NFL Research spotlights the best nuggets from each slate of games. Here are the most eye-popping statistical accomplishments from Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season.
1) Malik Nabers' hot start to rookie year leads to early accolades
It's been the Malik Nabers show for the Giants through three weeks, as the rookie phenom has continued to break records. Against the Browns in Week 3, Nabers caught eight passes for 78 yards and a pair of touchdowns. In doing so, Nabers became the youngest wide receiver with a multi-touchdown game in NFL history (at 21 years and 56 days of age). That mark was previously held by Mike Evans.
Through three career games, Nabers has totaled 23 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns. He is the first player in NFL history to record at least 20 receptions, 250 receiving yards and three touchdowns in his first three career games.
2) Sam Darnold writes himself into Vikings history books with undefeated start
Darnold has started off his Minnesota chapter with a perfect record through three weeks and has made history in doing so. With Sunday's win over the Texans, the 2018 No. 3 overall pick is now the first quarterback in Vikings history to start a season 3-0 and throw multiple touchdowns in each game (somehow, Fran Tarkenton, Brett Favre, Randall Cunningham and Daunte Culpepper all fell short of this feat).
Head coach Kevin O'Connell deserves a lot of praise here, and there's a stat to back that up! Darnold is one of just two players in the Super Bowl era to win his first three games with a new team and throw multiple touchdowns in each contest, joining Matthew Stafford, who did so with the Rams in 2021. The connective tissue there? O'Connell was the Rams' offensive coordinator in 2021, the year that Stafford threw 41 touchdown passes and led Los Angeles to a Super Bowl LVI victory.
3) Return of the King: Derrick Henry approaches Jim Brown with 151-yard outing
The King is back! Henry crossed the century mark for the first time as a member of the Ravens, gashing the Cowboys for 151 yards and two scores as Baltimore survived Dallas, 28-25.
This was the Henry's 12th career game with at least 150 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, tying Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson for the second-most such games since 1950. Henry needs just one more performance like this to tie Hall of Famer Jim Brown (13) for the most games with 150/2 on the ground in a career.
4) Jauan Jennings' trio of TDs puts him in company of Terrell Owens, Jerry Rice
While many were focused on the offensive stars who were on the sidelines for the 49ers-Rams Week 3 matchup (notably Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua), an underappreciated San Francisco receiver had a showing that put him in historic company.
Jennings finished with 11 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns in the loss, becoming the third 49ers player in the Super Bowl era with at least 175 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in a game, joining Hall of Famers Terrell Owens and Jerry Rice (who did so twice). Pretty good company.
5) Jahmyr Gibbs scores receiving TD without a reception
What if I told you it was possible to score a receiving touchdown ... without recording a reception?
Well, Gibbs did just that in the Lions' Week 3 win over the Cardinals. On a hook-and-ladder play executed to perfection, Jared Goff threw a short pass to Amon-Ra St. Brown, who in turn lateraled the ball to Gibbs for a thrilling touchdown. In the official box score, Gibbs finished with this receiving line: zero targets, zero receptions, 20 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown.
Gibbs is just the second player in the Super Bowl era to score a receiving touchdown without recording a reception, joining Vikings running back Allen Rice, who did so in Week 12 of 1984 against the Broncos.
6) Patrick Mahomes sets new mark for most wins in first 100 starts
Mahomes has now started 99 career games and has won 77 of those starts. His victory over the Falcons (hat tip to the defense for making consecutive fourth-down stops in Atlanta's last two possessions) broke a tie for the most wins in a quarterback's first 100 career starts (since first tracked in 1950), passing Tom Brady and Roger Staubach, who each won 76 of their first 100 starts.
Research shoutouts: Jack Andrade (@RealJackAndrade), Tony Holzman-Escareno (@FrontOfficeNFL), Michelle Magdziuk (@BallBlastEm), Blake Warye (@bwaryeofblake), Zak Koeppel (_@zakkoeppel_)
