THUNDER BAY – SPORTS – The National Football League season is streaking toward the playoff season. Here is a look at seven statistical highlights from games played at 1:00 p.m. ET and 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 20, the 11th week of the 2016 season.
- The DALLAS COWBOYS gained 417 total net yards in the team’s 27-17 win over Baltimore. That marked the team’s eighth consecutive game with at least 400 yards, tied for the longest single-season streak in NFL history (2007 New England and 2013 Denver). The Cowboys have won nine consecutive games, the longest single-season winning streak in franchise history.
Dallas rookie quarterback DAK PRESCOTT passed for 301 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Ravens. Prescott is the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to pass for at least 300 yards and multiple touchdowns with no interceptions in consecutive games. He joined Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (1983) and RUSSELL WILSON (2012) as the only rookie quarterbacks since 1970 to have multiple touchdown passes in five consecutive games.
Cowboys rookie running back EZEKIEL ELLIOTT rushed for 97 yards and leads the NFL with 1,102 rushing yards. Elliott’s 1,102 rushing yards are the third-most in NFL history in a player’s first 10 games, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer ERIC DICKERSON (1,223) and ADRIAN PETERSON (1,197).
- The DETROIT LIONS scored 10 unanswered points in the fourth quarter of the team’s 26-19 come-from-behind victory over Jacksonville. The Lions, who are the first team in NFL history to have each of its first 10 games decided by seven points or fewer, have trailed in the fourth quarter in all 10 games. Detroit is the first team in NFL history to have six wins when trailing in the fourth quarter in the team’s first 10 games of a season.
- The NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS defeated San Francisco 30-17 to improve to 8-2 this season. With their eighth win, the Patriots are guaranteed at least a .500 record this season. New England is the fifth team in NFL history – and the first since the 1983-1998 San Francisco 49ers – to have at least 16 consecutive seasons with a .500 or better record.
Patriots quarterback TOM BRADY threw four touchdown passes and no interceptions against the 49ers. Brady has 21 career games with at least four touchdown passes and no interceptions, the most in NFL history. Including the postseason, Brady now has 199 career victories, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer BRETT FAVRE for the second-most in NFL history. Brady needs one win to tie PEYTON MANNING (200) for the most all-time.
- Minnesota’s XAVIER RHODES had a 100-yard interception-return touchdown and CORDARRELLE PATTERSON had a 104-yard kickoff-return touchdown in the Vikings’ 30-24 win over Arizona. The Vikings are the first team since the 1962 Dallas Cowboys to have a 100+ yard interception-return touchdown and a 100+ yard kickoff-return touchdown in the same game. On October 14, 1962, the Cowboys’ AMOS MARSH had a 101-yard kickoff-return touchdown and MIKE GAECHTER had a 100-yard interception-return touchdown in Dallas’ 41-19 win over Philadelphia.
- Pittsburgh wide receiver ANTONIO BROWN had eight catches for 76 yards in the Steelers’ 24-9 win at Cleveland. Brown, who has 603 career receptions, reached 600 catches in his 96th career game, the fewest games to reach the milestone in NFL history. Brown surpassed the previous mark held by ANQUAN BOLDIN, who reached 600 receptions in 98 career games.
- Baltimore wide receiver STEVE SMITH, SR. had eight catches for 99 yards and a touchdown in the Ravens’ loss at Dallas. Smith has 1,005 career receptions and became the 14th player in NFL history to reach 1,000 career catches. Smith is the only player in league history with at least 1,000 catches (1,005), 1,000 punt-return yards (1,684) and 2,000 kickoff-return yards (2,371).
- Starting with the 2015 season, the NFL adopted a rule change moving the line of scrimmage on an extra-point kick attempt to the 15-yard line in order to make it a more competitive play. In today’s games, there have been 11 missed extra-point kick attempts, the most in a single week since the merger.
