Jack Andrade and the NFL Media Research team put together the best stats and records from Sunday's slate of games. Here are the most notable research notes from Week 8:
- Lamar Jackson had 2 interceptions and 2 fumbles lost in the Ravens' 28-24 loss against the Steelers on Sunday. It was Jackson's first game with multiple interceptions since Week 5, 2019 -- his only previous start against the Steelers. Over the last 2 seasons, Jackson has 5 interceptions and 7 total giveaways in 2 games vs the Steelers and 5 interceptions and 8 total giveaways in his other 20 games.
- The Ravens had 265 rushing yards and outgained the Steelers 457-221 in total yards in their loss on Sunday. Since 1933, there had been 217 games entering Sunday in which a team had at least 250 rushing yards and had at least twice as many total yards as its opponent. Those teams had a combined record of 215-1-1, with the Rams losing to Washington in 1944 and the Lions tying the Vikings in 1967 despite meeting those thresholds.
- Russell Wilson had 4 more passing touchdowns Sunday as the Seahawks improved to 6-1 for the 2nd time in team history -- the first being their Super Bowl-winning 2013 season. Wilson has 26 passing touchdowns in 2020, the 2nd-most by any player in his team's first 7 games of a season in NFL history (Tom Brady had 27 passing touchdowns in the first 7 games in 2007).
- DK Metcalf set new career highs with 12 receptions and 161 receiving yards and tied his career high with 2 receiving touchdowns in the Seahawks' win over the 49ers on Sunday. The only other Seahawks player to reach each of those marks in a win was Hall of Famer Steve Largent, who had 15 receptions, 261 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns in a strike week victory over the Lions in 1987.
- Dalvin Cook had 226 scrimmage yards and 4 scrimmage touchdowns as the Vikings knocked off the Packers 28-22 on Sunday. Cook is the first Vikings player with at least 200 scrimmage yards and at least 4 scrimmage touchdowns in a single game. Cook is also the only player in NFL history with at least 200 scrimmage yards and at least 4 scrimmage touchdowns in a game against the Packers, as well as the only player with such a game at Lambeau Field (including Packers players).
- Joe Burrow had a 106.7 passer rating as the Bengals upset the Titans on Sunday. Coupled with his 112.5 passer rating in Week 7 vs the Browns, this is the first time in Burrow's career that he has had a 100+ passer rating in back-to-back games. Burrow has completed 221 passes this season, 31 more than Andrew Luck's previous record (190) for the most completions by any player in their first 8 career games in NFL history.
- The Dolphins were outgained by 326 total yards (471-145) by the Rams on Sunday but won 28-17. That is the 3rd-largest negative yardage differential for a team in a win since 2000. The Ravens defeated the Jets 34-20 in Week 17, 2000 despite a minus-382 yardage differential, and the Texans defeated the Steelers 24-6 in Week 14, 2002 despite a minus-375 yardage differential.
- Drew Brees had 280 passing yards and 2 passing touchdowns in the Saints' 26-23 overtime win over the Bears on Sunday. Brees has won his last 5 starts against the Bears and has 10 passing touchdowns and zero interceptions in those games.
- Patrick Mahomes had 416 passing yards, 5 passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, and completed 73.8 percent of his pass attempts Sunday against the Jets. Mahomes is the 8th player since at least 1948 with at least 400 passing yards, at least 5 passing touchdowns, zero interceptions, and a 70+ completion percentage in a single game.
- Mahomes had 3 passing touchdowns of at least 30 yards on Sunday, with 2 to Tyreek Hill and 1 to Mecole Hardman. Since 2018, Mahomes leads the NFL with 24 passing touchdowns of at least 30 yards. Hill leads the NFL with 12 receiving touchdowns of at least 30 yards in that same span.
- Four Chiefs players had at least 60 receiving yards and at least 1 receiving touchdown Sunday against the Jets, the 5th time in the Super Bowl era that a team has had 4 such players in a single game. Travis Kelce had a team-high 109 receiving yards and 1 receiving touchdown, Hill had 98 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns, Hardman had 96 receiving yards and 1 receiving touchdown, and Demarcus Robinson had 63 receiving yards and 1 receiving touchdown.
- Andy Reid celebrated his 229th career win as an NFL head coach (including playoffs) Sunday against the Jets. Reid tied Hall of Famer Curly Lambeau for the 5th-most career wins by an NFL head coach (including playoffs) all-time.
- Philip Rivers had 3 passing touchdowns as the Colts won 41-21 against the Lions on Sunday. It was Rivers' second consecutive game with at least 3 passing touchdowns, the first time Rivers has had consecutive games with at least 3 passing touchdowns since weeks 1 & 2, 2018. Rivers has 6 passing touchdowns over the last 2 games after he had 4 passing touchdowns in the first 5 games combined this season.
- Justin Herbert had 278 passing yards and 3 passing touchdowns in the Chargers' loss to the Broncos on Sunday. Herbert joined Deshaun Watson (in 2017) as the only rookies in NFL history with at least 3 passing touchdowns in 4 consecutive games. Herbert has averaged 303.3 passing yards per game and has a 104.5 passer rating this season. The only other QB in the NFL that has averaged at least 300 passing yards per game and has a 100+ passer rating in 2020 is Wilson (307.3 passing yards per game, 120.8 passer rating).
- Bills rookie running back Zack Moss had 81 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns vs the Patriots on Sunday. Moss is the 4th rookie to have at least 80 rushing yards and at least 2 rushing touchdowns in a game vs the Patriots in the Bill Belichick era (since 2000), joining Clinton Portis in Week 8, 2002 (111 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns), Maurice Jones-Drew in Week 16, 2006 (131 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns), and Arian Foster in Week 17, 2009 (119 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns).
- Travis Fulgham had 78 receiving yards and a touchdown as the Eagles defeated the Cowboys on Sunday night. Fulgham has had at least 70 receiving yards in each of the last 4 games, joining Hall of Famer Terrell Owens (2 such streaks) as the only Eagles wide receivers with 4 straight games with at least 70 receiving yards in a single season since 2000.
