Nick's Lists: Top 10 Quarterbacks in NFL History (10-6)

So as I sit here...ill...on Thursday evening, I have had a little more time to think about things.  One of the things I've had time to contemplate is FOOTBALL!  Tonight was the first round of preseason games, starting with the Philadelphia Eagles and the Baltimore Ravens and then we have the Seattle Seahawks and San Diego Chargers over on ESPN.  I know the games don't count, but it looks good to watch overgrown men knock heads on a gridiron again.  The Redskins open their preseason tomorrow against Pittsburgh.

In the meantime, I know I am long since due for another top 10 list.  So I'm gonna get started on one right now.  I'll try to do a few of these in the lead up to the regular season sort of as as 2011 season primer.  I'm not going to do like player rankings or things like that because I don't want to give any insider fantasy advice to my opponents in MIISFFL (you know who you are...).  I am fascinated by the history of football, so I am going to do a positional top 10 of the best at each position in history.  Tonight I start with the field generals: the quarterbacks. 

I've always said that I don't like the play the quarterback position, but I'll do it if people want me to.  Quarterback is a very cerebral position.  I can handle the mental aspects of the position (kind of like an on-field coach), but I don't really have the arm strength.  The best quarterbacks have an uncanny combination of both.  In today's game, there are not really a lot of quarterbacks that fit that description, although a couple do make this list as you'll see.  Quaterbacks on this list you will see are not just masters of the deep ball.  They are masterful game-day tacticians.  They don't have to win Super Bowls to make the list either.  There is so much that goes into winning a Super Bowl that the quarterback does NOT have control over (i.e. defense) that I don't put Super Bowl winnings very high on the list.  Terry Bradshaw won 4 Super Bowls with Pittsburgh, but he's NOT on my list, quite frankly, because I don't view him as an elite gameday tactician.  He's a great TV commentator, but those Pittsburgh teams were so loaded, Bradshaw really just had to make sure he didn't fumble the snap and they would win.  So, enough introduction...let's examine Caputo's Corner's TOP 10 QUARTERBACKS OF ALL TIME!!


10) Bart Starr (Green Bay Packers 1956-71)


From netbrawl.com

 The original Super Bowl champion, Bart Starr commanded the dominate Green Bay teams under Vince Lombardi in the 1960s.  His Packer teams won NFL titles in 1961, 62, 66, and 67 (including Super Bowls I and II).  Back in those days, quarterbacks called their own plays on the field (this was before multiple millions of dollars were spent on coordinators).  One day in practice, Starr threw an intereception and Lombardi gave him the 3rd degree (as Lombardi was known to do when mistakes were made).  After practice, Starr asked for a meeting with the coach and told him that if Lombardi wanted to chew him out, do it in private.  The leadership of the quarterback position was extremely important in thtose days (it still is today, but to a much lesser extent).  Therefore, Starr was acutely aware that if the quarterback is underminded, even by the coach, his ability to lead was thrown in question.  From then on, the relationship between QB and coach was strong, and Starr led the NFL in passing 3 times in the 1960s.  Perhaps his biggest triumph was in the 1967 NFL Championship game against the Cowboys, popularly known as the "Ice Bowl."  With 4:50 left, Starr marched the Packers down to the Cowboys 1 yard line, trailing by 3, and with no timeouts.  There were 16 seconds left on the clock.  Starr boldly called "31 wedge," keeping the ball himself, and sneaking it across the goalline for the winning score (knowing full well that if the play had failed, the game most likely would have ended).  The Packers won 21-17

9) Roger Staubach (Dallas Cowboys 1971-1979)

From realsportsheros.com


This one kind of hurts me a little bit considering my allegiance, but Caputo's Corner must maintain neutrality, especially with the top 10s.  Staubach made a name for himself at the Naval Academy (and was on the Navy team that received the infamous double pistol salute from Jerry Fishman-fast forward to 3:45) winning the Heisman Trophy, but he could not start his pro career until after he finished his mandatory service.  The Cowboys owned his rights since the 1964 draft.  He got his first starting opportunity in 1971 and promptly led the Cowboys to a win in Super Bowl VI.  He would also lead the Cowboys to Super Bowls X, XII, and XIII (only winning XII).  Staubach's legacy is probably best solidified by two games.  First, Staubach is credited with throwing the original "Hail Mary." With 24 seconds left in a playoff game against Minnesota in the old Metropolitan Stadium, Staubach heave-hoed a pass toward Drew Pearson, said a quick Hail Mary, and the prayer was answered.  The Cowboys would advance to Super Bowl X and lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Staubach's other signature moment came against my Redskins in 1979, his last season in the NFL.  Staubach had already earned a reputation as the comeback kid, but after the Redskins opened up 17-0 and 34-21 leads, Staubach led the Cowboys back to a 35-34 win, valuting the Cowboys to the NFC East title.  Excuse me while I cry....

8) Jim Kelly (Buffalo Bills 1986 to 1996)


From NFL.com

 Hard luck Jim Kelly was the general of one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history.  Unfortunately for him, he and his Buffalo Bills will always be remembered for losing 4 consecutive Super Bowls (XXV through XXVIII) to NFC East teams.  He orchestrated the so-called "K-gun" hurry-up offense, which was revolutionary for its time in that it prevented defenses from making subsitutions.  Teams of today often mimic this style of offense (the Patriots come to mind).  The offense dictated the pace of the game and the defense could do all it could just to keep up.  He mixed the run and pass extremely well, and his accuracy on deep balls to speed guys like Andre Reed made the Bills of the early 90s nearly indestructable...until it got to the Super Bowl of course. 

7) Tom Brady (New England Patriots 2001- )


From bostonsportshouse.com

 Until Randy Moss arrived in 2007, all the weapons Tom Brady had at his disposal were in the video room (that was for you AK).  Even with the Audio-Visual assistance, however, he still had to find his targets, and until Randy Moss came around, he didn't really have many to play with.  David Givens, David Patten, and Troy Brown were his biggest "threats" at wideout, and still he happened to find the end zone with them, a lot.  Nobody can dispute Brady's success as a passer, especially stepping in for an injured Drew Bledsoe in 2001 and leading the Patriots to the huge upset of the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.  Brady executed a brilliant 2-minute drive in that game, not settling for overtime as John Madden had suggested, which allowed Adam Vinatieri to kick the winning field goal.  During their 18-1 season in 2007, Brady set the current NFL record for touchdown passes in a season with 50, and also led the Fightin' Snyders to a Fantasy Football championship.  In 2008, his season ended in the very first quarter when Marcus Pollard fell into Brady's left knee, shredding it.  Matt Cassel took over, and while the Pats finished 11-5, they still missed the playoffs in the AFC, losing the division to the Miami Dolphins.  Brady has consistently kept the Patriots at the top of the AFC East, both with and without Randy Moss. 

6) Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins 1983-2000)

From sportsillustrated.cnn.com



Marino (along with Jim Kelly) was one of the quarterbacks taken in the famous "quarterback draft" of 1983 out of the University of Pittsburgh.  Famously, the New York Jets passed on him in favor of Ken O'Brien (who had a pretty good career himself...nowhere near top 10 though).  The defending Super Bowl RUNNER UP swooped in and took Marino.  The defending CHAMPIONS took a speedy cornerback named Darrell Green from Texas A&I with the next pick..  The Dolphins, despite having been to the Super Bowl the year before, were not happy with the play of quarterback David Woodley, who did not complete a pass in the 2nd half of Super Bowl XVII.  When Woodley struggled at the start of the 1983 season, Marino stepped in and a legacy was born.  Marino led the Dolphins to the Super Bowl in 1984 setting several records for the time including touchdown passes (48) and passing yards (5,084).  The 49ers beat the Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX, the last time the Dolphins would ever reach the Super Bowl.  Marino would be a regular playoff participant, however, dominating the regular season through the air.  Perhaps his signature win was in 1985, handing the 1985 Chicago Bears their only defeat of the season (with many members of  the undefeated 1972 Dolphins in attendance).  In that game, Marino shredded the Bears' vaunted 46 defense throwing 3 touchdown passes and 270 yards (with one interception).   Marino finished his career holding several passing records (several of which has since been eclipsed) and only trails Favre and Elway for career wins for a quarterback. 

In an interesting twist, which is really only interesting considering how crazy Jets fans can get at the draft, Marino and Ken O'Brien combined for one of only 6 games in history to see both quaterbacks throw for over 400 yards (September 21, 1986).  O'Brien was a good QB, and won just as many Super Bowls as Marino, but Marino by far the more consistent, and more prolific passer of his generation.  O'Brien will not make the Hall of Fame.  Marino made it on the first ballot.  Alright, there are your first 5 of our top 10.  Let the arguing begin!  We'll take a look at the top 5 and some HM's next time.  Until then...happy preseason!