Peyton Manning now stands alone as the NFL's all-time touchdown king.
The
Denver Broncos' 38-year-old quarterback threw touchdown No. 509 of his
career Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers to break Brett
Favre's career record.
The record-breaker went to receiver
Demaryius Thomas, at 7:42 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, with three
minutes and nine seconds remaining in the second quarter, to give the
Broncos a 21-3 lead in a game Denver would go on to win 42-17.
Thomas, Wes Welker, Emmanuel Sanders and tight end Julius Thomas — Manning's stellar stable of pass catchers — played a pre-planned game of keep-away
with the record-setting ball before finally letting Manning get his
hands on that ball one more time before it heads to the Pro Football
Hall of Fame.Manning and his receivers admitted to practicing the game
of keep-away during practice late last week. Indeed, the foursome joked
about such a scenario during the stretching period of Friday's practice
that was open to the media.
"I can't believe they actually did it," Manning said.
Told a few minutes later of Manning's analysis of what at first
appeared to be a prank on the NFL's ultimate prankster, Demaryius Thomas
called Manning out.
"He actually planned it himself," Thomas said.
Back
on the sideline, Manning was then mobbed, wrapped into a bear hug by
Broncos head coach John Fox as Sports Authority Field at Mile High
public address announcer Alan Roach alerted the crowd to the milestone.
"Broncos
fans, you have just witnessed history," Roach said, introducing a
pre-taped video tribute that featured messages from Favre, Broncos
general manager John Elway and several Broncos teammates.
But the fans at Sports Authority Field at Mile High didn't need the reminder.
As
the Broncos marched toward the south end zone, flash bulbs from cell
phone cameras popped at every snap. They recorded an incomplete pass to
Julius Thomas in the end zone, and a sack, before the milestone pass to
Demaryius Thomas.
"I've always been a fan of quarterbacks, and I'm very honored and humbled to join a unique club," Manning said.
Manning
entered Sunday night's game needing two touchdowns to tie Favre, and
three to break the record. Touchdown No. 507 went to Sanders on the
Broncos' opening drive of the first quarter, and Manning tied the record
with his 39-yard pass to Welker later in the first quarter. The
celebration for the record-tying score was delayed as officials reviewed
whether Welker had indeed touched the ball to the pylon.
Demaryius
Thomas also caught Manning career touchdown No. 510 early in the third
quarter on a 40-yard bomb one play after Denver cornerback Aqib Talib
intercepted San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick. That touchdown
was the 30th between Manning and Thomas, the most of any Bronco, and the
fifth-most of any of Manning's teammates.
Manning's longtime Indianapolis Colts teammate Marvin Harrison caught
112 of Manning's touchdowns, followed by Reggie Wayne, with 67.
But so many of those touchdowns with the Colts feel like distant history now, part of the first chapter of Manning's career.
That
Manning has reached Favre's record so quickly, in his 246th game — 56
fewer games than it took Favre — is a testament to the career
rejuvenation he experienced in Denver.
"Certainly I didn't even think this could be a possibility a few years ago," Manning said.
When
he was cut by the Indianapolis Colts in March 2012, after four
surgeries on his neck, including a spinal fusion surgery that forced him
to miss the entire NFL season, it was fair to wonder if his Hall of
Fame career would end with 399 touchdowns.
But since arriving in Denver, where he signed a five-year contract
that runs through 2016, Manning has somehow been a better version of
himself as he adjusted to his new body. He threw 37 touchdowns his first
season with the Broncos, while spending more time in the training room
and with his doctors than in the weight room as he worked to regain
strength in his right triceps and waited for his nerve damage to
improve.
That didn't fully happen until last year, and Manning
tied an NFL record with seven touchdowns in the season opener against
Baltimore. By the time the season was over, Manning owned the
single-season touchdown record (55), the single-season passing yardage
record (5,477) and had earned his fifth MVP award.
"There were
definitely those moments in the rehab process, but he just worked so
hard to get better, so that's another part that made it so special,"
tight end Jacob Tamme, a teammate of Manning in Indianapolis and Denver,
told USA TODAY Sporte. "I mean, it really is incredible."
While
in New Jersey in the week before the Super Bowl, Manning summarily
dismissed nearly a week's worth of questions about if he would retire if
the Broncos were to win. They didn't, and of course, he didn't — and
Manning, now 38 years old, seems intent on playing out his contract with
the Broncos, provided he doesn't hit a physical or mental wall before
his 40th birthday.
If Manning continues throwing touchdowns at the pace he set when he
arrived in Denver, with 2.9 touchdowns per game, Manning will pass 600
touchdowns in 2016, and conceivably throw for more than 630 touchdowns.
When
Manning threw touchdown No. 500 two weeks ago, he said he expected
several other of the league's current top quarterbacks to reach that
mark as well. But to throw more than 600? It's hard to imagine the likes
of Tom Brady and Drew Brees getting there. Brady, only one year younger
than Manning, has 372 touchdowns. Brees, 35, has 374.
The most
intriguing young quarterback who could perhaps one day chase Manning's
record is the one who is following him in Indianapolis — the Colts'
third-year quarterback Andrew Luck. Luck has 65 touchdowns in his first
39 games; Manning had 64.
For now, and for the indefinite future, the record is Manning's alone.
By
the third quarter of the Broncos' Sunday night blowout of the Niners,
Manning's record-breaking touchdown ball was in possession of Joe
Horrigan, the vice president of communications and exhibits at the Pro
Football Hall of Fame.
Horrigan placed the ball — which was marked
with a silver "B" by a member of the Broncos' equipment staff — into a
blue canvas bag. Horrigan will carry it through Denver International
Airport on Monday morning (he wouldn't dare risk it getting lost in
checked luggage, Horrigan told USA TODAY Sports) and it will be on
display in Canton by Monday afternoon.
It will join a host of
other career mementos from Manning dating back to his rookie season,
through his single-season record-breaking ball from 2013 and a Broncos
uniform from last season when he earned his fifth MVP award.
Thanks for read 'Humbled' Peyton Manning breaks NFL career TD passes record in blog Every Second For News Share this article and bookmark with Ctrl + D in your keyboard.