Eighteen quarterback have thrown for 500 or more passing yards in a game. Through the first half of Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers, No. 15 for the Chiefs seemed destined to be No. 19.
After throwing for 219 passing yards in the first quarter and 359 in the first two, Patrick Mahomes needed a mere 141 in the final 30 minutes to get to 500. Instead, he got only 102.
He didn’t even set his own single-game record. In the Monday night classic against the Rams in November 2018, Mahomes finished with 478 passing yards, which stands at No. 40 on the all-time list.
Undoubtedly, he’ll get to 500. The real question is whether he gets to 554, the single-game record set by Hall of Famer Norm Van Brocklin all the way back in 1951 -- decades before rule changes souped up the passing game.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has the most career 500-yard passing games, with three (522, 506, 503). Saints quarterback Drew Brees has two (510, 505). Bucs quarterback Tom Brady has two, too (517, 505).
The other members of the 500 club are Warren Moon (527), Matt Schaub (527), Boomer Esiason (522), Dan Marino (521), Matthew Stafford (520), Jared Goff (517), Phil Simms (513), Derek Carr (513), Eli Manning (510), Vince Ferragamo (509), Tony Romo (506), Y.A. Tittle (505), Elvis Grbac (504), Matt Ryan (503), Philip Rivers (503), and Dak Prescott (502).
It’s a strange melange of names, and it omits all-time greats like Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and John Elway.
Inevitably, Mahomes will get there. If/when the Chiefs flip the switch early and keep it set to “on” for a full game, it could happen sooner than later.
It will happen even sooner if teams keep using single coverage on Tyreek Hill.