Grieb grabs more history

Andy Lopusnak
Wednesday June 6, 2012

 In last Saturday's 81-68 loss at Milwaukee, San Jose SaberCats quarterback Mark Grieb padded his future Hall of Fame career with two new AFL records - most career 400-yard passing games and most 400-yard games in a season.

Against the Mustangs, Grieb tossed for 435 yards with ten touchdowns (both season highs) in a losing effort. It marked his second straight 400-yard game and gives him an AFL record three 400-yard games on the season. Only eight times in league history has a player tossed for 400 or more at least twice in a single season. Grieb is the only player to do in two different seasons (2 in 2001 and 3 so far this season).

The only other time a player tossed for over 400 in back-to-back games in league history was in 2006 when Tampa Bay's Shane Stafford did so with 458 in an overtime loss against Orlando (2/19) and 424 vs. Austin (2/25) in a win.

In the 25-year history of the AFL, there have been just 46 total 400-yard passing games. Grieb now has an AFL record seven of those elusive games. The first 400-yard passing game came late in the league's 11th season when Texas Terror QB Clint Dolezel tossed 449 yards and nine scores in a losing effort against the Kurt Warner-led Iowa Barnstormers (7/26/1997). Just a week later, the Barnstormers gave up the second 400-yard game when Albany QB Mike Pawlawski put up 455. Of the 46 overall 400-yard games, just nine players have posted multiple 400-yard games.

Last week set an AFL record for most 400-yard passing games in a single AFL week. Four passers surpassed the 400-yard plateau. On Saturday, June 2, Grieb tossed for 435 then later that night Utah's Tommy Grady had 436 - the most by any passer this season. On Sunday, the league witnessed just the second game in league history with both starting QBs going over 400. Chicago's Russ Michna had 400 and in a losing effort, Spokane's Kyle Rowley had 401. The only previous game with both QBs over 400 was on June 23, 2001 when Dolezel had 402 with Grand Rapids and Indiana's Raymond Philyaw had 409 in a losing effort.

There have been eight 400-yard passing games in just 13 weeks this season - already the most in any single season in AFL history. The previous high was six set in 2007.

Here's a look at the eight 400-yard passing games through 13 weeks.

Grieb is just 92 passing yards away from extending his AFL record for most consecutive and overall 4,000-yard passing seasons and should do so early in this Friday's home contest against the 1-10 Orlando Predators. It would be his seventh straight and overall 4,000-yard season. Against Milwaukee, Grieb became the only passer in league history to toss for at least 70 touchdowns in nine straight seasons (he has 79 thus far in 2012) and the only one to have at least 45 in eleven straight seasons. 

To further the big passing games of all-time, Grieb has also posted the most games with 350 or more yards in league history. 

MOST CAREER 350+ YARD PASSING GAMES - AFL HISTORY
RK	PLAYER	350 YD GMS
1	Mark Grieb	22
2	Aaron Garcia	19
	Clint Dolezel	19
4	Joe Germaine	13
5	John Dutton	9
	Sherdrick Bonner	9
	Mike Pawlawski	9
	Andy Kelly	9
8	Tommy Grady	8
	Nick Davila	8
	Raymond Philyaw	8

In addition to my own research, I want to thank David Harwood over at the Stat Guys and ArenaFan's own Dave Carlson for their help in researching these stats.