Dan Marino trumps Joe Montana in numerous quarterback stats, throwing for nearly 12 more miles and almost 150 more touchdowns. Yet it’s not close when it comes to who is considered the better quarterback.
Montana won four Super Bowls; Marino won none. Case closed. Super Bowl victories top stats, at least when it comes to quarterbacks.
Other positions aren’t held to the same standard. For example, cases can be made for Barry Sanders, Eric Dickerson or LaDainian Tomlinson as the greatest running back of all time even though none of them ever played in the Super Bowl.
Which leads us to Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. How did Super Bowl XLIV change the perception of these quarterbacks?
Brees » After the game, analysts anointed the Saints’ play-caller among the “elite” of his era — joining Manning and Tom Brady. Brees has thrown for more than 4,000 yards four times (one more than Brady); he threw for 5,069 yards in 2008 (second most ever in a single season); and completed 70.6 percent of his passes this season (highest in NFL history). So it’s hard to say that Brees wasn’t already among the elite, but this Super Bowl victory proved Brees could win the big game and not just fill the stat sheet. He’s a couple more good seasons from a Hall of Fame career.
Manning » Super Bowl XLIV was supposed to vault Manning into top five quarterback of all-time status, joining a group that owns multiple championships. But the Colts lost and Manning’s postseason record (9-9) is being scrutinized instead. Manning has led Indianapolis to seven straight 12-win seasons, but only has one Super Bowl win to show for it. Atlanta Braves, anyone? Since coming out of college, the criticism of Manning was that he couldn’t win the big game. He erased those doubts in 2007, but to move up the ranks in NFL history Manning will need more than just one Super Bowl victory.
