By Lydia Jane Allison

NEW YORK –– Dec. 29, 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, December 29, the 17th week of the 2024 season.

• The Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) defeated Dallas, 41-7, to clinch the NFC East division title for the second time in the past three seasons as running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 167 yards in the win.

  Barkley has 2,005 rushing yards this season and is the ninth player in NFL history with 2,000 rushing yards in a season and the first since Derrick Henry in 2020 (2,027 rushing yards with Tennessee).

  Barkley is the fifth player in the past 20 seasons (2005-24) with 13 games of 110-or-more scrimmage yards in a season, joining Steven Jackson (14 games with the St. Louis Rams in 2006), Larry Johnson (13 with Kansas City in 2006), DeMarco Murray (13 with Dallas in 2014) and Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (13 with the San Diego Chargers in 2006.

  The Buffalo Bills (13-3) defeated the New York Jets, 40-14, to clinch the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs. Kansas City clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC with its win on Christmas Day. Buffalo became the eighth team in NFL history to score at least 30 points in 12 games within a season and the first since the 2020 Green Bay Packers (12 games).

  Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen recorded three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in the win and has 76 career regular-season wins, surpassing Russell Wilson (75 wins) for the most regular-season wins by a quarterback in his first seven seasons in NFL history.

  Allen has 40 combined passing and rushing touchdowns (28 passing, 12 rushing) this season and joined Aaron Rodgers (six seasons) as the only players in NFL history with five career seasons with at least 40 combined passing and rushing touchdowns.

• Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold passed for a career-high 377 yards with three touchdown passes and a 116.1 passer rating and wide receiver Jordan Addison had a touchdown reception in the Vikings’ 27-25 win over Green Bay.

  Darnold is the first starting quarterback in NFL history to record 14 wins in his first season with a team,

  Darnold has 35 touchdown passes in 2024 and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre (33 touchdown passes in 2009 with Minnesota) and Vinny Testaverde (33 in 1996 with the Baltimore Ravens) for the fourth-most touchdown passes by a player in his first season with a team. Only Matthew Stafford (41 touchdown passes in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams), Tom Brady (40 in 2020 with Tampa Bay) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (37 in 2012 with Denver) have more.

  Darnold is the fourth player in NFL history with 12 games with multiple touchdown passes and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in a season, joining Aaron Rodgers (14 games in 2020 and 13 in 2011), Patrick Mahomes (13 in 2018) and Matt Ryan (12 in 2016).

  Addison, who is 22 years old, has 19 career touchdown receptions, tied with Odell Beckham Jr. (19 touchdown receptions) for the fourth-most touchdown receptions by a player under the age of 23 in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (28 touchdowns), Rob Gronkowski (27) and Ja’Marr Chase (22) have more.

• Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 27 of 32 pass attempts (84.4 percent) for 359 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions and a 153.0 passer rating, while wide receiver Mike Evans had eight receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns in the Buccaneers’ 48-14 win over Carolina.

  Tampa Bay became the sixth team in the Super Bowl era to record 500-or-more total yards of offense and allow fewer than 250 yards of offense in multiple games in a season, joining the 2010 Oakland Raiders (three games), 1978 Dallas Cowboys (three), 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (two), 2009 Baltimore Ravens (two) and 1967 Baltimore Colts (two).

  The Buccaneers are the fifth team since 1970 with at least 300 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in multiple games in a season, joining the 2011 New Orleans Saints (three games), 2023 Miami Dolphins (two), 2016 New Orlans Saints (two) and 1984 Miami Dolphins (two).

  Mayfield became the fifth player in NFL history with a completion percentage of 80-or-higher, at least 350 pass yards, five touchdown passes and a passer rating of 150-or-higher, joining Tom Brady (Oct. 21, 2007 and Oct. 18, 2009, both with New England), Aaron Rodgers (Oct. 20, 2019 with Green Bay), Ben Roethlisberger (Oct. 26, 2014 with Pittsburgh) and Deshaun Watson (Oct. 6, 2019 with Houston).

  Evans has 11 touchdown receptions this season and became the fifth player all-time with at least 11 touchdown receptions in six career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss (eight), Jerry Rice (eight seasons), Marvin Harrison (seven) and Terrell Owens (seven).

  Evans has 65 receptions this season and became the first wide receiver and third player all-time with at least 65 receptions in 11 consecutive seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (2003-13) and Travis Kelce (2014-24).

• Las Vegas rookie tight end Brock Bowers had seven receptions for 77 yards in the Raiders’ 25-10 win at New Orleans.

  Bowers has 1,114 receiving yards this season and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1,076 receiving yards in 1961) for the most receiving yards by a rookie tight end in NFL history.

  Bowers has 108 receptions this season and surpassed Puka Nacua (105 receptions in 2023) for the most receptions by a rookie in NFL history.

  Bowers’ 108 receptions are the fifth-most by a tight end in a season in NFL history, trailing only Zach Ertz (116 receptions in 2018 with Philadelphia), Evan Engram (114 in 2023 with Jacksonville), Travis Kelce (110 in 2022 with Kansas City and Jason Witten (110 in 2012 with Dallas)

• New York Giants quarterback Drew Lock totaled 309 passing yards, five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing) and a 155.3 passer rating while rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers had seven receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns and rookie running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. had 73 scrimmage yards (59 rushing, 14 receiving) in the team’s 45-33 win over Indianapolis.

  Lock is the fifth player in NFL history with at least 300 passing yards, four touchdown passes, one rushing touchdown and a passer rating of 155-or-higher in a game, joining Josh Allen (Oct. 1, 2023 with Buffalo), Drew Brees (Dec. 29, 2013 with New Orleans), Ryan Fitzpatrick (Sept. 9, 2018 with Tampa Bay) and Aaron Rodgers (Oct. 20, 2019 with Green Bay).

  Nabers has 104 receptions this season, tied with Jaylen Waddle (104 receptions in 2021 with Miami) for the third-most receptions by a rookie in NFL history, trailing only Brock Bowers (108 receptions in 2024 with Las Vegas) and Puka Nacua (105 in 2023 with the Los Angeles Rams).

  Nabers has 13 games with at least five receptions this season and surpassed Anquan Boldin (12 games in 2003) and Terry Glenn (12 in 1996) for the most games with five-or-receptions by a rookie in NFL history.

  Nabers, with 1,142 scrimmage yards in 2024, and Tracy Jr., with 1,057 scrimmage yards this season, became the third pair of rookie teammates each with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards in the same season, joining New Orleans’ Reggie Bush and Marques Colston (2006) and the Dallas Texans’ Abner Haynes and Pro Football Hall of Famer Johnny Robinson (1960).

• Jacksonville rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. had seven receptions for 91 yards and one touchdown in the Jaguars’ 20-13 win against Tennessee.

  Thomas Jr. has 80 receptions for 1,179 yards and 10 touchdowns this season and became the fourth rookie in the Super Bowl era with at least 1,100 receiving yards and 10 touchdown receptions, joining Odell Beckham Jr. (2014 with the New York Giants), Ja’Marr Chase (2021 with Cincinnati) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (1998 with Minnesota).

  Thomas. Jr. has six consecutive games with at least 75 receiving yards and surpassed Brandon Aiyuk (five consecutive games in 2020 with San Francisco) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss (five in 1998 with Minnesota) for the second-most consecutive games with at least 75 receiving yards by a rookie in NFL history, trailing only Odell Beckham Jr. (nine consecutive games in 2014 with the New York Giants).

• Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett had two sacks in Week 17 and has 14 sacks this season.

  Garrett is the first player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to record at least 14 sacks in four consecutive seasons.

  Garrett is the third player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least 13 sacks in five-or-more of his first eight seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Reggie White (seven seasons) and T.J. Watt (five).

COURTESY NFL COMMUNICATIONS