Namath sets AFL passing record

The Joe Namath legend grows,and the New York Jets grow with it. The colorful 24-year-old quarterback passed the Jets to a 54-7 demolition of the Miami Dolphins and propelled his team into sole possession of the American Football League’s Eastern Division lead. In front of a record crowd of 61,240 at Shea Stadium,Namath completed 24 of 32 passes,and his 470 yards passing eclipsed the league record of 464 yards held by George Blanda. He threw for five touchdowns,three to George Sauer who also enjoyed a record setting afternoon. Sauer caught 11 passes for another league record,296 yards,breaking the mark set by Charley Hennigan in 1961. After Namath broke the passing record in the fourth quarter,Mike Taliaferro entered the game and threw a touchdown pass to Don Maynard for the final score. Miami quarterback Bob Griese left the game after one quarter with a sprained shoulder. Rick Norton replaced Griese but was not able to provide any spark to the Dolphins who were already down 17 points with Griese’s departure. When asked about the records that fell,Namath replied,‘the only statistic that counts is whether you win or lose.’