109 Fun Facts About NFL Stats

Who is the NFL's career passing yards leader with 89,214 yards?

Tom Brady lasted until the 199th pick of the 2000 draft, in the sixth round, then threw for 89,214 yards across 23 seasons, the most in NFL history.

The NFL's career leader in touchdown passes retired with how many?

649 is the total: nobody else has reached 600, and the same passer set the single-season attempts record of 733 in his final year at age 45.

Who holds the NFL's single-season passing yards record, 5,477 yards set in 2013?

Peyton Manning threw for 5,477 yards in 2013, topping the old record by a single yard, two years after a neck injury had cost him the entire 2011 season.

Which quarterback has the most 5,000-yard passing seasons, with five?

Drew Brees passed 5,000 yards in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2016, yet his team finished 8-8 or 7-9 in three of those five seasons.

Which quarterback was the first to pass for 5,000 yards in a season, in 1984?

Dan Marino threw for 5,084 yards in 1984, his second season, a year after five other quarterbacks were drafted ahead of him; the record then stood for 27 years.

The single-game passing record of 554 yards was set in 1951 by which Los Angeles Rams quarterback?

Norm Van Brocklin threw for 554 yards against the New York Yanks on September 28, 1951, while sharing the Rams' quarterback job with Bob Waterfield.

Which quarterback threw seven touchdown passes with a perfect 158.3 passer rating in a single 2013 game?

Nick Foles threw seven touchdown passes against only six incompletions at Oakland on November 3, 2013, and four seasons later was named Super Bowl MVP.

Which quarterback threw the most career interceptions, 336?

Brett Favre threw 336 interceptions and also holds the career fumbles record with 166, the price of going more than 18 seasons without missing a game.

The single-season record for interceptions thrown, set in 1962, is how many?

42 is the record, thrown in a 14-game AFL season for the 1962 Houston Oilers by a quarterback who also served as the team's placekicker.

Which quarterback set the NFL's single-season passer rating record of 122.5 in 2011?

Aaron Rodgers posted a 122.5 rating in 2011 with 45 touchdown passes and six interceptions, then sat out the finale, in which his backup threw six touchdown passes.

Which quarterback was sacked an NFL-record 76 times in 2002?

David Carr, the first draft pick of the expansion Houston Texans, was sacked 76 times as a rookie in 2002 yet still played in all 16 games.

Which quarterback set the rookie record for passing yards, 4,374 in 2012?

Andrew Luck threw for 4,374 yards as a 2012 rookie, and an Indianapolis team that had gone 2-14 the year before finished 11-5 and reached the playoffs.

Who is the NFL's career rushing leader with 18,355 yards?

Emmitt Smith ran for 18,355 yards, passing Walter Payton in October 2002, in a career that began with a holdout lasting his entire first training camp.

Who set the NFL's single-season rushing record with 2,105 yards in 1984?

Eric Dickerson ran for 2,105 yards in 1984, passing the 2,003 O. J. Simpson had gained in 1973, though Simpson had played only 14 games to Dickerson's 16.

Who ran for a single-game record 296 yards in a November 2007 game?

Adrian Peterson, a rookie drafted that April, ran for 296 yards against San Diego on November 4, 2007, beating Jamal Lewis's four-year-old record by a single yard.

Which running back scored an NFL-record 31 touchdowns in 2006?

LaDainian Tomlinson scored 31 touchdowns in 2006, 28 rushing and three receiving, and threw two more as a passer; the old record of 28 had lasted just one year.

Which Chiefs running back carried the ball an NFL-record 416 times in 2006?

Larry Johnson carried 416 times for Kansas City in 2006, six more than Jamal Anderson's old record, and never again ran for 1,000 yards in a season.

Which running back averaged a record 104.3 rushing yards per game over his career?

Jim Brown averaged 104.3 rushing yards per game, led the NFL in rushing in eight of his nine seasons, and retired at 30 while still at his peak.

Which quarterback set the NFL's single-season quarterback rushing record with 1,206 yards in 2019?

Lamar Jackson ran for 1,206 yards in 2019 and was named MVP in only his second season, after lasting until the final pick of the 2018 first round.

Which quarterback ran for 14 touchdowns in 2011, then a single-season record for quarterbacks?

Cam Newton, the first pick of the 2011 draft, ran for 14 touchdowns as a rookie, and Carolina, 2-14 the season before, tripled its win total to six.

Which receiver retired with an NFL-record 22,895 receiving yards?

Jerry Rice gained 22,895 receiving yards, 5,403 more than runner-up Larry Fitzgerald, after arriving in 1985 from little-known Mississippi Valley State.

Who set the NFL's single-season receptions record with 149 catches in 2019?

Michael Thomas caught 149 passes in 2019, six more than Marvin Harrison's old record, then played only 10 games over the next three seasons because of injuries.

Which receiver set the NFL's single-season receiving yards record with 1,964 in 2012?

Calvin Johnson gained 1,964 yards in 2012 yet scored only five touchdowns, and his team finished 4-12.

Which receiver caught an NFL-record 21 passes in a single game in 2009?

Brandon Marshall caught 21 passes against Indianapolis on December 13, 2009, one more than Terrell Owens's record from 2000, yet his team lost 28-16.

Who holds the NFL's single-game receiving yards record with 336, set in an overtime game in 1989?

Flipper Anderson gained 336 yards on 15 catches in an overtime road win on November 26, 1989, about a third of the 44 passes he caught all season.

Which receiver caught an NFL-record 23 touchdown passes in 2007?

Randy Moss caught 23 touchdown passes in 2007, his first season in New England, a year after scoring only three for Oakland.

Which end led the NFL in touchdown catches a record nine seasons?

Don Hutson led the league in touchdown catches nine times between 1935 and 1944, starting with an 83-yard score in only his second game as a professional.

Who is the NFL's official career sack leader with 200?

Bruce Smith reached 200 sacks in his 19th and final season, only then passing Reggie White's 198; his 13 seasons of 10 or more sacks are also a record.

Which player set the NFL's single-season sack record with 23 in 2025?

Myles Garrett reached 23 sacks in the final game of the 2025 season, at Cincinnati, edging past the 22.5 shared by Michael Strahan and T. J. Watt.

Who recorded an NFL-record seven sacks in a single game in 1990?

Derrick Thomas sacked Seattle's Dave Krieg seven times on November 11, 1990, yet Kansas City still lost the game, 17-16.

Who set an NFL record with 22 sacks in 1984?

Mark Gastineau had 22 sacks in 1984, a mark that lasted until Michael Strahan's 22.5 in 2001; because counting began only in 1982, earlier pass rushers have no official totals at all.

Who is the only player with two official seasons of 20 or more sacks?

J. J. Watt had 20.5 sacks in both 2012 and 2014, and in the second of those seasons the defensive end also caught three touchdown passes on offense.

Who holds the NFL's career interceptions record with 81?

Paul Krause intercepted 81 passes, 12 of them as a 1964 rookie for Washington, which still traded him away four years later for a linebacker and a seventh-round pick.

Which defensive back set the NFL's single-season interceptions record with 14 as a rookie?

Dick "Night Train" Lane intercepted 14 passes in a 12-game season for the Rams in 1952 after walking into their offices to ask for a tryout.

Whose 106-yard interception return in November 2004 set a then-NFL record?

Ed Reed returned an interception 106 yards in November 2004, then the longest in NFL history, and broke his own mark with an even longer return in 2008.

Which cornerback returned an NFL-record five interceptions for touchdowns in 2023?

DaRon Bland returned five interceptions for touchdowns in 2023, four of them after he moved from the slot to the outside when teammate Trevon Diggs tore a knee ligament in a September practice.

Who is the NFL's all-time leading scorer with 2,673 points?

Adam Vinatieri scored 2,673 points and kicked a record 599 field goals over 24 seasons, having entered the league in 1996 as an undrafted free agent.

Who set the NFL's single-game scoring record with 40 points in 1929?

Ernie Nevers scored every point of the Cardinals' 40-6 win on Thanksgiving 1929, six rushing touchdowns and four extra points; Alvin Kamara matched the six rushing touchdowns on Christmas Day 2020.

The longest field goal in NFL history, a 68-yarder in 2025, was kicked by whom?

Cam Little kicked a 68-yard field goal at Las Vegas in November 2025, two yards beyond Justin Tucker's old record; his 70-yarder three months earlier came in preseason and did not count.

Which kicker made an NFL-record 44 field goals in 2011?

David Akers made 44 field goals in 2011, his first season in San Francisco, months after the team he had kicked for across 12 seasons drafted another kicker and let him leave.

Who kicked a record 10 extra points in a single game in September 2023?

Jason Sanders kicked all 10 extra points in Miami's 70-20 win on September 24, 2023, but tried no field goal: Miami knelt late rather than kick one to pass the regular-season record of 72 points.

Who holds the NFL record for most games played, 382?

Morten Andersen played 382 games over 25 seasons, the last two after a season out of the league, when Atlanta signed him at 46, and left as the career scoring leader with 2,544 points.

Who played a record 26 NFL seasons?

George Blanda quarterbacked and kicked for 26 seasons, until he was 48; at 43, in 1970, he won or tied five straight games with late touchdown passes or field goals.

The NFL record for consecutive games played, 352, belongs to which punter?

Jeff Feagles played 352 consecutive games across 22 seasons, yet reached a Super Bowl only in his 20th, winning it with the Giants at 41 as the oldest player to appear in one until then.

Which defensive lineman recorded a sack in an NFL-record 11 straight games in 2018?

Chris Jones recorded a sack in 11 straight games in 2018, one more than the old record, a run that began in a game he was later ejected from for throwing a punch.

Who scored the most return touchdowns in NFL history, 20?

Devin Hester scored 20 return touchdowns in the regular season, 14 of them on punts, and added a 21st by running back the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI.

Two of the NFL's three 109-yard plays returned what?

Missed field goals were run back 109 yards by Antonio Cromartie in 2007 and Jamal Agnew in 2021, each catching the short kick deep in his own end zone; the third such play was a kickoff return.

Which reigning Super Bowl champion's rookie punted an NFL-record 98 yards in 1969?

The Jets were defending their Super Bowl III title when rookie Steve O'Neal punted 98 yards on September 21, 1969, yet they still lost that day, 21-19.

Which team set the NFL's single-season record of 72 sacks, a year before winning the Super Bowl?

The 1984 Chicago Bears recorded 72 sacks, 17.5 of them by Richard Dent, and once sacked Minnesota's quarterbacks 11 times in a single game.

Which team gained a record 7,474 yards in 2011, when its quarterback passed for a then-record 5,476?

The New Orleans Saints gained 7,474 yards in 2011, more than any team before or since, yet lost 36-32 at San Francisco in the divisional playoffs.

Which team overcame a record 33-point deficit to win a game in December 2022?

The Minnesota Vikings trailed Indianapolis 33-0 at halftime on December 17, 2022 and won 39-36 in overtime, beating the 32-point comeback Buffalo managed in the 1992 season's playoffs.

Which franchise holds the record for the longest losing streak, 26 games?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost all 14 games as a 1976 expansion team and the first 12 of 1977, yet reached the NFC Championship Game just two seasons after the streak ended.

Which franchise has the most ties in NFL history, 42, including six in 1932 alone?

The Chicago Bears have tied 42 games, and the six ties of 1932 did them no harm: they finished that season as NFL champions.

Which franchise has the most NFL championships, 13, counting the pre-Super Bowl era?

The Green Bay Packers have 13 NFL titles, nine from before the Super Bowl era plus four Super Bowls, a haul that earned their small Wisconsin city the nickname Titletown.

Which franchise holds the record for most consecutive winning seasons, 20, from 1966 to 1985?

The Dallas Cowboys had 20 straight winning seasons from 1966 to 1985, all under Tom Landry, whose first Dallas team in 1960 had gone 0-11-1.

Which team scored an NFL-record 606 points in 2013?

The Denver Broncos scored 606 points in 2013, 17 more than the 2007 New England Patriots, then managed only eight in a 43-8 Super Bowl loss to Seattle.

Which team became the first to finish a season 0-16, in 2008?

The Detroit Lions lost all 16 games in 2008, a feat matched only once since, in 2017; the previous winless team, in the strike-shortened 1982 season, had at least managed a tie.

Which team allowed an NFL-record 104 sacks in 1986?

The Philadelphia Eagles gave up 104 sacks in 1986, 19 more than any other team in history; Randall Cunningham alone went down 72 times while throwing only 209 passes.

Which team holds the NFL record of six straight league championship game appearances, from 1950 to 1955?

The Cleveland Browns reached the title game in each of their first six NFL seasons, 1950 to 1955, having won all four championships of the rival AAFC before they joined.

Which kicker, born without toes on his right foot, set an NFL record with a 63-yard field goal?

Tom Dempsey wore a custom flat-fronted shoe with no toe box, and it stirred an argument over whether it gave him an unfair advantage. His record stood for 43 years.

Who became the first NFL player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, needing only 14 games in 1973?

O. J. Simpson finished with 2,003 yards and the league MVP award. He remains the only man to reach 2,000 in a 14-game schedule.

Which NFL defensive end started 270 straight games and once ran a fumble 66 yards the wrong way?

Jim Marshall ran into his own end zone in 1964 and threw the ball out of bounds, handing San Francisco a safety. His team won 27–22 anyway.

Which NFL running back rushed for a then-record 275 yards in a 1977 game while fighting the flu?

Walter Payton carried a 101-degree fever into the game and still beat the old single-game mark by two yards.

Which NFL team won all 17 of its games in 1972, capping a perfect season with a Super Bowl title?

Miami Dolphins players never got the usual White House visit at the time, so President Obama hosted the surviving members in 2013, four decades late.

Who was the first NFL quarterback to throw 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in one season?

Jameis Winston reached 30 interceptions on his last throw of 2019, returned for a touchdown to end an overtime game. He also led the league with 5,109 passing yards.

Which NFL rookie scored six touchdowns in one game on a muddy Wrigley Field in December 1965?

Gale Sayers scored that day as a runner, a receiver and a punt returner. His 22 touchdowns that year set a rookie record.

Which tight end, a college basketball player, caught an NFL position-record 116 touchdown passes?

Antonio Gates helped Kent State's basketball team reach the Elite Eight as a 10 seed, then signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2003.

Which defensive end had 21 sacks in only 12 games during the NFL's strike-shortened 1987 season?

Reggie White averaged 1.75 sacks a game that year, the best rate on record. An ordained minister off the field, he was nicknamed the Minister of Defense.

Which NFL running back topped 100 yards in each of the final 14 games of 1997, finishing with 2,053?

Barry Sanders walked away two years later, healthy and aged 31, only 1,457 yards short of the career rushing record.

Which coach retired with an NFL-record 347 wins after 33 straight seasons in charge?

Don Shula is honored by a stadium address, 347 Don Shula Drive, chosen to match his career win total. He coached 526 games in all.

Which Colts quarterback threw a touchdown pass in 47 straight games, an NFL record for 52 years?

Johnny Unitas saw the run end against the Los Angeles Rams late in the 1960 season. No quarterback passed him until 2012.

Whose record 99-yard touchdown run on Monday Night Football came with only ten men on offense?

Tony Dorsett was a man short because fullback Ron Springs did not realize which play had been called. A 99-yard run can be tied but never beaten.

Whose 2,027 rushing yards in 2020 made him a 2,000-yard rusher in high school, college and the NFL?

Derrick Henry is the only player to reach 2,000 in a season at all three levels. In Florida he broke a national high school career rushing record that had stood for almost 60 years.

Which 17-year Cardinals receiver retired second in NFL history in both catches and receiving yards?

Larry Fitzgerald trails only Jerry Rice on both career lists, and he played every one of his seasons in Arizona.

Which Panthers back caught 116 passes in 2019, setting an NFL season record for running backs?

Christian McCaffrey also passed 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving that year. The catches record he broke had belonged to Matt Forte.

Which team finished the 2007 regular season 16–0, then lost the Super Bowl to the Giants?

New England Patriots players piled up 589 points and 75 touchdowns that season, both league records at the time.

Which longtime Chiefs tight end retired as his position's NFL career leader in catches and yards?

Tony Gonzalez missed just two of a possible 272 regular-season games and lost only two fumbles on 1,327 touches.

Who was the first NFL player to gain 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 receiving in one season?

Roger Craig did it for the 1985 49ers, leading the entire league with 92 catches while also running for 1,050 yards.

Which Titans running back set the NFL record for yards from scrimmage in a season, 2,509 in 2009?

Chris Johnson rushed for 2,006 of those yards, earning the nickname CJ2K. A year earlier he had run the 40-yard dash in 4.24 seconds at the NFL Combine.

Which Notre Dame Heisman winner scored 176 points in 1960, an NFL record that stood for 46 years?

Paul Hornung scored as both halfback and kicker and needed only 12 games. Four years later he missed 26 field goals in a single season, a record of a less welcome kind.

Which quarterback threw seven touchdowns in 1943 in the first 400-yard passing game in NFL history?

Sid Luckman threw them at the Polo Grounds on a day held in his honor, in a 56-7 rout of the Giants. His seven touchdown passes have been matched several times since but never beaten.

Which Washington star led the NFL in completions, punting and interceptions on defense in 1943?

Sammy Baugh threw four touchdown passes and intercepted four passes himself in a single 42–20 win that year. He practiced punting more than throwing.

Which scrambler retired after 1978 as the NFL's career leader in passing yards and touchdowns?

Fran Tarkenton also held the career record for rushing yards by a quarterback when he left, and he had been sacked an unofficial 570 times.

Which Seahawks receiver retired holding NFL career records for catches, yards and touchdown catches?

Steve Largent left with 819 catches, 13,089 yards and 100 touchdowns. He was later elected to the US House of Representatives and served four terms.

Whose 143 catches for the Colts in 2002 stood as the NFL single-season record for 17 years?

Marvin Harrison turned those catches into a league-leading 1,722 yards and 11 touchdowns during a 10–6 season.

Which Seahawks running back scored a then-record 28 touchdowns in his 2005 NFL MVP season?

Shaun Alexander was the first Seahawks player to win the MVP award. His 27 rushing scores that year tied the record held by Priest Holmes.

Which team allowed only 165 points in 2000, the fewest in any 16-game NFL season?

Baltimore Ravens defenders also gave up just 970 rushing yards all year, another record, and the team went on to win the Super Bowl.

Which kicker went all of 1998 without a miss, then missed a field goal in the NFC Championship Game?

Gary Anderson was the first kicker to convert every field goal and extra point in a regular season. His one miss came from 38 yards, and his team lost.

Which Rams rookie broke a 63-year-old NFL record with 1,486 receiving yards in 2023?

Puka Nacua was a fifth-round pick, the 20th wide receiver taken in his draft. His 105 catches were also a rookie record, though that one fell a year later.

Whose 2,696 all-purpose yards in 2011 set an NFL record in his fourth straight year over 2,200?

Darren Sproles is the only player with four seasons of 2,200 or more all-purpose yards. He retired with 19,696 of them as a runner, receiver and returner.

Which Chargers tight end tied an NFL record with five touchdown catches in one 1981 game in Oakland?

Kellen Winslow caught 13 passes for 144 yards in that 55–21 win. Only two other players have had five touchdown catches in a game.

Which Titans kicker made an NFL-record eight field goals in a single game in October 2007?

Rob Bironas connected from 52, 25, 21, 30, 28, 43, 29 and 29 yards, and the last of them won the game in Houston.

Which returner's NFL-record nine kickoff-return touchdowns include seven of more than 100 yards?

Cordarrelle Patterson, nicknamed Flash, scored his first NFL touchdown on a 105-yard kickoff return in only his second career game.

Who became the NFL's first 1,000-yard rusher as a rookie in 1934?

Beattie Feathers averaged 8.44 yards per carry that year, which is still the record for an NFL rookie.

Which Giants linebacker won the 1986 NFL MVP award after leading the league with 20.5 sacks?

Lawrence Taylor was only the second defensive player voted AP MVP, after Alan Page in 1971, and his team won the championship that season.

Which Rams receiver led the NFL with 1,947 receiving yards in 2021 and was named Super Bowl MVP?

Cooper Kupp also led the league in catches and touchdown catches that year, the first receiving triple crown in 16 seasons.

Who led the NFL in catches and receiving yards in 2022, at 23 the youngest player to top both?

Justin Jefferson caught 128 passes for 1,809 yards in only his third season and was named Offensive Player of the Year.

Which former Chiefs speedster led the NFL in receiving yards in 2023 with a franchise-record 1,799?

Tyreek Hill needed only 16 games for those yards, and his 13 touchdown catches tied for the league lead as well.

Who led the NFL in catches, receiving yards and touchdown catches in 2024, a receiving triple crown?

Ja'Marr Chase finished with 127 catches, 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns, becoming the fifth player in the Super Bowl era to sweep all three.

Which Seahawks receiver led the NFL with a franchise-record 1,793 receiving yards in 2025?

Jaxon Smith-Njigba was named Offensive Player of the Year for it. In college he once gained 347 receiving yards in a single Rose Bowl, a bowl-game record.

Which Falcons receiver led the NFL in receiving yards in both 2015 and 2018?

Julio Jones peaked at 1,871 yards in 2015. Atlanta had traded up from the 27th pick to the sixth overall to draft him in 2011.

Which former sixth-round pick led the NFL in receiving yards in both 2014 and 2017 for Pittsburgh?

Antonio Brown started his college career at Central Michigan as a walk-on. His 1,698 yards in 2014 came with a league-high 129 catches.

Who led the NFL in catches and receiving yards in 2020, months after a trade sent him to Buffalo?

Stefon Diggs caught 127 passes for 1,535 yards. Buffalo had given up a first-round pick and three later ones to get him that March.

Which Colts receiver, a third-round pick from FIU, led the NFL in receiving yards in 2016?

T. Y. Hilton gained 1,448 yards that year. The 92nd player chosen in the 2012 draft, he went on to make four Pro Bowls.

Who led the NFL in receiving yards in 2013 despite being suspended for the first two games?

Josh Gordon piled up 1,646 yards in 14 games, including the first back-to-back 200-yard receiving games in NFL history.

Which NFL running back's then-record 295 yards in a 2003 game helped him reach 2,066 that year?

Jamal Lewis broke Corey Dillon's single-game mark of 278 in only the second week of the schedule, and he was named Offensive Player of the Year.

Which kicker's 66-yard field goal in 2021, then the NFL's longest, won a game as time expired?

Justin Tucker went undrafted out of Texas in 2012. He is also a classically trained bass-baritone who can sing opera in seven languages.

Which Chargers receiver averaged a record 129 receiving yards per game in strike-shortened 1982?

Wes Chandler led the league that year with 1,032 receiving yards and nine touchdown catches, in a schedule cut short by a players' strike.

Which Panthers receiver led the NFL in catches, receiving yards and touchdown catches in 2005?

Steve Smith Sr. swept all three categories on a team that ranked 28th in pass attempts. Only two players had done it before him in the Super Bowl era.