We are back to another week of the greatest Denver Broncos games of the 2010s. This week is all about wrapping up the 2013 and 2014 seasons. First up, the Denver Broncos at the Houston Texans and a record-breaking day.
Peyton Manning came into Week 16 needing four touchdowns to break Tom Brady’s 2007 record for more touchdowns in a season. He got number 48 early in the game, with a deep 37-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas in the first quarter.
However, the 2-12 Houston Texans held on defensively to keep the Denver Broncos close all the way through the third quarter at 16-13.
Then Peyton did Peyton things.
The first came after a critical turnover by Matt Schuab to set Denver up with good field position. He would hit Eric Decker on an easy pitch and catch for a 10-yard touchdown pass for his 49th touchdown pass of 2013.
The record-tying touchdown came midway through the fourth quarter on this beautiful toss to Decker again who hauled it in over Kareem Jackson for the 50th touchdown of the season.
The record-breaker came with the game already decided, but Peyton didn’t want to leave anything to chance with one game left to play and went and got the record before this game was over for his fourth touchdown of the game and his 51st of the season on this beautiful pass to tight end Julius Thomas.
Manning’s three consecutive touchdown passes in the fourth quarter was something we saw a lot of in 2013. He would finish 32/51 for 400 yards and four touchdown passes. There just wasn’t much he and that offense couldn’t do in that regular season.
He would add another four touchdown game in Week 7 to set the all-time single season mark at 55 for the season. That might be one passing record that no one will match for a long time - or at least until they expand the season by a game or two.