Where Dan Marino Ranks Amongst the best QB's since 1978........ | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Where Dan Marino Ranks Amongst the best QB's since 1978........

I have Marino ranked number 2 behind Tom Brady. Will get flamed for this but I don't care...I've always said that Marino never had a complete team quite at the same time, whether it be defense, running back etc. He did more with less and put up numbers at a time when DB's were able to literally drape themselves over wide receivers going down field. Imagine Marino with the rules in place now and the numbers he would put up.........scary. Not winning a super bowl doesn't mean he wasn't the greatest.
 
Fouts at #10? I was a big Fouts fan growing up, but other than the '81 OT game vs us, he had a lot of struggles in the postseason. 5 picks in the '79 playoffs vs Houston for starters. A lot of people compare him and Marino. To me, no comparison. Marino brought it big time in the regular season and in the playoffs both....well, other than the Jacksonville game!
 
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Dan Marino's window of opportunity, in terms of super bowls, was in the early 1980's when he was just entering the NFL. From 1983-85, Miami had teams that could challenge for the championship.

Of course, in 1984 the Dolphins ended up losing in the super bowl to the 49ers. I've always felt that Miami team would have defeated most super bowl teams during that time frame. The Dolphins were the best team in the AFC in 1985, but played a horrendous AFC Championship game losing to New England. A win there would had set-up a Miami/Chicago super bowl.

Marino's numbers were incredible, but are being somewhat lost over time with the explosion of the passing game. Average quarterbacks are putting up numbers that rival the greats from years back.

I'm not sure where Marino stands all-time, but I'd say easily top 5. Another player who doesn't get enough credit is Roger Staubach. IMO he was the best quarterback from the 1970's, but with the rule changes his numbers don't compare. Staubach was much like Aaron Rodgers, who I'd rank very highly.
 
Peyton Manning is the best QB. Ever.

Marino, Brady, Unitas, and Rogers round out the top 5.
 
SF Dolphin Fan said:
Marino's numbers were incredible, but are being somewhat lost over time with the explosion of the passing game. Average quarterbacks are putting up numbers that rival the greats from years back.
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What Marino did during an era when DB's and LB's could bump, grab and hold WR's all over the field until the ball was in the air is more than incredible. He didn't just surpass the single season yardage and TD records, he annihilated them. And he did so with TWO midget receivers, who never did much of anything when they left Miami. Good, but not great players. I agree with Rod Woodson, who stated that Marino would throw for 70+ TD's in today's game.

I believe it was Pat Haden that credited Marino with being one of the first QB's he ever saw that threw to a spot low and outside where only the receiver could get it. Then of course you have the great Bill Walsh, maybe the most creative offensive mind of the modern era that said something along the lines of "Joe Montana was a product of a system. Dan Marino was a system." Ray Rhodes even mentions Walsh's extreme admiration of Marino despite having Joe Montana on his team. That speaks volumes, IMO. You swap Marino and Montana during those 49ers SB years and Marino would have won at least a couple, if not more while Montana wouldn't have won in Miami.

I don't care what anyone says. I've been watching the NFL since 1976. Marino is hands down the best QB I've ever seen. You can't convince me that he wouldn't have been part of multiple SB winning teams had he played on teams with the talent Montana, Brady, Bradshaw, etc all played with. If I'm not mistaken, Marino played with 3 hall of famers. Bob Kuechenberg, Dwight Stephenson and Jason Taylor. Bob was at the end of his career for the season or two they were together and Marino was at the end of his when Taylor started to emerge on the scene. So basically the only true HOF'er he played with was his center, Stephenson. When it's all said and done, how many did Montana and Brady play with? After all, football is the ultimate team game. While QB is undoubtedly the most important offensive position, it is still at the mercy of the surrounding talent and defense/special teams. The NFL is not the NBA where one or two star players can lead a team to a title. While Miami certainly had some good players during Marino's era, they just never had close to enough. Most of us long suffering fans know exactly what they lacked during those years.

I have ZERO doubt that had an in-prime Marino played on these Patriots teams throughout the Belichick era, they'd have won just as many SB's if not more. Hell, the first couple of SB's the Patriots won were largely on the strength of the defense, special teams and the craftiness of Belichick.

I recall one stat ABC posted during a Dolphins Monday night game in the mid 90's that says a lot to me. They showed the QB's with the most 4th quarter comebacks when tied or losing to begin the quarter. The order was 1-Elway, 2-Montana, 3- Marino. However, they followed that up by changing the criteria to most 4th quarters comebacks in the last 2 minutes of the game -- basically meaning when that QB had 1 last possession rather than an entire QB to dig out of a hole -- and the results flipped. It was 1-Marino, 2- Montana, 3-Elway.

When Marino had a chance to win a game at the end, he almost always got it done. That's clutch. I know it happened, but I don't recall too many instances where Marino blew a game the Dolphins had a chance to win in the waning moments. That is the mark of a truly great QB. The problem is, Marino's defenses were usually busy giving up 30+ points against the other elite teams they played during Marino's prime. If that had happened consistently to Montana and Brady's teams, they'd not have all the accomplishments to back up their respective careers either.

Yes, I am aware that Marino wasn't a perfect player and he contributed to some of the Dolphins problems. No QB is perfect. But the good things he did far outweighed the bad and he was the furthest reason why Miami never won a SB.

In summary, if you lined up teams with equal talent and equal coaching staffs across the board (sans the QB position), I'd take Marino over anybody and feel very confident that my team would win a vast majority of the time.
 
Sons Of Shula said:
Peyton Manning is the best QB. Ever.

Marino, Brady, Unitas, and Rogers round out the top 5.
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I could live w this list if I took off my aqua glasses. Peyton and Dan were very similar w Peyton being a more evolved version of Dan. Those two could carry a team on their backs and challenge even w/out defense or running games. Peyton was lucky in 2006 to draw a flukish Bears team that had Rex Grossman at QB. And the 2nd SB he won he was so injured he couldn't do anything / didn't have to do anything. Dan never got that lucky break. The 15-1 Niners were an OT FG away from going undefeated. Then later in his career, the Bills were just too good to overcome in the playoffs in the 90's. Peyton had a lot of years that ended like many of Dan's. Fortunately for him, the football Gods were a bit more kind. There was a time when it looked like he'd be the next Marino where he was clearly the best QB in the world but they couldn't field a complete team. Good for him. I always liked him.
 
EJay said:
What Marino did during an era when DB's and LB's could bump, grab and hold WR's all over the field until the ball was in the air is more than incredible. He didn't just surpass the single season yardage and TD records, he annihilated them. And he did so with TWO midget receivers, who never did much of anything when they left Miami. Good, but not great players. I agree with Rod Woodson, who stated that Marino would throw for 70+ TD's in today's game.

I believe it was Pat Haden that credited Marino with being one of the first QB's he ever saw that threw to a spot low and outside where only the receiver could get it. Then of course you have the great Bill Walsh, maybe the most creative offensive mind of the modern era that said something along the lines of "Joe Montana was a product of a system. Dan Marino was a system." Ray Rhodes even mentions Walsh's extreme admiration of Marino despite having Joe Montana on his team. That speaks volumes, IMO. You swap Marino and Montana during those 49ers SB years and Marino would have won at least a couple, if not more while Montana wouldn't have won in Miami.

I don't care what anyone says. I've been watching the NFL since 1976. Marino is hands down the best QB I've ever seen. You can't convince me that he wouldn't have been part of multiple SB winning teams had he played on teams with the talent Montana, Brady, Bradshaw, etc all played with. If I'm not mistaken, Marino played with 3 hall of famers. Bob Kuechenberg, Dwight Stephenson and Jason Taylor. Bob was at the end of his career for the season or two they were together and Marino was at the end of his when Taylor started to emerge on the scene. So basically the only true HOF'er he played with was his center, Stephenson. When it's all said and done, how many did Montana and Brady play with? After all, football is the ultimate team game. While QB is undoubtedly the most important offensive position, it is still at the mercy of the surrounding talent and defense/special teams. The NFL is not the NBA where one or two star players can lead a team to a title. While Miami certainly had some good players during Marino's era, they just never had close to enough. Most of us long suffering fans know exactly what they lacked during those years.

I have ZERO doubt that had an in-prime Marino played on these Patriots teams throughout the Belichick era, they'd have won just as many SB's if not more. Hell, the first couple of SB's the Patriots won were largely on the strength of the defense, special teams and the craftiness of Belichick.

I recall one stat ABC posted during a Dolphins Monday night game in the mid 90's that says a lot to me. They showed the QB's with the most 4th quarter comebacks when tied or losing to begin the quarter. The order was 1-Elway, 2-Montana, 3- Marino. However, they followed that up by changing the criteria to most 4th quarters comebacks in the last 2 minutes of the game -- basically meaning when that QB had 1 last possession rather than an entire QB to dig out of a hole -- and the results flipped. It was 1-Marino, 2- Montana, 3-Elway.

When Marino had a chance to win a game at the end, he almost always got it done. That's clutch. I know it happened, but I don't recall too many instances where Marino blew a game the Dolphins had a chance to win in the waning moments. That is the mark of a truly great QB. The problem is, Marino's defenses were usually busy giving up 30+ points against the other elite teams they played during Marino's prime. If that had happened consistently to Montana and Brady's teams, they'd not have all the accomplishments to back up their respective careers either.

Yes, I am aware that Marino wasn't a perfect player and he contributed to some of the Dolphins problems. No QB is perfect. But the good things he did far outweighed the bad and he was the furthest reason why Miami never won a SB.

In summary, if you lined up teams with equal talent and equal coaching staffs across the board (sans the QB position), I'd take Marino over anybody and feel very confident that my team would win a vast majority of the time.
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I agree w most of this. The last possession do or die thing has always been the most impressive stat to me and Dan did it a lot. And in the post season as well - ask albert Lewis and the Chiefs, the Seahawks and the Browns who led 21-3 in the 4th on the strength of nearly 300 rushing yards in '85. No way we deserved that game. 3 possessions in Q4, 3 TDs. However, I do ageee w Sons that Peyton may have been better. Even if ever so slightly. He was very similar to Dan, almost like a more updated model. And yes, if Dan played for any of those NFC teams - giants, niners, skins or cowboys who won every SB between '84-'96 he'd have at least two rings.

PS
Keuch isn't in the Hall even if he deserves it. Dan played w Stephenson for 2-3 years and JT too late. Pitiful drafting did Dan's chances in more than anything. Put him on the Bills for Kelly and they win at least one of those SBs.
 
royalshank said:
I could live w this list if I took off my aqua glasses. Peyton and Dan were very similar w Peyton being a more evolved version of Dan. Those two could carry a team on their backs and challenge even w/out defense or running games. Peyton was lucky in 2006 to draw a flukish Bears team that had Rex Grossman at QB. And the 2nd SB he won he was so injured he couldn't do anything / didn't have to do anything. Dan never got that lucky break. The 15-1 Niners were an OT FG away from going undefeated. Then later in his career, the Bills were just too good to overcome in the playoffs in the 90's. Peyton had a lot of years that ended like many of Dan's. Fortunately for him, the football Gods were a bit more kind. There was a time when it looked like he'd be the next Marino where he was clearly the best QB in the world but they couldn't field a complete team. Good for him. I always liked him.
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Overall I agree with a lot that was said here.

For Manning's 2nd SB he did a lot of things on the field and in presnap phase that didn't show up on the stat sheet. His ability to put the offense in the best position possible with his playcalls and audibles was second to none.

That also goes for his entire career.

There were countless times that he would recognize a weakness in coverage for a certain pass/route or a bubble in the front 7 for a run and would audible to a play to take advantage of those situations.

He was phenomenal in that area and a brilliant QB much like his Indianapolis successor who doesn't get that credit from many fans or the media - Andrew Luck.
 
Sons Of Shula said:
Overall I agree with a lot that was said here.

For Manning's 2nd SB he did a lot of things on the field and in presnap phase that didn't show up on the stat sheet. His ability to put the offense in the best position possible with his playcalls and audibles was second to none. That also goes for his entire career. He was phenomenal in that area and a brilliant QB much like his Indianapolis successor who doesn't get that credit from many fans or the media - Andrew Luck.
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this is probably true. Had crap-weiller played who knows they may have lost. Carolinas D played lights out all day. It was no gimme.
 
Great writeup Ejay. I'm proud to say that Dan Marino does and always will hold a special place in my heart. I'm proud to drive around everyday with the license plate 13MARINO, especially here in NYC:biggrin
 
finmann said:
I have Marino ranked number 2 behind Tom Brady. Will get flamed for this but I don't care...I've always said that Marino never had a complete team quite at the same time, whether it be defense, running back etc. He did more with less and put up numbers at a time when DB's were able to literally drape themselves over wide receivers going down field. Imagine Marino with the rules in place now and the numbers he would put up.........scary. Not winning a super bowl doesn't mean he wasn't the greatest.
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Kinda following what you say,

Imagine Brady on Marino's teams in the 80s and 90s vs Marino being a drafted by NE in the early 2000s... Brady wins no SBs and has a much shorter career. Marino runs out of fingers for rings. Sorry, but Brady has so much success from the coach and system. If he was drafted by Cleveland, would he have one ring?
 
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