Rank your top-5 QBs of all-time

[The30YardSlant]

1: Dan Marino (The most all-around talent of any QB I've ever seen. Established almost every single relevant QB record without ever having anything remotely resembling a good offensive cast. His offensive line was also horrendous the latter half of his career. Put him on the Cowboys or 49ers of his day and he has four or five rings.)

2: John Elway (Bested in ability only by Marino. Went to 5 SBs, and got there 3 times with little to no help.)

3: Joe Montana (Can't argue with the results.)

4: Roger Staubach (He was unfortunate enough to only play 10 years and play in the same era as Noll's Steeler dynasty. Otherwise, he has much higher numbers and several more titles.)

5: Peyton Manning (Will likely be considered the greatest ever when it's all said and done, too early to put him any higher though.)

 

[Skinsmaniac]

I favor modern day QBs because of the complexity of the defenses they have to face, whereas the feats of the older QBs were more physical. So my five go like this:

1. Montana
2. Elway
3. Manning
4. Brady
5. Marino

I would probably put Brady above Manning if I knew for sure that Spygate had nothing to do with his success.

 

[THUMPER]

I have tons of respect for Montana, but put Elway on that 49ers team with Rice, Taylor, Craig, etc. and Montana never sees the field.

I don't think there's a HC anywhere who if he had both would bench Elway in favor of Joe.

He is the prototype.

My only problem with Elway was that for a lot of his early career he had zero touch on his passes and would frequently throw every pass at full velocity. He ended up with a lot of incompleted passes because his receivers couldn't catch it. Towards the end of his time he had much better touch and was a great passer.

 

[arglebargle]

1. John Elway. I think if you put him on any team in History, the other guy rides the pine. Simply too amazingly talented and smart not to be the choice.

2. Joe Montana. The ultimate assassin. He just out thought everyone all the time.

3. Roger Staubach. If he had his 5 years of military service to play football, he might be my #1. He will always be my #1 hero.

4. Johnny Unitas. What he did in an era not condusive to passing is unreal.

5. Peyton Manning. The thinking man's QB. I think Favre's hold on the all time records is very temporary.

I'd have to agree with this mostly; though I would swap Unitas for Montana, and put Marino in at 5. Manning would gunning for that spot though.

Unitas was my first fave QB, and he still holds some records that are astounding. Check out the 'consecutive games with a touchdown pass' record. Hopefully that one stands for all time.

Elway would be my pick as number one. IF Reeves hadn't been so stubborn as a coach, Elway would have done even better.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

1. Johnnie Unitas
2. Joe Montana
3. Otto Graham
4. Roger Staubach
5. Troy Aikman

 

[Redball Express]

1. Joe 'Willie' Namath-on a frozen field late in December driving for the playoffs, game, set, match.
2. Dan 'The Man' Fouts-anytime, anywhere against any team...if Don Coryell was coaching
3. Sonny 'the Swede' Jurgenson..Philly, DC., a game of touch, this guy would quietly slit your throat
4. Kenny 'The Snake' Stabler-never saw anybody looking so unorthodox be such a cold blooded killer
5. John 'Never Say Die' Elway.. your team was about to be disembowled on late Sunday National TV

..when they were of course, in their primes.

Under no circumstances did you want these QBs with the ball in their hands with 2:00 minutes to play to win in a game.

If they did, start heading for the exit. The game was over and you were about to have your heart torn out and trampled.

That's how I rate as who is a great QB.

Not just by fancy statistics, but by the size of the lump in your throat when they snapped the ball and faded back scanning the field.

:starspinReDBaLL ExPreSS :starspin

 

[Hailmary]

I have tons of respect for Montana, but put Elway on that 49ers team with Rice, Taylor, Craig, etc. and Montana never sees the field.

I don't think there's a HC anywhere who if he had both would bench Elway in favor of Joe.

He is the prototype.

i have a hard time arguing w/ your point about Elway, but Montana did make his first pro bowl before Rice or Taylor were even drafted.

i do think that as a HC, Elway would have started over Montana if they were on the same team and drafted in the same year, but I think a lot of that has to do w/ the fact w/ where they were drafted.

It's a silly discussion. Both are great and we could go on and on and on as to who the better QB is.

 

[THUMPER]

1. Joe 'Willie' Namath-on a frozen field late in December driving for the playoffs, game, set, match.
2. Dan 'The Man' Fouts-anytime, anywhere against any team...if Don Coryell was coaching
3. Sonny 'the Swede' Jurgenson..Philly, DC., a game of touch, this guy would quietly slit your throat
4. Kenny 'The Snake' Stabler-never saw anybody looking so unorthodox be such a cold blooded killer
5. John 'Never Say Die' Elway.. your team was about to be disembowled on late Sunday National TV

..when they were of course, in their primes.

Under no circumstances did you want these QBs with the ball in their hands with 2:00 minutes to play to win in a game.

If they did, start heading for the exit. The game was over and you were about to have your heart torn out and trampled.

That's how I rate as who is a great QB.

Not just by fancy statistics, but by the size of the lump in your throat when they snapped the ball and faded back scanning the field.

:starspinReDBaLL ExPreSS :starspin

Interesting criteria. Nicely done.

 

[burmafrd]

Redball, Having Fouts and Namath ahead of Staubach is totally indefensible.


My five:

Otto Graham, Joe Montana, Roger Staubach (those three are virtually impossible to say one was better then the others)

John Elway/Johnny Unitas (ny second tier and really cannot separate them)


Otto Graham was before his time and the offenses and defenses were changing yearly during the 50s. Great innovaters were just starting to make their pressences felt and Otto just kept doing it year after year.

Joe Montana. What can be said? even at the end of his career in KC, he still had incredible touch and leadership.

Roger. nuff said.


Johnny U and Elway. Elway had great legs but other then that these two players were VERY similiar. The arm, leadership, the whole package. Just slightly down from the top 3.

 

[LucaBrasi]

I'm not rating anyone prior to 1980, cause I was 10 years old:

1. Montana
2. Brady
3. Elway
4. Manning
5. Marino

Favre would likely be 6th.

 

[Redball Express]

Redball, Having Fouts and Namath ahead of Staubach is totally indefensible.


My five:

Otto Graham, Joe Montana, Roger Staubach (those three are virtually impossible to say one was better then the others)

John Elway/Johnny Unitas (ny second tier and really cannot separate them)


Otto Graham was before his time and the offenses and defenses were changing yearly during the 50s. Great innovaters were just starting to make their pressences felt and Otto just kept doing it year after year.

Joe Montana. What can be said? even at the end of his career in KC, he still had incredible touch and leadership.

Roger. nuff said.


Johnny U and Elway. Elway had great legs but other then that these two players were VERY similiar. The arm, leadership, the whole package. Just slightly down from the top 3.

I purposefully left off Cowboy QBs.

I never feared them as QBs. Didn't have to watch them as feared opponents.

Agreed..had I left myself open to adding one of ours, it would have been Staubach. I sort of agree with what Hostile mentioned about him having to serve 5 years of service.

It makes it harder to judge him as an All Time Top 5..his career was shortened.

I agree with you on Otto Graham..he retired the year I started watching football as a kid..but my Dad, who was the Supreme Authority/Historian on pro ball in our house..

..always said Otto Graham was a great QB in his day for the Browns and Paul Brown.

And I certainly witnessed Johnny Unitas as a kid. Him and Raymond Berry and John Mackey and Don Amiche in the backfield were every kids Dream Team in my early fandom.

Good choices.

:starspinReDBaLL ExPreSS:starspin

 

[Hostile]

i have a hard time arguing w/ your point about Elway, but Montana did make his first pro bowl before Rice or Taylor were even drafted.

i do think that as a HC, Elway would have started over Montana if they were on the same team and drafted in the same year, but I think a lot of that has to do w/ the fact w/ where they were drafted.

It's a silly discussion. Both are great and we could go on and on and on as to who the better QB is.

The who would start over whom is usually my main criteria for most "greatest ever" comparisons. I just don't think anyone would start over that guy.

 

[burmafrd]

The last half of 71, and all of 73-79. 7 1/2 seasons. Roger was at the top of his form all those years. Frankly, it could be argued that That Elway was not all that good his first 3-4 years. So realistically he had about 10 great ones.
Montana had about 10. Unitas about the same. Graham about the same as well. So Roger had a little shorter time but he also did it in a period when there were arguably 3 other all time great teams playing at the same time: Steelers, Dolphins, Raiders. No one else on that list competed against that kind of quality. Unitas comes close since a lot of his career he had to go against the Giants and Packers.

 

[burmafrd]

Hoss, I would start Joe Montana at his best over Elway because Elway all too often let his arm over rule his head and Montana NEVER lost his cool.

 

[ANTHONYSCOTT]

1. Joe Montana
2. Roger Staubach
3. John Elway
4. Dan Marino
5. Tom Brady

you can make a case for so many of these guys being 1a 1b, 2a 2b. i would put Bradshaw, Aikman or Manning in any of these spots. I remember watching Dan Foutes play and who knows how many games he cold have won if he had a defence.

 

[This is Our Year]

Montana
Unitas
Brady
Bradshaw
Marino

 

[Vintage]

Based on just what I grew up watching:

1. John Elway
2. Dan Marino
3. Tom Brady
4. Peyton Manning
5. Brett Farve (maybe. I've seen him do some pretty miraculous things. But I've seen him to do some pretty stupid things. Overall, I included him because of his career work).

(Note: I really only saw Montana in his twilight years, so I didn't include him. That's the only reason I didn't list him. The rest, I've seen a good chunk on. Obviously with me being only 22, I missed out on many of the QBs mentioned, hence why I only listed QBs I grew up watching. It would be impossible for me to rank Staubach compared to the others when I've only seen a handful of games. Or in Montana's case a couple of years, etc)

 

[zrinkill]

1. Joe Montana 4 Superbowl victories
2. Terry Bradshaw 4 Superbowl victories
3. Tom Brady 3 Superbowl victories and 1 Superbowl runner up
4. Troy Aikman 3 Superbowl victories leader of the most dominate team ever.
5. Roger Staubach 2 Superbowl victories and 2 Superbowl runner up

Thats my list

 

[Redball Express]

The last half of 71, and all of 73-79. 7 1/2 seasons. Roger was at the top of his form all those years. Frankly, it could be argued that That Elway was not all that good his first 3-4 years. So realistically he had about 10 great ones.
Montana had about 10. Unitas about the same. Graham about the same as well. So Roger had a little shorter time but he also did it in a period when there were arguably 3 other all time great teams playing at the same time: Steelers, Dolphins, Raiders. No one else on that list competed against that kind of quality. Unitas comes close since a lot of his career he had to go against the Giants and Packers.

..no arguements from me about Staubach.

I was trying to stay away from any homerism either implied or directly.

Actually..

I really think Terry Bradshaw would have to be in any Top 5 list ALL Time. You don't win that many SB rings and MVPs like he did by riding the coattails of the Steel Curtain defense.

He was flat out great and consistantly beat our Staubach in their showdowns.

I was rather amazed nobody really mentioned him. Steeler predjudice prevails here on this board, probably. Or the majority of posters only know him as the goofy sidekick guy with Howie Long on Fox Sunday Game Day.

So I'll add him to my list as #5b.


:starspinReDBaLL EXpreSS :starspin

 

[Hostile]

Hoss, I would start Joe Montana at his best over Elway because Elway all too often let his arm over rule his head and Montana NEVER lost his cool.

You would. I wouldn't, and I doubt most coaches would.