What to Look For - Week 16

 

 

 

RECORD-BREAKING ROOKIES: Los Angeles Chargers quarterback JUSTIN HERBERT leads all rookies with 3,781 passing yards, 27 touchdown passes and a 96.3 rating (minimum 100 attempts).

With a touchdown pass on Sunday against Denver (4:05 PM ET, CBS), Herbert will surpass BAKER MAYFIELD (27 touchdown passes in 2018) for the most touchdown passes by a rookie in NFL history.

The rookie quarterbacks with the most touchdown passes in NFL history:​

PLAYER	TEAM		SEASON	TOUCHDOWN PASSES
Justin Herbert	Los Angeles Chargers		2020	27*
Baker Mayfield	Cleveland		2018	27
Peyton Manning	Indianapolis		1998	26
Russell Wilson	Seattle		2012	26
*Entering Week 16

With at least 219 passing yards on Sunday, Herbert will become the fourth rookie in league history with at least 4,000 passing yards, joining ANDREW LUCK (4,374 in 2012), CAM NEWTON (4,051 in 2011), and JAMEIS WINSTON (4,042 in 2015).

The rookie quarterbacks with at least 4,000 passing yards in NFL history:​

PLAYER	TEAM	SEASON	PASSING YARDS
Andrew Luck	Indianapolis	2012	4,374
Cam Newton	Carolina	2011	4,051
Jameis Winston	Tampa Bay	2015	4,042
Justin Herbert	Los Angeles Chargers	2020	3,781*
*Entering Week 16

Last week, Philadelphia quarterback JALEN HURTS became the first rookie in the Super Bowl era to throw at least three touchdown passes and rush for a touchdown in his first career road start. He also rushed for 63 yards, his second-consecutive start with at least 50 rushing yards.

With at least 50 rushing yards on Sunday at Dallas (4:25 PM ET, FOX), Hurts will join LAMAR JACKSON (first five starts) as the only quarterbacks with at least 50 rushing yards in each of their first three career starts in the Super Bowl era.

 

SUNDAY NIGHT SHOWDOWN: The TENNESSEE TITANS (10-4) and GREEN BAY PACKERS (11-3) meet on Sunday Night Football (8:20 PM ET, NBC) in matchup of two of the league’s top offenses.

The two teams tie for the league lead with 55 total touchdowns and each average at least 30 points per game. The Titans tie for the NFL lead with 31.1 points per game, while the Packers rank third with 31.0. The primetime meeting will mark the first game between two teams each averaging at least 30 points per game in Week 16 or later in NFL history.

Green Bay quarterback AARON RODGERS enters the game with a league-high 40 touchdown passes and has only four interceptions this season. In his last seven games on Sunday Night Football, Rodgers has recorded 17 touchdown passes and zero interceptions. He has passed for at least one touchdown and zero interceptions in each of those seven games, the longest such streak on Sunday Night Football in NFL history.

Packers wide receiver DAVANTE ADAMS ranks second in the league with 14 touchdown receptions this season and has recorded a touchdown reception in eight consecutive games on Sunday Night Football, tied with ANTONIO BROWN (2013-16) and ROB GRONKOWSKI (2013-15) for the longest such streak in NFL history.

Green Bay tight end ROBERT TONYAN ties for the league lead among tight ends with a career-high 10 receiving touchdowns this season and he has recorded a touchdown catch in each of his last five games.

With a touchdown reception on Sunday night, Tonyan will become the fifth tight end to record a touchdown reception in at least six consecutive games in NFL history.

The tight ends with a receiving touchdown in the most consecutive games in history:

PLAYER	TEAM(S)	SEASON(S)	GAMES
Antonio Gates	San Diego Chargers	2009-10	9
Tony GonzalezHOF	Kansas City, Atlanta	2008-09	6
Jimmy Graham	New Orleans	2011-12	6
Rob Gronkowski	New England	2011	6
Robert Tonyan	Green Bay	2020	5*
*Active streak

Tennessee running back DERRICK HENRY leads the NFL with 1,679 rushing yards and ties for the lead with 15 rushing touchdowns. He has recorded at least 100 rushing yards in nine consecutive road games, the second-longest streak in NFL history.

With at least 100 rushing yards on Sunday night, Henry will tie Pro Football Hall of Famer BARRY SANDERS (10 consecutive road games from 1996-97) for the most consecutive road games with at least 100 rushing yards in league history.

 

RIDICULOUS RECEIVERS: Kansas City wide receiver TYREEK HILL leads the NFL with 17 touchdowns (15 receiving, two rushing) entering Week 16.

With a touchdown on Sunday against Atlanta (1:00 PM ET, FOX), Hill will tie MARK CLAYTON (18 touchdowns in 1984), BILL GROMAN (18 in 1961) and STERLING SHARPE (18 in 1994) for the third-most touchdowns by a wide receiver in a single season in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers RANDY MOSS (23 in 2007) and JERRY RICE (23 in 1987) have more. ​

The wide receivers with the most touchdowns in a single season in NFL history:​

PLAYER	TEAM		SEASON		TOUCHDOWNS
Randy MossHOF	New England		2007		23
Jerry RiceHOF	San Francisco		1987		23
Mark Clayton	Miami		1984		18
Bill Groman	Houston Oilers		1961		18
Sterling Sharpe	Green Bay		1994		18
Tyreek Hill	Kansas City		2020		17*
*Entering Week 16

Buffalo wide receiver STEFON DIGGS leads the league with 111 receptions this season and has recorded at least 10 catches in three consecutive games.

With 10 receptions at New England on Monday Night Football (8:15 PM ET, ESPN), Diggs will tie CALVIN JOHNSON (four games in 2012) for the most consecutive games with at least 10 receptions in NFL history.

Minnesota wide receiver JUSTIN JEFFERSON leads all rookies with 1,182 receiving yards this season. With 18 receiving yards at New Orleans on Friday (4:30 PM ET, FOX/NFLN/Amazon), Jefferson will become the fourth rookie with at least 1,200 receiving yards in the Super Bowl era, joining ANQUAN BOLDIN (1,377 receiving yards in 2003), Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS (1,313 in 1998) and ODELL BECKHAM JR. (1,305 in 2014).

The rookies with the most receiving yards in the Super Bowl era:​

PLAYER	TEAM	SEASON	RECEIVING YARDS
Anquan Boldin	Arizona	2003	1,377
Randy MossHOF	Minnesota	1998	1,313
Odell Beckham Jr.	New York Giants	2014	1,305
Justin Jefferson	Minnesota	2020	1,182*
*Entering Week 16