GOAT, QB Category

Montana definitely benefits from having Rice at the back end, and Bill Walsh at the front end, with his imprint on all 4 Super Bowls. Hard to underestimate the value of Walsh's offense in the career success of Montana.

With that said, Joe also won a Super Bowl with the memorable running back tandem of Ricky Patton and Bill Ring, and another with Dwight Clark as a no. 1 receiver, backed by an aging Russ Francis.

Growing up back then, it was apparent early on in his football career that Montana was something special. You can go back to his pre-NFL days to the chicken soup Cotton Bowl game against Houston to see and feel the magic.

 

Football existed before the birth of ESPN.
It really did!!
John Unitas was the best ever.

 

The case for him is pretty strong, too. Manning was a seven-time All-Pro. Unitas was a five-time All-Pro. Even the great Montana was only a three-time All-Pro. (I like looking at that as a very rough way to compare across eras.)

 

Isn't it funny, as in peculiar, how standards change. If you evaluate QBs by championships, which is the crux of the argument for Montana and Brady, then Starr and Graham have to be 1-2. Graham never had a season in his career when he wasn't in his league's championship game.
But back then, that's not how quarterbacks were rated. Nobody who followed the NFL put Starr ahead of Unitas. If they were playing today, it'd be the reverse for a lot of people.

 

This is hilarious. The whole list is, but the bolded part was especially funny. Very entertaining, congratulations!

 

I've been told 9 different ways over the last two days that I'm insane because I think Manning is clearly a better QB than Brady. Agree with Mizzou's assessment completely, and this idea that somehow if the Patriots win on Sunday Manning is devalued and so much worse than Brady is what's nuts in my mind.

 

Thanks. Why?

 

When Unitas was a 5-time All-Pro, there were, what, 14 teams?

Montana did it three times in a 28-team league.

Manning's done it seven times in a 32-team league.

 

It's a lot harder to win a championship with 32 teams than with 14.

Also, I can't see one aspect of the game in which Unitas was clearly better than Montana. Or Manning, for that matter.

I'm sure someone will be along to correct me soon.

 

Not only that, but in Unitas' day, a huge percentage of the country's greatest athletes were boxers and baseball players (because that's where the money was).

I've said it many times, but if Cassius Clay had come along today, he'd likely be a pass-rushing defensive end/linebacker like Demarcus Ware or Justin Tuck.

Conversely, if a fast, agile, athletic specimen like Colin Kaepernick had been raised in the 50s, he might have been battling Floyd Patterson and Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship. (I also think Allen Iverson could have been a legendary middleweight boxer of the Thomas Hearns prototype had he been born 15 years earlier and/or chosen that path).

 

It's not that I think Starr is the greatest, but he won 5 championships, which is more than 4. He won 90% of his playoff games. Montana went 1 and done 3 times (IIRC 3 seasons in a row).

Staubach was a great, an all time great, that doesn't get the consideration he deserves. He lost 4 or 5 years to military service. He's not the GOAT but if you needed to win a game you can count on him

BTW as far as the number of Championships goes, Bradshaw won 4 and no one will rationally consider him a top 10 QB of all time. There's more the GOAT than Championships, but it's important. Which is why Manning is the best player to play the position, but not the GOAT

 

Great points, Steak.

Keep in mind, Unitas is still one of the five best ever. If I had to list them, it would look something like this:
1. Montana
2. Manning
3. Elway
4. Brady
5. Unitas

Some combination of Marino, Baugh, Graham, Favre, Young, Kelly, Bradshaw and Staubach would round out the top 10.