NFL stats and records, Week 8: Titans QB Will Levis has historic NFL debut; Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill chasing receiving record

NFL Research offers the best nuggets from each week of games in the NFL. Here are the most eye-popping statistical accomplishments from Week 8 of the 2023 NFL season.

1) Will Levis‘ NFL debut is one to remember

Through the first seven weeks of the season, the Titans had three passing touchdowns (two by Ryan Tannehill and one by Derrick Henry) – the fewest in the NFL.

In Week 8, in his first NFL game action, Will Levis threw four touchdown passes in the Titans 28-23 win over the Falcons.

Levis is the third player in NFL history to throw four touchdown passes in his first NFL game — joining former Titans second-overall pick Marcus Mariota (2015) and Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton (1961).

Three of Levis’ touchdown passes were of 30-plus yards – the most in a player’s first career game all-time (excluding players who only appeared in strike-shortened seasons).

2) Hopkins continues to excel with new quarterbacks

The primary recipient of Will Levis‘ historic debut was DeAndre Hopkins. Catching touchdown passes from inexperienced quarterbacks is nothing new for DHop — in fact, Levis was the fourth quarterback to throw his first career touchdown to Hopkins, joining Case Keenum, Deshaun Watson and Tom Savage.

Hopkins joins Marvin Harrison and Joey Galloway as the only players in NFL history to catch four different quarterbacks’ first career touchdown pass.

Harrison caught the first career touchdown throw of Kerwin Bell, Kelly Holcomb, Peyton Manning and Jim Sorgi. While Galloway caught Gino Torretta, Jon Kitna, Chad Hutchinson and Bruce Gradkowski’s first career touchdowns.

3) Tyreek Hill chasing WR record

Hill leads the NFL with 1,014 receiving yards this season — and is on pace to reach the lofty 2,000-yard goal he set in the offseason.

Hill is the first player in the Super Bowl era to surpass 1,000 yards receiving in his team’s first eight games of the season. Three other players did so prior to the Super Bowl era — Charlie Hennigan (1,122 in 1961), Hall of Famer Elroy Hirsch (1,058 in 1951) and Hall of Famer Don Hutson (1,032 in 1942).

Miami’s star receiver will face his old team in a new location next week as the Dolphins and Chiefs will meet in Frankfurt, Germany — exclusively available on NFL Network and NFL Plus.

4) Cowboys CB stepping up and showing out

There has been nothing bland about Cowboys second-year cornerback DaRon Bland. 

The Fresno State product has stepped up in Trevon Diggs‘ absence due to season-ending injury, leading all NFL players with three pick-sixes in 2023.

Bland has yet to allow a touchdown as the nearest defender in coverage this season, per Next Gen Stats, 

That’s right, he has scored three touchdowns and allowed zero. That seems pretty good for a cornerback.

In fact, Bland is the first player in Cowboys history with three pick-sixes in a single season (reminder: Deion Sanders played for the Cowboys). Bland is one more interception return for a touchdown away from tying the single-season record of four (a record shared by Eagles corner Eric Allen in 1993, Chiefs safety Jim Kearney in 1972 and Hall of Fame safety Ken Houston in 1971).

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who threw his 30th career pick-six in this game, broke a tie with Hall of Famer Dan Marino for the second-most all-time. Only Hall of Famer Brett Favre (32) has had more passes intercepted and returned for touchdowns.

5) A.J. Brown setting the tone with receiving record

Brown had another monster game against the Commanders in Week 8 (four of his five touchdowns in 2023 have come against Washington) and reached a historic milestone while doing so.

Sunday was the sixth consecutive game in which Brown totaled at least 125 receiving yards, the longest streak in NFL history.

Brown surpassed Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson (five games in 2012) and Pat Studstill (1966) for the most consecutive games with 125-plus receiving yards.

6) Christian McCaffrey continues historic touchdown streak alive

While the 49ers have turned a historic winning streak into a disheartening losing streak, McCaffrey has remained an end zone magnet.

Including the 2022 playoffs, McCaffrey has now scored a touchdown in 17 consecutive games — tied with Hall of Famer Lenny Moore (1963-64) for the longest streak in NFL history. 

In one of Moore’s games during that streak he scored an offensive fumble recovery touchdown but not a scrimmage touchdown (rushing or receiving). That mean’s McCaffrey’s 17-game streak with a scrimmage touchdown is the longest in NFL history.