In 28 games since the start of the 2015 season, running back David Johnson has scored 28 touchdowns -- the most in the NFL in that span. Johnson has done it a variety of ways: 19 rushing touchdowns, eight receiving scores and a kickoff return for a touchdown.
If Johnson rushes for a touchdown Sunday in the Arizona Cardinals' game at the Miami Dolphins, he would join Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers as the only players in NFL history with 20 or more rushing touchdowns, five or more receiving touchdowns and a kickoff return touchdown in their first two seasons.
In his first two seasons with the Chicago Bears (1965 and 1966), Sayers rushed for 22 touchdowns, caught eight scoring passes and returned three kickoffs for TDs. (He also had a punt return for a touchdown.)
Johnson started this season with eight touchdowns in his first six games. He has three rushing touchdowns in the six games since. The Dolphins have allowed nine rushing touchdowns this season, one fewer than the NFL average.
Johnson has recorded at least 100 scrimmage yards in each of the Cardinals’ 12 games this season. With 100 scrimmage yards Sunday, he would tie Edgerrin James (in 2005) for the longest streak of games with 100 scrimmage yards to begin a season in NFL history.
Johnson and James, who also had a 12-game streak at the start of the 2000 season, are currently tied for the second-longest such streak.
Receiving milestones
Receiver Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers is tied for the NFL lead with 88 receptions this season, increasing his total since the start of the 2013 season to 463 catches. With seven catches at the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Brown would have the most receptions by a player over any four-year span in NFL history.
That distinction is currently held by Marvin Harrison, who had 469 catches from 1999 to 2002 with the Indianapolis Colts.
How likely is Brown to break Harrison’s record this week? Four players have had seven or more catches in a game against the Bills this season. Buffalo has allowed the fewest receptions of any team in the NFL.
Cowboys rookies can add to their achievements
It seems as if running back Dak Prescott and quarterback Ezekiel Elliott are threatening some record every week, and Week 14 is no different. Prescott has thrown 19 touchdown passes, and Elliott has 12 rushing touchdowns, both the most among rookies this season. Prescott is one touchdown pass from making the Dallas Cowboys the third team in NFL history with a rookie who passed for 20 touchdowns and another who rushed for 10 touchdowns in the same season.
That feat was first achieved in 2011, by one player -- Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers. He passed for 21 touchdowns and rushed for 14 in his first season out of Auburn. The next season, Robert Griffin III (20 passing touchdowns) and Alfred Morris (13 rushing touchdowns) reached those milestones as rookies with the Washington Redskins.
If Prescott wins this game, he will extend his win streak to 12 games, which would be one from Ben Roethlisberger’s mark for the longest win streak by a rookie quarterback since the 1970 merger, the Elias Sports Bureau notes. Prescott would also have the second most wins by a rookie quarterback in one season.
Moon within Manning's reach this week
Quarterback Eli Manning of the New York Giants has 3,980 completions and needs nine to pass Warren Moon (3,988) for seventh all time.
Next up after Moon is another Pro Football Hall of Famer, John Elway, with 4,123 completions.
Rams’ Fisher on verge of record for losses
Los Angeles Rams coach Jeff Fisher is one loss from tying Dan Reeves for the most by an NFL coach. Reeves had 165 losses in 357 games. Fisher has 164 losses in 338 games.
Should the Rams lose to the Atlanta Falcons, Fisher would be guaranteed his sixth consecutive sub-.500 season, which would be tied for the fourth-longest such streak (the record is nine straight by Marion Campbell, the Elias Sports Bureau notes). Elias also notes that another sub-.500 season would be Fisher’s 11th losing season overall, extending his record for most losing seasons.
ESPN’s Football Power Index projects that the Falcons have a 69 percent chance of winning.
Team milestones
Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant has 65 career receiving touchdowns, tied with Michael Irvin for second most in team history. Bob Hayes has the most with 71.
Kirk Cousins is 189 passing yards from becoming the first quarterback in Washington history with multiple seasons of 4,000 passing yards. Brad Johnson (1999) and Jay Schroeder (1986) are the franchise’s only quarterbacks who reached 4,000 yards one time.
The Steelers’ Brown has caught 49 touchdown passes from Roethlisberger. They are tied with Lynn Swann and Terry Bradshaw for the most touchdowns by a receiver-quarterback combination in franchise history.
LeGarrette Blount leads the league with 13 rushing touchdowns this season and is one behind the New England Patriots’ all-time single-season record, held by Curtis Martin (who had 14 in 1995 and 1996).
