A look at seven statistical highlights from games played during the 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET windows on Sunday, January 8, the 18th week of the 2022 season.
- NEW PLAYOFF TEAMS: Six of the 13 teams to qualify for the playoffs with one game remaining are new to the postseason in 2022, having missed the playoffs a year ago: Baltimore, Jacksonville, the Los Angeles Chargers, Miami, Minnesota and the New York Giants. The Seattle Seahawks can join this group with a Detroit victory over Green Bay on Sunday Night Football.
Since 1990 – a streak of 33 consecutive seasons – at least four teams every season have qualified for the playoffs after failing to make the postseason the year before.
NEW DIVISION WINNERS: The AFC South (Jacksonville) and NFC North (Minnesota) were both won by teams that missed the postseason in 2021. The Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East) and San Francisco 49ers (NFC West) are also new division winners this season.
At least two teams have won their divisions the season after missing the playoffs in 19 of the past 20 years.
In each of the past 45 seasons (1977-2021, excluding 1982, when divisional play did not occur), at least one team has won its division the season after missing the playoffs. - AFC PLAYOFF SEEDS: The KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, who won their seventh-consecutive AFC West division title, finished as the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
The Chiefs will have home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs unless they face Buffalo in the AFC Championship Game, as both teams could have been the number one seed and hosted the game had all AFC clubs played a full 17-game regular season. In that scenario, the AFC Championship Game will be played at a neutral site.
The BUFFALO BILLS, who won the AFC East for the third-consecutive season, finished as the AFC’s No. 2 seed and will host the No. 7 seed MIAMI DOLPHINS on Super Wild Card Weekend. The Dolphins earned their first playoff berth since 2016.
The CINCINNATI BENGALS, who won their second-consecutive AFC North division title, finished as the AFC’s No. 3 seed and will host the No. 6 seed BALTIMORE RAVENS on Super Wild Card Weekend. The Ravens clinched a spot in the postseason for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
The JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, who completed a worst-to-first turnaround by winning the AFC South the year after finishing in last place, finished as the AFC’s No. 4 seed and will host the No. 5 seed LOS ANGELES CHARGERS on Super Wild Card Weekend. The Chargers clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2018.
In 18 of the past 20 seasons, at least one team finished in first place the season after finishing in last or tied for last place. - NFC PLAYOFF SEEDS: The PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, who won the NFC East for the first time since 2019, finished as the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The Eagles will have home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
The SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, who clinched the NFC West for the first time since 2019, finished as the NFC’s No. 2 seed and will host either the GREEN BAY PACKERS or SEATTLE SEAHAWKS on Super Wild Card Weekend.
If Green Bay defeats Detroit on Sunday Night Football, Green Bay will be the No. 7 seed. If Detroit defeats Green Bay, Seattle will earn the No. 7 seed. Should Detroit-Green Bay end in a tie, Seattle would qualify for the postseason.
The MINNESOTA VIKINGS, who won the NFC North for the first time since 2017, finished as the NFC’s No. 3 seed and will host the No. 6 seed NEW YORK GIANTS on Super Wild Card Weekend. The Giants earned their first playoff berth since 2016.
The TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS, who clinched back-to-back NFC South division titles for the first time in franchise history, finished as the NFC’s No. 4 seed and will host the No. 5 seed DALLAS COWBOYS on Super Wild Card Weekend. The Cowboys clinched a postseason berth for the second-consecutive season. - CLOSE GAMES: With one game yet to be completed in Week 18, there have been 121 games decided by a touchdown (six points or less) and 202 games within one score (eight points) in the fourth quarter this season, both the most such games in a single season in NFL history.
COMEBACKS: JACKSONVILLE overcame a 10-point deficit to win on Saturday and there have been 52 games in which a team has overcome a deficit of at least 10 points to win or tie this season, the most such games in a single season all-time.
FANTASTIC FINISHES: Four teams – CAROLINA, HOUSTON, MIAMI and SEATTLE – recorded game-winning scores in the final two minutes of regulation or in overtime in Week 18. There have been 66 games this season decided by a game-winning score in the final two minutes of regulation or in overtime, the most such games in a single season in NFL history.
Houston, Jacksonville and Seattle each came back to win after trailing in the fourth quarter and there have been 84 games this season in which a team has come back to win or tie after trailing in the fourth quarter, the most such games in a single season all-time. - Buffalo quarterback JOSH ALLEN passed for 254 yards and three touchdowns while running back NYHEIM HINES recorded kickoff-return touchdowns of 96 and 101 yards in the Bills’ 35-23 win over New England.
Allen, who had 4,283 passing yards and 35 touchdown passes this season, is the sixth player in NFL history with at least three career seasons with 4,000 passing yards and 35 touchdown passes, joining AARON RODGERS (six seasons), TOM BRADY (five), PATRICK MAHOMES (four), Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (four) and DREW BREES (four).
Allen, who also had seven rushing touchdowns this season, is the first player in NFL history with three career seasons with 35 touchdown passes and five rushing touchdowns.
Hines is the first player since LEON WASHINGTON (Week 3, 2010) with two kickoff-return touchdowns in the same game.
Hines, who had two punt-return touchdowns in Week 16 of the 2019 season with Indianapolis, is the first player in NFL history to have a game with two kickoff-return touchdowns and a game with two punt-return touchdowns in his career. - Tampa Bay quarterback TOM BRADY completed 13 of 17 pass attempts (76.5 percent) and threw his 25th touchdown pass of the season on Sunday.
Brady recorded 490 completions this season, surpassing the mark he set last year (485) for the most completions in a season in NFL history.
Brady has 17 career seasons with at least 25 touchdown passes and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (16 seasons) for the most such seasons in NFL history. - Minnesota wide receiver JUSTIN JEFFERSON led the NFL with 1,809 receiving yards in 2022 and became the sixth player in NFL history with at least 1,800 receiving yards in a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer CALVIN JOHNSON (1,964 receiving yards in 2012), COOPER KUPP (1,947 in 2021), JULIO JONES (1,871 in 2015), Pro Football Hall of Famer JERRY RICE (1,848 in 1995) and ANTONIO BROWN (1,834 in 2015).
Jefferson led the league with 128 receptions this season, the seventh-most receptions in a season in NFL history. - Additional notes from Sunday include:
- The PHILADELPHIA EAGLES led the NFL with 70 sacks this season, tied with the 1987 CHICAGO BEARS (70 sacks) for the third-most sacks by a team in a season in NFL history. Only the 1984 CHICAGO BEARS (72 sacks) and 1989 MINNESOTA VIKINGS (71) had more.
The Eagles led all teams with 32 rushing touchdowns this season, tied with the 2003 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (32 rushing touchdowns) and 2006 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (32) for the second-most rushing touchdowns by a team in a season in the Super Bowl era. Only the 1976 PITTSBURGH STEELERS (33 rushing touchdowns) had more. - The PITTSBURGH STEELERS improved to 9-8 this season with their Week 18 victory over Cleveland.
Pittsburgh secured a .500-or-better record for the 19th consecutive season, tied with the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2001-19) for the second-longest such streak in NFL history. Only the DALLAS COWBOYS (21 consecutive seasons from 1965-85) have a longer streak. - San Francisco rookie quarterback BROCK PURDY recorded three touchdown passes and defensive lineman NICK BOSA had a sack in the 49ers’ 38-13 win over Arizona.
Purdy is the third rookie quarterback ever to win each of his first five career starts, joining BEN ROETHLISBERGER (won first 13 starts in 2004) and MIKE KRUCZEK (first six in 1968).
Purdy is the second rookie in NFL history with at least two touchdown passes in six consecutive games, joining JUSTIN HERBERT (seven consecutive games in 2020).
Purdy became the third player in NFL history with at least two touchdown passes in each of his first five career starts, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO and BILLY VOLEK.
Bosa became the fourth player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to record at least one sack in 13 games within a single season, joining DEMARCUS WARE (14 games in 2008), JUSTIN HOUSTON (13 in 2014) and CHANDLER JONES (13 in 2017). - Los Angeles Chargers quarterback JUSTIN HERBERT passed for 275 yards and two touchdowns while running back AUSTIN EKELER had four receptions on Sunday.
Herbert had 4,741 passing yards this season and is the first player in NFL history with at least 4,500 passing yards in two of his first three career seasons. He passed for a career-high 5,014 yards last season.
Herbert had 25 touchdown passes this season and joined Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING as the only players in NFL history with at least 25 touchdown passes in each of their first three seasons.
Herbert has 45 career games with a touchdown pass and surpassed with Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (44 games) for the most such games with at least one touchdown pass by a player in his first three seasons in NFL history.
Ekeler led all running backs with a career-high 107 receptions this season, tied with CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY (107 receptions in 2018) for the second-most receptions by a running back in a season in NFL history. Only McCaffrey in 2019 (116 receptions) had more. - Cincinnati wide receiver JA’MARR CHASE recorded 87 receptions for 1,046 yards this season after registering 81 catches for 1,455 yards as a rookie in 2021.
Chase has 2,501 career receiving yards and is the fifth player in NFL history with at least 2,500 receiving yards in his first two seasons, joining JUSTIN JEFFERSON (3,016 receiving yards), ODELL BECKHAM JR. (2,755), Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS (2,726) and BILL GROMAN (2,648).
Chase is the fourth player in NFL history with at least 80 receptions and 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons, joining ODELL BECKHAM JR., JUSTIN JEFFERSON and MICHAEL THOMAS. - Miami wide receivers TYREEK HILL (1,710 receiving yards) and JAYLEN WADDLE (1,356) combined for 3,066 receiving yards this season and surpassed Denver’s EMMANUEL SANDERS and DEMARYIUS THOMAS (3,023 receiving yards in 2014) for the third-most combined receiving yards by a pair of teammates in a season in NFL history. Only Detroit’s HERMAN MOORE and BRETT PERRIMAN (3,174 in 1995) and the St. Louis Rams’ TORRY HOLT and Pro Football Hall of Famer ISAAC BRUCE (3,106 in 2000) had more.
- Carolina guard MICHAEL JORDAN recovered a fumble in the end zone in the Panthers’ 10-7 win at New Orleans.
Carolina is the third team since 2000 to win a game in which their only touchdown was scored by an offensive lineman, joining CHICAGO on December 9, 2018 (BRADLEY SOWELL touchdown reception) and DETROIT on December 17, 2000 (JEFF HARTINGS fumble-recovery touchdown).
- The PHILADELPHIA EAGLES led the NFL with 70 sacks this season, tied with the 1987 CHICAGO BEARS (70 sacks) for the third-most sacks by a team in a season in NFL history. Only the 1984 CHICAGO BEARS (72 sacks) and 1989 MINNESOTA VIKINGS (71) had more.
