Ravens' Joe Flacco Becomes Fastest to 5 Touchdowns in a Single Game

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco set an NFL record by throwing five touchdown passes in the first 16 minutes, three seconds of Sunday's 48-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN.com).

Flacco easily bested the previous five-touchdown record of 20 minutes, 56 seconds, which was set by five-time Pro Bowler Daryle Lamonica while playing for the Oakland Raiders in a 1969 game against the Buffalo Bills.

According to Elias, Flacco also tossed five touchdowns in the third-shortest time span in NFL history, needing just 14 minutes, 14 seconds between his first and fifth scoring passes. Lamonica needed just 11 minutes, 13 seconds in that 1969 game, while New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady set the all-time record of nine minutes, 44 seconds in a memorable 59-0 blowout of the Tennessee Titans in 2009.

Flacco nearly became the first player to throw five touchdowns in the first quarter of a game, and he's the first to throw five in one half since Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning did so in the second half of a Week 1 blowout of Flacco's Ravens last year, per ESPN Stats & Info.   

The 6-6 signal-caller matched the franchise single-game record for touchdown passes, which was previously held by Tony Banks, who also tossed five in a 39-36 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars during the Ravens' 2000 Super Bowl-winning season, per pro-football-reference's play index.

Banks' record-setting game is an oddity in Ravens history, as the team's memorable 2000 defense didn't allow more than 23 points in any other game that season. Banks, meanwhile, never lived up to the Week 2 hype, and ultimately watched from the sidelines while Trent Dilfer led/managed the Ravens to a championship.

Flacco is looking for a second ring of his own, currently on pace for career-best marks in passing yards (4,256), passing touchdowns (32), interceptions (eight), completion percentage (63.6), completions (373) and passer rating (97.8).

Just one year removed from the worst season of his career, the former Delaware Blue Hen has benefited enormously from the team's upgraded offensive line, not to mention the offseason addition of wide receiver Steve Smith.