Tom Brady pulled even with Peyton Manning on Sunday with his 200th career win — in the regular season and playoffs combined — but he can still do more damage to his long-time rival’s career records.
Since it’s highly unlikely the New England Patriots will lose out and miss the playoffs over their next five games, Brady should have no problem surpassing 200 wins and adding more in the coming seasons. But the other records he can break won’t come as easily.
FOX Sports’ Nunzio Ingrassia identified six of Manning’s records Brady could surpass, with the first being passing yards. Manning set the mark at 71,940, and Brady still has 11,711 more yards to go at 60,229, which is good for fifth all time. The 39-year-old has averaged 4,239 yards in 13 full seasons — he’s on his 17th overall — so if he continues to play at a high level for 16 games, Brady could surpass the record in the middle of the 2019 season.
Brady could end up with the passing touchdowns record, too, but that one might not stick. The Pats quarterback is fourth on the all-time list with 446 and would need 539 to break the record. However, New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees already has 462 and is two years younger than Brady. Brady could realistically wind up with the most game-winning drives, though, as Brady sits just seven back of Manning’s 56.
The two least realistic records for Brady are Pro Bowl selections and fourth-quarter comebacks. Brady should make the Pro Bowl this season, which would give him 11 selections to Manning’s 14. To break the record, though, Brady would not only have to play at a high level but do so into his mid-40s. As for fourth-quarter comebacks, Brady needs just seven more to tie Manning’s 45, but since that record is 100 percent circumstantial, it’s impossible to predict if Brady even will get seven more chances.
There’s one record Brady should have no problem with, though, and that’s regular-season wins. Brady currently trails Manning 186-178, and New England still has five games left in the 2016 season. The Patriots haven’t won fewer than 10 games since the 2002 season, so Tom Terrific should have that record in the bag next season.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
