By Lydia Jane Allison

NEW YORK –– Nov. 22, 2023 –– Below are teams and players that can set historic marks or reach career milestones in Week 12 of the 2023 NFL season, including:

• Detroit (Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery & Amon-Ra St. Brown)
• Dallas (Micah Parsons & DaRon Bland)
• San Francisco (Christian McCaffrey)
• Philadelphia (Jalen Hurts)
• Buffalo (Josh Allen)
• Houston (C.J. Stroud & Tank Dell)
• L.A. Chargers (Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen & Khalil Mack)
• Denver (Russell Wilson)
• Miami (Tyreek Hill)
• Cleveland (Myles Garrett)
• Pittsburgh (T.J. Watt)​

TRIO OF LIONS PLAYMAKERS SPOTLIGHTED ON THANKSGIVING

The DETROIT LIONS have won three consecutive games and at 8-2 bring their best record into Thanksgiving since 1962. They will be hosting the GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-6) in the first game of the day on Thursday (12:30 p.m. ET, FOX), a rematch of the clubs’ Week 4 meeting on Thursday Night Football, a 34-20 Detroit victory.

This will mark the first time two clubs have met in multiple Thursday games in the same season since the Bears and Cardinals in 1926.

Running back JAHMYR GIBBS is tied for first among rookies with five rushing touchdowns and third with 771 scrimmage yards. He has recorded at least 95 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in each of his past four games, the longest active streak in the league.

With 95 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown on Thanksgiving, Gibbs will become the third rookie in the Super Bowl era to accomplish the feat in five-or-more consecutive games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers ERIC DICKERSON (six consecutive games in 1983) and FRANCO HARRIS (six in 1972).

The rookies with at least 95 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in the most consecutive games in the Super Bowl era:

Teammate DAVID MONTGOMERY has recorded a rushing touchdown in six of his seven games this season, including in each of the past two weeks. He and Gibbs can become the first pair of teammates to each score a rushing touchdown in three consecutive team games since Philadelphia’s HEATH SHERMAN and HERSCHEL WALKER in 1992.

Gibbs and Montgomery can also become the first pair of teammates in NFL history to each record at least 95 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in three consecutive team games.

Wide receiver AMON-RA ST. BROWN has recorded at least eight receptions in four of his past five games. Since entering the NFL in 2021, St. Brown has at least eight receptions in 16 games, tied for second most in the league during that span.

With eight catches on Thursday, St. Brown will tie ANQUAN BOLDIN (17 games) for the second-most games with at least eight receptions by a player in his first three seasons in NFL history. Only JUSTIN JEFFERSON (19) has more.

The players with the most games with at least eight receptions in their first three seasons in NFL history:

PARSONS & BLAND LEADING DALLAS’ D

The DALLAS COWBOYS (7-3) enter Thanksgiving having allowed fewer than 200 yards in consecutive games for the first time since 1992. They can become the second team in the past decade to accomplish the feat in three consecutive games, joining San Francisco in 2019 (Weeks 5-7).

Last week, Dallas recorded a season-high seven sacks, led by linebacker MICAH PARSONS’ season-best 2.5 sacks. It marked his 11th career game with multiple sacks, the most among all players since he entered the league in 2021.

With two sacks against Washington on Thanksgiving (4:30 p.m. ET, CBS), Parsons will tie Pro Football Hall of Famer RICHARD DENT (12 games), SHAWNE MERRIMAN (12) and ALDON SMITH (12) for the second-most games with at least two sacks by a player in his first three NFL seasons since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer REGGIE WHITE (16 games) has more.

The players with the most games with at least two sacks in their first three NFL seasons since 1982:

​Also last week, cornerback DARON BLAND tied the single-season NFL record with his fourth interception-return touchdown of the season and can become the first player in NFL history with five interception-return touchdowns in a season.

The Dallas defense will be going up against Washington quarterback SAM HOWELL, who leads the NFL with 3,039 passing yards. Howell will become the fourth player leading the NFL in passing yards to start on Thanksgiving in the last 46 years, joining DAK PRESCOTT in 2019 and Pro Football Hall of Famers PEYTON MANNING in 2004 and ROGER STAUBACH in 1978.

MCCAFFREY AIMING FOR 10 & 5

The Thanksgiving tripleheader will conclude on Thursday night when the SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-4) host the SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (7-3) in an NFC West clash (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC).

San Francisco running back CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY enters Week 12 leading the league with 14 scrimmage touchdowns (nine rushing, five receiving) and has scored a touchdown in nine of 10 games this season.

With a rushing touchdown on Thanksgiving, McCaffrey will become the fifth player in history and first in 48 years with at least 10 rushing touchdowns and five touchdown receptions in his team’s first 11 games of a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers JIM BROWN (1962) and O.J. SIMPSON (1975) as well as ABNER HAYES (1962) and CHUCK FOREMAN (1975).

The players with at least 10 rushing touchdowns and five touchdown receptions in their team’s first 11 games of a season in history:

ALLEN & HURTS RUSHING INTO HISTORY, MEET FOR FIRST TIME

When the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (9-1) host the BUFFALO BILLS (6-5) on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS), it will mark the first time that JALEN HURTS and JOSH ALLEN have faced each other as starting quarterbacks.

Allen enters the game leading the league with 29 total touchdowns (22 passing, seven rushing), while Hurts ranks second with 24 (15 passing, nine rushing). Hurts also leads all quarterbacks with nine rushing touchdowns, while Allen ranks second with seven.

Last week marked Hurts’ 10th career regular-season game with multiple rushing touchdowns. With another such performance, he will surpass CAM NEWTON (10 games) for the most games ever by a quarterback with at least two rushing touchdowns.

With one rushing touchdown on Sunday, Hurts – who led all quarterbacks with 13 rushing touchdowns in 2022 and 10 rushing touchdowns in 2021 – can also join Newton as the only quarterbacks ever to record at least 10 rushing touchdowns in three career seasons.

Allen had at least eight rushing touchdowns in each of his first three seasons (2018-20) and with a rushing touchdown on Sunday, can join Newton as the only quarterbacks ever with at least eight rushing touchdowns in four career seasons. Hurts is the only other quarterback with three such seasons.

The quarterbacks with at least eight rushing touchdowns in the most seasons in NFL history:

Allen has recorded both a passing and rushing touchdown in seven games this season, while Hurts has done so in six games. Allen can become the fifth quarterback in NFL history to record both a passing and rushing touchdown in eight-or-more games within a season.

The quarterbacks with the most games with both a passing and rushing touchdown in a season in NFL history:

STROUD CONTINUES HISTORIC ROOKIE SEASON

Houston rookie quarterback C.J. STROUD ranks second in the league with 2,962 passing yards, the fourth-most by a player in his first 10 career games in NFL history.

With 263 passing yards against Jacksonville on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Stroud will surpass JUSTIN HERBERT (3,224 passing yards) for the second-most passing yards by a player in his first 11 career games in NFL history. Only PATRICK MAHOMES (3,434) had more.

The players with the most passing yards in their first 11 career games in NFL history:

Last week, Stroud recorded his fifth 300-yard passing game and became the second rookie ever with at least 300 passing yards in three consecutive games.

With 300 passing yards on Sunday, he will become the first rookie in NFL history to record 300 passing yards in four straight games and the third rookie all-time with 300 passing yards in six games, joining JUSTIN HERBERT (eight games in 2020) and ANDREW LUCK (six games in 2012).

The rookies with the most games with at least 300 passing yards in NFL history:

One of Stroud’s top targets this season has been fellow rookie TANK DELL, who ranks second among all rookies this season with 659 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions. Dell has recorded a touchdown reception in each of his past three games.

With another touchdown between Stroud and Dell, the two will become the sixth rookie quarterback-receiver pairing in NFL history to connect for at least seven touchdowns and the first since Indianapolis’ ANDREW LUCK and T.Y. HILTON in 2012 (seven touchdowns).

The rookie quarterback-receiver pairings to connect for the most touchdowns in NFL history:

HERBERT, ALLEN & MACK CAN REACH MARKS ON SNF

Since entering the league in 2020, Los Angles Chargers quarterback JUSTIN HERBERT ranks fourth among all players with 113 touchdown passes.

With two touchdown passes against Baltimore on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), Herbert will surpass PATRICK MAHOMES (114 touchdown passes) for the second-most touchdown passes by a player in his first four seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (142) has more.

The players with the most touchdown passes in their first four seasons in NFL history:

Herbert’s top target once again this season has been wide receiver KEENAN ALLEN, who leads the league with 83 receptions and ranks fourth with 1,011 receiving yards. Allen has recorded at least 10 receptions, 100 receiving yards and a touchdown reception in each of his past two games.

With another such performance by Allen on Sunday night, it would mark the third instance of a player totaling at least 10 receptions, 100 receiving yards and a touchdown reception in three consecutive games in NFL history. Allen owns one of the prior two steaks (Weeks 11-13, 2017), while MICHAEL THOMAS (Weeks 14-16, 2019) holds the other.

Last week also marked Allen’s 18th career game with at least 10 receptions and 100 receiving yards. If he reaches those marks again, he will become the third player in NFL history with 19-or-more career games of a least 10 receptions and 100 receiving yards, joining ANDRE JOHNSON (21 games) and ANTONIO BROWN (20). Las Vegas’ DAVANTE ADAMS (18 games) and Philadelphia’s JULIO JONES (18) also have an opportunity to join Johnson and Brown.

The players with the most games with at least 10 receptions and 100 receiving yards in NFL history:

Linebacker KHALIL MACK recorded two sacks last week and ranks fourth in the league with 11 sacks, his fifth career season with at least 10 sacks. Mack has totaled at least 12 sacks in two career seasons, recording 15 sacks in 2015 with the Raiders and 12.5 sacks in 2018 with the Bears.

With a sack on Sunday night, Mack will become the second player to record at least 12 sacks with three franchises since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer KEVIN GREENE (at least 12 sacks with the Rams, Steelers and Panthers).

WILSON CAN SURPASS MARINO

Denver quarterback RUSSELL WILSON is tied for third in the league with 19 touchdown passes and, since entering the NFL in 2012, has 327 career touchdown passes.

With two touchdown passes on Sunday against Cleveland (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX), Wilson will surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (328 touchdown passes) for the second-most touchdown passes by a player in his first 12 career seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING (366 touchdown passes) has more.

The players with the most touchdown passes in their first 12 seasons in NFL history:

HILL CLOSING IN ON 1,300

Miami wide receiver TYREEK HILL leads the NFL with 1,222 receiving yards and nine touchdown receptions and ranks second with 79 receptions.

With 78 receiving yards at the New York Jets in the NFL’s first-ever game on Black Friday (3 p.m. ET, Prime Video), Hill will become the fourth player in history to record at least 1,300 receiving yards in his team’s first 11 games of a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer ELROY “CRAZY LEGS” HIRSCH (1,349 receiving yards in 1951), CHARLIE HENNIGAN (1,327 in 1961) and JULIO JONES (1,305 in 2018).

The players with at least 1,300 receiving yards in their team’s first 11 games of a season in NFL history:

With 10 receptions and 150 receiving yards on Friday, Hill will become the first player in NFL history to record 11 career games with at least 10 receptions and 150 receiving yards.

The players with the most career games with at least 10 receptions and 150 receiving yards in NFL history:

GARRETT & WATT SACK ATTACK

Cleveland defensive end MYLES GARRETT leads the NFL with 13 sacks this season while Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. WATT ranks third with 11.5 sacks. Since both entered the NFL in 2017, Watt (89 sacks) and Garrett (87.5) rank first and second, respectively, in sacks.

Watt – appearing in his 98th career game on Sunday at Cincinnati (1 p.m. ET, CBS), and Garrett, appearing in his 95th career game on Sunday at Denver (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX), can join Pro Football Hall of Famer REGGIE WHITE (82 games) as the only player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to reach 90 sacks in fewer than 100 NFL games.

The players to reach 90 sacks in the fewest NFL games since 1982:

With at least one sack on Sunday, Garrett will become the fourth player since 1982 with at least one sack in 60 games within his first seven NFL seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers DEMARCUS WARE (68 games) and REGGIE WHITE (63) as well as VON MILLER (61). Watt has a sack in 56 career games and with one sack on Sunday will tie AARON DONALD (57 games) for the fifth-most career games with at least one sack in a player’s first seven NFL seasons since 1982.

The players with the most games with at least one sack in their first seven NFL seasons since 1982:

Garrett, who has recorded 16 sacks in each of the past two seasons, needs two sacks to join Pro Football Hall of Famer REGGIE WHITE (1986-88) as the only players since 1982 to record at least 15 sacks in three consecutive seasons.

Watt, with another half sack this season, will become the fourth player since 1982 with at least 12 sacks in five of his first seven seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer REGGIE WHITE (six seasons), Garrett (five) and LESLIE O’NEAL (five).

COURTESY NFL COMMUNICATIONS