Manning surpasses Marino

INDIANAPOLIS – Peyton Manning broke one of football’s most hallowed records, and his reward was praise from one of his boyhood idols.

Manning broke Dan Marino’s single-season touchdown pass record when he threw his 48th and 49th of the season on Sunday against San Diego. And he did it in dramatic fashion, rallying the Colts from a 31-16 fourth-quarter deficit to win 34-31 in overtime.

Right after the game he got to speak with Marino, the player he grew up idolizing as a young quarterback in Louisiana. Marino was in the CBS studio for the NFL Today, where he serves as a commentator.

“I was getting all emotional talking to him, I can’t believe it,” a choked-up Manning said. “Dan, besides my father, was always my favorite player growing up after my dad retired. I would have been content if I would have stayed tied. I would have shared that record.”

Manning hit Brandon Stokley on a 21-yard post pattern with 56 seconds to play to break the record, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. Edgerrin James’ run for a 2-point conversion tied the score at 31.

Per Manning’s request, the game was not stopped, and Manning strode calmly off the field before being mobbed by teammates on the sideline. A few minutes later, Manning led the Colts on a drive in overtime that led to Mike Vanderjagt’s winning field goal, clinching the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs.

“I don’t care how long you played and how many touchdowns you throw, you’ll always remember your comeback wins,” said his father, Archie, who played quarterback for the Saints and Vikings. “You remember them. You remember this day and breaking the record of a great player. It was a very special day.”

Manning entered the game with 47 touchdown passes and tied the mark with a 3-yard shovel pass to James Mungro in the third quarter.

Marino threw 48 while guiding the Miami Dolphins to the Super Bowl in 1984. The record stood for two decades, and was at one time thought of as untouchable, football’s answer to the home run record.