SCORING STREAKS: Entering Week 8, scoring continues to trend at an unprecedented level across the league. The 5,329 points scored are the most in NFL history through seven weeks, while the 50.8 total points per game (both teams combined) is the highest through Week 7 since at least 1970. Overall, seven teams are averaging at least 30 points per game, the most such teams at this point of a season since 1970.
The GREEN BAY PACKERS – who rank second in the league with 32.8 points per game – have scored at least 35 points in four of their first six games this season, including in their 35-20 victory at Houston last week.
With at least 35 points on Sunday against Minnesota (1:00 PM ET, FOX), the Packers will become the sixth team to score 35+ points in at least five of their first seven games of a season in the Super Bowl era. Three of the previous five teams to accomplish the feat advanced to the Super Bowl that season.
The teams with 35-or-more points scored in at least five of their first seven games of a season in the Super Bowl era:
| TEAM | SEASON | GAMES | |
| Denver Broncos# | 2013 | 6 | |
| St. Louis Rams | 2000 | 6 | |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 2018 | 5 | |
| New Orleans Saints# | 2009 | 5 | |
| New England Patriots# | 2007 | 5 | |
| Green Bay Packers | 2020 | 4* | |
| *Through first six games | |||
| #Advanced to Super Bowl | |||
The BALTMORE RAVENS are averaging 29.8 points per game this season and are averaging 32.3 points per game since the beginning of the 2019 season, the highest mark in the league over that span. Baltimore has scored at least 20 points in every regular-season contest since Week 11 of the 2018 season, a streak of 29 games.
With at least 20 points on Sunday against Pittsburgh (1:00 PM ET, CBS), Baltimore will tie the DENVER BRONCOS (30 consecutive games from 2012-14) for the longest streak of regular-season games scoring at least 20 points in NFL history.
The teams with at least 20 points scored in the most consecutive regular-season games in NFL history:
| TEAM | SEASONS | GAMES | |
| Denver Broncos | 2012-14 | 30 | |
| Baltimore Ravens | 2018-2020 | 29* | |
| St. Louis Rams | 1999-2000 | 28 | |
| *Active streak | |||
— NFL —
KINGS OF THE NORTH: There are six teams with one-or-fewer losses entering Week 8, tied for the most such teams at this point of a season since at least 1970. Two of those teams, the BALTIMORE RAVENS (5-1) and PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-0), meet in Baltimore this week in a battle for first place in the AFC North.
It will mark the sixth divisional matchup where both teams have one-or-fewer losses in Week 8 or later since 1970. The eventual division winner won three of the past four matchups.
The divisional matchups where both teams have one-or-fewer losses in Week 8 or later since 1970:
| MATCHUP | DIVISION | WEEK | RESULT | |||
| Pittsburgh (6-0) at Baltimore (5-1) | AFC North | Week 8, 2020 | ??? | |||
| Kansas City (9-0) at Denver (8-1) | AFC West | Week 11, 2013 | DEN* 27, KC 17 | |||
| Miami (5-1) at New York Jets (5-1) | AFC East | Week 8, 2000 | NYJ 40, MIA* 37 | |||
| Denver (7-1) at Los Angeles Raiders (7-1) | AFC West | Week 9, 1984 | DEN* 22, LA 19 | |||
| Houston Oilers (6-1) at Pittsburgh (6-1) | AFC Central | Week 8, 1975 | PIT* 24, HOU 17 | |||
| Buffalo (6-1) at New England (6-1) | AFC East | Week 8, 1974 | BUF 29, NE 28 | |||
| *Won division | ||||||
— NFL —
SEATTLE SUPERSTAR: Seattle quarterback RUSSELL WILSON leads the league with 22 touchdown passes and a 119.5 passer rating this season. In his nine-year career, Wilson has 249 touchdown passes and a 102.2 passer rating, the second-highest mark in NFL history (minimum 1,500 attempts), behind only AARON RODGERS (102.8).
With a touchdown pass on Sunday against San Francisco (4:25 PM ET, FOX), Wilson will become the third player to reach 250 touchdown passes in his first nine seasons in NFL history, joining PEYTON MANNING (275 touchdown passes) and Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (266).
The players with the most touchdown passes in their first nine seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | TOUCHDOWN PASSES |
| Peyton Manning | Indianapolis | 275 |
| Dan MarinoHOF | Miami | 266 |
| Russell Wilson | Seattle | 249* |
| *In ninth season |
With at least three touchdown passes on Sunday, Wilson will have reached 25 touchdown passes in a season for the seventh time in his career and will join Manning (nine seasons)as the only players in NFL history with at least 25 touchdown passes in seven of their first nine seasons.
Last season, Wilson became the first quarterback in league history with a winning record in each of his first eight seasons. With a win on Sunday, Wilson will tie Manning (92 wins) for the most regular-season wins by a quarterback in his first nine seasons in NFL history. Wilson will also tie TOM BRADY (101) for the most wins, including the postseason, by a quarterback in his first nine seasons in NFL history.
— NFL —
MONDAY NIGHT MAGIC: Last week, Tampa Bay quarterback TOM BRADY passed for 369 yards and totaled five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing), his second game of the season with five total touchdowns. The 21-year veteran ranks second in the league this season with 18 touchdown passes.
Brady will make his 25th career appearance on Monday Night Football when Tampa Bay travels to face the New York Giants this week (8:15 PM ET, ESPN). With a touchdown pass on Monday, Brady will become the fourth player with at least 50 career touchdown passes on Monday Night Football, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers DAN MARINO (74 touchdown passes) and BRETT FAVRE (69), as well as DREW BREES (58).
The players with the most career touchdown passes on Monday Night Football:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | TOUCHDOWN PASSES |
| Dan MarinoHOF | Miami | 74 |
| Brett FavreHOF | Green Bay, New York Jets, Minnesota | 69 |
| Drew Brees | San Diego Chargers, New Orleans | 58 |
| Tom Brady | New England | 49 |
— NFL —
MAKING HIS MARK IN MINNESOTA: Minnesota wide receiver JUSTIN JEFFERSON leads all rookies with 537 receiving yards this season and in Week 6, became the fourth player with at least 100 receiving yards in three of his first six career games.
If Jefferson – who recorded 175 receiving yards in Week 3, 103 receiving yards in Week 4 and 166 receiving yards in Week 6 before having a bye in Week 7 – records at least 100 receiving yards on Sunday at Green Bay (1:00 PM ET, FOX), he will become the fourth rookie to have four 100-yard receiving games in a five-game span in NFL history, joining ODELL BECKHAM JR. (2014), BILL GROMAN (1960) and JIMMY ORR (1958).
The rookies with four 100-yard receiving games in a five-game span in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | ||
| Odell Beckham Jr. | New York Giants | 2014 | ||
| Bill Groman | Houston Oilers | 1960 | ||
| Jimmy Orr | Pittsburgh | 1958 | ||
| Justin Jefferson | Minnesota | 2020* | ||
| *At least 100 receiving yards in three of his past four games | ||||
— NFL —
ALVIN & THE RECEPTIONS: Entering Week 8, New Orleans running back ALVIN KAMARA leads the NFL with 824 scrimmage yards and ties for the lead league with seven touchdowns (four rushing, three receiving). He also leads all running backs with 46 receptions and 460 receiving yards this season.
With at least four receptions at Chicago on Sunday (4:25 PM ET, FOX), Kamara will become the third running back with at least 50 receptions in each of his first four seasons in NFL history, joining MATT FORTE and Pro Football Hall of Famer LADAINIAN TOMLINSON.
The running backs with at least 50 receptions in each of their first four seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASONS | ||
| Matt Forte | Chicago | 2008-11 | ||
| LaDainian TomlinsonHOF | San Diego Chargers | 2001-04 | ||
| Alvin Kamara | New Orleans | 2017-20* | ||
| *Has 46 receptions in 2020 entering Sunday | ||||
— NFL —
GARRETT GREATNESS: Last week, Cleveland defensive end MYLES GARRETT recorded two sacks and a forced fumble in the Browns’ victory, his sixth consecutive game with a sack and his fourth game this season with a forced fumble. Overall, he leads the league with nine sacks and ties for the lead with four forced fumbles in 2020.
With a sack and forced fumble on Sunday against Las Vegas (1:00 PM ET, FOX) Garrett will join TRACE ARMSTRONG (2000) as the only players since 1999 with at least 10 sacks and five forced fumbles in their team’s first eight games of a season.
Garrett has totaled 39.5 sacks in 44 career games and can become the fifth player with at least 40 sacks in his first 45 career games since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.
The players with the most sacks in their first 45 career games since 1982:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SACKS | ||
| Reggie WhiteHOF | Philadelphia | 57 | ||
| Aldon Smith | San Francisco | 44 | ||
| Derrick ThomasHOF | Kansas City | 43.5 | ||
| Von Miller | Denver | 41 | ||
| Myles Garrett | Cleveland | 39.5* | ||
| *In 44 games | ||||
— NFL —
