Stat of the Jay: With Bengals' Hendrickson 17.5-Sack Run, What Are the Best 3-Year Streaks in All Stat Categories?

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Bengals defensive Trey Hendrickson posted 17.5 sacks in 2023 and 2024, making him just the fourth player in NFL history to reach that number in back-to-back seasons.

If he can do it again in 2025, whether it’s for the Bengals or another team, he will join Hall of Famer Reggie White as the only players to do it three years in a row.

White had at least 18 in his three-year run with 18 in 1986 (his second season in the league), 21 in 1987 and 18 in 1988.

That got me wondering what the best three-year streaks are in the other stat categories.

Let’s take a look at the NFL records and the Bengals records:

Passing Yards

Drew Brees is the only player to have three consecutive seasons with at least 4,741 yards passing, and he did it an incredible six years in a row.

The next best three-game streak belongs to Patrick Mahomes, who had at least 4,740 yards in three straight years from 2020-22.

Bengals record: Carson Palmer threw for at least 3,836 from 2005-07.

Passing Touchdowns

It’s Brees again. He had three consecutive seasons with at least 39 passing touchdowns from 2011-13.

Brees had 46 in 2011, 43 in 2012 – both of which led the league – and 39 in 2013.

The next best three-game streak is 37, which belongs to Peyton Manning (2012-14) and Mahomes (2020-22).

Bengals record: Palmer threw for at least 26 from 2005-07.

Rushing Yards

Terrell Davis had one of the shortest Hall of Fame careers in the game’s history, and it jump-started with three consecutive seasons with at least 1,538 yards in Years 2-4.

Davis had 1,538 in 1996, 1,750 in 1997 and a league-best 2,008 in 1998.

The next best streak will surprise you for a couple of reasons.

One, it’s Tiki Barber.

Two, he rushed for at least 1,518 yards in the final three seasons of his career.

Bengals record: Corey Dillon had at least 1,311 from 2000-02.

Rudi Johnson had at least 1,309 from 2004-06.

Rushing Touchdowns

LaDainian Tomlinson ran for at least 15 touchdowns in four consecutive seasons, leading the league in three of them.

He had 17 in 2004, 18 in 2005, an NFL-record 28 in in 2006 and 15 in 2007.

The 18 he scored in 2005 only ranked third in the league that year behind Shaun Alexander’s 27 and Larry Johnson’s 20.

The next best streak is 14 in a row, which Alexander did five times from 2001-05, and Priest Holmes accomplished four consecutive times from 2002-04.

Bengals record: Rudi Johnson had exactly 12 from 2004-06.

Receiving Yards

This one features a tie between Jerry Rice and Antonio Brown at 1,499 yards.

Rice went 1,503-1,499-1,848 from 1993-95, while Brown posted 1,499-1,698-1,834 from 2013-15.

You only have to tick down to the 1,492-yard mark to find the next best, as Calvin Johnson reached that from 2011-13.

Bengals record: Chad Johnson had at least 1,274 yards in five consecutive seasons from 2003-07.

Receiving Touchdowns

This one features a four-way tie, or a three-way tie, depending on how you want to look at it.

Jerry Rice caught at least 13 touchdown passes in three straight years twice in his career, from 1989-1991, and from 1993-95.

He slacked off with only 10 in 1992.

Terrell Owens also had a three-year run with at least 13 from 2000-02, as did Lance Alworth from 1964-66.

Bengals record: Carl Pickens had at least 11 from 1994-96.

Receptions

We have another tie.

Wes Welker had at least 111 catches from 2007-09, and Tyreek Hill had three in a row from 2021-23.

Bengals record: Chad Johnson had at least 90 from 2003-05, while T.J. Houshmandzadeh had at least 90 from 2006-08.

Ja’Marr Chase has at least 100 in back-to-back years, so he could top that pair with at least 91 in 2025.

Interceptions

As you might expect, there is a major logjam here.

Seven players have three or more consecutive seasons with at least seven interceptions, although only three of those streaks happened in the Super Bowl era.

Bobby Dillon 5 (1953-57)

Emlen Tunnell 5 (1948-52)

Deron Cherry 4 (1983-86)

Lem Barney 4 (1967-70)

Frank Reagan 3 (1947-49)

Don Burroughs 3 (1960-62)

Gill Byrd 3 (1988-90)

Bengals record: Ken Riley had at least five from 1974-76 and again from 1981-83. Lemar Parrish had at least five from 1970-72.

Forced Fumbles

Greg Llyod forced at least six in three consecutive seasons from 1993-95.

Another former Steelers player, James Harrison, had at least five three years in a row from 2007-10.

Bengals record: Trey Hendrickson had at least three from 2021-23.

Fumble Recoveries

Charles Woodson recovered at least three fumbles in four consecutive seasons from 1988-91.

Bengals record: Reggie Williams had at least three from 1981-83.

Made Field Goals

Justin Tucker made at least 34 field goals in three straight seasons from 2016-18.

Stephen Gostkowsi (2013-15) and Daniel Carlson (2020-22) had three in a row with at least 33 made.

Bengals record: Shayne Graham made at least 25 from 2004-07.

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