Marino's Place in History

[t2thejz]

I think Dan was the best of all time..but in Americas mind Montana will be because of the superbowls. If you wanted too you could put up an argument for all of the guys listed up there

 

[phatmatt]

Why do people divide the QB position into two different areas? Best all around QB and best pure passer? Makes no sense. QBs are not measured on how well they make handoffs.

No, but quarterbacks are (and should be) measured in other areas as well. One could make an argument that Montana (or Elway or Favre for that matter) were better overall QBs because they also posed the threat of running. Dan was the best pure passer, just like I said. However, that does not mean that he was the best QB. Though you may not believe it, there is more to being a QB than just throwing the ball (though this is by far the most important of course).

 

[SCall13]

No, but quarterbacks are (and should be) measured in other areas as well. One could make an argument that Montana (or Elway or Favre for that matter) were better overall QBs because they also posed the threat of running. Dan was the best pure passer, just like I said. However, that does not mean that he was the best QB. Though you may not believe it, there is more to being a QB than just throwing the ball (though this is by far the most important of course).

True, QBs are called upon to run occasionally. But let's look at it on the flip side. Marino was not mobile. He lacked the luxury of being able to buy himself extra time, or creating a big play moving around. He made big plays from the pocket with his arm and his brain and his unmatched accuracy. The biggest measure of a great QB is, and always will be, how he throws a football. Noone cares how many yards Favre, Elway, Montana, Marino or anyone else ran for. Running is what a QB does when either the protection breaks down or when he was unable to make a quick enough read to deliver the football before he has to run for his life. I'll take a "pure passer" any day over a running QB like Randall Cunningham, Mike Vick, or Steve Young. Passing is what a QB does, it is what he is measured by. PERIOD.

 

[Dajesus]

You gotta be kidding right? I love Bob, but no way can you say Montana was like him, and just ran the engine. Montana put up huge SB numbers in every one of their 4 wins, remember the 5 TD passes in the Denver 55-10 rout? Joe was the most important player on those 49er teams, Griese was not.
As for Dan, gee it`s no surprise he got the most votes on this poll. He`ll always be my favorite player of all-time. Was he the best pure passer of all-time? Easily. Best QB of all-time? As much as I`d like to say yes, he`s not. He never won a SB, and that`s the true measure of greatness. Flame away people!

Montana's only Super Bowl win where may have been the best player was in '84. The rest of the years with out a doubt Jerry Rice was the best player on the 49ers and the NFL. Not even Dan destroying every passing record, is as impressive as what Rice has don't to every WR record. There was just a tribute to the Montan lead 49ers in ESPN classics. Half of Montana's TD passes were to wide open Jerry Rice. Not to mention he started the west coast offense where short passes to big athletic WRs exploited defenses for big gains, and opened up the running game, and an occasional wide open deep pass to Rice.

 

[Super_Duper85]

Marino should be considered the best of all time. However, people are obssessed with rings so he probably won't even make the top 5.