Seven From Sunday – Week 3

A look at seven statistical highlights from games played at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 26, the third week of the 2021 season.

• In Week 3, five teams advanced to 3-0: ARIZONA, CAROLINA, DENVER, LAS VEGAS and the LOS ANGELES RAMS. San Francisco (2-0) faces Green Bay on Sunday Night Football and can begin a season 3-0 for the second time in the past three seasons (2019).

  For the 10th time ever and first time since 2018, a game has gone to overtime in each of the first three weeks of the season. Las Vegas overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat Miami, 31-28, in overtime and became the fourth team to win two overtime games within their first three games of a season, joining the 1995 Atlanta Falcons, 1995 Kansas City Chiefs and 1994 Detroit Lions. Minnesota also overcame a 10-point deficit to defeat Seattle in Week 3.

  With two games remaining in Week 3, 10 of 14 games (71.4 percent) have been within one score (eight points) in the fourth quarter, with four games being decided by a game-winning score in the final minute of regulation or in overtime.

• Baltimore quarterback LAMAR JACKSON recorded one touchdown pass and kicker JUSTIN TUCKER converted a game-winning 66-yard field goal as time expired, the longest made field goal in NFL history, in the Ravens’ 19-17 win at Detroit.

  In 40 career starts, Jackson has 90 touchdowns (70 passing, 20 rushing) and joined PATRICK MAHOMES (107 touchdowns) and Pro Football Hall of Famers DAN MARINO (95) and KURT WARNER (91) as the only quarterbacks with at least 90 combined passing and rushing touchdowns in their first 40 career starts.

  Tucker, who also converted a 50-yard field goal in the third quarter, has seven career games with multiple 50-yard field goals, tied with BRANDON MCMANUS (seven games) and MATT PRATER (seven) for the most such games in NFL history.

• Buffalo quarterback JOSH ALLEN passed for 358 yards and four touchdowns and added one rushing touchdown in the Bills’ 43-21 win over Washington.

  Allen is the fourth player in NFL history to record multiple career games with at least 300 passing yards, four touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown, joining DREW BREES (four games), AARON RODGERS (three) and Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (two). He registered 311 passing yards with four touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown in Week 3 of the 2020 season.

  Allen is the fifth player ever to record five games with at least 300 passing yards and four touchdown passes in his first four seasons, joining PATRICK MAHOMES (nine games), Pro Football Hall of Famers DAN MARINO (nine) and KURT WARNER (six), and ANDREW LUCK (six).

• Los Angeles Chargers quarterback JUSTIN HERBERT passed for 281 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions for a 125.0 rating, including the game-winning touchdown pass with 32 seconds remaining, in the team’s 30-24 win at Kansas City.

  Herbert is the fifth player in the Super Bowl era to record five games with at least three touchdown passes and zero interceptions in his first two seasons, joining LAMAR JACKSON (six games), Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (six), PATRICK MAHOMES (five) and DAK PRESCOTT (five).

  Kansas City quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES, appearing in his 49th career game, registered 260 passing yards and three touchdown passes in Week 3.

  Mahomes has 15,092 career passing yards and became the first quarterback in league annals to reach 15,000 passing yards in 50-or-fewer games.

• Las Vegas quarterback DEREK CARR passed for 386 yards and two touchdowns with one interception for a 95.7 rating in the Raiders’ 31-28 overtime win against Miami. Las Vegas is 3-0 for the first time since 2002.

  Carr has 1,203 passing yards and became the fourth player with at least 1,200 passing yards through his team’s first three games of a season in NFL history, joining TOM BRADY (1,327 passing yards in 2011), RYAN FITZPATRICK (1,230 in 2018) and Pro Football Hall of Famer KURT WARNER (1,221 in 2000).

  Dating back to Week 16 of the 2020 season, Carr has recorded at least 325 passing yards in five consecutive games and joined RICH GANNON (six games in 2002), DREW BREES (five games in 2011) and Pro Football Hall of Famer KURT WARNER (five games in 2000 and five games in 2008) as the only players to record 325 passing yards in five consecutive games in NFL history.

• Los Angeles Rams wide receiver DESEAN JACKSON recorded a 75-yard touchdown reception in the team’s 34-24 win over Tampa Bay.

  Jackson is the fifth player in the Super Bowl era to register 10 career touchdowns of at least 75 yards, joining DEVIN HESTER (14 touchdowns), DANTE HALL (11), JOSH CRIBBS (10) and TYREEK HILL (10).

  Tampa Bay quarterback TOM BRADY passed for 432 yards and one touchdown and added a rushing touchdown on Sunday. Brady has 80,291 career passing yards and joined DREW BREES (80,358) as the only players with at least 80,000 career passing yards in NFL history.

• Cincinnati rookie wide receiver JA’MARR CHASE registered touchdown receptions of 9 yards and 34 yards in the Bengals’ 24-10 win at Pittsburgh.

  Chase, who had a 50-yard touchdown catch in Week 1 and a 42-yard touchdown reception in Week 2, is the third rookie in NFL history with a touchdown reception of at least 25 yards in each of his first three career games, joining DONTE STALLWORTH (2002) and BILLY HOWTON (1952).

  Pittsburgh rookie running back NAJEE HARRIS totaled 14 receptions for 102 yards on Sunday.

  Harris’ 14 catches are tied with SAQUON BARKLEY (September 16, 2018) and ROY HELU (November 6, 2011) for the most receptions by a rookie running back in a single game all-time.

• Other notable performances from Sunday include:
  • Arizona quarterback KYLER MURRAY passed for 316 yards and added a rushing touchdown in the Cardinals’ 31-19 win at Jacksonville. Arizona improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2015.

    Murray has rushed for a touchdown in each of his team’s first three games for the second season in a row. The only other quarterbacks with a rushing touchdown in each of their team’s first three games of a season since 1970 are Pro Football Hall of Famer TERRY BRADSHAW (1972) and CHARLIE FRYE (2006).

  • Jacksonville wide receiver JAMAL AGNEW returned a missed field goal on Sunday for a 109-yard touchdown, tied with CORDARRELLE PATTERSON (109-yard kick return touchdown on October 27, 2013) and ANTONIO CROMARTIE (109-yard missed field goal return on November 4, 2007) for the longest return touchdown in NFL history.

    Agnew, who had a 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in Week 2, is the first player in NFL history to register a touchdown of at least 100 yards in consecutive games.