As the season draws to a rapid closing I am beginning to wonder who will break Marino’s passing record of 5,084 yards. This year certainly has been the year of the quarterback and so far there are three guys that have a chance to break it.
The first is Tom Brady. He’s currently at 3,916 yards and has to go against Washington, Denver, Miami, and Buffalo. All of those teams give up a combined average of 234 yards per game. Tom Brady’s average per game is 326 yards.
That’s not very shocking when he has Gronkowski and Hernandez, two of the best tight ends in the league. Brady’s also smart about where to go with the ball and who has the best ability to get yards after the catch. That was evident in the Miami game when he hit Welker for a 99 yard touchdown pass.
The second is Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has been lights out this year as he has passed for 3,844 yards. His remaining opponents are Oakland, Kansas City, Chicago, and Detroit who give up 229 yards a game. Rodgers however has passed for 320 yards per game.
Rodgers is good at reading defenses but he is also really good at evading defenders and keeping plays alive with his feet. That allows him to find guys down field who are wide open.
The third and final quarterback is Drew Brees. Brees is the first player this season to pass for over 4,000 yards and is the first to pass for that many in 12 games. So far Brees has passed for 4,031 yards and an average of 335 yards per game.
His remaining opponents give up 239 passing yards a game. The most yards compared to the other quarterback’s opponents. Brees is a little similar to Rodgers than Brady because he is able to get everyone involved and keep plays alive with his mobility.
Now who breaks the record? I think they all do if there coaches don’t sit them in the final games. Brees is the only that has been here before. In the 2007 season he came just 16 yards short of breaking their record. He has even stated that this year he has more dedication to break it. Rodgers and Brady haven’t mentioned it. Probably because Rodgers is working on going undefeated and Brady is just being Brady.
However I think that Brees will have the most in the end because he is going against weaker defenses and wants to break it real bad. I could see Sean Payton keeping him in because Brees has been here before.
