The Greatest?

Wasn't sure what to talk about today, with football being done and we're over 2 months away from the draft, there isn't much NFL news.  NASCAR is a week away from starting, baseball is starting spring training, I don't watch the NBA, and College Basketball is really hard to give opinions on b/c every week a top team losses and you can't make bold statements untile March.  I gave it a little thought and decided I'd start a debate.  I've had a few on facebook with other people about who is the greatest this or that, and 9 times out of 10 that discussion is the greatest QB in NFL history.  QB is probably the most debated position in all of sports, name your top 5 RB's Smith, Brown, and Sanders end up on everyones list.  Top WR Jerry Rice all day.  Baseball uses stats to differentiate greatness.  Basketball you use your eyes b/c a guy can take over a game, and talent will show.

Quaterback is different, how do you measure the greatness of a QB?  When making a top 10 list you'll get a few names over and over, Montana, Brady, Marino, and Elway.  Some guys will show up a lot, but most people don't have a concrete list that they stick by.  I for one have my list fluctuate quite a bit.  I have 2 things a QB must have, #1 is rings, QB is the most important position on the field, and only 1 team has won multiple championships in a small amount of time without a dominant QB.  The QB controls the game more than any player, they also get all the glory and blame.  The #2 thing I need is numbers, plenty of guys can have a ring(s), but if they put up mediocre numbers and just so happened to rise up 2 playoff runs (ex: Eli Manning), than your not top 10 eligible for me.  So looking at my requirements Championship rings and great passing numbers let's look at my current top ten all-time QB's in NFL history.

10) Sammy Baugh, Washington Redskins 1937-1952, 2 championships, 2-time MVP.  NFL HOF 1963.  Sammy is credited with being first player to use the forward pass.  My stance of being first doesn't make you best, but he did play a long time, and when he retired he held 13 NFL records.  He obviously played in the pre-Super Bowl days, so his 2 rings were NFL Championships, which was just a 1 game playoff between the 2 division champions of the NFL.

9) Bart Starr, Green Bay Packers 1956-1971, 5 championships (2 Super Bowls) 1-time MVP, NFL HOF 1977, 2-time Super Bowl MVP.  Starr is the epitome of a winner. He wasn't the best QB, but he is historically one of the most effecient, at his retirement he was 2nd all-time in passer rating.  He played on runcentric teams, but he called those run plays.  He was also one of the few guys who Vince Lombardi would actually listen too.  Starr also has one of the most famous plays in NFL history with his QB sneak in the Ice Bowl in 1967.

8) Steve Young, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1985-1986 San Francisco 49ers 1987-1999, 3 Super Bowl championships-1 as starter, NFL HOF 2005, 2-time MVP, 1 Super Bowl MVP.  He has probably the best run of all time against Minnesota in 1988.  He backed up Joe Montana for his last 2 rings before becoming the starter and finally winning one in 1994.  Young was the first of the new-age running QB's that could throw and run.  Steve lost most of his prime years backing up Montana, but he played longer b/c of that as well.  He made multiple championship game runs.  Was also one of the most effecient passers in history as well.

7) Brett Favre, Atlanta Falcons 1991 Green Bay Packers 1992-2007 New York Jets 2008, Minnesota Vikings 2009-2010, 1 Super Bowl Championship, 3-Time NFL MVP.  Brett holds records for passing yards, passing TD's, completions, attempts, QB wins, QB Starts, Interceptions, and 297 games started streak-most for any position.  Favre is by far the most controversal guy on the list, he has a ton of numbers but he also has a ton of interceptions.  The 1 ring does hurt him, but he had his 2nd ring taken by a guy higher on this list.  He also had a ring taken by the Vikings coaching staff, he didn't do himself any favors throwing the killer pick against the Giants in the NFC Championship game.  The guy was the true "gunslinger" it hurt to type that, he made a lot of plays but also missed a lot of plays.  I'll say this about Favre he never had that go-to-guy who was a sure fire hall of famer on his team.  He made the talent arount him better.

6) Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins 1983-1999 0 Super Bowl rings, 1-time NFL MVP, NFL HOF 2005.  Marino is the one guy on my list without a championship.  I think Marino is the exception of the rule that you must win.  His teams were never that good on defense, and never had a decent RB.  He retired with pretty much every passing record, and really took the forward pass to a new level in his early years.  He was one of the best of his era and it really was a golden age of QB's, Marino played against half of this list.  His lightening quick release was legendary, he made mortal WR's great.

5) Terry Bradshaw, Pittsburgh Steelers 1970-1983 4-Time Super Bowl Champion, 1-time NFL MVP, NFL HOF 1989, 2-time Super Bowl MVP.  Probably the most understated QB when it comes to these lists.  The guy never gets any credit, he played with an all time defense, 2 great WR's, and plenty of talent in the backfield.  But, if you give Bart Starr credit in Green Bay you gotta give credit to Bradshaw in Pittsburgh.  He was the QB of a great team and kept everyone happy, he is one of the few QB's in history to have 2 Hall of Fame WR's on his team.  I put a premium on winning and the guy has 4 rings, you have 4 rings you get in my top-5 b/c there is only 1 other guy with that many.

4) John Elway, Denver Broncoes 1983-1998 2-time Super Bowl Champion, 1-time NFL MVP, NFL HOF 2004, 1-time Super Bowl MVP.  If John doesn't have Terrell Davis and Mike Shanahan he's around 8 on this list, didn't win rings until his last 2 years in the league.  What Elway has is the flair for the dramatic, it's only fitting his rings came at end of his career b/c that's when he flourished, at the end of games the guy is probably the best ever.  He has some of the most iconic 4th quarter finishes in history.  Elway played a little like Steve Young with his running, but had Dan Marino's arm.  Some lists will have John higher b/c his skill was so great, and he did more than anyone else.  I like Elway a lot, and frankly this top 4 is really just splitting hairs.

3) Tom Brady, New England Patriots 2000-present, 3-time Super Bowl Champion, 2-time NFL MVP, 2-time Super Bowl MVP.  It's no secret I love Tom Brady, he has been the premier QB of the last decade plus.  Not only does he have 3 rings, but he's gotten all 3 with no names at WR, the one year he had an elite WR all he did was go 18-1, with 4,800 and 50 TD's.  Tom has been to 5 Super Bowls, had the last 2 taken away in the final moments, when his defense couldn't get stops.  He's also led Super Bowl game winning drives.  Brady is the best QB in the NFL right now, and frankly it's not close, Manning isn't a playoff performer, Rodgers needs more time, and Brees is in a pass happy offense.  Brady is a proven winner and a great QB.

2) Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts 1956-1972 San Diego Chargers 1973, 3-time NFL Champion (1 Super Bowl) 3-time NFL MVP, NFL HOF 1979.  A lot of lists have Johnny #1 but I can't do that.  He played in an era when the forward pass wasn't something teams practiced to stop, he did play when there wasn't many rules, so guys couldn't get the seperation they get today.  I think Johnny played in an age that most writers want to remember him as the greatest but he didn't play in a great passing era.  He was a pure passer, and honestly his reputation gets him on my list, not the fact I really like him.

1) Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers 1979-1992 Kansas City Chiefs 1993-1994 4-time Super Bowl Champion, 2-time NFL MVP, NFL HOF 2000, 3-time Super Bowl MVP.  By far my favorite QB of all time, maybe in my top-5 for all time players.  He won 4 rings, had some of the most dominant performances in Super Bowl history.  Threw one of the most famous passes ever, hitting Dwight Clark for the catch to propel San Fran to their first Super Bowl appearance.  Holds all the postseason records for passing, and has most of the Super Bowl passing records.  Montana did have the greatest WR ever, but Jerry Rice wasn't hurt too much having a great passer throw him the ball.  Sterling Sharpe was ok, then he got Brett Favre and was amazing, I know that's not the greatest comparison but I'm just trying to say a great WR isn't great unless his QB can get him the ball and if that QB is all time great he'll only help you out more.  Joe Montana is the best there ever was according to me and he proved it time and time again including taking the Chiefs to the AFC championship game. 

As I said this can be debated and I encourage you to do so, this is just what I thought today, I can be swayed.  The only guy I'll refuse to put on this list is Peyton Manning, he's overated and has a longer list of playoff losses and choke jobs than he does playoff breakthroughs.  I'll see you next week in the meantime follow me on twitter @derekbredeson.