NEW random stats thread

I was looking something else up entirely and ended up looking at Derrick Mason stats.

I truly did not remember that he played for the Cows and the Jets his final season after the Ratbirds.
My only explanation is how far detached from him I was after he went full Ratbird. You never go full Ratbird.

 

Off-season waiting for just about anything to happen, stat time.

watched a video that just showcased NFL passing yardage leader by year back to 1970 but I wanted to see who had more impressive or “strange” league leading years. 1932 was first season tracking passes.

first, some records for yards and TD, who broke them and when:
Yards
1932 - Arnie Herber 639 yds
1933 - Harry Newman 973 yards
1936 - Arnie Herber 1239 yards
1939 - Davey O’Brien 1324 yards
1940 - Sammy Baugh 1367 yards
1941 - Cecil Isbell 1479 yards
1942 - Isbell 2021 yards
1943 - Sid Luckman 2194 yards
1947 - Sammy Baugh (NFL) 2938 yards
- (AAFC) Otto Graham 2753 yards
1960 - Johnny U (NFL) 3099 yds
1961 - Sunny Jurgensen 3723 yds
1967 - Joe Namath 4007 yds
1979 - Dan Fouts 4082 yds
1980 - Dan Fouts 4715 yds
1981 - Dan Fouts 4802 yds
1982 - strike year, Fouts pace was 5124 yds/ 2883 in 9 games
1984 - Marino 5084 yds
2011 - Brees 5476 yds
2013 - P Manning 5477 yds

TD:
1932 - Arnie Herber 9 TD
1933 - Harry Newman 11 TD
1936 - (tied) Arnie Herber 11 TD
1937 - (tied) Davey O’Brien 11 TD
1940 - Sammy Baugh - 12 TD
1941 - Cecil Isbell - 15 TD
1942 - Isbell - 24 TD
1943 - Sid Luckman 28 TD
1948 - Otto Graham 29 TD
1959 - Johnny U 32 TD
1961 - (AFL) George Blanda 36 TD
- (NFL tied) Jurgensen 32 TD
1962 - (NFL) Jurgensen 33 TD
1963 - (NFL tied) Johnny U 36 TD
1984 - Dan Marino 48 TD
2004 - P Manning 49 TD
2007 - Tom Brady 50 TD
2013 - P Manning 55 TD

more random info to come

 

This is who has lead the league in yds the most:
Drew Brees - 7
Sunny Jurgensen/ Marino/ Otto Graham - 5
Tom Brady/ Sammy Baugh/ Fouts/ Johnny Unitas - 4

dan Fouts has the record of 4 straight seasons. Air coryall of 1979 - 1982.

here are some oddity standouts:
1933 - Harry Newman (973) was a NYG TB and was replaced by 1935 winner Ed Dankowski (794), also a TB.

1938 - Ace Parker (865) was a TB for the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was his 2nd season and he never reached 1K in his 7 seasons.

1939 - Davey O’Brien (1324) only played 2 seasons. This year, he set the record.

1955 - Jim Finks (2270) of Pit, played his first 3 seasons as a SS and RDH (Right Defensive halfback). This was his 4th year as QB w/ 10 TD/ 26 INT.

1964 - Charley Johnson (3045) had his 2nd of only 2 seasons to reach 3K. He played 15 years, only 4 he reached 2K.

1977- Joe Ferguson (2803) is the lowest since and was 2nd lowest dating back to 1965. He played 17 seasons (73-1990). This was the last year of 14 games. In the freak year, it was Ferguson’s 4th highest season and he only threw 12 TD.

1983- Lynn Dickey (4458) set personal best by 900 yds and 1400 by his 3rd highest. He also beat his TD record by 7 and 15. In 13 seasons, he only reached 2k 5x.

1989- Don Majkowski (4318). Beat his personal bests by 2200 yds and 17 TD for this freak season.

1999- Steve Beuerlein (4436). In 16 years, only reached 3k 3x but this year beat his personal bests by 700 yds and 1300 yds. Also 17 TD more than his next best. That Kurt Warner guy showed up with 41 TD but Beuerlein was #2 with 36.

2009- Matt Scahub (4770) comes out of nowhere to beat his next best season by 400yds and 5 TDs. Only reached 3K 4 of 16 years.

2019- Jameis Winston (5109). 1100 more yds than his 2nd best season and 5 more TD (33) than his next best. Still in the league but seems to have dissappeared as a starter.

you may notice that each decade on the 9, a break out surprise seems to get the top yardage. 2019- Winston, 2009- Schaub, 1999- Beuerlein, 1989- Majkowski.

Little more to come.

 

The last part I have on QBs is the guys that not just won yardage leader but destroyed the competition. Some are just yardage, some are TD too.
It should be noted, games per season obviously changed over time. This is how it breaks down:
1932-1934 actually varied between 10-14 games.
1935-36 - 12 games
1937-42 - 11 games
1943-45 - 10 games
1946 - 11 games
1946-48 (AAFC) - 14 games
1949 (AAFC) - 12 games
1947-60 - 12 games
1961- 69 (AFL) - 14 games
1961-77 - 14 games
1978-2020 - 16 games
(1982 strike 9 games)
(1987 strike, 12 games + 3 scabs games)
2021- present - 17 games

breakout seasons:
1942 - Cecil Isbell beat out #2 by 500 and #3 by 600 yds. Beat out #2 by 8 TD and #3 by 13 TD. This was the 1st guy to reach 2K (2021 yds) and 20 TD (24). He set the new NFL records for both, beating himself, by 600yds and 9 TD both set the year before. This guy really pushed the beginnings of a passing offense.

1959- Johnny U. Beat #2 by 280 and #3 by 900 yds. He also beat #2 by 12 TD and #3 by 16. 1st QB with 30+ TD (32) setting the new record by 3 set in 48’ by Otto Graham.

1961- (AFL) George Blanda. Beat #2/3 by 650 yds but set the record with 36 TD. That beat out #2/3 by 17 and 19 TD. His 3330 beat his own high by 24 yds.
1961- (NFL) Sunny Jurgensen. Beat #2/3 by 630/1200 yds and 10 and 14 TD. His 3723 reset the record by 700 yds. His 32 TD tied the NFL record (not AFL).

1967- (AFL) Joe Namath breaks 4K (4007). He beats #2/3 by 650/ 800 yds. Lots of INT, was 4TD behind the leader but plays part in this guys HoF legacy where he doesn’t really belong.

1969- (AFL) Daryle Lamonica (3302). Beat #2/3 by 500/ 900 yds. His 34 TD beat #2/3 by 15/19 TD.

1973- Roman Gabriel (3219) beat #2 by 700 yds and #3 by 800 yds. He tied for LL w/ 23 TD.

1979- Dan Fouts. Sets the record by 633 yds (4082). He beat #2/3 by 600/ 1000 yds.
1981- Fouts 3rd straight season as LL (by 900 yds) and after resetting the record by 700 yds in 80’, extends it again to 4802. He also leads the league by 3 TD.
1982- Fouts season is a strike at 9 games. His 4th straight year as LL with 2883 yds. He was on pace for 5124 yds which would have stood for 30 years.

1984- Dan Marino. THE SEASON (to me). Sets the NFL record by 282 yds, reaching 5K (5084) and smashes the TD record by 12 (48).
He beat out #2 and #3 in yds by 400 and 1000 yds. He beat out #2/3 in TD by 16 and 20 TD.

1986- Marino smashes competition again. #2 by 600 and #3 by 800 yds (4746). In TD, his 44 beats #2 by 19 and #3 by 20 TD.

1990- Warren Moon. His 4689 wins by 700yds, 3 TD.
1991- Moon repeats almost identical, 4690 and wins by 700 yds.

1992- Marino gets 4116 beating #2 by 700 yds again.

1999- Kurt Warner. Was actually #2 in yds w/ 4353. beuerlein’s freak season got 4436. But Warner beat Beuerlein by 5 TD and was 15 ahead of #3.
2001- Warner had 4830 winning by 700 yds and 900 yds over #2/3. He also had 36 TD, 4 more than 2/3. Not usually a difference maker, but he also had a 6 point Rating lead.

2007- Brady (4806) set the TD record with 50 by 1. It was 14 more than #2, 18 more than #3. He lead by 400 yards.

2013- Peyton Manning sets both records again. 5477 beat Brees (2011) by 1 yard but he also beat Brady by 5 TD (55). It was 300 yds over #2/ 800 over #3. It was also 16 TD over #2/ 22 TD over #3.

2022- Mahomes. Beat #2 by 500 yds with 5250. He also won by 6 TD with 41.


3 times in history a QB set the yards and TD record in the same season.
42’ Cecil Isbell
84’ Dan Marino
2013 Peyton Manning

Feel free to add your own or argue which season you think was the most impressive/ dominant.

 

Speaking of Henry, What m continuing my series on the case for best season at a position mixing in some of the strange anomalies of the NFL.
IT knocked out the QBs above, now is a look at RB based by the yardage leader and includes TD.

similar, I’ll open with the records. RB is not as extensively broken as many times as QB and my site of choice for info does not track prior to 1932 (profootballreference)
Yards:
1932 - Cliff Battles sets the mark at 576 yds
1933 - Jim Musick moves it to 809
1934 - Beattie Feathers, the first 1K at 1004 yds.
1947 - AAFC Spec Sanders gets 1432 yds
-The NFL also reset by Steve Van Buren 1008
1949 - NFL Van Buren increases to 1146 yds
1958 - Jim Brown takes the spot with 1527
1963 - Brown increases to 1863 yds
1973 - OJ breaks 2K at 2003 yds
1984 - Eric Dickerson sets the current record at 2105. This year makes 40 years.

TD:
1932 - bar set Bronco Nagurski 4 TD
1933 - Glenn Presnell gets 6
1934 - Beattie Feathers and Dutch Clark tie with 8.
1939 - Johnny Drake 9
1940 - Drake matches his 9 again
1943 - Bill Paschel reaches 10 TD.
1945 - Steve Van Buren hits 15.
1947 - AAFC Spec Sanders hits 18.
1958 - Jim Brown increases NFL to 17.
1962 - Jim Taylor gets 19.
1979 - Luv Ya Blue Earl Campbell ties at 19.
1981 - Chick Muncie ties again at 19.
1983 - John Riggins breaks it with 24.
1995 - Emmitt Smith gets 25.
2003 - Priest Holmes hits 27
2005 - Shaun Alexander matches 27.
2006 - LaDanian Tomlinson sets it at 28 TD where it stands 16 years later.

more info to come.

 

Rushing Titles:
AP/ Joe Perry (1 AAFC)/ Earl Campbell - 3
OJ/ Barry Sanders/ Emmitt Smith/ Dickerson/ and Steve Van Buren (2 in NFL only, not AAFC) - 4
Jim Freaking Brown - 8

most consecutive rushing titles:
Campbell/ Emmitt/ Van Buren/ Jim Brown - 3
Jim Brown again - 5 straight.
(Pour one out for Henry, he was at the top in 2021 before injury which would have made 3 if he finished.)

a lot of guys earned the yardage AND TD title the same year. Of 92 years covered, 45 times, most recently Jonathan Taylor in 2021 (1811 and 18).

next up, some anomaly breakout seasons.