Our NFL Thursday piece today is a bit of a catch-all column, as we look at statistical surprises for the current regular season. Every year is full of weird numbers, of course, but we just wanted to spend the time today examining some of the current ones. Maybe these have been pimped already on national television; we wouldn’t know, since we don’t consume a lot of the modern-day media hyperbole. Or we try not to …

So, off we go with some stats that we find quite intriguing in the NFL today as Week 14 kicks off tonight:

  • Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has started 13 games this year and thrown just one interception in 366 passing attempts. That equates to a 0.3 interception percentage, which currently leads the NFL. New coaching philosophies have changed his game, but this is really impressive.
  • The Kansas City Chiefs are a surprising 12-1, thanks to QB Patrick Mahomes and his five fourth-quarter comebacks (as well as seven game-winning drives). Those numbers lead the NFL as the defending champions have won 10 of their 12 victories in one-possession fashion. And Mahomes, with a 92.0 QB rating, is technically below average in that category this season, since there are 10 QBs in the NFL with 100-plus QB ratings, currently.
  • Baltimore Ravens signal caller Lamar Jackson leads the NFL in yards per rushing attempt, currently. Washington Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, is also in the Top 5 for this statistical category. Overall, nine players that get regular work are averaging over 5.0 ypc this season.
  • Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is on pace to win the receiving Triple Crown, currently leading his peers in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. His 15 TDs are six more than any other player in the NFL; he is also tops in receptions for first downs this season.
  • Speaking of the Bengals, they are just 5-8 despite outscoring their opponents this season so far. We all know closes losses kill a season, and Cincinnati has lost seven times by a combined 29 points. We didn’t think the NFL would let this happen to its wishful-thinking poster boy. Color us shocked!
  • On the contrary, despite being 12-1, the Chiefs have just the sixth-best scoring differential in the AFC right now—and yet that streak noted above (10 wins by a combined 42 points) means they also have a two-game edge for the top seed and home-field advantage in the conference playoffs. Good or lucky?
  • In the AFC, only seven teams are currently over .500, and all of them have at least eight victories right now. That would mean that, generally speaking, the seven playoff spots in the conference are almost all spoken for now, even with four games to play, since the eighth- and ninth-best teams are both 6-7.
  • The San Francisco 49ers have reached the NFC Championship Game three seasons in a row, but they are 6-7 right now with a even-zero scoring “differential”—after losing four games by a combined 13 points. This puts them in last place among NFC West Division teams and leaves them desperate.
  • With a plus-183 scoring edge, the Detroit Lions are 12-1 with a good chance at finishing the season with at least 15 victories (if not 16). No Lions teams in history has ever won 13 games in the regular season, and the team’s 14.1 margin-of-victory average is the best in team history, as well.
  • With 36 total victories, the NFC North Division is the best one this year, followed by the AFC West (30) and the NFC West (27). The worst division in pro football this year, currently? That would be the AFC South (20), closely followed by the AFC East (22).

That’s it for the week; we will be back next Thursday with something completely different, no doubt.