Record-breaking 2012
Andy Lopusnak
Wednesday July 25, 2012
The 25th AFL season saw numerous records broken thanks largely to the second year of the 18-game schedule. However, there were not as many records broken in 2012 as there were last season. Nonetheless, there were some major records shattered this season with Tommy Grady leading the way with at least eleven new single-season records.
Grady became the first player in AFL history to shatter the league single-season passing marks for attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns. His season averages in passing yards and passing TDs were the best in league history. This means that in any combination of regular season games, be it a season with 8, 10, 12, 14 or even 16 games that Grady would've had the most yards and TDs. In addition, Grady tied the league mark for most passing TDs in a game and broken the record for most completions in a game.
Sadly, there's more records than the ones listed below, but because the league has never kept track of certain records, such as tackles for loss (and many others), it's uncertain if other records were broken this season. Also, the 2010 records program the league used was pretty much useless thus the league stopped tracking other records because that program was just so terrible.
In my over two decades watching, covering and working for teams in this league, I've yet to see this league ever put out a complete list of every record broken in a given season. This is my fourth year providing this information on ArenaFan. I always thought something like this should be included in the Record & Fact Book recapping the previous season, but that also has never happened.
Speaking of things I'd like to see... It would be awesome if the league (any league for that matter) would update the all-time single-game, single-season and career records (individual and team) on a weekly basis (and do more than just the top three like the AFL). It's not difficult at all and would help the teams, media and fans keep track of history as it happens. I did it every week when I was the PR director in Tampa Bay, San Diego and Grand Rapids for my respective teams, and it helped immensely (plus, all the records were updated and done for the media guide the next season saving me many hours of research to ensure everything was correct).
With the forfeited game by Cleveland, the league says it will not count the game towards records (though the league's official stats has that game listed here with numerous new all-time lows of zero for pretty much everything). I'm not counting that game or this list would be monstrous.
Anyway, here's a detailed look at all of the new AFL single-season individual and team records.
|
INDIVIDUAL SINGLE-SEASON AFL RECORDS SET IN 2012 |
||
|
CATEGORY |
STAT |
PLAYER, TEAM |
|
Pass Attempts |
743 |
Tommy Grady, |
|
Pass Completions |
507 |
Tommy Grady, |
|
Pass Yards |
5,870 |
Tommy Grady, |
|
Pass Yards Per Game |
326.1 |
Tommy Grady, |
|
Pass Touchdowns |
142 |
Tommy Grady, |
|
Pass TD Per Game |
7.89 |
Tommy Grady, |
|
Total Offensive Yards |
6,065 |
Tommy Grady, |
|
Total Offensive TDs |
149 |
Tommy Grady, |
|
Total Offensive TD Per Game |
8.28 |
Tommy Grady, |
|
Total Offensive Plays |
781 |
Tommy Grady, |
|
Most |
3 |
Tommy Grady, |
|
Most |
3 |
Mark Grieb, |
|
Most |
12 |
Nick |
|
Times Sacked |
50 |
J.J. |
|
Times Intercepted (tied) |
25 |
Gino Guidugli, |
|
Rushing Yards |
645 |
Derrick Ross, |
|
Most 80+ Rush Yards Games |
3 |
Derrick Ross, |
|
Sacks |
16.0 |
Joe Sykes, |
|
Sacks by a Rookie (tied) |
13.0 |
Scooter |
|
PAT Made |
138 |
Kenny Spencer, |
|
Blocked Kicks |
7 |
Bryan Robinson, |
|
Interceptions Returned for TD (tied) |
4 |
Kelvin Morris, Chicago |
|
Kickoff Returns |
111 |
P.J. Berry, |
|
Combined Kick Returns |
112 |
P.J. Berry, |
|
TEAM SINGLE-SEASON AFL RECORDS SET IN 2012
|
||
|
CATEGORY
|
STAT
|
TEAM
|
|
Points Scored
|
1,228
|
Philadelphia
|
|
Points Per Game
|
68.2
|
Philadelphia
|
|
Touchdowns Scored
|
177
|
Philadelphia
|
|
1-point PATs Made
|
155
|
Philadelphia
|
|
1-point PATs attempted
|
173
|
Philadelphia
|
|
2-point PATs Made (tied)
|
11
|
San Jose
|
|
First Downs Allowed
|
408
|
Spokane
|
|
Passing First Downs
|
332
|
Utah
|
|
Passing First Downs Allowed (tied)
|
297
|
Spokane
|
|
Rushing First Downs
|
78
|
Philadelphia
|
|
Total Offensive Yards
|
6,085
|
San Jose
|
|
Total Offensive Yards Allowed
|
5,989
|
Spokane
|
|
Total Offensive Touchdowns
|
160
|
Philadelphia
|
|
Passing Yards
|
5,758
|
San Jose, Utah
|
|
Passing Yards Allowed
|
5,550
|
Spokane
|
|
Pass Attempted
|
753
|
Utah
|
|
Pass Completions
|
510
|
Utah
|
|
Pass Completions Allowed
|
454
|
Spokane
|
|
Passing Touchdowns
|
137
|
Utah
|
|
Total Takeaways
|
64
|
Philadelphia
|
|
Fumbles Recovered (defense)
|
30
|
Philadelphia
|
|
Fewest FGs attempted
|
1
|
Philadelphia
|
|
Fewest FGs Made (tied)
|
0
|
Philadelphia, Utah
|
|
Sacks By
|
42
|
San Jose
|
|
Sacks Allowed
|
55
|
Iowa
|
|
Times Penalized
|
194
|
Utah
|
Since there were some significant single-game records broken in 2012, here's a look at those. As for team single-game records, the AFL is even worse at keeping these records. I think there are more set this year, but sadly cannot confirm since the league's Record & Fact Book doesn't list that many single-game team records (especially on defense). For the team single-game, I didn't list the date or opponent because I wanted to keep it all on one line.
|
INDIVIDUAL SINGLE-GAME AFL RECORDS SET IN 2012
|
||
|
CATEGORY
|
STAT
|
PLAYER, TEAM
|
|
Pass TD
|
12
|
Tommy Grady, Utah
|
|
|
12
|
Kyle Rowley, Spokane
|
|
Total TD Responsible
|
12
|
Tommy Grady, Utah
|
|
|
12
|
Kyle Rowley, Spokane
|
|
Pass Completions
|
46
|
Tommy Grady, Utah
|
|
Times Sacked
|
10
|
J.J. Raterink, Iowa
|
|
Longest Pass TD (tied)
|
49
|
Aaron Garcia, San Antonio
|
|
|
49
|
R.J. Archer, Georgia
|
|
Rush Attempts
|
21
|
Derrick Ross, Philadelphia
|
|
1-pt PATs Attempted (Tied)
|
13
|
Connor Hughes, Philadelphia
|
|
|
13
|
Kenny Spencer, Spokane
|
|
Longest Reception (tied)
|
49
|
C.J. Johnson, Georgia
|
|
|
49
|
Jomo Wilson, San Antonio
|
|
Longest Kickoff Return (tied)
|
58
|
Six times
|
|
INT Returns for TD (tied)
|
2
|
Kelvin Morris, Chicago
|
|
|
2
|
Joe Goosby, Philadelphia
|
|
TEAM SINGLE-GAME AFL RECORDS SET IN 2012
|
||
|
CATEGORY
|
STAT
|
TEAM
|
|
Sacks
|
10
|
Utah
|
|
Sacks Allowed
|
10
|
Iowa
|
|
Passing TD (tied)
|
12
|
Utah
|
|
|
12
|
Spokane
|
|
Pass TD Allowed (tied)
|
12
|
Cleveland
|
|
|
12
|
San Jose
|
|
Total TD (tied)
|
13
|
Spokane
|
|
|
13
|
Philadelphia
|
|
Total TD Allowed (tied)
|
13
|
San Jose
|
|
|
13
|
Georgia
|
|
Completions
|
46
|
Utah
|
|
Completions Allowed
|
46
|
Kansas City
|
|
Passes Intercepted (tied)
|
6
|
Spokane
|
|
Interceptions by Defense (tied)
|
6
|
Arizona
|
|
2-point PAT attempts
|
8
|
San Jose
|
|
Combined Penalty Yds (both teams)
|
260
|
TB (177), CLE (83)
|
|
Players Used in a game
|
26
|
Orlando
|
|
Players used in a game (both teams)
|
51
|
ORL (26), PIT (25)
|
|
Fewest 1-point PAT Attempted (tied)
|
0
|
Pittsburgh
|
|
Fewest 1-point PAT Made (tied)
|
0
|
Orlando
|
|
|
0
|
Pittsburgh
|
|
Fewest Combined 1-point PAT Made
|
0
|
ORL (0), PIT (0)
|
|
Fewest Combined 1-point PAT Attempted
|
1
|
ORL (1), PIT (0)
|
For those that care, he's a look at the individual and team single-season records that were broken in the AFL's first season with 18 games (2011) from one of my articles last season. As you can see, there were many more records broken in 2011 since it was the first year of the 18-game schedule.
|
INDIVIDUAL SINGLE-SEASON AFL RECORDS SET IN 2011
|
||
|
CATEGORY
|
STAT
|
PLAYER, TEAM
|
|
Passing Yards
|
5,312
|
Mark Grieb, SJ
|
|
Passing TDs (tied)
|
117
|
Nick Davila, AZ
|
|
Passes Intercepted
|
25
|
Mark Grieb, SJ
|
|
Passes Intercepted by Rookie
|
23
|
Brad Banks, IOWA
|
|
Receiving TDs by a Rookie
|
49
|
Reggie Gray, CHI
|
|
Rushing Attempts
|
167
|
Derrick Ross, DAL
|
|
Rushing Yards
|
622
|
Derrick Ross, DAL
|
|
Rushing Attempts by a Rookie
|
167
|
Derrick Ross, DAL
|
|
Rushing Yards by a Rookie
|
622
|
Derrick Ross, DAL
|
|
Rushing TDs by a Rookie
|
39
|
Derrick Ross, DAL
|
|
Highest Avg. per Rush
|
10.1
|
Bobby Reid, TUL
|
|
Interceptions
|
16
|
Rayshaun Kizer, ORL
|
|
Interception Return Yards
|
237
|
Rayshaun Kizer, ORL
|
|
Interceptions by a Rookie
|
15
|
Vic Hall, CHI
|
|
INT Return Yards by a Rookie
|
222
|
Vic Hall, CHI
|
|
Pass Breakups
|
49
|
Michaeux Robinson, JAX
|
|
Passes Defensed
|
60
|
Michaeux Robinson, JAX
|
|
Kicks Blocked (tied)
|
6
|
Anthony Hoke, CLE
|
|
All-Purpose Yards
|
3,703
|
P.J. Berry, NO
|
|
Kickoff Returns
|
100
|
P.J. Berry, NO
|
|
TEAM SINGLE-SEASON AFL RECORDS SET IN 2011
|
||
|
CATEGORY
|
STAT
|
TEAM
|
|
Games Won
|
16
|
Arizona
|
|
Consec Games Won (same season)
|
13
|
Jacksonville
|
|
Points Scored
|
1,158
|
Jacksonville
|
|
Touchdowns Scored
|
166
|
Jacksonville
|
|
Points Allowed
|
1,117
|
Utah
|
|
Touchdowns Allowed
|
159
|
Iowa
|
|
1-point PATs attempted
|
155
|
Jacksonville
|
|
First Downs
|
427
|
San Jose
|
|
First Downs Allowed
|
391
|
Utah
|
|
Passing First Downs
|
328
|
Utah
|
|
Passing First Downs Allowed
|
297
|
Pittsburgh
|
|
Rushing First Downs
|
75
|
Dallas
|
|
Total Offensive Yards
|
5,799
|
San Jose
|
|
Total Offensive Yards Allowed
|
5,767
|
San Jose
|
|
Total Offensive Plays
|
882
|
Tulsa
|
|
Total Defensive Plays
|
885
|
Jacksonville
|
|
Passing Yards
|
5,418
|
San Jose
|
|
Passing Yards Allowed
|
5,406
|
Jacksonville
|
|
Pass Attempted
|
734
|
Utah
|
|
Pass Attempts Allowed
|
763
|
Jacksonville
|
|
Pass Completions
|
481
|
Utah
|
|
Pass Completions Allowed
|
445
|
Pittsburgh
|
|
Passing Touchdowns
|
142
|
Utah
|
|
Passing Touchdowns Allowed
|
119
|
San Jose
|
|
Interceptions Thrown
|
36
|
Iowa
|
|
Passes Intercepted
|
42
|
Chicago
|
|
Interception Return Yards
|
546
|
Chicago
|
|
Interceptions Returned for TDs
|
10
|
Milwaukee
|
|
Total Takeaways
|
54
|
Arizona
|
|
Total Giveaways
|
54
|
Iowa
|
|
Turnover Differential
|
+34
|
Arizona
|
|
Fumbles Lost
|
29
|
Pittsburgh
|
|
Rushing Attempts
|
213
|
Dallas
|
|
Rushing Attempts Allowed
|
174
|
Spokane
|
|
Rushing Yards
|
860
|
Tulsa
|
|
Rushing Yards Allowed
|
589
|
Spokane
|
|
Rushing Touchdowns Allowed
|
41
|
New Orleans
|
|
Fewest FGs attempted
|
3
|
Utah
|
|
Sacks By
|
40
|
Tampa Bay
|
|
Sacks Allowed
|
46
|
Iowa
|
|
Kickoff Returns
|
131
|
Iowa
|
|
Kickoff Return Yards
|
2,519
|
Utah
|
Andy Lopusnak is an 11-year AFL front office veteran, spending time with the Tampa Bay Storm, San Diego Riptide and Grand Rapids Rampage. He works as a statistician for NFL and college sports for CBS Sports and is a freelance photographer. Lopusnak received two Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of South Florida and has been a fan of ArenaBall since its inception.
