Rosenthal pointed out earlier today that there have been 33 300-yard passing performances through three weeks of the season, obliterating the prior record of 21.
The league is now pointing out that nine quarterbacks are averaging more than 300 yards passing per game through three weeks.
And five of them are on pace to break Dan Marino’s single-season passing yardage record of 5,084.
Tom Brady’s 7,500-yard projection has cooled to 7,076. And with 1,327 yards in three games, Brady is less than 600 yards away from Steve Grogan’s single-season total for 1976.
Football Night in America editorial consultant Elliott Kalb, who pointed out last week that the Raiders perhaps should have ditched the Hail Mary at the end of the Bills game for 74-yard Sebastian Janikowski field-goal try, alerted me to that fact. And the ’76 Pats were no slouches; they won 11 of 14 games, losing by three in the playoffs to the Raiders, who eventually won the Super Bowl.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees is on pace for 5,648 yards. Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is on pace for 5,397 yards. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers is on pace for 5,221 yards. And Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is on pace for 5,211.
Other quarterbacks who are averaging more than 300 yards per game are Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Titans quarterback Matthew Hasselbeck, and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.