Week 9 brings another round of record watch across the NFL, and the list is already deep enough to keep the league’s history books busy. By the time the season reaches its halfway point, there have been 17 broken records and historic moments around the league, and Week 8 added another one to the pile in Jacksonville.
That moment came from Nate Boerkircher, who had one catch for 31 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. It was his second score of the season, which tied the Jaguars’ rookie tight end record held by Pete Mitchell and Zach Miller. It was a notable step for Jacksonville, even if it stopped just short of setting a new mark.
Von Miller also made history in a different uniform. He picked up his first sack as a Dallas Cowboy, which pushed his career total to 139.5. That moved him past both DeMarcus Ware and Terrell Suggs on the NFL’s all-time sacks list.
Now the focus shifts to what could fall in Week 9, and the first name to watch is Mike Evans. There is still uncertainty about whether he will play as the San Francisco 49ers come out of their bye week on Sunday, and that keeps him from ranking any higher here.
Evans needs only one touchdown catch to move past Tony Gonzalez on the all-time receiving touchdowns list and claim ninth place. But he is dealing with the Achilles injury that kept him out of the previous game against the Atlanta Falcons, so his status remains a question with Thursday Night Football already in the mix.
Another record chase is tied to Bijan Robinson and the Atlanta Falcons. Robinson has been tracking the Falcons’ all-time receiving touchdowns record by a running back, and he was held out of the passing game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. The conditions may have played a role there, with the downpour affecting the game on both sides and Tampa Bay failing to complete a pass while attempting just three all game.
This week gives Robinson another shot, and the setting is a little different. Atlanta faces the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid, Spain, and Robinson needs two touchdown catches to break the Falcons’ record for a running back. That would move him past Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman, who are tied at 11 touchdown receptions apiece in their Falcons careers.
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One name worth watching is Jessie Bates, who is in a contract year and playing well enough to draw attention around the league. Atlanta is not expected to move him, but his situation still says plenty about how the regime is viewing the season, and whether it sees this roster as one worth reinforcing or one that needs a longer look beyond November. [Read more 🡒]
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Still, Robinsons own view of where he stands has added a different layer to the discussion. For a player carrying so much of the offenses load, his comments underscore a bigger truth for the Falcons: individual success only goes so far when the team is still searching for wins and a more complete rhythm on offense. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Loss Just Made Two Free Agency Decisions Feel Urgent
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For a roster trying to steady itself, the game also sharpened the focus on a couple of looming personnel questions. Jessie Bates III has been one of the brighter spots as the secondary has settled in, while the backfield has felt the absence of Brian Robinson Jr. as the Falcons have tried to piece together their rushing attack. After a performance like this, the front office has even more reason to weigh how it wants to address both spots moving forward. [Read more 🡒]