Which NFL Records Will Fall First in the New Eighteen Game Season?

The probable expansion of the NFL regular season next year from 16 games to 18 could change the game in a number of ways, but one of the most immediate and noticeable will be the vulnerability of current stats records set in the 16 game era.  Yahoo! recently evaluated which records are likely to fall first, which will last longest, and what the old heroes think about all of it.

The last time such a shift happened was three decades ago, in 1978, when the regular season grew from 14 to 16 games.  Some of the most impressive records, like Joe Namath’s 4,007 passing yards, were among the first to fall, within just a few seasons.  But the greats don’t seem to be bitter:  

“To me, [the records are] much ado about nothing,” said Hall of Fame running back John Riggins, who set the single-season rushing touchdown mark at 24 in 1983, then watched as that number was surpassed by four players since 1995. “Records in professional sports, particularly in football: The more complicated the sport becomes, the more complicated the actual achievement becomes.”

The most vulnerable, according to Yahoo! are:

Single-season passing yardage:

Drew Brees nearly broke Marino’s mark of 5,084 last season, but fell 15 yards short. Like the mark of 4,007 which Namath set in a 14-game season, this one likely will be toppled quickly with an expanded slate.

Single-season receiving yardage:

While Rice’s standard of 1,848 has stood since, it shouldn’t go much longer as teams trend toward more potent passing schemes. Since 2000, eight performances have gotten within 300 yards of Rice’s record.  

Single-season rushing touchdowns:

This record, now held at 28 by LaDainian Tomlinson, has been tied or broken four times in the past 14 seasons. So it trends toward weakness in this era of the NFL. 

Harder to break will be single-season touchdown passes, catches, sacks, and interceptions.  Much harder to break will be single-season rushing yardage and receptions.

Read the rest at Yahoo! Sports.