Let’s talk quarterbacks. Are you with me? Alright, let’s talk greatest of all time quarterbacks. What was your first thought?
Was Bart Starr in the front of your mind. With him recently passing away at the age of 85. He definitely has the bonafides. Was it Tom Brady you saw? The ageless one that continues to grind on in New England, playing by nobody’s terms but his own.
Well I owe my cousin Ted Gerwer some props here because while I was making the case for Starr, or Brady, he stepped right up, quite matter of factly and stated Joe Montana deserved to be all over that GOAT debate and it wasn’t just Montana that deserved it either.
Dan Marino definitely has the statistics but sadly no Super Bowl ring. John Elway has both but does he have enough? Peyton Manning ran an offense like nobody we have ever seen. Did somebody say “Omaha”?
Roger Staubach was America’s quarterback before Troy Aikman was out of diapers. Terry Bradshaw was a gamer and just enough of a lovable redneck to give the Steelers offense a personality that shined alongside the ‘Steel Curtain’, Pittsburgh’s defensive line that was the backbone of their dynasty.
But for Ted’s sake. ‘Joe Cool’, ‘The Comeback Kid’, Joe Montana belongs in the thick of the greatest conversation.
Joe started and won four Super Bowls. Went to eight Pro Bowls. Was the first player to be named Super Bowl MVP three times. In 1993, Montana would finish the season with the all-time highest passer rating of 127.8%.
Montana led his team to 32 fourth quarter comebacks. With 58 seconds left against the Dallas Cowboys in the 1981 Championship game he would throw the TD pass to Dwight Clark that would become known as ‘The Catch’.
As previously stated, Joe Cool was undefeated in four Super Bowls with 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions. His mastery of the West Coast Offense under head coach Bill Walsh was amazing to watch.
Even during the NFL 100 commercial his allegiance could not be questioned as he passed on a wide open Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin, to go to his HOF partner Jerry Rice. Even though the pass was ultimately intercepted by Deion Sanders, Joe-Joe still had his swagger.
All kidding aside. Did I miss YOUR ‘GOAT’. Is your candidate for this honor mentioned here. I agree that we may never see a NFL team accomplish what New England has over the last fifteen years, but I’m not ready just yet to claim Brady the best ever.
What do you say? Let’s talk quarterbacks.
