What To Look For – NFL Week 9
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NEW YORK –– Nov. 1, 2023 –– Below are teams and players that can set historic marks or reach career milestones in Week 9 of the 2023 NFL season, including:
MAHOMES AND KELCE LOOK TO CONTINUE TO REWRITE HISTORY Kansas City quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES has five games with at least two touchdown passes in 2023, tied for the third-most such games in the NFL this season, and has 63 such games in his career since entering the league in 2018, the most among all players in that span. With two touchdown passes against Miami on Sunday in the NFL’s first-ever regular-season game in Frankfurt, Germany (9:30 a.m. ET, NFLN), Mahomes can tie Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (64 games) for the second-most games with at least two touchdown passes by a player in his first seven seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (65) has more. The players with the most games with at least two touchdown passes in their first seven seasons in NFL history:
Mahomes and tight end TRAVIS KELCE have connected on 50 regular-season touchdowns. On Sunday, they can surpass DREW BREES and JIMMY GRAHAM (51 touchdowns) for the third-most regular-season touchdowns by a quarterback-tight end combination in NFL history. Only the combinations of TOM BRADY and ROB GRONKOWSKI (90) and PHILIP RIVERS and ANTONIO GATES (89) have more. The quarterback-tight end combinations with the most regular-season touchdowns in NFL history:
In 151 career games, Kelce has recorded 10,927 receiving yards. With 73 receiving yards on Sunday, Kelce can become the fourth tight end ever to record 11,000 career receiving yards, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer TONY GONZALEZ (15,127 receiving yards), JASON WITTEN (13,046) and ANTONIO GATES (11,841). Kelce would become the fastest tight end ever to reach the 11,000-yard milestone (152 games). The tight ends to reach 11,000 receiving yards in the fewest games in NFL history:
Kelce, whose four touchdown receptions ties for second-most among tight ends this season, has 73 career touchdown receptions. With two touchdown receptions on Sunday, Kelce can surpass JASON WITTEN (74 touchdown receptions) for the fifth-most touchdown receptions by a tight end in NFL history. The tight ends with the most touchdown receptions in NFL history:
HILL LOOKS TO ADD ANOTHER FIRST TO THE LIST Miami wide receiver TYREEK HILL leads the NFL with 1,014 receiving yards and eight touchdown receptions, and also ranks tied for second with 61 receptions this season. He became the first player in 62 years and fourth player all-time with 1,000 receiving yards in his team’s first eight games of a season. With 91 receiving yards against Kansas City in Frankfurt on Sunday (9:30 a.m. ET, NFLN), Hill will surpass the record he set last season (1,104 receiving yards) for the most receiving yards by a player in their first nine games of a season in the Super Bowl era. The players with the most receiving yards in their first nine games of a season in the Super Bowl era:
With 10 receptions and 150 receiving yards on Sunday, Hill will become the first player in NFL history to record 11 career games with at least 10 receptions and 150 receiving yards. The players with the most career games with at least 10 receptions and 150 receiving yards in NFL history:
ALLEN LOOKS TO MOVE UP LEADERBOARD Buffalo quarterback JOSH ALLEN leads all quarterbacks with 22 total touchdowns this season (17 passing, five rushing). Last week, he recorded his sixth consecutive game with multiple touchdown passes and his fifth game in the past six weeks with a rushing touchdown. With both a passing and rushing touchdown at Cincinnati on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), Allen can tie AARON RODGERS (31 games) and Pro Football Hall of Famer STEVE YOUNG (31) for the second-most games with at least one touchdown pass and one rushing touchdown in NFL history. Only CAM NEWTON (45) has more. The players with the most games with at least one touchdown pass and one rushing touchdown in NFL history:
With two combined passing and rushing touchdowns on Sunday, Allen will surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (199 combined touchdowns) for the second-most combined passing and rushing touchdowns in a player’s first six seasons in NFL history. Only PATRICK MAHOMES (204) has more. The players with the most combined passing and rushing touchdowns in their first six seasons in NFL history:
BURROW’S FIRST 50 GAMES Cincinnati quarterback JOE BURROW has played in 49 games since entering the NFL in 2020 and can make his 50th career start against Buffalo on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC). With three touchdown passes, Burrow will tie JUSTIN HERBERT (95 touchdown passes) and DESHAUN WATSON (95) for the fourth-most touchdown passes by a player in his first 50 career games in NFL history. Only PATRICK MAHOMES (128) and Pro Football Hall of Famers DAN MARINO (114) and KURT WARNER (101) have more. The players with the most touchdown passes in their first 50 games in NFL history:
With three touchdown passes on Sunday, Burrow will surpass JUSTIN HERBERT (16 games) for the fourth-most games with at least three touchdown passes by a player in his first 50 career games in NFL history. Only PATRICK MAHOMES (25) and Pro Football Hall of Famers DAN MARINO (21) and KURT WARNER (21) have more. The players with the most games with at least three touchdown passes in their first 50 games in NFL history:
EKELER CLIMBING LIST OF TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS BY A RUNNING BACK Last week, Los Angeles Chargers running back AUSTIN EKELER recorded his 30th career touchdown reception, tying JAMES BROOKS (30 touchdown receptions) and BRIAN WESTBROOK (30) for the fourth-most touchdown receptions by a running back in the Super Bowl era. With one touchdown reception at the New York Jets on Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), Ekeler will tie KEITH BYARS (31 touchdown receptions) for the third-most touchdown receptions by a running back in the Super Bowl era. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer MARSHALL FAULK (36) and DARREN SPROLES (32) have more. The running backs with the most touchdown receptions in the Super Bowl era:
ROOKIE WIDE RECEIVERS LOOKING TO CONTINUE TO MAKE HISTORY Los Angeles Rams rookie wide receiver PUKA NACUA ranks tied for second with 61 receptions this season and ranks third with 795 receiving yards. Last week, Nacua surpassed JA’MARR CHASE (786 receiving yards) for the most receiving yards by a player in his first eight career games in the Super Bowl era. At Green Bay on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX), Nacua can surpass SAQUON BARKLEY (62 receptions in 2018) for the most receptions by a player in their first nine games in NFL history and surpass MARQUES COLSTON (869 receiving yards in 2006) for the most receiving yards in a player’s first nine career games all-time. The players with the most receiving yards in their first nine games all-time:
Nacua also has two games with at least 150 receiving yards (Weeks 4 and 7). With another such performance this season, Nacua can become the fifth rookie all-time to have three games with at least 150 receiving yards, joining BILL GROMAN (four games in 1960), BILLY HOWTON (four in 1952), JA’MARR CHASE (three in 2021) and Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS (three in 1998). The rookies with the most games with at least 150 receiving yards all-time:
Minnesota rookie wide receiver JORDAN ADDISON ranks tied for second in the NFL with seven touchdown receptions this season, tied for the fifth-most by a player in his first eight career games in the Super Bowl era. With a touchdown reception on Sunday at Atlanta (1 p.m. ET, FOX), Addison will become the first player since 1982 and the seventh player all-time to record at least eight touchdown receptions in his first nine games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers MIKE DITKA (nine in 1961) and BOB HAYES (eight in 1965) as well as HARLON HILL (nine in 1954), CHARLIE BROWN (eight in 1982), BILL GROMAN (eight in 1960) and BILLY HOWTON (eight in 1952). The players with the most touchdown receptions in their first nine career games all-time:
AFC NORTH SEVENTH-YEAR SACK LEADERS Cleveland defensive end MYLES GARRETT and Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. WATT each rank tied for third with 8.5 sacks this season. Since both entered the NFL in 2017, Watt, with 87 sacks, and Garrett, with 83, rank first and second, respectively, in sacks. In Week 9, Watt – appearing in his 94th career game on Thursday Night Football against Tennessee (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video) – can surpass his brother J.J. WATT (87.5 sacks) for the second-most sacks by a player in his first 100 career games since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Additionally, Garrett – appearing in his 92nd career game on Sunday against Arizona (1 p.m. ET, CBS) needs two sacks to tie Pro Football Hall of Famer DEMARCUS WARE (85 sacks) for the fourth-most sacks by a player in his first 100 career games since 1982. The players with the most sacks in their first 100 NFL games since 1982:
With at least one sack on Sunday, Garrett will tie AARON DONALD (57) for the fourth-most career games with at least one sack in a player’s first seven NFL seasons since 1982. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers DEMARCUS WARE (68 games) and REGGIE WHITE (63) as well as VON MILLER (61) have more. The players with the most games with at least one sack in their first seven NFL seasons since 1982:
FRANKLIN EYES TACKLES MARK THROUGH TEAM’S FIRST NINE GAMES Indianapolis linebacker ZAIRE FRANKLIN leads the NFL with 102 tackles this season, his second-consecutive 100-tackle season (166 tackles in 2022). With 13 tackles on Sunday at Carolina (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS), Franklin will surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer ZACH THOMAS (114 tackles in 2005) for the most tackles by a player in his team’s first nine games of a season since 2000. The players with the most tackles in their team’s first nine games of a season since 2000:
HURTS & BROWN LOOK TO CONTINUE MOVING UP LEADERBOARDS Philadelphia quarterback JALEN HURTS leads all quarterbacks with six rushing touchdowns this season and ranks tied for second with 280 rushing yards. Since entering the NFL in 2020, Hurts leads quarterbacks with 32 rushing touchdowns. With one rushing touchdown on Sunday against Dallas (4:25 p.m. ET, FOX), Hurts will tie CAM NEWTON (33 rushing touchdowns) for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in his first four seasons in NFL history. The quarterbacks with the most rushing touchdowns in their first four seasons in NFL history:
Last week, Hurts became the sixth player in NFL history with at least 300 combined passing and rushing yards and two combined passing and rushing touchdowns in six consecutive games. On Sunday, Hurts can tie DREW BREES (seven consecutive games in 2011) and AARON RODGERS (seven in 2011) for the second-most such consecutive games within a single season in NFL history. Only ANDREW LUCK (eight in 2014) has more. The players with the most consecutive games with at least 300 combined passing and rushing yards and two combined passing and rushing touchdowns within a single season in NFL history:
With 130 receiving yards last week, wide receiver A.J. BROWN became the first player in NFL history with 125 receiving yards in six consecutive games and tied ODELL BECKHAM JR. (16 games) for the fifth-most such games by a player in his first five seasons all-time. With at least 125 receiving yards on Sunday, Brown will tie Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS (17 games), JUSTIN JEFFERSON (17, in fourth season) and JULIO JONES (17) for second-most such games by a player in his first five seasons all-time. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer LANCE ALWORTH (19 games) has more. The players with the most games with at least 125 receiving yards in their first five seasons all-time:
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