NEW YORK –– Dec. 31, 2023 –– A look at seven statistical highlights from games played on Thursday, Dec. 28, Saturday, Dec. 30 and during the 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET windows on Sunday, Dec. 31, the 17th week of the 2023 season.
- BALTIMORE, who defeated Miami, 56-19, secured its first AFC North division title since 2019 and clinched the No. 1 seed, the AFC’s only first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The Ravens improved to 13-3, their second season in franchise history with 13 wins (2006).SAN FRANCISCO defeated Washington, 27-10, and in combination with losses by Detroit and Philadelphia in Week 17, clinched the No. 1 seed, the NFC’s lone first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.The 49ers, with quarterback BROCK PURDY (4,280 passing yards), running back CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY (2,023 scrimmage yards), wide receivers BRANDON AIYUK(1,317 scrimmage yards) and DEEBO SAMUEL (1,085 scrimmage yards) and tight end GEORGE KITTLE (1,022 scrimmage yards), are the fourth team in NFL history with a 4,000-yard passer and four players each with 1,000-or-more scrimmage yards in a season, joining the 2004 INDIANAPOLIS COLTS, 1995 ATLANTA FALCONS and 1990 HOUSTON OILERS.
San Francisco – with McCaffrey, Aiyuk, Samuel and Kittle – is the first team in NFL history with a running back, two wide receivers and a tight end each with 1,000 scrimmage yards in the same season.
KANSAS CITY defeated Cincinnati, 25-17, and clinched their eighth-consecutive AFC West division title, surpassing the LOS ANGELES RAMS (seven consecutive NFC West titles from 1973-79) for the second-longest streak of division titles in NFL history. Only the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (11 consecutive AFC East titles from 2009-19) have a longer streak.
The Chiefs secured a playoff berth for the ninth-consecutive season, tying the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (nine seasons from 2002-10) and DALLAS COWBOYS (nine from 1975-83) for the second-longest streak of playoff appearances in NFL history. Only the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (11 seasons from 2009-19) have a longer streak.
Kansas City has at least 10 wins in nine consecutive regular-seasons, tied with the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (nine seasons from 2002-10) for the third-longest streak of 10-win seasons all-time. Only the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (17 seasons from 2003-19), and SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (16 seasons from 1983-98) have longer streaks.
CLEVELAND – which defeated the New York Jets, 37-20, on Thursday – clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2020.
The LOS ANGELES RAMS defeated the New York Giants, 26-25, and clinched a playoff berth for the third time in the past four seasons.
PITTSBURGH defeated Seattle, 30-23, for its ninth win of the season and secured a 20th-consecutive season with a .500-or-better record, surpassing the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2001-19) for the second-longest streak in NFL history. Only the DALLAS COWBOYS (21 consecutive seasons from 1965-85) have a longer streak.
The Steelers’ MIKE TOMLIN has led Pittsburgh to a .500-or-better record in each of his 17 seasons as the team’s head coach and surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer GEORGE HALAS (16 consecutive seasons from 1933-42 and 1946-51) for the third-longest streak of consecutive .500-or-better seasons by a head coach in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer TOM LANDRY (21 consecutive seasons from 1965-85) and BILL BELICHICK (19 consecutive seasons from 2001-19) have a longer streak.
ARIZONA, which entered Week 17 with a 3-12 record, overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat Philadelphia (11-5), 35-31. It marked the first time that a team defeated an opponent that entered the week with at least eight more wins since Week 18 of the 2021 season [Detroit (2-13-1) defeated Green Bay (13-3)].
Week 17 of the 2023 marked the first time in NFL history that there was an offensive touchdown, defensive touchdown, kickoff-return touchdown and punt-return touchdown each of at least 90 yards in the same week (Cowboys’ CEEDEE LAMB – 92-yard touchdown reception; Eagles’ SYDNEY BROWN – 99-yard interception-return touchdown; Patriots’ JALEN RAEGOR – 98-yard kickoff-return touchdown; Giants’ GUNNER OLSZEWSKI – 94-yard punt-return touchdown).
- Baltimore quarterback LAMAR JACKSON completed 18 of 21 attempts (85.7 percent) for 321 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions for a 158.3 rating, the highest attainable mark, in the Ravens’ Week 17 win.Jackson has three career games with a 158.3 passer rating (minimum 15 attempts in each game), tied with Pro Football Hall of Famers PEYTON MANNING and KURT WARNER as well as TOM BRADY and BEN ROETHLISBERGER for the most such games in NFL history.Jackson is the second quarterback in NFL history with two career games of at least five touchdown passes and a 158.3 passer rating, joining BEN ROETHLISBERGER. Jackson also had five touchdown passes and a 158.3 rating in Week 1 of the 2019 season.
Jackson has four career games with at least five touchdown passes, the third-most such games by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history. Only PATRICK MAHOMES (six games) and Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (five) have more.
- San Francisco quarterback BROCK PURDY passed for 230 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 124.7 rating in the 49ers’ Week 17 win.Purdy has 4,280 passing yards this season, surpassing JEFF GARCIA (4,278 passing yards in 2000) for the most single-season passing yards by a quarterback in 49ers franchise history.Purdy has 10 games with a passer rating of 120-or-higher, surpassing RUSSELL WILSON (nine games) for the most such games by a player in his first two seasons in NFL history.
Purdy has eight games with a passer rating of 120-or-higher this season and is the fifth player ever to record a passer rating of 120-or-higher in eight-or-more games in a season, joining AARON RODGERS (10 games in 2020), TOM BRADY (eight in 2007), PHILIP RIVERS (eight in 2008) and MATT RYAN (eight in 2016).
San Francisco running back CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY, who has 2,023 scrimmage yards this season and had 2,392 scrimmage yards in 2019 with Carolina, is the third player in NFL history to record at least 2,000 scrimmage yards in a season for two franchises, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers ERIC DICKERSON (L.A. Rams and Indianapolis Colts) and MARSHALL FAULK (St. Louis Rams and Indianapolis Colts).
Kittle, who has 1,020 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions this season, is the fourth tight end since 1990 with three seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions, joining TRAVIS KELCE (six seasons), Pro Football Hall of Famer TONY GONZALEZ (four) and ROB GRONKOWSKI (four). Kittle also reached the marks in 2018 and 2019.
- Buffalo quarterback JOSH ALLEN rushed for two touchdowns and wide receiver STEFON DIGGS had four receptions in the Bills’ 27-21 win over New England.Allen has 15 rushing touchdowns this season, tied with JALEN HURTS (15 rushing touchdowns in 2023) for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season in NFL history.Allen is the fifth quarterback in the Super Bowl era with a rushing touchdown in five consecutive games, joining JUSTIN FIELDS (six consecutive games in 2022), JOSHUA DOBBS (five in 2023), KYLER MURRAY (five in 2020) and CAM NEWTON (five games in 2021).
Allen has 12 games with a rushing touchdown this season, the most such games by a quarterback in a season in NFL history.
Diggs has 100 receptions this season and became the third player ever with at least 100 receptions in four-or-more consecutive seasons, joining ANTONIO BROWN (six consecutive seasons from 2013-18) and Pro Football Hall of Famer MARVIN HARRISON (four consecutive seasons from 1999-2002).
Diggs has 803 receptions in 135 career games, surpassing ANDRE JOHNSON (137 games) and DEANDRE HOPKINS (137) as the fifth-fastest player to reach 800 career receptions in NFL history. Only ANTONIO BROWN (126 games), KEENAN ALLEN(127), JULIO JONES (127) and Pro Football Hall of Famer MARVIN HARRISON (131) reached the mark faster.
- Kansas City quarterback PATRICK MAHOMES passed for 245 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions for a 109.1 rating in the Chiefs’ Week 17 win.Mahomes has 4,177 passing yards this season and joined Pro Football Hall of Famer PEYTON MANNING as the only players ever with at least 4,000 passing yards in six of their first seven seasons.
- Los Angeles Rams rookie wide receiver PUKA NACUA had five receptions for 118 yards in the team’s Week 17 win.Nacua has 101 receptions this season, tied with ANQUAN BOLDIN (101 receptions in 2003) for the second-most receptions by a rookie in history. Only JAYLEN WADDLE(104 receptions in 2021) has more.Nacua has 1,445 receiving yards this season and surpassed JUSTIN JEFFERSON(1,400 receiving yards in 2020) for the third-most receiving yards by a rookie in NFL history. Only BILL GROMAN (1,473 receiving yards in 1960) and JA’MARR CHASE(1,455 in 2021) have more.
Nacua is the fifth rookie in history with at least 100 receiving yards in seven games, joining BILL GROMAN (nine games in 1960), ODELL BECKHAM JR. (seven in 2014), HARLON HILL (seven in 1954) and JUSTIN JEFFERSON (seven in 2020).
- Miami wide receiver TYREEK HILL had six catches for 76 yards in Week 17.Hill – who has a career-high and franchise-record 1,717 receiving yards this season and had 1,710 receiving yards last season – is the first player in NFL history to record at least 1,700 receiving yards in multiple seasons.Hill – who has 112 receptions this season, 119 receptions in 2022 and 111 receptions in 2021 – is the third player ever to record at least 110 receptions in three consecutive seasons, joining ANTONIO BROWN (2013-15) and WES WELKER (2007-09).
Hill, who has 710 receptions, 10,057 receiving yards and 75 touchdown receptions since entering the NFL in 2016, is the second player in NFL history with at least 700 receptions, 10,000 receiving yards and 75 touchdown receptions in his first eight seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer MARVIN HARRISON.
- Additional notes from Week 17 include:
- Cleveland quarterback JOE FLACCO passed for 309 yards and three touchdowns with one interception for a 121.2 rating in the Browns’ 37-20 win over the New York Jets on Thursday.Flacco became the first player in NFL history to record at least 250 passing yards and two touchdown passes in each of his first five games with a team.Flacco became the second player ever to record at least 300 passing yards in four of his first five games with a team, joining BRIAN HOYER (four of his first five games with Chicago in 2016).
- Dallas wide receiver CEEDEE LAMB had 13 receptions for 227 yards and one touchdown in the Cowboys’ 20-19 win over Detroit on Saturday.Lamb has 122 receptions for 1,651 receiving yards this season, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer MICHAEL IRVIN (111 receptions and 1,603 receiving yards in 1995) for the Cowboys single-season franchise records in receptions and receiving yards.Lamb has four games with at least 10 receptions and 150 receiving yards this season (Weeks 8-10 and 17), tied with Pro Football Hall of Famers TIM BROWN(1997), CALVIN JOHNSON (2012) and JERRY RICE (1995) as well as ANTONIO BROWN (2017) and TYREEK HILL (2022) for the most such games in a season in NFL history.
Lamb joined MICHAEL THOMAS (six games in 2019) as the only players with six games of 11-or-more receptions in a season in NFL history.
- Detroit wide receiver AMON-RA ST. BROWN had six receptions for 90 yards and one touchdown and rookie tight end SAM LAPORTA had seven receptions for 84 yards on Saturday.St. Brown has 308 career receptions and surpassed CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY(303 receptions) for the third-most receptions by a player in his first three career seasons in NFL history. Only JUSTIN JEFFERSON (324 receptions) and MICHAEL THOMAS (321) have more.LaPorta has 81 receptions this season, tied with KEITH JACKSON (81 receptions in 1988) for the most receptions by a rookie tight end in NFL history.
LaPorta has 860 receiving yards this season and surpassed CHARLIE YOUNG(854 receiving yards in 1973) for the fifth-most receiving yards by a rookie tight end in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer MIKE DITKA (1,076 receiving yards in 1961), KYLE PITTS (1,026 in 2021), JEREMY SHOCKEY (894 in 2002) and KEITH JACKSON (869 in 1988) have more.
- Las Vegas wide receiver DAVANTE ADAMS had 13 receptions for 126 yards and two touchdowns in Week 17.Adams has eight career games with at least 10 receptions, 125 receiving yards and two touchdown receptions, surpassing ANTONIO BROWN (seven games) for the most such games in NFL history.Adams has 17 games with at least 100 receiving yards and two touchdowns, tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer TERRELL OWENS (17 games) for the fifth-most such games in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers JERRY RICE(27 games), RANDY MOSS (26), MARVIN HARRISON (22) and DON HUTSON(18) have more.
- Jacksonville linebacker JOSH ALLEN recorded three sacks in the Jaguars’ 26-0 win over Carolina.Allen – who had three sacks in Weeks 1, 4 and 17 and had 2.5 sacks in Week 12 – is the second player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least 2.5 sacks in four games within a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer LAWRENCE TAYLOR (four games in 1986).
