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Some Sundays are about the standings. However, NFL Week 7 is also about the record book. Five of the NFL’s biggest names are within reach of marks set by Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino and O.J. Simpson, and every one of them has a game on Sunday where it could happen.
Here is how the milestones line up, and how likely each one looks.
Aaron Rodgers is about to pass Drew Brees, in Paris
The Steelers and Saints play at 9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Network, so Rodgers will have a short morning before he can make history.
Rodgers has 12 touchdown passes this season and has thrown at least two in each of his last four starts. He is tied with Brees at 186 career games with multiple touchdown passes, counting the postseason. One more such game would put him alone in second place, behind only Brady, who has 233.
Our take: This is the most likely milestone of the week. Rodgers has done it four starts in a row, and the Saints are 2-4. If he throws two touchdowns in Paris, he moves past Brees.
Burrow and Henry could both make history in Baltimore
The Bengals (3-2) visit the Ravens (4-2) at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, and both teams have a star within reach of a milestone.
Joe Burrow has 31 career games with at least three touchdown passes, tied for the second-most in the league since he entered in 2020. Three more on Sunday would tie Manning (32) for the third-most by a player in his first seven seasons. Only Marino (42) and Patrick Mahomes (38) have more.
Additionally, Derrick Henry has three milestones within reach:
- Multiple-touchdown games: He has 37, tied with Randy Moss. Another would move him alone into fourth place, behind Jerry Rice (46), LaDainian Tomlinson (44) and Emmitt Smith (39).
- Career touchdowns: He has 135 scrimmage touchdowns, which leads the NFL since 2016 (129 rushing, six receiving). One more would tie Marshall Faulk (136) for fourth among running backs, and two would pass him. Only Smith (175), Tomlinson (162) and Marcus Allen (145) would be ahead.
- A 10-touchdown season: Henry has eight this year. Two more would make him the third player with at least 10 scrimmage touchdowns in nine straight seasons, joining Rice and Tomlinson.
Our take: A two-touchdown game from Henry would check all three boxes at once, and Baltimore is at home. Burrow’s three-touchdown game is the harder one, because the Ravens’ defense will have to give up that many. However, if Burrow gets there, it probably means Cincinnati won.
Goff and Gibbs headline Packers-Lions
Detroit (3-2), coming off a bye, hosts Green Bay (4-2) at 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX. The Packers have won three straight, and the teams meet again in Green Bay in Week 18.
Jared Goff leads the NFL with 41,107 passing yards since 2016. He needs 139 yards to pass Derek Carr (41,245) for the third-most in a player’s first 11 seasons, behind Matt Ryan (46,720) and Manning (45,628).
Additionally, Jahmyr Gibbs leads the NFL with nine scrimmage touchdowns (seven rushing, two receiving) and ranks third with 747 scrimmage yards. He has recorded 75 yards and a touchdown in each of his first five games. A sixth would make him the fifth player in NFL history to do it, joining Jim Brown (1958 and 1963), John Riggins (1983), Simpson (1975) and Jamaal Charles (2013). Simpson’s 14 straight games in 1975 is the all-time record.
Gibbs could also become the fourth running back since 2000 with at least 10 scrimmage touchdowns in each of his first four seasons, joining Maurice Jones-Drew, Adrian Peterson and Tomlinson. He needs one more this season.
Our take: Goff’s 139 yards should be easy. Gibbs’ streak is tougher because it takes a touchdown and 75 yards every week, but he has already done it five times.
The bottom line for Week 7
If we rank the odds, Goff’s yardage mark is the safest, followed by Rodgers in Paris and Gibbs’ streak. Henry’s two-touchdown day is a toss-up. Burrow’s three touchdowns is the longest shot.
Looking for more? Read our look at the previous NFL articles. The official NFL schedule has kickoff times, and Pro Football Reference has the career stats.
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