NEW YORK –– Oct. 6, 2024 –– 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 6, the fifth week of the 2024 season.
- With two games remaining in Week 5, eight games were decided by one score (eight points or less) – including five that featured the game-winning score in the final two minutes of regulation or in overtime – and nine games were within one score (eight points or less) in the fourth quarter.
There have been 46 games decided by seven points or fewer and 40 games decided by six points or fewer, both the most such games through Week 5 of a season in NFL history.
With the Jacksonville Jaguars earning their first win of the season in Week 5, 2024 marks the fourth season since 1970 in which every team has at least one win through the first five weeks, joining 2022, 2018 and 1990.
Between Washington’s Jayden Daniels (four wins), Denver’s Bo Nix (three) and Chicago’s Caleb Williams (three), rookie quarterbacks have combined for 10 wins this season, the second-most by rookie quarterbacks in the first five weeks of a season since 1970, trailing only 1987 (12 wins).
Daniels is the third rookie quarterback since 1950 to start and win four of his team’s first five games of a season, joining Joe Ferguson (1973 with Buffalo) and Dak Prescott (2016 with Dallas).
Williams is the fourth rookie quarterback since 1950 to win each of his first three home starts and throw no interceptions in each game, joining Matt Ryan (2008), Tua Tagovailoa (2020) and Russell Wilson (2012).
With Seattle safety Rayshawn Jenkins registering a 102-yard fumble-return for a touchdown – tied for the third-longest fumble-return touchdown in NFL history – and Denver cornerback Pat Surtain II recording a 100-yard interception-return for a touchdown, Week 5 of the 2024 season marks the first week in NFL history with two 100-yard defensive touchdowns.
With New York Giants wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton recording a 60-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown and San Francisco defensive back Deommodore Lenoir registering a 61-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown, Week 5 marked the seventh week in NFL history and the first since Week 16 of the 2012 season with two blocked field goal returns for a touchdown. - The Minnesota Vikings defeated the New York Jets, 23-17, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London and improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2016. Since 2019, eight of the nine NFL regular-season games played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have been decided by one score (eight points or fewer).
Minnesota is 4-0 in regular-season international games, the most wins without a loss among all teams in international games.
Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel had a 63-yard interception-return for a touchdown on Sunday and along with his three sacks this season and an interception-return for a touchdown in Week 1, became the first player in NFL history with at least three sacks and two interception-return touchdowns in his team’s first five games of a season.
Minnesota safety Harrison Smith recorded his first sack of the season in Week 5 and has 35 career interceptions and 20.5 career sacks, becoming the seventh player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least 30 career interceptions and 20 career sacks, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Ronde Barber, LeRoy Butler, Brian Dawkins, Ray Lewis and Charles Woodson, as well as Rodney Harrison.
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers passed for 244 yards on Sunday and has 60,148 career regular-season passing yards, becoming the ninth player with at least 60,000 regular-season passing yards in NFL history.
Including the postseason, Rodgers has 66,042 career passing yards, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (65,871 passing yards) for the seventh-most passing yards, including the playoffs, in NFL history. - Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels had 320 yards (238 passing, 82 rushing) and one touchdown pass in the Commanders’ 34-13 win over Cleveland.
The Commanders have scored at least 30 points in each of the past three weeks, becoming the fifth team since 1950 to score 30-or-more in three consecutive games started by a rookie quarterback, joining the 2017 Houston Texans (five consecutive games with Deshaun Watson), 2022 San Francisco 49ers (three with Brock Purdy), 2012 Seattle Seahawks (three with Russell Wilson) and the 1950 Green Bay Packers (three with Tobin Rote).
Washington had three-or-more rushing touchdowns in Weeks 1, 3, 4 and 5 and joined the 1954 San Francisco 49ers (five games) as the only teams with at least three rushing touchdowns in four of their first five games of a season in NFL history.
The Commanders have 13 rushing touchdowns this season, tied with the 1975 Miami Dolphins for the most rushing touchdowns by a team in their first five games of a season since 1970.
Daniels, with 1,135 passing yards and 300 rushing yards this season, has the most rushing yards by quarterback in his first five career games in the Super Bowl era and became the first player in NFL history with at least 1,000 passing yards and 250 rushing yards in his first five career games.
Daniels has completed 77.1 percent of his pass attempts (101 of 131), the second-highest completion percentage by a player in his team’s first five games of a season in NFL history (minimum 100 attempts), trailing only Drew Brees (77.9 percent, 148 of 190, in 2018). - The Baltimore Ravens overcame a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to defeat Cincinnati, 38-35, in overtime as quarterback Lamar Jackson totaled 403 yards (348 passing, 55 rushing) with four touchdown passes and running back Derrick Henry rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown.
The Ravens have 1,056 rushing yards this season and are the fifth team since 1980 with at least 1,000 rushing yards in its first five games of a season, joining the 2006 Atlanta Falcons (1,160 rushing yards), 1984 Chicago Bears (1,084), 1980 Detroit Lions (1,073) and 1983 Pittsburgh Steelers (1,030).
Baltimore rushed for 175 yards in Week 5 and has rushed for at least 100 yards in 38 consecutive games, tied with the 1935-39 Detroit Lions (38 consecutive games) for the third-longest such streak by a team in NFL history. Only the 2018-21 Baltimore Ravens (43 consecutive games) and 1974-77 Pittsburgh Steelers (43) have a longer such streak.
Jackson is the first player in NFL history with multiple career games with at least 300 passing yards, 50 rushing yards and four touchdown passes. He also reached those marks in Week 5 of the 2021 season.
Henry has 10,074 rushing yards and 100 scrimmage touchdowns (96 rushing, four receiving) in 124 career games and became the fifth player in NFL history with at least 10,000 rushing yards and 100 scrimmage touchdowns in his first 125 career games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith and LaDainian Tomlinson as well as Adrian Peterson.
Henry has a rushing touchdown in each of the first five weeks and is the first non-rookie and fourth player overall in NFL history to record a rushing touchdown in each of his first five games with a team, joining Alan Ameche (with the Baltimore Colts in 1955), Joe Cribbs (with Buffalo in 1980) and Robert Edwards (with New England in 1998). - Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow found wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase on a 41-yard touchdown pass at the end of the first half and a 70-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter in Week 5, their 13th and 14th touchdown connections of 40-or-more yards.
Burrow (27 years old) and Chase (24 years old) have connected for 14 touchdowns of 40-or-more yards, the second-most by a quarterback-wide receiver duo both under the age of 28 in NFL history, trailing only John Hadl and Pro Football Hall of Famer Lance Alworth (20 touchdowns).
Burrow has 23 touchdown passes of 40-or-more yards since entering the NFL in 2020, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (22 touchdown passes) for the third-most such touchdown passes by a player in his first five seasons among quarterbacks whose career began after 1990. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (28 touchdown passes) and Patrick Mahomes (26) have more.
Chase, who is 24 years and 219 days old, has 11 touchdown receptions of 50-or-more yards, surpassing Odell Beckham Jr. (10) for the third-most such touchdowns by a player under the age of 25. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (14 touchdowns) and Harlon Hill (12) have more.
Chase has 10 touchdown receptions of 60-or-more yards, becoming the third player with 10-or-more touchdown receptions of 60-or-more yards in his first four seasons in NFL history, joining Homer Jones (12 touchdowns) and Harlon Hill (10).
Chase has 15 career touchdown receptions of 40-or-more yards, surpassing Tyreek Hill (14 touchdown receptions) for the fourth-most such touchdown receptions by a player in his first four seasons whose career began after 1970. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss (22 touchdown receptions) and Jerry Rice (21) as well as Mike Wallace (16) have more. - Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud passed for 331 yards and one touchdown in the Texans’ 23-20 win over Buffalo.
Stroud has 5,493 passing yards in 20 career regular-season games and surpassed Joe Burrow (5,333 passing yards) for the fourth-most by a player in his first 20 games in NFL history. Only Patrick Mahomes (6,576 passing yards), Justin Herbert (5,912) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (5,613) had more. - Green Bay wide receiver Jayden Reed registered 97 scrimmage yards (78 receiving, 19 rushing) and safety Xavier McKinney recorded two takeaways (one interception, one fumble recovery) in the Packers’ Week 5 win at the Los Angeles Rams.
Reed has 414 receiving yards and 110 rushing yards this season and became the third player in the Super Bowl era and sixth player in NFL history with at least 400 receiving yards and 100 rushing yards in his team’s first five games of a season, joining Timmy Brown (1965), Roger Craig (1985), Pro Football Hall of Famer Frank Gifford (1959), Paul Hofer (1980) and Wilbur Moore (1943).
McKinney, including Week 18 last season with the New York Giants and the first five games of the 2024 season with Green Bay, is the fourth player since 1990 to record an interception in six consecutive games, joining Trevon Diggs (2021 with Dallas), Brian Russell (2003 with Minnesota) and Doug Evans (2001 with Carolina).
McKinney is the fourth player since 1970 with a takeaway in each of his team’s first five games of a season, joining Trevon Diggs (2021), Brian Russell (2003) and Lemar Parrish (1979). - Additional notes from Sunday include:
- Indianapolis quarterback Joe Flacco, making his first start of the season at 39 years and 264 days old, passed for 359 yards and three touchdowns in Week 5.
Flacco, including his final four starts of the 2023 season with Cleveland and his first start with Indianapolis this year, is the oldest player in NFL history to record five consecutive starts with at least 300 passing, yards and two touchdown passes.
Flacco, who had at least two touchdown passes in his final five games of the 2023 season with Cleveland and in his first two games with Indianapolis in 2024, is the fourth quarterback in NFL history with seven consecutive games with two-or-more touchdown passes at age 38 or older, joining Tom Brady (nine consecutive games in 2015 and nine from 2020-21) and Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (nine in 2014) and Warren Moon (eight in 1995). - Las Vegas defensive end Maxx Crosby recorded two sacks against Denver in Week 5.
Crosby has at least one sack in 10 consecutive games against the Broncos, becoming the fourth player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to record a sack in 10 consecutive games against an opponent, joining Leslie O’Neal (11 consecutive games against Seattle), Peter Boulware (10 consecutive games against Jacksonville) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Kevin Greene (10 consecutive games against Atlanta).
- Indianapolis quarterback Joe Flacco, making his first start of the season at 39 years and 264 days old, passed for 359 yards and three touchdowns in Week 5.
