Best Quarterback Performances Past & Present

Norm Van Brocklin

1951 Opening Day: The Dutchman Goes Wild!

Los Angeles Rams Hall of Fame quarterback Norm "The Dutchman" Van Brocklin entered the 1951 season entrenched in a duel for the starting position with veteran Bob Waterfield.

A Waterfield injury sidelined the incumbent quarterback prior to the season opener against the New York Yanks on September 28, and opened the door for Van Brocklin to show his worth.

Norm Van Brocklin took advantage of the opportunity to produce the most prolific passing performance in NFL history.

Van Brocklin threw for an NFL record 554 yards in a 54-14 rout of the Yanks at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback tossed five touchdowns and completed 27 of 41 passes.

The mark still stands as the greatest single passing effort in National Football League history.

"It's the finest exhibition of passing I've ever seen," said Rams Coach Jimmy Phelan after the game. "Van Brocklin was hitting them in the eye practically every time he threw the ball." Van Brocklin, who passed away at the age of 57 in 1983, remained subdued about the performance. "Everything I threw seemed to be caught and run for a long gain," he said.

The Rams' Tom Fears averaged 23.1 yards on his seven catches and Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch averaged 19.2 on nine receptions. Los Angeles amassed an NFL record 735 total yards and 34 first downs.

"They don't need me out here anymore," said Waterfield after the game. The two quarterbacks would split time for the rest of the season as the Rams captured the 1951 NFL Championship.

Van Brocklin's record has stood for over 60 years.

Quarterbacks Matt Schaub and Warren Moon have come the closest to breaking Van Brocklin's mark.

In 2012, Schaub, then with the Houston Texans, passed for 527 yards against Jacksonville on November 18, while Moon had a 527-yard day for the Houston Oilers against Kansas City on December 16, 1990.

NFL QB's Who've Thrown for 500 Yards in a Single Game

Best Game Performances: Most Yards Passing by Level

Level	Quarterback	Date	Performance
Source: NFL
High School	Will Grier, Davidson Day, NC	Nov 9, 2012	837 yards vs. Harrells Christian, NC
High School	David Koral, Pacific Palisades, CA	Sep 22, 2000	764 yards vs. Grant, CA
NCAA Div III	Sam Durley, Eureka	Sep 1, 2012	736 yards vs. Knox
NCAA Div III	Zamir Amin, Menlo	Oct 7, 2000	723 yards vs. Cal Lutheran
NCAA Div II	J.J. Harp, Eastern New Mexico	Sep 12, 2009	695 yards vs. Southeastern OK
NCAA Div II	Andrew Webb, Fort Lewis	Nov 16, 2002	660 yards vs. Mesa St.
NCAA Div I-AA (FCS)	Taylor Heinicke, Old Dominion	Sep 22, 2012	730 yards vs. New Hampshire
NCAA Div I-AA (FCS)	Robert Kent, Jackson St.	Oct 6, 2001	668 yards vs. Alabama St.
NCAA Division I-A (FBS)	Connor Halliday, Washington St.	Oct. 4, 2014	734 yards vs. California
NCAA Division I-A (FBS)	Patrick Mahomes, Texas Tech	Oct. 22, 2016	734 yards vs. Oklahoma
NCAA Div I-A (FBS)	David Klingler, Houston	Dec 2, 1990	716 yards vs. Arizona St.
Arena Football	Clint Dolezel, Houston	May 14, 1999	479 yards vs. Milwaukee
CFL	Matt Dunigan, Winnipeg	Jul 14, 1994	713 yards vs. Edmonton
NFL	Norm Van Brocklin, LA Rams	Sep 28, 1951	554 yards vs. NY Yanks

Best Passing Performances on Opening Day

QB	Game	Date	Yards	Attempts	Complete	TD	INT
Source: NFL
Norm Van Brocklin	L.A. Rams vs. N.Y. Yanks	9/28/51	554	41	27	5	2
Dan Marino	Miami vs. New England	9/4/94	473	42	23	5	1
Kurt Warner	St. Louis vs. Denver	9/4/00	441	35	25	3	3
Drew Bledsoe	New England vs. Miami	9/4/94	421	51	32	4	2
Glen Foley	N.Y. Jets vs. San Francisco	9/6/98	415	30	58	3	1
Pete Beathard	Houston vs. Kansas City	9/9/68	413	48	23	2	3
Phil Simms	N.Y. Giants vs. Philadelphia	9/2/84	409	30	23	4	0
Johnny Unitas	Baltimore vs. Atlanta	9/17/67	401	32	22	2	1

NFL Football Records: "Best Quarterback Performances Past & Present"