Metal Sludge Gossip Board

Okay, so Adrian Peterson's near miss at the rushing record, along with Calvin Johnson's somewhat overshadowed breaking of the receiving record, got me thinking about all the significant NFL offensive records that have fallen in the last 15 years or so. Now, everyone will say something about how offensively focussed the game is now and how such and such is no Jim Brown or Joe Montana, but still, which of these records impresses you most?

Record holder, followed by the "old-school" record (1995 or earlier - kinda arbitrary, I know).


Passing Yards
Drew Brees - 5,407 - 2011
Dan Marino - 5084 - 1984 (also beaten by Tom Brady - 5,235 - 2011)

An amazing effort. Undermined by Brady's stats in the same year and the softening of the rules, but I recall seeing a stat suggesting that Brees outstripped the NFL average in 2011 by more than Marino did in 1984. Regardless, still impressive, and a record that had stood a long time - and probably the most high-pressure pursuit of a record given the interest in all things QB.

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Passing TDs
Tom Brady - 50 - 2007
Dan Marino - 48 - 1984 (but broken by Manning in 2004)

Again, an amazing season, but broke a much more recent record - in some ways making Manning's effort a bigger deal, even though he got one less touchdown.

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Receiving Yards
Calvin Johnson - 1,964 - 2012
Jerry Rice - 1,848 - 1995

Great effort - undermined by the mediocre season and overshadowed by Adrian Peterson's tilt at the rushing title, but still...

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Receiving TDs
Randy Moss - 23 - 2007
Jerry Rice - 22 - 1987

Fairly epic. More impressive to me than Brady's record of the same season. Brady had multiple weapons to break a more recent record. Moss fought a shitload of double coverage and scored some ridiculous TDs. BUT, Rice did it in 12 games and scored a touchdown in every one of them. So not as impressive as the record he broke, but as a season in isolation still more impressive to me than some of these other ones. I wish Moss wasn't such a dick, because he was amazing at his best and could have had a much greater legacy if his attitude hadn't limited his options at times.

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Rushing TDs
LaDanian Tomlinson - 28 - 2006
Emmitt Smith - 25 - 1995 (but broken by Holmes in 03 and Alexander in 05).

Huge, but it happened in an era of great RBs putting up gaudy numbers, and only incrementally increased on two recent record-setters.

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Total TDs
LaDanian Tomlinson - 31 - 2006
Emmitt Smith - 25 - 1995 (but broken by faulk, then Holmes, then Alexander in the 00s)

To me, the more impressive of the two LT records. Sure, a couple of other guys had put up big numbers in preceding years, but LT surpassed Alexander by 3 TDs. One of the more impressive on this list IMO. Also over 1,800 rushing yds and 2,300 yds from scrimmage that year. Arguably the greatest season ever by an RB statistically.

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Yards from Scrimmage
Calvin Johnson - 2,509 - 2009
Marcus Allen - 2,314 - 1985 (but broken a buy Sanders and then Faulk in the 90s late 90s and also surpassed by Tomlinson, Barber and Jackson in the 00s)

Great, but a lot of people have gone past Allen's mark in the last 15 years.

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All Purpose Yards
Darren Sproles - 2,696 - 2011
Lionel James - 2,535 - 1985 (but broken by Derrick Mason in 2000 and also surpassed by Michael Lewis in 2002).

Not purely offence, but as a record, slightly more impressive to me than Johnson's above, just on the basis that less people had gone past the old mark.

I heard today that Tony Gonzalez only fumbled the ball six times is his sixteen seasons. That's not fumbles lost either. Just fumbles.

He's fumbled once since 1999. That's flabbergasting.

johnk5150 wrote:I heard today that Tony Gonzalez only fumbled the ball six times is his sixteen seasons. That's not fumbles lost either. Just fumbles.

He's fumbled once since 1999. That's flabbergasting.

Holy shit. That is fucking ridiculous.
3 fumbles in his second season (1998).
2 in his third season (1999).
1 in 2006.

I mean, yeah, not an RB, so not going to fumble it as much as some players, but he's had 1,242 regular season receptions, and a couple of rushes, so that's a pretty great effort. Would be curious to see a fumbles/touches ratio for the various great RBs/TEs/WRs, but can't be bothered putting it together myself.

The guys above and below him on the career receptions list, Rice and Harrison, had 27 and 12 fumbles respectively.

Receiving Yards
Calvin Johnson - 1,964 - 2012
Jerry Rice - 1,848 - 1995

Great effort - undermined by the mediocre season and overshadowed by Adrian Peterson's tilt at the rushing title, but still...

What makes that number even more remarkable? Only 5 TDs. That has to be almost impossible.

With the hits that TEs take going across the middle that is an unreal accomplishment.

WhiteHouseSubsAC wrote:With the hits that TEs take going across the middle that is an unreal accomplishment.

Indeed. Sharpe and Gates (as a couple of the few vaguely comparable TEs) both have a far worse touch/fumble ratio.

You forgot Emmitt breaking Payton's record. That's the one.

NeverSurrender wrote:You forgot Emmitt breaking jim Brown's record. That's the one.

What record did he break that fit the criteria of my post? Emmitt doesn't really constitute 'recent' in my book. Great career though, obviously.

Edited to say he broke Payton's record, but it was 2002. Within 15 years.

It's pretty impressive.

I discount any of the passing or receiving records set since they changed the coverage rules and then neutered the d-backs.

I think the records need to be kept to eras: 12 game schedule, 14 game schedule, 16 game schedule, salary cap, pussified rules era.

Somethings to think about: What would they do to Lawrence Taylor under the new rules? How many yards would Marino or Fouts be putting up now that defenders can't touch them or their receivers?

NeverSurrender wrote:Edited to say he broke Payton's record, but it was 2002. Within 15 years.

It's pretty impressive.

No doubt, although I think it speaks as much to his longevity and durability as pure talent. I'd take most of the other top ten rushers of all time over Emmitt I think.

SkyDog112046 wrote:I discount any of the passing or receiving records set since they changed the coverage rules and then neutered the d-backs.

I think the records need to be kept to eras: 12 game schedule, 14 game schedule, 16 game schedule, salary cap, pussified rules era.

Somethings to think about: What would they do to Lawrence Taylor under the new rules? How many yards would Marino or Fouts be putting up now that defenders can't touch them or their receivers?

True, it's very hard to compare - more so in the NFL than most sports I think, hence the question about records from a comparable era.

However, to reverse field on you, how would Fouts and Marino have fared against far faster/bigger/stronger defensive players of today? While I think the rules have shifted too far the other way, I think without some changes, QB longevity would have gone completely down the shitter over the last couple of decades.

I've got to agree with johnk only six fumbles is amazing! Back to the original post, Randy Moss's touchdown catches gets my vote asshole or not. Calvin Johnson's record showed that opposing teams knew to triple cover him in the end zone at least. I can't believe they didn't know that back then as well.

Gonzalez's lack of fumbles is crazy. Pretty impressive as well is the 589 touches BenJarvus Green-Ellis had before his first fumble.

demolition23 wrote:

SkyDog112046 wrote:I discount any of the passing or receiving records set since they changed the coverage rules and then neutered the d-backs.

I think the records need to be kept to eras: 12 game schedule, 14 game schedule, 16 game schedule, salary cap, pussified rules era.

Somethings to think about: What would they do to Lawrence Taylor under the new rules? How many yards would Marino or Fouts be putting up now that defenders can't touch them or their receivers?

True, it's very hard to compare - more so in the NFL than most sports I think, hence the question about records from a comparable era.

However, to reverse field on you, how would Fouts and Marino have fared against far faster/bigger/stronger defensive players of today? While I think the rules have shifted too far the other way, I think without some changes, QB longevity would have gone completely down the shitter over the last couple of decades.

Fouts & Marino would have the same steroids and HGH that today's defenders are using...not that it would matter since today's defenders aren't allowed to get within 3 yards of a QB without getting penalized.

SkyDog112046 wrote:
Fouts & Marino would have the same steroids and HGH that today's defenders are using...not that it would matter since today's defenders aren't allowed to get within 3 yards of a QB without getting penalized.

Average QBs from the 70's and 80's would tear these defenses up.

johnk5150 wrote:

SkyDog112046 wrote:
Fouts & Marino would have the same steroids and HGH that today's defenders are using...not that it would matter since today's defenders aren't allowed to get within 3 yards of a QB without getting penalized.

Average QBs from the 70's and 80's would tear these defenses up.

True, If Matt fucking Staffford can get a 5,000 season and Eli comes close, the prime top 5 guys like Elway, Marino, and Montana , and guys like Moon would be shredding these Defenses for 5500 easily. I'm biased and will admit that's the reason Marino's 84' season was more remarkable than what the guys are doing now. Brees and Brady in 07' are the guys that really stand out IMO, Brees already tossed for 5069 before they moved the kickoffs up right? Hell that move right there coupled with the softer rules towards the offense guarenteed the league would start looking like a Madden game. I still think Brees would've broken the record rule changes or not but not by as many.