NFL Research offers the best nuggets from each week of games in the NFL. Here are the most eye-popping statistical accomplishments of Week 8 of the 2022 NFL season.
1) Derrick Henry’s Titan-ic effort against the Texans
The Texans entered their Week 8 game against Henry and the Titans with the NFL’s last-ranked run defense. That did not change Sunday, as Henry turned literal Titan for 219 yards and a touchdown on the ground in Houston.
It was Henry’s fourth career game with at least 200 rush yards and two rush touchdowns against the Texans, which is more than any other player has had in their entire career, regardless of opponent. Prior to Henry, LaDainian Tomlinson, Barry Sanders, and Jim Brown each had three such games, now tied for the second-most in NFL history. Regardless of opponent, Henry has six such games, twice as many as the before-mentioned trio of Hall of Famers.
Henry’s run of four straight games with 200 yards rushing against the Texans is twice as long as the next longest streak against a single opponent (three players are tied with two such consecutive games). Oh yeah … Henry also scored his 74th and 75th career touchdowns, passing Eddie George and setting the Tennessee franchise record.
The Titans became the first team since the 2000 Bengals to record 300-or-more rush yards and 40-or-fewer pass yards in a single game. Bengals running back Corey Dillon broke the single-game rushing record with 278 yards in that contest. Prior to that, the last instance was in Week 10, 1977, when Walter Payton set the record Dillon broke with 275 rushing yards. Henry didn’t break the single-game rushing record (currently held by Adrian Peterson with 296 in 2007) but he extended a few NFL records of his own.
2) Christian McCaffrey stuffs the stat sheet for Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers
McCaffrey was the epitome of “stuff the stat sheet” in Week 8, and the NFL should have never let Shanahan get ahold of the kid he used to babysit. McCaffrey had 18 carries, 94 rushing yards, a rushing touchdown, eight receptions, 55 receiving yards, a receiving touchdown, 34 passing yards and a passing score in Sunday's win. McCaffrey became the first player in the Super Bowl era to record at least 30 yards and a touchdown in the passing, rushing, and receiving categories in the same game.
Since the 1970 NFL merger, McCaffrey joined a short list of two other running backs to have recorded a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown in a single contest: Hall of Famers LaDainian Tomlinson (2005) and Walter Payton (1979).
McCaffrey’s pass touchdown was also significant for the 49ers. It was the team's third pass touchdown of 30-or-more air yards over the last three seasons. He’s tied with Trey Lance and C.J. Beathard (one each) for the most such pass touchdowns by a 49er since 2020.
3) Bill Belichick trails only Don Shula in career wins by a head coach
If there is one thing Bill Belichick knows how to do, it's put ones in the win column. The Patriots' 22-17 win in Week 8 was Belichick’s 37th over the Jets, the most by any opposing head coach in Jets history. The man who is second on that list, Hall of Famer Don Shula, is now the only coach Belichick trails in total head coaching wins including playoffs in NFL history. Belichick recorded his 325th career win on Sunday, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer George Halas (324) for sole possession of second place. The Hoodie needs just 23 more wins to surpass Shula (347) as the winningest coach in NFL history.
4) Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown “go” postal against the Steelers
Hurts and the Eagles continued to soar in Week 8, remaining the NFL’s last undefeated team in their 35-13 win over the in-state rival Steelers. Hurts had 285 pass yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions, while his new wide receiver No. 1 Brown went for 156 receiving yards and three scores.
All of Hurts' four touchdowns through the air came from 25 yards or longer. Since 1980, Hall of Famer Dan Marino is the only player to have more 25-yard touchdowns in a single game. He threw five in Week 1, 1994 against the Patriots. Brown is the first player since Next Gen Stats' route classification in 2018 with three touchdown catches on Go routes in a single game, and Brown caught each of his in the first half against Pittsburgh. Hurts’ four Go route touchdowns were the most by a quarterback over the last five seasons.
Hurts won his 10th consecutive QB start on Sunday, setting an Eagles franchise record. He broke a tie with former Eagles Norm Van Brocklin (Hall of Famer), Donovan McNabb, and Carson Wentz.
5) “Flash Brothers” Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle combine to create history
Hill and Waddle have been everything the Dolphins could have dreamed when teaming the NFL’s fastest wide receivers. Hill leads the NFL with 961 receiving yards, while Waddle ranks fourth with 727. The last teammate duo to each finish in the top four in receiving yards were Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne for the 2006 Colts, whose season culminated in winning Super Bowl XLI.
The duo’s combined 1,688 receiving yards are the most by a teammate duo in the first eight games of a season in the Super Bowl era. Hill’s 961 are the third-most over that span, behind only Torry Holt (978 in 2003 with Rams) and Marvin Harrison (962 in 2000 with Colts). The player Hill passed for third place? His wide receiver coach in Miami, Wes Welker, whom Hill edged out by a single yard. Welker had 960 yards in the first eight games of 2011 with the Patriots.
The pair's quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, had his second game with 350-plus pass yards and three touchdowns this season. As with so many passing records, Dan Marino is the only Dolphins quarterback with more in a season. Marino had three such games in four different seasons (1984, 1986, 1988, 1994). Something Marino never did? Go for 380-plus and three with no interceptions while completing over 80 percent of his passes. Tua put that on the Lions on Sunday.
6) Marcus Mariota gives the Falcons his birthday gift
On his 29th birthday, Mariota had 296 total yards and three pass touchdowns against the Panthers in Week 8. It took overtime (and some luck) for the Falcons to come out victorious. After a Panthers’ Hail Mary and missed game-winning extra point and then a missed field goal in overtime, Mariota led Atlanta into position for a 41-yard Younghoe Koo game-sealing field goal. Mariota became just the third quarterback since 1950 (Russell Wilson in 2015 and Warren Moon in 1990) to have three pass touchdowns and lead a game-winning drive on his birthday. His present to the Falcons: sole possession of first place in the NFC South.
Bonus: Alvin Kamara and Christian McCaffrey (him again) recorded their 10th career games with one rushing and receiving touchdown. They are the only players to reach double-digit games in their first six NFL seasons and are tied for fifth all-time. The current record is held by Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, who had 15 such games in his career. (Note: Austin Ekeler can also reach the mark; he has nine career games).
Research shoutouts: Jack Andrade (@RealJackAndrade), Dante Koplowitz-Fleming (@DanteKopFlem), Matt Okada (@MattOkada), Cole Jacobson (@ColeJacobson32), Michelle Magdziuk (@BallBlastEm), Blake Warye (@bwaryeorblake)