List of the Day: Best Passing Yardage Seasons, 1980s AFC

Dan Marino

TOP 10
1- Dan Marino, 1984 Miami Dolphins
5084 yards, 362-564, 64.2 %, 48 TD, 17 INT

2- Dan Fouts, 1981 San Diego Chargers
4802 yards, 360-609, 59.1 %, 33 TD, 17 INT

3- Dan Marino, 1986 Miami Dolphins
4746 yards, 378-623, 60.7 %, 44 TD, 23 INT

4- Dan Fouts, 1980 San Diego Chargers
4715 yards, 348-589, 59.1 %, 30 TD, 24 INT

5- Dan Marino, 1988 Miami Dolphins
4434 yards, 354-606, 58.4 %, 28 TD, 23 INT

6- Bill Kenney, 1983 Kansas City Chiefs
4348 yards, 346-603, 57.4 %, 24 TD, 18 INT

7- Dan Marino, 1985 Miami Dolphins
4137 yards, 336-567, 59.3 %, 30 TD, 21 INT

8- Brian Sipe, 1980 Cleveland Browns
4132 yards, 337-554, 60.8 %, 30 TD, 14 INT

9- Dan Marino, 1989 Miami Dolphins
3997 yards, 308-550, 56.0 %, 24 TD, 22 INT

10-Boomer Esiason, 1986 Cincinnati Bengals
3959 yards, 273-469, 58.2 %, 24 TD, 17 INT


Dan Fouts



Bill Kenney



Brian Sipe

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Denver Broncos: John Elway, 1985
3891 yards, 327-605, 54.0 %, 22 TD, 23 INT

New York Jets: Ken O’Brien, 1985
3888 yards, 297-488, 60.9 %, 25 TD, 8 INT

Seattle Seahawks: Dave Krieg, 1984
3671 yards, 276-480, 57.5 %, 32 TD, 24 INT

Buffalo Bills: Joe Ferguson, 1981
3652 yards, 252-498, 50.6 %, 24 TD, 20 INT

Houston Oilers: Warren Moon, 1989
3631 yards, 280-464, 60.3 %, 23 TD, 14 INT

Pittsburgh Steelers: Terry Bradshaw, 1980
3339 yards, 218-424, 51.4 %, 24 TD, 22 INT

New England Patriots: Tony Eason, 1986
3328 yards, 276-448, 61.6 %, 19 TD, 10 INT

Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts: Bert Jones, 1980
3134 yards, 248-446, 55.6 %, 23 TD, 21 INT

Oakland/LA Raiders: Jim Plunkett, 1983
2935 yards, 230-379, 60.7 %, 20 TD, 18 INT


Boomer Esiason



John Elway



Ken O'Brien



Dave Krieg

1984: Kelly & Johnson Achieve Milestones as Gamblers Defeat Blitz

The Houston Gamblers were the best of the six expansion teams in the United States Football League’s second season. Under the direction of Head Coach Jack Pardee and operating the “run-and-shoot” offense developed by offensive coordinator Darrel “Mouse” Davis, the Gamblers got off to a 6-5 start. By the time they hosted the Chicago Blitz before 24,243 fans at the Astrodome on June 10, 1984 they had won four straight games and stood atop of the Central Division with a 10-5 tally.

Houston wasted little time in taking command of the game against the Blitz, who were struggling at 4-10 entering the contest. RB Sam Harrell, returning to action from a midseason injury, scored on a one-yard run in the first quarter, and before the period was over star rookie QB Jim Kelly threw a 10-yard TD pass to WR Richard Johnson.

Chicago got on the board early in the second quarter with a 38-yard field goal by Kevin Seibel, but the Gamblers came right back with another Kelly to Johnson TD pass, this one covering 30 yards. The score was 21-10 at halftime as Blitz QB Ron Reeves tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to WR Kris Haines just before the end of the period.

The Gamblers put the game away in the second half thanks to two more touchdown throws by Kelly, of 62 yards to WR Ricky Sanders in the third quarter and 11 yards to WR Mark Barousse in the final period. Toni Fritsch capped the scoring with a 46-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter, while Chicago managed only one more Seibel field goal in the third quarter. Houston won for the fifth consecutive game by a convincing 38-13 margin.

Jim Kelly completed 21 of 36 passes for 335 yards with the four touchdowns against two interceptions before being spelled by backup QB Todd Dillon. As a result, not only did his passing totals of 4825 yards and 40 TD passes after 16 games extend USFL records but they exceeded the then-existing NFL totals of 4802 passing yards by San Diego’s Dan Fouts and 36 touchdown passes by George Blanda of the Oilers (actually an AFL record) and Y.A. Tittle of the Giants. Interestingly, both of those records were broken by Miami’s Dan Marino when the NFL took the field in ’84.


Richard Johnson, who had emerged as Kelly’s favorite target, caught 5 passes for 58 yards and the two touchdowns. The five receptions gave him 103 for the year, also exceeding the existing NFL/AFL record of 101 held by Charley Hennigan of the Houston Oilers (another record that would fall in the NFL in ’84). However, Ricky Sanders, another accomplished member of the outstanding group of receivers, had the most catches and yards for the Gamblers in this contest, grabbing 7 passes for 130 yards and the one long TD.

While Houston’s aerial attack accounted for 394 net yards, the typically-solid running game accounted for another 149 yards on 25 attempts. RB Todd Fowler led with 105 yards on 14 carries.

By contrast, RB Larry Canada led the Blitz with 26 yards rushing on seven carries, Ron Reeves completed just 16 of 36 passes for 168 yards with a TD and an interception, and Kris Haines was the team’s best receiver with 5 catches for 45 yards and the lone TD.

The Gamblers ended up winning seven straight games to end the season with a 13-5 record and the division title. They were upset in the first postseason round, 17-16, by the Arizona Wranglers (the George Allen-coached club that had played in the Windy City in ’83 before swapping locations for 1984). Chicago remained at the bottom of the Central Division, finishing out at 5-13. The franchise folded in the ensuing offseason.

With two more games left in the USFL’s 18-game schedule, Kelly added to his totals and ended up with 5219 passing yards and 44 touchdown passes - an astounding performance for a rookie quarterback in any pro league. Richard Johnson led the league with 115 pass receptions, closely followed by Ricky Sanders with 101; they thus became the first teammates in pro football history to catch over 100 passes in a season.

1966: Merger of NFL and AFL Announced

By 1966, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the American Football League was not going to fold like its three predecessors of the same name and that, most significantly to the owners of National Football League teams, it would continue to drive up the cost of new talent. In 1965, Alabama QB Joe Namath had been signed to a stunning (for the time) three-year, $426,000 contract by the New York Jets (he had also been drafted by the NFL’s Cardinals). 1966 saw LB Tommy Nobis, first draft choice of the expansion Atlanta Falcons, sign a $600,000 deal, and it cost the Green Bay Packers approximately a million dollars to sign HB Donny Anderson and FB Jim Grabowski, the presumed heirs to the aging Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor, respectively.

In April, the first discussions regarding a possible merger of the leagues commenced between Tex Schramm, the president/general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, and Lamar Hunt, founder of the AFL and owner of the Kansas City Chiefs. These background talks occurred while tumult broke out. First came the resignation of AFL Commissioner Joe Foss and his replacement by Al Davis, Oakland’s head coach/general manager who was far more inclined to engage in a no-holds-barred conflict with the older league. Then the NFL’s New York Giants signed veteran free agent placekicker Pete Gogolak away from the AFL’s Buffalo Bills, an act that now put competition for veterans on the table along with the ongoing and costly battle for talent coming out of the colleges.

The escalating strife nearly derailed the merger efforts. But on June 8, 1966 at the Warwick Hotel in New York City the NFL’s Commissioner Pete Rozelle (pictured at top), flanked by Schramm and Hunt, announced that a merger between the two leagues had been reached. Due to contractual issues, the merger was to be phased and reach completion in 1970.

- First, a game would be held between the champions of the two leagues following the 1966 season. This, more than any other provision, immediately excited pro football fans. It was decided later that the game, which of course would eventually come to be called the Super Bowl, would be played at a pre-determined neutral setting.

- Second, beginning in 1967 a common draft would be held among the teams of the two leagues (this may have dismayed college players looking forward to competing bids for their services, but came as a relief to owners looking to get player costs back under control). Also in ’67, there would be interleague preseason games.

- Finally in 1970, the AFL would be completely absorbed into the NFL, with teams playing a common schedule. Pete Rozelle would be commissioner of the entire edifice – much to the chagrin of Al Davis, who had been kept out of the merger negotiations (and, as a result, felt betrayed by his fellow owners).

In addition to the phased merging of the leagues, other points were agreed to:

- All existing franchises were to be kept, and in their current locations. While initially there had been discussion regarding the relocation of the Jets and Raiders, it was decided that there would be less danger of legal repercussions if they remained where they were, in proximity to NFL teams.

- As a result of not moving franchises, the AFL agreed to pay the NFL $26 million dollars (split between the Giants and 49ers) for the right to impinge on their territory.

- Each league agreed to add an expansion franchise no later than 1968 (the New Orleans Saints joined the NFL in 1967 and the Cincinnati Bengals rounded out the AFL in ’68).

- Television coverage would continue to be split between CBS (for the NFL) and NBC (the AFL), an arrangement which continued beyond the merger.

There had been dissenting voices among owners from both leagues – not surprisingly, teams that shared the same territory (the Giants and Jets in New York City, and the 49ers and Raiders in the Bay Area). The NFL clubs wanted the AFL teams to relocate, and the AFL teams objected to paying for the right to remain where they were.

Whatever the feelings of the dissenters at the time, the agreement reached in 1966 set the framework that continues to exist. From 13 teams in 1960, the NFL grew to 26 clubs with the merger in 1970 (the enlarged entity was broken up into the National Conference – the existing NFL – and the American Conference – the absorbed AFL).

In order to maintain equilibrium, since there were 16 NFL teams and 10 in the AFL by 1969, three existing NFL teams – the Browns, Colts, and Steelers - transferred to the American Conference. While the AFL lost its identity, there was satisfaction in that, unlike when the All-America Football Conference merged with the NFL in 1950, all of the franchises were accepted into the older league. And after losing badly in the first two Super Bowls, the AFL won the last two prior to the merger so as to make a statement that the younger teams were fully ready to compete with the older clubs.

List of the Day: Best Passing Yardage Seasons, 1980s NFC

Neil Lomax

TOP 10
1- Neil Lomax, 1984 St. Louis Cardinals
4614 yards, 345-560, 61.6 %, 28 TD, 16 INT

2- Lynn Dickey, 1983 Green Bay Packers
4458 yards, 289-484, 59.7 %, 32 TD, 29 INT

3- Don Majkowski, 1989 Green Bay Packers
4318 yards, 353-599, 58.9 %, 27 TD, 20 INT

4- Jim Everett, 1989 Los Angeles Rams
4310 yards, 304-518, 58.7 %, 29 TD, 17 INT

5- Jay Schroeder, 1986 Washington Redskins
4109 yards, 276-541, 51.0 %, 22 TD, 22 INT

6- Phil Simms, 1984 New York Giants
4044 yards, 286-533, 53.7 %, 22 TD, 18 INT

7- Danny White, 1983 Dallas Cowboys
3980 yards, 334-533, 62.7 %, 29 TD, 23 INT

8- Jim Everett, 1988 Los Angeles Rams
3964 yards, 308-517, 59.6 %, 31 TD, 18 INT

9- Tommy Kramer, 1981 Minnesota Vikings
3912 yards, 322-593, 54.3 %, 26 TD, 24 INT

10-Joe Montana, 1983 San Francisco 49ers
3910 yards, 332-515, 64.5 %, 26 TD, 12 INT


Lynn Dickey



Jim Everett



Jay Schroeder

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Atlanta Falcons: Steve Bartkowski, 1981
3829 yards, 297-533, 55.7 %, 30 TD, 23 INT

Philadelphia Eagles: Randall Cunningham, 1988
3808 yards, 301-560, 53.8 %, 24 TD, 16 INT

New Orleans Saints: Archie Manning, 1980
3716 yards, 309-509, 60.7 %, 23 TD, 20 INT

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Doug Williams, 1981
3563 yards, 238-471, 50.5 %, 19 TD, 14 INT

Detroit Lions: Gary Danielson, 1980
3223 yards, 244-417, 58.5 %, 13 TD, 11 INT

Chicago Bears: Jim McMahon, 1985
2392 yards, 178-313, 56.9 %, 15 TD, 11 INT


Phil Simms



Danny White



Tommy Kramer



Joe Montana

1983: Newcomer JoJo Townsell Scores Winning TD as LA Defeats Wranglers

The Los Angeles Express were tied for the lead in the United States Football League’s Pacific Division as they hosted the Arizona Wranglers at the Memorial Coliseum on June 5, 1983, but with a mediocre 6-7 record. While the defense was adequate, the team was at the bottom of the league in running the ball while Head Coach Hugh Campbell split the quarterbacking between CFL and NFL veteran Mike Rae and rookie Tom Ramsey.

The Express also sought to bolster the receiving corps as the season progressed, adding WR Anthony Allen midway through and, two days prior to the contest with the Wranglers, rookie WR JoJo Townsell, a local talent out of UCLA (where he had been a teammate of Ramsey’s). It did not take long for the 5’9”, 180-pound receiver to make an impression.

Arizona, 4-9 coming into the contest, scored in the first quarter on a 25-yard field goal by Phil Denfeld, but Rae staked LA to a 7-3 halftime lead thanks to a one-yard touchdown plunge in the second quarter. The Wranglers moved back ahead in the third quarter with a 13-yard scoring run by RB Darryl Clark. Vince Abbott tied the score with a 33-yard field goal later in the period.

Arizona regained the advantage in the fourth quarter due to another Denfeld field goal, this from 34 yards. But with 2:38 remaining in the game, Ramsey passed to Townsell for a 26-yard touchdown to win the game for the Express, 17-13.

Neither team mounted much of a running attack, with LA actually outgaining the Wranglers 79 yards to 72. Time of possession was virtually the same, but the Express defense sacked Arizona’s quarterbacks a total of 9 times – both LB Eric Scoggins and NT Eddie “Meat Cleaver” Weaver recorded three apiece.

Of the two Los Angeles quarterbacks, Mike Rae completed 12 of 20 passes for 115 yards with no TDs and two interceptions; Tom Ramsey was successful on 11 of 14 throws for 101 yards with the winning TD and none picked off. Townsell was the headliner with two catches for a team-leading 57 yards and the critical TD, but Anthony Allen led the club in receptions with 6 (totaling 44 yards). RB John Barnett led the runners with 32 yards on 7 carries.

QB Alan Risher completed 14 of 17 passes for 143 yards with no interceptions for Arizona; QB Dan Manucci added another 41 yards while completing 5 of 12 passes with an interception (RB Harold Blue also completed a nine-yard pass). TE Mark Keel caught 6 passes for 44 yards and WR Neil Balholm gained 53 yards on four catches. RB Calvin Murray gained 44 yards on 10 carries to lead the team.

While the win over the Wranglers allowed the Express to stay even with Oakland at the top of the Pacific Division, ultimately LA finished second to the Invaders with an 8-10 record. It did not help that they had difficulty drawing fans to the Coliseum (there were 13,826 on hand for the June 2 contest). Arizona lost its remaining games to stay at the bottom of the division with a 4-14 tally.

The two late-arriving receivers performed well overall, with Allen catching 37 passes for 613 yards (16.6 avg.) and three touchdowns in eight games and Townsell making 21 catches for 326 yards (15.5 avg.) and three TDs over five contests. TE Ricky Ellis, who was with the Express all year (although not initially in the starting lineup) was the leader of the club’s solid group of receivers with 69 receptions for 716 yards and 6 TDs (he grabbed three passes for 21 yards against Arizona). But the lack of a running game badly hindered the offense (LaRue Harrington led the team in rushing for the year with just 547 yards and a 3.8 average).

List of the Day: Best Rushing Seasons, 1980s AFC

Earl Campbell

TOP 10
1- Earl Campbell, 1980 Houston Oilers
1934 yards, 373 att., 5.2 avg., 13 TD

2- Marcus Allen, 1985 Los Angeles Raiders
1759 yards, 380 att., 4.6 avg., 11 TD

3- Eric Dickerson, 1988 Indianapolis Colts
1659 yards, 388 att., 4.3 avg., 14 TD

4- Curt Warner, 1986 Seattle Seahawks
1481 yards, 319 att., 4.6 avg., 13 TD

5- Christian Okoye, 1989 Kansas City Chiefs
1480 yards, 370 att., 4.0 avg., 12 TD

6- Curt Warner, 1983 Seattle Seahawks
1449 yards, 335 att., 4.3 avg., 13 TD

7- Earl Campbell, 1981 Houston Oilers
1376 yards, 361 att., 3.8 avg., 10 TD

8- Freeman McNeil, 1985 New York Jets
1331 yards, 294 att., 4.5 avg., 3 TD

9- Eric Dickerson, 1989 Indianapolis Colts
1311 yards, 314 att., 4.2 avg., 7 TD

10-Earl Campbell, 1983 Houston Oilers
1301 yards, 322 att., 4.0 avg., 12 TD


Marcus Allen



Eric Dickerson



Curt Warner

BEST BY FRANCHISES NOT IN TOP 10
Buffalo Bills: Thurman Thomas, 1989
1244 yards, 298 att., 4.2 avg., 6 TD

Cincinnati Bengals: James Brooks, 1989
1239 yards, 221 att., 5.6 avg., 7 TD

New England Patriots: Craig James, 1985
1227 yards, 263 att., 4.7 avg., 5 TD

Cleveland Browns: Mike Pruitt, 1983
1184 yards, 293 att., 4.0 avg., 10 TD

San Diego Chargers: Earnest Jackson, 1984
1179 yards, 296 att., 4.0 avg., 8 TD

Denver Broncos: Sammy Winder, 1984
1153 yards, 296 att., 3.9 avg., 4 TD

Pittsburgh Steelers: Franco Harris, 1983
1007 yards, 279 att., 3.6 avg., 5 TD

Miami Dolphins: Lorenzo Hampton, 1986
830 yards, 186 att., 4.5 avg., 9 TD


Christian Okoye



Freeman McNeil



James Brooks

1984: Fred Besana Sets Mark as Invaders Defeat Bulls

QB Fred Besana had been a major find by the Oakland Invaders in the inaugural United States Football League season. After failing to catch on in the NFL and playing in the semi-pro California Football League with the Twin City Cougars from 1980-82, the University of California product joined the USFL at age 29. Besana had an outstanding year in ’83 as he placed second in the league passing standings and led in completions (345), completion percentage (62.7), and yards (3980). The Invaders won the Pacific Division, albeit with a 9-9 record.

1984 had proven to be a more difficult year for Besana and the Invaders. The club lost its first nine games and had problems putting points on the board – the Invaders were shut out three times during the streak, and scored fewer than 10 points in five contests. Besana suffered from nagging injuries – not helped by a lack of mobility and an offensive line that allowed a league-leading 69 sacks during the year. He also was missing two favorite receivers from 1983 in TE Raymond Chester, who retired, and WR Wyatt Henderson, who was lost in the expansion draft.

However, after finally breaking into the win column, Oakland proceeded to win five straight games to creep back into the postseason picture in a weak division. Besana was part of the turnaround, as he demonstrated to good effect on June 2 as the Invaders hosted the expansion Jacksonville Bulls at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (the Bulls, one of six expansion teams in ’84, were the club that had claimed Henderson).

Besana, who had completed his last two passes in the previous week’s win over Oklahoma, proceeded to complete his first 17 passes against the Bulls for a USFL-record 19 straight. However, it didn’t translate into many points as Oakland scored just one TD on a five-yard pass from Besana to TE Brian Williams. Sandwiched between field goals of 21 and 32 yards by Jacksonville’s Brian Franco, it was good enough for a 7-6 halftime lead.

The Invaders finally pulled out the win with a 10-point fourth quarter that included a 37-yard field goal by Kevin Shea and three-yard touchdown run by FB Tom Newton. The Bulls scored a late TD on a two-yard pass by QB Robbie Mahfouz to WR Alton Alexis (followed by a failed two-point conversion attempt). It was too little, too late as Oakland eked out a sixth straight win by a 17-12 margin.

Thanks to the passing streak to start the game, Besana ended up with an 82.8 completion percentage (24 of 29 passes) for 214 yards with a TD and no interceptions. Brian Williams was the club’s top receiver with 8 catches for 88 yards and the one score. The Invaders outrushed the Bulls, 119 yards to 75, with Tom Newton the leading ground gainer at 72 yards on 10 carries.

As was usual during the year, the Bulls split the quarterback duties between veteran Matt Robinson (14 of 24 for 112 yards with two interceptions and no TDs) and Mahfouz (9 of 14 for 89 yards with a TD and none picked off). RB Larry Mason was the leading rusher with 45 yards on 8 attempts. Both WR Aubrey Matthews and TE Robert Young caught 6 passes, with Matthews gaining the most yards (65). In his Oakland homecoming, Wyatt Henderson had two catches for 22 yards.

While the Invaders outgained the Bulls and benefited from Besana’s accuracy, they also handicapped themselves by committing 11 penalties (for a total of 85 yards) as opposed to just two by the visitors. However, while Besana was sacked three times, the Oakland defense managed to sack the Jacksonville quarterbacks a total of seven times (DE Monte Bennett led with two).

The Invaders ultimately won seven straight games before losing the final two contests and finishing at the bottom of the Pacific Division with a 7-11 record. Jacksonville ended up last in the Southern Division with a 6-12 tally.

Fred Besana ranked far lower in the USFL’s passing standings for the ’84 season, coming in at 11th. His yards-per-attempt (6.3) were nearly a yard below his ’83 figure (7.2), but he still completed a healthy 57.6 percent of his passes and threw for more touchdowns (14) than interceptions (12).