Best Four Quarterbacks Of The Last 25 Years

[FFan]

From 2001 through 2006, Brady's support cast was nothing special. In those six seasons he played with only two offensive Pro Bowlers. Dillon in '04 and Brown in '01 (who only made the Pro Bowl as an alternate).

In 2001 Brady was essentially a rookie. He took over a team that had lost 19 of its previous 26 games and led them to 14 wins in 17 starts including the first Super Bowl Championship in Patriots history.

Now, sit back for a second and think about that. Think about all the "sure thing" prospects that come into this league and the amount of time it takes for them to develop into prime time players.

Winning in this league is no easy task and yet Brady's been doing it since day one. And again, it's not like he took over a team coming off a Super Bowl appearance like Dan Marino did in '83. Brady took over a team that had only won seven times in it's previous 26 games. And he did it with a team with little offensive firepower and a defense that ranked 24th in the league (only 31 teams back then).

That's your problem. Stats don't determine greatness. Look at the college game. Every year there is some guy from some run-n-shoot type of offense putting up the most incredible stats you've ever seen. Rarely, if ever, have those quarterbacks been ranked high on NFL draft boards.

NFL teams don't look at players stats to determine who they draft. They look at their skill sets. They try to evaluate their talent.

Compiling stats, more than anything, is a result of the "SYSTEM". That's the same for every quarterback. If you play in an offense that throws the ball 40 times every game you're going to have bigger stats than they guy who only throws it 20 times per game.

Brady wasn't a better quarterback last year than he was in 2006 or 2005. He put up bigger numbers b/c he was surrounded by better talent. I'd argue that 2006 or maybe 2003 were Brady's most impressive seasons. In 2003 the Patriots had one of the worst running games in the league. I can't remember a team ever winning the Super Bowl with a worse running game.

In 2006, Brady was surrounded by the worst talent he ever had. The running game was bad. The receivers didn't even belong in this league and yet Brady somehow pulled out a 12-4 season, a shocking upset of the 14-2 Chargers on the road in the playoffs, and then nearly beat the Colts in the AFC Championship game. If Caldwell didn't have butter fingers they would have won that game.

No quarterback has ever done more with less than Tom Brady did between 2001 and 2006. And of course, in 2007, surrounded by top tier talent for the first time in his career, no quarterback ever did more....PERIOD.

Think about that. We're talking about a guy who has done more with less than anyone else and then when he finally gets some talent to play with, he goes out and rewrites the record books while leading his team to the league's first 16-0 regular season.

This isn't even a debate. Brady is not just the best quarterback to ever play the game, he's the best by a wide margin.

I mean, seriously, he's had only seven seasons in this league and in those seven seasons, he's played in five (5) AFC Championship games, four (4) Super Bowls, and won three (3) championships.

If that level of achievement doesn't earn you props, then nothing ever could. He's done more as a quarterback in his seven seasons than any other player ever did in any seven year stretch of their careers. And he did it all before he even turned 31 years old.

Oh really????? Here are the facts.

Favre:

254 regular season starts, 161 wins - 93 losses, .633 winning pct.

22 playoff starts, 12 wins - 10 losses, .545 winning pct. (39 TD - 28 INT's)

276 total starts, 173 wins - 103 losses, .626 winning pct.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/F/FavrBr00.htm

Brady:

111 regular season starts, 87 wins - 24 losses, .783 winning pct.

17 playoff starts, 14 wins - 3 losses, .823 winning pct. (26 TD - 12 INT's)

128 total starts, 101 wins - 27 losses, .789 winning pct.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BradTo00.htm

This was posted by "greenwhite&nogold" on www.thegangreen.com:

(quote on*)

There's only one stat that counts... WINS and Brett Favre has won more game than any other QB in the history of the NFL. The bitter trolls will then argue that he won that many game because he played for 16 years. We'll if you want to put the 16 years into perspective, here's an interesting stat... From the period of 1992 (when Brett started his first game) to 2007, guess what team won more games than any other in that 16 year period. Not the Patriots, not the Cowboys, not the Broncos, no it was THE GREEN BAY PACKERS WITH BRETT FAVRE AS THEIR QUARTERBACK. The best wins/losses average of any team over a period of 16 years!

Brett Favre is easily one of the 5 greatest QB ever (IMO, the greatest ever). I've watched every packer game for the past 12 years, and only missed a handful of games in his first 4 years. Favre has always taken huge risks when it was the fourth quarter and the team was down 14+ points. I'd rather have a QB who cares about winning than one who just cares about his pass to interception stats. As a result, probably 3/4 of those games that we were behind 14 points, we ended up giving the opposing team another 7 points because of an interception, but we would have lost anyways (you have to heave it up there). But in over 30 of those games, he hit his target and rallied to win. Which is why is why Favre and Elway rank as the comeback kings!

Here are some of the other great QB TD to INT stats to put some of this into perspective:

Marino - 420TD 252INT ratio 1.67 TDs to INTs

Elway - 300TD 226INT ratio 1.33 TDs to INTs

Favre - 442TD 288INT ratio 1.53 TDs to INTs

Hey Trolls... are you aware that Elway threw more picks per TDs than Favre?

Funny how the Favre haters can't get their statistics right. Bunch of p**sed off Bears or fans who can't stand the fact that the Packers have been bending them over for so many years.

(/quote off*)

My point, in case you missed it ..., that people "read into" stats however they like it, in order to "suit" their "point of view" ... I didn't say at any point "that stats determines "greatness"" - Quite the opposite ..., but again, maybe you should actually "read through" a post thoroughly before you "jump the gun" ...

- for the "sake of the arguement" I should maybe point out english isn't my "primary language" and as such I could probably have "worded" it more correctly, - however when I said "win-ratio" I should probably have been more clear (I take that one me ...)

[Blackout]

Is agreeing with this post a personal attack?

hahahah

[RSJ]

I thought Brady played pretty heroic in the Super Bowl. The Giants literally beat the crap out of him. The G-men came with a great scheme and out executed the Pats. Props to them. They deserved to win.

Also, keep in mind, Brady led a late game drive down the field and scored what very easily could have been the winning TD if not for a miracle catch by Tyree and a couple of miracle drops by Patriots DB's.

I just don't know how you can put that loss on Brady. If he had gone out and thrown 3 INT's and played poorly the way Dan Marino often did in his postseason losses, then you would be justified in your criticism.

As it is though, you're simply off base. It's unfortunate that those Jets glasses blind you from appreciating the best quarterback this league has ever seen.

Your loss, not mine.

You have proven my point that you are a total homer.

Thank you.

[snow_monkey]

Brady sucks balls! But enough about his sexlife...as a QB he's pretty darn good. Not sure that he'd make my top 5, though.

[nyjunc]

As far as pure talent and physical ability as an NFL quarterback goes, here are the top 4, in this order:

1. Marino

2. Favre

3. Elway

4. Manning

Brady is good, not great. He has been on a machine-like Pats team with superior coaching and training.

Montana was great, but I would put him at #5. He also had a very similar situation to Brady as far as superior teams and coaching.

That machine like Pats team was a team in decline until Brady stepped on the field in 2001. They were getting worse every year and it started again in '01 w/ the 0-2 start until Brady rescued them. On pure talent Brady probably isn't top 4 but as far as play on the field he clearly is, he's probably #2 to Montana w/ Marino and Elway filling out the top 4.

[Alk]

Brady isn't top 50 without the cameras.

:rl::rl:

[Mangold's Brother]

Wow, I never expected such heated debate from some of you.

[Blackout]

That machine like Pats team was a team in decline until Brady stepped on the field in 2001. They were getting worse every year and it started again in '01 w/ the 0-2 start until Brady rescued them. On pure talent Brady probably isn't top 4 but as far as play on the field he clearly is, he's probably #2 to Montana w/ Marino and Elway filling out the top 4.

brady over elway??? thats laughable

hahahahaha

[nyjunc]

[quote name='Blackout

[Blackout]

You can laugh but it's true. NE was a sinking ship before Brady stepped on the field, they were getting worse every single year and started '01 at 0-2 until Brady came in and turned them into a dynasty- he didn't need a player like TD to carry him to Championships and he led his team to 4 SBs when the AFC was the dominant conference, 3 of Elway's SB apps came when the AFC was awful.

elway had to face:

parcells/L.T./belichick

montana/rice

gibbs

that ain't bad to lose to

[Smizzy]

You guys need to put the hatoraide down.

Tom Brady won how many games and SB's with Troy Brown and Deion Branch?

This kid came out of nowehre and has played as well as any QB in the NFL's history. Yes he plays on the team I ****ing hate the most. But good damn it....he's a GREAT QB.

Even Marino deserves to be on this list. So what if he didn't win a championship. He played on **** teams with horrendous O-lines and was still a great productive QB.

Elway

Aikman

Marino

Brady

P.Manning

Montana

Favre

Young

Are the best QB's of the past 25 Yrs in my book

Just missed ...

Jim Kelly

Warren Moon

[Aqua4ever04]

1. Montana

2. Brady

3. Manning

4. Elway

5. Aikman

Honorable Mention in no particular order

Marino, Favre, Kelly, Moon, Young

Putting Marino that far down is pure Jets homersim.

[Aqua4ever04]

You guys need to put the hatoraide down.

Tom Brady won how many games and SB's with Troy Brown and Deion Branch?

This kid came out of nowehre and has played as well as any QB in the NFL's history. Yes he plays on the team I ****ing hate the most. But good damn it....he's a GREAT QB.

Even Marino deserves to be on this list. So what if he didn't win a championship. He played on **** teams with horrendous O-lines and was still a great productive QB.

Elway

Aikman

Marino

Brady

P.Manning

Montana

Favre

Young

Are the best QB's of the past 25 Yrs in my book

Just missed ...

Jim Kelly

Warren Moon

Tom Brady didn't win the Super Bowls, the New England Patriots did. It's a team game, using Super Bowls as a barrometer to judge greateness is foolish.

[Smizzy]

Tom Brady didn't win the Super Bowls, the New England Patriots did. It's a team game, using Super Bowls as a barrometer to judge greateness is foolish.

You're clown shoes. Who said it was? Is your boy Danny the Coke Monger on my list? What did he win besides a lifetime supply of Isotoners and a role in Ace Ventura?

Was that a Super Bowl caliber team with Drew Bledsoe running it? If you don't think Tom Brady is the Cog that make that team run,you are foolish.

Then again....you are a fish fan who just last week was telling us all how GREAT Chad Pennington was and is gonna be. So you might be one of those guys who can't tell the difference between a good QB and a Soccer Goalie.

[Blackout]

You guys need to put the hatoraide down.

Tom Brady won how many games and SB's with Troy Brown and Deion Branch?

This kid came out of nowehre and has played as well as any QB in the NFL's history. Yes he plays on the team I ****ing hate the most. But good damn it....he's a GREAT QB.

Even Marino deserves to be on this list. So what if he didn't win a championship. He played on **** teams with horrendous O-lines and was still a great productive QB.

Elway

Aikman

Marino

Brady

P.Manning

Montana

Favre

Young

Are the best QB's of the past 25 Yrs in my book

Just missed ...

Jim Kelly

Warren Moon

aikmen over montana? brady over montana??? brady over peyton??? smizzy u on crack?

[Smizzy]

[quote name='Blackout

[Pyper]

You guys need to put the hatoraide down.

Tom Brady won how many games and SB's with Troy Brown and Deion Branch?

This kid came out of nowehre and has played as well as any QB in the NFL's history. Yes he plays on the team I ****ing hate the most. But good damn it....he's a GREAT QB.

Even Marino deserves to be on this list. So what if he didn't win a championship. He played on **** teams with horrendous O-lines and was still a great productive QB.

Elway

Aikman

Marino

Brady

P.Manning

Montana

Favre

Young

Are the best QB's of the past 25 Yrs in my book

Just missed ...

Jim Kelly

Warren Moon

Agreed...

I was thinking, where should Kurt Warner be on this list. From '99 - '01 he set the league on fire. Then he got hurt and struggled to make it back. But he came on late last season and did pretty well.

How to you rate a guy like that....With only a small handful of quality seasons but two of them rank in the Top five or six seasons a QB ever had?

I don't have an opinion on this one....I really don't know.

[Aqua4ever04]

You're clown shoes. Who said it was? Is your boy Danny the Coke Monger on my list? What did he win besides a lifetime supply of Isotoners and a role in Ace Ventura?

Was that a Super Bowl caliber team with Drew Bledsoe running it? If you don't think Tom Brady is the Cog that make that team run,you are foolish.

Then again....you are a fish fan who just last week was telling us all how GREAT Chad Pennington was and is gonna be. So you might be one of those guys who can't tell the difference between a good QB and a Soccer Goalie.

All Dan did was dominate week in and week out, year in and year out. He was the best passer ever, had the most confidence, big play arm, pocket mobility, release, anything, you name it.

Just because he played on sub-par teams doesn't mean he should lose credit.

[Smizzy]

All Dan did was dominate week in and week out, year in and year out. He was the best passer ever, had the most confidence, big play arm, pocket mobility, release, anything, you name it.

Just because he played on sub-par teams doesn't mean he should lose credit.

How old are you? Dan Marino had Pocket mobility? LOL... 'Ol Concrete shoes Marino?

Peyton Manning is a better pure passer than Dan Marino. Even if Dan's release was quicker.

[12over4]

Granted he was pretty damn good but he choked like hell in the play-offs and never could put it all together. He is not the best passer ever.

I can name you 4 QB's better than him without a thought

[GangGreen]

Putting Marino that far down is pure Jets homersim.

How many Superbowls does he have again? 0? Enough said......

[Pyper]

How many Superbowls does he have again? 0? Enough said......

I'm no Marino fan but I agree with the Marino apologists in that a QB shouldn't be rated squarely on winning Super Bowls. QB's don't win Super Bowls, teams win Super Bowls. Simply not winning a Super Bowl is not a fair or legitimate criticism.

Imagine a QB who always seemed to be on the losing end of Super Bowls or Conference Championship Games but in all those losses they put up efforts like the one Jake Delhomme did a few years back for Carolina. The guy played his heart out and had a heck of a game. His team didn't win the game but they also didn't lose it because of him. He played great.

Where I find flaws in the Marino apologist argument is that the Dolphins didn't lose all those Super Bowls despite Dan Marino. Listening to their arguments would lead one to believe that Marino always played great and it was everybody else's fault.

But if you look at Dan's actual performances in the biggest games of his career, he routinely put forth his worst performances. Dan's Dolphins teams didn't lose despite his performance (like Delhomme's Panthers team), they lost BECAUSE of Marino's performances. When you consistently throw more INT's than TD's and fail to convert 3rd downs in big games, your team will lose......No matter who your supporting cast is.

And one other thing, it's not like Dan never had talent around him. He wasn't drafted by a team trying to rebuild. He was drafted by the defending AFC Champions. That's right. The Dolphins played in the Super Bowl just a few months before drafting Marino. He walked into the perfect scenario.

He also played for two of the best coaches in league history. Don Shula is the league's All Time Winningest Coach and Jimmy Johnson orchestrated the great Cowboys teams of the 90's. Both those coaches won multiple SB's with quarterbacks not named Dan Marino.

Marino was a great passer but he wasn't a great quarterback. He couldn't get it done in big spots and to be truly great, you have to.

[Aqua4ever04]

How old are you? Dan Marino had Pocket mobility? LOL... 'Ol Concrete shoes Marino?

Peyton Manning is a better pure passer than Dan Marino. Even if Dan's release was quicker.

How often was Dan sacked? Very rarely. Brady is a tortoise, but he has the best pocket mobility in football.

[Aqua4ever04]

How many Superbowls does he have again? 0? Enough said......

Wonderful argument.

And well said, Pyper.

[serphnx]

Wonderful argument.

And well said, Pyper.

Pyper said Marino isn't a great QB, you illiterate **** sucker.

[Smizzy]

Pyper said Marino isn't a great QB, you illiterate **** sucker.

:rl::rl:

[Blackout]

hahaahahahahahaha fish fans are eeeeeeeeediots

[JETS11269]

1. Joe Montana: He was the most clutch quarterback that ever played.

2. John Elway: Elway knew how to orchestrate miracles.

*3. Brett Favre: The Iron Man of the NFL

*4. Tom Brady: The guy knows how to win games. When he's not hurt.

Honorable Mentions:

5. Dan Marino

6. Troy Aikman

7. Peyton Manning

8. Steve Young

8. Jim Kelly

9. Warren Moon

10. Phil Simms

11. Doug Flutie

12. Randall Cunningham

*Favre and Brady are a toss-up. Who's better depends on your favorite team.

[nyjunc]

[quote name='Blackout

[Blackout]

In the Super Bowls he faced better competiton(NFL football was better b/c of less teams and no FA) but the AFC stunk so he didn't have much competition to get to SBs. he didn't face teams as good as Indy, Pitt and others that Brady had to lead NE past.

Favre and Brady are not a toss up. Gvare has spent the last decade being a mostly medicore QB playing in a weak div and weak conference and he hasn't been able to do anything in the postseason. Brady is 14-3 in postseason against better competition while since '98 Favre has gone 3-6 since his last SB app including 3 home losses- Brady doesn't have any home losses.

LOL

favre owns all the records despite playing on a crappy-ass team with bad management

[nyjunc]

[quote name='Blackout