Oh the irony. I love a story that just drips of it and with it. Monday night on one of the world’s biggest sports stages Drew Brees cloaked himself in it.

Brees quarterbacked the New Orleans Saints to a home pounding of the Atlanta Falcons 45-16. But that wasn’t the ironic part. He threw for 307 yards on 23 of 39 passes. But that wasn’t the ironic part. He set an NFL record by tossing his 12th 300 yard game this season. But that wasn’t the ironic part.

With one game left in the 2011 season, he surpassed Dan Marino as the all-time single season passing leader. That’s the ironic part.

A 9-yarder to Darren Sproles with 2:50 left in the blowout put him three yards ahead of Marino’s 1984 record with one game still to play. The real irony is he broke the record of a Miami Dolphin. With a little luck and some brains (by Dolphin brass in 2006) Brees would have been in a Dolphins’ jersey not a Saints’ one when he broke Darling Dan’s record.

History has proven the Dolphins’ choice in 2006 to be a colossal failure. They had Brees in their grasp. After many years of searching for the heir apparent to the great Marino, Miami was ready to sign the quarterback but decided to trade for the Vikings’ Daunte Culpepper instead because they were nervous about Brees’ previously injured rotator cuff. Hence, the Fins signed the wrong quarterback, again.

To add insult to that injury, Brees not only has broken Marino’s record, but he also led the Saints to the Lombardi Trophy in 2009. Oh the irony!

So last night, on the Monday Night Football stage, the one that got away passed the one they love as the single season best. The same Dolfans that celebrated when the Packers lost to the Chiefs a few weeks ago, cried last night. The past was very kind to the Dolphins, the present, not so much.

It is true that the NFL could have two quarterbacks break Marino’s record if the Patriots’ Tom Brady throws for at least 188 yards next week at home versus the Bills. He could even surpass Brees, but that would mop up some of the irony.

Drew Brees is in the midst of a Hall of Fame career and continues to put up not only great numbers but the all important wins needed to return to the Super Bowl. He can extend his all-time single season record next week when the Saints host Carolina.

Monday night after the game he got a tweet from the very HOFer whose record he had just broke. Marino wrote, “Great job by such a special player.”

Marino once held all the major passing records in the NFL. One by one, they are being bested by quarterbacks that did something Marino never did. Win a Super Bowl.

Ah the irony.