CONFERENCE PASSING LEADERS MEET: Last week, the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (11-3) clinched their seventh consecutive AFC West division title, tied for the second-longest streak of division titles in NFL history.
With a win against Seattle on Saturday (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Kansas City would become the third team ever to record at least 12 regular-season wins in five consecutive seasons, joining the 2010-17 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (eight consecutive seasons) and 2003-09 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (seven consecutive seasons).
Quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES enters Week 16 leading the league with 35 touchdown passes, while Seattle quarterback GENO SMITH leads the NFC with 26 touchdown passes this season. Saturday’s game in Kansas City will mark the fourth meeting ever in Week 15 or later between the passing touchdown leaders in each conference.
Mahomes also leads the league with 4,496 passing yards in 2022 and can reach 4,500 passing yards for the third consecutive season and fourth time in his career. He would become the fourth quarterback all-time with four career seasons of 4,500 passing yards and 35 touchdown passes, joining TOM BRADY (five seasons), DREW BREES (four) and Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (four).
He would become the fifth player in league history to record at least 4,500 passing yards in three consecutive seasons.
The players with at least 4,500 passing yards in the most consecutive seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | CONSECUTIVE SEASONS |
| Drew Brees | New Orleans | 7 (2010-16) |
| Matt Ryan | Atlanta | 5 (2012-2016) |
| Peyton ManningHOF | Denver | 3 (2012-14) |
| Matthew Stafford | Detroit | 3 (2011-13) |
| Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City | 2* (2020-21) |
| *Active streak |
Mahomes has totaled 1,962 passing yards (327 per game) in six home games this season, including at least 315 passing yards in each of his past four in Kansas City. With 315 passing yards on Saturday, he can join DREW BREES (2008 and 2013) as the only players ever to reach the mark in five consecutive home games within a single season.
The players with at least 315 passing yards in the most consecutive home games within a single season in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | CONSECUTIVE HOME GAMES |
| Drew Brees | New Orleans | 2008 | 6 |
| Drew Brees | New Orleans | 2013 | 5 |
| Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City | 2022 | 4* |
| *Active streak |
Smith, meanwhile, has recorded a passer rating of 100-or-higher in each of his past six road games. He can become the fourth player ever with a passer rating of 100-or-higher in seven consecutive road games within a single season, joining NICK FOLES (2013), AARON RODGERS (2011) and TONY ROMO (2014).
The players with a passer rating of 100-or-higher in the most consecutive road games within a single season in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | CONSECUTIVE ROAD GAMES |
| Nick Foles | Philadelphia | 2013 | 7 |
| Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay | 2011 | 7 |
| Tony Romo | Dallas | 2014 | 7 |
| Geno Smith | Seattle | 2022 | 6* |
| *Active streak |
The 10th-year quarterback has recorded a career-high 3,671 passing yards this season with Seattle. With 329 passing yards on Saturday, Smith can become the eighth player in NFL history and first since ALEX SMITH (2017) to record his first-career season with at least 4,000 passing yards in his 10th-career season or later.
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RUSHING TO THE FINISH LINE: Chicago’s JUSTIN FIELDS leads all quarterbacks this season with 1,000 rushing yards, while Buffalo’s JOSH ALLEN ranks fourth with 705.
When the Bears host the Bills on Saturday (1:00 PM ET, CBS), it will mark the first matchup in NFL history in which both starting quarterbacks enter the game with at least 700 rushing yards on the season.
Fields is the third quarterback ever with at least 1,000 rushing yards in a season and can surpass MICHAEL VICK (1,039 rushing yards in 2006) for the second-most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season in NFL history. Only LAMAR JACKSON (1,206 in 2019) has more.
The quarterbacks with the most rushing yards in a single season in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | RUSHING YARDS | |
| Lamar Jackson | Baltimore | 2019 | 1,206 | |
| Michael Vick | Atlanta | 2006 | 1,039 | |
| Lamar Jackson | Baltimore | 2020 | 1,005 | |
| Justin Fields | Chicago | 2022 | 1,000* | |
| *Entering Saturday | ||||
Allen ranks third among quarterbacks this season in both touchdown passes (30) and rushing touchdowns (six). Since entering the NFL in 2018, Allen has totaled 170 combined passing and rushing touchdowns (133 passing, 37 rushing).
With two touchdowns on Saturday, Allen will surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (171 touchdowns) for the most combined passing and rushing touchdowns by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history.
Allen’s top target this season has been wide receiver STEFON DIGGS, who ranks third in the league with 99 receptions and can reach the 100-catch mark for the third-consecutive year. Since entering the NFL in 2015, he has totaled 694 receptions.
With six catches on Saturday, Diggs will become the sixth player ever with 700 receptions in his first eight career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer MARVIN HARRISON (759 receptions), DEANDRE HOPKINS (747), ANTONIO BROWN (733), TORRY HOLT (712) and BRANDON MARSHALL (712).
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PURPLE REIGN: Last week, Minnesota defeated Indianapolis, 39-36 in overtime, and overcame a 33-point deficit to mark the largest comeback in NFL history. With the win, the Vikings clinched the NFC North division title for the first time since 2017.
The victory marked their 10th win of the season decided by one score (eight points or fewer), as Minnesota became 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. Minnesota can become the first team ever with 11 one-score victories within a single season.
Quarterback KIRK COUSINS earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors last week, recording 460 passing yards and four touchdown passes in the comeback victory. He now has 24 touchdown passes on the season.
With a touchdown pass against the New York Giants on Saturday (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Cousins will become the fifth player ever to record at least 25 touchdown passes in at least eight consecutive seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (13 seasons), DREW BREES (11), PHILIP RIVERS (11) and TOM BRADY (10).
Wide receiver JUSTIN JEFFERSON recorded 12 receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown last week, marking his 23rd-career game with at least 100 receiving yards. With 100 receiving yards on Saturday, Jefferson – currently in his third season – will surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS (23 games) for the most such games by a player in his first four seasons in NFL history.
The players with the most games with at least 100 receiving yards in their first four seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | GAMES |
| Justin Jefferson | Minnesota | 23* |
| Randy MossHOF | Minnesota | 23 |
| A.J. Green | Cincinnati | 20 |
| *In third season |
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SURGING LIONS: The DETROIT LIONS have won three consecutive games and six of their past seven, as they enter Week 16 only one game out of an NFC playoff position.
AMON-RA ST. BROWN ranks fourth among wide receivers with 89 receptions this season and ranks ninth with 974 receiving yards. He needs one catch at Carolina on Saturday (1:00 PM ET, FOX) to join MICHAEL THOMAS and ODELL BECKHAM JR. as the only players ever with at least 90 receptions and 900 receiving yards in each of their first two seasons.
St. Brown enters Week 16 with 179 career receptions and can surpass Beckham (187 receptions) and CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY (187) for the fourth-most catches by a player in his first two seasons in NFL history.
The players with the most receptions in their first two seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | RECEPTIONS |
| Justin Jefferson | Minnesota | 196 |
| Michael Thomas | New Orleans | 196 |
| Jarvis Landry | Miami | 194 |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | N.Y. Giants | 187 |
| Christian McCaffrey | Carolina | 187 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | Detroit | 179* |
| *Entering Saturday |
Rookie linebacker JAMES HOUSTON has recorded a sack in each of his first four career games and can become the first player with a sack in each of his first five career games since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.
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RELEASE AND CATCH: Since entering the NFL in 2017, San Francisco’s CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY (431 receptions), New Orleans’ ALVIN KAMARA (426) and the Los Angeles Chargers’ AUSTIN EKELER (377) lead all running backs in receptions.
On Saturday, McCaffrey and Kamara can surpass ROGER CRAIG (434 receptions) for the most receptions by a running back in his first six seasons in NFL history while Ekeler needs eight receptions to surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer MARSHALL FAULK (384) for the fifth-most receptions by a running back in his first six seasons all-time.
The running backs with the most receptions in their first six seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | RECEPTIONS | |
| Roger Craig | San Francisco | 434 | |
| Christian McCaffrey | Carolina, San Francisco | 431* | |
| Alvin Kamara | New Orleans | 426* | |
| LaDainian TomlinsonHOF | San Diego Chargers | 398 | |
| Marshall FaulkHOF | Indianapolis, St. Louis Rams | 384 | |
| Austin Ekeler | Los Angeles Chargers | 377* | |
| *In sixth season |
Ekeler leads all running backs with a career-high 95 receptions this season and can become the fifth running back in NFL history with at least 100 receptions in a season.
The running backs with the most receptions in a single season in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | RECEPTIONS |
| Christian McCaffrey | Carolina | 2019 | 116 |
| Christian McCaffrey | Carolina | 2018 | 107 |
| Matt Forte | Chicago | 2014 | 102 |
| Larry Centers | Arizona | 1995 | 101 |
| LaDainian TomlinsonHOF | San Diego Chargers | 2003 | 100 |
| Austin Ekeler | Los Angeles Chargers | 2022 | 95* |
| *Entering Week 16 |
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RELIABLE ROOKIE RECEIVER: New York Jets wide receiver GARRETT WILSON leads all rookies this season with 67 receptions and 966 receiving yards, both the most by a rookie in franchise history. He has surpassed 75 receiving yards in four consecutive games, the longest active streak in the league.
With 75 receiving yards against Jacksonville on Thursday Night Football (8:15 PM ET, Prime Video), Wilson will become the fourth rookie in the Super Bowl era to record at least 75 receiving yards in five consecutive games.
The rookies with at least 75 receiving yards in the most consecutive games in the Super Bowl era:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | CONSECUTIVE GAMES |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | N.Y. Giants | 2014 | 9 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | San Francisco | 2020 | 5 |
| Randy MossHOF | Minnesota | 1998 | 5 |
| Garrett Wilson | N.Y. Jets | 2022 | 4* |
| *Active streak |
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