The NFL's Top 5 One Man Armies
Dan Marino, 1984
In just his second year in the NFL, and his first as a full-time starter, Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino would have the best season of his Hall of Fame career.
With 5,084 passing yards and 48 touchdowns, Marino shattered the previous records in both categories, setting new marks that wouldn't be surpassed until years later, when the evolution of the passing offense allowed such performances to become relatively common.
It was Marino's play that led the Dolphins to a 14-2 record that year, and similarly dominant showings in the playoffs to follow would carry them to a Super Bowl appearance against the San Francisco 49ers.
Marino was deservedly named the NFL MVP for that 1984 season and, although his records have now fallen, it will always remain one of the best single-season performances in football history.
Peyton Manning, 2013
Setting the single-season records for passing yards (5,477) and passing touchdowns (55), Peyton Manning’s 2013 season was one of the most dominant individual performances the NFL has ever seen.
While Manning was certainly surrounded by some talented offensive players, he was able to bring the absolute best out of each one, further demonstrating a valuable quarterback and leadership quality he has put on full display since entering the league.
Manning’s addition to a then-mediocre Broncos team in 2012 would instantly see them become a contender, and his record-setting 2013 campaign to follow would lead them to a Super Bowl appearance.
At 37 years of age, Manning showed no signs of slowing down, and continued to add to an incredibly impressive resume that will undoubtedly make him a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Jerry Rice, 1987
With NFL offenses on an endless course of evolution, passing records are broken on what seems like a yearly basis. Jerry Rice's 1987 season, however, will likely remain the best a wide receiver will ever have.
In a year that saw replacement players in three of the season's 15 regular season games, Rice hauled in 1,078 yards and an NFL record 22 receiving touchdowns.
While that record would be broken by Randy Moss' 23 scores in 2007, averaging Rice's 1.83 touchdowns per game over the course of a now-standard 16 game schedule equates to a rather unbelievable 29 touchdowns.
That 1987 season may no longer stand in the record books, but the production Rice amassed still seems unmatchable going forward, fully demonstrating why he is arguably the best player the NFL has ever seen.
Lawrence Taylor, 1986
While most of the NFL's all-time single-season performances will be attributed to offensive players, the 1986 season put together by now Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor can't be overlooked.
Becoming the first defensive player to be named NFL MVP since 15 years prior, Taylor put up a then-record 20.5 sacks, leading the New York Giants's defense on the way to the franchise's first Super Bowl victory.
Not only did Taylor's great season help to cement his and the Giants' spot in the NFL history books, but his pass-rushing dominance as a 3-4 outside linebacker would go a long way toward revolutionizing the way defenses played moving forward.
LaDainian Tomlinson, 2006
With increasingly less focus on the ground game, it is unlikely that a running back will ever have a statistical season that comes close to the one San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson had in 2006.
Tallying 1,815 yards for an average of 5.2 yards per carry is impressive enough, but Tomlinson set NFL records for rushing touchdowns (28) and total touchdowns (31) that now seem simply unbreakable.
Tomlinson's historic 2006 season led the Chargers to a 14-2 record, saw the running back take home NFL MVP honors, and sums up a great career that will be rewarded with an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame before long.