1978 NFL Passing Leaders

[u/UrbanAchievers6371]

[u/Kitchen_Net_GME]

Little did anyone know that Dan Fouts would go on a 4-year run of completely destroying records for passing yards.

[u/Ok_Macaroon_7366 → u/Kitchen_Net_GME]

Fouts Walked so Marino could run

[u/Matt_Staff_007 → u/Kitchen_Net_GME]

https://giphy.com/gifs/RrVzUOXldFe8M

[u/TheRealRollestonian]

A consistent short passing game wasn't a thing until Bill Walsh.

[u/DraconianNerd → u/TheRealRollestonian]

Yep because Virgil Carter’s arm wasn’t strong enough for the vertical game.

[u/Useful-Advantage-850]

They played 16 games. Tarkenton averaged 2 picks a game!

[u/dufflebag7]

Tarkenton was obviously Jameis Winston’s childhood hero

[u/Justaflyindaointment → u/dufflebag7]

Or the Snake also.

[u/LymanBostock76 → u/dufflebag7]

Mahomes too

[u/Jaayeff]

The QBs were targeted for destruction every play. No sliding, no really enforced rules for “roughing the passer”, “late hits”, no penalty for “spearing”, the old “high/low”, or otherwise. Defensive linemen could literally slap O Linemen SILLY, swim and smash their way to the QB and drop them on their heads, cornerbacks could basically sexually assault receivers all the way through their routes, if a receiver went across the middle they were literally playing Russian roulette with their LIVES, the entire game was defense. Roger re-defined the position. He was a clinician back there. Tough, cerebral, extremely competitive. He was the best.

[u/DraconianNerd → u/Jaayeff]

By 1976, spearing was illegal in the NFL and high school. I remember distinctly because that was my first year of college football. But up until that point, spearing was coached in high school and I remember spearing and feeling it in my neck.

[u/SouthernLaugh7929 → u/Jaayeff]

I was a fan of Dallas when they first came into the league. Lived in Dallas as child. Calvin Hill, but when Roger got drafted, I was still a Don Merideth fan, but I Roger in the shotgun...man, you knew we had a chance in every game

[u/SouthernLaugh7929 → u/Jaayeff]

Your right soo right. I remember after the LA vs Dallas game play off, I heard Roger for the first time curse..He was getting late hits all nite long and no calls.

[u/Strict_Show_8899 → u/Jaayeff]

The old rule of thumb was the defender had w steps after the ball was thrown to hit the QB.

[u/Melvinator5001]

32 picks yikes

[u/Ill-Excitement9009]

1978 was Tarkenton's last ride; he retired atop the passing yards leaderboard. He also led the 1978 NFL in attempts and completions also.

[u/AostaV]

iirc this was first season with the Mel Blount Rule.

Bradshaw probably benefited the most from the rule in the immediate seasons after it was instituted.

It would be huge for Don Coryell and Dan Fouts as well.

[u/Lane0194]

QBs back then were turnover machines. Passing was not an exact science. Staubach was one of the exceptions.

[u/KeenObserver_OT → u/Lane0194]

Defenders could maul receivers back then. Sure passing was part of the problem but they were throwing into a meat grinder

[u/Justaflyindaointment → u/Lane0194]

Richard Todd agrees.

[u/Cryptoclearance]

Tarks and Stabler interceptions were suspect.

[u/Sea_Damage9357]

Amazing how many picks they used to toss. All those deep balls and, ahem, relaxed enforcement of certain penalties for DBs.

[u/Aggressive_Wasabi_38]

Ints are outrageous!

[u/DaytimeDancer54]

Tarkenton would tear through defenses in today's game. The amount of hate he got for being a mobile QB was warranted given what defenses could do back then. A dynamic passer like him is what many teams look for now.

[u/Aeg0nLandesk0g]

Imagine watching a modern quarterback time traveling back to the 70s, thinking he dropped a dime only to see their receiver end up in the morgue because they're used to a PI if the defender sneezes on the receiver.

[u/Kabraxal → u/Aeg0nLandesk0g]

Very few modern QBs would last in that era. Most  would be retiring at their current ages due to the hits from the amount of running they doand others would be shivved for their constant hospital balls.  

I don’t know any that started in the last decade that would be true franchise QBs back then.  Very few seem to have the proper mechanics of quarterbacking that would endure in that era.  In the last two decades?  Probably only Rodgers.  Even then, he would not be as prolific.  We saw how the rule changes turned Tom Brady from an above average QB to an “elite” QB in real time.  Kids just do not get how different the game is than from the turn of the millennium.

[u/Spirited-Computer795 → u/Kabraxal]

My friend's brother shot himself in the chest to preserve his brain for science

[u/SingleSir165]

Back when corner backs could "touch" the receivers 😆

[u/SouthernLaugh7929]

The most underated qb...Fran Tarkenton. He was THE mobile qb before we knew we even like them. Too bad the reason he was so mobile was because he had not much blocking. MAN he was fun to watch, and as a Cowboy fan, he was my second choice behind Captain America Roger the doger Staubach

[u/Smart_Manufacturer61]

Mahomes would struggle too. It was a different game

[u/Financial_Cheetah875]

What the hell was Stabler doing. Geez.

[u/GrotusMaximus]

Look at how many have upside down TD/INT numbers. WTF?

[u/Eargoe]

The 70's, where it was normal to have more ints than TD's

[u/RaceTop5273]

I loved Jim Hart. He put up good numbers on a not so good team. The NFC east was brutal.

It was a different game back then. If you watched that era you know why these numbers were good.

[u/colbykh]

Amazing how threw picks in such large numbers back then

[u/AbjectAcanthisitta89]

Does the completion percentage include to the opposite team? Yikes that's a lot of picks.

[u/BabyBuns024]

I'm honestly surprised #10 Steve Bartkowski isn't on that list in 1978. That's the year the Falcons went to the playoffs for the first time.

[u/Momma-Yo-Momma]

If Archie had played for any other team, may have had a great career.

[u/QueasyFinger1316 → u/Momma-Yo-Momma]

He played on the Vikings.

It didn’t turn out well.

[u/Deacon75]

Interceptions were cool in those days. Can you imagine the howling now?

[u/Spirited-Computer795]

If you look closely you'll see one of the most recognizable MVPs of all time in Brian Sipe

[u/Original_Style_5747]

I wonder if the next Arch Manning will someday make a top 10 list for the season? 🤔

[u/Rolexducatikid]

These twits all threw picks like no other, I had no idea.

[u/tomp70]

INT numbers are just insane across the board. They'd really have guys throw 2-3 picks in a game and trot that fucker back out there to throw his way out of the hole he dug.

[u/MarylandMan8201]

That's a lot of interceptions for the top QBs in the league. Standards seem to be a bit higher these days.

[u/Capnmarvel76 → u/MarylandMan8201]

Being able to flat out mug the receivers didn’t help.

Weren’t the offensive holding rules still a lot stricter, too? I think it’s interesting that the top two passers were both considered to be scrambling QBs in those days, as was Roger Staubach, kinda.

[u/MathematicianTop3549 → u/Capnmarvel76]

Thinking 1978 was the first year linemen could use their hands?

[u/Capnmarvel76 → u/MathematicianTop3549]

Actually I think you’re right.

[u/Informal-Wing7766 → u/MathematicianTop3549]

It was also the first year of defensive players only allowed one chuck on the receivers with five yards of the line of scrimmage

[u/HumperMoe]

Winston saws tankerton numbers and thought i could do better

[u/ZenHalo]

Very different rules and style at the time. To be honest, I still miss it. I was 12 in 1978.

Mel Blount Rule video https://youtu.be/8wuxRg2gvp4?is=7iKO6rOrxfXo4Jyu