Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

QB Trivia: 1st two QBs to have two 400-yard passing games

Came across this tidbit in a book. The answer surprised me. Of course, if the book was correct.

Something inside me says Tittle and Waterfield/Van Brocklin. But, thinking about gunslingers and 400 yd games I'd guess that Sonny Jurgenson is one and maybe Namath the other?

I have a hunch its gonna be something weird like Johnny Lujack and Adrian Burk.

I wonder if it could be George Blanda and Sonny Jurgensen.

SixtiesFan wrote:I wonder if it could be George Blanda and Sonny Jurgensen.

I'll go with this answer.

vikingsfan1963 wrote:Something inside me says Tittle and Waterfield/Van Brocklin. But, thinking about gunslingers and 400 yd games I'd guess that Sonny Jurgenson is one and maybe Namath the other?

I thought that same thing. I figured Van Brocklin and Tittle already had 500-yard games that I remembered, and I assumed at some point in their careers they had an additional 400-yard game...but no. I was surprised that Tittle didn't have any 400-yard games with the Giants. I looked at Unitas, and he rarely had 'big' games in his career. Very consistent, but no multiple 400-yard games. Jurgensen is the first to have two 400-yard games, and he had a lot of big games in the 1960s which was unprecedented for the time. I think Jurgensen's career is overlooked because he played on bad teams, but he was the first QB in NFL history to regularly throw for 300 yards in a game.

SixtiesFan wrote:I wonder if it could be George Blanda and Sonny Jurgensen.

I checked with Blanda, and he did have two 400-yard games in 1961, so Blanda and Jurgensen "technically" would have been the first two, but the book I have said different. I assume it was dismissing the AFL guys and was strictly referencing the NFL so to speak....so, if we can allow for it...Sonny Jurgensen is the first and who is the second NFL-only QB?

It looks like the answer is Sonny Jurgensen and Don Meredith.

SixtiesFan wrote:It looks like the answer is Sonny Jurgensen and Don Meredith.

Yes! I found that to be completely odd. I would have named 100 other QBs before getting to Meredith.

Bryan wrote:

SixtiesFan wrote:It looks like the answer is Sonny Jurgensen and Don Meredith.

Yes! I found that to be completely odd. I would have named 100 other QBs before getting to Meredith.

Note the two 1966 Cowboy-Redskin games. In the first, the Cowboys won 31-30 at Washington. Meredith had 406 yards passing and Jurgensen 347. In the second a month later, the Redskins won 34-31. Jurgensen had 308 yards passing and Meredith 47. Both Morton and Jerry Rhome relieved him in this game.

I recall seeing the second game on TV and Sonny Jurgensen's passing artistry. I don't remember if Meredith was injured.