With just three weeks remaining in the 2024 NFL regular season, the construction of the playoff picture is predictably drawing most of the attention from the league’s fans and those who cover it. But this is also the point when it becomes apparent who could achieve individual glory by taking down one of the game’s notable records.
The biggest one that might be in jeopardy is Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson’s single-season mark for rushing yards – set in 1984, when he churned out 2,105 in 16 games while with the Los Angeles Rams. There was something of an asterisk attached to it at the time as Dickerson overtook Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson, who posted 2,003 yards in 1973, when the league had a 14-game regular season.
Now it’s Dickerson who could lose his spot in the record book at a time when players – namely Philadelphia Eagles superstar Saquon Barkley – have the benefit of a 17th game. Despite a statistical setback in Sunday’s win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Barkley still has a reasonable shot to catch Dickerson … not that a man headed for his first rushing title with 1,688 yards is obsessing over the possibility.
‘I’m fully aware of how far I am. I’m not scared of it,’ Barkley said this week. ‘If I don’t get it, I’m not gonna be depressed. If I get it, I’m not gonna be that crazy happy, either.
‘It’s a record. Records are meant to be broken. But my mindset is to focus on winning games and competing for a championship, and that’s the only thing that really matters.’
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But records matter, too, especially for players toiling on teams without championship aspirations. Here are 10 that might go down in the coming weeks:
Rushing yards, single season
Barkley got a bit banged up Sunday and sat out a chunk of the game against the Steelers. His 65 rushing yards were his second-fewest in a game since he sprinted down I-95, bolting from the woeful New York Giants to join the Super Bowl-caliber Eagles. Physically, Barkley says he’s fine moving forward.
He’ll need to average 139.3 yards over the final three games in order to beat out Dickerson – and it doesn’t appear Philadelphia will be able to rest Barkley much given the three-way race they’re in for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff field. It’s a big lift, but Barkley has topped 140 rushing yards in five games this season already. It is noteworthy that he’s generally downplayed the importance of breaking the record, which stands in stark contrast to Dickerson – who’s freely admitted for years that he doesn’t want anyone to supersede him.
Yards from scrimmage, single season
If Barkley is able to make a renewed push for the rushing record, then he’s probably going to also have a reasonable shot at piling up the most yards from scrimmage in one campaign. He’s 36 yards – one Barkley burst for a first down – from 2,000, which would be the 73rd instance which that threshold has been reached. (For contest, 2,200 yards has only been achieved 24 times.) He’d need to average 182 a week the rest of the way to bypass Chris Johnson’s 15-year-old standard of 2,509 combined rushing and receiving yards. Barkley’s had at least 182 yards four times so far with the Eagles.
Passer rating, single season
Two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson, who could well be a three-time MVP once this season is a wrap, is very much a threat to statistically be the most efficient quarterback of all time. He currently boasts a passer rating of 120.7, which ranks as the fourth best ever at the moment but is well within striking distance of the 122.5 Aaron Rodgers posted in 2011, his first MVP season. One factor that could make it hard for Jackson is that he throws much less frequently than players like Rodgers or Peyton Manning historically have – meaning Jackson will have to be especially precise given his body of work won’t have the same statistical weight. However he did already set the mark this season for career games (4) with a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
Passer rating by a rookie
The Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels is on track to become the fifth rookie quarterback to eclipse a 100.0 passer rating over an entire season. Currently at 101.2, a strong finish could propel Daniels past Dak Prescott’s rookie record of 104.9 set in 2016.
Rushing yards by a rookie quarterback
Daniels is also among an exceptional group of five as the fifth rookie QB to rush for at least 600 yards, joining a list that included Robert Griffin III, Cam Newton, Jackson and Josh Allen. Daniels is 160 yards from overtaking RG3 (815 rushing yards in 2012), who won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors for Washington – another standard Daniels could match.
Rushing yards by a quarterback, career
Last Sunday, Jackson joined Michael Vick as the only NFL QBs with 6,000 career rushing yards. With 109 more, Jackson will overtake the 6,109 by Vick, who needed 13 seasons to do what Jackson has basically done in seven.
Touchdown-to-interception ratio, single season
More Jackson, whose individual numbers this season are largely more impressive than his MVP campaigns in 2019 and ’23. One of his most sublime stats is his TD/INT ratio, currently 34 touchdowns against three interceptions. If Jackson can throw at least nine more scoring strikes without being picked off, he’d eclipse what Tom Brady did in 2016 (28 TD passes against 2 INTs).
Receiving yards by a rookie tight end
Brock Bowers, the Las Vegas Raiders’ first-round pick in April, has already bested Sam LaPorta’s mark (86) – which didn’t stand even a year – for most catches by a rookie tight end with 90 and counting. Now, Bowers has a pretty good runway, assuming he can get some passable quarterback play, to get the 109 additional receiving yards he needs to rewrite Hall of Famer Mike Ditka’s 63-year-old record (1,076) for most by a rookie tight end. Two notes: Ditka only needed 14 games to reach his number, while Kyle Pitts (2021) is the only other rookie tight end to hit the 1,000-yard receiving plateau.
Receptions by a rookie
It hasn’t been a year, either, since the Rams’ Puka Nacua became the third rookie with a 100-catch season, his 105 grabs topping Jaylen Waddle’s rookie mark set in 2021 by one reception. But Bowers can claim this one, too, with 16 more snatches. Given he’s averaged 6.4 per game, he’ll get it if he simply maintains that pace.
Pick-sixes in a season
It was already going to be a long shot – even more so now that the Tennessee Titans have benched second-year QB Will Levis. But this could have been a fun one to track (for everyone but Levis), given four of his 16 touchdown passes this season have gone to the other team. In order to match the seven Jameis Winston served up in 2019, Levis would need to get back on the field and gift-wrap another three pick-sixes … though it doesn’t seem like Titans rookie head coach Brian Callahan can endure any more.
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.