Inside the Numbers provides an insightful look into the statistics, trends, and remarkable streaks seen in the NFL each week. This week’s edition highlights the impressive and unconventional performances from quarterbacks Josh Allen and Jameis Winston during their prime-time matches.
Josh Allen showcased his dynamic athleticism, ingenuity, and a unique statistical achievement, becoming the first quarterback in history to record a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown in a single game. This remarkable feat happened during Buffalo’s victory over San Francisco. Meanwhile, Jameis Winston illustrated his tendency for both daring plays and costly errors, as he became the first player ever to achieve over 400 passing yards, four touchdowns, and toss two pick-6s in a game that ended in defeat for Cleveland against Denver.
The weekend proved to be historical for both quarterbacks. It began with Allen’s game on Sunday night, where he leveraged a peculiar NFL statistic to accomplish a remarkable milestone. He threw a short pass to Amari Cooper, who was immediately tackled by two defenders. Allen cleverly ran towards Cooper, signaling for the ball, which Cooper then pitched back to him. Allen sprinted off and dived in for a 7-yard touchdown. This unusual play led to Cooper receiving credit for a catch, albeit for -2 yards, while Allen received credit for 9 yards receiving, making him the quarterback with a receiving touchdown without an actual reception and a 7-yard touchdown pass.
This season, Allen joins Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs as the second player to receive a receiving touchdown without a catch, a feat only seen once before in the Super Bowl era when Allen Rice performed it in 1984. Additionally, only three players in NFL history have recorded a receiving touchdown on a pass they threw, with the most recent being Marcus Mariota in a 2017 postseason game where he caught his own deflected pass.
In Allen’s impressive outing, he later rushed for another touchdown, marking him as the seventh player in the Super Bowl era, and the first quarterback, to accomplish the trifecta of passing, rushing, and receiving touchdowns in the same game.
Jameis Winston, known for his unique blend of risk and reward, echoed this theme in his performance. Following his infamous 30-30 season in 2019, he threw for 497 yards, four touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. His performance marks him as the first quarterback ever to record these statistics in a single game.
The Denver defense capitalized on this by amassing 171 yards on interception returns, and the combined total of 668 yards on Winston’s passes set a new NFL record, surpassing Vinny Testaverde’s previous record of 664 yards.
Looking at team trends, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are securing their spot in the postseason for the tenth consecutive year, just shy of reaching the record held by New England, which spanned from 2009 to 2019. The Chiefs have kicked off their season with an impressive 11-1 record, aiming to become the first franchise to capture three consecutive Super Bowl titles. A win over the Chargers this coming Sunday could solidify their ninth straight AFC West title.
Nine of the Chiefs’ eleven wins have been narrowly secured, all victories by seven points or fewer—one short of the record set by the 1978 Houston Oilers. Despite their success, Kansas City holds the lowest point differential of +54 among teams that have started 11-1 or better.
The Bills also secured a spot in the playoffs, marking their sixth consecutive playoff appearance and fifth straight AFC East title. This streak ties for the seventh longest in NFL history, joining the ranks of the Patriots, Chiefs, Rams, Steelers, Vikings, and Browns. Although the Pittsburgh Steelers have not clinched a playoff berth yet, they have ensured they will not have a losing season for the 21st consecutive year, a stretch not matched by any other team since the Cowboys from 1965-85. Coach Mike Tomlin has led the team for 18 of those seasons without a losing record.
In terms of coaching, the Chicago Bears are looking for a boost following the firing of Matt Eberflus after another disappointing loss. They have elevated Thomas Brown to the position of interim head coach ahead of their matchup against San Francisco. This season’s interim coaches have posted varied results, with a mix of wins and losses in their first games.
Over the past decade, teams have typically seen an improvement upon changing coaches, evidenced by interim coaches maintaining a 13-11 record in their initial games. Before Eberflus’s dismissal, the Bears endured one of their poorest tenures, achieving an overall record of 14-32, ranking as the 13th worst in history among coaches with over 45 games.
Lastly, the Cincinnati Bengals continue to encounter difficulties despite their offensive achievements. Joe Burrow’s team scored over 33 points for the sixth time this season during a game against Pittsburgh but ultimately fell to the Steelers by a score of 44-38. This defeat puts the Bengals in the record books for the most losses in a season when scoring 33 or more points, surpassing previous teams from 2017, 2002, and 1985. Burrow currently leads the league with 30 touchdown passes and 3,337 passing yards, yet the Bengals’ defensive struggles have them sitting at a disappointing 4-8 record, allowing an average of 28.3 points per game.
