6, 1998) as well as OSI UMENYIORA (six on September 30, 2007) for the second-most sacks in a game since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Only Thomas (seven sacks on November 11, 1990) had more.
Mack, who had five sacks on December 13, 2015, with the Raiders, is the second player with multiple career games of five-or more sacks since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer DERRICK THOMAS. - Additional notes from Sunday include:
- Denver quarterback RUSSELL WILSON recorded three touchdown passes with no interceptions for a 133.5 rating in the Broncos’ 31-28 win at Chicago.
Wilson is the seventh quarterback in NFL history with 30 career games with at least three touchdown passes and no interceptions, joining TOM BRADY (68 games), AARON RODGERS (63), DREW BREES (56), Pro Football Hall of Famers PEYTON MANNING (51) and BRETT FAVRE (36) as well as BEN ROETHLISBERGER (35). - Tennessee running back DERRICK HENRY recorded 122 rushing yards with one touchdown and a two-yard touchdown pass in the Titans’ 27-3 win over Cincinnati.
Henry, who also recorded one touchdown pass and one rushing touchdown in Week 11 of the 2022 season, is the sixth running back since 1970 with at least two career games with both a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers LADAINIAN TOMLINSON (five games), WALTER PAYTON (three) and JEROME BETTIS (two) as well as CHUCK MUNCIE (three) and CLINTON PORTIS (two). - Jacksonville linebacker JOSH ALLEN registered three sacks and a forced fumble in the Jaguars’ 23-7 win over Atlanta at Wembley Stadium in London. Allen is the first player to record three sacks in a regular-season game played outside of the United States.
Allen, who had three sacks in Week 1, is the fifth player since 2000 to record at least three sacks in two of his team’s first four games of a season, joining SHAQUIL BARRETT (2019), KABEER GBAJA-BIAMILA (2001), JUSTIN HOUSTON (2013) and CLAY MATTHEWS (2010). - Tampa Bay safety ANTOINE WINFIELD JR. registered his second sack of the season, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in the Buccaneers’ 26-9 win at New Orleans.
Winfield Jr. is the fourth defensive back since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least two sacks in each of his first four career seasons, joining JAMAL ADAMS, ADAM ARCHULETA and KEITH BOSTIC. - Minnesota safety HARRISON SMITH registered a career-high three sacks in the Vikings’ 21-13 win at Carolina, becoming the seventh defensive back with three sacks in a game since 2000.
Smith is the fifth defensive back since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least four career seasons with three-or-more sacks, joining RODNEY HARRISON (six seasons), Pro Football Hall of Famers BRIAN DAWKINS (five) and RONDE BARBER (four) as well as LAWYER MILLOY (four).
- Denver quarterback RUSSELL WILSON recorded three touchdown passes with no interceptions for a 133.5 rating in the Broncos’ 31-28 win at Chicago.
