Who had the better career: Bob Griese or Dan Marino?

[SF Dolphin Fan]

Yep teams didn’t throw as much - passing favored defenses. Just look at all the HOF QBs ratings from that era. I think Unitas is a 77 or something. Same w Bradshaw (on the 158 point scale). The greatest QBs didn’t come anywhere near doing better than 1.5:1 TDs to picks. Once in a while you’d get a. 2:1. But not like today where it’s obscene.

Right. Namath and Stabler actually threw more career interceptions than touchdowns and both were obviously very good quarterbacks.

Timing patterns, which are so critical in today's game, were easy to disrupt with the rules in the 70's and often led to interceptions.

 

[SF Dolphin Fan]

Spot on. When the Rams won the SB this year and the Matt Stafford belongs in the HOF now debates began I wanted to throw up. “We” seem to over-emphasize the most recent things we see. All of the great QBs of the 70s - Griese, Staubach, Tarkington, Bradshaw and Stabler were basically the Rodgers, Mahomes etc of today. But they are dissed over the lack of understanding of how the game changed as you say. That’s how guys like Stafford wind up in HOF discussions which is a total joke.

I think Staubach deserves to be discussed among the best quarterbacks ever. But I rarely see a quarterback ranking that has him in the top 10. He was very much like an Aaron Rodgers.

Again, a case could be made that Griese was the second best quarterback from that era. I've mostly seen Tarkenton, Staubach and Bradshaw ranked ahead of Griese.

The major problem is the age of the people making these rankings. It's easy to dismiss the greatness of a Staubach, Griese and Tarkenton if you never saw them play and looked at their stats.

Very average quarterbacks are now putting up Marino type numbers with the rules of play in today's game. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but not too far off the mark.

 

[royalshank]

I think Staubach deserves to be discussed among the best quarterbacks ever. But I rarely see a quarterback ranking that has him in the top 10. He was very much like an Aaron Rodgers.

Again, a case could be made that Griese was the second best quarterback from that era. I've mostly seen Tarkenton, Staubach and Bradshaw ranked ahead of Griese.

The major problem is the age of the people making these rankings. It's easy to dismiss the greatness of a Staubach, Griese and Tarkenton if you never saw them play and looked at their stats.

Very average quarterbacks are now putting up Marino type numbers with the rules of play in today's game. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but not too far off the mark.

I agree. I’m a homer but Staubach was the best of the era IMO and should easily be in the best ever conversation.

 

[Fred Bear]

The media will have Mac Jones in there next year

 

[NY8123]

Dead even? Bob was the offensive coordinator on the field calling all plays, much more cerebral on the field than Dan. Dan had to comeback in games much more often than Bob being that the Dolphins were a dominant team in that era.

So defense? Which lead to a more balanced team. Bob would not have had the success Marino did with his teams since the running game was terrible and the D wasn't nearly as good as that 70's D.

 

[J. David Wannyheimer]

Here's how you should think about this: Which player would trade their career for the other's?

That's all you have to ask. Bob Griese, hands down.

These poll results are staggering. Bob Griese is a Hall of Famer who won two Super Bowls and then went on to have a very distinguished broadcasting career. Dan Marino is a Hall of Famer who never won a championship and had a very forgettable broadcasting career. Marino set a lot of records that have since been blown out of the water, and will continue to be blown out of the water in the future. He may have been a better thrower of the football, but he certainly didn't have a better career.

 

[Kenny123]

Knowing how their careers turned out. Griese would lead the team to win 2 Superbowls but Dan would set the NFL on fire and keep us relevant for 17 years. I told my friend, I respect Griese more than Marino because he was able to lead us to win 2 Superbowls and Marino never did. Unfortunately that's what quarterbacks are judged on and even an inferior QB is deemed more successful when Superbowls are involved.

Relevant for 17 I thought it was more than 20 years These quarterbacks with these new rules have broken his records if Dan Marino would’ve played in this day and age with these rules yeah I would say these records or his records would never be broken and what others qb called Audibles like Dan Marino, if he seen any mismatch he would be on it

 

[Kenny123]

While Marino was the better QB, Griese is so underrated for a guy who led teams to 3 straight SBs and is in the HOF.

Griese called his own plays and he had great “feel” for the game. He was very much like Montana and Brady in the way he managed a game. Those who say he benefited from the great run game are correct. He was smart. He wasn’t selfish - he called the plays that gave us the best chance to gain yards and first downs available. And when he didn’t have a great run game all he did was lead the league in passing in 1977. Point is, he could throw it beautifully. While he didn’t attempt many passes in his 2 SB wins, he was nearly perfect. Did you know he was a 3 sport standout - baseball, basketball and football and super athletic (early in his career he was criticized for scrambling too much). I think some younger fans vaguely remember a broken down Griese late in his career - coke bottle glasses and all - and think “what a dork”. Truth is the man would house most of us on any court of our choosing.

Now here’s the controversial part - if Marino had the team Griese had, yes he undoubtedly wins a SB or multiple. But would he have been patient enough to run the offense that was so successful for those teams? Had he slung it all over and put up tons of points, that means the time consuming drives that wore defense down don’t happen. It also means our D is on the field more. It’s interesting to ponder anyway.

The reason why I would say no because both qb’s I am coach except Shula fell in love with Dan Marino’s arms and decided who needs needs to run a game

 

[Fred Bear]

Ole Bob has picked up 42 votes probly 42 old farts like me.

 

[Osvaldo_rezende]

Marino!

 

[Dogbone34]

David Woodley

 

[studsatele]

Griese had a hungrier more hyped version of Don Shula. He had the better team. And better career. But Dan was a million times the QB.

 

[Fred Bear]

David Woodley

Yeah David Woodley. R.IP alcohol killed him.