What To Look For – Week 14

PLAYOFF PUSH: Three teams can clinch a spot in the playoffs in Week 14 – the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-3) in the AFC and the MINNESOTA VIKINGS (10-2) and PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (11-1) in the NFC. For the full Week 14 playoff scenarios for each club, click here.

The Chiefs can secure their seventh-consecutive AFC West division title, tying the 1973-79 LOS ANGELES RAMS for the second-longest streak of division titles in NFL history. Only the 2009-19 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (11 consecutive seasons) had a longer streak.

The teams with the most consecutive division titles in NFL history:

TEAMDIVISION CONSECUTIVE SEASONS
New England PatriotsAFC East11 (2009-19)
Los Angeles RamsNFC West7 (1973-79)
   
Kansas City ChiefsAFC West6* (2016-21)
*Active streak

Quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES leads the way for Kansas City, ranking first in the league with 3,808 passing yards and 30 touchdown passes. With 192 passing yards at Denver on Sunday (4:05 PM ET, CBS), Mahomes will join Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING as the only players in NFL history with at least 4,000 passing yards in five of their first six seasons.

Mahomes is 9-0 in nine career starts against Denver and can become the sixth quarterback since 1970 to win each of his first 10 career starts against an opponent.

Kansas City’s TRAVIS KELCE leads all tight ends this season with 77 receptions and 968 receiving yards, while tying for the league-lead among all players with a career-high 12 touchdown receptions. With 32 receiving yards on Sunday, Kelce will become the first tight end in NFL history with seven career seasons of at least 1,000 receiving yards, having reached the mark in each season since 2016.

Since entering the league in 2013, Kelce ranks fifth in the NFL with 9,974 receiving yards. On Sunday, he can become the fifth tight end in ever with at least 10,000 career receiving yards, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer TONY GONZALEZ (15,127), JASON WITTEN (13,046), ANTONIO GATES (11,841) and Pro Football Hall of Famer SHANNON SHARPE (10,060).

With a win at Detroit on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Minnesota can clinch their first NFC North title since 2017. They have won nine of their last 10 games, with each win being decided by one score (eight points or fewer).

The Vikings can become the third team ever to win 10 games within a single season by eight points or fewer, joining the 2019 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS and 1978 HOUSTON OILERS.

With a win at the New York Giants on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Philadelphia can secure a postseason berth for the second-consecutive season and the fifth time in the past six seasons. The Eagles rank second in the league with 42 sacks, led by linebacker HAASON REDDICK, who has totaled nine sacks in his first season with the team.

After registering 11 sacks with Carolina in 2021 and a career-high 12.5 sacks with Arizona in 2020, Reddick can become the first player to record at least 10 sacks in three consecutive seasons with three different teams since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.

— NFL —

CLASS OF 2020: Cincinnati quarterback JOE BURROW enters Week 14 ranked second in the league with 3,446 passing yards and tied for second with 25 touchdown passes. Last week, Burrow earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors after passing for 286 yards and two touchdowns with a 126.6 passer rating. It marked his seventh game this season with a passer rating of 100-or-higher, tied for the second-most such games in the league.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback JUSTIN HERBERT has five games this season with a passer rating of 100-or-higher, including in two of his past three games.

Since each entered the NFL in 2020, both Burrow and Herbert have 20 career games with a passer rating of 100-or higher, tied for the third-most such games ever by a player in his first three seasons in NFL history. Only DAK PRESCOTT (24 games) and RUSSELL WILSON (24) have more.

The players with the most games with a passer rating of 100-or-higher in their first three seasons in NFL history:

PLAYERTEAMGAMES WITH 100+ RATING
Dak PrescottDallas24
Russell WilsonSeattle24
Joe BurrowCincinnati20*
Justin HerbertL.A. Chargers20*
Lamar JacksonBaltimore20
Patrick MahomesKansas City20
*In third season

In 38 career games, Burrow has totaled 72 touchdown passes and 10 rushing touchdowns. With three touchdown passes against Cleveland on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS), he will join ANDREW LUCK (86 passing, 12 rushing) as the only quarterbacks in NFL history with at least 75 touchdown passes and 10 rushing touchdowns in their first three seasons in.

Burrow can also become the fifth player since 1970 with at least 75 touchdown passes in his first 40 career games, joining PATRICK MAHOMES (101 touchdown passes) and JUSTIN HERBERT (82), as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers DAN MARINO (90) and KURT WARNER (86). 

— NFL —

RAIDERS ARE ROLLING: The LAS VEGAS RAIDERS have won three consecutive games, led by wide receiver DAVANTE ADAMS and running back JOSH JACOBS on offense. Adams has recorded at least 125 receiving yards and a touchdown reception in four of the past five games, while Jacobs has totaled at least 150 scrimmage yards in each of the past three weeks.

Since entering the NFL in 2014, Adams – who turns 30 on December 24 – ranks third in the league with 748 receptions. With two catches at the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football (8:15 PM ET, Prime Video), Adams will become the third player ever with at least 750 receptions prior to his 30th birthday, joining DEANDRE HOPKINS (789 receptions) and LARRY FITZGERALD (764).

Thursday night will mark Adams’ 40th-career regular-season game in primetime (games starting 7:00 PM ET or later). With a touchdown reception, he will become the seventh player ever with at least 30 career touchdown receptions in primetime games.

The players with the most touchdown receptions in primetime games in NFL history:

PLAYERPRIMETIME TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS
Jerry RiceHOF46
Randy MossHOF44
Terrell OwensHOF34
Antonio Brown31
Jimmy Graham31
Jason Witten30
  
Davante Adams29

Adams has eclipsed 100 receiving yards in each of his past six games in primetime, already the longest such streak in the Super Bowl era.

Jacobs leads the NFL with 1,634 scrimmage yards and 1,303 rushing yards this season and ranks tied for third with 10 rushing touchdowns. Last week marked his fifth game this season with at least 140 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

If Jacobs rushes for 140 yards and a touchdown on Thursday night, he will become the sixth player in the Super Bowl era to reach those marks in six games within a single season. Each of the previous five players to accomplish the feat won Associated Press Most Valuable Player that season.

The players with the most games with at least 140 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in a single season in the Super Bowl era:

PLAYERTEAMSEASONGAMES
Adrian Peterson*Minnesota20127
Shaun Alexander*Seattle20056
Terrell DavisHOF*Denver19986
Walter PaytonHOF*Chicago19776
O.J. SimpsonHOF*Buffalo19736
    
Josh JacobsLas Vegas20225
*Won Associated Press Most Valuable Player   

— NFL —

RECEIVING RECORDS: Buffalo wide receiver STEFON DIGGS ranks second in the NFL this season with 91 receptions and third with 1,202 receiving yards and 10 touchdown receptions.

With nine catches against the New York Jets on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS), Diggs will become the sixth player ever to record at least 100 receptions and 1,200 receiving yards in three-or-more consecutive seasons. He can become the first player to ever accomplish the feat in each of his first three seasons with a team.

The players with at least 100 receptions and 1,200 receiving yards in the most consecutive seasons in NFL history:

PLAYERTEAMCONSECUTIVE SEASONS
Antonio BrownPittsburgh6 (2013-18)
Marvin HarrisonHOFIndianapolis4 (1999-2002)
Herman MooreDetroit3 (1995-97)
Jerry RiceHOFSan Francisco3 (1994-96)
Michael ThomasNew Orleans3 (2017-19)
   
Stefon DiggsBuffalo2* (2020-21)
*Active streak

Last week, Seattle wide receiver DK METCALF recorded eight receptions for 127 receiving yards and a touchdown, his third consecutive game with at least 70 receiving yards. On the season, he has totaled 67 catches, 798 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions.

With 102 receiving yards against Carolina on Sunday (4:25 PM ET, FOX), Metcalf will become the fifth player since 1970 to record at least 900 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions in each of his first four seasons.

The players with at least 900 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions in the most consecutive seasons to begin a career since 1970:

PLAYERTEAMCONSECUTIVE SEASONS
Randy MossHOFMinnesota6 (1998-2003)
A.J. GreenCincinnati5 (2011-15)
Joey GallowaySeattle4 (1995-98)
Michael ThomasNew Orleans4 (2016-19)
   
DK MetcalfSeattle3* (2019-21)
*Active streak

— NFL —

SMALLER BEAR, BIGGER NUMBERS: San Francisco defensive lineman NICK BOSA leads the NFL with 14.5 sacks this season and tied a career high with three sacks in Week 13.

On Sunday against Tampa Bay (4:25 PM ET, FOX), Bosa, who recorded 15.5 sacks last season, can become the fifth player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to record at least 15 sacks in two of his first four NFL seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers REGGIE WHITE (three seasons with at least 15 sacks), RICHARD DENT (two) and ANDRE TIPPETT (two) as well as J.J. WATT (two).

The players with at least 15 sacks in two-or-more of their first four NFL seasons since 1982:

PLAYERTEAMSEASONS
Reggie WhiteHOFPhiladelphia3 (1986-88)
Richard DentHOFChicago2 (1984-85)
Andre TippettHOFNew England2 (1984-85)
J.J. WattHouston2 (2012, 2014)
   
Nick BosaSan Francisco1* (2021)
*Has 14.5 sacks in fourth season

Bosa, who turned 25 years old in October, can join Pro Football Hall of Famers RICHARD DENT and ANDRE TIPPETT as the only players under the age of 26 to register at least 15 sacks in consecutive seasons since 1982.

— NFL —