Dan Marino: The Man Part 1

Dan Marino: The Man Part 1

Dan Marino: The Man Part 1

Dan Marino is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game of football. Being in the same 1983 NFL Draft class as John Elway, who was taken with the #1 overall pick, Marino’s path to success in the NFL began in an unusual way as he had to wait all the way until the #27 pick where he would get drafted by the Miami Dolphins, the only team that he would play for in his storied 17-year career.

In his rookie season, in 1983, Marino played in 11 games and started in 9 of them, completing 173 of 296 pass attempts for 2210 yards, recording a 58.4 completion percentage, 20 touchdown passes and 6 interceptions. Dan Marino would quickly get acquainted with NFL record books as he recorded the lowest percentage of interceptions in a rookie season with 2.03. This mark wouldn’t be surpassed until the 1998 rookie season of Detroit Lions quarterback Charlie Batch, who recorded a 1.98 interception percentage. Marino went 7-2 in his rookie campaign.

1984 would prove to be the most productive in Marino’s career as far as winning on the football field was concerned. Marino led the Miami Dolphins to the only Super Bowl appearance of his career, which was Super Bowl XIX. Starting 16 games Marino went 14-2, completing 362 of 564 pass attempts for 5084 yards and recording a 64.2 completion percentage, throwing 17 interceptions. In 1984 Marino had the most games with at least 300 passing yards with 9, a mark that would be surpassed by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees in 2011 with 13. Marino’s mark of 5084 yards would be passed by the 5476 yards set by Brees in 2011.

The 48 touchdown passes that Marino threw in 1984 would be eclipsed by Peyton Manning’s 49 touchdown passes with the Indianapolis Colts in 2004, and then later in 2007 Tom Brady of the New England Patriots threw 50 touchdown passes. Finally Manning retook the lead for the most touchdown passes thrown in a single season with 55 in 2013 with the Denver Broncos. In 1984 Marino had the most games where he passed for at least 400 yards with 4. Peyton Manning would tie that mark in 2013. Marino also had the most consecutive games throwing at least 4 touchdown passes with 4, a mark that would be tied by Manning in 2004.

Starting all 16 games in 1985 Marino went 12-4, completing 336 of 567 pass attempts for 4137 yards and 30 touchdowns, recording a 59.3 completion percentage and throwing 21 interceptions. Starting all 16 games again in 1986 Marino went 8-8, completing 378 of 623 pass attempts for 4746 yards and 44 touchdowns, recording a 60.7 completion percentage and throwing 23 interceptions. In the span from 1984 to 1986 Marino tied Houston Oilers quarterback George Blanda (1963-1965) for having the most seasons leading the NFL in completions with 3. In 1984 and 1986 Marino had the most consecutive games of passing for at least 400 yards.

On September 7, 1986 in a game against the San Diego Chargers Marino had the fewest number of games to start a career to reach 100 touchdown passes with 44.

In 1987 Marino started 12 games and went 7-5, completing 263 of 494 pass attempts for 3245 yards and 26 touchdowns, throwing only 13 interceptions. In 1988 Marino started 16 games but struggled, going 6-10. Marino completed 354 of 606 pass attempts for 4434 yards and 28 touchdowns while throwing 23 interceptions. Marino recorded a 58.4 completion percentage. From 1983 to 1988 Marino had the record for the most home games with a single touchdown pass with 39 straight games, a mark that would be surpassed by Tom Brady in 2013.

Starting 16 games in 1989 Marino went 8-8, completing 308 of 550 pass attempts for 3997 yards and 24 touchdowns, recording a completion percentage of 56 and throwing 22 interceptions. Marino spent the fewest number of games to reach the milestone of throwing 200 touchdown passes in a career in just 89 games, establishing the feat in a game against the New England Patriots on September 17, 1989.

1990 was a turning point in the career of Dan Marino as far as statistics were concerned as he started 16 games and went 12-4, completing 306 of 531 pass attempts for 3563 yards and 21 touchdowns, recording a 57.6 completion percentage and throwing just 11 interceptions. On November 25 in a game against the Cleveland Browns Marino established the feat of spending the fewest number of games in a career to pass for 30,000 yards with just 114 games. This milestone would be matched by Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals on October 18, 2009.

The back half of Dan Marino’s career remained as steady as the front half as he continued to throw the ball with enough poise in the pocket, establishing more records that would initially be difficult to even match. Many of the feats that other quarterbacks approached were standards set by the quarterback who called Miami, Florida home, a sports athlete who was considered to be “The Man” in South Beach.