Marino's Last Major Record In Jeopardy
MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – Miami Dolphins fans still remember the 1984 season when Dan Marino set records and led the team to its last Super Bowl. But, all but one of Marino's major records from that season has been broken and the last one is in serious jeopardy.
Marino set the single-season passing yardage record that season with 5,084 yards. That translated to Marino throwing for roughly 318 yards per game in 1984.
But in 2011, there are three quarterbacks with a very realistic shot at breaking Marino's single-season record.
At the top of the list is New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. He's averaging an obscene 335 yards passing per game this season and has already thrown for 3689 yards.
Brees is also the quarterback who has come closest to breaking the mark. In 2007, Brees threw for 5,069 yards.
On Brees' current pace, he'll throw for roughly 5,366 this season. But he's not alone in the pursuit of the Marino single-season passing record.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady already broke the season mark for touchdown passes and now is on pace to shatter the Marino record as well. If Brady keeps up the current passing numbers, he'll throw for 5,275 yards this season.
Finally, there's the likely NFL MVP this season, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. At his current pace, Rodgers will pass for 5,040 yards this season. But perhaps more impressive is that Rodgers is likely to set an unbreakable touchdown to interception ratio.
Rodgers has thrown for 33 touchdowns to just four interceptions in 11 games this season. Projecting out Rodgers' season numbers, he'll throw 48 touchdown passes to just six interceptions.
Both Brees and Brady are likely to shatter Dan Marino's single-season passing record and Rodgers will likely add NFL MVP to his resume after he might break the record as well.
For Dolphins fans, Dan Marino will be the measuring stick of Fins quarterbacks. But for historical purposes, Marino's number will be forgotten as new players overtake him and push his records into the dustbin of history.
