grego Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/The-top-10-Super-Bowl-quarterbacks?urn=nfl-316996 This is the first of many Super Bowl lists we'll put up at Shutdown Corner, and we might as well start with the quarterbacks. Not every Super Bowl has been won with a great quarterback at the helm, but since 23 of 44 possible MVPs have been quarterbacks, it's a good place to begin. Before the arguments set off, this list is just about which quarterbacks have been the greatest Super Bowl performers, win or lose. The "Greatest of All Time" argument is for another day; this is our take on the top 10 for the NFL's biggest game. Neither quarterback playing in Super Bowl XLV -- Ben Roethlisberger(notes) and Aaron Rodgers(notes) -- is on this list, but each one has a very realistic shot at an all-time legacy under the right circumstances. 1. Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers Money, money, money. The clutchiest quarterback of all time forged his reputation in four Super Bowls through the 1980s. Montana was impressive enough when he was beating the daylights out of the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos, but the two Super Bowls the 49ers won against the Cincinnati Bengals (by a total of nine points, and especially in Super Bowl XXXIII, when his 92-yard, last-minute drive was the difference) forever defined him as the perpetually unflappable, viciously accurate quarterback with the even pulse and the killer instinct. He holds Super Bowl records for highest passer rating (127.8), most consecutive completions (13, against the Broncos in XXIV), and best touchdown-to-interception ratio (11-0). 2. Kurt Warner(notes), St. Louis Rams/Arizona Cardinals A controversial pick over Brady to be sure, but Warner proves the fallacy of the "quarterback win" in Super Bowl competition -- when it comes to pure performance, he has done as well as any player we've ever seen. His two Super Bowl "losses" are by a total of seven points and both at the very last second, and his Super Bowl win came at the expense of the Tennessee Titans, who came up 1-yard short in the most famous goal-line play ever. His three games are the three highest passing-yardage games in Super Bowl history (414, 377, and 365 yards). Two of those games were with the Greatest Show on Turf, and the third was with an Arizona Cardinals team that completely fell apart upon his retirement. 3. Tom Brady(notes), New England Patriots The only way you're ever going to be "the next Montana" is to bag a few Super Bowls, and Brady has obviously fit the bill. He's also been the engine of the only team to win 14 or more games in a decade, which may be even more impressive. We saw the first glimmer of greatness as Brady was driving downfield in Super Bowl XXXVI, as he got Adam Vinatieri(notes) in field-goal range against Warner's Rams. His team's wins and losses have all been close in the great game, but he's solidified his name as the best quarterback of the salary-cap era by putting up amazing performances in all four of his appearances, including New England's loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, when he set the Super Bowl record for most passes in a game without an interception. 4. Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers Yes, he had Franco Harris, a ridiculous cadre of receivers, and the greatest defense in NFL history in his four Super Bowls, but Bradshaw was the rightful MVP of the Steelers' third and fourth Super Bowl wins, and someone had to throw all those NFL Films chestnut catches by Lynn Swann and John Stallworth. Bradshaw did his magic in a different era, when completion percentage was less of an issue and the downfield bomb was a primary weapon -- as such, it's not a surprise that he holds the record for the highest-average career pass gain of any Super Bowl quarterback (an incredible 11.10 yards per completion). He's the only quarterback in Super Bowl history to average more than a first down per pass attempt, which helps ensure his place near the top of this list. 5. Bart Starr, Green Bay Packers You thought that the Lombardi Packers were all about the ground game and defense? Wrong, Cheesehead-breath! By the time the first two Super Bowls came around, the Green Bay offense was as much about Starr's ability to throw the deep ball. In an era when a 200-yard passing game was considered a good day, Starr finished his Super Bowl résumé with 452 passing yards in two games, a long pass of 62 yards, three touchdowns, and the first two MVP awards. The ultimate "game manager" closed out the Lombardi era as he began it -- as the personification of the Lombardi philosophy. click link for the rest. interesting- williams super bowl performance was ranked the #1 by NFL network (regardless of position), but doesnt make this list. by the authors criteria (in bold) he has to be top 2 or 3, no? edit- i think many here are missing the point of the article- it is this " Before the arguments set off, this list is just about which quarterbacks have been the greatest Super Bowl performers, win or lose.The "Greatest of All Time" argument is for another day; this is our take on the top 10 for the NFL's biggest game. this isnt about what QB's went to the most super bowls, its about what super bowl QB's had the greatest games. hopefully that clears up the confusion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Washington Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Doug had an amazing 2nd quarter but he wasn't a great QB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grego Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 Doug had an amazing 2nd quarter but he wasn't a great QB. right, but look at the authors criteria in the first paragraph. heres an espn list from 3 years ago on the same subject. williams is #3. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/news/story?id=3204599 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman21ST Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 interesting- williams super bowl perfromance was ranked the #1 by NFL network (regardless of position), but doesnt make this list. by the authors criteria (in bold) he has to be top 2 or 3, no? 10. Drew Brees, New Orleans SaintsWHAT? No Ben Roethlisberger on this list? Not quite yet. If Big Ben defines a Steelers win in Super Bowl XLV as he did in XLIII, he'll hit the middle of the all-timers, but the stinkbomb he put up in Super Bowl XL is still a blotch on the record. I'd rather add Brees to this list -- in his one Super Bowl opportunity, he brought the Saints back from a 10-0 deficit (tied for the greatest opening deficit overcome with the Doug Williams Redskins) with his ruthless efficiency. We remember the Tracy Porter(notes) interception and Sean Payton's decision to open the second half of Super Bowl XLIV with an onside kick, but Brees' 33-of-40 performance, in which he threw for 290 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, was the difference against Peyton Manning(notes) and the Colts. Odd - they even mention Williams in the entry, but I would think that the 35 point quarter would set him in the top ten performances. Just another Redskin snub. Congrats to Hanburger on the HOF! Hail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsFTW Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Some errors in that one: Joe Montana wasn't even in SB 33. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Jones Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Troy Aikman is probably the biggest and most confusing snub on this list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsFTW Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 No idea why Plunkett is on there, lol. Could have easily put Williams in. Plunkett? Are you kidding me? I'd even kinda understand Aikman, but Plunkett and no Aikman or Doug Williams? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkabong82 Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 It's yahoo sports, so I've come to expect bad articles from them, this one being no exception. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grego Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 Troy Aikman is probably the biggest and most confusing snub on this list. aikmans game in SB XXVII was good (22-30, 273 yards, 4 TD, 0 interceptions)- excellent, even, but i would still argue that williams had the jaw drop factor. but, no need to nit pick, cuz they both should be in the top 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasaurus Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Rodger being ranked 7th is a complete joke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danmanj Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 I think Warner is a little high imo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsFTW Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Rodger being ranked 7th is a complete joke Who the hell is Rodger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasaurus Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Who the hell is Rodger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grego Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 'rodger'. lol. tex, where should roger be ranked? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scruffylookin Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Well that list has QBs that quarterbacked in multiple Super Bowls with the exception of Young and Brees. So first off the real "snub" on this list is, as others have pointed out, Troy Aikman. But judging just the two one Super Bowl guys listed, Young belongs on this list ahead of Williams. No question. So that just leaves Brees vs Williams for #10 and since I feel Aikman, based on most of this list, should be on it anyway I really don't care about the Brees vs Williams argument since neither should be in the top 10 if Aikman is put in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TradeTheBeal! Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Look...I hate the Boys as much as anyone but Aikman should be somewhere on this list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grego Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 Well that list has QBs that quarterbacked in multiple Super Bowls with the exception of Young and Brees. So first off the real "snub" on this list is, as others have pointed out, Troy Aikman. But judging just the two one Super Bowl guys listed, Young belongs on this list ahead of Williams. No question. So that just leaves Brees vs Williams for #10 and since I feel Aikman, based on most of this list, should be on it anyway I really don't care about the Brees vs Williams argument since neither should be in the top 10 if Aikman is put in there. Look...I hate the Boys as much as anyone but Aikman should be somewhere on this list. i think you guys (and a couple of others) missed the point of the list. i added some emphasis in the OP to try to clear it up, but this list, according to the author, is about what super bowl QB's had the most impressive games. aikman played in multiple super bowls, as did others, but didnt necessarily have the biggest games. williams did, therefore, it appears he got snubbed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman21ST Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Who the hell is Rodger? Tex is calling for him to have a hell of a game, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCranon21 Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 The fact that Warner is above a 4-time Super Bowl winning QB and Aikman isn't even on the list, makes it a sham in my opinion. Sorry, can't have a QB that is 1-2 in the big game vs a QB who is 4-0 or 3-0. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hitman21ST Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 The fact that Warner is above a 4-time Super Bowl winning QB and Aikman isn't even on the list, makes it a sham in my opinion. Sorry, can't have a QB that is 1-2 in the big game vs a QB who is 4-0 or 3-0. FWIW, Warner has had the top two, just based on stats, QB performances in Super Bowl history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grego Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 The fact that Warner is above a 4-time Super Bowl winning QB and Aikman isn't even on the list, makes it a sham in my opinion. Sorry, can't have a QB that is 1-2 in the big game vs a QB who is 4-0 or 3-0. jeezey petes. read the bolded criteria in the OP please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsFTW Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 jeezey petes. read the bolded criteria in the OP please! Justify Plunkett then. Aikman had better games, was in 3 to Plunlett's 2. Williams had a better game then Brees. I really don't get Plunkett even being near the top 15. ---------- Post added February-7th-2011 at 06:33 AM ---------- Tex is calling for him to have a hell of a game, I guess. Too bad Tex wasn't running our draft in 05. We'd have ended up with Aaron Rodgers instead of feet for hands Carlos Rogers. I vote for Tex as our next GM is this current deal doesn't work out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grego Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 Justify Plunkett then.Aikman had better games, was in 3 to Plunlett's 2. Williams had a better game then Brees. I really don't get Plunkett even being near the top 15. oh, i'm with you. plunkett doesnt belong in the top ten. aikman does for one if his games, and williams definitely does for his SB performance. i was referring to the posters who are reading the article as an 'all time best QB' thing, rather than solely their SB performances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimmySmith Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Aikman and Big Ben should replace Brees and Staubach. Brees should not even be ahead of Williams. Heck, Phil Simms should be ahead of him. ---------- Post added February-7th-2011 at 01:51 PM ---------- Justify Plunkett then.Plunkett went 2-0 and has the 2nd best career passer rating in SB history of 122.83. (Montana is 1). Plunkett is a slam dunk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grego Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 Aikman and Big Ben should replace Brees and Staubach. Brees should not even be ahead of Williams. Heck, Phil Simms should be ahead of him.---------- Post added February-7th-2011 at 01:51 PM ---------- Plunkett went 2-0 and has the 2nd best career passer rating in SB history of 122.83. (Montana is 1). Plunkett is a slam dunk. if plunkett is a slam dunk, who, from this list below, would you bump? (this is a partial espn list on the same subject that i'm more inclined to agree with than the yahoo one) ----------------------------------- 1. Joe Montana, 49ers, Super Bowl XXIV (1990) Stats: 22-29, 297 yards, 5 TD, 0 interceptions in a 55-10 win over Broncos. Montana was spectacular in winning his third Super Bowl MVP, throwing for a then-record five TDs and completing 76 percent of his passes against a Broncos team that boasted the top scoring defense in the NFL that season. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Steve Young, 49ers, Super Bowl XXIX (1995) Stats: 24-36, 325 yards, 6 TD, 0 interceptions in 49-26 win over Chargers. Young set a Super Bowl record with six TD passes against a helpless Chargers defense. Young also led the 49ers with 49 yards rushing. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Doug Williams, Redskins, Super Bowl XXII (1988) Stats: 18-29, 340 yards, 4 TD, 1 interception in 42-10 win over Broncos. Williams started only two games in the 1987 regular season, but he was in top form, rallying the Redskins from an early 10-0 deficit. The Redskins scored touchdowns on five consecutive drives in the second quarter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Terry Bradshaw, Steelers, Super Bowl XIII (1979) Stats: 17-30, 318 yards, 4 TD, 1 interception in 35-31 win over Cowboys. Bradshaw set a then-Super Bowl record with his four TD passes in winning the third of his four SB titles. This was the first time in his Hall of Fame career that he threw for more than 300 yards in a game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Joe Montana, 49ers, Super Bowl XIX (1985) Stats: 24-35, 331 yards, 4 TD (1 rush), 0 interceptions in 38-16 win over Dolphins. Montana beat Dan Marino and the Dolphins through the air with three touchdowns and another score on the ground. His 59 yards rushing were more than San Francisco star running back Roger Craig had. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Phil Simms, Giants, Super Bowl XXI (1987) Stats: 22-25, 268 yards, 3 TD, 0 interceptions in 39-20 win over Broncos. Simms was masterful in setting a Super Bowl record by completing 88 percent of his passes, including 10 in a row. "This might be the best game a quarterback has ever played," Giants coach Bill Parcells said afterward. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Troy Aikman, Cowboys, Super Bowl XXVII (1993) Stats: 22-30, 273 yards, 4 TD, 0 interceptions in 52-17 win over Bills. Aikman, who was named MVP, was part of a dominating offensive performance; he completed 73 percent of his passes and orchestrated quick scoring drives. "This game meant everything to me," Aikman said. "No matter what happens from here on out, I can say I took my team to a Super Bowl victory." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8. Kurt Warner, Rams, Super Bowl XXXIV (2000) Stats: 24-45, 414 yards, 2 TD, 0 interceptions in 23-16 win over Titans. Warner led "The Greatest Show on Turf," becoming the first and only player to pass for more than 400 yards in a Super Bowl. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9. Joe Montana, 49ers, Super Bowl XXIII (1989) Stats: 23-36, 357 yards, 2 TD, 0 interceptions in 20-16 win over Bengals. Montana's second TD pass was the game winner, a 10-yard strike to John Taylor with 34 seconds left. San Francisco dominated offensively, outgaining the Bengals 453 yards to 229. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10. Tom Brady, Patriots, Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004) Stats: 32-48, 354 yards, 3 TD, 1 interception in 32-29 win over Panthers. Brady outdueled Jake Delhomme with a Super Bowl-record 32 completions. He led the drive that set up Adam Vinatieri's game-winning field goal with four seconds remaining. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/news/story?id=3204599 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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