NFL Will Probably Take Away Peyton Manning's Record Because Of This Play

Every week, the NFL reviews all plays to ensure the accuracy of statistics and it is this review that may cost Peyton Manning his new single-season passing yards record according to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com.

Manning broke the record previously held by Drew Brees by a single yard with a 5-yard touchdown pass at the end of the first half. Manning did not play in the second half and finished with 5,477 yards for the season.

However, the play in question was this 7-yard swing-pass to Eric Decker near the end of the first quarter. It appears that the pass actually went backwards, which would negate the passing yards and instead be ruled a running play.

If the pass was obviously backwards, the NFL will take the seven yards away from Manning. Complicating matters is the idea that Manning might have played in the second half if he was still short of the record.

Here is another look at the "pass." Compare the trajectory of the ball to the 50-yard line and it seems pretty clear that the ball is moving away from that line, not parallel or towards it.