The Crippen Chronicles Week 16

By Ken Crippen
Pro Football Researchers Association
As the season progresses, I will keep an eye out for individual single-season records that could fall.
 
As it stands right now, we are on pace to break two individual single-season records, both relating to quarterback play.
 
Passing:

Projected 2011 Totals	Comp	Att	Yards	TD	INT
Drew Brees	476	666	5,462	42	12
Tom Brady	401	605	5,249	40	12
Aaron Rodgers	368	540	4,982	45	6

*Red denotes projected record
 
Current NFL Records:
Attempts: 691 – Drew Bledsoe (1994)
Completions: 450 – Peyton Manning (2010)
Yards: 5,084 – Dan Marino (1984)
Touchdowns: 50 – Tom Brady (2007)
Interceptions (Most): 42 – George Blanda (1962)
Interceptions (Least): 4 – Tom Brady (2010)
 
Rushing:

Projected 2011 Totals	Att	Yards	TD	Fumble	Rating
Maurice Jones-Drew	336	1,524	8	3	94.30

*Red denotes projected record
 
Current NFL Records:
Attempts: 416 – Larry Johnson (2006)
Yards: 2,105 – Eric Dickerson (1984)
Touchdowns: 28 – LaDainian Tomlinson (2006)
 
Receiving:

Projected 2011 Totals	Rec	Yards	TD
Wes Welker	118	1,577	10

*Red denotes projected record
 
Current NFL Records:
Receptions: 143 – Marvin Harrison (2002)
Yards: 1,848 – Jerry Rice (1995)
Touchdowns: 23 – Randy Moss (2007)
 
Sacks:

Projected 2011 Totals	Sacks
Jason Babin	20.5
Jared Allen	20

*Red denotes projected record
 
Current NFL Record: 22.5 – Michael Strahan (2001)
 
Interceptions:

Projected 2011 Totals	INT
Kyle Arrington	8
Eric Weddle	8
Charles Woodson	8

*Red denotes projected record
 
Current NFL Record: 14 – Night Train Lane (1952) (12-game season)
 
 
  Marshawn Lynch – Lynch has 10 consecutive games with a touchdown. That sets a franchise record.
 
Aaron Rodgers – Rodgers broke Brett Favre’s franchise record for touchdown passes, set in 1996. Favre had 39 touchdown passes that year. Rodgers currently has 40.
 
Drew Brees – Bress had his 11^thconsecutive 300+-yard game this season. No other quarterback in NFL history has accomplished this feat.
 
LeSean McCoy – McCoy broke the franchise record for touchdowns in a single season. The previous record was 18 set by Steve Van Buren in 1945. McCoy currently has 20.
 
 
  Date: December 19, 1948
Location: Shibe Park (Philadelphia, PA)
Attendance: 28,864
 
A blanket of heavy snow covered the field. Neither team could pass effectively, as the Chicago Cardinals passed for only 35 yards, while the Philadelphia Eagles were held to seven total passing yards. The only scoring came when the Eagles took advantage of a miscue by the Cardinals. Late in the third quarter, Elmer Angsman fumbled on his 17-yard line. It was recovered by Bucko Kilroy of the Eagles. Bosh Pritchard ran it six yards to take the ball to the Cardinal 11-yard line. Runs by Joe Muha and Tommy Thompson put the ball on the five-yard line, where Steve Van Buren punched it in for the only score of the day.
 
The win gave the Eagles their first NFL championship.
 

		1	2	3	4	F
Chicago Cardinals		0	0	0	0	0
Philadelphia Eagles		0	0	0	7	7
Scoring Summary:
PHI	Van Buren 5-yard run (Patton Kick)

 
 
Date: December 22, 1963
Location: Frank Youell Field (Oakland, CA)
Attendance: 17,401
 
Four AFL records were set that day as the Oakland Raiders won a shootout 52-49 over the Houston Oilers. It was the first time in AFL history that two teams combined for more than 1,000 yards in a game. The final score was the most points scored in a game by two teams. Quarterbacks George Blanda and Tom Flores combined to throw 11 touchdown passes, also an AFL record. In the second quarter, both teams combined to score 49 points, an AFL record.
 

		1	2	3	4	F
Houston Oilers		14	21	14	0	49
Oakland Raiders		7	28	7	10	52
Scoring Summary:
OAK	Gibson 69-yard punt return (Mercer Kick)
HOU	Hennigan 4-yard pass from Blanda (Blanda Kick)
HOU	Smith 2-yard run (Mercer Kick)
HOU	Dewveall 12-yard pass from Blanda (Blanda Kick)
OAK	Herock 7-yard pass from Flores (Mercer Kick)
OAK	Daniels 56-yard pass from Flores (Mercer Kick)
HOU	Smith 25-yard pass from Blanda (Blanda Kick)
OAK	Powell 81-yard pass from Flores (Mercer Kick)
HOU	Tolar 1-yard run (Blanda Kick)
OAK	Powell 20-yard pass from Flores (Mercer Kick)
OAK	Powell 45-yard pass from Flores (Mercer Kick)
HOU	Dewveall 26-yard pass from Blanda (Blanda Kick)
HOU	McLeod 21-yard pass from Blanda (Blanda Kick)
OAK	Powell 23-yard pass from Flores (Mercer Kick)
OAK	Mercer 39-yard field goal

 
 
Date: December 20, 1975
Location: Rich Stadium (Orchard Park, NY)
Attendance: 54,993
 
Two records were broken that day, as Fran Tarkenton broke Johnny Unitas’ record with his 291^sttouchdown pass. Buffalo’s O.J. Simpson broke Gale Sayers’ record of 22 touchdowns, set in 1965.
 
Tarkenton’s record came on a six-yard pass to Chuck Foreman in the third quarter. Simpson’s record came on a 64-yard pass from backup quarterback Gary Marangi.
 

		1	2	3	4	F
Minnesota Vikings		14	7	14	0	35
Buffalo Bills		0	7	6	0	13
Scoring Summary:
MIN	Foreman 4-yard run (Cox Kick)
MIN	Lash fumble recovery in end zone (Cox Kick)
MIN	Foreman 1-yard run (Cox Kick)
BUF	Simpson 24-yard run (Leypoldt Kick)
MIN	Foreman 1-yard pass from Tarkenton (Cox Kick)
MIN	Foreman 6-yard pass from Tarkenton (Cox Kick)
BUF	Simpson 64-yard pass from Marangi (Kick Failed)

 
 
Date: December 24, 1977
Location: Memorial Stadium (Baltimore, MD)
Attendance: 60,763
 
At the time, this was the third longest game in NFL history. Today, it stands as the fourth longest game in NFL history. However, this game was remembered for one specific play: the Ghost to the Post. The famous play was a 42-yard pass from Ken Stabler to tight end Dave Casper, as part of a seven-play, 65-yard drive to set up the game-tying field goal with 26 seconds left on the clock. In the second overtime, Stabler hit Casper for a 10-yard scoring strike to give the Raiders the win and their fifth straight AFC Championship game appearance.
 

		1	2	3	4	OT	OT	F
Oakland Raiders		7	0	14	10	0	6	37
Baltimore Colts		0	10	7	14	0	0	31
Scoring Summary:
OAK	Davis 30-yard run (Mann Kick)
BAL	Laird 61-yard interception return (Linhart Kick)
BAL	Linhart 36-yard field goal
OAK	Casper 8-yard pass from Stabler (Mann Kick)
BAL	Johnson 87-yard kick return (Linhart Kick)
OAK	Casper 10-yard pass from Stabler (Mann Kick)
BAL	R. Lee 1-yard run (Linhart Kick)
OAK	Banaszak 1-yard run (Mann Kick)
BAL	R. Lee 13-yard run (Linhart Kick)
OAK	Mann 22-yard field goal
OAK	Casper 10-yard pass from Stabler

 
 
 
Ken Crippen is the executive director of the Professional Football Researchers Association, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to preserving football history.You can follow him on Twitter: @KenCrippen.

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Read more: Aaron Rodgers, AFL, Baltimore Colts, Charles Woodson, Chicago Cardinals, Dave Casper, Drew Brees, Eric Weddle, Fran Tarkenton, Ghost to the Post, Houston Oilers, Jared Allen, Jason Babin, Ken Stabler, kyle arrington, LeSean McCoy, Marshawn Lynch, Maurice Jones-Drew, NFL, O.J. Simpson, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Tom Brady, Wes Welker