NFL News: Top Seven Statistical Highlights From Sunday – Week 2

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 18, the second week of the 2022 season.

  • With three games yet to be completed in Week 2, there have been 12 games decided by three points or fewer this season, the most such games through the first two weeks of a season in NFL history.

    There have been five games this season decided by one-or-fewer points, tied with the 2016 (five games) and 1923 (five) seasons for the most such games ever through the first two weeks.

    With three games yet to be completed  in Week 2, there have been eight games this season decided by a game-winning score in the final two minutes of regulation or in overtime, tied for the third-most such games through Week 2 all-time. Only 2013 (10 games) and 1979 (nine) had more.

    Eleven of 13 games (84.6 percent) completed in Week 2 have been within one score (eight points) in the fourth quarter.

    Four teams – the MIAMI DOLPHINS (21-point deficit), ARIZONA CARDINALS (20), NEW YORK JETS (13) and KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (10) – overcame deficits of at least 10 points to win in Week 2.

    With Miami and Arizona each overcoming 20-point halftime deficits, it marked the first time in NFL history that multiple teams overcame a 20-point halftime deficit to win on the same day and the first time that two teams overcame a deficit of at least 20 points at any point to win in the same week since Week 4 of the 2011 season.

    With three games yet to be completed in Week 2, eight teams have overcome a deficit of at least 10 points to win or tie this season, the second-most such teams through Week 2 all-time, trailing only the 1987 season (nine teams).

    The MIAMI DOLPHINS overcame a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Baltimore, 42-38, becoming the first team to do so since Philadelphia overcame a 21-point deficit to defeat the New York Giants in Week 15 of the 2010 season.

    The NEW YORK JETS overcame a 13-point deficit inside of the final two minutes remaining to defeat Cleveland, 31-30, becoming the first team to overcome a deficit of at least 13 points inside of the final two minutes of regulation to win since Chicago overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat Cleveland in overtime in Week 8 of the 2001 season.

    Arizona defeated Las Vegas, 29-23, in overtime. After two games went to overtime in Week 1, this marks the third time in the past five seasons a game has gone to overtime in each of the first two weeks of the season.
  • The NEW YORK JETS and CLEVELAND BROWNS combined for three touchdowns inside the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, marking the first time since Week 10 of the 2016 season (Pittsburgh and Dallas) that two teams have combined for three touchdowns in the final two minutes of regulation.

    There have been three special teams touchdowns in Week 2 (103-yard kickoff return touchdown by Baltimore wide receiver DEVIN DUVERNAY, 86-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown by Seattle cornerback MIKE JACKSON and a 26-yard blocked punt return for a touchdown by Atlanta linebacker LORENZO CARTER). It marks the first time since Week 4 of the 2010 season that there was a kickoff return for a touchdown, blocked field goal return for a touchdown and blocked punt return for a touchdown in the same week.
  • Miami quarterback TUA TAGOVAILOA, who is 24 years and 200 days old, recorded career highs in passing yards (469) and touchdown passes (six), while wide receiver TYREEK HILL registered 11 receptions for 190 yards and two touchdowns and wide receiver JAYLEN WADDLE recorded 11 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns in the Dolphins’ 42-38 comeback win over Baltimore.

    Tagovailoa is the third-youngest player ever with six touchdown passes in a single game, trailing only PATRICK MAHOMES (22 years and 364 days old on September 16, 2018 and 23 years and 63 days old on November 19, 2018) and MITCH TRUBISKY (24 years and 41 days old on September 30, 2018).

    Tagovailoa became the fourth-youngest player in NFL history with at least 450 passing yards and five touchdown passes in a single game, trailing only PATRICK MAHOMES (23 years and 63 days old on November 19, 2018), MATTHEW STAFFORD (23 years and 328 days old on January 1, 2012) and JARED GOFF (23 years and 348 days old on September 27, 2018).

    Hill and Waddle are the first pair of teammates in NFL history to record at least 10 receptions, 150 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions in the same game.

    Hill recorded touchdown receptions of 48 and 60 yards in the fourth quarter of the victory, becoming the first player since TED GINN JR. (September 11, 2011) to record two touchdowns of at least 45 yards in the fourth quarter of one game.

    Hill, who had 94 receiving yards in Week 1, has 284 receiving yards in his first two games as a Dolphin, the fourth-most receiving yards by a non-rookie in his first two games with a new team in NFL history, trailing only ANTHONY ALLEN (306 receiving yards with Washington in 1987), Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS (288 receiving yards with New England in 2007) and LAVERANUES COLES (286 receiving yards with Washington in 2003).
  • Baltimore quarterback LAMAR JACKSON passed for 318 yards and three touchdowns for a 142.6 rating and added 119 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown on Sunday, including a 79-yard touchdown run and a 75-yard touchdown pass. Baltimore wide receiver DEVIN DUVERNAY returned the opening kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown and the Ravens became the first team in NFL history to record a passing touchdown, rushing touchdown and return touchdown each of at least 75 yards in the same game.

    Jackson is the first player in NFL history to record both a rushing touchdown and touchdown pass of at least 75 yards in the same game. 

    Jackson has 11 career games with at least 100 rushing yards, surpassing MICHAEL VICK (10 games) for the most such games by a quarterback in NFL history.

    Jackson has three career games with at least three touchdown passes and 100 rushing yards. No other player in league history has more than one such career game.
  • Detroit wide receiver AMON-RA ST. BROWN registered nine receptions, 184 scrimmage yards (116 receiving, 68 rushing) and two touchdown receptions, while rookie defensive lineman AIDAN HUTCHINSON recorded his first three career sacks in the Lions’ 36-27 win over Washington.

    St. Brown, who is 22 years and 329 days old, became the third player all-time under the age of 23 to record a touchdown reception in at least six consecutive games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDY MOSS (seven consecutive games in 1998) and ROB GRONKOWSKI (six consecutive games in 2011).

    St. Brown became the third player in league history to record at least eight receptions in eight consecutive games, joining ANTONIO BROWN (eight consecutive games in 2014) and MICHAEL THOMAS (eight consecutive games in 2019).

    Hutchinson, who is 22 years and 40 days old, became the fourth-youngest player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to record three sacks in a game, trailing only VERNON MAXWELL (21 years and 321 days old in Week 2, 1983), NICK BOSA (22 years and four days old in Week 8, 2019) and GREG TOWNSEND (22 years and 24 days old in Week 13, 1983).

    Hutchinson is also the first player since 2002 (CARLOS HALLBEN LEBER and JULIUS PEPPERS) to record at least three sacks in one of his first two career games.
  • New York Jets rookie wide receiver GARRETT WILSON registered eight receptions for 102 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown reception with 22 seconds remaining, in the team’s 31-30 comeback victory over Cleveland.

    In Week 1, Washington rookie wide receiver JAHAN DOTSON registered the game-winning touchdown reception with 1:46 remaining. With Wilson’s game-winning touchdown catch in Week 2, 2022 is the first season since 1970 that a rookie has recorded a game-winning touchdown reception in the final two minutes of regulation or in overtime in each of the first two weeks of the season.
  • Los Angeles Rams wide receiver COOPER KUPP had 11 receptions for 108 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s 31-27 win over Atlanta.

    Kupp has at least five receptions in 23 consecutive games, tied with DEANDRE HOPKINS (23 consecutive games from 2018-20) for the second-most consecutive games with at least five receptions in NFL history. Only ANTONIO BROWN (36 games from 2013-15) has a longer such streak.
  • Other notable performances from Sunday included:
    • Dallas linebacker MICAH PARSONS, appearing in his 18th career game, recorded two sacks in the Cowboys’ 20-17 win over Cincinnati.

      Parsons has five career games with at least two sacks and is the sixth player since 1982 with at least two sacks in five of his first 20 career games, joining MARK ANDERSONJOEY BOSAELVIS DUMERVILCLAY MATTHEWS and ALDON SMITH.
       
    • Cleveland defensive end MYLES GARRETT, appearing in his 70th career game, registered one sack on Sunday against the New York Jets.

      Garrett has 61.5 career sacks and he surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer DERRICK THOMAS (61 sacks) and J.J. WATT (61) for the third-most sacks by a player in his first 70 NFL games since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.

COURTESY NFLmedia.com

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