i agree with jens, but for some different reasons.
now that the league has been around for as long as it has now, i find it quite impossible to pick a straight 10 through one, let alone a 5 through 1.
there are just too many qualifying factors. era, type of scheme, supporting cast, coaches and just the rules of the game. all factor into what certain QB's were able to accomplish or not accomplish during their time playing the game.
when the conversation comes up, i will always say johnny elway. every time. first, because i know i will get a groan out of most any audience i have. second, i feel that i can make a reasonable case for him. and this is how it generally goes...
2 Super Bowl rings.
-yeah but, he only got those because he had a good team around him.
You mean like Montana had?
-yeah, but montana had many more rings than elway. elway got blown out in all those other Super Bowls.
Without Elway, Denver would have never been in any of those Super Bowls.
-but they lost.
I can grant you that, but i will tell you that you put Montana on those denver teams, they never make it to the Super Bowl and you put elway on those SF teams and SF wins just as many if not more Super Bowls than montana ever did.
-how is that? you are out of your mind.
Montana would have never survived a season behind the o-line that JE had to play behind most of his career. he never had all pro WR's. never had all pro RB's. Montana had all of that. So did Marino, who went to one and lost. Montana, Taylor and Rice. Marino, Clayton and Duper. SF also had some damn good d's as well. until elways last few years, he never had any of that. yet, you want to give montana a pass on that and not say elway did more with less?
-its all about Super Bowl rings.
that is where i give up and offer up what i said above with a laugh. the only argument i can make against a guy like montana is to put him in denver. but, you cant. so, he has just a legit argument as any as to why he should be #1. but, what about brady?
there is just no answer to this question.
the real question at this point is, who are the top 15 to QB's who should be tied for the best QB of all time?
that is pretty much the way i see it these days.
