01-31-2019, 03:09 PM
(01-31-2019, 02:35 PM)BengalChris Wrote: I do object to people elevating him above Anderson or Boomer as today's era has made offense and the passing game so much easier. Most of Anderson's passing yards came in an era when receivers could be mugged all the way down the field. Comparing yards from today to yards of yesteryear is like comparing people's pay today with the number of dollars they made 40 years ago. The basis is way off, the yards are inflated.
Kind of OT, but something a lot of people don't realize.
Most people think that passing numbers have been going up constantly since the start of the league, but that is not true. The absolute low point for passing was in the early 70's when Anderson entered the league. Both passing yards per game and passer rating were considerably higher in the early 60's than in the early 70's.
1971 was Anderson's rookie season. That year NFL teams averaged 155 passing yards per game, 15 tds per year, and a rating of 62.2. Ten years earlier in 1961 NFL teams averaged 181 passing yards per game, 20 tds per season and a rating of 68.5.
