NFL Research offers the best nuggets from each week of games in the NFL. Here are the most eye-popping statistical accomplishments from Week 6 of the 2023 NFL season.
1) Dolphins have another record-breaking performance
This week it’s all about Tyreek Hill and Raheem Mostert‘s historic performances against the Carolina Panthers.
In Week 6, Hill burned the Panthers for 163 yards, raising his 2023 total to 814 receiving yards – the highest in the first six games of a season in the Super Bowl era. Hill had already distinguished himself as the sole Dolphins player to have over 700 receiving yards in the team’s initial six games of a season, having achieved 701 receiving yards in his first six games of 2022.
This marked the 12th career game for Hill where he achieved at least 150 receiving yards and a touchdown. This ties him with Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson for the third-most games of such nature in a player’s initial eight seasons.
Now, Mostert, who entered Week 6 tied with Christian McCaffrey for the most touchdowns this season (eight), added another three against the Panthers.
Since the 1970 merger, the only player to score more touchdowns in the first six games of a season than Mostert is Shaun Alexander. Alexander scored 12 times in six games in 2005, ultimately leading to his MVP win.
Entering this season, Mostert’s highest number of touchdowns in his career was 10, achieved in 2019 with the 49ers. He has now surpassed this previous record. At the age of 31, Mostert is on track to be the oldest player to top the NFL in touchdowns for a season since Hall of Famer John Riggins in 1983.
Also, a remark about the exceptional balance of this Dolphins team: They have scored an equal 15 rushing and 15 passing touchdowns this season, leading the NFL in both categories.
The 1958 Colts, who later won the NFL Championship that season, were the only other team in NFL history to have achieved at least 15 touchdowns, both in passing and rushing, through six games.
The Dolphins are currently leading the NFL in both rushing and passing yards, a feat that hasn’t been achieved since 1941. During that year, the Bears led in both categories among the nine NFL teams and concluded the season with a victory in the NFL Championship.
As a final note, the Dolphins stand as the unique team in the NFL, averaging over 150 rushing yards per game (181.8). They are distinguished as the solitary team to average over 300 passing yards per game (316.8).
2) Christian McCaffrey can’t stop scoring
McCaffrey’s day, unfortunately, ended early due to an oblique injury, but not before he found the end zone for the 15th consecutive game.
McCaffrey’s record of scoring a scrimmage touchdown in 15 consecutive games, including playoffs, equals the longest streak in NFL history. John Riggins, a Hall of Famer, was the last player before McCaffrey to achieve a scrimmage touchdown in 15 straight games, back in the early 1980s.
3) A.J. Brown makes plays happen amid loss
The Eagles were held to just 14 points and took their first loss of the season in Week 6 against the Jets, but Brown still had a productive day, one that puts him in rare company.
Brown has achieved a record in Eagles franchise history with his fourth consecutive game where he received at least 125 yards, the longest streak ever.
Since the 1970 merger, the only player to have a longer streak of games with over 125 yards receiving than Calvin Johnson is himself. Johnson, a Hall of Famer, had this streak in five consecutive games in 2012. That was the same year he set the NFL record for the most receiving yards in a season with 1,964.
4) Browns defense does more than take down Mr. Irrelevant
The Browns became the first team in NFL history to defeat Brock Purdy in a regular season game that he started. But that is not why they landed in the Week 6 Stats and Records article.
The Browns’ defense has achieved a feat unseen in over 50 years. They have only allowed a total of 1,002 yards in their first five games. Indeed, they are giving up an average of only 200.5 yards per game.
No team has allowed fewer yards through five games since the 1971 Baltimore Colts (836 yards).
5) Ja’Marr Chase keeps racking up yards
This week, the Bengals returned to a .500 record, and Chase augmented his résumé by another 80 yards.
Through 35 career games, Chase has amassed 3,057 receiving yards. That is the fifth-fewest games required to reach 3,000 receiving yards all-time, trailing just Odell Beckham Jr., Charley Hennigan, Justin Jefferson and Lance Alworth.
6) Adam Thielen makes new record for Carolina
Interestingly, Thielen has astonishingly already surpassed any Panthers player in history by achieving more games with at least 10 receptions, 100 receiving yards, and a touchdown in this season alone (three games).
Thielen has, in total, 24 games where he received at least 100 yards, making him the third undrafted player with the most 100-yard receiving games in the common draft era, beginning in 1967.
Only Rod Smith with 30 games and Wes Welker with 28 games have more.
7) Josh Allen joins elite group
It wasn’t pretty, but the Bills defeated the Giants 14-9 on Sunday Night Football, and Allen added two more passing touchdowns to his resume.
Allen’s first touchdown of the night was the 150th of his career, and it came in his 83rd career game. Only four players in NFL history have reached the 150 passing touchdown milestone faster than Allen — Dan Marino (62 games), Patrick Mahomes (63), Aaron Rodgers (76) and Andrew Luck (77).
