Tom Brady passes Peyton Manning for No. 2 on all-time passing yardage list
It didn’t take long for Tom Brady to get the 18 yards he needed to pass Peyton Manning for second place on the NFL’s all-time passing yardage list.
It came on a typical Brady play too. He got the ball out quickly to running back Sony Michel, who turned up and gained 19 yards. It was Brady’s first pass of the night against the New York Giants, in a game that can be live-streamed on the Yahoo Sports app. Brady needed 18 yards to pass Manning, his longtime rival. Manning retired with 71,940 passing yards.
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It was a play we see Brady make all the time. He isn’t necessarily peppering the ball downfield, but he knows the weak spot in every defense. He knew when Michel went into the flat after going in motion that he would be open for an easy gain. He hit him quickly, allowing Michel to turn upfield for extra yards. Brady is a surgeon, even at 42 years old. On Thursday, Brady also passed Manning for third all-time in career completions.
Can Tom Brady finish No. 1 in passing yards?
The only passer ahead of Brady on the all-time list is Drew Brees, who is still with the New Orleans Saints but sitting out after thumb surgery.
It won’t be easy to catch Brees. Brees has 74,845 career yards, and will add to that total when he returns this season. That’s nearly 3,000 yards ahead of Brady. Brees is 40, Brady is 42, and there hasn’t been any indication either will retire after this season. Brees could play a couple more seasons and really put the record out of reach.
Brady has plenty of records and accomplishments, even if he doesn’t pass Brees for the all-time passing yardage record. But knowing how competitive he is, you can assume he has kept an eye on the race.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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