Nas wrote:
It's a common debate among football fans. It almost always seems to find a way onto sports radio shows or even on television. It's a debate that never goes away, at least not for long. You've probably sat at a table in the pub or sports bar and asked this question numerous times: Who is the greatest quarterback in NFL history?
The responses are usually quick. Someone will say Tom Brady(notes), another friend will jump in with Joe Montana, and then another says Johnny Unitas. All of those suggestions are great ones, and I think each of them have valid arguments. However, I think there is one player that fans often overlook: John Elway. Here are three reasons I believe he's the best quarterback ever:
One thing John Elway did that few people realize is that he won with less talent around him. His Broncos won the 1986 AFC Championship with a running back (Sammy Winder) who led the team in rushing with 789 yards. Elway had no receivers who caught more than 64 passes, while Mark Jackson led the Broncos with 738 yards receiving.
His 1987 team had similar talent. Winder ran for a team-high 741 yards, and Vance Johnson caught 42 passes for 684 yards. Elway had a little more help in 1989 when Bobby Humphrey rushed for 1,151 yards and Johnson had one of his best years with 76 catches for 1,095 yards.
The point that I'm trying to make is that Denver failed to put playmakers around Elway, yet he still led the Broncos to the Super Bowl three times in the 1980s. He did it by beating other AFC teams I think were more talented. I wholeheartedly believe that the Cleveland Browns of the late 1980s fielded more talented players, but Elway always found a way to push his team to victory.
Unfortunately, as a native of Northeast Ohio, I got to see first-hand view of Elway's ability to bring the Broncos back from the brink of defeat. Most fans remember the 15-play, 98-yard series now known as "The Drive," during which Elway brought his team back in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter to tie the AFC Championship game against the Browns. Denver later won the game in overtime to reach the Super Bowl.
Overall, Elway led the Broncos on 47 game-winning or game-tying drives in the fourth quarter, which is an NFL-record. Other players have been known for their ability to bring their teams back, but none of them have the stigma that Elway had. If the Broncos were down in the fourth quarter and Elway was in the game, there was always the feeling that Denver would win.
One thing many fans can use against Elway when debating the greatest quarterbacks of all time is his statistics. He never had more than 27 touchdown passes in a season or a rating higher than 93.0. He's isn't first in any career passing category except for fourth quarter comebacks. However, when you look at Elway's statistics, he was consistently good, missed relatively few games, and still ranks in the top five in various career passing categories.
Elways is fifth all-time with 300 touchdown passes and fourth in career completion and passing yards. He was voted to the All-NFL team three times, and he was All-Conference five times. Elway was also voted to nine Pro Bowls and won two Super Bowls with the Broncos. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
John Elway's career wasn't just about the numbers. If it were only about the numbers, then I'd argue for Dan Marino, Peyton Manning(notes), or Tom Brady. But Elway had all the intangibles a quarterback needs to succeed in the NFL. I believe his will to win, his ability to get the most out of his teammates, and his 16 years of top-level play make him the best quarterback of all time.
The 47 comebacks stat as I noted above is complete nonsense and would be pointless even if Elway's numbers were legit. Manning and Marino both have more actual comebacks than Elway. And the "more with less" argument is vastly overstated since other quarterbacks surrounded by mediocre talent have produced better numbers than Elway did in those Super Bowl years, and his defenses weren't bad at all in any of them. Other than that, the article just relies on superficial talk of intangibles because there's no other way one can make the case that Elway should be regarded as the best ever at his position.
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