When we noted on Sunday that Colts quarterback Andrew Luck had completed his fourth consecutive game without a sack, we heard from some folks wondering if Luck was at or near an NFL record for games without a sack. And the answer is, No. Not even close.
Dan Marino owns the NFL record for consecutive games and consecutive passes without a sack, and no other quarterback before or since has ever even been in the same ballpark. Marino got sacked on September 25, 1988 in Indianapolis. He then played 19 consecutive games without getting sacked. He wasn’t sacked again until October 29, 1989 in Buffalo. Between sacks, he threw an incredible 759 passes.
To throw 759 passes without getting sacked is such an insane record that it looks like a typo. The team that has allowed the fewest sacks this year is the Saints, and Drew Brees has been sacked nine times while throwing 304 passes. Marino threw two and a half times that many passes and wasn’t sacked even once.
Marino was well known for his quick release during his time as the Dolphins’ quarterback, and he could get the ball out so quickly that opposing defenses never stood a chance. For 19 straight games, no one could bring him down.