News item: Through eight games, Colts QB Peyton Manning is on pace to throw for 5,090 yards. Were he to continue on at this rate, Manning would break former Dolphins QB Dan Marino's single-season passing record of 5,084 yards, which has stood for 25 years.

Talk of a long-standing NFL record potentially being in jeopardy gives us an excuse to dive back into the PFW archives, which we are always more than happy to do. The NFList is nothing if not nostalgic about PFW's history, as well as the history of pro football. And, besides, Marino's record has always fascinated us.

With this in mind, here's a look back at Marino's five biggest games on a passing-yardage basis from the 1984 regular season. Games are ordered chronologically:

1. Sept. 2 at Washington

Marino's stat line: 21-of-28 passing, 311 yards, five TDs, zero INTs.

Final score: Miami 35, Washington 17.

Recap: Marino riddled the defending Super Bowl runner-up Redskins, throwing three third-quarter TD passes, two to Jim Jensen, to break the game wide open.

"We went into this game with the idea of throwing the ball," Dolphins head coach Don Shula said. "We had some good matchups, and we wanted to take advantage of them.

"Everything was like lightning. Marino kept throwing the ball, and the receivers made the catches."

Dolphins WR Mark Duper vexed the Redskins' secondary all day and finished with six catches, a game-high 178 yards and two TDs.

2. Sept. 30 at St. Louis

Marino's stat line: 24-of-36 passing, 429 yards, three TDs, no INTs.

Final score: Miami 36, St. Louis 28.

Recap: Marino broke David Woodley's franchise record for passing yards in a game as the Dolphins rolled to their fifth consecutive win to start the season.

"When it comes to Dan Marino, it's tough differentiating between sharp, sharper and sharpest," Shula said.

Marino connected with Duper eight times for 164 yards, highlighted by a 29-yard TD late in the first half.

"I believe that Marino will throw for 700 yards in a game someday," Duper said. "And when he does, I'll get as many as he throws my way."

3. Dec. 2 vs. L.A. Raiders

Marino's stat line: 35-of-57 passing, 470 yards, four TDs, two INTs.

Final score: L.A. Raiders 45, Miami 34.

Recap: Marino broke the NFL record for TD passes in a season, as well as Dolphins single-game marks for completions, attempts and yards, but it was to no avail, as the Raiders lit up the Miami defense for 404 yards. Marino, under siege all game from the Raiders' rush, still managed to throw four TD passes, two to Mark Clayton, giving him 40 scoring tosses on the season. (Clayton would catch a then-NFL-record 18 TDs on the season.)

"Marino did a heckuva job considering the circumstances," Shula said.

4. Dec. 9 at Indianapolis

Marino's stat line: 29-of-41 passing, 404 yards, four TDs, one INT.

Final score: Miami 35, Indianapolis 17.

Recap: Marino closed in on Dan Fouts' single-season record of 4,802 yards passing with a tour de force at the Hoosier Dome. Miami trailed 17-7 at halftime, but Marino picked apart the Colts' defense in the final 30 minutes, tossing four TD passes.

"Marino got back there and let the ball fly," Colts S Nesby Glasgow said. "If the receiver had a half step, he's going to throw it. Most quarterbacks hold on to it, but he's got so much confidence, he throws. A lot of times, he would throw before the receivers were breaking. It's hard for a defensive back to cover."

5. Dec. 17 vs. Dallas

Marino's stat line: 23-of-40 passing, 340 yards, four TDs, two INTs.

Final score: Miami 28, Dallas 21.

Recap: In the final game of the regular season under the "Monday Night Football" lights, Marino broke the single-season passing record, and he knocked the Cowboys out of playoff contention for the first time in 10 seasons with two TD passes in the final minutes. Marino hit WR Mark Clayton for TD passes of 39 and 63 yards, the last coming with less than a minute left, to give the Dolphins their 14th win of the season. Marino would finish with 48 TD passes, a record that held up until Peyton Manning broke it in 2004.

PFW has launched its brand-new NFL Draft Newsletter series, with the second issue being released later this month. Produced by PFW's player personnel department under the direction of Nolan Nawrocki, the series consists of four information-packed issues. For more info or to subscribe — click here for PDF e-pub or here for print format.