NFL Research offers the best nuggets from each week of games in the NFL. Here are the most eye-popping statistical accomplishments of Week 5 of the 2022 NFL season.
1) Josh Allen puts on first-half clinic against the Steelers
Allen put on a first-half clinic in Kenny Pickett’s starting debut. Allen put Pittsburgh and its rookie away early with 348 pass yards and four touchdowns in the first half in Week 5. It was the second-most pass yards in a first half since play-by-play data has been tracked in 1991. Only Patrick Mahomes had more (359 in Week 12, 2020) over that span. Allen also tied the Bills’ franchise record for pass touchdowns in a half, matching marks set by Hall of Famer Jim Kelly (Week 2, 1994) and Johnny Green (Week 7, 1960).
According to Next Gen Stats, Allen had 256 of his 348 first-half yards on passes of 10-plus air yards. This tied Mahomes (Week 2, 2019) and Tom Brady (Week 16, 2020) for the most downfield pass yards in any half in the Next Gen era (since 2016).
2) Allen reaches 150 career touchdowns against the Steelers
Allen finished Sunday with 151 career offensive touchdowns in his 66th NFL game. He’s the fourth player in NFL history to reach the 150 mark in 70 or fewer games, joining Mahomes (60), Dan Marino (61) and Aaron Rodgers (70). Allen’s first touchdown of the day broke a tie with Hall of Famer Peyton Manning for the most such touchdowns in a player’s first five seasons in NFL history. He now trails just Marino (171 from 1983-87), Cam Newton (160 from 2011-15) and Mahomes (159 from 2017-21).
3) Taysom Hill continues to create his own position
Hill has found another way to do something his listed position usually does not do. The tight end (or quarterback or running back ... just call him an athlete) had no receptions in Week 5. But let us not ignore the 112 rush yards, three rush touchdowns and a passing score he put on the Seahawks. Oh, and 69 kick return yards and a fumble recovery on special teams.
Hill became the third player in NFL history with at least 100 rush yards, three rush touchdowns and a pass touchdown in the same game. The other two to do so were running backs Ronnie Brown (2008 with Dolphins) and Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (2005 with Chargers).
Hill now has touchdowns by the following means in his career: 21 rushing, nine passing, and seven receiving. Only one other player in the Super Bowl era had at least 20 rush, eight pass, and six receiving touchdowns in his career. They called him Sweetness -- Hall of Famer Walter Payton.
4) Giddy for the Griddy: Justin Jefferson continues dominance over NFL
Jefferson had a career-high 12 receptions for 154 receiving yards in Week 5 against the Bears. The third-year pro continues to etch his name next to some of the greatest players in the annals of league history. Sunday was JJettas' sixth career game with 150-plus receiving yards, tying Hall of Famers Randy Moss and Lance Alworth for the most such games in a player’s first three seasons in NFL history.
Jefferson’s career average of 93.8 receiving yards per game is the highest in NFL history. He does most of his work down the field. His 2,559 receiving yards on passes of 10-plus air yards are over 600 yards more than the next closest player (Tyreek Hill, 1,943).
Jefferson has one of the most diverse route trees in the NFL. He has 400 receiving yards on five different routes (cross, go, out, in, hitch) since entering the NFL in 2020 (Next Gen Stats). Only three other players have more than even two such routes: Hill (four), Cooper Kupp and Travis Kelce (three).
5) Steelers suffer worst loss in Mike Tomlin era
Someone had to be on the other end of Allen’s greatness in Week 5. The Steelers suffered their largest loss spanning not only the Mike Tomlin era (2007-present), but also the Bill Cowher era (1992-2006). The 35-point defeat was Pittsburgh’s biggest since a 51-0 debacle against the Browns in Week 1, 1989. Hall of Fame head coach Chuck Noll stood on the sidelines for that game.
The Steelers moved to 0-8 without T.J. Watt since the Associated Press 2021 Defensive Player of the Year entered the NFL in 2017. As for Pittsburgh's rookie QB, there’s some good news, bad news to be told. The good news? Pickett threw for 327 yards in Week 5, the most by a Steelers quarterback in his first career start. The bad news? Pickett is one game into a seven-game stretch against teams with winning records last season. It’s the longest streak to start a career for a rookie quarterback since at least 1950. The Steelers, currently on a four-game skid, have not lost five straight games since Weeks 10-14, 2009.
6) Jalen Hurts keeps the Eagles undefeated with his legs
Hurts’ two rushing scores helped the Eagles escape Arizona with their record unblemished. The Eagles are 5-0 for the first time since 2004. That season, Philadelphia was also the last undefeated team, and a 7-0 start propelled them to a Super Bowl XXXIX appearance.
Hurts had his seventh career game with two rushing touchdowns, behind only Newton (10) for the most multi-rush touchdown games by a quarterback since 1950. Hurts' total is almost twice as much as the next closest in a player’s first three seasons (three players are tied with four) over that span. Nineteen rush touchdowns are the most by any quarterback in his first 25 career starts. Hurts will make his 25th start next Sunday night against the Cowboys.
7) Nick Chubb being Nick Chubb
Are there many things in the NFL harder than tackling Chubb? The NFL’s leading rusher (593 yards) has played bully ball in 2022 to the tune of 42 forced missed tackles on runs -- 13 more than the next closest player (PFF). In fact, Saquon Barkley is the only player with more total yards on the ground (533) than Chubb has after contact (415) this season. Chubb is the first player in NFL history to rush for 575 yards and seven touchdowns on fewer than 100 carries through the first five games of a season.
8) Jimmy Mahomes … Garoppolo bags another win
Jimmy Garoppolo made his 50th career start Sunday, and his 50th start ended like most of his others -- with his team winning the game. Garoppolo is 35-15 as a starting quarterback in his career. Since 1970, only seven of 169 quarterbacks with that many starts have a win percentage of .700 or higher; Garoppolo is one of them. There’s only one player over that span with 35-plus wins in his first 50 starts to post a higher passer rating than the 49ers’ backup (98.8 passer rating): Garoppolo's Super Bowl LIV opponent, Patrick Mahomes (40 wins, 109.5 passer rating).
Bonus: If Justin Tucker is taking the field late in the game, count the points on the scoreboard and move on. Tucker’s game-winner against the Bengals on Sunday Night Football was his 61st consecutive made field goal in the fourth quarter or overtime, the longest streak in NFL history.
Research shoutouts: Jack Andrade (@RealJackAndrade), Dante Koplowitz-Fleming (@DanteKopFlem), Joel Smyth (@FF_Smyth), Matt Okada (@MattOkada), Blake Warye (@Bwaryofme).