NFL News: What To Look For – Week 4

By Lydia Jane Allison

(file photo)

NEW YORK — Sept. 25, 2024 — Below are players that can set historic marks or reach career milestones

in Week 4 of the 2024 NFL season, including:

  • QB Dak Prescott
  • WR Malik Nabers
  • QB Aaron Rodgers
  • LB T.J. Watt
  • QB Jayden Daniels
  • QB Josh Allen
  • LB Von Miller
  • QB Lamar Jackson
  • RB Derrick Henry
  • WR Justin Jefferson
  • WR Ja’Marr Chase

COWBOYS-GIANTS MEET ON THURSDAY

The Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video) are set to meet in primetime for the 10th time in the past 12 seasons, with Dallas holding an 8-1 record in the previous nine primetime games.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has won 12 consecutive starts against the Giants and can become the fourth quarterback ever to register 13 consecutive wins against an opponent, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Bob Griese (17 straight wins against the Buffalo Bills from 1968-79) and Steve Young (13 against the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams from 1987-98) as well as Tom Brady (13 against the Buffalo Bills from 2003-10).

With three touchdown passes on Thursday, Prescott can become the fourth quarterback in NFL history with at least 30 touchdown passes in Thursday games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (41 touchdown passes), Aaron Rodgers (39) and Tom Brady (36).

The players with the most touchdown passes on Thursday in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM(S) PASS TDs
Peyton Manning Indianapolis, Denver 41
Aaron Rodgers Green Bay, N.Y. Jets 39
Tom Brady New England, Tampa Bay 36
Ben Roethlisberger Pittsburgh 28
Dak Prescott Dallas 27

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers leads all rookies with 23 receptions and 271 receiving yards this season. On Thursday, he can move into the top-five for most receptions and most receiving yards by a player in his first four games in NFL history.

The players with the most receptions in their first four career games in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM RECEPTIONS
Puka Nacua L.A. Rams 39
Anquan Boldin Arizona 30
Deion Branch New England 28
Saquon Barkley N.Y. Giants 27
Eddie Royal Denver 27
     
Malik Nabers N.Y. Giants 23*
*in first three career games

The players with the most receiving yards in their first four career games in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM REC. YARDS
Puka Nacua L.A. Rams 501
Anquan Boldin Arizona 464
Stefon Diggs Minnesota 419
Jerry Butler Buffalo 417
Dan Edwards New York Yanks 412
     
Malik Nabers N.Y. Giants 271*
*in first three career games

 

AARON RODGERS ALL-TIME PASSING YARDS

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has 59,679 career regular-season passing yards and on Sunday against Denver (1 p.m. ET, CBS), he can become the ninth player in NFL history with 60,000 career regular season passing yards.

Including the postseason, Rodgers has 65,573 career passing yards and with 299 passing yards, can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (65,871 passing yards) for the seventh-most passing yards in NFL history, including the postseason.

The players with the most passing yards, including the postseason, in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM(S) PASS YARDS
Tom Brady New England, Tampa Bay 102,614
Drew Brees San Diego, New Orleans 85,724
Peyton Manning HOF Indianapolis, Denver 79,279
Brett Favre HOF Green Bay, N.Y. Jets, Minnesota 77,693
Ben Roethlisberger Pittsburgh 70,060
Philip Rivers San Diego/L.A. Chargers, Indianapolis 66,405
Dan Marino HOF Miami 65,871
Aaron Rodgers Green Bay, N.Y. Jets 65,573

 

T.J. WATT CLOSING IN ON 100 SACKS

Since entering the NFL in 2017, Pittsburgh linebacker T.J. Watt leads all players with 99.5 sacks in 107 games played. He is one of five players this season with a sack in each of the first three weeks.

With a half sack at Indianapolis on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Watt will surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware (113 games) as the second-fastest player to reach 100 career sacks since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White (96 games) reached the milestone in fewer games.

The players to reach 100 career sacks in the fewest games since 1982:

PLAYER TEAM GAMES
Reggie WhiteHOF Philadelphia 96
DeMarcus WareHOF Dallas 113
Bruce SmithHOF Buffalo 115
     
T.J. Watt Pittsburgh 107*
*has 99.5 sacks

Watt can also become the fourth player since 1982 with at least 100 sacks in his first eight career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Reggie White (124 sacks) and DeMarcus Ware (111) as well as Jared Allen (105).

 

JAYDEN DANIELS’ STRONG START

Last week, Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels completed 21 of 23 pass attempts (91.3 percent) for 254 yards and two touchdowns with a 141.7 rating, the highest completion percentage in a game by a rookie in NFL history (minimum 20 attempts), surpassing Dak Prescott (88.9 percent, 32 of 36, on Dec. 18, 2016).

Daniels has a passer rating of 90-or-higher and a completion percentage of 70-or-higher in each of his first three career games and can join Dak Prescott (2016) as the only rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to reach those marks in four consecutive games.

Daniels has 171 rushing yards this season and with 64 rushing yards on Sunday at Arizona (4:05 p.m. ET, FOX), he can surpass Robert Griffin III (234 rushing yards) for the most rushing yards by a quarterback in his first four career games in the Super Bowl era.

The quarterbacks with the most rushing yards in their first four career games in the Super Bowl era:

PLAYER TEAM RUSH YARDS
Robert Griffin III Washington 234
Steve Young HOF Tampa Bay 193
Randall Cunningham Philadelphia 186
Charlie Batch Pittsburgh 177
Daunte Culpepper Minnesota 175
Jayden Daniels Washington 171*
*in first three career games

Daniels has three rushing touchdowns in his first three career games and can join Robert Griffin IIICam Newton and Anthony Richardson as the only quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era with four rushing touchdowns in their first four career games.

 

JOSH ALLEN SETTING RECORDS IN FIRST SEVEN SEASONS

Last week, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen totaled 307 yards (263 passing, 44 rushing) and four touchdown passes as the Bills advanced to 3-0 for the first time since 2020.

Since entering the NFL in 2018, Allen has 39 games with at least 300 combined passing and rushing yards. On Sunday night at Baltimore (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), he can become the third quarterback in NFL history with 40 games of at least 300 combined passing and rushing yards in his first seven seasons, joining Patrick Mahomes (54 games) and Andrew Luck (41).

The players with the most games with at least 300 combined passing and rushing yards in their first seven seasons in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM GAMES
Patrick Mahomes Kansas City 54
Andrew Luck Indianapolis 41
Josh Allen Buffalo 39*
Matthew Stafford Detroit 39
Dan Marino HOF Miami 38
*in seventh season

Allen has 229 combined passing and rushing touchdowns and with three such touchdowns on Sunday night, can surpass Patrick Mahomes (231) for the most by a player in his first seven seasons in NFL history.

 

The players with the most offensive touchdowns in their first seven seasons in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM TOTAL TDs PASS TDs RUSH TDs
Patrick Mahomes Kansas City 231 219 12
Josh Allen Buffalo 229* 174 55
Peyton Manning HOF Indianapolis 225 216 9
Dan Marino HOF Miami 225 220 5
*in seventh season

 

VON MILLER ON A STREAK

Buffalo linebacker Von Miller, who is 35 years old, is one of five players with a sack in each of the first three weeks of the season.

With a sack on Sunday night at Baltimore (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), he can become the third player aged 35-or-older since 2000 and sixth different player aged 35-or-older since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to record a sack in four consecutive games within a single season.

The players aged 35-or-older with the most consecutive games with a sack in a season since 1982:

PLAYER TEAM AGE SEASON GAMES
Kevin Greene HOF Carolina 36 1998 6
Rickey Jackson HOF San Francisco 37 1995 5
John Abraham Arizona 35 2013 4
Chris Doleman HOF Minnesota 38 1999 4
Kevin Greene HOF San Francisco 35 1997 4
Rickey Jackson HOF New Orleans 35 1993 4
Terrell Suggs Baltimore 35 2017 4
         
Von Miller Buffalo 35 2024 3*
*active streak

 

RAVENS RUSHING INTO RECORD BOOKS

The Baltimore Ravens rank second in the NFL with 610 rushing yards this season and as a team, have rushed for at least 100 yards in 36 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the league.

With 100 rushing yards against Buffalo on Sunday night (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), the Ravens can tie the 1973-76 Buffalo Bills (37 consecutive games) for the fourth-longest such streak by a team in NFL history.

The teams with the most consecutive games with at least 100 rushing yards in NFL history:

TEAM SEASONS GAMES
Baltimore Ravens 2018-21 43
Pittsburgh Steelers 1974-77 43
Detroit Lions 1935-39 38
Buffalo Bills 1973-76 37
Baltimore Ravens 2022-24 36*
*active streak

Baltimore running back Derrick Henry (281 rushing yards this season) and quarterback Lamar Jackson (254) became the first pair of teammates each with at least 250 rushing yards in their team’s first three games of a season since 1976 [The Los Angeles Rams’ John Cappelletti (315 rushing yards) and Lawrence McCutcheon (298)].

On Sunday night, Henry and Jackson can become the fifth set of teammates in the Super Bowl era each with at least 300 rushing yards in their team’s first four games of a season and the first since 2006 (Atlanta’s Warrick Dunn and Michael Vick).

The teammates each with at least 300 rushing yards in their team’s first four games of a season in the Super Bowl era:

TEAM SEASON PLAYER RUSH YARDS PLAYER RUSH YARDS
Atlanta Falcons 2006 Warrick Dunn 365 Michael Vick 333
L.A. Rams 1976 John Cappelletti 348 Lawrence McCutcheon 389
L.A. Rams 1973 Jim Bertelsen 315 Lawrence McCutcheon 345
Atlanta Falcons 1972 Dave Hampton 392 Art Malone 327
           
Baltimore Ravens 2024 Derrick Henry 281* Lamar Jackson 254*
*in first three games

Henry has four rushing touchdowns this season and with his next rushing touchdown, can become the fifth player in NFL history with at least five rushing touchdowns in nine consecutive seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk (10 consecutive seasons), LaDainian Tomlinson (10) and Jim Brown (nine) as well as Ricky Watters (nine).

The players with the most consecutive seasons with at least five rushing touchdowns in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM(S) SEASONS
Marshall Faulk HOF Indianapolis, St. Louis Rams 10 (1994-2003)
LaDainian Tomlinson HOF San Diego, N.Y. Jets 10 (2001-2010)
Jim Brown HOF Cleveland 9 (1957-1965)
Ricky Watters San Francisco, Seattle 9 (1992-2000)
     
Derrick Henry Tennessee 8* (2016-23)
*has four rushing touchdowns with Baltimore in 2024

Henry had two rushing touchdowns in the Ravens’ Week 3 victory, his 24th career game with at least two rushing touchdowns. With his next game with two-or-more rushing touchdowns, he’ll become the sixth player with 25 such games in his first nine seasons in NFL history, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers LaDainian Tomlinson (36 games), Emmitt Smith (31) and Jim Brown (27) as well as Shaun Alexander (25) and Priest Holmes (25).

The players with the most games with at least two rushing touchdowns in their first nine seasons in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM(S) GAMES
LaDainian Tomlinson HOF San Diego 36
Emmitt Smith HOF Dallas 31
Jim Brown HOF Cleveland 27
Shaun Alexander Seattle 25
Priest Holmes Kansas City 25
Derrick Henry Tennessee, Baltimore 24*
*in ninth season

 

JUSTIN JEFFERSON RECEIVING YARDS IN HIS FIRST FIVE SEASONS

Since entering the NFL in 2020, Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson ranks second among all players with 6,172 receiving yards.

With 30 receiving yards on Sunday at Green Bay (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Jefferson will surpass Julio Jones (6,201 receiving yards) for the fourth-most by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history.

The players with the most receiving yards in their first five seasons in NFL history:

PLAYER TEAM REC. YARDS
Torry Holt St. Louis Rams 6,784
Randy Moss HOF Minnesota 6,743
Jerry Rice HOF San Francisco 6,364
Julio Jones Atlanta 6,201
Justin Jefferson Minnesota 6,172
*in fifth season

 

JA’MARR CHASE IN HIS FIRST 50

In 48 career games, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase has 284 receptions for 3,932 yards and 31 touchdowns.

With 68 receiving yards on Sunday at Carolina (1 p.m. ET, FOX), Chase will become the fifth player in the Super Bowl era with at least 4,000 receiving yards and 30 touchdown receptions in his first 50 career games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss and Jerry Rice as well as Odell Beckham Jr. and A.J. Green.

The players with at least 4,000 receiving yards and 30 touchdown receptions in their first 50 games in the Super Bowl era:

PLAYER TEAM REC. YARDS REC. TDs
Odell Beckham Jr. N.Y. Giants 4,695 38
A.J. Green Cincinnati 4,066 30
Randy Moss HOF Minnesota 4,272 43
Jerry Rice HOF San Francisco 4,164 44
       
Ja’Marr Chase Cincinnati 3,932* 31*
*in 48 career games

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