Airing it out

History Published on : 11/21/2012
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger led his team to a dominant 51-34 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Oct. 27, 2014. He did so in records-setting fashion. Roethlisberger threw for a franchise record 522 yards and six touchdowns. Roethlisberger connected with nine different teammates, including Antonio Brown who had 10 catches for 133 yards and Heath Miller who had seven catches for 112 yards.

Here is a look at the quarterbacks who own the single-game passing records for each of the 32 NFL teams. Nine of the team marks have been set in the past four seasons while only three team records were set prior to the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.


Chicago's Johnny Lujack set the then NFL record by throwing for 468 yards on Dec. 11, 1949. He had 6 TD passes to help the Bears to a 52-21 victory over the crosstown rival Cardinals in the season finale. Lujack's mark remains a Bears record and has lasted the longest of any of the team highs. Joe Namath needed just 15 completions to rack up a New York Jets record 496 yards in a shootout against Johnny Unitas and the Baltimore Colts on Sept. 24, 1972. The two Hall of Fame passers combined for a then-record 872 yards that day. Namath threw 6 TDs including four bombs (65, 67, 79, and 80- yard strikes).

Boomer Esiason is the only quarterback to own the single-game passing record for two teams.

EAST Player / Opponent Date Att Comp Yds TD INT
Buffalo Bills Drew Bledsoe vs. Minnesota Vikings Sept. 15, 2002 49 35 463 3 0
Miami Dolphins Dan Marino vs. New York Jets Oct. 23, 1988 60 35 521 3 5
New England Patriots Tom Brady at Miami Dolphins Sept. 12, 2011 48 32 517 4 1
New York Jets Joe Namath at Baltimore Colts Sept. 24, 1972 28 15 496 6 1
               
NORTH Player / Opponent Date Att Comp Yds TD INT
Baltimore Ravens Vinny Testaverde vs. St. Louis Rams Oct. 27, 1996 51 31 429 3 2
Cincinnati Bengals Boomer Esiason at Los Angeles Rams Oct. 7, 1990 45 31 490 3 0
Cleveland Browns Brian Sipe vs. Baltimore Colts Oct. 25, 1981 41 30 444 4 2
Pittsburgh Steelers Ben Roethlisberger vs. Indianpolis Colts Oct. 26, 2014 49 40 522 6 0
               
SOUTH Player / Opponent Date Att Comp Yds TD INT
Houston Texans Matt Schaub vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Nov. 18, 2012 55 43 527 5 2
Indianapolis Colts Peyton Manning at Kansas City Chiefs Oct. 31, 2004 44 25 472 5 1
Jacksonville Jaguars Mark Brunell at New England Patriots Sept. 22, 1996 39 23 432 3 1
Tennessee Titans Warren Moon at Kansas City Chiefs Dec. 16, 1990 45 27 527 3 0
               
WEST Player / Opponent Date Att Comp Yds TD INT
Denver Broncos Jake Plummer vs. Atlanta Falcons Oct. 31, 2004 55 31 499 4 3
Kansas City Chiefs Elvis Grbac at Oakland Raiders Nov. 5, 2000 53 39 504 2 2
Oakland Raiders Cotton Davidson vs. Denver Broncos Oct. 25, 1964 36 23 427 5 1
San Diego Chargers Philip Rivers at Seattle Seahawks Sept. 26, 2010 53 29 455 2 2
 
EAST Player / Opponent Date Att Comp Yds TD INT
Dallas Cowboys Tony Romo vs. Denver Broncos Oct. 6, 2013 25 36 506 5 1
New York Giants Phil Simms vs. Cincinnati Bengals Oct. 13, 1985 62 40 513 1 2
Philadelphia Eagles Donovan McNabb vs. Green Bay Packers Dec. 5, 2004 43 32 464 5 0
Washington Redskins Brad Johnson vs. San Francisco 49ers Dec. 26, 1999 47 32 471 2 1
               
NORTH Player / Opponent Date Att Comp Yds TD INT
Chicago Bears Johnny Lujack vs. Chicago Cardinals Dec. 11, 1949 39 24 468 6 3
Detroit Lions Matthew Stafford at Green Bay Packers Jan. 1, 2012 59 36 520 5 2
Green Bay Packers Matt Flynn vs. Detroit Lions Jan. 1, 2012 44 31 480 6 1
  Aaron Rodgers vs. Washington Redskins Sept. 15, 2013 42 34 480 4 0
Minnesota Vikings Tommy Kramer at Washington Redskins Nov. 2, 1986 35 20 490 4 1
               
SOUTH Player / Opponent Date Att Comp Yds TD INT
Atlanta Falcons Matt Ryan vs. New Orleans Saints Sept. 8, 2014 43 31 448 3 0
Carolina Panthers Cam Newton vs. Green Bay Packers Sept. 18, 2011 46 28 432 1 3
New Orleans Saints Drew Brees vs. Cincinnati Bengals Nov. 19, 2006 52 37 510 2 3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Doug Williams at Minnesota Vikings Nov. 16, 1980 55 30 486 4 2
               
WEST Player / Opponent Date Att Comp Yds TD INT
Arizona Cardinals Boomer Esiason at Washington Redskins Nov. 10, 1996 59 35 522 3 4
San Francisco 49ers Joe Montana at Atlanta Falcons Oct. 14, 1990 49 32 476 6 2
Seattle Seahawks Matt Hasselbeck at San Diego Chargers Dec. 29, 2002 53 36 449 2 2
St. Louis Rams Norm Van Brocklin vs. New York Yanks Sept. 28, 1951 41 27 554 5 2