that's a good point. i hate favre myself, but he is so hyped and such that he is probably "considered" a top 6 all time qb, albeit he is an overrated, cocky, lucky son of a bitch.
WHERE IS JOE NAMATH???? If I had to pick one of the ones up there, it has to be Joe Montana. But I most certainly would pick a different Joe had I the option...
unitas members of the pro football hall of fame voted-overwhelmingly-johnny unitas as the greatest QB of all time. SI also had an interesting article "proving" unitas was the best. everyone who saw unitas said he was the best ever.
I didn't have the opportunity to watch Unitas. On that note it was a toss up between Elway and Marino - I voted Marino.
I saw Unitas but near the end but even had I seen him in his prime hard to say any of the truly great QB's I saw were better than the next. I'm not sure you can really say there was a best QB of all time. I think you can have a friendly argument on it and I can put down a list of who I think ranks up there but to pick one over the other is almost impossible. Otto Graham Sammy Baugh Bart Starr Sonny Jurgensen Bobby Lane Bradshaw Staubach Unitas Elway Marino Montana Brady Norm Van Brocklin Namath Young Aikman Lots of great QB's all depends on who you liked. I really didn't see Van Brocklin, Graham or Lane. Of the pure throwers I saw I would put Namath in the group along with Marino, Jurgensen, Bradshaw and Elway. I loved the all around play of Staubach and Steve Young who is very under appreciated because he sat behind Montana for so long. Unitas, Starr, Montana and Brady just flat out beat you. On a side note one of the greatest pure passers I ever saw who will never make the argument is Doug Williams. The guy was outright one of the most talented pure QB's I ever saw who was surrounded by awful talent and sub standard coaching for his entire prime.
These "...of all time" questions are hard to answer. By what standard are we judging them? If we interpret the question as: Which QB had the greatest impact on the game in his era? --- my answer is Sammy Baugh. In addition to his passing records which held up for many years, the guy led the league several times in interceptions and punting average. He put fannies in the seats around the league when pro football was not all that certain it would catch on with the public.
I know nothing of Unitus(sp) other than he played QB in the NFL. I'm not a history major. I know football since @1980 and that has been primarily watching the JETS. Football has changed. Faster, more advanced and, for a bit, meaner. Altough the later has dropped off a bit cause all the rule changes. What I know is that Marino kicked our asses twice anually, it seemed, and he with apparent ease, I might add. Talk about Vinny's cannon all you want but Dan threw harder and longer than any other QB I saw. Hate the Fins, hate the QB but love the guy's skills.
From a talent perspective, I'd have to say Elway was the best. I look at all the things he was able to to with his legs like roll out, avoid the rush, or run for a first down. Then combine that with the fact that he had a big arm AND was accurate, and I think he was the best QB of all-time.
I had to vote for Elway, he's the best I've seen. Montana is right there but played the majority of his career under a HOF coach with a great system for his abilities and great talent around him. The Bronco teams Elway took to the Super Bowl in the 80's? Barely playoff teams without him. I don't think anybody else in his era could have elevated the talent around him like he did. Of the guys I haven't seen, there's a great argument for Otto Graham...
You're missing 3 important names on that list: 1) Johnny U (already noted above) 2) Otto Graham 3) Sammy Baugh Keep in mind, you said "of all time", not just greatest in the SB era.
Yeah, but he was still very good as an old goat (football-wise) under Marty Schottenheimer with pedestrian wide receivers.
