Five milestones to watch for in the 2019 NFL season

The NFL will reach a milestone in 2019, with the kickoff to its 100th season Thursday, Sept. 5. Coinciding with the historic season, several players should find themselves celebrating landmark achievements in 2019, with many on the verge of setting single-season or career records.

Here are five of those milestones to watch for in the 2019 NFL season.

Career passing TDs

Potential record-breakers: Tom Brady, Drew Brees

Before Peyton Manning retired from football at the end of the 2015 season, he etched himself into NFL history with touchdown pass No. 539, a mark no other player had ever accomplished. Sitting right behind him on the all-time list for career passing touchdowns are two players nearing retirement themselves, Drew Brees (520) and Tom Brady (517).

In 2019 both should top Manning's record. The question is, who will come out on top between Brady and Brees? Since 2003 Brees has thrown no fewer than 23 TDs in a season, and last year he threw for 32. Brady has been about as consistent as Brees and played four fewer games in 2016 while on suspension. It’ll be a close call, but the record should go to Brees by the end of 2019.

Single-season sack leader

Potential record-breaker: Aaron Donald

In 2001 Giants defensive end Michael Strahan notched 22 1/2 sacks, the most a player has tallied in one season. Justin Houston came close in 2014, when he earned 22 sacks with Kansas City, as did Jared Allen with the Vikings in 2011. One player poised to potentially break the 18-year record is Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald. The five-time Pro Bowler topped the league with 20 1/2 sacks last year and could see that number grow in 2019.

Von Miller or Bradley Chubb could also surprise the league, and will scare their share of quarterbacks, with former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio coaching the Broncos in 2019. J.J. Watt is another prime candidate to challenge Strahan’s record.

Single-season receiving yards

Potential record-breakers: Julio Jones, Michael Thomas, JuJu Smith-Schuster

It will be tough to best Calvin Johnson’s 1,964 receiving yards in 2012 with the Detroit Lions, but Julio Jones has come close. In 2015 the Falcons wide receiver racked up 1,871 yards to put him second on the list for most in a season. Last year he landed at 12th on the all-time list with 1,677. Mohamed Sanu and Calvin Ridley will compete for catches, which will make it difficult for Jones to achieve the milestone, but it’s not out of question with an improved offensive line that should help keep quarterback Matt Ryan on his feet (last year he was sacked 42 times).

If Jones can’t do it, Michael Thomas could find himself high on the list, as the beneficiary of Brees trying to break the record for single-season passing yardage. Manning has just one more yard at 5,477, which he set in 2013. Brees accumulated 5,476 in 2011.

JuJu Smith-Schuster, who had the fifth-most receiving yards (1,426) in 2018, is one more player to follow. His quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, led the league with 5,129 passing yards last season, and with Antonio Brown (1,297 yards in 2018) off to Oakland, JuJu will be the primary target by a long shot.

Single-season rushing yards by a quarterback

Potential record-breaker: Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson already made NFL history during his rookie campaign with the Baltimore Ravens. The Louisville product earned the starting quarterback job when Joe Flacco went down with an injury and never relinquished it once Flacco returned healthy. Jackson started the remaining seven games of the season and totaled 695 rushing yards, the most by any quarterback in 2018 and the 11th highest total by a quarterback in one season. Imagine what he would have done if he started all 16 games.

Back in 2006 Michael Vick set the record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single season with 1,039. Jackson will double the number of games he started last year, assuming he’s fully healthy, so if you double his rushing output from 2018, he’ll far surpass Vick's production.

Super Bowl victories

Potential record-breakers: The New England Patriots, Tom Brady

Last year Tom Brady and the New England Patriots achieved Super Bowl No. 6, which puts the franchise in a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers for most Super Bowl victories. Brady may be on the verge of retirement, but he is in no way slowing down, and he has proven time and again you can never count out the Pats. New England is a +650 favorite to repeat last year’s success, which would break the tie with the Steelers and allow the Pats to stand alone as the record-holder. It would also move Brady one more rung up the ladder as the player with the most Super Bowl titles.

 

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The Steelers also have a chance to break the tie but head into the season with worse odds (+2500) to do so.

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The NFL season is right around the corner, but in the meantime check out all the preseason betting action available at BetAmerica!