Peyton Manning will soon be the NFL's all-time leader in touchdown passes. The only question is whether it will happen this week against San Francisco.
Manning is only two touchdowns away from tying Brett Favre's record of 508. Considering that Manning has averaged 3.3 touchdowns per game since the start of 2013, there's a strong chance that history will be made on Sunday.
We've become spoiled by Manning's success. It seems like he's setting a new record or passing another milestone every other month, and his success is so consistent that we can take it for granted. With that in mind, let's take a minute to look back at some of Manning's biggest milestone scores.
Let's start at the beginning, with Manning's first touchdown throw. It's only fitting that it went to Marvin Harrison after a pump fake helped make the secondary hesitate.
Manning often credits his Colts offensive line for much of his success, especially left tackle Tarik Glenn. Manning gets a perfect pocket to throw his 100th touchdown pass below, also to Harrison.
Manning was never known for his cannon arm, but he's still an incredible vertical passer because of his uncanny accuracy down the field. He showed it off during his 200th touchdown pass, this one to Reggie Wayne.
The touchdown throw by Manning to Marvin Harrison to break the record for any duo in NFL history was a vintage play for both Colts. Manning audibled at the line of scrimmage when he saw St. Louis Rams safety Adam Archuleta move before the snap. Harrison did the rest with his classic over-the-shoulder catch, finished by a beautiful toe tap. It's ridiculous Manning was already setting all-time records back in 2005.
Progression reading is not a skill they test at the combine, but it's one of the most crucial skills for a top-level quarterback. Manning knows exactly where all his receivers are and calmly goes through his reads as well as any quarterback that's ever played. His 300th touchdown pass, to Joseph Addai, seemingly went to his third or fourth option.
Manning's seventh touchdown pass in a single game came in Week 1 of the 2013 season. The swing pass to Demaryius Thomas is a reminder of the extraordinary talent Manning inherited in Denver, with receivers who can turn short passes into long scores.
Manning broke Tom Brady's single-season record for touchdowns last season with room to spare, eventually finishing with 55 scores. His toss to Julius Thomas was typical of so many in his career. He recognized the mismatch of his tight end on a linebacker before the snap and made it look easy with a touch pass to the corner of the endzone.
The 500th touchdown of Peyton Manning's career was thrown before his receiver -- Julius Thomas, again -- even broke on his route. Manning throws receivers open and isn't afraid to fit passes into tight windows in the red zone.
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