He's a lonely man there in the basement

Cold, Hard Football Facts for Aug 31, 2009

(Ed. note: a version of this story was published briefly last week ... but our basement-dwelling troll had uncovered more incredible data, so we pulled the piece and are republishing it here.)

By Jonathan Comey

Cold, Hard Football Facts man-not-about-town

If the folks who run pro-football-reference.com were Playboy bunnies, the ideal woman would truly exist. Alas, they are just a bunch of dudes – and that's OK with us.

The world's best NFL stat database recently got even better with the introduction of several new search engines that allow football nerds to completely lose themselves in advanced gridiron mathematics.

Want to put together a list of the top 10 receivers from 1974-1981? You can do that. (receptions: Ahmad Rashad, 413; yards: Cliff Branch, 6,682).
Want to know who has the most 50-yard-plus touchdowns runs in a season? Easy: Jim Brown, who had five in 1963, one more than the immortal Napoleon Kaufman in 1997 for Oakland.
Want to know who holds the Bears record since 1960 for most passes in a road loss? No problem: Billy Wade, 57, in a 27-20 defeat at Washington back in 1964.

We could go on and on – and will, in fact.

There are three different search engines in the p-f-r "Play Index" tab: season finder, play finder and touchdown finder. We spent the majority of a drunken weekend locked in the basement of the cardboard-box world headquarters looking for interesting stats to share, and do so here.

We've broken them into three sections: "top shelf" (really interesting), "tasty tidbits" (probably interesting), and "interesting only if you have an illness" (weird stuff). We expect you'll enjoy them all, and come up with a few of your own.

TOP SHELF
Some players explode onto the scene, including current Jaguars star Maurice Jones-Drew and Patriots star Wes Welker. In fact, these players find themselves in some pretty rare company. Here's a look at the top five players in all-purpose yards over their first three seasons in the NFL:

Gale Sayers (6,401)
Wes Welker (6,216)
LaDainian Tomlinson (6,145)
Bruce Harper (6,004)
Maurice Jones-Drew (6,003)

Hard to believe that Welker (whose first three years were 2004-06) is second only to the legendary Sayers in all-purpose yards over this period. In fact, given this information, it's hard to believe the Dolphins sent one of the most productive players in history to New England in 2007 for a second- and a seventh-round pick. In New England, Welker has caught 223 passes in two seasons. Harper is the great unkown on the list. The 5-8 speedster never really got a shot to start despite an impressive rushing average of 4.9 YPA in his career.

Tomlinson is the only player to rush for more than 1,500 yards (1,645) and catch 100 passes in the same season (2003). Somehow, the Chargers – with Drew Brees at QB, mind you – managed to finish 16th in scoring that season and went 4-12. We demand a formal inquiry.

The worst 1,000-yard rushing season in history? Got to be Jerome Bettis, who averaged 3.21 YPA and scored just three TDs while amassing 1,025 yards for the 4-12 Rams in 1994.

Only one QB in NFL history threw for 10,000-plus yards over the final three years of his career. We'll give you 10,000 guesses. Give up? Of course, it was Elvis Grbac (10,591 yards with the Chiefs and Ravens from 1999-2001).

The toughness award goes to ... Jeff George and Tony Eason? Both QBs were less than fan favorites, yet they're the only QBs with 400 or more passes to hang in the pocket long enough to take 50+ sacks and throw fewer than 10 INTs in a season (Eason 1984, George 1997).

Two men have been first-team All-NFL selections 10 times: Jerry Rice and Jim Otto. The active leaders are Ray Lewis and Alan Faneca (6).

Only one player has the chance to go 10-for-10 in Pro Bowl selections in the 2000s: Tony Gonzalez. The only other players to make the Pro Bowl in every year of a decade were safety Ken Houston in the 1970s and offensive linemen Bruce Matthews and Randall McDaniel in the 1990s.

How much has the game changed? From 1920 to 1969, only 11 quarterbacks produced seasons with 300 or more passes and a passer rating of 90+. In 2008 alone, nine quarterbacks accomplished the feat.

The worst passer rating in the post-merger era (min. 20 att. per game)? Steve DeBerg, who posted a 40.0 rating in 1978. Still, he was much better than the other 49ers QB that year, Scott Bull, who managed a 22.4 rating in 121 attempts. The offseason, fortunately, brought Bill Walsh and Joe Montana.

In the 1984 playoffs, Montana twice rushed for at least 50 yards – the only two such performances of his illustrious career.

Speaking of Joe Cool, a period of his career that has long been forgotten came from 1985-87. The 49ers went one-and-out in each of those three postseasons, and his passer ratings were 65.6, 34.2 and 42.0 in the three losses. He rebounded nicely, with ratings over 100 in his next eight playoff games.

A different world: In 1973, the receivers on the AP's AFC All-Pro team were Oakland's Fred Bilentnikoff (48 catches, 660 yards, 4 TDs) and Miami's Paul Warfield (29 catches, 514 yards, 11 TDs).

Tackles are an unofficial stat, but unofficially, the career leaders by position since they were added to the database in 1978:

DL: Bruce Smith (1,078)
DB: Eugene Robinson (1,250)
LB: Jessie Tuggle (1,640)

The only players credited with 1,000+ tackles and 100+sacks? Smith, Reggie White and the Hall of Fame-worthy Rickey Jackson. Jackson is also one of five players credited with 40+ forced fumbles and one of seven credited with 25+ fumble recoveries.

Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning have both produced three games with perfect 158.3 passer ratings (20+ attempts). No one else since 1960 has done it more than once. Of the 21 times a QB managed the feat, their teams went a collective 21-0.

Intermission

Here's the song referenced in the headline of this article. Apparently, the reference was a little too old for some of you. This is what Phil Collins did with post-Peter Gabriel Genesis back before his solo days ... before he proved to the world that short, portly, balding men could become rich international sex symbols. Sorry 'bout the dude singing in the background, but this is the best we could do for you.

show video here

TASTY TIDBITS
Only three men have scored TDs passing, running, receiving, kick returning and punt returning in the same season: George McAfee (1941 Bears), Gale Sayers (1965 Bears) and Terry Metcalf (1975 Cardinals). McAfee added an INT return to his resume in 1941, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1966.

Of the nine players in NFL history with 1,000 or more interception return yards, six are in the Hall of Fame (Emlen Tunnell, Lem Barney, Paul Krause, Rod Woodson, Herb Adderley, Night Train Lane) and two will be in Canton (Deion Sanders and Ed Reed). The other? Current Saints safety Darren Sharper.

From 1970-1989, 21 quarterbacks threw 25+ interceptions in a season. In the 19 seasons that followed (1990-2008), only five QBs reached that mark.

Since the expansion to 16 games in 1978, the fewest yards by a receiver to make the Pro Bowl (non-strike season) was Haywood Jefferies (753 for the 1993 Oilers).

In the strike season of 1982, Green Bay's John Jefferson made the Pro Bowl as a receiver despite no touchdowns.

Dan Marino threw 8,358 passes in his career, averaging more than 7.3 yards for every attempt and more than 12.3 yards for every completion. But his longest career rush was just 15 yards.

In the post-merger era (since 1970), the top-five running backs (1,000+ carries) in yards per attempt include some surprising names (the all-time record is still held by Jim Brown, 5.22 YPA):

Barry Sanders (4.99)
Robert Smith (4.83)
Wendell Tyler (4.75)
Greg Pruitt (4.74)
O.J. Simpson (4.74)

A running back has averaged 100+ yards per game 76 times in NFL history. But one of those backs never played another season in the league: Lionel Vital, who rushed for 346 yards in three games as a replacement player for the 1987 Redskins. He was cut when the real players got back, but is currently the assistant director of player of personnel for the Falcons.

The strike of 1982 ruined what was looking like a season for the ages for Chargers wideout Wes Chandler. He averaged an NFL record 129 receiving yards in his eight games (he missed one game). Had he played seven more games at that pace, he would've finished with 91 catches, 1,935 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Tom Dempsey could kick it long: he set the NFL record with a 63-yard field goal back in 1970. But he couldn't kick it short. He's the only modern kicker with 100+ attempts who averaged less than 90 percent on extra points (89.4).

Lions linebacker Wayne Walker made four Pro Bowls, but probably shouldn't have been allowed to serve as the team's top kicker in the 1960s. He's got the worst all-time field-goal percentage for kickers with 100 attempts (40.5). Was Apparently Matt Millen was running the team back then.

Tops of the 2000s! London Fletcher is the leading tackler of this decade with 887 solos (20 more than Donnie Edwards). The leading punt returner is Allen Rossum (2,535 yards). The top kick returner is Dante Hall (10,136 yards, with Rossum at No. 2). Ronde Barber leads in passes defensed (125) and interception TDs (7). He's second in sacks by a defensive back with 19, trailing only Rodney Harrison (20.5).

New England third-down specialist Kevin Faulk is the only player in NFL history with a two-point conversion in two different playoff games (2003, 2006). He scored the first in New England's 32-29 win over Carolina in Super Bowl XXXVIII.

The best passer rating by a quarterback in a playoff loss came from the Raiders Jeff Hostetler (125.0) in a 29-23 loss to Buffalo in 1994. Hostetler is also the only QB with 100 or more playoff passing attempts and no interceptions – not bad for a guy who played special teams and receiver to secure a roster spot early in his career.

Broderick Thomas (1991 Bucs) is the only player in the last 25 years with a season of 150+ tackles (174) and 10+ sacks (11). He also forced seven fumbles that year, but missed the Pro Bowl thanks to Tampa's atrocious 3-13 season.

Only two players since 1960 have carried the ball 30 or more times in a game with 10 or more receptions, too: Emmitt Smith rushed 32 times for 168 yards, with 10 catches for 61 yards and 1 TD, in a 16-13 win over the Giants in 1994. LaDainian Tomlinson rushed 37 times for 220 yards and 3 TDs, with 11 catches for 51 yards, in a 30-27 win over the Broncos in 2002.

The only player in history with 15+ carries and 15+ receptions in a game was Minnesota's Rickey Young in 1979. He rushed 16 times for 80 yards, and caught 15 passes for 116 yards and 1 TD, in a 27-23 loss to New England.

INTERESTING ONLY IF YOU HAVE AN ILLNESS
No one has recorded more than two safeties in a season. It hadn't been done since 1996 (Bryant Young) until Minnesota's Jared Allen and Baltimore's Jameel McClain each chalked up a two safeties last year.

Fred Dryer, the Rams defensive lineman turned TV star, is the only player in history to record two safeties in a single game, while facing the Packers in 1973.

Reggie Bush and Eric Metcalf are the only players ever with 500 yards rushing, 50 catches and a punt return touchdown in the same season.

In the last 20 years, only one player has had at least five interceptions and five fumble recoveries: Sammy Knight for the 2001 Saints.

The record for most fumble recoveries in a season: David Carr, 12 in his rookie year of 2002. They were all his own fumbles.

Carr also holds another ignominous record: the most pass attempts by a player who failed to throw 10 TDs. Carr attempted 444 passes for the 2002 Texans. Just nine of those attempts went for TDs.

Joey Harrington, Carr's compadre among failed No. 1 QBs in the 2002 draft, passed the ball 554 times for the Lions in 2003, the most attempts in history for a QB who failed to reach 3,000 yards (2,880).

In 1988, Pittsburgh punter Harry Newsome had six punts blocked, obliterating the record of four that was set by Frank Tripucka in 1952 with the Dallas Texans and Chicago Cardinals.

Derrick Mason holds the all-time record for all-purpose yards in a season, with 2,690 for the 2000 Titans – that's 168 yards per game for one man.

Seven players recorded 100+ sacks in the 1990s. The 21st century has not been as prolific for sack-masters. Barring monster seasons here in 2009 by John Abraham (84), Joey Porter (81) or Leonard Little (80.5), Jason Taylor will be the only player to record 100 sacks in the 2000s (104 so far).

Dating back to 1985, the only player with 4+ fumble recoveries, fumbles forced and interceptions in a season is Sam Mills (1995 Panthers) – had 4, 5 and 5, respectively.

The fewest pass attempts for a QB who threw 20+ interceptions is Johnny Gildea (20 INTs in 105 pass attempts for the 1935 Steelers). In the post-merger era, the honor goes to Norm Snead (22 INTs in 235 pass attempts with the 1973 Giants).

Patriots legend Steve Grogan holds the distinction of having the fewest carries in a season with 10+ rushing touchdowns. He ran 60 times for 397 yards and 12 TD in 1975. In the receiving realm, the Frank Liebel of the 1945 Giants set the standard with 10 TDs on just 22 receptions (593 yards).

The only wide receivers to top the 1,000 yard mark through the air and add two touchdowns off reverses? Jerry Rice (1994) and Lance Alworth (1964). We knew you were wondering.

Terry Glenn is the only player to start more than 100 games, average better than 62.5 receiving yards a game for his career (1,000-yard pace at 16 games), and fail to make it to more than one Pro Bowl.

Antowain Smith has the most rushing yards (6,881) for a player never to make the Pro Bowl.

Tampa Bay didn't have a passer with 300 attempts in a season crack the 80.0 mark in passer rating until 1994 – 18 years after their inaugural season. Craig Erickson posted an 82.5 passer rating that season (on 399 attempts).

Over the final six years of his career, Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts produced -30 yards rushing.

No Dolphins QB has ever been sacked more than 36 times in a season.

Ron McDole, who played for four teams from 1961 to 1978, is third all-time among defensive linemen with 240 games played. He also holds the distinction of most interceptions by a DL (12).

Lamar Smith of the 2000 Dolphins is the only player in history to carry the ball at least 40 times in a playoff game – and it took him overtime to reach that unmatched plateau. He rushed 40 times for 209 and 2 TDs in Miami's 23-17 win over the Colts in the 2000 wildcard round. Appropriately enough, Smith scored the winning points on a 17-yard run.

The longest walk-off play in NFL history belongs to Ron Jaworski and Mike Quick of the 1985 Eagles, who hooked up on a 99-yard pass play to beat Atlanta in OT.

The only player to throw 23+ interceptions and suffer 50+ sacks in the same season was Paul McDonald of the 1984 Browns. He never threw another pass in the NFL.

Damon Huard attempted 244 passes with just 1 pick for the 2006 Chiefs. He's the only player in history who attempted more than 200-plus passes in a season without suffering at least 2 INTs. Conversely, Bobby Hoying is the only QB in history who attempted at least 200 passes in a season (224) and failed to find the end zone at least once (1998 Eagles).

San Francisco's Steve Young is the only player who twice passed for 30 touchdowns and rushed for five TDs in the same season (35-7 in 1994 and 36-6 in 1998). The only other players to match that feat were:

Randall Cunningham with the 1990 Eagles (30-5)
Daunte Culpepper with the 2000 Vikings (33-7)
Jeff Garcia with the 2001 49ers (32-5)

Kordell Stewart is the only 20-10 TD man in history. He passed for 21 TDs and ran for 11 more with the 1997 Steelers.

Productive receivers have skyrocketed in recent years. From 1978 to 1987, 22 players produced at least 5,000 yards receiving. Over the past 10 seasons, 42 receivers have reached the 5,000-yard mark.

These numbers are even more shocking, because they begin in the Dead Ball Era (through 1977).

From 1970-79, NFL receivers produced 30 1,000-yard seasons.
From 1999-2008, NFL receivers produced 216 1,000-yard seasons.

Elbert Dubenion caught 42 passes for 1,139 yards for the 1964 Bills of the AFL. That's the fewest catches by any 1,000-yard receiver.

The NFL record is 43 catches by Roger Carr of the 1976 Colts (1,112 yards).

The only two players in history have thrown for 400-plus yards in a game without a touchdown pass: Bernie Kosar (1986 Browns) and Warren Moon (1991 Oilers).

John Riggins of the Redskins is the only player in history to carry the ball more than 30 times in a game after the age of 35 – and he did it five times.

While sacks didn't officially count as a stat until the early 1980s, they've been kept in the playoffs since the 1960s. The only players with 4 sacks in a game: L.C. Greenwood (1975), Ted Hendricks (1975) and Willie McGinest (2005).

By Kerry Byrne

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