Congratulations to Future Hall of Fame Quarterback Peyton Manning on reaching an historic milestone. This past Sunday against the New York Giants, Peyton reached 60,000 career passing yards becoming only the third QB in NFL History to reach such an achievement. If 40k and 50k yards were not impressive enough, Peyton Manning has exceeded even those milestones. It was already impressive enough that Peyton joined John Elway in the 50,000+ passing yard club (Elway- 51,475-4th). It was even more impressive when he surpassed him. Currently, Manning sits at 3rd place in history in passing yards (60,256). The other two are Dan Marino (61,361-2nd All-Time), and Brett Favre (71,838-1st All-Time). As a Colt, Peyton Manning has re-written the Franchise Record Book, as he has destroyed the team's career passing record (54,828 yards). Since joining Denver, Peyton has continued his assault on the history books, while assaulting defenses along the way. In his first season as a Bronco, Manning threw for 4,659 yards, which is actually the second highest total of his ENTIRE Career! (4,700-2010) I just had to further emphasize that point, so that people could truly grasp how incredible and how effective he still is (considering his age, and his condition). This season, Manning looks to further capitalize on that renaissance season in his second season in Denver. In the season opener, Peyton murdered the Baltimore Ravens with 7 Touchdowns in a 49-27 massacre. (HUGE Fantasy Points for me) This past Sunday, he terminated his brother Eli's Giants in a 41-23 victory in the media-created "Manning Bowl". It was fantastic to see Peyton school little Eli. It was a great laugh. Peyton's statistical body of work has been remarkable. He has been the ultimate example of consistency and pure dominance. With the exception of his rookie season, 2005 and his 2011 injury season, Peyton has been a perennial 4,000 yard passer. Every season, Peyton has also averaged more than 200 yards per game. Throughout his career, Manning has made his receivers better (Ask Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, etc). Now in Denver, he has new addition Wes Welker (former Tom Brady option), along with Demariyus Thomas, Eric Decker, and Julius Thomas. No matter who the receivers are, Peyton has always found a way to spread the ball evenly to his targets to help them raise their game. Even when Marvin Harrison was the primary option, Peyton still found ways to make other players shine. When Marvin started to falter, there were always reserved weapons in Manning's arsenal. One of the signs of true greatness is knowing how to elevate the game of others around you. Another sign of greatness is when you can still be dangerous with other options that may not be as prominent as your first option. In his prime, Peyton perfected that formula, much like no other player before him or after him. Peyton is the ultimate general on the field, commanding his troops at the line of scrimmage. His approach is cerebral at its purest form, because of his brilliant football IQ. Manning knows how to read defenses like a magazine, whether he is approaching the line for the snap, or even when the play is in progress. He is the greatest that I have ever seen when it comes to improvising at the line of scrimmage with the audible. His timing and technique for his throws are extremely polished. His efficiency has always been high quality. Time for some fun. Now, let us take a look at how Peyton measures with the other members of the 60k club:
Peyton Manning:
Completions: 5,139
Attempts: 7,878
Completion Percentage: 65.2%
Passing Yards: 60,256
Touchdowns: 445
Interceptions: 209
QB Rating: 96.1
Pro Bowl Selections: 12
First Team All-Pro Selections: 6
MVP Awards: 4 (2003, 2004, 2008, 2009)
Super Bowl MVP Awards: 1
Dan Marino:
Completions: 4,967
Attempts: 8,358
Completion Percentage: 59.4%
Passing Yards: 61,361
Touchdowns: 420
Interceptions: 252
QB Rating: 86.4
Pro Bowl Selections: 9
First Team All-Pro Selections: 3
MVP Awards: 1 (1984)
Brett Favre:
Completions: 6,300
Attempts: 10,169
Completion Percentage: 62%
Passing Yards: 71,838
Touchdowns: 508
Interceptions: 336
QB Rating: 86.0
Pro Bowl Selections: 11
First Team All-Pro Selections: 3
MVP Awards: 3 (1995, 1996, 1997)
Essentially when you put the numbers in perspective, Peyton has been the most impressive, because of his efficiency as a passer (QB Rating-96.1), accuracy (65.2%), and awards as he has the most MVP's (4). Favre certainly has the far edge in total passing yards, and touchdowns because of longevity. As of now, Dan Marino has more passing yards. However, Peyton has more completions, fewer attempts, more touchdowns, fewer interceptions, higher QB Rating and more MVP's. The numbers speak for themselves. In 2004, when Peyton Manning broke Marino's 1984 TD Record (48), by throwing for 49, it was only a sign of the damage that he would do later on. As his career has unfolded to this point, Manning has proven to have the more iron clad legacy than Marino. At this rate, I would even say more iron clad than Favre as well. At the end of the season, Manning will surpass Dan Marino for second all-time. With his meteoric rise in the all-time passing ranks, Peyton Manning has proven that he is the most prolific passer of his generation.
