Is Peyton Manning's Single-Season Yardage Record A Lie?

Drew Brees held the NFL record for most passing yards in a single season with 5,476 yards, and Peyton Manning broke that yesterday in the second quarter with 5,477 during a rout of the Raiders. Or did he?

Manning's final pass of the game was a five-yard touchdown to Demaryius Thomas near the end of the second quarter. It took him from 5,472 yards to 5,477. (Woo, basic math!) With a 31-0 lead and no other records to break, Manning didn't see any more action in the game. But a thread on Reddit—shared with us by a Pats fan—pointed out that a seven-yard pass to Eric Decker late in the first quarter could be ruled as a lateral instead of a reception.

Judge for yourself with the screencaps:

Look at the midfield logo in both shots. Manning lets the pass go next to the "E" of the Raiders logo. Decker is still behind the "E" and closer to the second "R" when he catches the ball. So, it certainly looks like a lateral. And if the NFL also believed that, Manning's total passing yardage would drop back down to second place behind Brees.

It's not like this was Manning's only feat this season, though. He still comfortably holds the record for the most passing touchdowns in a season (55), and quarterbacked the highest-scoring team in NFL history (606 points). Then again, he is Peyton Manning, a hilarious weirdo obsessed with winning and being the best, so maybe he'll debate it.

[ Reddit]

Photo: AP