The sports world just celebrated the start of Joltin' Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, which began 70 years ago on Sunday. Many sports enthusiasts refer to DiMaggio's streak as the greatest in sports.
That can be debated, of course.
But what is the NFL's equivalent of DiMaggio's streak? We'll break that down right here.
Considered: Tom Brady's 338 passes without an interception; Don Hutson's consecutive seasons leading the league in scoring; Jim McMahon's 25 consecutive wins (regular and postseason included).
And without further ado ...
6. LaDainian Tomlinson's 18-consecutive games with a rushing TD
Tomlinson tied Lenny Moore for most consecutive games with a touchdown, but LT holds the mark for most consecutive games with rushing TDs in 2004-05, which makes the record a touch more impressive. He also holds the NFL's longest streak for most playoff games spent on an exercise bike, but Jay Cutler could challenge that.
5. Brett Favre's 297 consecutive starts
Even more impressive when you throw in the 321 games when you include the playoffs. But a couple of dings here. For starters, Jim Marshall starting 270 games on the defensive line might be more impressive. And Favre's adherence to the streak during his Jets days might have cost Eric Mangini his job.
4. Jerry Rice's 13 consecutive games with a touchdown
Sure, you might give the nod to Rice's record of 274 games with a reception, but the touchdown streak is a bit more impressive here. Of course, Rice often credits his longevity and ability to record streaks to all of the time he spent bull riding, playing soccer and sprinting against race horses. Oh wait, he did none of those things.
3. Barry Sanders' 14-consecutive games rushing for 100 yards
Sanders not only set a record for most 100-yard games in a season, but he reached 100 rushing yards in every game from Week 3 on in 1997. More amazing when you consider he had a combined 53 rushing yards in the first two games of the season.
2. Buccaneers lose 26 consecutive games
The Buccaneers started their NFL tenure with an unimpressive 0-26 mark. After one loss, Bucs coach John McKay was asked about his team's execution. McKay was believed to have quipped, "I am all for it." True or not, those Bucs teams set a standard in the modern era that not even the Lions could reach (those amateurs lost only 19 consecutive games, though 16 came in one doomed season).
1. Johnny Unitas' 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass
Hands down the most impressive streak in NFL history. Even the pass-happy NFL has not turned in any credible challengers as of yet. The first thought was how many consecutive games does Peyton Manning have, and it's only seven. This one is going to live for a while.
