:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/20056949/20130923_lbm_ac4_077.0.jpg)
Coming into tonight's game against the Oakland Raiders on Monday Night Football, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning needed two touchdown passes to tie Tom Brady's NFL record of 11 touchdown passes through the first three games of a season.
After one half of play, Manning has thrown three touchdowns.
Manning has 12 TDs and 0 INTs through the first three games of the season. No other QB has ever done that.
— Jon Heath (@JonHeathNFL) September 24, 2013
Manning now owns the NFL record of 12 touchdowns through the first three games of a season and could break the all-time record of 15 touchdown passes in a three-game stretch (which was set by Peyton in 2004). With four more touchdown passes, Manning would break that record.
And don't think that's not a possibility.
Manning threw seven touchdowns in the team's season opener and has been near-perfect tonight, going 21-of-24 for 264 yards and three scores with a 152.1 passer rating. His first score was a two-yard touchdown pass to Eric Decker, followed by a 12-yarder to Wes Welker and later a 13-yard score to Julius Thomas.
At halftime, Denver leads 27-7. The Broncos will receive the second half kickoff.