Sky Sports Cricket statistician – and big Buffalo Bills fan – Benedict Bermange dives into the 2024 NFL season to pick out the best stats from each week…
The rivalry between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears began in 1921 and is the most-played NFL match-up of all time, with a total of 209 games between the sides. Green Bay clinched the win on Sunday via a last-second blocked field goal, marking their 11th straight victory against their divisional rivals amid the longest streak by either team in the match-up.
In all, the Packers have won 16 of their 17 meetings dating back to 2016, with the Bears’ sole victory in that time coming in December 2018. The Bears are the first team since the 2004 New Orleans Saints to concede the first points in each of their first 10 games of a season.
The Detroit Lions’ victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars gave them eight wins in a row in a season for the first time since 1934. They became the first team to score touchdowns on each of their first seven drives since the New England Patriots against the Buffalo Bills in Week 11 of the 2007 season.
Their 645 total yards set a franchise record, and the difference of 475 yards between the Lions’ total yards and the Jaguars’ total of 170 was the highest in a game since the Rams out-gained the Seattle Seahawks by 482 yards in a 24-0 win in Week 10 of the 1979 season. The Jaguars suffered their heaviest defeat and conceded the most points in a game in franchise history.
The Las Vegas Raiders may have lost to the Miami Dolphins – the first time they have lost six games in a row in a season since 2014 – but Brock Bowers set a new record for rookie tight ends by catching 13 passes in a game.
The Saints defeated the Cleveland Browns with Taysom Hill setting a new record for the most rushing yards in a game by a player listed as a tight end. His 138 yards on the ground broke his own record of 112 yards set against the Seahawks two years ago, while he added eight receptions for 50 yards, not to mention one pass completion for 18 yards, an interception and a fumble!
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 18-16 win over the Baltimore Ravens was the 27th of their last 33 meetings to be decided by one score, and the eighth victory for Mike Tomlin’s side in their last nine meetings with their divisional rivals. Chris Boswell became the first player to kick six field goals in Acrisure Stadium, which opened in 2001, and the first player to kick six field goals in a game in Pittsburgh since Gary Anderson at Three Rivers Stadium for the Steelers against the Denver Broncos in 1988.
In contrast, Ravens kicker Justin Tucker missed two field goals in the first quarter – the first time in his 13-year NFL career that he has missed two field goals in the same quarter. Coming into the game he had been 57/59 in field goals in his 24 previous games against the Steelers.
Will Levis and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine connected for a 98-yard touchdown pass for the Tennessee Titans against the Minnesota Vikings, tying the longest pass in franchise history. The previous 98-yarder came back in Week 12 of the 1962 season when Jacky Lee connected with Willard Dewveall for the Oilers against the Chargers at Jeppesen Stadium. The only longer scrimmage play for the team was Derrick Henry’s 99-yard run against the Jaguars in 2018.
Josh Allen scored a game-sealing 26-yard touchdown run as the Bills ended the Kansas City Chiefs’ unbeaten start to the season, moving him into sole possession of second place for most rushing touchdown in Bills franchise history:
It was the first time in nine attempts that the Bills had defeated a team who were 6-0 or better coming into the game, and the Chiefs’ streak of winning after trailing in the second half ended at nine wins, the longest such streak in NFL history.
The Houston Texans won their first Monday Night Football game since Week 12 of the 2018 season as the Dallas Cowboys dropped to 0-5 at home this season, their worst start at home since Jerry Jones’ first season as franchise owner in 1989.
CeeDee Lamb led the Cowboys with eight receptions which marked his 43rd game in a row in which he has recorded at least four receptions, tying Michael Thomas’ NFL record which he set for the Saints between October 2017 and December 2019.
Week 12 begins on Thursday night when the Pittsburgh Steelers face the Cleveland Browns from 1.15am in the early hours of Friday, live on Sky Sports NFL. Stream with NOW.
