Peyton Manning Passes Start Record

[ERA]

Manning proud of starts streak

Posted 11/27/2006

 

Peyton Manning has been a rock behind the Colts offensive line. The Indianapolis quarterback is expected to make his 140th straight start on Sunday.

 

Peyton Manning has been a rock behind the Colts offensive line. The Indianapolis quarterback is expected to make his 140th straight start on Sunday.

 

By Tom Weir, USA TODAY

INDIANAPOLIS — To appreciate Peyton Manning's longevity, one needs only to look at what's been happening when the other team has the ball in Indianapolis Colts games.

 

Sunday night, Jeff Garcia had his first start for Philadelphia, as Donovan McNabb began the healing process from a knee injury, the third time in five years McNabb has been done for the season in November.

 

The week before, Indianapolis saw Dallas get agog over Tony Romo, who has made five starts.

 

This Sunday, Manning and the Colts can clinch their fourth consecutive AFC South title at Tennessee, where rookie Vince Young will be making his ninth consecutive start.

 

For Manning, it will be his 140th regular-season start in a row, dating back to the opening game of his 1998 rookie season. It's the longest career-opening streak by any NFL quarterback and overall among quarterbacks ranks second only to the 232 consecutive regular-season starts by Green Bay's Brett Favre.

 

When asked about his nine-year run, Manning immediately directs the conversation toward Favre.

 

"I've always said what Brett Favre has done, that's one of the great streaks in sports," Manning says. "Everybody talks about Cal Ripken and the (Johnny) Unitas touchdowns streak (47 games with a TD pass), and those are obviously great streaks. But what Brett Favre has done, in this game, it's really amazing."

 

Equally amazing is that Manning has missed only one play because of injury, when Miami's Lorenzo Bromell fractured his jaw with a helmet-to-helmet hit in 2001.

 

But Manning's endurance tends to get overlooked amid all the dizzying statistics he has put up and which he likely will add to Sunday at Tennessee.

 

Manning needs only 36 passing yards to record a ninth consecutive 3,000-yard season. He already is the only player in NFL history to reach that mark in his first eight seasons.

 

A touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison will push the duo's NFL record of scoring hookups to 100. And he's four TD passes shy of a ninth season with 25.

 

"I do take a lot of pride in it," Manning says of his durability record. "It's about accountability. I expect my teammates to come through, and they expect me to be out there every week."

 

This year, 12 NFL teams haven't kept the same starting quarterback throughout the season. It becomes 13 Sunday when Jay Cutler replaces Jake Plummer for Denver.

 

Manning credits his father, Archie, who withstood a steady beating while playing for hapless New Orleans teams, for preparing him for the rigors of the NFL.

 

"I think it is something that my dad helped instill in me," Manning says. "I think he was a little ahead of his time with the weightlifting and the offseason training."

 

Brother Eli has a 34-game starting streak since taking over as the New York Giants' quarterback in mid-2004.

 

Peyton Manning says another factor in his endurance has been that Indianapolis President Bill Polian has lined him up alongside running backs who take blocking seriously.

 

Edgerrin James set that tone for seven seasons in Indianapolis, and it has continued this season with rookie Joseph Addai, who had a 171-yard, four-touchdown explosion Sunday against Philadelphia.

 

"With Edgerrin, believe me, around here we never took for granted his ability to protect," Manning says. "I think Joseph fits into that same mold."

[2priceless]

Poor Poor Eli.

[swanson71]

Poor Poor Eli.

Eli will get his soon enough!!!

[2priceless]

Eli will get his soon enough!!!

I know....Peyton said his biggest moment was being called Peyton and not Archie's boy. Some day it will be Eli....and not Peyton's bro for him too.

[wingman10]

go Titans

[oldchsman]

I was glad to see all the Colts fans go home crying Sunday!