A look at seven statistical highlights from games played during the 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET windows on Saturday, December 24, the 16th week of the 2022 season.
- The BUFFALO BILLS clinched their third-consecutive AFC East division title with a 35-13 win at Chicago.
The BALTIMORE RAVENS defeated Atlanta, 17-9, and combined with losses by New England and the New York Jets, clinched a playoff berth for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
The CINCINNATI BENGALS, who clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive season on Thursday with the Jets’ loss, defeated New England, 22-18.
- CLOSE GAMES: With five games yet to be completed in Week 16, there have been 105 games decided by a touchdown (six points) or less, the most such games through the first 16 weeks all-time.
Eight of 11 games (72.7 percent) that have been completed in Week 16 have been within one score (eight points) in the fourth quarter and there have been 180 games within one score (eight points) in the fourth quarter this season, the most such games through the first 16 weeks in NFL history.
COMEBACKS: The DALLAS COWBOYS and NEW ORLEANS SAINTS each overcame 10-point deficits to win on Saturday and there have been 46 games in which a team has overcome a deficit of at least 10 points to win or tie this season, the most such games in a single season all-time.
The MINNESOTA VIKINGS defeated the New York Giants, 27-24, as kicker GREG JOSEPH converted the game-winning 61-yard field goal as time expired. The Vikings recorded their 11th one-score win (eight points or fewer) this season, the most such wins by a team in a season in NFL history.
Joseph’s 61-yard game-winning field goal is tied with JAKE ELLIOTT (61 yards on September 24, 2017) for the fourth-longest game-winning field goal with no time remaining in the fourth quarter or in overtime. Only JUSTIN TUCKER (66 yards on September 26, 2021), TOM DEMPSEY (63 yards on November 8, 1970) and MATT BRYANT (62 yards on October 22, 2006) had longer game-winners.
There have been 57 games this season decided by a game-winning score in the final two minutes of regulation or in overtime, the most such games through the first 16 weeks of a season all-time.
Dallas, HOUSTON and Minnesota came back to win after trailing in the fourth quarter and there have been 74 games in which a team has come back to win or tie after trailing in the fourth quarter, the most such games through the first 16 weeks of a season all-time.
- Minnesota quarterback KIRK COUSINS passed for 299 yards and three touchdowns and wide receiver JUSTIN JEFFERSON had 12 receptions for 133 yards and one touchdown in the Vikings’ Week 16 win.
Cousins has 27 touchdown passes this season and is the fifth player ever to record at least 25 touchdown passes in at least eight consecutive seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (13 seasons), DREW BREES (11), PHILIP RIVERS(11) and TOM BRADY (10).
Jefferson, currently in his third career season, recorded his 24th career game with at least 100 receiving yards and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS (23) for the most such games by a player in his first four seasons in NFL history.
Jefferson, who had 11 receptions for 223 yards in Week 14 and 12 receptions for 123 yards in Week 15, is the sixth player ever with at least 10 receptions and 100 receiving yards in at least three consecutive games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer CALVIN JOHNSON (four consecutive games in 2012), KEENAN ALLEN (three in 2017), ANDRE JOHNSON (three in 2008), BRETT PERRIMAN (three in 1995) and MICHAEL THOMAS(three in 2019).
Jefferson has 10 games with at least 100 receiving yards this season, tied for the fourth-most such games in a single season in NFL history. Only COOPER KUPP (11 in 2021) and Pro Football Hall of Famers CALVIN JOHNSON (11 in 2012) and MICHAEL IRVIN(11 in 1995) had more.
- Kansas City quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES passed for 224 yards and had three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) while tight end TRAVIS KELCE had six catches for 113 yards in the Chiefs’ 24-10 win over Seattle.
The Chiefs improved to 12-3 on the season and became the third team ever to record at least 12 regular-season wins in five consecutive seasons, joining the 2010-17 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (eight consecutive seasons) and 2003-09 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS(seven consecutive seasons).
Mahomes has 4,720 passing yards and 37 touchdown passes in 2022 and is the fourth quarterback all-time with four career seasons of 4,500 passing yards and 35 touchdown passes, joining TOM BRADY (five seasons), DREW BREES (four) and Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (four).
Kelce has 801 career receptions and is the fifth tight end in NFL history with at least 800 receptions, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer TONY GONZALEZ (1,325), JASON WITTEN (1,228), ANTONIO GATES (955) and Pro Football Hall of Famer SHANNON SHARPE (815).
Kelce has 35 career games with at least 100 receiving yards, the most by a tight end in NFL history.
- Buffalo quarterback JOSH ALLEN had three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in the Bills’ 35-13 win at Chicago.
Allen recorded his 25th career game with at least one touchdown pass and one rushing touchdown, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer FRAN TARKENTON (24 games) for the fourth-most such games in NFL history. Only CAM NEWTON (45 games), Pro Football Hall of Famer STEVE YOUNG (31) and AARON RODGERS (30) have more.
Allen has totaled 173 combined passing and rushing touchdowns (135 passing, 38 rushing) since entering the NFL in 2018 and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (171 touchdowns) for the most combined passing and rushing touchdowns by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history.
- San Francisco rookie quarterback BROCK PURDY had two touchdown passes with a 114.6 rating while tight end GEORGE KITTLE recorded six receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns and defensive lineman NICK BOSA had two sacks and a forced fumble in the 49ers’ 37-20 win against Washington.
Purdy joins Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO as the only quarterbacks since 1950 with at least two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in each of his first three career starts.
Kittle has 5,202 career receiving yards and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer KELLEN WINSLOW SR. (5,176 receiving yards) for the fourth-most receiving yards by a tight end in his first six seasons in NFL history. Only ROB GRONKOWSKI (5,555), JIMMY GRAHAM (5,357) and TRAVIS KELCE (5,236) have more.
Bosa has 12 games with at least one sack this season, tied for the fourth-most such games in a season since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Only DEMARCUS WARE (14 games in 2008), JUSTIN HOUSTON (13 in 2014) and CHANDLER JONES (13 in 2017) have more.
- Carolina running back D’ONTA FOREMAN rushed for 165 yards and one touchdown while running back CHUBA HUBBARD recorded 125 rushing yards in the Panthers’ 37-23 win over Detroit.
Hubbard (109 rushing yards) and Foreman (104) became the first pair of teammates since Jacksonville’s MAURICE JONES-DREW and FRED TAYLOR (December 10, 2006) each with at least 100 rushing yards in the first half of the same game.
Carolina rushed for 240 yards in the first half on Sunday, the third-most rushing yards in a first half in the past 40 years. Only BUFFALO on November 22, 1992 (254 rushing yards) and JACKSONVILLE on December 10, 2006 (251) had more.
- Additional notes from Sunday include:
- Chicago quarterback JUSTIN FIELDS totaled 130 yards (119 passing, 11 rushing) with one touchdown pass on Saturday.
Fields had 1,011 rushing yards this season and surpassed LAMAR JACKSON(1,005 rushing yards in 2020) for the third-most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season in NFL history. Only LAMAR JACKSON (1,206 in 2019) and MICHAEL VICK (1,039 in 2006) has more.
- Detroit wide receiver AMON-RA ST. BROWN had seven receptions for 76 yards on Saturday.
St. Brown, who had 90 receptions as a rookie last season and has 96 receptions in 2022, joined MICHAEL THOMAS and ODELL BECKHAM JR. as the only players ever with at least 90 receptions and 900 receiving yards in each of their first two seasons.
- New England rookie defensive back MARCUS JONES recorded a 69-yard interception-return for a touchdown against Cincinnati.
Jones, who had a punt-return for a touchdown in Week 11 and a touchdown reception in Week 13, is the fourth player in NFL history with an interception-return for a touchdown, punt-return for a touchdown and touchdown reception in a season, joining FRANK BACON (1920), Pro Football Hall of Famer BILL DUDLEY (1947) and TOMMY HARMON (1947).
- Chicago quarterback JUSTIN FIELDS totaled 130 yards (119 passing, 11 rushing) with one touchdown pass on Saturday.
