NFL What To Look For – Week 18

NEW YORK – Below are players that can set historic marks or reach career milestones in Week 18 of the 2024 NFL season, including:

• QB Joe Burrow
• QB Lamar Jackson
• QB Baker Mayfield
• QB Sam Darnold
• QB Jared Goff
• QB Jayden Daniels
• QB Bo Nix
• WR Ja’Marr Chase
• TE Brock Bowers
• TE Trey McBride
• WR Mike Evans
• RB Jahmyr Gibbs
• RB Derrick Henry
• WR Tyreek Hill
• WR Justin Jefferson
• RB Bijan Robinson
• WR Brian Thomas Jr.

PROLIFIC PASSERS

The quarterbacks with the most touchdown passes in a single season in NFL history:

• With Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow (42 touchdown passes), Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (39) and Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield (39), 2024 can become the third season all-time with three players each recording 40 touchdown passes, joining 2020 (Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson) and 2011 (Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford).
  
• Burrow has 4,641 passing yards and 42 touchdown passes in 2024 and can become the fifth quarterback in NFL history with 5,000 passing yards and 45 touchdown passes in a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (5,477 passing yards and 55 touchdown passes in 2013 with Denver) and Dan Marino (5,084 and 48 in 1984 with Miami) as well as Drew Brees (5,476 and 46 in 2011 with New Orleans) and Patrick Mahomes (5,097 and 50 in 2018 with Kansas City).
  
  Burrow can become the second player all-time with at least three touchdown passes in nine consecutive games, joining Tom Brady (10 consecutive games in 2007).
  
  Burrow has 10 games with at least three touchdown passes this season and can become the fifth player in NFL history with 11 such games in a season, joining Tom Brady (12 games in 2007 with New England), Aaron Rodgers (12 in 2020 with Green Bay), Drew Brees (11 in 2012 with New Orleans) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (11 in 2013 with Denver).
  
• Lamar Jackson has 39 touchdown passes and four interceptions entering Week 18 and can join Aaron Rodgers (2020) as the only players with at least 40 touchdown passes and five-or-fewer interceptions in a season in NFL history.
  
• New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has 499 regular-season touchdown passes in 247 career games and can become the fifth player in NFL history with 500 regular-season touchdown passes, joining Tom Brady (649 touchdown passes), Drew Brees (571) and Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (539) and Brett Favre (508). He can also join Manning (244 games) as the only players to reach 500 regular-season touchdown passes in fewer than 250 career games.

The qualified passers with the highest passer ratings in a single season in NFL history:

• Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Minnesota’s Sam Darnold each have 13 games with a passer rating of 100-or-higher this season and can join Aaron Rodgers (2020) as the only players with 14 such games in a season in NFL history.
  
• Darnold can become the third player in NFL history with 13 games with multiple touchdown passes and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in a season, joining Aaron Rodgers (14 games in 2020 and 13 in 2011) and Patrick Mahomes (13 in 2018).

The qualified passers with the highest completion percentages in a single season in NFL history:

• Detroit’s Jared Goff has eight games with a completion percentage of 75-or-higher this season and can surpass Tom Brady (eight games in 2007 with New England) and Kirk Cousins (eight in 2019 with Minnesota) for the most such games in a season in NFL history.

ROOKIE QUARTERBACKS

The rookie quarterbacks with the most combined passing and rushing yards in NFL history:

The rookies with the most touchdown passes in NFL history:

• Washington’s Jayden Daniels can become the third rookie starting quarterback in NFL history to win 12 games, joining Dak Prescott (13 wins in 2016 with Dallas) and Ben Roethlisberger (13 in 2004 with Pittsburgh).
  
• Denver’s Bo Nix has nine games with at least two touchdown passes this season and can join Justin Herbert (2020 with the Los Angeles Chargers) as the only rookies with 10 such games all-time.
  
  Nix has 350 completions this season and can surpass Trevor Lawrence (359 completions in 2021 with Jacksonville) for the third-most completions by a rookie quarterback in NFL history, trailing only Justin Herbert (396 in 2020 with the Los Angeles Chargers) and Carson Wentz (379 in 2016 with Philadelphia).

FROM SCRIMMAGE

The players to lead the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown receptions in the same season since 1970:

The tight ends with the most receptions in a season in NFL history:

• Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase has 5,329 career receiving yards and can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (5,396 receiving yards) for the third-most receiving yards by a player in his first four seasons in NFL history, trailing only Justin Jefferson (5,899) and Michael Thomas (5,512).
  
• Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans has 65 receptions for 915 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. In Week 18, Evans can tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (11 consecutive seasons from 1986-96) for the most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons in NFL history and become the fifth player ever with at least 12 touchdown receptions in six-or-more career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (eight seasons), Terrell Owens (seven), Marvin Harrison (six) and Randy Moss (six).
  
• Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs can become the sixth player with 21 games with a touchdown in his first two career seasons in NFL history, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Barry Sanders (22 games) and Gale Sayers (21) as well as Maurice Jones-Drew (21), Billy Sims (21) and Jonathan Taylor (21).
  
• Baltimore’s Derrick Henry has 1,953 scrimmage yards and 14 rushing touchdowns this season and can become the fifth player in NFL history with at least 2,000 scrimmage yards and 15 rushing touchdowns in multiple career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Terrell Davis and Emmitt Smith as well as Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson.
  
• Miami’s Tyreek Hill has six touchdown receptions this season and with one scrimmage touchdown in Week 18, can become the first wide receiver and fifth player ever with at least seven scrimmage touchdowns in each of his first nine seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Marshall Faulk and LaDainian Tomlinson as well as Ricky Watters. 
  
• Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson has 100 receptions for 1,479 yards and 10 touchdowns this season and can become the fifth player in NFL history with at least 100 receptions and 1,500 receiving yards in three career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Andre Johnson and Marvin Harrison as well as Antonio Brown and Julio Jones.
  
• Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson can tie Pro Football Hall of Famers Edgerrin James (32 games) and LaDainian Tomlinson (32) for the most games with at least 50 scrimmage yards by a player in his first two seasons in NFL history.
  
• Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas Jr. can become the fifth rookie in NFL history with at least 90 receiving yards and a touchdown reception in four consecutive games, joining Odell Beckham Jr. (2014 with the New York Giants), Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (1998 with Minnesota), Jimmy Orr (1958 with Pittsburgh) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (2021 with Detroit).