Frank Gore #20 of the Buffalo Bills gets tackled by the New England Patriots. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
NEW YORK (NFL Communications) – Courtesy of NFL Communications, here’s a look at seven statistical highlights from games played at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 29, the fourth week of the 2019 season.
–All 13 completed games in Week 4 have featured at least one starting quarterback age 26 or younger.
With two games remaining, a total of 50 games have featured at least one starting quarterback age 26 or younger in 2019, surpassing the 1987 season (48) for the most such games through four weeks of a season in NFL history.
–The NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS defeated the Buffalo Bills, 16-10, in Week 4. New England joins the 2012 Chicago Bears as the only teams since 2000 with at least 15 sacks (18) and 10 interceptions (10) in their first four games of a season.
New England defensive back J.C. JACKSON had two interceptions and a blocked punt in the victory. Jackson became the first player since the New York Jets’ ERIK McMILLAN (Week 1, 1989) with at least two interceptions and a blocked punt in a single game.
Additionally, Patriots defensive back DEVIN McCOURTY recorded an interception in the win and is the first player in Patriots franchise history and the first in the NFL since Minnesota’s BRIAN RUSSELL in 2003 to record an interception in each of his team’s first four games of a season.
Buffalo running back FRANK GORE rushed for 109 yards in the loss. Gore, who now has 15,021 career rushing yards, became the fourth player in league annals with at least 15,000 career rushing yards, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers EMMITT SMITH (18,355), WALTER PAYTON (16,726) and BARRY SANDERS (15,269).
–Tampa Bay linebacker SHAQUIL BARRETT had a sack, forced fumble and interception in the Buccaneers’ 55-40 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Barrett has nine sacks on the season and tied MARK GASTINEAU (1984), KABEER GBAJA-BIAMILA (2001) and Pro Football Hall of Famer KEVIN GREENE (1998) for the most sacks through their team’s first four games of a season since 1982 when the individual sack became an official statistic.
Additionally, Tampa Bay wide receiver CHRIS GODWIN had 12 catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver ROBERT WOODS had 13 catches for 164 yards.
Including Cleveland wide receiver JARVIS LANDRY’s Week 4 performance (8 catches for 167 yards), there have now been 13 150-yard receiving performances in the NFL this season, surpassing the 2013 season (12) for the most 150-yard receiving performances through four weeks of a season in NFL history.
–Carolina quarterback KYLE ALLEN completed 24 of 34 passes for 232 yards and zero interceptions in the Panthers’ 16-10 win at Houston.
Christian McCaffrey #22 of the Carolina Panthers. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Allen joins CARSON WENTZ (2016) as the only quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era to go 3-0 with zero interceptions in their first three career starts.
Carolina running back CHRISTIAN McCAFFREY registered 179 scrimmage yards (93 rushing, 86 receiving) and a rushing touchdown in the win.
McCaffrey, who had 209 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in Week 1 and 188 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in Week 3, joins Pro Football Hall of Famer JIM BROWN (1963) as the only players in league annals with three games of at least 175 scrimmage yards and one touchdown in their team’s first four games of a season.
Additionally, McCaffrey caught 10 passes in the win, his sixth career game with at least 10 receptions, tying LARRY CENTERS and Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDAINIAN TOMLINSON for the most career games with at least 10 receptions by a running back in NFL history.
–Chargers running back AUSTIN EKELER registered 122 scrimmage yards (62 receiving, 60 rushing) and two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) in Los Angeles’ 30-10 win at Miami.
Ekeler – who had 154 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns in Week 1 and 133 scrimmage yards and one touchdown in Week 2 – joins PRIEST HOLMES (2002 and 2003) as the only undrafted running backs in the common draft era to have at least 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown in three of his team’s first four games of a season.
–Cleveland running back NICK CHUBB rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns, including an 88-yard touchdown run, in the Browns’ 40-25 win over Baltimore.
Chubb – who had a 92-yard touchdown run in Week 10 of the 2018 season – joins BOB HOERNSCHEMEYER (two touchdown runs from 1946-47) and CHRIS JOHNSON (three from 2008-09) as the only players in league annals with at least two touchdown runs of 85 yards or more in their first two seasons.
–Oakland tight end DARREN WALLER had seven catches for 53 yards in the Raiders’ 31-24 win at Indianapolis.
Waller, who has 33 receptions on the season, tied ANTONIO GATES (33 in 2007) for the most receptions by a tight end through his team’s first four games of a season in NFL history.
–Other notable performances from Sunday include:
Arizona wide receiver LARRY FITZGERALD had 5 catches for 47 yards in the Cardinals’ Week 4 loss.
Fitzgerald, who has 1,326 career receptions, surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer TONY GONZALEZ (1,325 receptions) for the second-most receptions in NFL history. Only Pro Football Hall of Famer JERRY RICE (1,549) has more.
Atlanta wide receiver JULIO JONES had four catches for 52 yards in his 115th career game in the Falcons’ Week 4 loss.
Jones, who now has 11,048 career receiving yards, surpassed CALVIN JOHNSON (127 games) to become the fastest player in NFL history to reach 11,000 career receiving yards.
