Do The Passing Records Mean Anything?

How does everyone feel about the passing records being surpassed this year? Does it really mean anything considering the game has changed so much in the last 30 years.

Passing records are falling all over the place this season. New England's defense (and possibly Green Bays) is going to surpass the record for most passing yards allowed in a season but then their QB's ALSO have a shot of surpassing Marino's passing yards # on offense ........... :wtf1:

To me, I'm sort of feeling about these passing records like I felt when McGwire, Bonds and Sosa were easily surpassing the HR records in baseball that had stood for so long. It was a different game and it just seemed like paper records without a lot of substance.

I also have the feeling that if the NFL game continues in this direction, we will see these passing records falling on a regular basis, almost yearly, as we did with the HR records.

Are the passing numbers impressing you or are these just a result of the changes in the game?

 

guys like brees, brady & rodgers would be good in any era but the new rules have absolutely helped them and many other qb's, especially rookies/young guns.

on the flip side, how bad of a qb are you if you can't succeed in today's nfl ?

 

I don't think they really matter. It's a cool thing to keep track of, and it's kinda cool to see guys break records, but it doesn't really mean anything. I'm not one of those guys that thinks certain records are sacred or whatever. They're just kinda there.

 

This season specifically I think there is less of a rule effect and more effect of the locjout. Seems to have affected secondaries more than offenses. Look at guys like fitz in buffalo early compared tp late. Almost seems this season should have an asterisk. Another interesting point by an nfl network analyst is where the money is. Kids who are physical freaks are encouraged to go offense (te/ol) rather than lb/dl. Could have an impact by shifting talent.

 

^this

 

when it comes down to it records are made to be broken and its not like tavaris jackson is breaking the record.

 

Tavaris Jackson breaks the record and I give up...lol.

 

a large factor is of course the rule changes for the offense. Seems like the average passing yards go up by a thousand yards every 10 years. Used to in the 70's you pass for 2000 + you was considered a very good qb. Then it was around 3000 in the 80's. Now just about everyone passes for 3000 yards a season.

 

yep, that's correct and this is kind of what i'm talking about with the passing 'records' falling. here are the passing leaders for yards in 1984:

1. Dan Marino · MIA 5084
2. Neil Lomax · STL 4614
3. Phil Simms · NYG 4044
4. Dan Fouts · SDG 3740
5. Dave Krieg · SEA 3671
6. Joe Montana · SFO 3630
7. Steve DeBerg · TAM 3554
8. Paul McDonald · CLE 3472
9. Joe Theismann · WAS 3391
10. Warren Moon · HOU 3338

Conversely, this season, we will probably have 10 QB's exceed 4,000 yards .............. do we REALLY think Tony Romo and Matt Ryan are better QB's than Joe Montana and Dan Fouts?

The game is just so different 30 years later (i.e. baseball and the HR record).

4,000 yards means very little anymore and i have a feeling 5,000 yards is going to be exceeded many times in the near future.

 

Do you really think Neil Lomax is a better QB than Dan Fouts? Using Passing Yards as a basis of who is better than whom is silly.

 

exactly my point. and then add in the rule changes over the past 30 years and it's almost like comparing passing stats in the Arena League to the NFL.

 

neil lomax was actually a very, very good qb. if his career wasnt cut short by injury he would be up there with some big names.

 

I won't argue that. But I don't think he was Fouts/Montana good. I think 1984 was his vault into passing for 3000+ a year for quite a few years.

 

not montana but if he played as long as fouts he would be very close to his career stats. plus he played for the cards and didnt have winslow, joiner & jefferson to throw to like fouts did.

 

1. Dan Marino · MIA 5084
2. Neil Lomax · STL 4614
3. Phil Simms · NYG 4044
4. Dan Fouts · SDG 3740
5. Dave Krieg · SEA 3671
6. Joe Montana · SFO 3630
7. Steve DeBerg · TAM 3554
8. Paul McDonald · CLE 3472
9. Joe Theismann · WAS 3391
10. Warren Moon · HOU 3338

looking at that list makes me realize how young i am i only recognize 5 out of those 10 names

 

What 5? Out of curiosity...

 

The bolded ones

 

I am so old I watched all those qbs play except for that Paul McDonald dude.

 

meanwhile the eagles had ron jawroski at qb who was in the twight of his career.

 

I dident get to see any of them play i just know who they are i started watching football in 2000 and i was 10.