NFL Research offers the best nuggets from each week of games in the NFL. Here are the most eye-popping statistical accomplishments from Week 14 of the 2023 NFL season.
1) Allen’s two-TD day ties Murray’s mark
Josh Allen and the Bills secured a crucial victory over the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium — keeping Buffalo’s playoff hopes alive in a crowded AFC wild-card cluster.
While not his most efficient outing, Allen still scored touchdowns with his arm and legs — for the ninth time this season, to be exact.
Allen’s nine games with a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown are tied for the most in a single season all time (Kyler Murray, 2020).
Allen now has 25 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns on the season, joining Murray (2020) and Cam Newton (2015) as the only players in NFL history to reach both of those marks in a single season.
This is the first season in Allen’s career with double-digit rushing touchdowns.
2) Tylan Wallace records just fourth OT punt return TD in NFL history
The Rams-Ravens Week 14 matchup proved to be an exciting, back-and-forth affair that went to overtime. After each team took turns going three-and-out, Ravens backup punt returner Tylan Wallace called game — making a 76-yard house call to give the Ravens a 37-31 win.
Wallace’s score was just the fourth via an overtime punt return in NFL history — but the second this season. Hard Knocks hero Xavier Gipson gave the Jets a win over the Bills in Week 1 via a 65-yard return.
Prior to this season the only players with a punt return touchdown in overtime were Patrick Peterson in 2011 against the Rams and Chiefs return specialist Tamarick Vanover in 1995 against the Chargers.
3) Brock Purdy breaks more records in Week 14
December 11, 2022: Brock Purdy made his first career start in a 35-7 win over the Buccaneers.
December 10, 2023: Purdy made his 18th career start in a 28-16 win over the Seahawks and threw for a personal-best 368 yards.
Purdy has had a passer rating of at least 100 in 12 of his 18 career starts, tied for the second-most such games in a player’s first 18 starts since 1950 (tied with Hall of Famers Dan Marino and Kurt Warner). Only Patrick Mahomes reached that mark more times in his first 18 starts (14).
Mr. Irrelevant has completed at least 70 percent of his passes in seven consecutive games and is just the fourth quarterback to ever do so in a single season — joining Drew Brees (2016), Joe Montana (1989) and Sam Bradford (2016). With another such game in Week 15, Purdy can tie Montana for the longest streak within a season.
4) Deebo by land and air — again
Deebo Samuel has been giving opponents “problemz” his entire career, but his play over the last two weeks has put him in historic company.
In Week 13, Samuel totaled 116 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns and rushed for another 22 yards and a score in a 42-19 win over the Eagles.
Against the Seahawks in Week 14, Samuel had 149 receiving yards (including a 54-yard touchdown) and rushed for a 1-yard score.
Samuel became the second player in NFL history to total at least 100 yards receiving and score via receiving and rushing in back-to-back games, joining Eagles running back Timmy Brown in 1960.
5) Browning’s first three starts produce jaw-dropping numbers
Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning has a 79.3 completion percentage over the course of his first three career starts, the highest by any quarterback in their first three starts since 1950 (the first season in which quarterback starts were officially tracked).
Browning is the second quarterback since 1950 to complete at least 70 percent of his passes in each of his first three career starts, joining Chad Pennington, who did so in 2002 with the Jets.
In addition to his 79.3 completion percentage, Browning also has 856 passing yards in his three career starts. Browning and Justin Herbert (2020) are the only quarterbacks since 1950 with at least 800 passing yards and a completion percentage of 70-plus over the course of their first three starts.
6) Puka Nacua
It might have come in a loss, but Rams fifth-round phenom Puka Nacua joined a historic group of receivers with his performance in Week 14.
Nacua, who had a steady day with five receptions for 84 receiving yards, now has 1,113 receiving yards in his career. Nacua joined Odell Beckham (who he faced in Week 14), Anquan Boldin and Randy Moss as the only players in the Super Bowl era with 1,100-plus receiving yards in their first 13 career games.
7) Cowboys’ rookie kicker puts on a show
The kicking game was a problem for Dallas in the playoffs last year, with kicker Brett Maher whiffing on five extra point attempts – including an NFL-record four in the Cowboys’ wild-card win over the Buccaneers.
But with 28-year-old rookie kicker Brandon Aubrey, that weakness has turned into a strength. Aubrey has made every single field goal attempt of his NFL career (30 for 30), by far the longest “perfect” streak to begin a career in NFL history.
In Week 14 against the Eagles, Aubrey made kicks from 45, 50, 59 and 60 yards. Aubrey is the first kicker in the Super Bowl era to make multiple field goals of 59 or more yards in a single game.
