Brett Favre is a bonafide Hall of Fame quarterback. He’s first ballot material all the way. And he’s over-hyped.
How over-hyped? Let’s all find out together! Because it’s a Friday night and I’ve got time on my hands, I’m going to try to see if I can put together a Top 10 All Time List of NFL Quarterbacks without including the Brett-ster.
Now for those of you how didn’t read my “about me” post, let me save you the trouble. I’m in my early 40s. So, that means I’ve followed football since the ’70s and grew up hearing and reading a lot about ’60s all stars. As I put this list together, I’m going off of that life experience so please don’t comment that I skipped guys from the fifties and earlier. I know…
In no particular order and again OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, here are 10 guys that can make the case to bump Favre out of the Top 10:
Roger Staubach- Grew up a Giants’ fan and so I grew up hating Roger Staubach. Still, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen anyone better in the clutch. And he’s got at least two Super Bowl titles as well as a couple of other appearances to Favre’s one title.
Dan Marino- Favre edges him on Super Bowl titles and now on some of the career numbers. But, no one has put up the kind of gaudy seasonal numbers Marino posted with regularity. And it does feel to me that most people would have picked Marino over Favre during a lot of the time their careers overlapped.
Tom Brady – Three Super Bowl titles already and about HALF Favre’s age. He’d have four if my mighty Giants hadn’t shown him what losing feels like.
Joe Montana- Now here’s the guy who actually has four titles. And perhaps was (upon reflection) even more clutch than Staubach.
Terry Bradshaw – Doesn’t have the same kind of stats, but remember he played in a different era when the passing stats weren’t like they are today. The only other guy with four titles. I think that’s gotta count for something. In this case, it makes the argument that maybe he deserves to be ahead of Brett on this list.
Bart Starr- Played QB for the Packers before Favre and from sheer wins and losses and Championships earned, he played QB a lot better than Favre. Two Super Bowl wins and before that about 1500 NFL Championships.
Johnny Unitas – Wow! I’m going old school. Just look at the kind of numbers he put up when people just were NOT putting up those kinds of numbers. And he was such an icon. For a child of the ’70s, the name Johnny Unitas had as legendary a ring to it as Babe Ruth.
Peyton Manning- I must be playing a Colts association game here. The older Manning bro has one Super Bowl title so far. And although he and the current Colts seem to be declining slightly, you never know if he’ll add another Super Bowl to his resume before hanging them up. As with the Marino/Favre comparison, Manning has simply been the better QB during most of the time he and Brett have played together as contemporaries. In addition, I think it’s fair to add Peyton is a much better actor in his commercials and SNL appearances than Favre in his commercials and “Something About Mary”.
John Elway- This one I don’t know that I completely believe. But, he does have more Super Bowl appearances and titles. And, he did beat Favre head to head in a Super Bowl. Wow! I’m more convinced now…
Otto Graham- Going REAL old school here, but this guy is hard to ignore. Cleveland’s early precursor to Brady Quinn, played ten years of pro ball and got to his league’s title game exactly ten times. Seven times he won. That record will never be broken.
Others You Could Make a Case For, But I didn’t - Steve Young (HOF, some of the greatest seasons ever, 1 Super Bowl), Troy Aikman (3 Super Bowls), Kurt Warner (if he gets the MVP this year, he’ll have 3 and 2 Super Bowl appearances in his erratic career), Joe Willie Namath (maybe the biggest win ever) and I’m sure there’s a few more I’ve skipped over.
My conclusion? As usual, I think I’m right.
Favre is a great one, but he is over-hyped. In fact, he may not even be Top 10. This is especially true when you factor in that unlike most of the guys on the list above, Favre has the disturbing tendency to be as likely in a big spot to win you the game as throw it away. My Giants can attest to that…
Let me hear what you think!
