Inside the Numbers takes a closer look at NFL statistics, streaks, and trends each week. Here’s an overview of notable statistics as the season nears its end.
This season has seen an impressive emergence of top-tier running backs, including Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry, who have significantly impacted their teams despite having contracts far less lucrative than those of elite wide receivers. With only two weeks left in the regular season, 11 players have surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for both rushing and receiving yards. This contrasts sharply with recent seasons, highlighting a notable shift in the dynamics between positions.
The last time the NFL observed an equal number of 1,000-yard rushers and receivers was back in 2010, when 17 players in each category achieved this feat. While this season may not yield an exact balance, the numbers indicate a closer race than the last decade, where the disparity was significant—123 more receivers (233) reached 1,000 yards compared to runners (110). This revival of running backs is headed by Barkley and Henry, who have demonstrated their game-changing abilities on the field.
Leading the league, Barkley currently boasts 1,838 rushing yards and has a chance to become the ninth player in NFL history to reach 2,000 yards in a single season. He also has a faint possibility of surpassing Eric Dickerson’s all-time single-season record of 2,105 yards set over 16 games in 1984, needing just 268 yards to accomplish this in a 17-game schedule. Barkley’s exceptional talent has shone brightly this season, notably with a remarkable 68-yard touchdown run against Washington, making him the first player in NFL history to have four touchdown runs of 65 yards or more within one season.
Meanwhile, Henry of the Ravens has amassed 1,636 rushing yards, marking the first time since 2012 that multiple backs have eclipsed the 1,600-yard barrier in one season. Henry is now the fifth player in history to record over 1,500 yards in a season on four occasions, only one behind Barry Sanders’ record of five such seasons. Other notable players, including Eric Dickerson, Walter Payton, and Edgerrin James, have also achieved this milestone four times in their careers.
On the rookie front, both Jayden Daniels of Washington and Brock Bowers from Las Vegas are on track for impressive inaugural seasons. Daniels led a thrilling comeback against Philadelphia, throwing five touchdowns while helping the Commanders end a 98-game losing streak when trailing by 13 points or more in the fourth quarter. He recorded 258 passing yards and 81 rushing yards, joining the ranks of only Cam Newton as the only player in NFL history to achieve at least 250 yards passing, 75 yards rushing, and five touchdowns in a single game.
With 737 rushing yards this season, Daniels needs only 79 more to eclipse Robert Griffin III’s record of 815 rushing yards for a rookie quarterback, set in 2012. He is also just the second rookie quarterback ever to secure 10 wins and achieve a combined 4,000-plus yards in passing and rushing, a milestone previously accomplished by Andrew Luck in 2012.
For Bowers, the rookie tight end recorded 11 catches for 99 yards, bringing his season total to 101 catches, tying Anquan Boldin for the third-most catches in a season by a rookie. He requires just five more receptions in the concluding weeks to break Puka Nacua’s record of 105, set last season with the Rams. Meanwhile, Bowers’ receiving yards stand at 1,067, only nine yards shy of tying the rookie tight end record held by Hall of Famer Mike Ditka.
In a season characterized by long-distance kicking, no player has performed quite like Brandon Aubrey of Dallas. He has achieved an NFL record by making 14 field goals of at least 50 yards, surpassing Ka’imi Fairbairn of Houston who has 13. Together, they account for 27 of the record-breaking 173 field goals from 50 yards or more this season, easily exceeding the previous record of 158 from last season. This year’s total already boasts twice the amount of long field goals compared to 2019, which saw only 84 successful attempts.
Aubrey’s success continued with two 58-yard kicks, a 53-yarder, and a 49-yarder just this past week, further establishing records. His 36 successful field goals have collectively marked 1,636 yards, surpassing Justin Tucker’s previous record of 1,601 yards set in 2016 with Baltimore for the most yardage from field goals in a season.
San Francisco’s recent defeat has contributed to a strange trend within the franchise, as the 49ers now face a losing season. Over the last 22 years, they’ve only managed a winning record seven times, but remarkably advanced to the NFC Championship or Super Bowl in each of those successful campaigns. Despite their challenges, the Niners hold a count of the second-most playoff appearances in the conference championship game, trailing only New England’s tally.
This pattern of struggling for success post-Super Bowl is not unprecedented for the 49ers, who previously recorded a losing season of 6-10 in 2020 after their Super Bowl loss to Kansas City. Only the 2022 Rams and 2016 Panthers share the last 17 seasons of suffering losing records following Super Bowl appearances.
Lastly, the Green Bay Packers achieved an impressive feat by delivering the NFL’s first shutout of the current season, defeating New Orleans 34-0. This victory ensures that 2024 won’t become the first NFL season without a shutout. Historically, the previous low was two shutouts in any given season, as witnessed five times, most notably twice in the Super Bowl era during 1994 and 2015. This also marks the latest into a season that a shutout has occurred, surpassing the previous benchmark set back in 2010, with the NFL never registering more than eight weeks without one team being shut out.
