Led by Luck's mark, several records fall
Passing, receiving and kicking statistics take a huge hit from offences
It was a record-setting weekend in the NFL, and still more marks could fall next week.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck broke Cam Newton’s rookie passing yards record late in the second quarter of Sunday’s 20-13 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs with a 23-yard throw to fellow rookie T.Y. Hilton.
Luck has 4,183 passing yards this season after throwing for 205 on Sunday. Carolina’s Newton threw for 4,051 yards during the 2011 season.
■ Minnesota kicker Blair Walsh had three field goals in the Vikings’ win over the Texans. His first of the game, a 56-yarder in the second quarter, made him 9-for-9 from 50 yards or more this season, breaking the record of eight by Morten Anderson and Jason Hanson. It also tied the team record for distance with Paul Edinger, who had a 56-yarder in 2005.
■ Dallas tight end Jason Witten had two catches in the overtime loss to New Orleans, breaking Tony Gonzalez’s NFL season record of 102 catches for a tight end set in 2004. Witten has 103.
■ Saturday, Detroit wide receiver Calvin Johnson broke Jerry Rice’s single-season yards receiving record of 1,848 in the Lions’ 31-18 loss to Atlanta.
With 11 receptions for 225 yards against the Falcons, Johnson also became the only player in NFL history with 100 yards receiving in eight straight games and with 10-plus re- ceptions in four games in a row. He had seven receptions of 20-plus yards for the second time in his career, a feat no other player in the league has done since at least 1991, according to STATS LLC.
Johnson, who has tied another league single-season mark with 100 yards receiving in 11 games, can add to his record total of 1,892 yards receiving in Detroit’s finale Sunday at home against Chicago and could reach the 2,000-yard mark.
Johnson’s 10th catch Saturday night was for a 26-yard gain with 2:57 left in the game.
Detroit quarterback Matt Stafford threw for 443 yards against the Falcons, setting an NFL record for the most yards passing in a game without a touchdown. With 4,695 yards passing and a game to go against the Bears, he and New Orleans’ Drew Brees could be- come the first two NFL players to throw for 5,000-plus yards in consecutive seasons.
Browns: Rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden left the loss to the Broncos with a right shoulder injury after getting sacked in the third quarter.
Jets: Quarterback Tim Tebow didn’t play a snap for New York for the fourth time in five games, and said he hasn’t been so “inactive” since he was “3 or 4 years old.”
Texans: Running back Arian Foster left the loss to the Vikings with an irregular heartbeat. Coach Gary Kubiak said Foster had experienced the problem once before in practice. “He calms down and he’s fine,” Kubiak said. Houston’s medical staff told Kubiak that Foster was OK late in the game and could return, but Kubiak thought it would be best to give him the rest of the game off.