Blaze Stat Guy Goes Inside 300 Yard Passing Games
April 14, 2011 - Arena Football League (AFL)
Utah Blaze News Release
With over 300 yards passing in each of the first four games this season, Utah Blaze quarterback Tommy Grady is entering rare territory as a Blaze quarterback. Entering the season, Blaze quarterbacks had thrown for 300 yards in a game 30 times in 64 all-time games.
The team record for consecutive 300-yard games was set by Joe Germaine during the 2007 season at five straight. Germaine started the streak with 316 yards against the Las Vegas Gladiators. That was followed by a 304 yards performance against the Austin Wranglers and then 371 yards versus the Los Angeles Avengers. Those were followed with 433 yards against the Arizona Rattlers and 357 yards against the San Jose SaberCats. The current Grady streak is the second longest such streak in team history. It is also just the third time that a Blaze quarterback has done it in more than two games. Prior to his five-game stretch, Germaine had a three-game run in 2007.
In comparing the streaks of Germaine and Grady the numbers are quite staggering. Germaine averaged 356 yards and eight touchdowns during his five-game run in 2007. Grady is currently averaging 322 yards and seven scores in the first four games of this season. The remarkable thing about the Germaine streak is that he only threw one interception during those five games. That was a span of 205 pass attempts and only one miscue. Grady has thrown four picks in 182 attempts.
There have been seven occasions in which a Blaze signal caller has thrown for 300 yards in two consecutive games. Prior to this season, the last time it happened was a Germaine streak in 2008. Germaine had two such streaks in '08 and five two-game streaks in his Blaze career. Andy Kelly posted a two-game run during his five starts in 2006. Jason Gesser also had a two-game run in 2006.
With four 300-yard games already in 2011, Grady has moved into second in team history in career 300-yards games in a Blaze uniform. Germaine threw for 300 yards or more in 23 games while playing for the Blaze. Grady is second on the list with four after playing just four games for Utah. Kelly posted three 300-yard games with Gesser and Brett Elliott posting two games with 300 yards.
There have only been 23 games in which a quarterback has thrown for 300 yards in the AFL this season. Grady's four leads the AFL and he is one of seven quarterbacks to have multiple games with 300 yards. JJ Raternik (Kansas City), Nick Hill (Orlando) and Kyle Rowley (Spokane) are the only others to have three games of 300-plus passing yards. They have all posted a three-game streak of 300 yards with Hill's streak being the only one that is currently active. Brad Banks of Iowa has thrown for 300 yards in each of his last two games to join Grady and Hill as the only AFL quarterbacks with a current streak of more than one game.
Grady is no stranger to 300 yards games in the AFL. While playing for the Oklahoma City YardDawgz in 2010, Grady posted six games with 300 yards. He threw for 430 yards in a game against the Bossier-Shreveport Battle Wings last season. That was the most for a single game in the AFL last season and Grady's career high.
This four-game streak is something new for Grady. In 16 games last season, Grady only once threw for 300 yards in consecutive contests. He went for 33 yards in a Week 10 games with Arizona and then threw for 339 yards the next week against Dallas.
With the league expanding to an 18-game schedule this season, Grady is on pace to blow by the team record of 5,005 yards in a season. However, at his current pace Grady would have 5,149 yards through 16 games. That number would surpass the AFL record of 5,146 set by Chris Greisen last season with the Milwaukee Iron.
To look even further, Grady is currently on pace for 5,792 yards this season. He currently leads the AFL is passing yards per game at 321.8. He ranks second in passing efficiency with a rating of 125.2. Grady leads all AFL quarterbacks that have appeared in four games in attempts, completions and touchdowns. His numbers is all of those categories would set new single season Blaze records and challenge for the AFL record.
Grady is completing 61.5% of his passes with just four interceptions in 182 pass attempts. His 27/4 touchdown-to-interception ratio is currently third on the AFL behind Elliott (23/2) from the Georgia Force and Mark Grieb (28/4) of the San Jose SaberCats.
For more from the world of Blaze stats follow the Blaze Stat Guy on Twitter @blazestatguy.
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