Week 11 in the NFL was a monumental one for determining a clear frontrunner in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow suffered a serious knee injury in a loss to the Washington Football Team, clearing the way for Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert to make an air tight closing argument for the award. On top of Burrow's injury, the fact that Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was benched in a loss to the Denver Broncos minimizes the chances that anyone will sneak up and surprise Herbert in the final six weeks of the season.
But even in a hypothetical world where Burrow is still healthy and Tagovailoa had not been benched, Herbert's impressive production might still be enough to claim OROY. He's putting up statistics on a weekly basis that we've simply not seen before from a rookie quarterback. In this week's "numbers to know," we'll highlight one of the wildest records he's on pace to set this season. We'll also take a closer look at what running back Alvin Kamara has been able to accomplish over the past four seasons, highlighting his unique value to the New Orleans Saints in 2020.
Before we dive into Herbert and Kamara's numbers, though, let's sift through some other stats you should know from Week 11.
0
Matt Patricia is hanging onto his job as head coach of the Detroit Lions by a thread. On Sunday, his Lions scored zero points in a 20-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers. This was the first time the Lions have ever been shut out with Matthew Stafford starting at quarterback, and it came against a Panthers team that was on a five-game losing streak and started a quarterback (P.J. Walker) who's last start came in the XFL. It doesn't get much lower than that for Detroit.
There was a sliver of hope that Patricia would right the ship when the Lions won two straight at the end of October to get to 3-3. Since then, however, they've dropped three out of four outings and fallen to 4-6 on the season. This franchise is careening toward its third straight losing season, after going 36-28 in four seasons under Jim Caldwell (2014-2017). No one will be thankful to watch Patricia's Lions against the Houston Texans this Thanksgiving.
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2
There might not be a better closer in the NFL than Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry. After his 29-yard sprint to beat the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Henry now has two overtime touchdowns on the season. He is only the third player in the past 30 years to score multiple overtime touchdowns in the same season, joining former Chicago Bears safety Mike Brown (2001) and former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis (1997).
Henry, who rushed for 133 yards in Week 11, typically plays his best football down the stretch. Since 2018, he has averaged 113.3 rushing yards per game from November to January (regular plus postseason). Henry currently leads the NFL with 1,079 yards on the ground and will likely maintain that lead, if he keeps up this average. He is vying to become the NFL's first player to repeat as rushing champion since Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson did it in 2006 and 2007.
3
The NFC East is a pathetically tight race, as all four teams in the division currently have three wins. The Washington Football Team (20-9 over the Cincinnati Bengals) and Dallas Cowboys (31-28 over the Minnesota Vikings) each picked up their third win of the season on Sunday. The New York Giants had their bye in Week 11, while the Philadelphia Eagles lost 22-17 to the Cleveland Browns. Philadelphia is in sole possession of first place at 3-6-1 by virtue of their Week 3 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals. The rest of the teams in the division have seven losses.
It seems more and more likely by the week that the eventual winner of this division will have a losing record. That has only happened twice before in NFL history. The 2014 Carolina Panthers won the NFC South at 7-8-1, and the 2010 Seattle Seahawks won the NFC West at 7-9. Believe it or not, both of those teams went on to win a game in the playoffs. That's an interesting note to keep in mind moving forward, as the team that wins the NFC East this year will have the opportunity to play a postseason game at home.
6
Miami Dolphins rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa saw his beginner's luck run dry in Week 11. After starting his NFL career with three straight wins, Tagovailoa was sacked six times and benched in a 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Tagovailoa did not turn the ball over before veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick relieved him in the fourth quarter, but he only completed 11 of his 20 pass attempts (55%) for 83 yards. Fitzpatrick, by comparison, had more completions (12) and more yards (117) in just one quarter of action.
Tagovailoa, of course, is still Miami's quarterback of the future, but this might not be the last time we see Fitzpatrick this season. Even when Tagovailoa was winning, he wasn't lighting up the stat book. Miami's defense and special teams were doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Growing pains are normal for a rookie quarterback, but the Dolphins aren't in a position to let Tagovailoa learn the ropes while the team loses. They're only a game back on the Buffalo Bills for first place in the AFC East. Miami could turn to Fitzpatrick again, if Tagovailoa struggles in another tight game.
10
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool is an absolute touchdown machine. He found the end zone again during a 27-3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday and now has 10 total touchdowns (eight receiving, two rushing) on the season. Claypool is only the fourth wide receiver in NFL history — and the first of the Super Bowl era — to score 10-plus touchdowns in his first 10 career games. The Steelers have to like the immediate return they're getting on their second-round draft pick.
Claypool, who played high school football in Canada before starring at Notre Dame, is quickly becoming a star at the NFL level. He now has twice as many touchdowns as any other player on Pittsburgh's roster, making him a huge reason why the Steelers are the last remaining undefeated team at 10-0. Claypool is closing in on the franchise record for most touchdowns scored in a rookie season (11), which is currently held by Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris (1972).
13
Don't ever count out Philip Rivers. His Indianapolis Colts trailed 21-7 in the first half of their Week 11 matchup with the Green Bay Packers, and Rivers led them all the way back to a 34-31 win in overtime. Rivers, who threw for 288 yards and three touchdown passes, now has 13 career starts in which he's led his team to a victory after trailing by at least 14 points. That figure trails only Peyton Manning (16) for the most such comebacks in NFL history.
With his Colts currently tied atop the AFC South standings at 7-3, Rivers continues to prove his doubters wrong. He is not the most mobile quarterback at this point in his career, and many were saying his 38-year-old arm was shot earlier this season. He has responded by throwing for three touchdowns in three of his past five outings and going 4-1 over that stretch. Indianapolis may not be on the level of the Kansas City Chiefs or Pittsburgh Steelers just yet, but the Colts look like a team that can certainly make some noise in the AFC playoffs this season.
37
With Joe Burrow injured and Tua Tagovailoa getting benched on Sunday, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert created some significant separation in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race in Week 11. After throwing three more touchdown passes in a 34-28 win over the New York Jets, Herbert is on pace to shatter the NFL record for most touchdown passes by a rookie. The record is currently held by Baker Mayfield (27 TD passes in 2018), and Herbert is on pace to throw 37. His 22 touchdown strikes are tied for sixth most in the NFL heading into Week 12.
Herbert is also on pace to break the rookie completion (397) and passing yardage (4,374) records held by Carson Wentz and Andrew Luck, respectively. Even though the Chargers are 3-7 overall and 2-7 with Herbert as the starter, it appears as though they've found a dynamic quarterback who can lead them into the future. Sunday's performance against the Jets was his fifth of the season with at least three touchdown passes, which is the most by a rookie in the Super Bowl era. And don't forget: The 6-foot-6, 237-pound signal caller has decent legs, too, with three rushing touchdowns on the season.
500
Sunday wasn't a huge day for New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara. He only had 45 rushing yards on 13 carries (although one was a touchdown) and didn't record a single reception. With that production, however, Kamara became the first player in NFL history with 500-plus rushing yards and 500-plus receiving yards in each of his first four seasons. This is a remarkable testament to not just Kamara's versatility, but also his consistency.
That consistency is more important than ever in 2020. When the Saints were missing star wide receiver Michael Thomas for most of the first half of the season, Kamara stepped up and contributed largely in the receiving game. Now starting quarterback Drew Brees is out with an injury, and Kamara is helping backup quarterback Taysom Hill stay on the winning track. The Saints have won seven games in a row, which is the longest winning streak in the NFC and second only to Pittsburgh's 10-game winning streak across the entire league. That stretch of success might not be possible without the efforts of their versatile running back.
