If I had to guess, I would say that some quarterback probably will throw 40-plus touchdowns this year. That’s just the way the game is played nowadays. With the kind of numbers that are being put up, it was a surprise nobody threw more than 36 touchdowns last year.
The growth in this area is pretty remarkable.
In the first five years of this century, 11 quarterbacks threw at least 30 TDs in a season. But in the last five years, 35 touchdowns have thrown at least 30. That includes a record 11 last year alone.
30-PLUS TOUCHDOWNS (2000-04) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Pct | Yards | TD | Int |
2004 | Peyton Manning, Ind. | 68% | 4,557 | 49 | 10 |
2004 | Daunte Culpepper, Minn. | 69% | 4,717 | 39 | 11 |
2001 | Kurt Warner, St.L. | 69% | 4,830 | 36 | 22 |
2000 | Daunte Culpepper, Minn. | 63% | 3,937 | 33 | 16 |
2000 | Peyton Manning, Ind. | 63% | 4,413 | 33 | 15 |
2001 | Jeff Garcia, S.F. | 63% | 3,538 | 32 | 12 |
2001 | Brett Favre, G.B. | 62% | 3,921 | 32 | 15 |
2003 | Brett Favre, G.B. | 65% | 3,361 | 32 | 21 |
2000 | Jeff Garcia, S.F. | 63% | 4,278 | 31 | 10 |
2004 | Donovan McNabb, Phil. | 64% | 3,875 | 31 | 8 |
2004 | Brett Favre, G.B. | 64% | 4,088 | 30 | 17 |
30-PLUS TOUCHDOWNS (2001-2015) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Pct | Yards | TD | Int |
2013 | Peyton Manning, Den. | 68% | 5,477 | 55 | 10 |
2011 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 71% | 5,476 | 46 | 14 |
2011 | Aaron Rodgers, G.B. | 68% | 4,643 | 45 | 6 |
2012 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 63% | 5,177 | 43 | 19 |
2011 | Matthew Stafford, Det. | 63% | 5,038 | 41 | 16 |
2014 | Andrew Luck, Ind. | 62% | 4,761 | 40 | 16 |
2011 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 66% | 5,235 | 39 | 12 |
2012 | Aaron Rodgers, G.B. | 67% | 4,295 | 39 | 8 |
2013 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 69% | 5,162 | 39 | 12 |
2014 | Peyton Manning, Den. | 66% | 4,727 | 39 | 15 |
2014 | Aaron Rodgers, G.B. | 66% | 4,381 | 38 | 5 |
2012 | Peyton Manning, Den. | 69% | 4,659 | 37 | 11 |
2015 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 64% | 4,770 | 36 | 7 |
2015 | Blake Bortles, Jac. | 59% | 4,428 | 35 | 18 |
2015 | Cam Newton, Car. | 60% | 3,837 | 35 | 10 |
2015 | Carson Palmer, Ariz. | 64% | 4,671 | 35 | 11 |
2015 | Eli Manning, NYG | 63% | 4,436 | 35 | 14 |
2012 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 63% | 4,827 | 34 | 8 |
2014 | Tony Romo, Dall. | 70% | 3,705 | 34 | 9 |
2015 | Russell Wilson, Sea. | 68% | 4,024 | 34 | 8 |
2013 | Andy Dalton, Cin. | 62% | 4,293 | 33 | 20 |
2014 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 69% | 4,952 | 33 | 17 |
2014 | Tom Brady, N.E. | 64% | 4,109 | 33 | 9 |
2012 | Matt Ryan, Atl. | 69% | 4,719 | 32 | 14 |
2013 | Philip Rivers, S.D. | 69% | 4,478 | 32 | 11 |
2014 | Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt. | 67% | 4,952 | 32 | 9 |
2015 | Derek Carr, Oak. | 61% | 3,987 | 32 | 13 |
2015 | Matthew Stafford, Det. | 67% | 4,262 | 32 | 13 |
2015 | Drew Brees, N.O. | 68% | 4,870 | 32 | 11 |
2011 | Tony Romo, Dall. | 66% | 4,184 | 31 | 10 |
2013 | Tony Romo, Dall. | 64% | 3,828 | 31 | 10 |
2014 | Philip Rivers, S.D. | 66% | 4,286 | 31 | 18 |
2015 | Ryan Fitzpatrick, NYJ | 60% | 3,905 | 31 | 15 |
2015 | Aaron Rodgers, G.B. | 61% | 3,821 | 31 | 8 |
2014 | Eli Manning, NYG | 63% | 4,410 | 30 | 14 |
—Ian Allan