Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has expressed his delight at having broken the record for number of touchdown passes in a single season during last night's match against the Houston Texans.

Manning threw four scoring passes in a 37-13 win for his side, taking himself to 51 for the season, one more than the previous record set by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in 2007.

The result, coupled with the Kansas City Chiefs' defeat to the Indianapolis Colts, saw the Broncos clinch their third consecutive AFC West title, and Manning has stressed that, although the record was a "special" moment for him, the most important thing was the result.

"It was very special. Very rarely during an NFL game do you get to have a moment like that," Manning told The AP.

"I think it's a unique thing and a neat thing to be a part of NFL history, even though it may be temporary. So I'm going to enjoy it as long as it lasts, and hopefully the Hall of Fame will send the ball back once somebody throws for more.

"This only means something because it helped our team win games and we won the division today in a competitive AFC West. That's a good thing."

Manning threw his record-breaking pass to Julius Thomas and revealed after the match that he was not surprised by Thomas's failure to keep the ball after the historic play.

"It wouldn't have surprised me if Julius would have went and handed it to some babe up in the stands, trying to get her phone number in exchange for the ball. That would be right up Julius's alley," the 37-year-old added.

Manning has a chance to extend his record even further when the Broncos take on the Oakland Raiders in their final match of the regular season next Sunday.