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posted: Friday, May 18, 2007 | Feedback | Print Entry
filed under: NFL
Today's blog is inspired by a list I saw on Rolling Stone's website: the 15 worst albums by great bands. It was an interesting list -­ Bob Dylan ranks No. 1 with "Down in the Groove" -­ because of the irony: to be included, the artist has to be great enough to stink that bad. (For my money, the list forgot U2's "Pop.")
So I decided to put together a similar list for the NFL: The worst pressure performances by the game's greatest quarterbacks. To qualify, the passer has to be an all-time top 10 QB, or at least considered one at the time he retired. It has to be a pressure game, playoffs or Super Bowl. And he had to have tanked.
The Rolling Stone list had 15 bands; here I list seven passers. This list is a little off the cuff ­- most performances are relatively recent -- so I'd like to know which performances you think qualify. I'll include your best votes and fill out the Top 15 in a blog next week.
7. Warren Moon in the 1993 playoffs: How could Moon pass for 371 yards and four touchdowns and still make this list? Easy: he quarterbacked an Oilers team that blew a 35-3 lead in less than a half. In overtime, with a chance to win, Moon threw one right into the arms of Bills CB Nate Odomes, and the Bills kicked a field goal to win shortly thereafter.
6. Fran Tarkenton in Super Bowl XI: Tarkenton is remembered for scrambling and darting, but he ended his career with more yards and touchdowns than anyone prior. And 1976 was a terrific year for him: He hit 61 percent of his passes ­- few QBs completed 60 percent back then ­- and had 17 TDs compared to only eight picks. But upon leading Minnesota to its third Super Bowl, he fell apart: 17 of 35 with two picks and zero rushing yards against Oakland in a 32-14 loss. He retired two years later, moving into a career of sorry late-night infomercials.
5. Dan Marino in the 1993 AFC Championship: Marino usually played well in the playoffs, often single-handedly keeping the Dolphins in shootouts against more powerful opponents. But his best chance to play in a second Super Bowl was when Miami hosted the Bills. Most thought Miami would win; it didn't happen. Marino hit only 22 of 45 passes with two interceptions.
4. Jim Kelly in Super Bowl XXVII: While many thought the Cowboys would win Super Bowl XXVII, Kelly's Bills had two Super Bowls worth of experience on Dallas. That should have been an advantage. It wasn't, and Kelly was one of the main reasons. In less than a half, he threw one pick that Troy Aikman quickly converted into a touchdown, had a fumble that was returned for another score, and threw another interception in the Cowboys end zone.
3. Brett Favre in the '02 playoffs: No one will ever question how great Favre was in the 90s: Three MVPs, two Super Bowls, one ring. But his performance against the Rams in the '02 playoffs was woefully off, not to mention the turning point when fans wondered if Favre's gunslinger ways had caught up to him for good. He threw six picks in a loss.
2. Peyton Manning in the '04 AFC Championship: Manning entered Foxborough coming off the first two playoff wins of his career. His TD:INT ratio was a white-hot 8:0. But from the moment he entered the snow in New England, you got the sense the co-MVP was psyched out. He ended up with four interceptions, the most he'd thrown since 2001, in a 24-14 loss.
1. John Elway in Super Bowl XXIV: Elway entered his third Super Bowl having shined for moments in his previous two championship-game losses. In his first Super Bowl against the Giants, he played well but was overmatched by a superior New York defense. Against Washington a year later, he passed Denver to a 10-0 lead before the Broncos defense fell apart and allowed 35 second-quarter points.
But against the Niners, knowing he had to play the game of his life for Denver to have a chance, he was done almost before it started. He short-hopped his first pass; his second was high; his third was almost intercepted. By the second half, he could barely throw a spiral at times. After the 55-10 loss, he told a teammate that Broncos fans would "never forgive" him for that game. Fortunately for him, they did.
filed under: NFL
Today's blog is inspired by a list I saw on Rolling Stone's website: the 15 worst albums by great bands. It was an interesting list -­ Bob Dylan ranks No. 1 with "Down in the Groove" -­ because of the irony: to be included, the artist has to be great enough to stink that bad. (For my money, the list forgot U2's "Pop.")
So I decided to put together a similar list for the NFL: The worst pressure performances by the game's greatest quarterbacks. To qualify, the passer has to be an all-time top 10 QB, or at least considered one at the time he retired. It has to be a pressure game, playoffs or Super Bowl. And he had to have tanked.
The Rolling Stone list had 15 bands; here I list seven passers. This list is a little off the cuff ­- most performances are relatively recent -- so I'd like to know which performances you think qualify. I'll include your best votes and fill out the Top 15 in a blog next week.
7. Warren Moon in the 1993 playoffs: How could Moon pass for 371 yards and four touchdowns and still make this list? Easy: he quarterbacked an Oilers team that blew a 35-3 lead in less than a half. In overtime, with a chance to win, Moon threw one right into the arms of Bills CB Nate Odomes, and the Bills kicked a field goal to win shortly thereafter.
6. Fran Tarkenton in Super Bowl XI: Tarkenton is remembered for scrambling and darting, but he ended his career with more yards and touchdowns than anyone prior. And 1976 was a terrific year for him: He hit 61 percent of his passes ­- few QBs completed 60 percent back then ­- and had 17 TDs compared to only eight picks. But upon leading Minnesota to its third Super Bowl, he fell apart: 17 of 35 with two picks and zero rushing yards against Oakland in a 32-14 loss. He retired two years later, moving into a career of sorry late-night infomercials.
5. Dan Marino in the 1993 AFC Championship: Marino usually played well in the playoffs, often single-handedly keeping the Dolphins in shootouts against more powerful opponents. But his best chance to play in a second Super Bowl was when Miami hosted the Bills. Most thought Miami would win; it didn't happen. Marino hit only 22 of 45 passes with two interceptions.
4. Jim Kelly in Super Bowl XXVII: While many thought the Cowboys would win Super Bowl XXVII, Kelly's Bills had two Super Bowls worth of experience on Dallas. That should have been an advantage. It wasn't, and Kelly was one of the main reasons. In less than a half, he threw one pick that Troy Aikman quickly converted into a touchdown, had a fumble that was returned for another score, and threw another interception in the Cowboys end zone.
3. Brett Favre in the '02 playoffs: No one will ever question how great Favre was in the 90s: Three MVPs, two Super Bowls, one ring. But his performance against the Rams in the '02 playoffs was woefully off, not to mention the turning point when fans wondered if Favre's gunslinger ways had caught up to him for good. He threw six picks in a loss.
2. Peyton Manning in the '04 AFC Championship: Manning entered Foxborough coming off the first two playoff wins of his career. His TD:INT ratio was a white-hot 8:0. But from the moment he entered the snow in New England, you got the sense the co-MVP was psyched out. He ended up with four interceptions, the most he'd thrown since 2001, in a 24-14 loss.
1. John Elway in Super Bowl XXIV: Elway entered his third Super Bowl having shined for moments in his previous two championship-game losses. In his first Super Bowl against the Giants, he played well but was overmatched by a superior New York defense. Against Washington a year later, he passed Denver to a 10-0 lead before the Broncos defense fell apart and allowed 35 second-quarter points.
But against the Niners, knowing he had to play the game of his life for Denver to have a chance, he was done almost before it started. He short-hopped his first pass; his second was high; his third was almost intercepted. By the second half, he could barely throw a spiral at times. After the 55-10 loss, he told a teammate that Broncos fans would "never forgive" him for that game. Fortunately for him, they did.
