Best QB Ever? (1 Viewer)

[PizzaDeliveryGuy]

Bernie Kosar FTW.

 

[Godsbrother]

Bradshaw. Dude was money in big games but most people in the Shark Pool only look at stats and have concluded he sucked.

How can you leave out a QB with 4 Super Bowl championships? Sure, the first couple were won with Franco and the D, but Bradshaw took over the last two. Brady, Montana, and Young were a product of the system. Marino never got it done. Elway didn't get it done until they got a dominant running game. Favre can win one for you or lose it for you, the ultimate gunslinger. Manning, well........last Sunday (case in point).So don't tell me that Bradshaw wasn't "great" because he wasn't the focal point of the team. You can point out flaws in every QB.

based on the limited votes for "Other" so far, I feel pretty confident that the correct names were chosen here.Bradshaw has the rings but he doesn't normally get talked about as one of the best QBs ever. Great running game and defense certainly played a big role in the Steelers success.

It is hard to evaluate the Bradshaws and Aikmans because they had tremendous supporting casts and were just above average regular season QB's by the numbers. However, they each played near perfect postseasons multiple times in those title years.

Bradshaw played in an era where the league wasn't as pass happy as it was now. The bottom line is he almost always came through in the playoffs and always in the SB when it mattered most. I would not begin to argue that he is the best QB of all time but if I had to pick a QB to win me a postseason game it would be Bradshaw.

 

[Casting Couch]

Montana and Brady are the 2 best "Big Game" QBs ever, imo.

 

[Ron_Mexico]

Montana and Brady are the 2 best "Big Game" QBs ever, imo.

concur

 

[boubucarow]

Bradshaw. Dude was money in big games but most people in the Shark Pool only look at stats and have concluded he sucked.

How can you leave out a QB with 4 Super Bowl championships? Sure, the first couple were won with Franco and the D, but Bradshaw took over the last two. Brady, Montana, and Young were a product of the system. Marino never got it done. Elway didn't get it done until they got a dominant running game. Favre can win one for you or lose it for you, the ultimate gunslinger. Manning, well........last Sunday (case in point).So don't tell me that Bradshaw wasn't "great" because he wasn't the focal point of the team. You can point out flaws in every QB.

based on the limited votes for "Other" so far, I feel pretty confident that the correct names were chosen here.Bradshaw has the rings but he doesn't normally get talked about as one of the best QBs ever. Great running game and defense certainly played a big role in the Steelers success.

It is hard to evaluate the Bradshaws and Aikmans because they had tremendous supporting casts and were just above average regular season QB's by the numbers. However, they each played near perfect postseasons multiple times in those title years.

Bradshaw played in an era where the league wasn't as pass happy as it was now. The bottom line is he almost always came through in the playoffs and always in the SB when it mattered most. I would not begin to argue that he is the best QB of all time but if I had to pick a QB to win me a postseason game it would be Bradshaw.

You are right about Bradshaw as far as the playoffs. However, in the regular season he was basically a slightly above average QB by the numbers when compared to his contemporaries. He had a career QB rating plus of 105 with 100 being the league average during his playing career. He had a couple random years in the 120's but usually was between 100-110 which is average to slightly above average.

 

[boubucarow]

Montana and Brady are the 2 best "Big Game" QBs ever, imo.

concur

Montana was so much better than Brady in the playoffs along with a few other quarterbacks. Brady was along for the ride for the first title, didn't take over until the Super Bowl game the second title, and not until the third did he play extremely well during the entire playoff run. Since then, he has had at least one game with 2 picks thrown in every single playoff. No doubt he has been better than Manning in the playoffs but Kurt Warner has been a more consistent playoff performer than both.

 

[Floyd The Barber]

In the Super Bowl Era. One player in prime to win one game. All things equal...

Joe Montana

Kurt Warner

Tom Brady

 

[TC]

I voted like this:1. Montana2. Brady3. Young

The very same vote from me.

 

[scooterg61]

So when you have a question about who you want to win The One Big Game, how would it be anybody but Joe Montana.

First of all, I think Joe Montana is probably the best QB of all time.However, there is no doubt that he benefited from Bill Walsh and his system. Montana became a master of that and in that system. He also benefited from terrific surrounding talent on both sides of the ball (the 49ers' defenses in their SB winning years are vastly underrated), and he performed in a much different free agency era. So, I would say if it's down to just One Big Game, I would much rather have either A. a QB who was terrific at managing a game if I feel the other 52 players are better than our opponents or B. a QB who single handedly could win us a game if our talent is inferior to our opponent's. In the first case, I would say that Montana's still a top 3 choice but not in the latter.In either case, I can think of quite a few scenarios where I wouldn't want Montana as my QB for the Big Game despite the fact that I think he's probably the best QB of all time.

montana?? beest?? no way.. i could have thrown and operated that team.. that team was loaded both sides of the ball.. cant give montana that... elway and favre had far more average teams under them.. those 2 by far.. starr was awesome.. but look at the team he had also... elway had nadda but average players.. maybe few stars.. favre had no one to thrown to.. HE MADE freeman and company.. they were nothing.. just like rice,schancoe were nothing til favre came and made them great.... my vote is for an under acheiving team... favre easy.. elway close close 2nd.... average team.. manning.. he had a great year

 

[Spartans Rule]

montana?? beest?? no way.. i could have thrown and operated that team.. that team was loaded both sides of the ball.. cant give montana that...

What do you mean by "that team"? Montana started for the 49ers for 10 years and oddly enough, they didn't keep the same roster the whole time.Montana started for 4 years and won 2 Super Bowls before Rice got there. I don't think too many people would consider Dwight Clark and Freddie Solomon at WR and Ricky Patton and Earl Cooper at RB to be an all-time great supporting cast on offense.

 

[KingEl]

montana?? beest?? no way.. i could have thrown and operated that team.. that team was loaded both sides of the ball.. cant give montana that...

What do you mean by "that team"? Montana started for the 49ers for 10 years and oddly enough, they didn't keep the same roster the whole time.Montana started for 4 years and won 2 Super Bowls before Rice got there. I don't think too many people would consider Dwight Clark and Freddie Solomon at WR and Ricky Patton and Earl Cooper at RB to be an all-time great supporting cast on offense.

Not to mention an older and skills partly robbed from injuries Montana leading a sub par KC team with a miraculous playoff win in Pitts, and beating a supposedly unbeatable Houston team to go to the AFC Championship. The next year out dueling Elway in the greatest Monday night game ever and beating Young and the 49ers..

 

[IHEARTFF]

montana?? beest?? no way.. i could have thrown and operated that team.. that team was loaded both sides of the ball.. cant give montana that...

What do you mean by "that team"? Montana started for the 49ers for 10 years and oddly enough, they didn't keep the same roster the whole time.Montana started for 4 years and won 2 Super Bowls before Rice got there. I don't think too many people would consider Dwight Clark and Freddie Solomon at WR and Ricky Patton and Earl Cooper at RB to be an all-time great supporting cast on offense.

Not to mention an older and skills partly robbed from injuries Montana leading a sub par KC team with a miraculous playoff win in Pitts, and beating a supposedly unbeatable Houston team to go to the AFC Championship. The next year out dueling Elway in the greatest Monday night game ever and beating Young and the 49ers..

These guys disagree:RB Marcus Allen 6 pro bowls, HOF

FB Kimble Anders 3 pro bowls

LT John Alt 2 pro bowls

LG Dave Szott 1 1st-team all-pro

C Tim Grunhard 1 pro bowl

RG Will Shields 12 pro bowls, future HOF

DE Neil Smith 6 pro bowls

DE Dan Saleaumua 1 pro bowl

LB Derrick Thomas 9 pro bowls, HOF

CB Albert Lewis 4 pro bowls

CB Dale Carter 4 pro bowls

FS Kevin Ross 2 pro bowls

 

[IHEARTFF]

Montana and Brady are the 2 best "Big Game" QBs ever, imo.

concur

Montana was so much better than Brady in the playoffs along with a few other quarterbacks. Brady was along for the ride for the first title, didn't take over until the Super Bowl game the second title, and not until the third did he play extremely well during the entire playoff run. Since then, he has had at least one game with 2 picks thrown in every single playoff. No doubt he has been better than Manning in the playoffs but Kurt Warner has been a more consistent playoff performer than both.

Oh really?Peyton Manning in 18 career playoff games

435 completions

692 attempts

62.8% completion percentage

5164 yards

7.46 y/a

28 TDs

19 INTs

87.6 QB Rating

Tom Brady in 18 career playoff games

395 completions

637 attempts

62.0% completion percentage

4108 yards

6.45 y/a

28 TDs

15 INTs

85.5 QB Rating

 

[Billy1x]

Assuming top defense and mediocre line and offense AND no prior experience working with offense then it has to be guys that can call a street game. i aslo assume the QB will not run past the line of scimmage.

Favre

Marino

Tarkington (mainly because nobody could tackle him)

 

[Ghost Rider]

While he is not in the conversation of best QBs ever, I would like to have seen Kurt Warner in this poll; his postseason numbers were just awesome.

Anyway, my picks were:

1. Young

2. Elway

3. Montana

 

[Tanner9919]

Let's assume the team would be average in every other way (coaches, offensive line, running game, receivers, defense, etc.) but you get to pick one QB playing healthy in the prime of his career to try and win a single game. Also, assume you don't know what your opponent will be like or what the weather/game conditions will be either.

Who do you take?

you mention that we don't know what the weather would be like..so with that being said, Manning and Warner and the other indoor QB's probably drop a few levels on this poll..

No one has mentioned Jim Kelly ..he could play in bad weather games better than anyone not named Elway..Kelly, in his prime, was a great QB...he could play well in rain,snow, mud, or the warmer climates..22 fourth quarter comebacks, 29 game-winning drives..yeah he lost 4 SBs but he got the Bills to the SB's in the first place! he ran into buzzsaws in 3 of them, no one was beating the Redskins or the Cowboys ( 2x)...the one game he should have won was the Giants game, and only for Scott Norwood , Kelly would be more highly thought of as an all-time great...

but his postseason record was just 9-8, so that hurts him..

Favre is a mudder, too..we've seen him win the blizzard-type games, the rainy monsoon type of games, etc, same with Young...

in must-win games in unknown weather conditions, I've got to go with the guys who have great playoff records who can play well in any kind of weather...

Starr , 9-1 postseason..when he absolutely positively had to win a game, he did..in all kinds of weather..

Graham - all those titles have to mean something, the guy made a career out of playing in 'big games'.

Elway - always has an average team and always made the most of it, winning a lot of big games on all his own, and you mentioned the team was all-around average..

Big Ben - 8-2 career postseason. All this guy does is win big games, in all kinds of weather...stellar postseason stats, from QB rating to comp % to TD/Int ratio...

Brady won titles with no-names and avg players at all positions, sans for Dillon..but spygate *might* hurt him a bit here..

 

[Godsbrother]

Let's assume the team would be average in every other way (coaches, offensive line, running game, receivers, defense, etc.) but you get to pick one QB playing healthy in the prime of his career to try and win a single game. Also, assume you don't know what your opponent will be like or what the weather/game conditions will be either.

Who do you take?

you mention that we don't know what the weather would be like..so with that being said, Manning and Warner and the other indoor QB's probably drop a few levels on this poll..

No one has mentioned Jim Kelly ..he could play in bad weather games better than anyone not named Elway..Kelly, in his prime, was a great QB...he could play well in rain,snow, mud, or the warmer climates..22 fourth quarter comebacks, 29 game-winning drives..yeah he lost 4 SBs but he got the Bills to the SB's in the first place! he ran into buzzsaws in 3 of them, no one was beating the Redskins or the Cowboys ( 2x)...the one game he should have won was the Giants game, and only for Scott Norwood , Kelly would be more highly thought of as an all-time great...

but his postseason record was just 9-8, so that hurts him..

Favre is a mudder, too..we've seen him win the blizzard-type games, the rainy monsoon type of games, etc, same with Young...

in must-win games in unknown weather conditions, I've got to go with the guys who have great playoff records who can play well in any kind of weather...

Starr , 9-1 postseason..when he absolutely positively had to win a game, he did..in all kinds of weather..

Graham - all those titles have to mean something, the guy made a career out of playing in 'big games'.

Elway - always has an average team and always made the most of it, winning a lot of big games on all his own, and you mentioned the team was all-around average..

Big Ben - 8-2 career postseason. All this guy does is win big games, in all kinds of weather...stellar postseason stats, from QB rating to comp % to TD/Int ratio...

Brady won titles with no-names and avg players at all positions, sans for Dillon..but spygate *might* hurt him a bit here..

I agree with all of this though I still think Bradshaw is underappreciated, probably due to the fact that many posters never saw him play. I was forunate enough to go to every home game he ever played and let me tell you Bradshaw was a great big game QB. He called his own plays and has a 14-5 playoff record, including going 4-0 in the SB and he was involved in the one of, if not the most famous play in NFL history. Bradshaw was at his best in big games.

 

[boubucarow]

Montana and Brady are the 2 best "Big Game" QBs ever, imo.

concur

Montana was so much better than Brady in the playoffs along with a few other quarterbacks. Brady was along for the ride for the first title, didn't take over until the Super Bowl game the second title, and not until the third did he play extremely well during the entire playoff run. Since then, he has had at least one game with 2 picks thrown in every single playoff. No doubt he has been better than Manning in the playoffs but Kurt Warner has been a more consistent playoff performer than both.

Oh really?Peyton Manning in 18 career playoff games

435 completions

692 attempts

62.8% completion percentage

5164 yards

7.46 y/a

28 TDs

19 INTs

87.6 QB Rating

Tom Brady in 18 career playoff games

395 completions

637 attempts

62.0% completion percentage

4108 yards

6.45 y/a

28 TDs

15 INTs

85.5 QB Rating

To me, overall ratings in the playoffs are not the whole story. To me, how many times did your QB play a postseason in which he played well enough to carry a team to the playoffs, how many did he play well enough not to cost his team a game, and how many did he play poorly enough to need a tremendous effort from his supporting cast for a chance at victory.In 2001's Playoff run, Brady threw only 1 pick and his ratings by game were 70.4, 84.3 (CC), and 86.2 (SB). In 2003's run, his ratings by game were 73.3, 76.1 (CC), and 100.5 (SB) with 1 pick thrown in 2 different games. In 2004's run, his ratings by game were 92.2, 130.5 (CC), and 110.2 (SB) and he didn't throw a pick.

So during three Super Bowl runs, Brady carried his team to one title and played well enough not to cost his team the other two. He never had a poor game though he did have 3 average games. He never threw more than 1 pick in a game during the three years. Yes, Brady has struggled since. But on three different occasions when his team played at least 2 games, he gave his team a chance to win every playoff game he played and in one full playoff year, he played like an elite QB in all three games of the run.

As for Manning, this year past was his best postseason run. His ratings were 87.9, 123.6, and 88.5 with 1 picks in 2 different games. He played well but Brady's 2004 run was the better performance. In the other Super Bowl run for the Colts, Manning's ratings were 71.9, 39.6, 79.1, 81.8 with at least one pick in every game and 7 picks overall. In that 2nd game, he played poor enough to force his teammates to win the game despite him. The rest of the games were the he did good enough to not cost his team the game. In 2003, he played great in the first two games (158.3, 138.7) but in the CC game, he threw 4 picks on his way to a 35.5 rating. In 2004, he had a 145.7 rating in the opening game and a 69.3 rating when eliminated with a pick in each game.

You could possibly argue that Manning played well enough to carry his team to a title this year. But even if he gets that credit, there is only one other year in which his team played at least two games in the playoffs where he didn't play poor enough to force his team to win despite him. And in that year, his 69.3 rated game resulted in 3 points on the Patriots.

Basically I am looking at the fact that Brady has put his team in a position to win a Super Bowl more often than Manning by playing well enough during an entire playoff run. Since 2004, Manning has been the better postseason QB but he falls short in comparison to Brady in putting together performances in multiple consecutive playoff games that either carries his team or allows his team to win.

Granted, I don't think the playoff advantage is enough to ensure Brady > Manning overall.

 

[dgreen]

Montana, Unitas, Young

 

[Black&Gold]

Let's assume the team would be average in every other way (coaches, offensive line, running game, receivers, defense, etc.) but you get to pick one QB playing healthy in the prime of his career to try and win a single game. Also, assume you don't know what your opponent will be like or what the weather/game conditions will be either.

Who do you take?

you mention that we don't know what the weather would be like..so with that being said, Manning and Warner and the other indoor QB's probably drop a few levels on this poll..

No one has mentioned Jim Kelly ..he could play in bad weather games better than anyone not named Elway..Kelly, in his prime, was a great QB...he could play well in rain,snow, mud, or the warmer climates..22 fourth quarter comebacks, 29 game-winning drives..yeah he lost 4 SBs but he got the Bills to the SB's in the first place! he ran into buzzsaws in 3 of them, no one was beating the Redskins or the Cowboys ( 2x)...the one game he should have won was the Giants game, and only for Scott Norwood , Kelly would be more highly thought of as an all-time great...

but his postseason record was just 9-8, so that hurts him..

Favre is a mudder, too..we've seen him win the blizzard-type games, the rainy monsoon type of games, etc, same with Young...

in must-win games in unknown weather conditions, I've got to go with the guys who have great playoff records who can play well in any kind of weather...

Starr , 9-1 postseason..when he absolutely positively had to win a game, he did..in all kinds of weather..

Graham - all those titles have to mean something, the guy made a career out of playing in 'big games'.

Elway - always has an average team and always made the most of it, winning a lot of big games on all his own, and you mentioned the team was all-around average..

Big Ben - 8-2 career postseason. All this guy does is win big games, in all kinds of weather...stellar postseason stats, from QB rating to comp % to TD/Int ratio...

Brady won titles with no-names and avg players at all positions, sans for Dillon..but spygate *might* hurt him a bit here..

I agree with all of this though I still think Bradshaw is underappreciated, probably due to the fact that many posters never saw him play. I was forunate enough to go to every home game he ever played and let me tell you Bradshaw was a great big game QB. He called his own plays and has a 14-5 playoff record, including going 4-0 in the SB and he was involved in the one of, if not the most famous play in NFL history. Bradshaw was at his best in big games.

jealous