GOLD STANDARD: The SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (7-0) …
… enter Week 9 as the lone undefeated team in the NFC, led by a defense which allows a league-low 224.4 total yards per game. Since their bye in Week 4, San Francisco’s defense has limited Cleveland to 78 net passing yards in Week 5, held the Los Angeles Rams to 48 in Week 6, allowed 50 net passing yards in Washington in Week 7 and held Carolina to 100 in Week 8.
By allowing 100 or fewer total net passing yards on Thursday Night Football against Arizona (8:20 PM ET, FOX/NFLN/Amazon), San Francisco would become the fifth team in the Super Bowl era and first since the 1973 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS to limit opponents to 100 or fewer total net passing yards in five consecutive games in a single season.
The teams with the most consecutive games allowing 100 or fewer total net passing yards in a single season in the Super Bowl era:
TEAM | SEASON(S) | CONSECUTIVE GAMES | |
New England | 1973 | 5 | |
Minnesota | 1969 | 5 | |
Detroit | 1967 | 5 | |
Green Bay | 1967 | 5 | |
San Francisco | 2019 | 4* | |
*Active streak |
DOMINATING ROOKIE PASS RUSHERS:
Jacksonville, who ranks third in the NFL with 29 sacks in 2019, and San Francisco, who ranks fourth with 27, feature rookie pass rushers JOSH ALLEN and NICK BOSA, who each lead their team with seven sacks – tied for the most among rookies in the NFL this season.
If Allen (vs. Houston at Wembley Stadium in London, 9:30 AM ET, NFLN) or Bosa (at Arizona, 8:20 PM ET, FOX/NFLN/Amazon) combine for at least one sack in Week 9, they would surpass JULIUS PEPPERS and JOHN HENDERSON (14 combined sacks in 2002) for the most combined sacks by a pair of rookies through the first nine weeks of a season since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.
The most combined sacks by a pair of rookies through the first nine weeks of a season since 1982:
SEASON | PLAYER | TEAM | SACKS | PLAYER | TEAM | SACKS | COMBINED SACKS | |
2019 | Josh Allen | Jacksonville | 7* | Nick Bosa | San Francisco | 7* | 14* | |
2002 | Julius Peppers | Carolina | 9 | John Henderson | Jacksonville | 5 | 14 | |
2006 | Mark Anderson | Chicago | 7.5 | Elvis Dumervil | Denver | 6 | 13.5 | |
1986 | Charles HaleyHOF | San Francisco | 7 | Leslie O’Neal | San Diego | 6.5 | 13.5 | |
*Through Week 8 |