A look at seven statistical highlights from games played at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 21, the 11th week of the 2021 season.
- Including Minnesota’s game-winning field goal as time expired, there have been 23 games decided by a game-winning score on the final play this season, the most such games through Week 11 since 1970.
With two games remaining in Week 11, there have been 37 games with a game-winning score in the final two minutes of regulation or in overtime this season, the third-most such games through Week 11 all-time. Only 2015 (39) and 2003 (39) had more.
Three teams – HOUSTON, INDIANAPOLIS and MINNESOTA – entered the week with a .500-or-below winning percentage and defeated a team that began the week in first place or tied for first place in their division.
Since Week 9, there have been 11 wins by teams with a .500-or-below winning percentage against division leaders, the most such wins to occur during Weeks 9-11 of a single season since 1970.
Houston and Minnesota each defeated teams that entered Week 11 with at least four more victories than them on the season. There have been eight such wins this season, tied with 1974 (eight) for the most wins by teams over an opponent who had at least four more wins on the season through Week 11.
- Indianapolis running back JONATHAN TAYLOR totaled 204 scrimmage yards (185 rushing, 19 receiving) and five touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving) in the Colts’ 41-15 win at Buffalo.
Taylor, who is 22 years and 306 days old, is the third player under the age of 23 with at least five touchdowns in a single game in NFL history, joining CLINTON PORTIS (five touchdowns on December 7, 2003 at 22 years and 97 days old) and Pro Football Hall of Famer GALE SAYERS (six touchdowns on December 12, 1965 at 22 years and 196 days old).
Taylor is the fifth player all-time with four rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown in a single game, joining SHAUN ALEXANDER (September 29, 2002), ABNER HAYNES (November 26, 1961), DUB JONES (November 25, 1951) and Pro Football Hall of Famer GALE SAYERS (December 12, 1965). He is the first player to record at least 175 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns and one touchdown reception in a single game in NFL history.
Taylor is the third player with at least 100 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdowns in eight consecutive games in NFL history, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer LADAINIAN TOMLINSON (2006) and LYDELL MITCHELL (1975-76).
Taylor, who has 1,122 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns this season after recording 1,169 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns as a rookie, is the fourth player since 2000 to record at least 1,000 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in each of his first two seasons, joining ADRIAN PETERSON (2007-08), CLINTON PORTIS (2002-03) and Pro Football Hall of Famer LADAINIAN TOMLINSON (2001-02).
- Minnesota quarterback KIRK COUSINS passed for 341 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions for a 128.4 rating while wide receiver JUSTIN JEFFERSON had eight receptions for 169 yards and two touchdowns in the Vikings’ 34-31 win over Green Bay.
Cousins has 25 career games with at least 300 passing yards and three touchdown passes, surpassing AARON RODGERS (24 games) for the second-most such games by a quarterback in his first 10 seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (26) has more.
Jefferson recorded his 11th career game with at least 100 receiving yards, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS (11 games) and JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER (11) for the second-most such games by a player in his first two seasons in the Super Bowl era. Only ODELL BECKHAM JR. (15) has more.
Jefferson joined EARNEST GRAY (1989-90) and LOUIS LIPPS (1984-85) as the only players in the Super Bowl era with at least 150 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in a game in each of their first two seasons. He also accomplished the feat as a rookie in Week 6 last season (166 receiving yards, two touchdown receptions).
- Green Bay quarterback AARON RODGERS passed for 385 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions for a 148.4 rating on Sunday against Minnesota.
Rodgers has 13 career games with at least four touchdown passes and a passer rating of 140-or-higher, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (13) for the third-most such games all-time. Only DREW BREES (15) and TOM BRADY (14) have more.
Rodgers, has 112 career games with a passer rating of 100-or-higher, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (112) for the third-most such games all time. Only TOM BRADY (148) and DREW BREES (141) have more.
- Making his 15th career start, Philadelphia quarterback JALEN HURTS rushed for three touchdowns, while cornerback DARIUS SLAY recorded a 51-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Eagles’ 40-29 win over New Orleans.
Hurts, who is 23 years and 106 days old, is the second-youngest quarterback in league annals to register three rushing touchdowns in a single game, trailing only CAM NEWTON (three rushing touchdowns on December 4, 2011 at 22 years, 207 days old).
Hurts had 11 rushing touchdowns in his first 15 career starts, tied with JOSH ALLEN (11 rushing touchdown) and KORDELL STEWART (11) for the second-most by a quarterback in his first 15 career starts in the Super Bowl era. Only CAM NEWTON (14) had more.
Hurts has four career games with at least two rushing touchdowns, tied with CAM NEWTON (four) for the most such games by a quarterback in his first two seasons in the Super Bowl era.
Slay, who had an 83-yard fumble return for a touchdown in Week 10, is the third player since 2000 with a defensive touchdown of at least 50 yards in consecutive games, joining SHELDON BROWN (Weeks 13-14, 2009) and VINCENT FULLER (Week 3 and Week 5, 2007).
- Las Vegas quarterback DEREK CARR passed for 215 yards and one touchdown on Sunday against Cincinnati.
Carr, who has 3,041 passing yards this season, is the fourth quarterback with at least 3,000 passing yards in each of his first eight seasons in NFL history, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING, CAM NEWTON and RUSSELL WILSON.
- San Francisco wide receiver DEEBO SAMUEL registered 94 scrimmage yards (79 rushing, 15 receiving) and a rushing touchdown in the 49ers’ 30-10 win at Jacksonville. San Francisco opened the game with a drive that lasted 13 minutes and five seconds, the longest drive since Tennessee had a drive of 13 minutes and 27 seconds on November 27, 1997.
Samuel, who has three rushing touchdowns this season and registered three rushing touchdowns as a rookie in 2019, is the first wide receiver in the Super Bowl era with at least three rushing touchdowns in two of his first three career seasons.
