Cy Young’s 511 pitching victories is at the top.
Wilt Chamberlain’s 50.4 points per game in 1961 is up there, too.
Pete Rose’s 4,256 career hits is on the list. As is Cal Ripken’s 2,632 consecutive games.
Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record.
John Wooden’s 10 championships and 88 straight wins.
Jerry Rice’s 22,895 career receiving yards.
They are the unbreakables, the records that, they say, will never be beat.
By the time Peyton Manning is done, he likely be on the shortlist, too.
The Broncos’ quarterback is three touchdown passes shy of breaking Brett Favre’s all-time record of 508, a 4-year-old mark that will likely be snapped in front of a prime-time audience.
Manning will get the record. And then he’ll keep on going.
After 16-plus seasons and four neck surgeries, the 38-year-old is continuing to play some of the best football of his life, and he’s said he won’t stop “until he sucks.”
Which is another way of saying that the new magic number won’t be anywhere close to 509.
For the last few weeks though, as he inches closer to history, Manning has struggled with one thing: finding new ways to avoid talking about the record.
“I think we’ve concentrated on the important things,” Manning said Wednesday when asked about it. “… I think we responded well coming off the bye week and have had two good wins and we’re playing an excellent team (Sunday). So that’s what I’ve concentrated on — doing whatever it takes to win.”
But getting to that number Sunday may not be as easy as someone, say, . The 49ers’ overall defense and passing defense both rank second in the league, while their rushing defense ranks fifth.
The 49ers (4-2) are coming off a Monday night win over the Rams in which San Francisco racked up five sacks against St. Louis quarterback Austin Davis, while the defense held the Rams to just three points in the second half.
The Broncos (4-1) have had a run of facing some of the league’s toughest defenses already this season, but they’ve managed to average 29.4 points per game (third in the NFL) and 297.8 passing yards (fourth).
That’s what Manning does for you.
On the brink of yet another record to add to his lengthy list of accolades, Manning has maintained the same routine, the same outlook he’s held throughout his career. The focus is, and will always be with him, on wins.
“It’s not something we talk about as an offense. Peyton doesn’t talk about it. We just keep playing football,” Thomas said. “It just speaks to the work ethic and attention to detail he’s had his entire career.
“I won’t be the one that keeps 509 if I happen to catch that for him, but I’m sure we’ll all have fair game for 510, 511 and so forth.”
Footnotes: The Broncos, who will make their 40th all-time appearance on “Sunday Night Football” this weekend, own a 22-17 record on SNF … Sunday’s game will be a reunion of sorts for Broncos LB Brandon Marshall and San Francisco QB Colin Kaepernick, who were teammates at the University of Nevada. … The Broncos and 49ers have met 13 times over the years, with San Francisco leading the series 7-6.
Nicki Jhabvala: njhabvala@denverpost.com or at twitter.com/nickijhabvala
