Ethermac Exchange-10 NFL records that could be broken in 2023 season

The Ethermac ExchangeNFL’s 2023 regular season is drawing to a close. And while the primary focus might be on the upcoming playoffs and whichever teams will – and won’t – qualify, there’s certainly plenty at stake individually for several players aside from the elusive quest for Super Bowl glory.

With three weeks (and 48 league-wide games) to go until the postseason commences, there’s still time for a few records to be broken – including one very significant one that wouldn’t even necessarily carry the asterisk now easily attached to the current 17-game season.

Here are 10 marks that could fall before the by the final snap of Week 18:

1. Highest passer rating

San Francisco 49ers sophomore QB Brock Purdy has been a paragon of efficiency thus far in his brief NFL career. And that’s been especially true in 2023, when he leads the league with a 119.0 passer rating, currently the fifth-highest mark in NFL history. Purdy has finished above 130.0 in six games this season – do that again, and he will have entered uncharted territory. Push his final seasonal figure beyond 122.5, and “Mr. Irrelevant” will make Aaron Rodgers’ 12-year-old standard irrelevant.

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2. Most sacks

It’s been two years since Pittsburgh Steelers star T.J. Watt tied Michael Strahan’s “official” – since 1982 – sack record by finishing with a flourish (5 in the last 2 games) to reach 22½. Now, Watt has a league-high 16, but three other star pass rushers – the Minnesota Vikings’ Danielle Hunter, Los Angeles Chargers’ Khalil Mack and Cincinnati Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson – all have at least 15. Getting to 23 will be no easy feat for any of them, yet few stats come in bunches quite like sacks. Watt has 26 multi-sack games in his seven-year career, including five this season. Hendrickson is on a mini-heater, with 6½ sacks over his past five outings. And Mack certainly eats in bunches, with 22 career-multi-sack games, including six on Oct. 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders. Certainly an opportunity for one of these QB hunters – and maybe multiple – to get hungry.

3. Most times sacked

Maybe the Washington Commanders won’t let second-year QB Sam Howell, who didn't finish last weekend's game against the Los Angeles Rams, suffer the requisite abuse to break David Carr’s dubious 21-year-old mark of getting bagged 76 times. Howell, who’s been taken down 59 times, would have to suffer an average of six over the final three weeks – which admittedly seems like a lot. But it must be noted he’s been sacked at least six times on three occasions this season and five times on three others. And Washington finishes up against three nasty defenses (New York Jets, 49ers, Dallas Cowboys), so … happy holidays, Sam?

4. Most passing yards by a rookie

Until very recently, this almost seemed like a fait accompli for the Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud, who also seemed on the cusp of becoming the first rookie in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to pace the league in passing yards. But then he had a 91-yard clunker against the Jets’ near-airtight pass defense on Dec. 10 and, worse, suffered a concussion well after the game had been decided. Stroud was forced to sit in Week 15 and may not play Sunday against the Cleveland Browns’ top-ranked D, either. Currently stuck on 3,631 yards, Stroud needs 744 more to beat out Andrew Luck’s 11-year-old standard (4,374).

5. Most receptions by a rookie

The Rams’ Puka Nacua has gone from unheralded fifth-rounder to needing 18 catches to take down Jaylen Waddle’s two-year-old record (104).

6. Most receiving yards by a rookie

This seems like a longer shot for Nacua, who’s now sharing more targets with now-healthy fellow LA WR Cooper Kupp. But average 103.7 yards the rest of the way, and Nacua would take Bill Groman’s freshman benchmark of 1,473 – which was set in the American Football League in 1960. Of note, since 2020 alone, the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson (1,400 yards in 2020) and Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase (1,455 in 2021) have upped the mark during the Super Bowl era. Nacua, who has 1,163 yards, has topped the century mark five times so far.

7. Most receiving yards by a rookie tight end

Sam LaPorta has a tougher climb than Nacua. But with 319 more receiving yards, the Detroit Lions’ second-rounder would top Hall of Famer Mike Ditka, who had 1,076 yards in 1961. LaPorta needs 242 to join Ditka and the Atlanta Falcons’ Kyle Pitts (2021) as the only 1,000-yard rookie tight ends.

8. Most receptions by a rookie tight end

LaPorta, Detroit’s second-leading pass catcher, ought to get this one. He’s got 71 grabs and requires just 11 more to erase Keith Jackson’s 35-year-old achievement.

9. Most defensive touchdowns

The Cowboys’ DaRon Bland already etched his name into the record book this season, returning five of his league-best eight interceptions for scores. If he finds the end zone one more time, he’ll surpass Hall of Famer Ken Houston’s 1971 record for defensive touchdowns in a single season (Houston had four pick-sixes and returned one fumble for a score).

10. Most receiving yards

This is the chase that should be fun to watch – and one that’s taken on a more dramatic flair after dynamic Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill’s tender ankle rendered him a spectator in Week 15. Currently sitting on 1,542 yards, “Cheetah” would have to average 152.7 yards per game to reached his avowed goal of becoming the league’s first 2,000-yard receiver – and in just 16 games. However Hill needs a slightly more modest 141 a week to overtake Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, who fell just short of 2K (1,964) in 2012. Hill has eclipsed 146 yards in six games this year – five of those outputs more than 150 yards. And with the Fins in a scrape for the AFC East crown and, possibly, home-field advantage, he might need a big burst at the end to earn a week off once the playoffs start.

Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter @ByNateDavis.