A look atĀ seven statistical highlightsĀ from games played during the 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET windows on Sunday, September 12, the first week of the 2021 season.
- With two games remaining in Week 1, eight games have been within one score (eight points) in the fourth quarter while two teams overcame deficits of at least 10 points to win: theĀ KANSAS CITY CHIEFSĀ (12 points) andĀ PITTSBURGH STEELERSĀ (10).
For the third time in the past four seasons, a game on Kickoff Weekend has gone to overtime. Cincinnati defeated Minnesota, 27-24, in overtime and marked theĀ first regular-season game in NFL history with a game-tying score with no time remaining in regulation and a game-winning score with no time remaining in overtime.
- Jacksonville rookie quarterbackĀ TREVOR LAWRENCE, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, New York Jets rookie quarterbackĀ ZACH WILSONĀ (No. 2), and New England rookie quarterbackĀ MAC JONESĀ (No. 15) each made their first career starts on Kickoff Weekend. At least one rookie quarterback has started in Week 1 in 14 consecutive seasons, theĀ longest streak in the NFL since at least 1950.
With three rookie quarterbacks starting in Week 1,Ā 2021 joined the 2012 season (five rookie quarterbacks) as the only seasons since 1970 in which at least three rookie quarterbacks started in Week 1.
Four rookie quarterbacks ā Jones, San Francisco’sĀ TREY LANCE, Lawrence and Wilson ā each threw their first-career touchdown passes in Week 1. It marks theĀ most rookie quarterbacks to throw their first career touchdown passes in Week 1 since 1970, surpassing the 2012 (ROBERT GRIFFIN III,Ā ANDREW LUCKĀ andĀ RUSSELL WILSON) and 1971 (SCOTT HUNTER,Ā ARCHIE MANNINGĀ andĀ JIM PLUNKETT) seasons.
Seven first- or second-year quarterbacks ā Cincinnati’sĀ JOE BURROW, the Los Angeles Chargers’Ā JUSTIN HERBERT, Philadelphia’sĀ JALEN HURTS, Jones, Lawrence, Miami’sĀ TUA TAGOVAILOAĀ and Wilson ā each started on Kickoff Weekend,Ā tied with the 2013 and 2000 seasons for the second-most such starting quarterbacks in a season-opening week in the Super Bowl era. Only the 2012 season (10 quarterbacks) had more.
Lawrence passed for 332 yards in his NFL debut, theĀ third-most passing yards by a No. 1 overall pick in his first career start in the Super Bowl era. OnlyĀ CAM NEWTONĀ (422 passing yards) andĀ VINNY TESTAVERDEĀ (369) had more.
Three rookie wide receivers that were each selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft ā Cincinnati’sĀ JA’MARR CHASEĀ (No. 5 overall), Miami’sĀ JAYLEN WADDLEĀ (No. 6) and Philadelphia’sĀ DEVONTA SMITHĀ (No. 10) ā each recorded their first career touchdown receptions on Kickoff Weekend.
This is theĀ first season in the common-draft era in which three rookie wide receivers that were each selected in the first round of the NFL Draft registered a touchdown reception in Week 1.
- With two games remaining, four quarterbacks ā New Orleans’Ā JAMEIS WINSTONĀ (five touchdown passes), Tampa Bay’sĀ TOM BRADYĀ (four), Arizona’sĀ KYLER MURRAYĀ (four) and Seattle’sĀ RUSSELL WILSONĀ (four) ā have thrown at least four touchdown passes in Week 1. This is theĀ first season in which at least four quarterbacks have registered four-or-more touchdown passes in Week 1 since 1970.
With two games remaining, 15 quarterbacks have recorded a passer rating of 100-or-higher in Week 1 (minimum 10 attempts), theĀ second-most on Kickoff Weekend in NFL history, trailing only the 2018 season (18 quarterbacks).
- Kansas City quarterbackĀ PATRICK MAHOMESĀ passed for 337 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions for a 131.4 rating, while tight endĀ TRAVIS KELCEĀ had 76 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the Chiefs’ 33-29 win over Cleveland.
Making his 47th career start in Week 1, Mahomes has 14,489 career passing yards andĀ surpassed Pro Football Hall of FamerĀ KURT WARNERĀ (14,372) for the most passing yards by a player in his first 50 career starts in NFL history.
In 47 career starts, Mahomes has 117 touchdown passes andĀ surpassed Pro Football Hall of FamerĀ DAN MARINOĀ (116 touchdown passes) for the most touchdown passes by a player in his first 50 career starts in league annals.
Kelce recorded his 50th career touchdown reception in his 112th career game,Ā surpassingĀ VERNON DAVISĀ (115) as the fifth-fastest tight end to reach 50 touchdown receptions in NFL history.
- Arizona quarterbackĀ KYLER MURRAYĀ passed for 289 yards with a career-high four touchdowns and one interception for a 121.0 rating and added a rushing touchdown, while linebackerĀ CHANDLER JONESĀ totaled a career-high five sacks with two forced fumbles in the Cardinals’ 38-13 win at Tennessee.
Murray has four career games with at least three touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown,Ā tied withĀ JOSH ALLENĀ (four games) andĀ JACK KEMPĀ (four) for the most such games by a player in his first three seasons in NFL history.
Jones is theĀ third player to record at least five sacks in a Week 1 game since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, joining Pro Football Hall of FamerĀ DERRICK THOMASĀ (six sacks in 1998) andĀ BILL GAYĀ (5.5 sacks in 1983). He is theĀ sixth player to record at least five sacks and two forced in a single game since 2002.
Jones, who had two games (Weeks 7 and 16) with four sacks during the 2019 season, is theĀ fourth player since 1982 with three career games with at least four sacks, joining Pro Football Hall of FamersĀ DERRICK THOMASĀ (four games) andĀ REGGIE WHITEĀ (three), as well asĀ LESLIE O’NEALĀ (four).
- Seattle quarterbackĀ RUSSELL WILSONĀ recorded four touchdown passes with zero interceptions and a 152.3 rating in the Seahawks’ 28-16 win at Indianapolis.
Wilson has 11 career games with at least four touchdown passes and zero interceptions,Ā surpassingĀ TOM BRADYĀ (10 games), Pro Football Hall of FamerĀ PEYTON MANNINGĀ (10) andĀ AARON RODGERSĀ (10) for the most such games by a player in his first 10 seasons in league annals.
- Other notable performances from Sunday include:
- Carolina running backĀ CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREYĀ recorded nine receptions and 187 scrimmage yards (98 rushing, 89 receiving) in the Panthers’ 19-14 win over the New York Jets.
McCaffrey has seven career games with at least 75 rushing yards and 75 receiving yards,Ā surpassing Pro Football Hall of FamerĀ WALTER PAYTONĀ (six games) for the third-most such games in the Super Bowl era. Only Pro Football Hall of FamerĀ MARSHALL FAULKĀ (11 games) andĀ PRIEST HOLMESĀ (nine) have more.
- Tennessee wide receiverĀ JULIO JONESĀ recorded his 850th career reception in his 136th career game,Ā surpassing Pro Football Hall of FamerĀ MARVIN HARRISONĀ (140 games) as the second-fastest player to reach 850 career receptions in NFL history. OnlyĀ ANTONIO BROWNĀ (133 games) reached the mark in fewer games.
- Cincinnati rookie kickerĀ EVAN MCPHERSONĀ converted a 33-yard field goal with no time remaining in overtime in the Bengals’ 27-24 win over Minnesota. He is theĀ second rookie kicker in NFL history to kick a game-winning field goal with no time remaining in overtime, joiningĀ JASON SANDERSĀ (October 14, 2018).
- Carolina running backĀ CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREYĀ recorded nine receptions and 187 scrimmage yards (98 rushing, 89 receiving) in the Panthers’ 19-14 win over the New York Jets.