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And the 10 greatest NFL QB's of all time are............


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[h=4]10. Fran Tarkenton[/h] Fran Tarkenton set the Gold Standard while inventing the term “mobile quarterback.†Tarkenton was known to evade rushers in the pocket and scramble to the outside to keep plays alive and drop bombs into the hands of his receivers.

Scramblin’ Fran is historically identified with his two separate stints with the Minnesota Vikings and the Purple People Eaters. Of course, the 1970s Vikings and Bud Grant are also defined by losing three separate Super Bowls to Miami, Pittsburgh, and Oakland.

Tarkenton performed miserably at the Big Game, as the talented Vikes were outclassed along all fronts. The Steel Curtain tormented this signal caller – harassing Tarkenton to go 11 for 26 and passing for 102 yards and 3 interceptions, alongside a miserable quarterback rating of 14. Still, these Super Bowl failures cannot dispute the fact that Fran Tarkenton is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Tarkenton retired as the top quarterback in terms of yardage (47,003), completions (3,686), and touchdowns (342) of all time. Today, these numbers translate into the eighth, tenth, and sixth ranked quarterback according to yards, completions, and TD passes, respectively.

Of course, Frantic Fran was known for his legs and finished his career with 3,674 rushing yards — trumped today only by Randall Cunningham, Steve Young, and Michael Vick. Tarkenton’s antics as a scrambler prevented injury and extended the career of this 6-foot, 190 pound lightweight, who lacked the cannon arm of a prototypical QB.

Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra chat with Cleveland Browns football player Otto Graham in 1952. // Hulton Archive/Getty Images

 

[h=4]9. Otto Graham[/h] Otto Graham is arguably the greatest winner of all time in any sport. This college running back forged the switch to quarterback at the professional level and ran the Wing T to perfection for Paul Brown’s eponymous Cleveland Browns, guiding the Cleveland franchise to ten straight title games and four All-America Football Conference and three NFL championships. Graham’s staggering feats and gamesmanship dominate the longevity of any dynasty.

Graham silenced his critics that railed against the AAFC as a weak league by claiming 3 titles after the Browns entered the NFL in 1950 — including a 56-10 shellacking of the Detroit Lions. The Paul Brown legacy is punctuated by Graham outrageously cocking the football backwards and delivering perfect spirals into the back of the end zone.

Despite the accolades, Graham’s position at the apex of NFL lore is diminished by the relatively crude offenses and defensive schemes of the ’40s and ’50s. Although Otto Graham led the AFC and NFL in passing upon five separate seasons, his 23,584 passing yards are rank only as 76th of all time. Today, The Wing T may be described as a modern era high school offense — at best.

MONICA M. DAVEY/AFP/Getty Images

 

[h=4]8. Steve Young[/h] Jon Steven Young was never anointed as a Golden Boy. In high school, Young ran the option in Connecticut, before stumbling as a traditional passer at Brigham Young University (Steve Young is a descendant of Brigham Young), ultimately drafted into the NFL by the laughing stock Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who promptly draft Vinny Testeverde and discard Steve Young as a bust, prior to shipping him off to the San Francisco 49ers for a poo poo platter of draft picks.

Of course, Steve Young was to promptly take his seat on the bench behind eventual 4-time Super Bowl winner Joe Montana. Young carried a clipboard at San Francisco within the 49ers dynasty for Super Bowls XXIII and XXIV. Still, the fiery lefty demonstrated his athletic ability during spot duty. Young dazzled the coaching staff with his ability to improvise out of the pocket and deftly facilitate the intricacies of the West Coast offense, and actually won the 1992 MVP award while Joe Montana recovered from injury.

These offensive fireworks led to a three-way quarterback controversy pitting Young against Joe Montana and the upstart Steve Bono throughout the early ’90s, but only the 1993 trade of Joe Montana to Kansas City could slam the door shut upon the drama and hand Steve Young the keys to the car. Despite his staggering statistical output featuring 68 percent completion rates and 100+ passer ratings, commentators blasted Young for his inability to beat the Dallas Cowboys and win Super Bowls.

Young battled back with an epic 1994 campaign, leading the 49ers to a 13-3 mark, behind 70 percent passing, 3,969 yards, and 35 touchdowns through the air. Young capped off this magical season by outlasting the hated Cowboys and destroying the San Diego Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX by tossing a record 6 TD passes. Ironically, the pure beauty of the San Francisco 49ers offense may have tarnished the legacy of Steve Young, as critics may dismiss him as the greatest “system†quarterback of all time.

 

Elsa/Getty Images

 

[h=4]7. Peyton Manning[/h] Peyton Manning has been so good for so long that the consistency has become boring. The dictionary definition of an “Aww, shucks†Apple Pie American, Manning is the safe choice to enter the collective living rooms of America and pitch everything from credit cards to television programming, and the cerebral playmaker is acknowledged more so for his precise attention to detail than he is for is equally impressive rocket arm.

Ever the model of consistency, Manning facilitated the staggering statistical resumes of receivers at Indianapolis. Prior to a season ending neck injury, Peyton Manning had aired out the football for over 3,500 yards and 25 touchdowns for 13 straight NFL seasons, and has won 4 AP NFL Player of the Year awards, as well as being a perennial Pro Bowl lock.

At age 37, Manning stands poised to finish his career first in completions, passing yards, and touchdowns. Manning’s career 97.2 QB rating is second only to Steve Young. Indeed, Manning’s 2004 season of 4,557 yards and then record 49 touchdowns ranks alongside Young’s ’94 as one of the greatest seasons ever enjoyed by an NFL athlete.

Still, Manning’s claim to the throne is degraded by his inability to beat Florida, win the Heisman, and out duel Tom Brady. Sportswriter Bill Simmons has introduced critics to “The Manning Face,†a befuddled, deer-in-headlights look expressing utter confusion upon the precipice of disastrous Big Game meltdowns — a face that’s made by both Peyton and his brother, Eli. In what could prove to be his swan song, Manning led the 2013 Denver Broncos to 606 total points, one of the most prolific offenses of all time, only to be routed 43-8 in the Super Bowl by the Seattle Seahawks.

David Leeds/Getty Images

 

[h=4]6. Johnny Unitas[/h] Johnny U laid down the gauntlet for the modern era quarterback and the forward pass. This crew cut kid from Pennsylvania paved the way for Peyton Manning as a star quarterback for the Colts franchise, and old timers may hail Johnny Unitas as the first and foremost great signal caller.

Mr. Clutch accepted the torch from Otto Graham in the late ’50s — calling his own plays, launching bombs, orchestrating game-winning drives, and shining upon the Big Stage. Unitas marched his beloved Baltimore Colts towards two NFL crowns and one Super Bowl V ring.

Perhaps most importantly, Unitas helped usher football into television and the modern era by defeating the New York Giants 23-17 in overtime as 45 million American viewers tuned into the NBC broadcast for “The Greatest Game Ever Played.†Unitas’ separate drives to tie and win the Big Game are cited as the first examples of the “two minute drill.â€

Interestingly, Comeback Kid Johnny Unitas was once cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers and even played semi-pro ball for $6 per game. From the bottom, Unitas ultimately went on to revolutionize NFL offense with 40,239 total passing yards and 290 touchdowns, which now rank as fourteenth and ninth in NFL history, respectively. As a coach on the field, Unitas also introduced the world to Raymond Berry, Lenny Moore, and Alan Ameche by playing winning football.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

 

[h=4]5. Brett Favre[/h] Prior to the retirements, comebacks, and Minnesota-New York spectacles, Brett Favre was the face of the Green Bay Packer franchise. The gunslinger was lauded for his joy for the game, Frozen Tundra heroics, and imposing arm strength. Despite the drama, Favre will remain much beloved in Wisconsin and will walk into Canton as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

The Iron Man hung it up having started a record 297 consecutive regular-season and playoff games. The durability had Favre finishing up his career as first in passing completions (6,300), yards (71,838), and touchdowns (508). Favre may also rest one Super Bowl chip and three AP NFL MVP awards on his trophy mantle, peaking as a player in 1996 and 1997 with back-to-back Super Bowl appearances punctuated by Favre’s deft ability to sense pressure within the pocket and gun tight spirals into double and triple coverage.

Blessed with arguably the strongest arm in NFL history, Favre’s tendency to ditch the playbook and improvise “like a kid out there†often led to embarrassing gaffes, turnovers, and “why did he do that?†bloopers. Remember, he would finish his career having thrown 310 interceptions – the most by any player in NFL history. In all, the good ol’ boy labored as a disappointment in Atlanta, threw on a pair of Wrangler jeans, battled painkillers, hawked coins, operated as The Man, retired, and re-appeared into town as the next great savior.

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

 

[h=4]4. Tom Brady[/h] Tom Brady is the coolest NFL Quarterback of all time. The GQ cover boy dates and marries models, wins Super Bowls, earns tens of millions of dollars annually, and has accepted the baton from Joe Namath and Dan Marino as football’s chapter president of style. On the gridiron, the sixth-round draft pick has already appeared in five Super Bowls – winning three. Tom Brady is this generation’s winner, nabbing three Super Bowl titles while playing pitch and catch with teammates named Troy Brown, David Patten, Kevin Faulk, Deion Branch, and Bethel Johnson.

First stepping into the limelight following a gruesome hit to Drew Bledsoe, Brady has carried the rag tag New England Patriots offensive rosters to the promised land. In 2007, New England signed Wes Welker, Randy Moss, and Donte Stallworth to reload at wide receiver for yet another Super Bowl run. Brady went ballistic, beating the opposition into the ground towards a 16-0 regular season mark, and finishing with a 69 percent completion for 4,806 yards and a then-record 50 touchdowns.

Still, this Dream Team season was derailed at Super Bowl XLII per the ferocious pass rush dialed up by Steve Spagnuolo and his New York Giants defense. Tom Brady was harassed into quick throws all night, and critical outsiders highlighted his spoiled tendencies to break down and blast teammates for mistakes, as opposed to offering solid guidance and tough-love. Ironically, a repeat of these scenes materialized again in Super Bowl XLVI, which Brady and the Patriots again also lost to the Giants.

Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images

 

[h=4]3. Dan Marino[/h] Dan Marino is the greatest pure passer in the history of football. Recognized for his quick release and ability to deliver the ball into tight quarters with precision and touch, Dan Marino proved that no defense could stop the perfect pass. This 2005 Hall of Famer spent his 17-year career with the Miami Dolphins and owned every significant passing record upon retirement.

Despite the fact that the Isotoner pitchman performed as a virtual stiff behind center, Marino and his quick release rarely took sacks. In fact, Marino was sacked only 6 times during 1988 when he dropped back to pass for 606 attempts. In 1984, Dan Marino threw for 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns well before the run and shoot, shotgun spread, and West Coast gimmicks of this present era had ever been installed into the playbook. From there a 27-year old Marino went on to match up against Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. After the Super Bowl XIX loss to the 49ers dynasty, leading football commentators generally agreed that the young Marino would be back.

Dan Marino never returned to the Big Game, though, as his career was attacked by Miami’s lack of a running game, porous defense, and Jim Kelly’s K-Gun Buffalo Bills. We may only speculate as to what might have been with Marino starring alongside Hall-of-Fame backs, receivers, and defenders in South Florida.

Andrew Burton/Getty Images

 

[h=4]2. John Elway[/h] In contrast to Steve Young, Elway is every inch of the Golden Boy quarterback. The son of college coach Jack Elway emerged as the top recruit in the nation after a stellar high school career in Southern California. Elway elected to attend Stanford — starring in football and baseball, as well as majoring in economics at the prestigious institution. The man proved to be a dangerous threat to run or pass, and completed his amateur football career atop every significant Pac 10 record board.

At the time, John Elway was the most physically gifted quarterback to enter the draft. The Baltimore Colts selected the cocksure kid with the first pick in the loaded 1983 NFL Draft, only to have Elway refuse to report. The threat of a viable professional baseball career allowed Mr. Elway to call the shots, and he was subsequently dealt to the Denver Broncos. Elway, of course, was largely identified with the fourth quarter comeback and holds the record with 47 drives to tie or win football games within the final stanza, as John Elway and his Denver Broncos owned the AFC and Cleveland Browns in the ’80s — terrorizing The Dawg Pound with three Championship Game wins in 1986, 1987, and 1989. Of course, Denver provided fodder as the team to get spanked in the Super Bowl — losing first to the New York Giants, before facing down 42-10 and 55-10 humiliations against Washington and San Francisco.

The Comeback Kid reserved his most important last-second drives for the fourth quarter of his own career. Only this time, he had help. The 1997 and 1998 Broncos were stacked with talent on both sides of the football. Offensively, Elway reserved the option of handing off to Terrell Davis, working the seams to Shannon Sharpe, rocketing flares to Rod Smith, or hitting Ed McCaffrey in-stride across the middle to move the chains. Coached by West Coast disciple Mike Shanahan, the offensive juggernaut rolled to first and second in points scored behind Elway. Elway, then 37, finally achieved Super Bowl glory by going vintage Orange Crush and launching himself airborne, before ricocheting over would-be Packer tacklers to earn clutch first-down yardage per “The Helicopter†at Super Bowl XXXII. The loaded Denver Broncos repeated as champions the following season; and John Elway retired by riding into the sweet sunset as the owner of two Super Bowl rings to go alongside his 51,475 total yards passing.

 

George Rose/Getty Images

 

[h=4]1. Joe Montana[/h] Casual fans of football must recognize the fact that Montana has thwarted nearly every modern era’s claim to greatness on the field, while his perfect Big Game Legacy is impossible to overtake by those of any other time frame. Joe Cool was the ultimate gamer that forced upstart Steve Young to the bench, while dispatching Dan Marino and John Elway to second-class status by blowing these golden armed stalwarts out of the Super Bowl. Montana carried the San Francisco 49ers into four Super Bowl games — claiming four MVP awards and four separate Lombardi trophies.

Joe Montana lacked the big arm – yet managed to orchestrate the West Coast offense to perfection. The quarterback delivered the ball with timing and touch to blitz defenses for 40,551-career passing yards. Yes, the high-octane 49ers actually attacked the opposition, offensively. Before Montana to Rice, there was the calm, cool, and collected 25-year old kid hitting Dwight Clark in the end zone against the Dallas Cowboys, America’s Team. The heroics of “

†introduced Joe Cool to the nation, and set up Montana’s fifteen-year career as the ultimate winner, as #16 performed as the portrait of quiet confidence – undaunted by the moment.

The Legend went 83 for 122 to pass for 1,142 yards and eleven touchdowns against zero interceptions in four Super Bowls, translating into an astronomical 127.8 quarterback rating at the Big Game. Joe Montana arrived at a middling San Francisco franchise as a scrawny, 1979 third-round pick, and left as the forefront of the controls to the greatest offensive dynasty in the history of football.

[h=4]Read more: http://wallstcheatsheet.com/sports/the-10-greatest-nfl-quarterbacks-of-all-time.html/?a=viewall#ixzz3N16Wcmnd[/h]

 

Read more: http://wallstcheatsheet.com/sports/the-10-greatest-nfl-quarterbacks-of-all-time.html/?a=viewall#ixzz3N165g5lr

 

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My Top 25 QB's Super Bowl Era

 

 

Joe Montana

Tom Brady

Peyton Manning

John Elway

Johnny Unitas

Fran Tarkenton

Brett Favre

Dan Marino

Warren Moon

Steve Young

Jim Kelly

Drew Brees

Aaron Rodgers

Terry Bradshaw

Dan Fouts

Ken Stabler

Roger Stabauch

Phil Simms

Kurt Warner

Troy Aikman

Bart Starr

Ben Roethlisberger

Eli Manning

Randall Cunningham

Drew Bledsoe

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Brady in the top 10 is pretty funny.

 

QB's should not be judged by rings on a 50+ man roster.

 

Everyone ignores the fact that when the Pats lost their top 5 defense, the rings stopped coming. Would that be because Brady had to start being the main component rather than the defense?

 

I think Brady is a good QB, but I think he's one of the most over rated athletes of all time.

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Also laughed at that

 

 

are you guys laughing because you think he's too high? tell me who should be above favre

 

all-time leader in passing yards, and the reason for the big turnaround in the packers... before favre the packers hadn't even made the playoffs in 10 years! then under favre, 13 straight years without a losing record

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It amazes me that Montana and Young just are called the greatest with almost no interest any more in acknowledging they happened to completely luckbox their way into playing for the greatest football coach ever. Compare Dan Fouts in 1975 to Dan Fouts in 1976. There's a reason that Walsh was able to transition from Montana to Young with little problem. There's an extraordinary amount of luck involved. If Montana had to play for Singletary he wasn't going anywhere. If Marino was in SF he would have been bigger than Jesus.

 

I don't even like him but if I had to pick the greatest QB I would have to go with the guy who was the ultimate gamer and probably the smartest QB ever with the misfortune of playing for a defensive head coach and sometimes even being forced to platoon. If I had money on a game and I had to pick one QB of the thousands who have played in the NFL I would go with Staubach and it's not even close. There's a reason that he's made more money post-career than any other NFL player ever. Just the absolute winner. For pure talent I'd take Marino.

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are you guys laughing because you think he's too high? tell me who should be above favre

 

all-time leader in passing yards, and the reason for the big turnaround in the packers... before favre the packers hadn't even made the playoffs in 10 years! then under favre, 13 straight years without a losing record

 

Farve was even great BEFORE he won his 3 straight MVP awards, what he did in those pre-MVP years was simply incredible, watched every game.........Favre GREAT QB, top five for sure in my lifetime.

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Brady in the top 10 is pretty funny.

 

QB's should not be judged by rings on a 50+ man roster.

 

Everyone ignores the fact that when the Pats lost their top 5 defense, the rings stopped coming. Would that be because Brady had to start being the main component rather than the defense?

 

I think Brady is a good QB, but I think he's one of the most over rated athletes of all time.

 

Unfortunately, a lot of these lists are biased and throw in current players in there. Twenty years from now... Tom Brady won't be on any Top 10 list.

 

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Twenty years from now... Tom Brady won't be on any Top 10 list.

 

LOL

 

Some of the comments in this thread make me chuckle.

 

Tom Brady won Super Bowls with Deion Branch and Troy Brown as his main targets. He won with less on the offensive side of the ball.

 

Some years he is a game manager, other years he has broke passing records. He does what he needs to do to win football games. Tom Brady is a great QB AND a winner.

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It amazes me that Montana and Young just are called the greatest with almost no interest any more in acknowledging they happened to completely luckbox their way into playing for the greatest football coach ever. Compare Dan Fouts in 1975 to Dan Fouts in 1976. There's a reason that Walsh was able to transition from Montana to Young with little problem. There's an extraordinary amount of luck involved. If Montana had to play for Singletary he wasn't going anywhere. If Marino was in SF he would have been bigger than Jesus.

 

I don't even like him but if I had to pick the greatest QB I would have to go with the guy who was the ultimate gamer and probably the smartest QB ever with the misfortune of playing for a defensive head coach and sometimes even being forced to platoon. If I had money on a game and I had to pick one QB of the thousands who have played in the NFL I would go with Staubach and it's not even close. There's a reason that he's made more money post-career than any other NFL player ever. Just the absolute winner. For pure talent I'd take Marino.

 

I love Fouts. When i was a kid i loved watching him throw the ball and he was a true gunslinger. Mettenberger the rookie QB on the Titans in just five or six games threw about five passes over fifty yards and throws it all over the field he reminds me of Fouts in that regard.

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