Thursday, March 28, 2024
Sports Gaming Digest FREE Digital Sports Magazine Subscription

NFL What To Look For – Week 14

PASSING HISTORY: Tampa Bay quarterback TOM BRADY enters Week 14 as the league’s leader in passing yards (3,771) and touchdown passes (34) in 2021. This marks his ninth season with at least 30 touchdown passes, tied for the second-most such seasons ever.

With 229 passing yards against Buffalo on Sunday (4:25 PM ET, CBS), Brady will reach 4,000 passing yards for the 13th time in his career, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (14 seasons) as the only players with at least 4,000 passing yards in 13-or-more seasons in NFL history.

Brady also leads the league with 347 completions this season and has 7,125 career completions. With 18 completions on Sunday, Brady – who is already the league’s all-time leader in passing yards (82,975) and touchdown passes (615) – will surpass DREW BREES (7,142) for the most completions in NFL history.

The players with the most completions in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM(S) COMPLETIONS
Drew Brees San Diego Chargers, New Orleans 7,142
Tom Brady New England, Tampa Bay 7,125
Brett FavreHOF Green Bay, Minnesota 6,300

Pittsburgh quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER enters this week with 2,758 passing yards in 2021 and can become the sixth player all-time to record 3,000 passing yards in 15 career seasons. He currently ranks sixth on the all-time passing yards list with 63,106. With 335 passing yards at Minnesota on Thursday Night Football (8:20 PM ET, FOX), Roethlisberger will surpass PHILIP RIVERS (63,440) for the fifth-most passing yards ever.

The players with the most passing yards in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM(S) PASSING YARDS
Tom Brady New England, Tampa Bay 82,975
Drew Brees San Diego Chargers, New Orleans 80,358
Peyton ManningHOF Indianapolis, Denver 71,940
Brett FavreHOF Green Bay, N.Y. Jets, Minnesota 71,838
Philip Rivers San Diego/L.A. Chargers, Indianapolis 63,440
Ben Roethlisberger Pittsburgh 63,106

Atlanta quarterback MATT RYAN has 363 career touchdown passes and ranks 10th on the all-time list. With four touchdown passes at Carolina on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Ryan will surpass ELI MANNING (366) for the ninth-most touchdown passes in NFL history.

— NFL —

GREEN BAY GREATNESS: The GREEN BAY PACKERS (9-3) currently hold the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff picture and have a chance to clinch their third-consecutive NFC North title on Sunday. For all the Week 14 playoff scenarios, click here.

Since becoming the Green Bay starting quarterback in 2008, AARON RODGERS has led the Packers to nine 10-win seasons, the second-most of any team during that span.

With a win against Chicago on Sunday Night Football (8:20 PM ET, NBC), Rodgers will become the fourth starting quarterback all-time with 10-or-more 10-win seasons, joining TOM BRADY (can achieve the mark for the 19th time in 2021) and Pro Football Hall of Famers PEYTON MANNING (14 seasons) and BRETT FAVRE (10).

The starting quarterbacks with the most seasons with at least 10 wins in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM(S) SEASONS
Tom Brady New England, Tampa Bay 18*
Peyton ManningHOF Indianapolis, Denver 14
Brett FavreHOF Green Bay, Minnesota 10
Aaron Rodgers Green Bay 9*
*Has nine wins in 2021    

Rodgers enters Week 14 with 23 touchdown passes this season and has multiple touchdown passes in nine games, tied for the most in the league. With two touchdown passes on Sunday night, Rodgers will have recorded 25 touchdown passes in 12 seasons, the fourth-most such seasons in NFL history.

The players with the most seasons with at least 25 touchdown passes in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM(S) SEASONS
Tom Brady New England, Tampa Bay 16
Peyton ManningHOF Indianapolis, Denver 16
Drew Brees San Diego Chargers, New Orleans 14
Brett FavreHOF Green Bay, Minnesota 11
Philip Rivers San Diego/L.A. Chargers 11
Aaron Rodgers Green Bay 11*
*Has 23 touchdown passes entering Week 14    

— NFL —

JUSTIN THE NICK OF TIME: Los Angeles Chargers quarterback JUSTIN HERBERT ranks fourth in the league with 3,547 passing yards this season and leads the NFL in 300-yard passing games (seven).

After setting the rookie record for passing yards last season (4,336), Herbert – the No. 6 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft – has 7,883 career passing yards entering Week 14. With 117 passing yards on Sunday against the New York Giants (4:05 PM ET, FOX), he would become the fourth-youngest player (23 years, 277 days old on Sunday) to reach 8,000 passing yards in NFL history.

The youngest players to reach 8,000 career passing yards in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM AGE  
Jameis Winston Tampa Bay 22 years, 361 days  
Sam Darnold N.Y. Jets 23 years, 212 days  
Drew Bledsoe New England 23 years, 236 days  
       
Justin Herbert L.A. Chargers 23 years, 277 days*  
*On Sunday; has 7,883 career passing yards    

Herbert leads all AFC quarterbacks with 27 touchdown passes this season and has five games with at least three touchdown passes, tied for the most in the conference. Last season, Herbert set the NFL rookie record with 31 touchdown passes.

With two touchdown passes on Sunday, he will become the second-youngest player to reach 60 touchdown passes in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (23 years, 78 days) reached the mark at a younger age.

The youngest players to reach 60 career touchdown passes in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM AGE  
Dan MarinoHOF Miami 23 years, 78 days  
Jameis Winston Tampa Bay 23 years, 289 days  
Matthew Stafford Detroit 23 years, 328 days  
       
Justin Herbert L.A. Chargers 23 years, 277 days*  
*On Sunday; has 28 career touchdown passes    

With three touchdown passes, Herbert will become the first player ever with at least 30 touchdown passes in each of his first two seasons.

— NFL —

RAM RECORDS: Los Angeles Rams wide receiver COOPER KUPP leads the league with 100 receptions, 1,366 receiving yards and 11 touchdown receptions this season. Last week, he became the first player ever with at least 100 receptions and 10-or-more touchdown receptions in his team’s first 12 games of a season.

In each of his past eight games, Kupp has surpassed 90 receiving yards. With at least 90 receiving yards at Arizona on Monday Night Football (8:15 PM ET, ESPN), Kupp will become the third player to eclipse 90 receiving yards in nine consecutive games in the Super Bowl era, joining ODELL BECKHAM JR. (nine games in 2014) and Pro Football Hall of Famer MICHAEL IRVIN (nine games in 1995).

The players with at least 90 receiving yards in the most consecutive games in the Super Bowl era:

PLAYER TEAM SEASON GAMES
Odell Beckham Jr. N.Y. Giants 2014 9
Michael IrvinHOF Dallas 1995 9
       
Cooper Kupp L.A. Rams 2021 8*
*Active streak      

Quarterback MATTHEW STAFFORD ranks second in the league with 30 touchdown passes and is third with 3,611 passing yards. He has 48,720 passing yards in his 13-year career. With 122 passing yards on Monday, Stafford will surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (48,841) for the fourth-most passing yards by a player in his first 13 seasons in NFL history.

The players with the most passing yards in their first 13 seasons in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM(S) PASSING YARDS
Matt Ryan Atlanta 55,767
Peyton ManningHOF Indianapolis 54,828
Drew Brees San Diego Chargers, New Orleans 51,081
Dan MarinoHOF Miami 48,841
Matthew Stafford Detroit, L.A. Rams 48,720*
*In 13th season    

— NFL —

STREAKING BACKS: Last week, Indianapolis running back JONATHAN TAYLOR became the fifth player ever with a rushing touchdown in at least 10 consecutive games within a single season. Cincinnati running back JOE MIXON enters Week 14 having rushed for a touchdown in six straight games and has scored a scrimmage touchdown in each of his past nine games.

If Mixon scores a touchdown against San Francisco on Sunday (4:25 PM ET, CBS) and extends his streak, this will mark the third season ever in which two players each had a 10-game touchdown streak, joining 1983 (Pro Football Hall of Famers ERIC DICKERSON and JOHN RIGGINS) and 1964 (Pro Football Hall of Famers LANCE ALWORTH and LENNY MOORE).

The seasons in which two players each had 10-game touchdown streaks:

SEASON PLAYER – TD STREAK
2021 Jonathan Taylor – 10 games*
  Joe Mixon – 9 games*
   
1983 John RigginsHOF – 12 games
Eric DickersonHOF – 10 games
   
1964 Lenny MooreHOF – 14 games
  Lance AlworthHOF – 10 games
*Active streak

— NFL —

SACK ATTACK: Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. WATT leads the league with 16 sacks in 2021 after recording a career-high 3.5 sacks last week.

Watt, who had 13 sacks in 2018, 14.5 sacks in 2019 and 15 sacks in 2020, joined Pro Football Hall of Famer REGGIE WHITE (1985-88; 1990-93) as the only players with at least 13 sacks in four consecutive seasons since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. He is also the first player since his brother, J.J. WATT (2014-15), to total at least 15 sacks in consecutive seasons.

With a sack at Minnesota on Thursday Night Football (8:20 PM ET, FOX), Watt will surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer DERRICK THOMAS (66 sacks) for the third-most sacks by a player in his first five seasons since 1982. Only White (81) and J.J. Watt (74.5) have more.

The players with the most sacks in their first five seasons since 1982:

PLAYER TEAM SACKS
Reggie WhiteHOF Philadelphia 81
J.J. Watt Houston 74.5
Derrick ThomasHOF Kansas City 66
T.J. Watt Pittsburgh 65.5*
*In fifth season    

Cincinnati defensive end TREY HENDRICKSON has 11.5 sacks in his first season as a Bengal and has registered a sack in each of his past eight games. With a sack against San Francisco on Sunday (4:25 PM ET, CBS), Hendrickson will join CHRIS JONES (11 consecutive games in 2018) as the only players with a sack in at least nine consecutive games within a single season since 1982.

Dallas linebacker MICAH PARSONS, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, leads all rookies with 10 sacks and 16 tackles for loss this season and has recorded a sack in each of the past five games. With a sack at Washington on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Parsons will become the third rookie to record a sack in six-or-more consecutive games since 1982, joining JAVON KEARSE (eight consecutive games in 1999) and MIKE CROEL (six in 1991). Both Kearse and Croel were both named Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The rookies with a sack in the most consecutive games since 1982:

PLAYER TEAM SEASON GAMES  
Javon Kearse# Tennessee 1999 8  
Mike Croel# Denver 1991 6  
         
Micah Parsons Dallas 2021 5*  
*Active streak        
#Named Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year
Jackery Solar Battery Portable Generator

Related Articles

5-Hour Energy

Latest Articles