In just six games Drew Brees has aired it out for an incredible 1,993 yards.
That is an average of 332 yards a game, which extrapolated over a 16 game regular season would equate to 5,314 yards.
Dan Marino’s phenomenal 5,084 yards in 1984, only his second season in the league, is a record that has held firm for almost a quarter of a decade.
Back then Marino led his team to a 14-2 record and an appearance in Superbowl XIX (an eventual loss to a Joe Montana led 49ers team) by passing to the Marx Brothers (wideouts Mark Duper and Mark Clayton) veteran Nat Moore and the likes of Tony Nathan and Dan Johnson (te).
In that season Marino averaged 317 yards passing a game, and his season included 7 300+ yard passing games and 3 400+ yards passing games. In fact the Fins lowest passing output was 183 yards in a win against bitter division rivals the New York Jets.
Brees has had his fair share of bad luck regarding his supporting cast in 2008 with injuries to stud wideout Marques Colston, veteran wideout David Patten, and tattoo’d tight end Jeremy Shockey.
Brees has got the deep threat covered with Devery Henderson, who has an insane 32.1 yards a catch, he also has an impressive support wr stepping up in a big way in the shape of Lance Moore.
It is the catching skills of the 2008 Saints running backs that is what is really helping Brees to look like a mastermind. Look at the evidence – 59 catches between them in 6 games – that’s almost 10 running back catches a game;
2008 Saints RB catches
• Reggie Bush – 41 catches – 361 yards
• Pierre Thomas – 7 catches – 48 yards
• Mike Karnery – 6 catches – 10 yards
• Deuce McAllister – 3 catches – 17 yards
• Aaron Stecker – 2 catches – 18 yards
I think Brees has the surrounding talent to pass for 5,200 yards in 2008 and break Marino’s record.
We in the UK have the pleasure and the honour of watching Breestake on the San Diego Chargers (the team that drafted Brees from Purdue in 2001).
Teams that come and play in London at Wembley tend to struggle to adapt to the cold weather and the rather neutral fan base, but we could be in for something pretty special as Breesgoes after the rather poorly performing Chargers pass defense.
Lets hope for everyone’s sake that the game features more that just two touchdowns (as was the case when the Giants beat the Dolphins in 2007 at Wembley).
We could be witnessing in London one chapter (chapter 8 of 16) of the book that crowns Drew Brees the single season highest passing yards champion.
Wouldn’t that be something swell to tell the grandchildren, and if it does happen, it could be a record to stay for another 25 seasons.
I think he can do it – do you think Brees can break Marino’s record ?…….