So Close! Peyton Manning Nearly Breaks NFL’s Passing Yards Record Against Colts
On Sunday, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning nearly broke the NFL’s all-time passing yards record against the very same team he played both 14 magical seasons for and recorded 54,828 passing yards with in the Indianapolis Colts.
Manning almost surpassed Brett Favre, who’s currently the league’s all-time passing yards leader with 71,838 career passing yards. Instead, Manning ended up just 3 yards short at game’s end of becoming the NFL’s new passing yards king with 71,836 career passing yards.
For Colts fans, it would’ve been bittersweet to say the least, as Manning is unquestionably the greatest player in the team’s franchise history in Indianapolis. However, if he were to do it anywhere, rest assured everyone would’ve preferred it be in the place where he spent the majority of his illustrious career: Indianapolis.
Nov 8, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
On the evening, Manning showed no ill-effects of father time for most of the game, looking much like his old self as he threw for 2 passing touchdowns and 281 passing yards while making some great throws–even deep in the process.
The 39 year old is no doubt one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. He was a Super Bowl XLI Champion, 11x Pro Bowler, and 5x 1st-Team All-Pro in 14 seasons with the Colts.
Simply put, Lucas Oil is pretty much “The House that Manning Built”, even if he no longer regularly plays there.
Not only is he dangerously close to becoming the NFL’s all time passing leader in yards, but Manning’s already become the league’s all-time leading passer in touchdowns with 539 career touchdowns. He’s currently nearing Favre in all-time completions too with 6,115 completions compared to the latter’s still all-time leading 6,300 completions.
Needless to say, Manning is a lock as a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and he’ll eventually do it in “Horseshoe Blue” when it’s all said and done in Canton, Ohio.
That being said, it would’ve been great to see him break another record in Indianapolis for perhaps the last time in what’s been a career full of such feats.