A look at seven statistical highlights from games played at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, October 31, the eighth week of the 2021 season.
- With two games remaining in Week 8, there have been 25 games with a game-winning score in the final minute of regulation or in overtime this season, tied with 2002 and 2012 for the second-most such games through the first eight weeks all-time. Only 2015 (26) had more.
With two games left in Week 8, 10 of 13 games (76.9 percent) have been within one score in the fourth quarter while four games have been decided by three-or-fewer points.
Two teams overcame deficits of at least 10 points to win: Tennessee overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat Indianapolis, 34-31, in overtime, while the New York Jets overcame an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Cincinnati, 34-31.
There have been 12 overtime games this season, tied with the 2002 and 2003 seasons for the third-most overtime games at this point of a season all-time. Only 1995 (14 overtime games) and 1983 (13) had more. - Los Angeles Rams quarterback MATTHEW STAFFORD passed for 305 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 127.7 rating while wide receiver COOPER KUPP recorded seven receptions for 115 yards and one touchdown in the Rams’ 38-22 win at Houston.
Stafford has 28 career games with at least 300 passing yards and three touchdown passes, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (27 games) for the fifth-most such games by a quarterback in his first 13 seasons in NFL history.
Kupp, who has 63 receptions for 924 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, is the first player in the Super Bowl era with at least 900 receiving yards and 10 touchdown receptions in his team’s first eight games of a season.
Kupp is the third player all-time with at least seven receptions in seven of his team’s first eight games of a season, joining ADAM THIELEN (2018) and MICHAEL THOMAS (2019). - Making his 50th career start, Buffalo quarterback JOSH ALLEN passed for 249 yards and two touchdowns and added 55 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the Bills’ 26-11 win over Miami.
Allen has 112 combined passing and rushing touchdowns, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer JOHNNY UNITAS (112) and DESHAUN WATSON (112) for the third-most by a quarterback in his first 50 career starts in NFL history. Only PATRICK MAHOMES (135) and Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (118) had more combined passing and rushing touchdowns in their first 50 career starts.
Allen has 28 career rushing touchdowns, tied with CAM NEWTON (28) for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in his first 50 career starts all-time. - Tampa Bay quarterback TOM BRADY passed for 375 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions for a 112.0 rating on Sunday against New Orleans.
Brady has 38 career games with at least four touchdown passes and 98 games with at least three touchdown passes, both surpassing DREW BREES for the most such games in NFL history.
Brady, who has 2,650 passing yards and 25 touchdown passes this season, joins PATRICK MAHOMES (2018), Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (2013) and RUSSELL WILSON (2020) as the only players with at least 25 touchdown passes and 2,500 passing yards through their team’s first eight games of a season.
Brady has at least 25 touchdown passes in 16 career seasons, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (16) for the most such seasons in NFL history.
- Making his first career start, New York Jets quarterback MIKE WHITE completed 37 of 45 pass attempts (82.2 percent) for 405 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions for a 107.9 rating in the Jets’ 34-31 win over Cincinnati. His 37 completions are the most completions by a quarterback all-time in his first career start.
White joined CAM NEWTON (422 yards on September 11, 2011) as the only quarterbacks since 1950 to pass for at least 400 yards in their first career start.
Cincinnati rookie wide receiver JA’MARR CHASE recorded his seventh touchdown reception of the season on Sunday.
Chase is the fifth player in the Super Bowl era to record a touchdown catch in six of his first eight career games, joining CHARLIE BROWN (1982), MARQUES COLSTON (2006), WILLIE GREEN (1991) and DONTE’ STALLWORTH (2002).
Chase has 786 receiving yards this season, the second-most receiving yards by a player in his first eight career games all-time, trailing HARLON HILL (802). - San Francisco rookie running back ELIJAH MITCHELL rushed for 137 yards and one touchdown in the 49ers’ 33-22 win at Chicago. Rookie quarterback JUSTIN FIELDS rushed for a career-high 103 yards and had two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) while rookie running back KHALIL HERBERT had 72 rushing yards for the Bears.
With San Francisco and Chicago combining for 312 rushing yards from rookies on Sunday, it marked the second game since 1970 in which rookies from both teams combined for at least 300 rushing yards, joining Kansas City at the San Diego Chargers on October 27, 1974 (318 combined rushing yards from rookies).
Fields became the third rookie quarterback in NFL history to record a passing touchdown, rushing touchdown and at least 100 rushing yards in a single game, joining ROBERT GRIFFIN III (October 14, 2012) and MARCUS MARIOTA (December 6, 2015). - Appearing in his 40th career game, Seattle wide receiver DK METCALF recorded six receptions for 43 yards and two touchdowns in the Seahawks’ 31-7 win over Jacksonville.
Metcalf has 25 career touchdown receptions and joined Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS (36 touchdown receptions) and ODELL BECKHAM JR. (34) as the only wide receivers since 1990 with at least 25 touchdown receptions in their first 40 career games.
