If the New England Patriots beat the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII today (they will, 27-17) to complete the NFL’s first 19-0 season, quarterback Tom Brady will have four Super Bowl championships in seven seasons as a starter. A Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award would be his third.
If Brady adds those achievements to his already amazing résumé, this will become a very realistic question: Is he the greatest quarterback ever?
At 30, he has had arguably the best season of all time - 4,806 passing yards, a league-record 50 touchdown passes and eight interceptions as the runaway MVP - for perhaps the best team in NFL history.
Before attempting to answer the aforementioned question, it’s important to consider the vital criteria for determining what makes a quarterback great.
Is winning Super Bowls the most crucial thing? Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana won four times apiece - capturing a combined five MVP awards - and never lost. Both Brady and Troy Aikman are perfect in three Super Bowl appearances.
Is it producing the most passing yards and touchdowns throughout a long career? Brett Favre and Dan Marino have reached the 60,000-yard and 420-TD plateaus.
Is it possessing the toughness and durability to handle the physical rigors of a violent game? Favre, owner of an NFL-record 160 regular-season wins, has made 275 consecutive starts including playoffs.
Or is it rising to a higher level in late-game, big-pressure situations? Montana, John Elway and Roger Staubach were masters of the fourth-quarter comeback, and Brady has shown several of their qualities.
It’s important to note that Brady’s career is far from complete, as is Peyton Manning’s. Therefore, where they can be ranked today likely is different than where they’ll be ranked when they’re done.
With apologies to Temple native Sammy Baugh, Otto Graham, Bart Starr, Y.A. Tittle and Johnny Unitas, I’ll limit my rankings to quarterbacks who played the majority of their careers during the Super Bowl era.
10. Steve Young, 1985-99. Mobile, efficient left-hander Young (33,124 passing yards, 232 touchdowns) emerged from Montana’s shadow by throwing for a record six TDs as the San Francisco 49ers romped in Super Bowl XXIX.
9. Roger Staubach, 1969-79. Cool under pressure and nimble, Staubach (22,700 yards, 153 TDs) guided the Dallas Cowboys to two Super Bowl titles in four trips and was named MVP of their Super Bowl VI win.
8. Troy Aikman, 1989-2000. The precise triggerman of the Cowboys’ 1990s dynasty, Aikman (32,942 yards, 165 TDs) led Dallas to three Super Bowl crowns in four years and was Super Bowl XXVII’s MVP.
7. Terry Bradshaw, 1970-83. The charismatic Bradshaw (27,989 yards) threw only two more touchdown passes than interceptions in his career, but his dominant Pittsburgh Steelers were 4-0 in Super Bowls and he was MVP of the final two.
6. Peyton Manning, 1998-present. Known for his cerebral approach and prolific passing, Manning (41,626 yards, 306 TDs) shed his can’t-win-the-big-one label by leading the Indianapolis Colts to victory in Super Bowl XLI, when he was MVP. Eventually he could own all of the NFL’s major passing records.
5. Dan Marino, 1983-99. He reached only one Super Bowl and didn’t win it, but Miami Dolphins legend Marino (61,361, 420 TDs) might have thrown the ball better than anyone else ever has. His 5,084-yard, 48-touchdown 1984 season rivals Brady’s 2007 and Manning’s 2004 as the best of all time by a QB.
4. John Elway, 1983-98. The agile, rocket-armed Elway (51,475 yards, 300 TDs) lost the three Super Bowls his Denver Broncos reached in the 1980s, but he completed his career by winning back-to-back Super Bowls and earning the MVP award in his final game.
3. Brett Favre, 1991-present. The Green Bay Packers’ fearless, fun-loving field general and the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards (61,657) and touchdowns (442), Favre - a winner in Super Bowl XXXI - likely will be remembered as the league’s most revered QB.
2. Tom Brady, 2000-present. The Patriots’ Brady (26,370 yards, 197 TDs) has it all - the smarts and big arm to pick defenses apart and the poise to deliver in high-stakes situations, as his three three-point Super Bowl wins attest. Not bad for a sixth-round draft pick.
1. Joe Montana, 1979-94. No quarterback has executed his offense better than Montana (40,551 yards, 273 TDs), whose sharp play powered the 1980s 49ers to a 4-0 record in Super Bowls and landed him three MVP awards. His Super Bowl numbers: 83-of-122, 1,142 yards, 11 touchdowns, no interceptions.
That’s pretty close to perfect. Brady will be, too, if he wins today, so can the title “greatest quarterback ever” be far behind?
gwille@temple-telegram.com
