What to Look For - Week 13

Rodgers1050

Aaron Rodgers has never been shy about expressing his opinions nor has he been someone who lacks confidence in his abilities on the football field.

Rodgers introduced a refrain into the sports vocabulary in 2014 when he told Packers fans during a radio show appearance: “Five letters here just for everybody out there in Packerland: ‘R-E-L-A-X.’  Relax. We're going to be OK.”

The then 1-2 Packers went 11-2 the rest of the regular season and reached the NFC championship. Rodgers finished with almost 4,400 yards passing and 38 touchdowns with only five interceptions.

More recently, Rodgers said on a sports talk show that his “slump years” are better than some other quarterbacks’ career years.

Bold.

Brash.

Accurate.

One week after becoming only the 11th player in the National Football League to pass for more than 50,000 yards, Rodgers is positioned to set two NFL touchdown passing records.

Those milestones are among several things to watch for as the NFL enters Week 13 of the 2020 season.

 

AAR RAID: Last week, Green Bay quarterback AARON RODGERS passed for 211 yards and four touchdowns with zero interceptions for a 132.3 passer rating, his fifth game with at least four touchdown passes this season, the most in the NFL. He leads the league with 33 touchdown passes and a 117.6 rating.

With two touchdown passes on Sunday against Philadelphia (4:25 PM ET, CBS), Rodgers can become the first player in NFL history to record five seasons with at least 35 touchdown passes. He also accomplished the feat in 2016 (40 touchdown passes), 2014 (38), 2012 (39) and 2011 (45).

The players with the most seasons of at least 35 touchdown passes in NFL history:​

PLAYER

TEAM(S)

SEASONS WITH 35 TD PASSES

Tom Brady

New England

4

Drew Brees

New Orleans

4

Peyton Manning

Indianapolis, Denver

4

Aaron Rodgers

Green Bay

4*

*Has 33 touchdown passes in 2020

 

In his 16-year career, Rodgers has totaled 50,046 passing yards and 397 touchdown passes and last week became the 11th player in league history to pass for at least 50,000 yards. With three touchdown passes on Sunday, Rodgers – appearing in his 193rd career game – can become the seventh player in NFL history to reach 400 career touchdown passes and the fastest to reach the mark.

The players to reach 400 career touchdown passes in the fewest games in NFL history:​

PLAYER

TEAM(S)

GAMES TO 400 TD PASSES

Drew Brees

San Diego, New Orleans

205

Peyton Manning

Indianapolis, Denver

209

Tom Brady

New England

212

 

 

 

Aaron Rodgers

Green Bay

192*

*Has 397 career touchdown passes

 

Rodgers’ top target, wide receiver DAVANTE ADAMS, enters Week 13 with 11 touchdown receptions, tied for the second-most in the NFL. He has recorded at least five receptions and a touchdown catch in six consecutive games.  

With five receptions and a touchdown catch on Sunday against Philadelphia (4:25 PM ET, CBS), Adams would become the third player with at least five receptions and a touchdown catch in seven consecutive games within a single season in NFL history, joining ANTONIO BROWN(eight games in 2018) and Pro Football Hall of Famer TERRELL OWENS (seven games in 2007).

The players with the most consecutive games with at least five receptions and a touchdown catch within a single season in NFL history:​

PLAYER

TEAM

SEASON

GAMES

Antonio Brown

Pittsburgh

2018

8

Terrell OwensHOF

Dallas

2007

7

 

 

 

 

Davante Adams

Green Bay

2020

6*

*Active streak

 
 
MAGICAL MAHOMES​: Kansas City quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES leads the league with 3,497 passing yards and ranks third with 30 touchdown passes, while only throwing two interceptions this season. He is the third player in league history to throw his 30th touchdown pass of the season before throwing his third interception, joining TOM BRADY (2007) and DREW BREES (2018).
 

Last week, Mahomes passed for 462 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions for a 124.7 rating, becoming the first player with at least 30 completions and 300 passing yards in four consecutive games in league annals.

With at least 325 passing yards against Denver on Sunday Night Football (8:20 PM ET, NBC), Mahomes can become the fourth quarterback with at least 325 passing yards in five consecutive games in NFL history.

The players with the most consecutive games with at least 325 passing yards in NFL history:​

PLAYER

TEAM

SEASON

GAMES

Rich Gannon

Oakland Raiders

2002

6

Drew Brees

New Orleans

2011

5

Kurt WarnerHOF

Arizona

2008

5

Kurt WarnerHOF

St. Louis Rams

2000

5

 

 

 

 

Patrick Mahomes

Kansas City

2020

4*

*Active streak

 
 
TYREEK’S TOUCHDOWNS: Last week, Kansas City wide receiver TYREEK HILL had a career-high 13 receptions for a career-best 269 yards and three touchdowns. He leads the league with 13 touchdown receptions and has recorded a touchdown in 10 of 11 games this season.
 

With a touchdown against Denver on Sunday Night Football (8:20 PM ET, NBC), Hill can become the fourth wide receiver in NFL history with a touchdown in 11 of his team’s first 12 games of a season.

The wide receivers with a touchdown in 11 of their team’s first 12 games of a season in NFL history:​

PLAYER

TEAM

SEASON

GAMES

Elroy HirschHOF

L.A. Rams

1951

11

Carl Pickens

Cincinnati

1995

11

Jerry RiceHOF

San Francisco

1989

11

 

 

 

 

Tyreek Hill

Kansas City

2020

10*

*Has touchdown in 10 of first 11 games this season​

 

Hill has recorded at least 10 receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown in each of his past two games and can become the third player to do so in three consecutive games in NFL history, joining KEENAN ALLEN (three games in 2017) and MICHAEL THOMAS (three games in 2019).

 

KELCE’S KINGDOM​: Kansas City tight end TRAVIS KELCE leads all tight ends with 74 catches and 978 receiving yards this season, while tying for the lead with seven touchdown receptions. ​

Kelce, who has had at least 80 receptions in each of the past four seasons, needs six catches against Denver on Sunday Night Football (8:20 PM ET, NBC) to join Pro Football Hall of Famer TONY GONZALEZ (eight seasons) and JASON WITTEN (six) as the only tight ends with five career seasons of 80-or-more receptions. Kelce would be the first tight end with at least 80 receptions in five consecutive seasons.

He also had at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of the past four seasons and needs 22 receiving yards to become the first tight end in league annals with five career 1,000-yard seasons.​

 

NOT DRAFTED? NOT A PROBLEM: Jacksonville running back JAMES ROBINSON leads all rookies and ranks third in the NFL with 890 rushing yards this season.

With 110 rushing yards at Minnesota on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS), Robinson can become the fourth undrafted rookie to record 1,000 rushing yards in the common-draft era.

The undrafted rookies with the most rushing yards since 1967:​

PLAYER

TEAM

SEASON

RUSHING YARDS

Dominic Rhodes

Indianapolis

2001

1,104

Phillip Lindsay

Denver

2018

1,037

LeGarrette Blount

Tampa Bay

2010

1,007

James Robinson

Jacksonville

2020

890*

*Entering Week 13

 

Robinson also leads all rookies with 1,170 scrimmage yards this season, the third-most by an undrafted rookie in the common-draft era. With at least 100 scrimmage yards on Sunday, Robinson – who has six games with at least 100 scrimmage yards this season – can tie CLARK GAINES (seven games in 1976) for the most such games by an undrafted rookie in the common-draft era.

 

1K IN A HURRY: Minnesota wide receiver JUSTIN JEFFERSON leads all rookies with 918 receiving yards, while ranking second with both 52 receptions and six touchdown catches. ​

With 82 receiving yards against Jacksonville on Sunday (1:00 PM ET, CBS), Jefferson can become the fifth rookie to reach 1,000 receiving yards in his first 12 career games in the Super Bowl era.

The rookies with the most receiving yards in their first 12 career games in the Super Bowl era:​

PLAYER

TEAM

SEASON

RECEIVING YARDS

Odell Beckham Jr.

N.Y. Giants

2014

1,305

Anquan Boldin

Arizona

2003

1,032

Randy MossHOF

Minnesota

1998

1,014

Marques Colston

New Orleans

2006

1,001

 

 

 

 

Justin Jefferson

Minnesota

2020

918*

*in 11 career games

 
 
JAMAL DOES IT ALL: Seattle safety JAMAL ADAMS – who leads all defensive backs with 6.5 sacks this season and had 6.5 sacks in 2019 – is the first defensive back to record at least six sacks in consecutive seasons since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.
 

With a half sack on Sunday against the New York Giants (4:05 PM ET, FOX), Adams can become the fourth defensive back to record at least seven sacks in a single season since 1982.

The defensive backs with the most sacks in a single season since 1982:​

PLAYER

TEAM

SEASON

SACKS

Adrian Wilson

Arizona

2005

8

Roman Harper

New Orleans

2011

7.5

Dave Duerson

Chicago

1986

7

Jamal Adams

Seattle

2020

6.5*

Jamal Adams

N.Y. Jets

2019

6.5

LeRoy Butler

Green Bay

1996

6.5

*Entering Week 13​