What To Look For – Week 6

OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER IN KC: The KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (4-1) are set to host the BUFFALO BILLS (4-1) in a rematch of last season’s memorable Divisional playoff meeting. The teams enter Sunday’s matchup (4:25 PM ET, CBS) as the top-two scoring offenses in the league, with Kansas City averaging 31.8 points per game and Buffalo averaging 30.4. The Bills also enter Week 6 tied for the top-scoring defense in the league (12.2 points allowed per game).  

Sunday’s meeting will mark the first game since 2019 (Baltimore vs. San Francisco in Week 13) featuring the league’s top-two scoring offense in Week 6 or later.

This will be the fifth time that JOSH ALLEN and PATRICK MAHOMES willface off as opposing starting quarterbacks, including the postseason, with Kansas City winning four of the first five meetings. In the previous matchups, Allen has totaled 12 touchdowns (11 passing, one rushing) and a 105.1 passer rating, while Mahomes has recorded 11 touchdowns (10 passing, one rushing) and a 108.1 passer rating.

Mahomes enters Week 6 as the league-leader in touchdown passes (15) this season, while Allen ranks second with 14. This marks the first game since 2011 (AARON RODGERS vs. MATTHEW STAFFORD in Week 12) featuring the league’s top-two leaders in touchdown passes in Week 6 or later.

Kansas City tight end TRAVIS KELCE leads the league with seven touchdown receptions this season, after becoming the fourth tight end ever and first since JIMMIE GILES in 1985 with four touchdown receptions in a single game last week. It marked his ninth-career game with multiple touchdown receptions.

With two touchdown receptions on Sunday, Kelce can become the sixth tight end in the Super Bowl era with multiple touchdown receptions in 10-or-more career games.

The tight ends with the most games with multiple touchdown receptions in the Super Bowl era:

PLAYERTEAM(S)GAMES
Antonio GatesSan Diego/L.A. Chargers21
Rob GronkowskiNew England, Tampa Bay20
Tony GonzalezHOFKansas City, Atlanta18
Jimmy GrahamNew Orleans, Seattle, Chicago17
Jerry SmithWashington10
   
Travis KelceKansas City9*
*Entering Week 6  

Kelce can also become the fourth player in the Super Bowl era to record nine touchdown receptions in his team’s first six games of a season, joining HAROLD JACKSON (1973), Pro Football Hall of Famer CALVIN JOHNSON (2011) and JULIUS THOMAS (2014).

The players with the most touchdown receptions in their team’s first six games of a season in the Super Bowl era:

PLAYERTEAMSEASONTD RECEPTIONS
Harold JacksonL.A. Rams19739
Calvin JohnsonHOFDetroit20119
Julius ThomasDenver20149
    
Travis KelceKansas City20227*
*Entering Week 6

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FEATHERED AND LETHAL: The PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (5-0) are the NFL’s last remaining undefeated team and have finished with a positive turnover differential in each of their five wins this season.

On Sunday Night Football (8:20 PM ET, NBC) against Dallas, the Eagles can become the fourth team in the Super Bowl era to begin a season with a 6-0 record and have a positive turnover differential in each victory.

The teams to win each of their first six games of a season and have a positive turnover differential in each win in the Super Bowl era:

TEAMSEASON
Green Bay2015
Los Angeles Rams1973
Dallas1968
  
Philadelphia2022*
*5-0 entering Week 6

Quarterback JALEN HURTS recorded his seventh career game with at least two rushing touchdowns last week, tied for the second-most such games by a quarterback in NFL history, and leads all quarterbacks with six rushing touchdowns during the 2022 season.

With a rushing touchdown against Dallas, Hurts can become the first quarterback with seven rushing touchdowns in his team’s first six games of a season in the Super Bowl era.

The quarterbacks with the most rushing touchdowns in their team’s first six games of a season in the Super Bowl era:

PLAYERTEAMSEASONRUSHING TOUCHDOWNS
Jalen HurtsPhiladelphia20226*
Kyler MurrayArizona20206
Robert Griffin IIIWashington20126
Cam NewtonCarolina20116
Kordell StewartPittsburgh19976
*Entering Week 6

Additionally, with a rushing touchdown, Hurts can join KYLER MURRAY (2020) and CAM NEWTON (2011) as the only quarterbacks ever with a rushing touchdown in five of their team’s first six games of a season.

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PRIMETIME PARSONS: Dallas second-year linebacker MICAH PARSONS recorded two sacks in Week 5 and has recorded multiple sacks in three of his first five games this season. With two sacks at Philadelphia on Sunday Night Football (8:20 PM ET, NBC), Parsons can join ELVIS DUMERVIL (2009) and Pro Football Hall of Famer KEVIN GREENE (1998) as the only players to record at least two sacks in four of their team’s first six games of a season since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.

Parsons has six career games with at least two sacks, tied with NICK BOSA and T.J. WATT for the most such games since the beginning of the 2021 season. With his next game of two-or-more sacks, he can tie JASON PIERRE-PAUL (seven) and J.J. WATT (seven) for the fourth-most such games by a player in his first two NFL seasons since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.

The players with the most games with at least two sacks in their first two NFL seasons since 1982:

PLAYERTEAMGAMES
Aldon SmithSan Francisco9
Shawne MerrimanSan Diego Chargers8
Reggie WhiteHOFPhiladelphia8
Jason Pierre-PaulNew York Giants7
J.J. WattHouston7
   
Micah ParsonsDallas6*
*In second season

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TOP DAWG: Cleveland running back NICK CHUBB enters the week leading the league with 593 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. He has rushed for a touchdown in each of the last four games and is the only player in the league with at least 100 scrimmage yards in each of the first five weeks of the season.

Since entering the NFL in 2018, Chubb ranks second among all players with 43 rushing touchdowns. With a rushing touchdown against New England on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS), Chubb will become the fifth player ever to record at least eight rushing touchdowns in each of his first five seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers JIM BROWNEMMITT SMITH and LADAINIAN TOMLINSON, as well as ADRIAN PETERSON.

The players with at least eight rushing touchdowns in the most consecutive seasons to begin their careers in NFL history:

PLAYERTEAMSEASONS 
Jim BrownHOFCleveland9 
LaDainian TomlinsonHOFSan Diego Chargers9 
Adrian PetersonMinnesota7 
Emmitt SmithHOFDallas7 
    
Nick ChubbCleveland4* 
*Has seven rushing touchdowns in fifth season  

As a team, Cleveland enters Week 6 with the league’s top rushing attack, averaging 192.4 rushing yards per game. They also rank second in the NFL with 10 rushing touchdowns. In each of their five games this season, the Browns have recorded at least 150 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

If they accomplish the feat again on Sunday, Cleveland can join the 1971 Oakland Raiders as the only teams in the Super Bowl era to record at least 150 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in each of their first six games of a season.

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CMC DOES IT ALL: Last week, Carolina running back CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY totaled 54 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards, his fourth-consecutive game with at least 100 scrimmage yards. It also marked his 23rd-career game with at least 50 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards. Since entering the league in 2017, he is one of two players (ALVIN KAMARA) with at least 3,000 rushing yards (3,911) and 3,000 receiving yards (3,203).

With at least 50 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards at the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday (4:05 PM ET, FOX), McCaffrey will surpass TIKI BARBER (23 games) and Pro Football Hall of Famer LADAINIAN TOMLINSON (23) for the second-most such games all-time. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer MARSHALL FAULK (41) has more.

The players with the most games with at least 50 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards in NFL history:

PLAYERTEAM(S)GAMES
Marshall FaulkHOFIndianapolis, St. Louis Rams41
Tiki BarberN.Y. Giants23
Christian McCaffreyCarolina23
LaDainian TomlinsonHOFSan Diego Chargers, N.Y. Jets23

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GETTING GRIDDY: Minnesota wide receiver JUSTIN JEFFERSON leads the league with 547 receiving yards this season and ranks second with 40 receptions. He recorded 12 receptions for 154 yards in Week 5 after totaling 10 catches for 147 yards in Week 4.

Jefferson can become the fourth player ever to record at least 10 receptions and 125 receiving yards in three consecutive games, joining BRETT PERRIMAN (1995), ANDRE JOHNSON (2008) and MICHAEL THOMAS (2019).

The players with at least 10 receptions and 125 receiving yards in three consecutive games in NFL history:

PLAYERTEAMSEASONCONSECUTIVE GAMES
Brett PerrimanDetroit19953
Andre JohnsonHouston20083
Michael ThomasNew Orleans20193
    
Justin JeffersonMinnesota20222*
*Active streak   

Last week marked Jefferson’s sixth-career game with at least 150 receiving yards, tied for the most ever by player in his first three seasons. With at least 150 receiving yards in Miami on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Jefferson will surpass Pro Football Hall of Famers LANCE ALWORTH (six games) and RANDY MOSS (six) for the most games with at least 150 receiving yards by a player in his first three seasons in NFL history.

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HEY, ROOKIE: Pittsburgh rookie quarterback KENNY PICKETT, the No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, recorded 327 passing yards in his first-career start last week.  

With at least 300 passing yards against Tampa Bay on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Pickett will become the fourth rookie quarterback ever with at least 300 passing yards in each of his first two career starts, joining JUSTIN HERBERT (2020), KYLER MURRAY (2019) and CAM NEWTON (2011).

New York Jets rookie running back BREECE HALL, the No. 36 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, leads all rookies with 488 scrimmage yards (275 rushing, 213 receiving) this season. Last week, he set a Jets rookie record with 197 scrimmage yards (100 receiving, 97 rushing) and a rushing touchdown in the team’s win.

With at least 75 rushing yards and 75 receiving yards in another game this season, Hall can become the fifth rookie in the Super Bowl era with at least 75 rushing yards and 75 receiving yards in multiple games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers MARSHALL FAULK (1994) and EDGERRIN JAMES (1999), as well as MEWELDE MOORE (2004) and FRED TAYLOR (1998).

Jets rookie cornerback SAUCE GARDNER, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, is one of three players in the league with a pass defensed in each of the first five weeks of the season.

With a pass defensed at Green Bay on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Gardner will join DESMOND TRUFANT (2013) as the only players since 2000 with a pass defensed in each of their first six career games.

Seattle rookie cornerback TARIQ WOOLEN, a fifth-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, leads all rookies with three interceptions this season and has recorded an interception in each of the last three games.

With an interception against Arizona on Sunday (4:05 PM ET, FOX), Woolen will become the third rookie since 2000 to record an interception in at least four consecutive games, joining JAIRUS BYRD (five consecutive games in 2009) and JOE HADEN (four consecutive games in 2010).

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