Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson have already propelled their teams to division titles, but individual acclaim could well be on the horizon.
As two games remain in the 2022 regular season, myriad NFL single-season records are for the taking, according to NFL Research, with superstars Mahomes and Jefferson closing in on two of the game's most prestigious milestones.
Mahomes continues to eye Peyton Manning's 2013 single-season record for most passing yards, while Jefferson is edging closer to Calvin Johnson's 2012 standard for most receiving yards in a season.
Manning threw for 5,477 yards in 16 games during the 2013 season with the Denver Broncos. Through 15 games so far this season, Mahomes leads the league with 4,720 yards. Mahomes needs 758 yards to pass Manning, which would be an average of 379 yards per game. For most QBs, hitting 379 yards in a game would be a career high, but Mahomes has eclipsed that mark 12 times in his career and twice so far this season. He has games remaining against the Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders to get to the record.
| Player | Record they're chasing | Current stats | Current record holder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | Single-season pass yards | 4,720 | Peyton Manning (5,477) |
| Justin Jefferson | Single-season receiving yards | 1,756 | Calvin Johnson (1,964) |
| Ryan Stonehouse | Single-season gross punt average | 53.02 | Sammy Baugh (51.4) |
| Tom Brady | Single-season pass attempts | 671 | Matthew Stafford (727) |
| Tom Brady | Single-season completions | 443 | Tom Brady (485) |
As for Jefferson, he has a very realistic shot of moving Megatron to the side. Johnson tallied 1,964 yards in 2012 and Jefferson has 1,756 so far in 2022. Needing 209 yards to break Johnson's record, Jefferson needs to average 104.5 yards in each of his last two games. He's already done that 10 times this season and in each of his last three games. He's also surpassed 209 yards once this campaign, so Jefferson breaking Johnson's mark on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers isn't out of the question. And neither is Jefferson becoming the first wide receiver to hit 2,000 yards, as he's 244 away.
Jefferson and Mahomes were previously on pace to break the aforementioned records, and with big showings over the final two games could make some history.
They aren't the only ones closing in on milestones.
One record seemingly certain to fall is quarterback Matthew Stafford's 2012 mark for most pass attempts in a season at 727. Already the owner of a plethora of records that he continues to build upon, Tom Brady is zeroing in on Stafford's standard as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' QB enters Week 17 with 671 attempts and needs just 57 passes in two games. Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert could also surpass Stafford's mark as he's thrown the ball 634 times so far this season.
Brady and Herbert are also chasing … Brady. Last season, Brady's 485 completions set a new record and he will likely supplant himself as he enters the week with 443 completions. He needs 43 completions for a new record, while Herbert needs 55.
Though unlikely to garner the headlines, one of the more interesting records in peril is Hall of Famer "Slingin'" Sammy Baugh's 1940 mark for gross punting average. Baugh, a do-it-all talent known mostly for his quarterback prowess, tallied a 51.4 gross punting average. Titans rookie punter Ryan Stonehouse exited his team's game Thursday night sporting a 53.02 gross average. While other potential record-breakers have more opportunities in a 17-game season to set new marks, Stonehouse's efforts are all the more impressive in a longer season as he's had to maintain his stellar numbers for longer. Baugh's record-setting punting average came in an 11-game season.
The Philadelphia Eagles, who are looking to clinch the NFC's top seed on Sunday, could also knock down some longstanding team records.
Led by quarterback Jalen Hurts (13 rushing touchdowns) and running back Miles Sanders (11), the Eagles have rushed for 31 touchdowns, which trails the 1962 Green Bay Packers' mark of 36 rushing scores. Driven by Hall of Famers Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung along with Tom Moore, those Packers won the '62 NFL Championship.
Philly could also surpass a team that was a year away from a championship. The 1984 Chicago Bears had 72 sacks, while the Eagles currently have 61 team sacks.
There are two games left in the 17-game schedule, and the record books might well get rewritten.
