Where does Peyton rank?

There were some exceptions but I think most playcalling had been taken to the sidelines by the early 80s.

The "messenger guards" system pioneered by Paul Brown in the 50s reached its final extension in 1971-72 or so when Tom Landry shuttled QBs (Morton and Staubach) with the plays for about half the season.

By the later 70s most teams were using signal systems. After 1980 a QB actually calling his own plays became noteworthy in itself.

 

That prompts an interesting question: Which SB had the worst assemblage of skill position players? Niners/Bengals SB in 1982 has to be in the mix (bc outside of Montana, there's no HOFs), along with Bucs/Raiders in 2003, Ravens/Giants in 2001 and Raiders/Eagles in 1981.

 

Did Elway even play with another offensive Pro Bowler on his first three Super Bowl teams? Maybe an O-lineman or 2.

 

RB Sammy Winder made two Pro Bowls in 84 and 86 with Broncos, the last of which was a SB year.

 

Favre is eliminated from GOAT contention based on INTs. Period.
Great QB, not a question.
As already noted: He made a ton of shitty and ill-advised throws.

Montana
Brady
Marino
Manning

I'd take Unitas over Elway based on calling your own plays.

 

So where does Manning wind up next season?

I'm guessing CBS, since he's an AFC guy and he shares an agent with Jim Nantz. I figure they'll put him on the No. 2 crew until Phil Simms' contract is up, and then put him with Nantz.

And maybe they give him some sort of chalk talk segment a la Gruden's "Quarterback Camp." He'd be as good at that as he would be in the booth.

 

I understand that Favre had some bad signature INTs in big moments, but part of that has to be attributable to trying to do too much with a poor supporting cast. Even still, his career INT percentage is not that much worse than Elway's.

48. Jeff Blake 3.1% 1992-2005 7TM Drew Bledsoe 3.1% 1993-2006 3TM Tony Banks 3.1% 1996-2005 4TM Aaron Brooks 3.1% 2000-2006 2TM John Elway+ 3.1% 1983-1998 den Randall Cunningham 3.1% 1985-2001 4TM Kerry Collins 3.1% 1995-2011 6TM David Carr 3.1% 2002-2012 4TM Kurt Warner 3.1% 1998-2009 3TM 57. Doug Flutie 3.2% 1986-2005 4TM Eli Manning (35) 3.2% 2004-2015 nyg Josh McCown (36) 3.2% 2002-2015 7TM Chad Henne (30) 3.2% 2008-2014 2TM Jay Cutler (32) 3.2% 2006-2015 2TM Charlie Batch 3.2% 1998-2012 2TM 63. Tony Eason 3.3% 1983-1990 2TM Brett Favre 3.3% 1991-2010

Meanwhile, Unitas (playing in a much different era) has this company:

. Jim Hart 4.9% 1966-1984 2TM Johnny Unitas+ 4.9% 1956-1973 2TM Len Dawson+ 4.9% 1957-1975 3TM Billy Kilmer 4.9% 1961-1978 3TM Marc Wilson 4.9% 1980-1990 2TM Mark Malone 4.9% 1980-1989 3TM Craig Morton 4.9% 1965-1982 3TM

Brady and Rodgers, meanwhile, are in a bubble all their own with the advent of rules that don't let you breathe on QBs

 

That's part of the issue.,. Many of Favre's signature plays are costly, big-game INTs.
He's the NFL career leader in INTs. And it's not even close. .... He threw almost 60 picks more than any other QB in the NFL.


Brady and Manning both had better supporting talent than Marino.
Duper and Clayton (good, but not great WRs), and a hoard of mediocre RBs.

 

As with most "worst Super Bowl" discussions, the answer is probably Ravens-Giants. The best skill players were Jamal Lewis and Tiki Barber, who are on the fringes of the Hall of Fame discussion at best.

Bucs-Raiders had more talent than you remember, since it was such a blowout. The Raiders had two Hall of Famers (Tim Brown and Jerry Rice), the league MVP (Rich Gannon) and that season's best offense. The Bucs weren't quite as stacked, but still had two very good receivers (Keyshawn and Keenan McCardell) and a perennial Pro Bowl RB/FB (Alstott).

 

Anyone whose career INT% is higher than Jay Cutler's is disqualified by default.

 

Yeah, but two of Montana's Super Bowl wins came against the Bengals.

That has to count against him, well, just because.