Isaiah Likely Eyes 4 TDs in 2 Giants Games, a First for Any NFL Tight End

Q: Can Christian McCaffrey shatter Marshall Faulk’s historic receiving record while dominating the Dolphins in a massive Week 2 performance?

Yes—McCaffrey has a very real chance to do both, though the four-touchdown, 200-yard projection remains an intentionally bold call. The record part is straightforward. McCaffrey enters Week 2 tied with Marshall Faulk at 36 career receiving touchdowns by a running back in the Super Bowl era. One touchdown catch against Miami would give him 37 and sole possession of that mark. He is also sitting on 98 total career touchdowns, so a multi-touchdown game would push him to another major milestone quickly. The matchup gives the prediction some support. Miami allowed 130 rushing yards in Week 1 and is dealing with defensive uncertainty, including edge rusher Chop Robinson’s concussion-related absence from practice. The Dolphins improved against the run in the second half last week, but their defense is young and still being tested. San Francisco, meanwhile, is expected to lean on McCaffrey as a centerpiece of its offense at home. There are some reasons for caution. McCaffrey handled only 10 carries for 68 yards in Week 1, and Kaelon Black had a meaningful role before later appearing on the injury report with a groin issue. Even so, McCaffrey returned to full practice Thursday after a rest day, which suggests he is available for a bigger workload. So the historic receiving touchdown is well within reach, and a dominant game is plausible. Breaking Faulk’s mark looks likely sooner rather than later; doing it in a Week 2 explosion against Miami is aggressive but credible.

3 articles · Updated · NFL.com · Sep 18

Two more touchdowns against the Rams on Monday night would make Isaiah Likely the first NFL tight end to score four times in his first two games with a new team.
Likely opened his Giants career with eight catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns, giving him the production base for the projected milestone.
The forecast comes in NFL.com’s Week 2 bold predictions, which cast Likely as an immediate red-zone centerpiece for Big Blue after arriving from Baltimore.
If he reaches the mark, the feat would underscore how quickly Likely has reshaped New York’s passing attack just two games into the 2026 season.