If you were to name the best quarterbacks in the game this season, then names like Drew Brees, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers would come to your mind. But who would think that one of them could go ahead of one of the greatest of all time, Dan Marino. Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints, is on pace to break Dan Marino’s single-season passing record of 5,084 yards.
This is not new to Brees, as in 2008, he fell only 15-yards short of the record with an incomplete pass to wide out Lance Moore in the last game of the season. But this season, both Brees and Sean Payton are on track to beat it. Marino’s record, set in 1984, is one of the oldest meaningful passing records in the game, and only Marino and Brees have ever broken the 5,000 yard mark.
Brees is leading the NFL in passing with 3,326 yards and is not slowing down at this point in the season. Only Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are behind him with Brady throwing for 3,032 yards and Rodgers for 2,869 yards. Brees is on pace for well over 5,000 yards, with an average of 332.6 yards per game.
The remainder of the Saints schedule is only going to help Brees on his way to the record books. Only one out of the last six teams is above average at stopping the pass this season – the Detroit Lions. The Giants, Titans, Vikings, Falcons, and Panthers are all sub-par pass defense teams that will allow Brees to put the ball down field fairly easily. Also, with the addition of running back/slot-receiver Darren Sproles, Brees has the opportunity to get the ball to him in open space and let Sproles make plays and create yards for the Saints offense.
Brees also doesn’t only want this record for himself, he wants it for the whole team. He believes that ever player on his team put effort towards him being able to break this record. Brees says that the defense, linemen, special teams, receivers, and running backs are all important factors to letting him reach that record, and that every player on the team deserves to share it with him.
There are six more weeks of football left this season. Not only is there a NFC playoff race between the Saints, Packers, and 49ers, but also a race for records to be broken. Brees has a 104.4 quarterback rating in the month of November, and if he can bring this momentum into December, then I believe that there will be a new single season passing record holder in the history books.
His next test on the road to the record will be against the New York Giants on Monday, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
