Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

In this pass-happy era where everyone puts the ball in the air 30+ times a game I was wondering what the record is for fewest pass attempts in a game since the merger in 1970. Denver's Tim Tebow had only 8 attempts on 11/13/11 against KC, and NY Jets 3rd string QB Bill Demory had only 7 throws in a windy game at Foxboro against the Pats on 10/14/73. Interestingly enough those teams won both of their games! Anyone recall a game with fewer pass attempts?

Wonder if it's 2006 Chris Weinke, starting for Carolina...went 4/7 for 31 yards and a TD. Carolina beat Atlanta 10-3

In the Bills-Jets game in Buffalo 9-29-74, Joe Ferguson was 0-2 passing in a strong wind. Joe Namath was 2-18-33. 3 interceptions. The Bills won 16-12. O.J. had 31 carries, 117 yards, Jim Braxton 17-84 and a TD. Ferguson had a QB sneak of one yard for the Bills other TD.

I saw this game on TV. The wind made passing effectively almost impossible.

SixtiesFan wrote:In the Bills-Jets game in Buffalo 9-29-74, Joe Ferguson was 0-2 passing in a strong wind. Joe Namath was 2-18-33. 3 interceptions. The Bills won 16-12. O.J. had 31 carries, 117 yards, Jim Braxton 17-84 and a TD. Ferguson had a QB sneak of one yard for the Bills other TD.

I saw this game on TV. The wind made passing effectively almost impossible.

I saw this game on television as well (aired on KING TV in the Seattle market). As it turned out, had the Jets won they would have made the AFC playoffs at seasons end - not the Bills.

Retro Rider wrote:

SixtiesFan wrote:In the Bills-Jets game in Buffalo 9-29-74, Joe Ferguson was 0-2 passing in a strong wind. Joe Namath was 2-18-33. 3 interceptions. The Bills won 16-12. O.J. had 31 carries, 117 yards, Jim Braxton 17-84 and a TD. Ferguson had a QB sneak of one yard for the Bills other TD.

I saw this game on TV. The wind made passing effectively almost impossible.

I saw this game on television as well (aired on KING TV in the Seattle market). As it turned out, had the Jets won this game they would have made the AFC playoffs at seasons end - not the Bills.

This was during 74's Namaths last hurrah. From 1-7 to 7-7

sheajets wrote:

Retro Rider wrote:

SixtiesFan wrote:In the Bills-Jets game in Buffalo 9-29-74, Joe Ferguson was 0-2 passing in a strong wind. Joe Namath was 2-18-33. 3 interceptions. The Bills won 16-12. O.J. had 31 carries, 117 yards, Jim Braxton 17-84 and a TD. Ferguson had a QB sneak of one yard for the Bills other TD.

I saw this game on TV. The wind made passing effectively almost impossible.

I saw this game on television as well (aired on KING TV in the Seattle market). As it turned out, had the Jets won this game they would have made the AFC playoffs at seasons end - not the Bills.

This was during 74's Namaths last hurrah. From 1-7 to 7-7

Indeed it was. I remember seeing 5 Jets games on tv that season (Bills twice, Dolphins twice and Rams). Too bad Namath didn't retire after the '74 season (as was rumored). Without the '75-'77 seasons his critics wouldn't have nearly as much to complain about.

I immediately thought of the '71-'73 Dolphins when I saw this thread. Some early '70's Bob Griese passing numbers:

1971 AFC Championship vs. Baltimore
4 / 8 for158 yards (1TD & 1 INT)
Dolphins win 21-0

1973 AFC Championship vs. Oakland
3/6 for 34 yards (1 INT)
Dolphins win 27-10

Super Bowl 8 vs. Minnesota
6/7 for 73 yards
Dolphins win 24-7

I don't know about post-merger, but the last team to throw 0 passes in a game was Cleveland in a game on Dec. 3, 1950 against Philadelphia.

If memory serves, after the Browns beat the Eagles to open the 1950 season, Philadelphia's coach whined that all Cleveland did was throw the ball, that they weren't a "real" offense, and Paul Brown decided to stick it to him by not throwing a pass the next time. I think that's correct, seems like I remember that.

Anyway, Cleveland ran 41 times for just 68 yards, managed one first down and STILL won, 13-7, on an interception return and two field goals on a rainy day. (That same day, Tom Fears caught 18 balls for the Rams to set what was - and remained for 50 years - the record for catches in a game.)

Throwin_Samoan wrote:I don't know about post-merger, but the last team to throw 0 passes in a game was Cleveland in a game on Dec. 3, 1950 against Philadelphia.

If memory serves, after the Browns beat the Eagles to open the 1950 season, Philadelphia's coach whined that all Cleveland did was throw the ball, that they weren't a "real" offense, and Paul Brown decided to stick it to him by not throwing a pass the next time. I think that's correct, seems like I remember that.

Anyway, Cleveland ran 41 times for just 68 yards, managed one first down and STILL won, 13-7, on an interception return and two field goals on a rainy day. (That same day, Tom Fears caught 18 balls for the Rams to set what was - and remained for 50 years - the record for catches in a game.)

My understanding is the Browns did throw a pass during this, their first NFL game.
But that the play was negated due to penalty and so the official record shows no attempts.

There is a CC article from 2016:

Passing Thoughts: Clarifying History and the Philosophy of the Forward Pass by Bert Gambini. Five games in NFL history have been played without one team attempting a pass — or is it four? The author looks at all the matchups on this very short list and uncovers evidence that one of the games (Detroit Lions vs. Cleveland Rams, September 10, 1937) may not belong on the list at all.

Throwin_Samoan wrote:I don't know about post-merger, but the last team to throw 0 passes in a game was Cleveland in a game on Dec. 3, 1950 against Philadelphia.

If memory serves, after the Browns beat the Eagles to open the 1950 season, Philadelphia's coach whined that all Cleveland did was throw the ball, that they weren't a "real" offense, and Paul Brown decided to stick it to him by not throwing a pass the next time. I think that's correct, seems like I remember that.

Anyway, Cleveland ran 41 times for just 68 yards, managed one first down and STILL won, 13-7, on an interception return and two field goals on a rainy day. (That same day, Tom Fears caught 18 balls for the Rams to set what was - and remained for 50 years - the record for catches in a game.)

Pro Football Chronicle has a great section about this game, as one of the myths in football history. Brown wasn't trying to stick it to Neale; the game was too important to Cleveland's title hopes. The weather was horrible, an early interception gave the Browns a touchdown, and they sat on the lead. They even punted several times on 3rd down. Once the tempo of the game had been established, Brown may have decided to make a point and not throw a single pass, but that definitely wasn't the game plan (seeing as how they did throw a pass, only to have it nullified by a penalty.)