Reuben Frank says that 2004 was the Year of the Quarterback in the NFL. Peyton Manning broke Dan Marino's 20 year old touchdown record, while he and other notables were chalking up yardage up and down the field.

Daunte Culpepper (4,717), Trent Green (4,591) and Peyton Manning (4,557) became the first trio of quarterbacks to surpass 4,500 yards in the same season in NFL history. Only once previously had two QBs thrown for 4,500 yards the same year -- Dan Marino (5,084) and Neil Lomax (4,614) in 1984.

What Frank doesn't mention is that this is also the first year that strict new pass interference rules went into effect. Cornerbacks weren't allowed to so much as breath on a receiver without drawing a flag.

The Houston Chronicle reported way back in August that Texan's coach Dom Capers had to send a tape to the NFL asking for clarification on just what was pass interference and what wasn't.

The play in question involved cornerback Jason Bell, who had position down the sideline but was called for pass interference when he turned around to look for the ball and leaned into a Dolphins receiver. The rule states that a defensive back can have no illegal contact with a receiver once he is five yards past the line of scrimmage.

"Anytime you have shoulder position and you're looking back for the ball I don't think it's a foul," Capers said. "I just want to get clarified on that because he did things exactly how we coached him out here on the practice field. You don't ever want to be coaching something that's going to get called in the game."

Having corners play further off the receiver is bound to net more yards and more touchdowns. That concept seems to have escaped the sports writers who are busy raving about shattered records.