NFL Notebook: Broncos Clinch AFC West, Texans Make Post Season
NEW YORK –– A look at seven statistical highlights from games played on Sunday, Dec. 28, the 17th week of the 2025 season.
The Denver Broncos (13-3) defeated Kansas City, 20-13, and clinched the AFC West for the first time since 2015.
Denver head coach Sean Payton recorded his 13th win of the season and joins Bill Belichick (seven seasons) as the only coaches in NFL history to win at least 13 games in at least five seasons.
The Houston Texans (11-5) defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, 20-16, to clinch a playoff berth for the third consecutive season. The Texans are the fifth team since 1990 to begin 0-3 and qualify for the postseason.
Additionally in Week 17, the Chicago Bears (11-4), who visit San Francisco on Sunday Night Football, clinched the NFC North for the first time since 2018 while the Green Bay Packers (9-6-1) clinched a postseason berth for the third straight year.
The New England Patriots (13-3) defeated the New York Jets, 42-10, and coupled with the Bills’ Week 17 loss, clinched the AFC East for the first time since 2019.
The Bears and Patriots finished last in their divisions in 2024 before winning division titles this season. In 20 of the past 23 seasons (2003-25), at least one team finished in first place in its division the season after finishing in last or tied for last place.
New England quarterback Drake Maye completed 19 of 21 pass attempts (90.5 percent) for 256 yards and five touchdowns for a 157.0 rating in the Patriots’ 42-10 victory over the New York Jets.
Maye, who is 23 years old, became the third player under the age of 24 all-time with at least two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in 10 games in a single season, joining Patrick Mahomes (13 games in 2018 with Kansas City) and Matthew Stafford (10 in 2011 with Detroit).
Maye, who has 4,203 passing yards and 30 touchdown passes in 2025, is the sixth quarterback all-time under the age of 24 with at least 4,000 passing yards and 30 touchdown passes in a season, joining Blake Bortles (2015 with Jacksonville), Justin Herbert (2020 and 2021 with the Los Angeles Chargers), Patrick Mahomes (2018 with Kansas City), Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (1984 with Miami) and Matthew Stafford (2009 with Detroit).
Maye has 12 games with a passer rating of 100-or-higher, surpassing Dak Prescott (11 games in 2016 with Dallas) for the second-most such games by a player under the age of 24 in a single season all-time, trailing only Patrick Mahomes (13 in 2018 with Kansas City).
Maye, who has six games this season with a passer rating of 135-or-higher, is the third quarterback in NFL history with six such games in a single season, joining Lamar Jackson (2024 with Baltimore) and Tony Romo (2014 with Dallas).
Maye, who had 222 passing yards and a 91.3 completion percentage in Week 7, became the first player in NFL history to record two games with at least 200 passing yards and a completion percentage of 90-or-higher (minimum five attempts) in a season.
Maye joined Lynn Dickey (Dec. 13, 1981, with Green Bay) and Frank Ryan (Dec. 12, 1964, with Cleveland) as the only players with five touchdown passes and a completion percentage of 90-or-higher in a single game.
Arizona tight end Trey McBride had 10 receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown in Week 17.
McBride has a career-high and franchise-record 119 receptions this season and surpassed Zach Ertz (116 receptions in 2018 with Philadelphia) for the most receptions by a tight end in a season in NFL history.
McBride, who had 111 receptions last season and leads the league with 119 receptions this season, became the first tight end all-time with at least 110 receptions in multiple career seasons.
McBride has 36 career games with at least five receptions since entering the NFL in 2022, surpassing Jimmy Graham (35 games) for the most such games by a tight end in their first four seasons in NFL history.
Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold has led the Seahawks to 13 wins this season, the team’s most since 2013, after defeating the Panthers 27-10. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba had nine receptions for 72 yards in Week 17 and leads the league with 1,709 receiving yards this season.
Darnold, who had 14 wins with Minnesota in 2024, became the fifth quarterback all-time to record at least 13 wins in consecutive seasons and the first to do so with different teams, joining Aaron Rodgers (three consecutive seasons from 2019-21 with Green Bay), Tom Brady (two in 2010-11 and 2003-04 with New England) as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers Brett Favre (two in 1996-97 with Green Bay) and Peyton Manning (two in 2012-13 with Denver).
Smith-Njigba, who is 23 years old, became the third player in NFL history under age 24 with at least 1,700 receiving yards in a single season, joining Justin Jefferson (1,809 receiving yards in 2022 with Minnesota) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce (1,781 in 1995 with the St. Louis Rams).
Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow passed for 305 yards and two touchdowns, both to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, in the Bengals’ 37-14 victory over Arizona.
Burrow is the third player all-time with at least 25 games of 300 passing yards and multiple touchdown passes in his first six career seasons, joining Patrick Mahomes (34 games) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (27).
Chase has 13 career games with multiple touchdown receptions, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer Lance Alworth (13 games), Dez Bryant (13), Rob Gronkowski (13) and Andre Rison (13) for the second-most games with multiple touchdown receptions by a player in his first five seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (17 games) has more.
Chase, who has seven touchdown receptions this season, joins Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss as the only players with at least seven touchdown receptions in each of his first five seasons in NFL history.
Chase has 53 touchdown receptions since entering the NFL in 2021 and surpassed Andre Rison (52 touchdown receptions) for the fifth-most touchdown receptions by a wide receiver in his first five seasons in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (66 touchdown receptions), Randy Moss (60) and Lance Alworth (54) as well as Dez Bryant (56) have more.
Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence passed for 263 yards and had two rushing touchdowns in the Jaguars’ 23-17 victory over Indianapolis.
Lawrence, who has 26 touchdown passes and nine rushing touchdowns in 2025, joins Josh Allen (2023-25), Kyler Murray (2020) and Cam Newton (2015) as the only players in NFL history with at least 25 touchdown passes and nine rushing touchdowns in a season.
Lawrence has three games this season with multiple rushing touchdowns and joins Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts and Cam Newton as the only quarterbacks since 2000 to record at least three games with two-or-more rushing touchdowns in a single season.
New Orleans quarterback Tyler Shough completed 22 of 31 passes (81.5 percent) for 333 yards and two touchdowns for a 142.7 rating in the Saints’ 34-26 victory over Tennessee.
Shough is the second rookie ever with a completion percentage of 80-or-higher, at least 300 passing yards and a passer rating of 145-or-higher in a single game, joining Bo Nix (Nov. 17, 2024, and Jan. 5, 2025, with Denver).
Per Next Gen Stats, Shough excelled on downfield throws (at least 10 air yards), completing eight of 12 attempts for 235 yards and two touchdowns, the most downfield passing yards of his career.
For more information on Next Gen Stats, check out NFL Pro, available within NFL+ Premium. With NFL+ Premium, get access to NFL Pro and track advanced analytics powered by Next Gen Stats and watch All-22 film. Available on desktop and mobile web, visit pro.nfl.com for more information.
Additional notes from Sunday include:
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen passed for 262 yards and had two rushing touchdowns in Week 17.
Allen, who is 29 years and 221 days old and has 301 combined passing, rushing and receiving touchdowns in 127 career games, is the youngest in age and fastest in games played to reach 300 career combined passing, rushing and receiving touchdowns, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (31 years and 212 days old) and Aaron Rodgers (134 games).
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart passed for 207 yards and rushed for 48 yards and two touchdowns in the Giants’ 34-10 victory over Las Vegas.
Dart has nine rushing touchdowns this season, surpassing Josh Allen (eight rushing touchdowns) for the second-most rushing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era, trailing only Cam Newton (14 rushing touchdowns).
Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown in Week 17.
Taylor, who had 18 rushing touchdowns in 2021 and has 18 rushing touchdowns this season, became the fourth player in NFL history with at least 18 rushing touchdowns in multiple career seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith (three seasons) and LaDainian Tomlinson (two) as well as Priest Holmes (two).
Taylor, who has 9,028 scrimmage yards and 76 touchdowns since entering the NFL in 2020, became the sixth player in NFL history with at least 9,000 scrimmage yards and 75 scrimmage touchdowns in his first six seasons, joining Shaun Alexander and Adrian Peterson as well as Pro Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith and LaDainian Tomlinson.
Taylor, who has 1,924 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns this season, joins Pro Football Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk, Emmitt Smith and LaDainian Tomlinson, as well as Shaun Alexander and Priest Holmes as the only players in NFL history with at least 1,500 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns in multiple seasons.
Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans had 31 receiving yards and a touchdown reception in Week 17.
Evans, who has 864 receptions for 13,018 yards and 108 touchdowns in his career, is one of nine players in NFL history with at least 850 receptions, 13,000 receiving yards and 100 touchdown receptions in their career, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Tim Brown, Cris Carter, Tony Gonzalez, Marvin Harrison, Randy Moss, Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens as well as Larry Fitzgerald.
