Skip to main content

Fair point. I struggled with Marino at 5 too. I put him there purely based on the eye test. He might be the purest passing QB I ever watched. Jim Kelly is up there as well. I get your point though and I'm sure I could be talked out of Marino. Like I said, it's an opinion. I'm also high on guys like Bert Jones, Ken Anderson, and Dan Fouts. So WTF do I know. 

It's obviously subjective and damn near impossible to have a consensus top 5 at the position.  I'd have Manning in there based on statistical production coupled with how cerebral of a player he is.  I've never seen anybody walk up the line of scrimmage and read a defense like he does.  Some people believe championships is the key ingredient, yet you never see Terry Bradshaw or Troy Aikman mentioned in the top 5.  What about Brent?  He has the stats, MVP's, a championship, longevity, etc.  He's a douche so nobody gives him a mention.  

Brent is an interesting case. When he was playing he was constantly mentioned as one of the best ever. I think that's a reflection of him having the ability to erase a lot of the crap he pulled in big spots by maybe winning another SB. He ended up doing the complete opposite with the twilight of his career and now he's never mentioned as one of the best ever. I think that's where Manning is headed. If he plays out his career and his 1 SB is all he has I don't think history will be kind to him. 

 

Youre point about Manning walking to the line is where I think we agree to disagree. You see a cerebral QB. I see a rehearsed QB that almost looks staged. If the timing he desperately prepares for breaks down the slightest bit he seems to crumble, the body language goes south and he almost always isn't able to win with plan B. 

 

All objective stuff and you're spot on about a consensus. Good discussion though. 

Originally Posted by ChilliJon:

Who's you're top 5? 

 

 

Off the top of my head...Montana, Unitas, Starr, Manning, Brady.

 

Five more years of performances like the last five, and one of these guys may have to get bumped for 12

 

EDIT Just realized I don't have Marino in there. I guess coming up with a definitive top 5 is harder than I thought.

Last edited by Fond Du Arrigo

I have Starr ahead of Unitas. I can't go Brady because Vinatieri kicked a 45 yarder in 6" of snow in 30mph winds to get Brady to his first SB then drilled a 48 yarder to beat the Rams. Think he did the same against Carolina as time expired. I also can't get past Mark Sanchez outplaying him in Foxborough in the playoffs when NE was a double digit favorite. 

 

I cant put a QB top 5 with things like that on the resume. You have to be a special kind of special to be top 5. You can't poke holes in Montana, Starr, and Unitas. After that opinion takes over. 

Otto Graham played in something like 9 straight championships.

 

1SunDecember 22, 1946WCleveland Browns New York Yankees149boxscore
2SunDecember 14, 1947WCleveland Browns@New York Yankees143boxscore
3SunDecember 19, 1948WCleveland Browns Buffalo Bills497boxscore
4SunDecember 4, 1949WCleveland Browns Buffalo Bills3121boxscore
5SunDecember 11, 1949WCleveland Browns San Francisco 49ers217boxscore
6SunDecember 17, 1950WCleveland Browns New York Giants83boxscore
7SunDecember 24, 1950WCleveland Browns Los Angeles Rams3028boxscore
8SunDecember 23, 1951LCleveland Browns@Los Angeles Rams1724boxscore
9SunDecember 28, 1952LCleveland Browns Detroit Lions717boxscore
10SunDecember 27, 1953LCleveland Browns@Detroit Lions1617boxscore
11SunDecember 26, 1954WCleveland Browns Detroit Lions5610boxscore
12MonDecember 26, 1955WCleveland Browns@Los Angeles Rams3814boxscore

all playoff games started at QB by Otto Graham (9-3)

 

Just cannot see leaving a winner like that out.

 

Dude was a WINNER!!!

I don't think Starr would be top 15 outside of GB. Maybe it's why Kramer isn't in the hall. Those teams were borderline too good. He's one of the 5 best though. 

 

If Starr wasn't as good as he was Don Meredith might be part of this discussion and Green Bay might be playing for the Landry Trophy this year. 

Last edited by ChilliJon

That makes little sense unless you rank Packers QBs that way, only use first names not their last Names. Case in point.

 

1. Aaron Rodgers 

2. Annie Herber

3. Bart Starr

 

See how well it works? Let's continue.

 

4. Blair Keil

5. Brett Favre

 

The only anomally? Scott Hunter should be top 5, and somehow a Vikings' QB crept into the top 5, but hey, no system is perfect.

 

Originally Posted by Dr._Bob:

Perhaps it's necessary to rank qualities of a great QB before ranking the QBs themselves.  In what order would people rank number of championships, athletic ability, mental mastery of the game, accuracy, mental/physical toughness, avoidance of errors, leadership, etc?  Figure that out and the rest becomes easier.

Should the quality of the team around him enter into it?

Originally Posted by Pikes Peak:
Originally Posted by Dr._Bob:

Perhaps it's necessary to rank qualities of a great QB before ranking the QBs themselves.  In what order would people rank number of championships, athletic ability, mental mastery of the game, accuracy, mental/physical toughness, avoidance of errors, leadership, etc?  Figure that out and the rest becomes easier.

Should the quality of the team around him enter into it?

Of the attributes listed above, number of championships is most dependent on the quality of the team around the QB.  One's ranking of Marino will depend on where one ranks the number of championships when rating a QB.

Add Reply

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×