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(QBER is short for Quarterback Efficiency Rating, a more comprehensive, easily understood rating system that I devised to place the emphasis where it belongs—the ability of a quarterback to advance the ball, avoid negative plays, and score touchdowns in comparison to his peers. A rating of 100.0 is the league average.)

In a week in which few quarterbacks turned memorable performances —take a bow, Brett Favre— nobody looked better than the late, great Johnny Unitas, who threw his final pass 36 years ago.

When Peyton Manning failed to complete a touchdown pass for the first time in 11 regular-season games, Unitas’ record of 47 consecutive games with at least one TD pass was as safe and impressive as ever. Among active players, Manning is the most likely to challenge the mark, but not even he has made a serious run at it.

Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak gets the hype, but Unitas’ mark is far more significant. Hits don’t automatically lead to runs, but TD passes count as points.

What's more, Pete Rose came within 12 games of Joe D’s record. At 30 games in a row, runner-up Dan Marino would have required more than one season to catch Johnny U and his record.

Dude, quarterbacks don’t play 47 games in a row nowadays.

Yet to judge by the NFL passer ratings, which cater to the dinkers and dunkers of the modern era, one would never know that Unitas set the standard at the position five decades ago. 

Currently, Unitas ranks 58th behind guys named Aaron Brooks, Tony Eason, Elvis Grbac, Trent Green, Jeff Hostetler, and Dave Kreig, among others.

Fifty-eighth? Johnny Unitas? Fifty-eighth?!

Unitas may be gone, but 49 years after he set one of the epic records in professional sports, those who understand true greatness won't forget him.

The QBER leaders through the Week Eight of the regular season:

       1. Peyton Manning 147.2

2. Donovan McNabb 146.3

3. Aaron Rodgers 139.0

4. Brett Favre 138.1

5. Kyle Orton 132.2

6. Drew Brees 130.1

7. Matt Schaub 129.4

8. Tom Brady 126.1

9. Joe Flacco 124.5

10. Tony Romo 124.1

11. Philip Rivers 122.5

12. Matt Hasselbeck 121.8

13. Ben Roethlisberger 115.5

14. Carson Palmer 114.3

15. Eli Manning

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