NFL Research offers the best nuggets from each week of games in the NFL. Here are the most eye-popping statistical accomplishments from Week 9 of the 2023 NFL season.
1) C.J. Stroud leads Texans to victory behind record-breaking performance
There is a new single-game NFL record for passing yards by a rookie: 470, set by C.J. Stroud in Week 9 against the Buccaneers.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 draft smashed Andrew Luck's rookie record of 433 yards set back in Week 9, 2012 against the Dolphins.
Stroud finished with an eye-popping stat line of 30 completions, 470 passing yards, five passing touchdowns and zero interceptions. His fifth touchdown pass came with less than 10 seconds left in regulation, turning a 37-33 deficit into a 39-37 win.
The Texans had three receivers with 100-plus receiving yards and one-plus touchdown, the first time in team history in which Houston had three players top 100 receiving yards in a single game. Stroud's two leading receivers, Noah Brown (153) and Dalton Schultz (130), both set career highs.
Stroud became the first rookie in NFL history with four-plus touchdown passes, 400-plus passing yards and zero interceptions in a single game. Stroud (22 years and 33 days) also became the youngest quarterback (of any experience) with at least five touchdown passes and 400 yards in a game, surpassing Matthew Stafford for that accomplishment.
2) Running back Dare Ogunbowale comes in clutch with historic field goal
Running back Dare Ogunbowale made a 29-yard field goal to give the Texans a 33-30 fourth-quarter lead.
That's correct, running back Dare Ogunbowale kicked a go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter of a game.
After Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn exited with a quad injury, the Texans were forced to bring in Ogunbowale to handle place-kicking duties. Little did we know Ogunbowale would end up nailing a must-make field goal later in the game.
Ogunbowale is the first non-kicker/punter to attempt a field goal since Wes Welker in 2004, when he was a member of the Dolphins (in a game against the Patriots).
The last time a running back attempted a field goal was in Week 2, 1979 when Saints back Tony Galbreath hit two in a game against the Packers.
3) Taysom Hill does it all in New Orleans win
In Week 9 against the Bears, Taysom Hill: threw a touchdown, caught a touchdown and led the Saints with 52 rushing yards.
Hill is the sixth player since 2000 with a passing touchdown, a receiving touchdown and to lead his team in rushing yards in a game -- joining Christian McCaffrey (2022), Cam Newton (2020), Josh Allen (2020), LaDainian Tomlinson (2005, 2006) and Curtis Martin (2000).
Hill's receiving touchdown was the 10th of his career, making him the first player in the Super Bowl era with at least 10 touchdowns passing, rushing and receiving in his career. The last player to do so was Hall of Famer Frank Gifford, who played from 1952-1964
4) Joshua Dobbs tallies three TDs with second team in as many weeks
One week ago today, Joshua Dobbs had two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown as the Cardinals' quarterback in a 31-24 loss to the Ravens.
Then came the trade deadline on Tuesday, and Dobbs was shipped to Minnesota in a swap of late-round draft picks.
Enter Week 9 and Dobbs was thrust into action when Vikings rookie quarterback Jaren Hall was ruled out with a concussion just a few plays into his first career start.
Dobbs came off the bench, reportedly having not taken a snap with the offense in practice this week, and proceeded to throw for two touchdowns, run for another, and lead Minnesota to a 31-28 win over the Falcons in Atlanta.
Dobbs became the first player in NFL history to total three touchdowns in back-to-back games while playing for different teams.
5) Patrick Mahomes' multiplicity matches Peyton Manning
The Chiefs kicked Sunday off with a 21-14 win over the Dolphins in Frankfurt, and Patrick Mahomes had his 64th career game with multiple passing touchdowns.
That tied Hall of Famer Peyton Manning for the second-most games with multiple passing touchdowns in a player's first seven career seasons all-time. Only Hall of Famer Dan Marino, 65, had more such games than Mahomes.
6) Travis Kelce inches up the ladder
Travis Kelce had a quiet day by his standards, hauling in three of four targets for just 14 receiving yards.
Those 14 yards were (just) enough to vault Kelce (10,941 career receiving yards) past Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez (10,940) for the most receiving yards in Chiefs franchise history.
Kelce and Gonzalez are just two of four tight ends in NFL history with 10,000-plus receiving yards with a single franchise -- the other two being Antonio Gates with the Chargers and Jason Witten with the Cowboys.
6) Jalen Hurts rushes to more history
It wasn't pretty, but Jalen Hurts and the Eagles survived a Cowboys comeback to improve to 8-1 and retain the NFL's best record.
Hurts tied the game at 14 in the second quarter with a 1-yard rushing touchdown, the 33rd of his career -- breaking Randall Cunningham's franchise record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
That touchdown also tied Cam Newton for the most via rushing by a quarterback in their first four seasons in NFL history.
Thirty of Hurts' 33 rushing touchdowns have come since 2021 -- more than any other player in that span, regardless of position.
Bonus kicker note: Cowboys rookie Brandon Aubrey has made each of his 19 field goal attempts this season, the most consecutive field goal attempts without a miss to begin a career all-time.
