NFL this week

The only thing that really impressed me this week, besides the fact that the Jets and Giants keep winning, was the performance of Joe Burrow.

34 for 42 for 481 yards. Three TDs, no picks.

Burrow passed for 525 yards in a December game last year. Will he be the guy who finally breaks the long-standing record? Norm Van Brocklin passed for 554 yards in a 1951 game, and that record has held for 71 years. To place that in perspective, Ruth’s 60 homer mark held the record for a mere 34 years before Maris topped it. Maris’s AL record held for 61 years until Judge broke it this year. (Easy to remember. He hit 61 in ’61 and it lasted 61 years.)

Even Wilt’s legendary century game has only been the NBA record for 60 years, although that one may last forever, so the longevity of Van Brocklin’s record is impressive. It’s also a bit surprising, since 554 doesn’t seem insurmountable like Wilt’s 100. Quite a few men have climbed over 500, but nobody has ever been able to reach the summit.