NEW YORK –– A look at seven statistical highlights from games played during the 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET windows on Sunday, September 22, the third week of the 2024 season.
- Six teams – the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants – earned their first win of the season in Week 3. With three games remaining in Week 3, 29 teams have at least one win, with Jacksonville (at Buffalo) and Cincinnati (vs. Washington) looking for their first win of the season on Monday night.
Three teams – the Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks – improved to 3-0. The Kansas City Chiefs (on Sunday Night Football at Atlanta) and Buffalo Bills (on Monday against Jacksonville) can also begin the season 3-0.
Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald became the fifth head coach under the age of 40 since 2000 to win each of his first three career games, joining Mike McDaniel (2022), Matt LaFleur (2019), Josh McDaniels (2009) and Mike Tomlin (2007).
- The Minnesota Vikings improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2016 with a 34-7 win over Houston, as the team registered five sacks and wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jalen Nailor each recorded a touchdown reception.
The Vikings – who had five sacks in Week 1, six sacks in Week 2 and five sacks in Week 3 – are the third team since 1990 with at least five sacks in each of their first three games of a season, joining the 2001 New Orleans Saints and 2000 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jefferson and Nailor are the first pair of teammates to record a touchdown reception in each of their team’s first three games of a season since 2018 (Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans and Chris Godwin).
- The Pittsburgh Steelers improved to 3-0 for the first time since 2020 with a 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Pittsburgh – which allowed 10 points in Week 1, six points in Week 2 and 10 points in Week 3 – is the fifth team since 2000 to win each of their first three games and allow 10-or-fewer points in each win, joining the 2009 Denver Broncos, 2005 Indianapolis Colts, 2004 Seattle Seahawks and 2001 Green Bay Packers.
- The Green Bay Packers defeated Tennessee, 30-14, as quarterback Malik Willis totaled 275 yards (202 passing, 73 rushing) and two touchdowns (one passing, one rushing) with a 120.9 rating and safety Xavier McKinney recorded his third-consecutive game with an interception to begin the season.
The Packers have 612 rushing yards this season and are the fifth team with at least 600 rushing yards in their first three games of a season since 1990, joining the 2006 Atlanta Falcons (675 rushing yards), 2019 Baltimore Ravens (650), 2013 Philadelphia Eagles (627) and 2008 Atlanta Falcons (609).
Willis, who had a 126.8 rating in Week 2 and 120.9 rating in Week 3, is the fifth player since 1970 with a passer rating of 120-or-higher in his first two starts with a team, joining Brad Johnson (1999 with Washington), Jeff George (1994 with Atlanta), Jim Plunkett (1980 with the Oakland Raiders) and John Hadl (1973 with the Los Angeles Rams).
McKinney is the first player to record an interception in each of his first three games with a team since 2012 (Cortland Finnegan with the St. Louis Rams).
- Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley totaled 156 scrimmage yards (147 rushing, nine receiving) and two rushing touchdowns while tight end Dallas Goedert had 10 receptions for 170 yards in the Eagles’ 15-12 win at New Orleans.
With Barkley and Goedert, it marks the fifth time since 1970 that a running back and tight end duo each had at least 150 scrimmage yards in the same game as teammates, joining Denver’s Pro Football Hall of Fame duo of Shannon Sharpe and Terrell Davis (Oct. 20, 1997), Cincinnati’s Rodney Holman and James Brooks (Oct. 7, 1990), the New York Jets’ Mickey Shuler and Freeman McNeil (Oct. 2, 1988) and the New York Jets’ Rich Caster and Pro Football Hall of Famer John Riggins (Sept. 24, 1972).
Barkley, who also had 132 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns in Week 1, is the third player in the past 20 seasons with at least 125 scrimmage yards and two rushing touchdowns in two of his team’s first three games of a season, joining Chris Johnson (2010 with Tennessee) and Raheem Mostert (2023 with Miami).
Goedert is the fifth tight end with at least 10 receptions and 170 receiving yards in a game in the past 20 seasons, joining Jimmy Graham (Sept. 15, 2013), Travis Kelce (Oct. 22, 2023 and Dec. 16, 2021), George Kittle (Oct. 4, 2020) and Darren Waller (Dec. 6, 2020).
- New York Giants rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers recorded eight receptions for 78 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s 21-15 win at Cleveland.
The Giants became the fourth team to have nine different players record at least half a sack in the same game since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, joining the Buffalo Bills (Oct. 30, 2011), Dallas Cowboys (Sept. 29, 1985) and Kansas City Chiefs (Dec. 8, 1985).
Nabers, who has 23 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns this season, is the first player in NFL history with at least 20 receptions and three touchdown catches in his first three career games.
Nabers’ 23 receptions are tied with Anquan Boldin (23 receptions in 2003) for the second-most receptions by a player in his first three career games in NFL history. Only Puka Nacua (30 receptions in 2023) had more.
Nabers, at 21 years and 56 days old, is the youngest wide receiver in NFL history with two touchdown receptions in a game, surpassing Mike Evans (21 years and 73 days old on Nov. 2, 2014).
- Baltimore running back Derrick Henry totaled 174 scrimmage yards (151 rushing, 23 receiving) and two rushing touchdowns in the Ravens’ 28-25 win over Dallas.
Henry has 12 career games with at least 150 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (12 games) for the second-most such games in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown (13 games) has more.
Henry has 19 career games with at least 100 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, tied with Shaun Alexander (19 games) for the fourth-most such games by a player in his first nine seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown (25 games), LaDainian Tomlinson (25) and Emmitt Smith (21) have more.
- Additional notes from Sunday include:
- San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy passed for 292 yards with three touchdowns and a 137.1 rating in Week 3.
Purdy has nine career games with a passer rating of 130-or-higher, surpassing Lamar Jackson (eight) for the most such games by a quarterback in his first three seasons in NFL history.
Purdy, in 24 career regular-season starts, has 16 career games with a passer rating of 100-or-higher, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (16 games) for the second-most such games by a player in his first 25 career regular-season starts in NFL history. Only Patrick Mahomes (18 games) has more.
- Carolina wide receiver Adam Thielen recorded his 60th career touchdown reception and became the third undrafted player in the common-draft era with at least 60 career touchdown receptions, joining Antonio Gates (116) and Rod Smith (68).
- Denver linebacker Dondrea Tillman recorded two sacks in his first career game in the team’s Week 3 win and became the fourth undrafted player since 1990 with at least two sacks in his first career game, joining Ryan Delaire (Oct. 4, 2015), Howard Jones (Oct. 11, 2015) and Kendrick Office (Nov. 11, 2001)
- Dallas kicker Brandon Aubrey converted a 65-yard field goal in the first quarter, surpassing Matt Prater (64-yard field goal on Dec. 8, 2013) for the second-longest made field goal in NFL history. Only Justin Tucker (66-yard field goal on Sept. 26, 2021) has a longer made field goal.
Aubrey, who converted a 60-yard field goal on Dec. 10, 2023, is the eighth kicker in NFL history with multiple made field goals of at least 60 yards, joining Brett Maher (four made field goals of at least 60 yards), Matt Prater (three), Greg Zuerlein (three), Harrison Butker (two), Jake Elliott (two), Sebastian Janikowski (two) and Justin Tucker (two).
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