OT: Dan Orlovsky Top 5 QB's Of All Time

[Efstratios]

I have no doubt Mahomes will surpass guys like Favre, Rodgers, Brees, etc. Pending health of course. Getting to that Montana tier will take alot more. And getting to that Brady tier will take...well....a miracle.

I don't believe Rodgers deserves top five either. His postseason shortcomings offset regular season accolades. Guys who are great in the regular season and postseason deserve top five.

I'd even argue that another SB would also put Mahomes well on pace to surpass Peyton barring some freakish 10+ year string of epic playoff failures. You mention postseason shortcomings with Rodgers, and I totally agree that he's squandered several chances to make it back to the SB, but one could also levy that argument against Manning the elder. The guy had like 8 one and dones, even with some rosters that were decade-defining in terms of talent. On the other hand, 2 rings are 2 rings. Yet on the other other hand, somebody might contest that neither of his SB winning playoff runs were anything amazing (especially the second where he was flat out carried).

All this to say, the question of what defines a consistently great postseason QB, save for the obvious Brady and Montana examples, is a really interesting one.

 

[denverpatsfan]

When the Chefs lose 38 to 10, whose fault will it be? Not Mahomes, right?

 

[Steve102]

I have no doubt Mahomes will surpass guys like Favre, Rodgers, Brees, etc. Pending health of course. Getting to that Montana tier will take alot more. And getting to that Brady tier will take...well....a miracle.

I don't believe Rodgers deserves top five either. His postseason shortcomings offset regular season accolades. Guys who are great in the regular season and postseason deserve top five.

Did you say ... Rodgers?

 

[1960Pats]

Recency bias is a thing.

The worst case of recency bias is with Bill Russell, easily the best NBA player of all time.

As for the QB list I'm going with a top 5 of;
1 - Brady
4 - Graham
5 - Montana
6 - Unitas
7 - Elway
The current QBs may get in there but there's no way anyone catches Brady.

 

[1960Pats]

I'd even argue that another SB would also put Mahomes well on pace to surpass Peyton barring some freakish 10+ year string of epic playoff failures. You mention postseason shortcomings with Rodgers, and I totally agree that he's squandered several chances to make it back to the SB, but one could also levy that argument against Manning the elder. The guy had like 8 one and dones, even with some rosters that were decade-defining in terms of talent. On the other hand, 2 rings are 2 rings. Yet on the other other hand, somebody might contest that neither of his SB winning playoff runs were anything amazing (especially the second where he was flat out carried).

All this to say, the question of what defines a consistently great postseason QB, save for the obvious Brady and Montana examples, is a really interesting one.

PEDton the Predator actually had 9 one and done playoffs. Many of those were with the top seed that he earned by playing in an all-expansion team division, which is still putrid. He also failed against any team with a good QB. His wins came against Cant Newton and some guy named Rex Grossman. He lost to every other QB he played against in the playoffs. The only QB who has any chance to catch him now is Lamar Jackson, but I doubt that he or any other QB will. That record is as solid as any of Tom Brady's.

One thing that PEDton could have done to help his legacy was to have an undefeated regular season. Unfortunately, Bill Polian took that chance away (and it was a good one) by tanking the last two games of 2009. That got him to the SB that year but his pick 6 ended that one.

 

[libra957]

The general consensus is Brady, Montana, Manning. Mahomes isn't in the top 5 even is he win a second ring right now IMO.

 

[MahomestoKelce]

The general consensus is Brady, Montana, Manning. Mahomes isn't in the top 5 even is he win a second ring right now IMO.

You wouldn't put Mahomes above Marino or Elway if he wins this year? Certainly if he won next year too that would put him on the list.

 

[libra957]

You wouldn't put Mahomes above Marino or Elway if he wins this year? Certainly if he won next year too that would put him on the list.

The next two spot are reserved for Unitas and Graham. Right now Mahomes is compiling stats and adding to his legacy, but has he really changed the game like the others so far? If he win 3 rings then I agree he's in the top 5.

 

[MahomestoKelce]

When the Chefs lose 38 to 10, whose fault will it be? Not Mahomes, right?

You really think they could lose 38-10? I mean I am not dismissing the possibility they lose. Anything is possible.

Just a 28 point loss seems crazy.

The one SB he lost was to Tom Brady. A consensus top three QB that year. Plus no OL. Oh, Tom Brady had a pretty darn good track record at that time too.

A healthy OL and facing Hurts is different. Hurts was a top three QB this year. But his track record before this year was spotty. People thought he was a bum.

 

[MahomestoKelce]

The next two spot are reserved for Unitas and Graham. Right now Mahomes is compiling stats and adding to his legacy, but has he really changed the game like the others so far? If he win 3 rings then I agree he's in the top 5.

I am talking just SB era.

Three rings and I definitely have him 4 at worst. I think he would pass that Manning at that point.

One thing to consider though is how said SB is won. What if he has an 06 Manning level playoffs. Then, a 15 Manning level SB (Highly unlikely). Does that take away from the win? Still a SB ring. But no memorable game like Montana in SB 24 or Young in SB 29.

Being objective, Mahomes has yet to have that sensational SB game from start to finish. Yeah he was great in the 4th quarter against SF. But everything up to that point wasn't that good. I would love for him to have a 450 yard, 4 TD, 0 interception SB against the Eagles. Even 350 yards is great.

So does the "How he wins" matter if the end result is a ring? That is my question to everyone.

 

[upstater1]

To spare others from having to watch the video, his rankings are:

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

It’s too early in his career to put Mahomes so high.

What did people see in Elway? One of the most inaccurate QBs in history. Used to drive the ball into the turf on basic outs or throws in the flat. Yes, he had a strong arm and could drive the ball downfield, but until Terrel Davis was allowed to run behind an illegal chop-blocking line, and until they circumvented the salary cap, he couldn't win big games, and it was all on him. He had a lot of year with more INTs than TDs.

Not a fan.

He doesn't make my top 10.

Marino was 10x the QB he is.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Because of rule changes and how easy it is to throw the football now (Tom's words), it's unfair to compare QB's in today's NFL to guys 20+ years ago where the expiration date of a QB was 35 if they were lucky.

Tom was the best of his generation and played about 3 years in the NFL winning 2 titles pre Manning/Colts rule changes. He then greatly benefited from the Carlson Palmer turned into the Brady rule after 2008 where defenders can't hit QB's low. Mahomes as of right now with 5 straight AFCCG's, two Super Bowl trips and a SB win is the best of this current generation.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

There have been some great regular season quarterbacks in history. Talented, can throw, can run, scramble, do both, rack up stats and wins.

So what separates the greatest?

I am a homer; but in all objectivity, Boston fans are the most spoiled on Earth.

The difference is awareness and acumen combined with the ability to make plays under the most pressure combined with the determination to do so, at the most crucial times they need to be made.

Someday somebody smart will come up with a measurement criteria which will quantify this.

And Plunkett and Flutie will be right up there with Tom & Joe.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

close to mine... I don't have Bobby Layne that high...

Gotta give Staubach, Starr & Graham some love too

 

[Pape]

Gotta give Staubach, Starr & Graham some love too

all time
brady
graham
manning
montana
unitas
staubach
starr
luckman
marino
baugh

super bowl era
brady
manning
montana
unitas
staubach
starr
marino
young
elway
brees/rodgers/rapistberger etc - a bunch all jammed together

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Luckman got hosed on the NFL100 list. There’s no way Elway, Favre, or Marino belong before him. If they’re putting Baugh on the list, they should put on his rival who was arguably better and inarguably more accomplished (4 championships to 2). Starr got hosed too, although he’s polarizing (low volume, never threw more than 17 TD passes in a season.)

Personally I don’t think Favre belongs on any top 10 list, even of just the SB era.

 

[Pape]

Luckman got hosed on the NFL100 list. There’s no way Elway, Favre, or Marino belong before him. If they’re putting Baugh on the list, they should put on his rival who was arguably better and inarguably more accomplished (4 championships to 2). Starr got hosed too, although he’s polarizing (low volume, never threw more than 17 TD passes in a season.)

Personally I don’t think Favre belongs on any top 10 list, even of just the SB era.

guys like luckman helped change the game, really developed the qb position from a glorified running back into a a passer... hard to really see how much they changed the game by looking at just numbers on a stat sheet... real pioneers of the game... pro football was only 19 years old when he hit the scene, and he & his peers left it a changed game...

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

guys like luckman helped change the game, really developed the qb position from a glorified running back into a a passer... hard to really see how much they changed the game by looking at just numbers on a stat sheet... real pioneers of the game... pro football was only 19 years old when he hit the scene, and he & his peers left it a changed game...

Agree. Also, Benny Friedman is arguably the most important QB in history, the true father of the position but is oft unknown. He was throwing as many TD passes as the rest of the league combined in the late 20s. Then Baugh and Luckman. Then Graham. Then Unitas (given too much credit.)

 

[Pape]

Agree. Also, Benny Friedman is arguably the most important QB in history, the true father of the position but is oft unknown. He was throwing as many TD passes as the rest of the league combined in the late 20s. Then Baugh and Luckman. Then Graham. Then Unitas (given too much credit.)

thanks for the insight... had not heard of him, and if i did i had forgotten

 

[Zuma]

1. Bledsoe
2. Montana
3. Unitas
4. Graham
5. Manning