NEW YORK –– Sept. 15, 2024 –– A look at seven statistical highlights from games played during the 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET windows on Sunday, September 15, the second week of the 2024 season.
- With two games remaining in Week 2, 10 games were decided by one score (eight points or less) – including four that featured the game-winning score in the final minute of regulation or in overtime – and 10 games were within one score (eight points or less) in the fourth quarter.There have been 20 games decided by eight points or fewer this season. Only three previous seasons – 2013 (23 games), 2016 (22) and 2018 (21) – have had more such games in the first two weeks of a season.
Four teams – the Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks – have begun the season 2-0 after missing the playoffs last season. Chicago (at Houston on Sunday Night Football) can also join this group. It marks the first time since 2021 that at least four teams started 2-0 the season after missing the postseason.
The Seattle Seahawks defeated New England, 23-20, in overtime. It marked the fifth time in the past seven seasons that at least one game has gone to overtime in each of the first two weeks of the season.
- The New Orleans Saints defeated Dallas, 44-19, as running back Alvin Kamara totaled 180 scrimmage yards (115 rushing, 65 receiving) and four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) in the win.The Saints, who scored 47 points in Week 1 and had 44 points in Week 2, have 91 points this season, the most points by a team in its first two games of a season in 15 years and tied with the 1971 Dallas Cowboys (91 points) for the fourth-most points in a team’s first two games of a season in NFL history. Only the 1968 Oakland Raiders (95 points), 2009 New Orleans Saints (93) and 1920 Rock Island Independents (93) had more.
New Orleans, which scored 48 points in Week 18 last season, is the third team since 1970 to score at least 44 points in three consecutive games, joining the 2018 New Orleans Saints (Weeks 9-11) and 2007 New England Patriots (Weeks 6-8).
The Saints, who had 35 points in the first half this week after having 30 points in the first half in Week 1, joined the 2001 Indianapolis Colts and 1968 Oakland Raiders as the only teams in NFL history with at least 30 points in the first half of each of their first two games of a season.
Kamara, who also had 172 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns on Christmas Day in 2020, is the fifth player in the Super Bowl era with multiple career games with at least 150 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers LaDainian Tomlinson (four games), Marshall Faulk(three) and Jerry Rice (two) as well as Clinton Portis (two).
Kamara has 21 career games with at least 50 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards, tying Le’Veon Bell(21 games) and Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (21) for the third-most such games by a player in his first eight seasons. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (37) and Christian McCaffrey (30, in eighth season) have more.
Kamara has four career games with multiple rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown, tied with Shaun Alexander (four games), Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (four), Chuck Foreman(four) and Brian Westbrook (four) for the most such games by a player in his first eight seasons in NFL history.
- Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 18 of 25 pass attempts (72 percent) with two touchdown passes in the Chiefs’ 26-25 win over Cincinnati.Mahomes has 76 wins in 98 career starts, tied with Tom Brady (76 wins) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Roger Staubach (76) for the most wins by a quarterback in his first 100 career starts in NFL history.
Mahomes has 222 touchdown passes in 98 career starts, tied with Aaron Rodgers (222 touchdown passes) for the most by a player in his first 100 career starts in NFL history.
Mahomes has 2,424 completions in 98 career starts and surpassed Matthew Stafford (2,410 completions) for the most completions by a player in his first 100 career starts in NFL history.
- Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray completed 17 of 21 pass attempts (81 percent) for 266 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions for a 158.3 passer rating – the highest attainable mark – and added 59 rushing yards in the Cardinals’ 41-10 win over the Los Angeles Rams.Murray is the second player in NFL history with at least 250 passing yards, 50 rushing yards and a 158.3 passer rating in a game, joining Ken Anderson (Nov. 3, 1974).
- Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson had 133 receiving yards, including a 97-yard touchdown reception, in the Vikings’ 23-17 win over San Francisco.Jefferson has 30 career games with at least 100 receiving yards, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (30 games) for the most such games by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history.
Jefferson has 20 career games with at least 125 receiving yards, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Lance Alworth (20 games) for the most such games by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history.
Jefferson has 400 receptions in 62 career games, surpassing Julio Jones (64 games) and Jarvis Landry (64) as the third-fastest player ever to reach 400 career receptions. Only Michael Thomas (56) and Odell Beckham Jr. (61) reached the mark in fewer games.
Jefferson, at 25 years and 91 days old, is the third-youngest player in NFL history to reach 400 career receptions, trailing only Jarvis Landry (25 years, 33 days old) and Larry Fitzgerald (25 years, 84 days).
Jefferson, at 25 years and 91 days old, is the youngest player ever to reach 6,000 career receiving yards, surpassing Mike Evans (25 years, 131 days old).
Jefferson has 6,091 receiving yards in 62 career games, tying Pro Football Hall of Famer Lance Alworth(62 games) as the fastest player to reach 6,000 receiving yards in NFL history.
- The Las Vegas Raiders overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Baltimore, 26-23 as rookie tight end Brock Bowers had nine receptions for 98 yards.Bowers, who had six catches for 58 yards in his NFL debut in Week 1, is the first tight end in NFL history with at least five receptions and 50 receiving yards in each of his first two career games.
- Playing in his 100th career game, San Francisco tight end George Kittle had seven receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown in Week 2.Kittle has 6,390 career receiving yards and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr. (6,330 receiving yards) for the third-most receiving yards ever by a tight end in his first 100 games. Only Rob Gronkowski (7,112 receiving yards) and Travis Kelce (6,762) had more.
Kittle has 471 career receptions and surpassed Rob Gronkowski (469 receptions) for the fifth-most receptions by a tight end in his first 100 career games in NFL history. Only Travis Kelce (531 receptions), Pro Football Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr. (497), Jimmy Graham (485) and Zach Ertz (483) had more.
- Additional notes from Sunday include:
- Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels totaled 270 yards (226 passing, 44 rushing) in the Commanders’ 21-18 win over the New York Giants.Daniels, who had 88 rushing yards in Week 1 – the most rushing yards by a rookie quarterback in a season-opening game in the Super Bowl era – has 132 rushing yards this season and surpassed Robert Griffin III (124 rushing yards) for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in his first two career games in the Super Bowl era.
- New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers recorded 10 receptions for 127 yards and one touchdown in Week 2.Nabers, at 21 years and 49 days old, is the youngest player in NFL history with at least 10 receptions, 100 receiving yards and a touchdown catch in a game, surpassing Gern Nagler (21 years and 251 days old on Nov. 1, 1953, for the Chicago Cardinals).
- New York Jets rookie running back Braelon Allen, at 20 years and 239 days old, recorded a rushing touchdown and a receiving touchdown in the team’s 24-17 win at Tennessee.Allen is the youngest player in the Super Bowl era and the second-youngest player since 1933 to score a touchdown, trailing Andy Livingston (20 years, 53 days on Dec. 13, 1964, for the Chicago Bears).
Allen is the youngest player since 1933 with a rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown in the same game, surpassing Brandin Cooks (21 years, 31 days old on Oct. 26, 2014, with the New Orleans Saints).
- Detroit defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson had a career-high 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble in Week 2.Hutchinson is the fourth player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to record a game with three-or-more sacks in each of his first three career seasons, joining Justin Houston, Jevon Kearse and Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White.
