10 wildest NFL stats through five weeks: Josh Allen better than 25 offenses, Nick Chubb matching Jim Brown

The NFL has had a wild five weeks to begin the season, having no winless teams this early in the season for the first time since 2018 — and it’s just the third season since the merger in which every NFL team had at least one win entering Week 6 since 1990. The amount of parity in the league is incredible, as 20 teams have either two or three wins through five games, which could set the stage for a wild playoff race come December. 

There are six teams 4-1 or better through five weeks and three of them reside in the NFC East. The division has just six losses, and three are to each other. The 2022 NFC East is just the fourth division since realignment in 2002 with three teams earning four-plus wins through a season’s first five weeks (2002 AFC West, 2008 NFC East, 2020 AFC North).

The NFC East resurgence is just one crazy stat line through five weeks. We dug up the 10 wildest, for both teams and players. Here’s a look.

Nick Chubb first running back since Jim Brown to reach this historic feat

Chubb has 98 carries for 593 yards with seven touchdowns this season, leading the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns through five weeks (averaging 118.6 rushing yards per game). 

Chubb is averaging 6.1 yards per carry on the season, which brings him to elite territory to start the year. He’s the first running back since Jim Brown in 1963 to rush for 500 yards, seven touchdowns, and average 6.0 yards per carry through five games in a season. 

Only five running backs in the NFL had put up those numbers through five weeks, but none in the Super Bowl era. 

Josh Allen has more total yards than 25 NFL teams

Allen has 1,876 yards this season (1,651 passing, 225 rushing), giving him more total yards than 25 teams through five games. The Chicago Bears have played six games and have just 1,762 total yards!

Of course the Bills are leading the league in total yards (2,202) and Allen plays for them so they don’t count. The Bills play the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend and Allen almost has as many total yards as a team led by Patrick Mahomes (1,907). 

The teams ahead of Allen entering Week 6? The Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints. 

Cooper Kupp had as many receptions as Justin Fields had completions

Kupp has 49 catches through five games this season, on pace for an NFL record 167 catches on the year. What’s even more incredible about this feat? Through five games, Kupp had as many receptions (49) as Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields had completions.

Fields now has 63 completions in six games following Thursday night’s loss to the Commanders. Kupp will need 14 catches in Week 6 to keep pace with Fields, but it’s incredible how productive the Los Angeles Rams wide receiver has been and how little the Bears actually throw the ball. 

Colts have not allowed any fourth quarter points this season 

The Colts are the first team since the 1995 Chargers to not allow a point in the fourth quarter through the first five games in a season. That Chargers team ended up 9-7 and lost to the Colts — ironically — in the playoffs. 

The last teams to not give up any points in the fourth quarter in the first six games of the season were the 1934 Chicago Bears and 1934 Detroit Lions. The 1934 Bears went 13-0 and lost the NFL Championship Game to the New York Giants, ending their perfect season. The 1934 Lions started 10-0 and lost their final three games, two of which were to the Bears. 

Broncos have lowest red zone touchdown percentage this century

Since the NFL started tracking red zone scoring percentage in 2000, the 2022 Denver Broncos are the worst red zone scoring offense the league has seen. Denver has scored a touchdown on just 21.4% of its red zone opportunities (3 of 14), the lowest percentage by any team in a season.

The worst red zone touchdown scoring percentage by any team in a full season was 2012 Kansas City Chiefs, who scored on 27.3% of their opportunities and had the worst record (2-14) in the NFL. The Chiefs hired Andy Reid after that season. 

Bengals bitten by the walk-off field goal … in every loss

The Bengals have three losses through five games, all of which have come via field goal with no time left on the clock at the end of regulation or overtime. Cincinnati is the only team since at least 1991 to lose three games on walk-off field goals through Week 5.

Chris Boswell at a 53-yard field goal at the end of overtime to beat Cincinnati in Week 1, Brett Maher hit a 50-yard field goal to beat the Bengals at the end of regulation in Week 2, and Justin Tucker drilled a 43-yard field goal to hand Cincinnati a loss in Week 5. 

Lamar Jackson first to average 200 pass yards, 70 rush yards through five games

Jackson is off to another historic start to a season as he looks to make another MVP run. He’s the first quarterback in NFL history to average 200 passing yards per game and 70 rushing yards per game through the first five weeks of a season. 

Jackson has 1,067 passing yards and 364 rushing yards though five games, with 12 passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. He’s on pace for 3,628 passing yards and 1,238 rushing yards this season. 

Patrick Mahomes doesn’t need Tyreek Hill

Mahomes has significantly been targeting his tight ends and running backs in order to keep his touchdown numbers up in the absence of Hill. Of the league-leading 15 touchdown passes Mahomes has thrown, 13 are to running backs and tight ends — the most touchdown passes targeting running backs or tight ends by any player since 2000.

Andrew Luck had 11 touchdown passes to running backs and tight ends through five games in 2014 and Peyton Manning had 11 in 2004 — the year Manning set the then-NFL record for touchdown passes in a season with 49. 

Rams, Bengals Super Bowl hangovers

Both the Los Angeles Rams (2-3) and Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) have a losing record through five games, the first time that’s happened to the two Super Bowl teams since 1999 and just the third time in the Super Bowl era. In that 1999 season, the Denver Broncos (1-4) had to replace John Elway at quarterback (retired) and both the Broncos and Atlanta Falcons had to replace their starting running backs after Terrell Davis and Jamal Anderson were lost for the season with knee injuries. 

The Bengals and Rams are also 31st and 32nd in yards per play this season, the two worst in the league. Cincinnati is 31st (4.81) while Los Angeles is 32nd (4.80) even with Joe Burrow and Matthew Stafford at quarterback. 

Taysom Hill with a Madden rookie mode start

Hill isn’t a starter in the New Orleans Saints offense (and is listed as a tight end), yet he’s the first player since Bruce Harper in 1983 to have over 200 rushing yards and average 10 yards per carry through five games in a season. Hill has 21 carries for 228 yards and five touchdowns this year, the only player in NFL history to average 10 yards per carry, rush for at least 200 yards, and score five-plus touchdowns through the first five games. 

Before Hill and Harper hit the 10 yards per carry, 200-plus rushing yards threshold, Hugh McElhenny accomplished the feat in 1952.